Abstract Objective This study aimed to systematically investigate how parental work–family conflict influences children's learning engagement through the mechanism of intergenerational anxiety transmission, as well as to explore potential differential pathways between fathers and mothers. Background Although China's “Double Reduction” policy reduces students' academic load, it also reshapes family educational roles and emotional climates. Yet, how parental work–family conflict influences children's learning in this new context remains underexplored. Method A total of 387 families participated in the study. Mothers and fathers completed the questionnaire, including questions regarding work–family conflict and educational anxiety. Children completed scales measuring academic anxiety and learning engagement. Results The results indicate that at the overall family level, parental work–family conflict is significantly correlated with children's learning engagement, with children's academic anxiety serving as an independent mediator, and the chained mediation pathway of “parental conflict → parental educational anxiety → children's academic anxiety → learning engagement” is established. In the father–child pathway, only the chained mediation is significant, whereas in the mother–child pathway, both the independent mediation of children's academic anxiety and the chained mediation are significant. Conclusion The findings indicate that parental work–family conflict is a risk factor affecting children's learning engagement under the Double Reduction policy, with intergenerational anxiety transmission serving as the key mechanism. It is recommended that policy implementation should focus on the family emotional ecosystem by alleviating emotional burdens through school–family collaborative support and workplace family‐friendly policies, while providing targeted family education guidance based on parental gender differences.
ABSTRACT Objective To examine how parental optimism trajectories relate to children's perceived societal fairness, and the mediating roles of Confucian effortful action and Taoist effortless action. Background Children's perceptions of societal fairness are shaped by family influences and cultural attitudes toward effort. In contemporary China, phenomena such as “lying flat culture” highlight the need to understand how parental optimism may influence children's fairness beliefs through culturally specific pathways. Methods Longitudinal data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were analyzed ( N = 2506 children; mean age = 13.58). Parental optimism (T1–T4), children's effortful/effortless action (T4), and perceived societal fairness (T5) were examined using latent growth modeling and structural equation modeling. Results Both paternal and maternal optimism showed increasing trajectories but did not directly predict children's fairness perceptions. Maternal optimism (T1) positively predicted children's effortful action (T4), which in turn predicted perceived fairness (T5), yielding a significant indirect effect. Paternal optimism showed a marginal negative association with effortless action, but the indirect effect was not significant. Conclusion Maternal optimism is indirectly associated with children's perceived societal fairness through Confucian effortful action. The paternal pathway via effortless action did not reach significance and remains exploratory. Implications Interventions may benefit from targeting maternal optimism and the transmission of effortful action values. Future research should improve measurement tools, distinguish classical wu‐wei from modern passive disengagement, and examine bidirectional parental influences.
ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study is to understand how parents adjust their roles during the transition to separation. Background Parental separation is a transition involving several structural, economic, personal, and interpersonal changes that require adjustments in parental roles. Method This study used qualitative interviews and a grounded theory approach to examine parents' perceptions of their role changes shortly following separation ( N = 17). Results The process of adjusting parental roles involved (re)considering pre‐separation role perceptions and responsibilities; navigating uncertainty and control; and adjusting parental roles (or feeling stuck and losing hope). Parents' experiences and role adjustments varied by parent gender, relational circumstances, and structural conditions. Conclusion Findings suggest that circumstances surrounding separation force parents to make behavioral and psychological changes to re‐conceptualize their roles which, when successful, can lead to a sense of satisfaction and well‐being. Implications Divorce educators and practitioners should consider supporting parental role adjustment to foster post‐separation adjustment.
