Doing Fatherhood Online: Men's Parental Identities,Experiences, and Ideologies on Social Media

Online discourse about parenting has grown with the expansion of social media technologies. With a community of “dad bloggers” developing in North America, further investigation into how men write about fatherhood on the Internet is needed. In this article, I present a qualitative analysis of 201 blog posts written by 40 dad bloggers. Adopting a social psychological perspective, I examine how fatherhood is constructed across lines of identity, experience, and ideology. My findings illustrate how dad bloggers reinforce and reshape family discourses in their writing about parental role models, becoming a father, work–family balance, generativity, and “good” and “bad” dads. Social media use is discussed as a part of fathering in everyday life and as a tool to display, promote, and normalize involved fatherhood.     

Camp HOPE as an Intervention for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Program Evaluation of Hope,and Strength of Character

Children exposed to domestic violence are at-risk for physical, mental, and social difficulties that have received an increased focus among researchers and policy makers. Using Snyder’s (2000) theory of Hope as a conceptual framework, Camp HOPE America is a summer camp program targeting school-aged children exposed to domestic violence. The purpose of this study is to present the changes in child hope before and after camp and correlate child hope to positive character strengths as rated by camp counselors. This study used a matched pretest posttest design to examine the change in hope, and strength of character among 229 school-aged children participating in Camp HOPE America. Results showed that hope, and psychological strengths improved from pre-test to post-test assessments. Additionally, children’s scores on hope were positively associated with the character strengths of zest, grit, self-control, optimism, gratitude, social intelligence, and curiosity obtained from counselor observations. These findings highlight hope as a coping resource for children exposed to domestic violence and provides preliminary support Camp HOPE America as an intervention within the established Family Justice Center system in the US.     

Internet-Based Delivery of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Compared to Monitoring,Feedback and Support for Problem Gambling: A Randomised Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy program (I-CBT) for the treatment of problem gambling, when compared to a waitlist control and an active comparison condition consisting of monitoring, feedback, and support (I-MFS). Participants (N = 174) were randomly allocated to the three conditions. Variables of interest were gambling outcome and related mental health measures. Participants in the active conditions (I-CBT and I-MFS) completed six online modules. Both I-CBT and I-MFS conditions resulted in significant treatment gains on gambling severity. However, I-CBT was also associated with reductions in a range of other gambling-related and mental health outcomes. Compared with I-MFS, I-CBT produced greater effects across seven outcomes measures, relating to gambling urges, cognitions, stress, and life satisfaction. I-CBT participants also rated the program as significantly more satisfactory. Treatment gains observed for both active conditions were found to be stable through to 12 month follow up. The results indicate that the benefits of I-CBT were more than simply the non-specific effects of engaging in online treatment or receiving motivation, feedback, and support. Online treatments for gambling may be a valuable tool in increasing help-seeking and treatment engagement in this population, and be integrated as part of stepped care approaches to treatment.     

Extracurricular Activities in Multiethnic Middle Schools: Ideal Context for Positive Intergroup Attitudes?

This study examined processes by which extracurricular participation is linked with positive ethnic intergroup attitudes in multiethnic middle schools in California. Specifically, the mediating roles of activity‐related cross‐ethnic friendships and social identities including alliances with multiple groups were examined in a sample including African American or Black, East or South‐East Asian, White, and Latino youth (N = 1,446; M_age = 11.60 in sixth grade). Results of multilevel modeling suggested that in addition to activity‐related cross‐ethnic friendships, complex social identities mediated the association between availability of cross‐ethnic peers in activities and ethnic intergroup attitudes. Results are discussed in terms of how activities can be structured to promote cross‐ethnic relationships and complex social identities, as well as positive ethnic intergroup attitudes.     

Coping with workplace minority stress: Associations between dyadic coping and anxiety among women in same-sex relationships

ABSTRACT

Sexual minorities are exposed to stressors in the workplace (workplace minority stress), which can be detrimental for well-being (e.g., levels of anxiety). The present study examined whether a particular set of relationship processes, dyadic coping, served to moderate the association between workplace minority stress and symptoms of anxiety. Using a dyadic sample of 64 female same-sex couples, we found that partner problem-focused supportive dyadic coping (DC) and emotion-focused supportive DC (marginally) buffered, whereas partner delegated DC and negative DC did not moderate, the association between workplace minority stress and symptoms of anxiety. Implications for relationship researchers and mental health practitioners are discussed.     

Stress Spillover and Crossover in Same-Sex Couples: Concurrent and Lagged Daily Effects

ABSTRACT

A growing body of literature on romantic relationships demonstrates associations between daily stress and relationship quality; however, this research has largely focused on heterosexual couples. Whereas all couples may experience common external stressors originating outside the relationship (e.g., work and finances), sexual-minority couples may also experience unique stressors due to their sexual orientation (e.g., discrimination or harassment). To address the dearth of literature on the daily experience of stress in same-sex relationships, we examine concurrent (same-day) and lagged (next-day) effects of common external and sexual-minority stressors on relationship quality using 14-day daily diaries from 81 same-sex couples. In doing so, we identify the types of external stress most likely to spill over into the relationship, as well as those vulnerable to crossing over from one partner to the other. We further examine whether the effects are proximal (concurrent) or carry over from one day to the next (lagged). Common external stress was negatively associated with same-day actor and partner relationship quality. Sexual-minority stress demonstrated lagged effects for actor relationship quality, but only for men. Implications for the proximal impact of common external stress and the lagged effects of sexual-minority stress, specifically for men, on relationship quality are discussed.     

Therapy on an Exhausted Planet

The last decade of the twentieth century saw a growing awareness of environmental issues and concern about prospects for the continuance of life on our planet. Evidence is strong that the planet's ability to continue sustaining life is under threat. Despite this and despite the urgency of time constraints, the human species, in its vast range of occupations and careers, has scarcely lifted a finger to address the crisis. Therapypists are no different. This article considers the dangerous predicaments we face, explores what restrains Therapypists, and looks to some possible avenues for influence.     

An Overview of Problematic Eating and Food-Related Behavior Among Foster Children: Definitions, Etiology, and Intervention

Although several studies have identified problematic eating and food-related behaviors (e.g., Bulimia Nervosa, hoarding, obesity) as significant concerns among children in foster care, there is little evidence-based guidance on how practitioners may appropriately identify and treat children with these concerns. The current review describes the scope of eating and food-related difficulties among foster children, discusses potential etiological factors associated with these behaviors, reviews prevention and intervention strategies, and highlights implications for future research. All of these topics are aimed toward child welfare workers who are likely to encounter these eating patterns in practice. In addition to addressing problematic behaviors, this review also incorporates strategies for the promotion of healthy nutrition among families in the welfare system.     

Examining gender differences in the relationship between dating violence victimization and anger in college students

It has been well established that dating violence victimization is associated with various mental health problems. Relatively, little is known about similarities and differences between mental health correlates of dating violence victimization for males and females. We examined the associations between physical and psychological victimization experiences and measures of anger in a sample of 200 male and female undergraduates. Results suggest that men's victimization was more strongly associated with different forms of anger than women's victimization.