Factors influencing student selection of marriage and family therapy graduate programs

To understand which factors students consider most important in choosing a marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate program and how programs met or did not meet these expectations of students over the course of graduate study, we conducted an online mixed-method investigation. One hundred twelve graduate students in Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education-accredited programs responded to an online survey assessing what factors led them to select a specific graduate program in MFT. In the quantitative portion, students ranked each factor (personal fit, faculty, funding, research, clinical work, and teaching) as well as characteristics of each factor in relation to its importance in their selection of an MFT program. Additionally, students indicated to what level their programs meet their expectations. In the qualitative portion, students described how they believed their chosen program was or was not meeting their expectations. Both doctoral and master's students ranked personal fit as the top factor affecting their choice of graduate program in MFT, but they differed on the characteristics of each of these factors and their importance in selecting an MFT program. Implications for this research include program evaluation and program advertising, and are consistent with the scientist-practitioner model.     

Does Child Sex Moderate Vulnerability to Postpartum Risk among Infants of Mothers at Risk for Psychopathology?

Early childhood behavior problems may indicate risk for subsequent psychopathology (Shaw, Gilliom, Ingoldsby, & Nagin, Developmental Psychology, 39, 2003, 189). There is some evidence to suggest that boys and girls may be differentially susceptible to postpartum risk factors that predict problem behaviors in early childhood (Kochanska, Coy, & Murray, Child Development, 72, 2001, 1091; Martel, Klump, Nigg, Breedlove, & Sisk, Hormones and Behavior , 55, 2009, 465). The main aim of this study is to examine whether child sex moderates the effect of infant and maternal predictors of toddler problem behaviors in a unique sample of high‐risk mother–child dyads. Analyses were based on data collected for 198 mother–child dyads (52% male offspring) followed longitudinally from birth to 18 months. Maternal and infant variables, including maternal PTSD and depression symptoms, maternal maltreatment history, observed maternal parenting quality, demographic risk, and infant negative emotionality and night waking, were used to predict toddler behavior problems. Although boys and girls displayed similar levels of total problem behaviors at 18 months overall, the specific set of infant and maternal variables that predicted toddler problems varied by child sex. The significant predictor for boys was maternal PTSD symptoms, whereas significant predictors for girls were infant negative emotionality and sleep problems. Results suggest that sex‐differentiated transmission of risk can be identified as early as 18 months postpartum. These differences suggest a gender‐specific biological sensitivity to maternal psychopathology, or alternatively, a gender‐specific reporting bias among mothers with childhood maltreatment histories.     

Women's experience of rage: a critical feminist analysis

We conducted in-depth interviews with 37 incarcerated women on their experience of rage towards their intimate partner. Participants used specific criteria to distinguish their experience of rage from anger. Rage is described as an overwhelming experience with particular physiological and cognitive changes that takes control of a woman's emotions and actions. In contrast, anger is described as a controllable emotion with a specific termination point. Motivations for acting violently in rage with an intimate partner are described and discussed. Findings suggest a primary trigger for experiencing rage is feeling threatened and feeling emotionally overwhelmed.     

Living with dying and disabilism: death and disabled children

This paper explores the ‘offensive presence’ death has sometimes represented in disability studies. The paper focuses on interviews with three mothers of children with the label of life‐limiting and life‐threatening impairments and positions their experiences within the current policy context for disabled children in England. The narratives are part of a wider on‐going study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council ‘Does Every Child Matter, post‐Blair? The interconnections of disabled childhoods’ (RES‐062‐23‐1138). Findings include: (i) families experience social isolation and poverty; (ii) support from services is lacking and/or inappropriate; (iii) families worry about the future and the (physical, social and emotional) costs of care. The paper concludes by suggesting that social oppression theories of disability have much to offer in terms of challenging the disadvantage disabled children and their families’ experience during life and in death.     

Maternal child care preferences for infants,toddlers, and preschoolers: the disconnect between policy and preference in the USA

While much research exists looking at parental preferences for child care, much of that research uses child care choice as a proxy for preference. In an effort to examine the types of care mothers prefer if no constraints were placed on their decision, this quantitative study investigated how family demographic factors and family role ideology relate to the types of child care (parental and non-parental forms) mothers prefer ‘in an ideal world’ using a sample of 345 employed mothers of children under 6 years of age in a suburb of a large metropolitan area in the southern USA. Participants completed a questionnaire examining the types of care they viewed as ideal for infants (0–12 months old), toddlers (13–30 months old), and preschoolers (31–72 months old) if no constraints were placed on the decision. Results indicated that the preferences for type of care for mothers in this sample varied according to the child's age, with a large majority of mothers preferring parental care for their children. Ideological and demographic factors predicting preferences for first and second choice of child care were also explored through binary and multinomial logistic regression, revealing the influence of ethnicity, education, and family role ideology to preferences for infant care. These results add to the existing literature by confirming previous findings about the influence of child age to child care preferences, as well as highlighting the disconnect between these preferences and the way family policies are structured in the USA.     

Individual progress toward self-selected goals among older adults enrolled in a physical activity counseling intervention

The purpose of this study was to examine what happens to goals over the course of a physical activity counseling trial in older veterans. At baseline, participants (N = 313) identified 1 health-related goal and 1 walking goal for their participation in the study and rated where they perceived themselves to be relative to that goal at the current time. They rated their current status on these same goals again at 6 and 12 mo. Growth-curve analyses were used to examine longitudinal change in perceived goal status. Although both the intervention and control groups demonstrated improvement in their perceived proximity to their health-related and walking goals (L = 1.19, p < .001), the rates of change were significantly greater in the intervention group (β = -.30, p < .05). Our results demonstrate that this physical activity counseling intervention had a positive impact on self-selected goals over the course of the intervention.     

Relationship of Patriotism Measures to Critical Thinking and Emphasis on Civil Liberties versus National Security

Students in a large undergraduate course (N = 236) at a major state university in the Southeastern United States took a standardized critical thinking test and four short sociopolitical scales (constructive patriotism, blind patriotism, respect for civil liberties, and emphasis on national security) at the beginning of the fall semester 2007. Although numerous published studies have addressed relationships between types of patriotism and various sociopolitical variables, these studies typically have not targeted respect for civil liberties and emphasis on national security. Also, negligible attention has been given to the relationships between types of patriotism and cognitive variables (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving). The current study found that both constructive and blind patriotism were significantly related to measures of critical thinking, respect for civil liberties, and emphasis on national security but in opposing directions. The article concludes with implications of the findings for public policy and practice.     

A Theory of Mental Health and Optimal Service Delivery for Homeless Children

Homeless children are a vulnerable group with high risk for developing mental health disorders. The pathways to disorders among homeless children have not been fully elucidated, with significant logistical and measurement issues challenging accurate and thorough assessment of need. The environments of homeless children are uniquely chaotic, marked by frequent moves, family structure changes, household and neighborhood disorder, parenting distress, and lack of continuous services. Despite high rates of service use, mental health outcomes remain poor. This paper reviews the literature on homeless children’s mental health, as well as prior theoretical explorations. Finally, the paper proposes a theoretical model that explains elevated rates of mental health problems among homeless children as consequences of harmful stress reactions triggered by chronic household instability along with repeated service disruptions. This model draws upon existing conceptual frameworks of child development, family poverty, health services utilization, and the biology of stress to clarify the role of environmental chaos in the development of child emotional and behavioral problems. Potential strategies to mitigate the risk for mental health disorders among homeless children and future research directions are discussed.