Acceptability and feasibility of collecting psychosocial data from fathers of very low birth weight infants

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of collecting outcome data from parents of very low birth weight infants, and to explore the psychological and social adaptation of fathers. Questionnaires were distributed to 38 parents of very low birth weight infants and 36 parents of term infants within a hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Field notes were also taken. Parents indicated collecting outcome data in this population was feasible and acceptable, but barriers and difficulties in data collection were identified, particularly for fathers. Furthermore, parents highlighted a lack of emotional support for fathers. In conclusion, research with parents of very low birth weight infants should happen with consultation, flexibility, and measures designed specifically for this population

An update of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) on systemic insecticides. Part 2: impacts on organisms and ecosystems

New information on the lethal and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on organisms is presented in this review, complementing the previous WIA in 2015. The high toxicity of these systemic insecticides to invertebrates has been confirmed and expanded to include more species and compounds. Most of the recent research has focused on bees and the sublethal and ecological impacts these insecticides have on pollinators. Toxic effects on other invertebrate taxa also covered predatory and parasitoid natural enemies and aquatic arthropods. Little, while not much new information has been gathered on soil organisms. The impact on marine coastal ecosystems is still largely uncharted. The chronic lethality of neonicotinoids to insects and crustaceans, and the strengthened evidence that these chemicals also impair the immune system and reproduction, highlights the dangers of this particular insecticidal classneonicotinoids and fipronil. , withContinued large scale – mostly prophylactic – use of these persistent organochlorine pesticides has the potential to greatly decreasecompletely eliminate populations of arthropods in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Sublethal effects on fish, reptiles, frogs, birds and mammals are also reported, showing a better understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity of these insecticides in vertebrates, and their deleterious impacts on growth, reproduction and neurobehaviour of most of the species tested. This review concludes with a summary of impacts on the ecosystem services and functioning, particularly on pollination, soil biota and aquatic invertebrate communities, thus reinforcing the previous WIA conclusions (van der Sluijs et al. 2015)

Attachment styles and factors affecting career choice of occupational therapy students

Adult attachment theory, a theory of personality, has been connected to a range of factors that may contribute to one's professional choice, job satisfaction and performance. To date, the implications of this theory for the professional of occupational therapy have not been investigated. This study examined the adult attachment styles of 124 first and fourth year occupational therapy students at The University of Queensland in relation to factors affecting career choice and satisfaction with career choice. The results showed that the majority of the participants had a secure attachment style, were people orientated and were satisfied with their choice of career. In accordance with adult attachment theory, the participants with a secure attachment sytle rated people-orientated factors as important when choosing occupational therapy as a career and were more satisfied with their choice of career than the participants with an insecure attachment style. The study of suggests that adult attachment style might warrant consideration in light of recruitment and retention

Investigating attachment, caregiving, and mental health: a model of maternal-fetal relationships

Background Maternal-fetal relationships have been associated with psychosocial outcomes for women and children, but there has been a lack of conceptual clarity about the nature of the maternal relationship with the unborn child, and inconsistent findings assessing its predictors. We proposed and tested a model whereby maternal-fetal relationship quality was predicted by factors relating to the quality of the couple relationship and psychological health. We hypothesized that the contribution of individual differences in romantic attachment shown in past research would be mediated by romantic caregiving responsiveness, as maternal-fetal relationships reflect the beginnings of the caregiving system. Methods 258 women in pregnancy (13, 23, and 33-weeks gestation) completed online measures of attachment to partner, caregiving responsiveness to partner, mental health, and thoughts about their unborn baby. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of maternal-fetal relationships. Results Maternal-fetal relationship quality was higher for women at 23-weeks than 13-weeks gestation. Women in first pregnancies had higher self-reported scores of psychological functioning and quality of maternal-fetal relationships than women in subsequent pregnancies. Structural equation models indicated that the quality of the maternal-fetal relationship was best predicted by romantic caregiving responsiveness to partner and women's own psychological health, and that the association between adult romantic attachment avoidance and maternal-fetal relationships was fully mediated by caregiving responsiveness to partner, even after controlling for other factors. These data support the hypothesis that maternal-fetal relationships better reflect the operation of the caregiving system than the care-seeking (i.e., attachment) system. Conclusions Models of maternal-fetal relationships and interventions with couples should consider the role of caregiving styles of mothers to partners and the relationship between expectant parents alongside other known predictors, particularly psychological health

Caregivers' attachment patterns and their interactions with cancer patients' patterns

To provide a brief review of the empirical literature regarding the attachment style of the cancer patients' caregivers as well as the link between attachment, caregiving, and care-receiving behaviors are defined. An extensive systematic electronic review (Medline, PsycINFO, and Attachment Theory Website (ATW)) and subsequent examination of reference lists were carried out to retrieve published articles up to 2011, using attachment and cancer in combination with caregiver, spouse, dyad, and family as the key words. The titles, abstracts, or full articles, if necessary, were reviewed to determine whether the articles met the eligibility criteria. Eighty-seven studies have been identified, including research articles, books, and chapters in books. The attachment style of a caregiver can influence how they respond to a patient's needs. Studies have found that attachment anxiety or avoidance is more likely to interfere with effective and sensitive caregiving