ABSTRACT Introduction The influence of social media on adolescent well‐being has become a growing area of interest, with studies highlighting both its positive and negative effects. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of social media, family communication, and culture, which are often studied independently, and to understand how they all influence one another. Methods We conducted a series of semi‐structured interviews followed by workshops with parents ( n = 19) and adolescents between 13 and 18 years old ( n = 16). Results Parents and adolescents recognized that social media could pose both benefits and harms. They expressed that there should be greater recognition and conversation around how this tool can be best used, rather than trying to resist its presence in our lives. We found that participants who identified mostly with Western cultures raised more concerns with social media use compared to their non‐Western counterparts. Conclusions This study highlights the potential for social media to be used as a tool to better facilitate conversations at home. Implications Insights from this study can inform future approaches to facilitate more responsible and effective social media use for youth and their families.
ABSTRACT Objective This study examines how young people in Slovenia and Croatia perceived changes in family satisfaction, parent–child relationship quality, and family influence on important decisions before, during, and after the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background Pandemic restrictions redirected daily life toward family contexts and intensified family co‐presence for many young people, heightening intergenerational interaction and autonomy negotiation. Although families are often framed as buffers or stressors, less is known about how young people experienced family functioning across national contexts. Method A convergent mixed‐methods design integrated nationally representative survey data from 2018 and 2023 ( N = 2503; ages 16–29; balanced gender distribution) with 10 focus groups ( N = 80). Analyses assessed family satisfaction, parent–child relationship quality, and perceived influence on important decisions. Results Family relationships remained generally positive, yet relational intensity increased during the pandemic. Slovenian participants reported greater shifts toward moderate evaluations and heightened negotiation, whereas Croatian participants showed more stability and stronger extended kin involvement. Qualitative findings revealed the coexistence of emotional support and tension under conditions of intensified family co‐presence and restricted mobility. Conclusion Family resilience during COVID‐19 operated through dynamic recalibration of boundaries and authority, integrating both cohesion and strain. Implications Practitioners and policymakers should strengthen family communication, autonomy‐supportive practices, and external support systems during societal disruption.
ABSTRACT Aim This study aims to deeply understand the experiences of women growing up in a family environment where male pressure is experienced. Method This is a qualitative study conducted using a phenomenological design. The sample comprised 12 women selected through purposive sampling, all of whom had at least one brother and who experienced gender‐based inequality favoring male children within their families during childhood. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews using a personal information form and a semi‐structured interview guide. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and themes were developed accordingly. Results The participants were aged between 35 and 56. Two main themes and five subthemes emerged from the data. These were: Fragile Identity (Lost Childhood, Inequality, Hidden Worth) Intergenerational Trauma (Silent Witnessing, Extensions of Childhood Scenes). Conclusion Women raised in families dominated by male oppression develop fragile identities, growing up in a world of inequality from childhood onward, deprived of the opportunity to realize their full potential. This study also demonstrates that gender norms can be passed down through generations. Implications The findings of this study reveal the impacts of son preference on the identity development and psychosocial well‐being of women who have experienced this phenomenon. These results provide essential guidance for family specialists, community health nurses, and mental health professionals in developing culturally sensitive interventions aimed at empowering women, promoting egalitarian family relationships, and breaking the cycle of intergenerational transmission.
ABSTRACT Objectives To examine factors influencing family nutrition decision‐making among mothers participating in nutrition assistance programs. Background During the COVID‐19 pandemic and recovery period, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were expanded to address food insecurity. However, less is known about how mothers navigate family nutrition under ongoing program supports and rising food costs. Methods This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of SNAP/WIC‐participating mothers in Greater Boston ( n = 18) through in‐depth interviews conducted in 2022. Data were analyzed thematically using a combined deductive and inductive approach guided by Social Cognitive Theory. Results Mothers demonstrated knowledge and motivation to support family nutrition, using strategies such as meal planning and family food rules. However, these efforts were constrained by financial and time limitations, limited food access, caregiving demands, and feeding‐related stress. These challenges persisted despite expanded program supports. Conclusion Family nutrition was shaped by multiple interacting factors. Although SNAP/WIC improved food access, they did not fully address the complex realities mothers face. Implications Persistent barriers, even during enhanced program support, highlight the need for more flexible, family‐centered, and structurally responsive interventions that integrate nutrition education and behavioral skill‐building with policy and environmental support.
