Conectar
by Thea Lynne Hedemann, Yun Lu, Sofia Campitelli, Lisa D. Hawke, Nelson Shen, Sarah Saperia, Brett D. M. Jones, Gillian Strudwick, Chelsey R. Wilks, Wei Wang, Marco Solmi, Michael Grossman, Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Nicole Kozloff, George Foussias, Muhammad Omair Husain
BackgroundYouth at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis often experience emotional dysregulation, psychiatric symptoms, substance use, suicidality, and functional impairment. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based intervention that improves emotion regulation, clinical outcomes, and functioning across psychiatric populations. Digital adaptations (d-DBT) may enhance accessibility and engagement for CHR youth, but acceptability and potential benefits in this group are unknown.
ObjectiveTo adapt d-DBT for CHR youth and evaluate the acceptability of delivering it to this population, as well as the feasibility of a larger-scale clinical trial.
MethodsThis mixed-methods clinical trial has two phases. In Phase 1, d-DBT will be adapted for CHR youth in collaboration with a lived-experience youth advisory group. In Phase 2, an assessor-masked randomized controlled trial will compare d-DBT (n = 30) with treatment as usual (n = 30). The intervention consists of eight weekly modules, with primary outcomes assessing acceptability, usability, and trial feasibility. Secondary outcomes include changes in emotional dysregulation, psychiatric symptoms, substance use, suicidality, and functioning.
ConclusionsWe anticipate that d-DBT will be acceptable to CHR youth and that conducting a larger trial will be feasible. Preliminary findings may demonstrate improvements in emotion regulation, psychiatric symptoms, suicidality, and functioning. Results will guide further refinement of the intervention and inform the design of a confirmatory clinical trial.
Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov #NCT06928935
Within the context of limited childcare resources and a high prevalence of multigenerational co-residence in China, grandparents play a pivotal role in the caregiving of infants and toddlers. However, discrepancies in parenting philosophies across generations may lead to conflict, thereby impacting maternal psychological well-being and parenting experiences. Identifying the typologies of intergenerational co-parenting relationships is therefore essential for informing targeted health interventions.
This study aimed to identify latent profiles of mother–grandparent intergenerational co-parenting relationships in families with infants and toddlers in Shenzhen, China, using the Grandparent-Parent Co-parenting Relationship Scale (GPCRS) dimensions. It further sought to examine how maternal psychosocial factors (parenting stress, perceived stress, depressive symptoms, sleep quality), the quality of spousal co-parenting relationships and intergenerational caregiving role arrangements are associated with profile membership.
A cross-sectional survey study.
A total of 366 mothers with children aged 0–3 years was recruited from maternity and child healthcare institutions in Shenzhen, China, between January 2023 and May 2024. Validated scales were used to assess intergenerational and spousal co-parenting, parenting stress, parenting sense of competence, perceived stress and depressive symptoms. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify patterns of intergenerational co-parenting relationships, and multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the associated predictors.
Three distinct intergenerational co-parenting profiles were identified: the Discordant Group (29.2%), the Balanced Group (46.7%) and the Harmonious Group (24.0%). Higher spousal co-parenting scores were positively associated with more harmonious profiles. Lower levels of parenting stress, perceived stress and depressive symptoms, as well as higher sleep quality and grandparental involvement in caregiving were all associated with more positive relationship profiles. However, higher maternal parenting competence was paradoxically linked to greater intergenerational conflict.
Mothers in the Discordant Group, marked by low agreement/support and high conflict, reported the highest stress and depressive symptoms, whereas those in the Harmonious Group showed the most favourable psychosocial outcomes, with the Balanced Group in between. Stronger spousal co-parenting, better sleep quality and grandparental caregiving were associated with membership in the Harmonious class. These findings underscore the importance of fostering harmonious co-parenting across spousal and intergenerational subsystems to enhance maternal well-being and family functioning in early childhood.
Nurses and healthcare professionals could implement family-based interventions tailored to identified profile characteristics, thereby more effectively supporting maternal mental health and fostering greater harmony in intergenerational co-parenting families.
To identify modifiable caregiver factors influencing abuse tendency in Chinese nursing homes and delineate pathways for intervention.
Discerning the risk factors associated with elder abuse is paramount for enhancing prevention and intervention strategies.
Cross sectional study.
Using validated tools (Caregiver Abuse Screen, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Fatigue Scale-14, Barthel Index), 241 caregivers from 24 nursing homes in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China were surveyed. Structural equation modelling analysed the direct/indirect pathways linking caregiving stress, caregiving difficulty, job burnout and abuse tendency.
The prevalence of abuse tendency amongst caregivers in the previous year was 40.7%. The model explained 83% of the total variance in abuse tendency. The best-fitting model indicated that abuse tendency was directly affected by job burnout. Caregiving difficulty and stress indirectly affected abuse tendency through job burnout.
This study identified job burnout as a modifiable mediator linking caregiving difficulties, caregiving stress, and abuse tendency amongst nursing home caregivers. To disrupt the pathways to abuse tendency, clinical administrators should prioritise routine burnout screening coupled with structured resilience-building programmes. Simultaneously, optimising staffing ratios and enhancing caregiving competencies may foster safer care environments for caregivers and residents.
This study identified job burnout as a direct driver of abuse tendency, providing information for clinical managers and targeted interventions to mitigate elder abuse risk. Additionally, it revealed the indirect effects of caregiving difficulty and stress via job burnout, emphasising the need to optimise staffing allocation and workflow design to foster system-level improvements in caregiver mental health and service quality.
The study adhered to the STROBE checklist of observational surveys.
Caregivers voluntarily completed questionnaires.
This study identifies job burnout, caregiving difficulty, and caregiving stress as key risk factors for abuse tendency amongst nursing home caregivers. The validated model demonstrates the direct and indirect effects of these factors on abuse tendency, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to prevent and mitigate abuse.
FreshRSS