Journal of Child and Family Studies

Every year in Australia, ~770 children aged under 15 years of age are diagnosed with cancer. Due to the increasing incidence and survival rates of paediatric cancer more families are contending with life post-childhood cancer. Research has demonstrated that mothers of children with cancer experience significant psychological distress. Our study explored the lived experiences of mothers of children diagnosed with cancer after completion of treatment. We recruited participants via notices distributed at a childhood cancer support group and on childhood cancer social media sites. The sample consisted of 14 mothers (aged 35–57 years, M = 45) whose children had completed treatment. Children’s age at diagnosis ranged from 14 months to 16 years old, 57% (n = 8) were male and 42% (n = 6) female. Our study employed a qualitative design using a phenomenological approach. Mothers participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Six themes were identified: cast adrift; fear never ends; guilt and loss (containing two sub-themes: siblings: ongoing guilt & lost opportunities; lack of self-care; everything is different (containing three sub-themes: lost connections; reassessment; and peer support); and a way forward. Our findings suggest mothers experience substantial negative effects. They often struggled to manage complex emotions and develop a new way of ‘mothering’ their children following cancer treatment. Mothers feared relapse and late effects and felt guilt about impact on siblings. These findings contribute to an understanding of mothers’ lived experience of childhood cancer, highlighting the need to improve post-treatment services. Findings can be used to formulate improvements in end of treatment.

This study explored, in a community sample of mothers of toddlers, parenting beliefs and values, to gain insight into the parent–child relationship. Acceptance of specific discipline techniques (DTs), and their actual use in daily life were examined. A mixed-methods approach comprising three different methods was used: (1) parenting beliefs and values were explored with Q-methodology; (2) acceptance of the DTs was assessed with the questionnaire Dimensions of Discipline Inventory; and (3) actual use of those DTs in daily-life incidents of discipline was documented using ecological momentary assessment for ten consecutive days. The results showed the mothers’ parenting beliefs and values reflected a warm parent–child relationship. The mothers rated explaining rules, timeout, removal of privileges, and social reinforcement as moderately to highly acceptable. However, planned ignoring received a low acceptance rating. Mothers’ high acceptability ratings of the DTs contrasted with moderate use when they were faced with their misbehaving child, with the exception of explaining rules, which was always manifested. Yelling and spanking received the lowest acceptance ratings. Nonetheless, in daily life, yelling was employed as often as timeout. These findings suggest the need for more attention to be paid to both acceptance and daily use of specific DTs in order to highlight DTs which parents may have difficulty implementing.

This study seeks to examine the moderating effects of cultural values (Latino values and mainstream American values) on the relations among parenting factors, substance use, and aggression among Latino adolescents using a longitudinal design. Data were collected from 213 Latino 10th graders between October 2011 and May 2012 and were analyzed using path analyses. Latino values at Time 1 negatively predicted substance use norms at Time 2, while mainstream American values at Time 1 positively predicted substance use amount at Time 2, after controlling for substance use at Time 1. Latino values moderated the relations between parental monitoring and substance use. Parental monitoring predicted more substance use among adolescents who reported lower Latino values, but not for adolescents who reported higher Latino values. Mainstream American values moderated the relations between parent-child conflict and substance use. Parent–adolescent conflict predicted more substance use among adolescents who reported higher mainstream American values, but not for adolescents who reported lower mainstream American values. The effects of parental monitoring and parent-child conflict on adolescent substance use are contingent on cultural values. Mainstream American values may enhance the risk of parent-adolescent conflict, whereas Latino values may enhance the protection of parental monitoring in relation to substance use.

Two theoretically based parent training programs, delivered in real-world settings by the social services, were examined in this randomized controlled trial for effectiveness in reducing adolescents’ antisocial behavior and substance use. Two hundred and thirty-seven (237) adolescents in ages between 12 and 18 and their parents were assigned to one of two programs or to a wait-list control condition. The programs were the nine weekly group sessions program Comet 12–18 (Swedish Parent Management Training Program) and the six weekly ParentSteps (Swedish shortened version by Strengthening Families Program 10–14). Outcome measures were antisocial behavior, substance use, and delinquency, and psychosocial dysfunction. Data based on adolescents’ and parents’ ratings of the adolescents’ problem behavior at baseline and 6 months later were analyzed with repeated measures ANVOA, Logistic regression, and Kruskal–Wallis H test. The results showed that parents’ ratings of adolescents’ antisocial behaviors decreased significantly over time, but no time by group effect emerged. No program effects were found in the adolescents’ self-reported antisocial behavior, delinquency, or psychosocial functioning. A threefold risk of illicit drug use was found in both intervention groups. The results suggest that neither Comet nor ParentSteps had beneficial effects on adolescent’s antisocial or delinquent behavior, or on alcohol use. The only significant group difference found was a threefold risk of drug use in the intervention adolescents at follow-up, but for several reasons this finding should be interpreted with caution. Trial registration number: ISRCTN76141538.