ABSTRACT Objective This study investigates how gender, employment status, and educational level influence the distribution of domestic and caregiving tasks—and how these factors affect satisfaction with work–family balance (SWFB)—among Brazilian employees. Background Guided by the Gendered Opportunity Structures Theory , this research situates the persistent gendered division of household labor within the broader social and organizational context of Brazil. Method Data were collected from 1176 employees across two companies in Brazil. Analyses included multinomial logistic regressions and a multiple linear regression examining SWFB. Results Gender remained the primary determinant of both domestic and caregiving responsibilities and of satisfaction with work–family balance, surpassing the effects of education and partner employment. A family‐supportive organizational culture did not moderate these relationships, suggesting that gendered opportunity structures persist even in flexible or family‐friendly environments. Implications The findings highlight the need for gender‐responsive organizational policies and for educational and therapeutic interventions that help couples renegotiate implicit gender expectations. Broader structural and cultural transformations are necessary to achieve genuine equity in work–family balance.
ABSTRACT Objective This study examines latent patterns of older parents' perceived intergenerational relationships (PIR) in urban China and their associations with living arrangements, particularly the gender and marital status of coresiding adult children. Background Intergenerational relationships are often studied through support exchanges, but older parents' subjective perceptions of relationships remain less understood, especially in non‐Western contexts. Method Using data from the 2021 Shanghai Family Cohort Study, we applied latent class analysis to identify PIR patterns based on affectual and conflictual indicators. Multinomial logistic regression was then used to examine associations between PIR patterns and living arrangements, with attention to parental gender and coresiding children's characteristics. Results Four PIR patterns were identified: amicable, ambivalent, detached, and disharmonious. Parents coresiding with married daughters, rather than married sons, were more likely to belong to the amicable rather than detached PIR pattern. Coresidence with unmarried children was associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the ambivalent pattern. Mothers' PIR varied more strongly across living arrangements than fathers'. Mothers living with married daughters and fathers living with unmarried daughters showed high probabilities of belonging to the amicable PIR pattern, whereas fathers living with married daughters and mothers living with unmarried daughters showed relatively high probabilities of belonging to the ambivalent PIR pattern. Conclusion PIR in urban China reflects both enduring patrilocal expectations and emerging bilateral family norms. Implications Findings highlight the growing importance of daughters and bilateral family ties, suggesting that community‐based services may help ease ambivalence in coresident families while sustaining intergenerational closeness.
ABSTRACT Background Family well‐being is increasingly recognized as an important outcome in research and practice involving families of individuals with developmental disabilities, highlighting the need for valid assessment instruments. However, the Catalight Family Wellbeing Scale (CFWS) has only been validated in the United States, and evidence for its cross‐cultural applicability remains limited. Objective This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the CFWS among families of individuals with developmental disabilities. Methods The sample comprised 343 primary caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities. The 15‐item CFWS was translated using a standardized procedure. Psychometric properties were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency (Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω ), measurement invariance across caregiver gender, and convergent and discriminant validity analyses with the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (BCFQOL) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales‐21 (DASS‐21). Results CFA supported the original three‐factor structure. Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.70–0.92; McDonald's ω = 0.71–0.92). Measurement invariance supported score comparability across caregiver gender. Expected positive associations with the BCFQOL and negative associations with the DASS‐21 supported convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion The Turkish version of the CFWS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing family well‐being among families of individuals with developmental disabilities. Implications/Recommendations The Turkish CFWS can be used in research and practice to assess family well‐being, monitor family‐centered interventions, and support service planning for families of individuals with developmental disabilities in Türkiye.
