The effects of participation in a socio-psychoeducational resource centre programme on the school behaviour of primary school boys with behavioural and emotional problems

This study examined the relationship between child and family factors, treatment approaches, and behavioural outcomes in a socio-psychoeducational resource centre for children with behavioural and emotional problems. Twenty four boys aged between five and twelve years on entrance to the centre were rated on “A Children\u27s Behaviour Questionnaire for Completion by Teachers - Child Scale B” (Rutter, 1967). Data was also collected on the following variables: reading achievement, intelligence, problem severity, problem type, family disturbance, family involvement, and child living situation. On the basis of the type of problem the boys presented with they were selected for an additional therapy programme. Baseline data was collected from the referring school, on entrance to the programme, at six, monthly intervals whilst enrolled in the centre, on exit from the programme, and at follow-up three to four years after exit from the programme. Descriptive statistics or the child and family variables at entrance, exit, and follow-up are reported. Data on the main outcome variable was analysed using repeated measures ANOVA and multiple regression analyses. Results show that the S.P.E.R. Centre had behavioural improvement similar to other published studies. The older, more intelligent boys, and those selected for regular individual therapy sessions, tended to fare best

The young school-age assessment of attachment (YSAA): Development and preliminary validation

This manuscript describes the development and preliminary validation of a new assessment procedure called the Young School-age Assessment of Attachment (YSAA). The tool has clinical as well as research relevance in that it identifies the attachment strategies of children aged 5-7 years as well as recognising attachment related problems for this age group. The YSAA is a representational procedure that uses line drawings of a child teddy in attachment-related situations. The stimulus cards, probes, and administration procedures were piloted and refined in the initial stages of this study. The children\u27s narratives that were generated from this procedure were examined for discourse markers derived from the Dynamic Maturational model of analysing the Adult Attachment Interview (Crittenden, 1999-2004). Enough markers in five memory systems were generated for reliable classifications to be made. A preliminary validation study of the YSAA in a normal population was conducted with 158 children over two years with two data gathering points. Classifications of the YSAA transcripts generated by the children at age 6 years demonstrated strong concordance with classifications made on the Preschool Assessment of Attachment (PAA) (Crittenden, 1995) classifications at age 5 years. There was significant agreement between the YSAA classifications and the sensitive attonement of mother-child dyads on a task that involves the co-construction of episodes as measured by the Autobiographical Emotional Events Dialogue (AEED) (Koren-Karie, Oppenheim, Haimovich, & Etzion-Carasso, 2003). The potential clinical relevance of the YSAA was encouraging as classifications on the YSAA matched parental identification of major problems. They did not, however, predict children\u27s relationships with their teachers (Pianta, 1991) or child behaviour problems as identified by Achenback CBCL (Acenbach, 1991). The results are discussed in the light of current issues raised in the research literature with regard to the use of representational measures with young school-age children. The limitations of this study are highlighted and discussed, conclusions drawn, and suggestions made for future research directions

A Relational Model of Family Lawyering: Exploring the Potential for Education, Practice, and Research

This article responds to what seems to be a hot millennium topic in the family law environment—namely the nature of the relationship between the family lawyer and the client. It proposes a model of family lawyering that puts the relationship with the client explicitly in the foreground of the process and suggests a research regime that could investigate the merits of the model. The authors refer to the model as a relational model of family lawyering. The model involves family lawyers working within a partnering framework that incorporates attention to the relational aspects of the process, and in particular, to mentalizing. Mentalizing is a construct that research has found creates space for parties in the family conflict to consider others\u27 perspectives, alternative courses of action, and more constructive methods of approaching the dispute. The authors propose that the relational model could be a way of conceptualizing what family lawyers already do in practice with a number of additional factors that could enhance best-practice. Adoption of the model could assist family lawyers in attending to some of the psychological needs of the clients in a dispute resolution mode while still fulfilling their requirements as legal advisors. The authors discuss this proposition in the context of implications for education, practice and research

An Exploratory Study of Agression in School-Age Children: Underlying Factors and Implications for Treatment

Aggressive behaviour in school-aged children presents a significant challenge for society. If not managed, it can result in adverse academic, social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes for the child. In addition, it can create stress for families and become a significant burden for the community as these children reach adolescence and adulthood, and engage in antisocial behaviours. Using a three-step exploratory analytical strategy, this study explored parent and child reports of a diverse range of underlying developmental and clinical variables that have been identified in the literature as predictors of aggressive child behaviour, and which could be addressed within an Australian school or community context. A total of 57 children and their parents were recruited from a referral-based Western Australian child mental health service, and the wider community. A group of 31 clinically aggressive children were identified and compared to a group of 26 non-aggressive children. The aggressive group was reported as having a greater prevalence of internalising symptoms, including anxiety and depression, and their aggressive behaviour was more likely to be of the callous/unemotional type, relative to their non-aggressive counterparts. Significant predictors of belonging to the aggressive group included child social problems, thought problems, attention problems, affective problems, narcissism, symptoms of ADHD and PTS, and low maternal self-esteem. Findings are presented and discussed in the context of established theories. Recommendations for principles of treatment for aggressive children and their families are suggested