Abstract Objective This study examined whether children's distress during interactions with siblings and parents differed from distress during noninteractional situations in naturalistic home settings. Background Distress frequently occurs within sibling and parent–child exchanges, yet these contexts remain underexamined in naturalistic settings. Methods Participants included 53 preschool‐aged children ( M child age = 50.47 months, SD = 9.6, 28 girls) and their parents (58% of mothers identified as White and non‐Hispanic). Children were recorded for 16 hours using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system. Approximately 10 distress episodes per child were coded for context, distress intensity, emotion regulation quality, and parental response quality. Multilevel models were used. Results Children showed greater difficulty recovering from distress during interactions with siblings and parents than during noninteractional situations. Mothers were more likely to respond both supportively and nonsupportively to distress during mother–child interactions, and fathers who responded to more father–child distress showed more nonsupportive responses. Conclusion Distress during parent–child and sibling interactions may be more emotionally challenging for young children than distress during noninteractional situations. Distress during parent–child interactions elicits more parental coaching but may also result in more negative exchanges. Implications or Recommendations Findings highlight the need for interventions targeting parent responses during real‐time family interactions.
ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to investigate the types of play that fathers in Turkey engage in with their children aged 4–6 years and to examine whether these plays differ according to the child's gender. Background Despite the importance of fathers in child development, limited evidence exists on father–child play and gender differences in play activities in Turkey. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was employed. A total of 314 fathers were recruited through convenience sampling from preschool institutions in Turkey. Data consisted of 1888 play activities recorded in a semi‐structured seven‐day diary. Fathers' reports were analyzed using deductive content analysis based on Whitebread's play framework, and frequency distributions and chi‐square analyses were conducted. Results Physical play was the most frequently reported category (35.4%), followed by rule‐based play (27.1%), object play (19.1%), socio‐dramatic play (13.8%), and symbolic play (2.9%). The most reported activities were ball play, hide‐and‐seek, and construction‐based play. Fathers spent an average of 226 min playing with their children across the 7 days. Play preferences differed significantly by gender, with medium effect sizes favoring boys for car play and football, and favoring girls for coloring/drawing, pretend house/role play, and dancing. Conclusion Fathers in Turkey predominantly played physically active and rule‐based games with their children, although some activities varied according to the child's gender. Implications Findings provide insights into the characteristics of paternal play in Turkey and highlight the importance of addressing gendered play patterns in father education programs.
ABSTRACT Objective This qualitative study examined Israeli heterosexual male police officers' experiences of spousal emotional abuse and its impact on well‐being, marital relationships, and professional functioning. Background Intimate partner (IP) violence research has focused on female victimization, leaving men, particularly those in hypermasculine professions such as policing, underrepresented. Within the Israeli context, familistic values, patriarchal norms, and a “warrior” ethos shape masculine identity, while police organizational culture reinforces emotional restraint and discourages disclosure, rendering male victimization invisible. Thus, the importance of examining these experiences and their implications. Methods A sample of 30 Israeli police officers completed an anonymous, self‐administered online questionnaire regarding marital relationships, coping strategies, and perceived effects on work and well‐being. Narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Five interrelated themes emerged: (1) pervasive control and surveillance, (2) erosion of autonomy and social ties, (3) emotional exhaustion and withdrawal, (4) diminished self‐worth and identity, and (5) entrapment and constrained choices. Participants described spousal control and monitoring as restricting social interactions and undermining autonomy and well‐being. Officers coped by emotionally withdrawing and investing in work; however, these strategies ultimately intensified distress and relational distance. Divorce was frequently considered, yet most remained in the relationship for the children and to avoid stigma. Disclosure was rare and constrained by gender norms, police culture, and family expectations. Conclusion Emotionally abusive intimate relationships significantly affect male police officers' personal and professional lives yet remain hidden. Implications Accessible, confidential, and culturally sensitive support services that address both individual well‐being and relational dynamics are recommended.
ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this meta‐analysis is to identify the components of fatherhood programs associated with improved father and family functioning and economic stability. Background Fatherhood programs—which seek to strengthen fathers' parenting, healthy relationships, and economic stability outcomes—have demonstrated mixed effects in previous research. However, there is variation across studies in the size and significance of effects. Furthermore, little is known about whether some features of programs are related to larger impacts. Understanding those features can help identify how best to strengthen fatherhood programs so that they yield larger positive and more consistent impacts for fathers and their families. Methods The current study reports on a meta‐analytic core components analysis of fatherhood programs. We estimate the strength of the relationship of each core component with program impacts in two broad outcome domains (father and family functioning; economic stability). Results Estimated impacts are larger from programs that provided opportunities for program operators to work one‐on‐one with individual families, couples, or fathers. Results also demonstrated the benefits of targeting program content to the outcomes of interest. Implications Implications for future testing of these components and adapting these components for specific settings and types of participants in fatherhood programs are discussed.
ABSTRACT Objective This qualitative study explores African American mothers' experiences coparenting with a nonresidential father. Background Literature often frames coparenting in African American families with a deficit orientation. Using the strengths‐based perspective of the sociocultural family stress model, this study counters this view to underscore how African American mothers perceive their coparenting realities and use resources to navigate related stressors in their family system. Methods Across five focus groups, 20 African American, predominantly middle‐class, college‐educated mothers discussed coparenting and the resources that contribute to their resilience. Results Consensual qualitative research strategies revealed two primary domains (emotional realities and village resources), representing eight themes. Participants' emotional realities encompassed emotional awareness and emotional evolution in their coparenting relationships. Village resources, including social networks and mental health support, were resources central to mothers' ability to navigate coparenting stress. Conclusions Participants navigated intersecting identities as they demonstrated commitment to managing the emotional complexities of coparenting. Village resources were diverse and significant in supporting mothers' coparenting efforts. Implications Findings can inform parenting interventions and policies. Disseminating findings can help destigmatize stereotypical notions of African American parenting and support the development of new strength‐oriented parenting paradigms to inform research, policy, interventions, and family well‐being.
Objective:The primary goals of the present study were to (a) differentiate types of adolescents' attachment-related insecurity with their custodial grandmothers, and (b) examine associations, including bidirectional relations, between grandchildren's attachment insecurity and their maladjustment symptoms 9 months later. Background:There is limited research on attachment-related insecurity for adolescents in the care of custodial grandparents-a group that may be at heightened risk for insecure relationships and poor adjustment symptoms. Methods:Adolescent grandchildren (n = 348; aged 11 to 18 years, 39.7% male) reported on the quality of their relationship with their custodial grandmother and their internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2 (9 months later). Bifactor analyses were used to compute orthogonal indices of attachment-related general insecurity, anxious-ambivalence, and avoidance. Results:Within time, general insecurity predicted higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms. T1 general insecurity longitudinally predicted higher T2 externalizing and internalizing symptoms, with relations for externalizing symptoms moderated by length of care. Interestingly, T1 internalizing symptoms positively predicted T2 general insecurity. Conclusions:Consistent with attachment theory and prior research on parent-child relationships, grandchildren's relationship quality with their custodial grandmother predicted later maladjustment symptoms. Implications:Findings highlight the importance of attending to grandchildren's attachment-related insecurity in providing supportive services and resources to custodial grandfamilies.
Abstract Background The importance of the spousal relationship within one's social circle—which we refer to as spousal salience —may have important implications for married individuals' outcomes as they age. Objective This study investigates factors that may be associated with spousal salience among a sample of aging adults in rural South Africa. Methods We use data from 591 married women and 974 married men aged 44 or older in Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study in South Africa INDEPTH (HAALSI) to identify social and health factors that may be associated with spousal salience. Results Approximately one third of men and women did not name their spouse as one of their six most important social contacts (i.e., their spouses were not salient). More frequent receipt of emotional support from spouse or nonspouse contacts was positively associated with spousal salience, as was having more opposite‐sex contacts. For men, more frequent marital conflict was negatively associated with spousal salience, while more frequent interaction with nonspouse contacts and limitations in physical or cognitive function were positively associated with spousal salience. Conclusions The quantity and quality of nonspousal relationships do not diminish spousal salience. Our gender‐specific findings may be due to differences in response to marital conflict (men may withdraw more than women), access to social networks (men's social connections may be more linked to their spouse), and the likelihood of assuming caregiving roles (women are more likely to take on these roles). Implications Identifying individuals with both weak social connections and low spousal salience may be particularly important for preventing social isolation and promoting well‐being in later life.