The role-emerging, inter-professional clinical placement: Exploring its value for students in speech pathology and counselling psychology

This paper examines the experience of a speech pathology and a counselling psychology student in a role-emerging, interprofessional clinical placement. Qualitative descriptive analysis was used to explore student and staff perceptions of the placement which took place within a prerelease detention centre, housing up to six women and their young children, within the Department of Corrective Services. Student reflections were obtained before, during and post placement completion. Reflections from academic staff involved in the project were gathered following placement completion. The analysis of these sources of data revealed that, while challenging, this placement strengthened students’ collaborative problem-solving, advocacy skills and clinical competence

Interprofessional clinical placement involving speech pathology and counselling psychology

This paper examines the interprofessional learning of a speech pathology and counselling psychology student in an interprofessional placement within an institution of the Department of Corrective Services in Perth, Western Australia. The institution is a pre-release centre that promotes rehabilitation and community reintegration in which up to six women are able to have their children, aged 0–4 years of age, live with them. The students provided a program to the mothers to facilitate development of a healthy mother–child relationship and the children’s communication development. This paper utilised qualitative descriptive analysis to explore two examples of student learning and found perceived growth in the students’ clinical skills, their understanding of the other profession and the concept of interprofessional collaboration. While students experience growth in a range of placements, the journey described in this paper is unusual in both the nature of the student collaboration and the placement itself. The research highlights the importance of joint clinical placements in the development of interprofessional collaborative relationships

Interprofessional clinical placement involving speech pathology and counselling psychology

This paper examines the interprofessional learning of a speech pathology and counselling psychology student in an interprofessional placement within an institution of the Department of Corrective Services in Perth, Western Australia. The institution is a pre-release centre that promotes rehabilitation and community reintegration in which up to six women are able to have their children, aged 0–4 years of age, live with them. The students provided a program to the mothers to facilitate development of a healthy mother–child relationship and the children’s communication development. This paper utilised qualitative descriptive analysis to explore two examples of student learning and found perceived growth in the students’ clinical skills, their understanding of the other profession and the concept of interprofessional collaboration. While students experience growth in a range of placements, the journey described in this paper is unusual in both the nature of the student collaboration and the placement itself. The research highlights the importance of joint clinical placements in the development of interprofessional collaborative relationships

Interprofessional clinical placement involving speech pathology and counselling psychology: Two students\u27 experiences

This paper examines the interprofessional learning of a speech pathology and counselling psychology student in an interprofessional placement within an institution of the Department of Corrective Services in Perth, Western Australia. The institution is a pre-release centre that promotes rehabilitation and community reintegration in which up to six women are able to have their children, aged 0–4 years of age, live with them. The students provided a program to the mothers to facilitate development of a healthy mother–child relationship and the children’s communication development. This paper utilised qualitative descriptive analysis to explore two examples of student learning and found perceived growth in the students’ clinical skills, their understanding of the other profession and the concept of interprofessional collaboration. While students experience growth in a range of placements, the journey described in this paper is unusual in both the nature of the student collaboration and the placement itself. The research highlights the importance of joint clinical placements in the development of interprofessional collaborative relationships

The Nature of Attachment Relationships and Grief Responses in Older Adults: An Attachment Path Model of Grief

BACKGROUND: Various researchers have theorized that bereaved adults who report non-secure attachment are at higher risk of pathological grief. Yet past findings on avoidant attachment representations and grief have yielded limited and contradictory outcomes. Little research has been conducted with older adults to identify the psychological processes that mediate between self-reported attachment representations and the patterns of grief. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impacts of avoidant attachment and anxious attachment dimensions on emotion and non-acceptance, in response to the loss of a conjugal partner, and the mediating effect of yearning thoughts. DESIGN: Men (N = 21) and women (N = 68) aged 60 years and above who had lost a partner within the last 12 to 72 months were invited to participate. Participants rated their levels of yearning thoughts about the deceased, emotions and non-acceptance on the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG-Present), and their type and level of general romantic attachment on the Experiences In Close Relationship questionnaire (ECR). RESULTS: Structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated that individuals who reported higher levels of avoidant attachment reported less emotional responses and less non-acceptance. SEM also showed that individuals who reported higher levels of anxious attachment reported greater emotional responses and greater non-acceptance. SEM further indicated that these relationships were mediated by yearning thoughts. CONCLUSION: People adopt different grief coping patterns according to their self-reported attachment representations, with the nature of their yearning thoughts influencing the process. Grief therapy may be organized according to individual differences in attachment representations