ABSTRACT Objective Although research identifies intimate partner support as a protective factor in the face of stressors and that social support is most effective when tailored to specific stressors, there is no validated measure that assesses partner support in response to a racial stressor. To this point, the Support in Intimate Relationships Rating Scale (SIRRS) was modified to examine support provided by intimate partners in response to vicarious race‐based stress (VRBS). Method The sample included 231 Black adults (18–64 years; M = 46.00, SD = 9.09) in romantic relationships with a Black partner for 6 months or more. Results Findings demonstrated adequate reliability and validity of the adapted measure. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed equivalent factors to the SIRRS. Construct validity was supported in that intimate relationship support was positively associated with vicarious race‐based stress and interpersonal racial discrimination. Preliminary predictive validity was partially supported by a positive association between the physical support subscale and relationship quality among women. Conclusion Findings of the current study support the adapted SIRRS as a valid and reliable measure of VRBS‐specific support in this sample of Black adults. Implications Using the SIRRS‐VRBS as an assessment tool could promote strength‐based culturally appropriate approaches by identifying preexisting resources in the client's system, such as high levels of intimate partner support that can, in turn, inform treatment.
ABSTRACT Background Extensive research highlights the adverse effects of economic adversity on children's self‐regulation development. However, less is known about the impact of material hardship, which directly reflects unmet material needs within families. Objective The current study examines transient fluctuation and persistent exposure to material hardship in relation to children's behavioral self‐regulation trajectories during the transition from early to middle childhood (ages 3 to 9). Methods Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 4391), we applied multilevel linear mixed models to capture the effects of within‐person transient fluctuations and between‐person persistent exposure to material hardship on behavioral self‐regulation trajectories. Results Results indicated that transient increases in material hardship were associated with contemporaneous declines in behavioral self‐regulation. Higher average levels of persistent exposure to material hardship were linked to lower initial behavioral self‐regulation at age three but did not predict the rate of change in behavioral self‐regulation over time. Maternal marital status moderated this relationship, with children of married mothers showing a buffering effect against the negative association between persistent material hardship and initial behavioral self‐regulation at age three. Implications These findings emphasize the importance of addressing both acute and chronic material hardship through tailored early prevention and intervention programs to promote behavioral self‐regulation among economically disadvantaged children.
ABSTRACT Objective To explore bereaved parents' experience of deciding to pursue posthumous sperm retrieval (PHSR) and the meaning they associate with this choice. Background The death of a child profoundly disrupts the natural order of life, leaving parents with loss of meaning and identity. PHSR offers bereaved parents an unprecedented option to preserve potential genetic continuity, yet little is known about how parents experience this decision. Method In‐depth interviews were conducted with eight bereaved Israeli parents (six mothers, two fathers, ages 49–61) who chose PHSR following their sons' deaths (sons aged 20–29). Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results Three dimensions underlie the decision: (1) an instinctive emotional dimension‐ a drive to maintain agency amid helplessness; (2) a moral dimension‐ commitment to fulfill the son's perceived wish for fatherhood and restore intergenerational justice; and (3) a familial‐structural dimension‐ the need to reorganize family relationships and preserve parental identity through potential grandparenthood. Conclusion PHSR functions as a bridge between finality and continuity, serving simultaneously as an emotional act of reclaiming agency and a moral act of repair. Implications Practitioners should recognize PHSR as a multifaceted response to loss. Findings can inform policy development and psychosocial support for families navigating posthumous reproduction.
