An uncertain future: children of mentally ill parents.

Research reports the uncertain outcome of variables affecting the life of a child of an MI parent. Nurses must avoid stereotyping children before assessment; they are to be in the forefront in assessing self-care skills and deficits to guide planning individual interventions for children and MI parents. Long-term research theory-based interventions will enhance mental health in high-risk children and families.     

Medical decision-making: Whose values?

Abstract

Bioethical debates contribute to discussions about the direction of healthcare funding as we enter the twenty - first century. The funding of healthcare is debated by economists, bioethicists and clinicians. Because of their practice experience and knowledge base social workers are also well-placed to contribute to such issues. The debate has taken place at the ‘macro’ rather than the ‘micro’ level. Yet many ethical decisions about healthcare are made at the patient's bedside. Are they procedural or clinical decisions? Are decisions made for a group or class of patient or on an individual basis? Answers for these questions are sought in a study of medical decision-making for head-injured patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a major teaching hospital.

This paper attempts to draw out ethical principles which are part of medical decision-making. The notion of contextual ethics is likened to the ecological approach of Carel Germain which provides a useful framework for ethnomethodological research.     

Siblings of handicapped children

There is a strong suggestion that the siblings of handicapped children are at risk psychologically. Factors which contribute to this risk, aspects of the sibling relationship, and the siblings' issues, concerns and feelings are discussed so that professionals may have a framework within which to assess and evaluate these children's needs. Case examples are given.     

Acting out in children: A review of the literature

This paper presents a review of the literature on the meaning, etiology and categorization of acting out symtomatology in children. It is apparent that there is no one cause nor is there one well defined disorder.DSM-III categories as they relate to behavior disorders are discussed and the problems of diagnosis are addressed. Appropriate treatment goals and interventions cannot be developed unless more global aspects of a child's functioning and the environment in which he lives are assessed.     

The Planets Aligned: Is Child Protection Policy Reform Good Luck or Good Management?

Abstract

Governments across Australia are struggling to address escalating child protection notifications, a marked increase in the number of children in State care, a decrease in the number of foster carers and chronic workforce shortages in child welfare services. This paper explores the reform process that culminated in the proclamation of the Victorian Children, Youth and Families Act, 2005 and represents an aspect of the response in Victoria to these wider issues. It explores the history of the reform from the perspective of key actors from government, non-government sectors and academics who participated in the process. The paper explores the “ingredients of social policy reform” and how the change process was managed in Victoria. It does not seek to evaluate the reform but rather to understand the complex processes through which a propitious moment for reform was both seized and constructed.     

Standards, Competence and Knowledge: Initial Teacher Training and Business

Initial teacher training in England and Wales has undergone a number of reforms which have imposed greater central control on institutions and individual programs. The culmination of this process has been the introduction of a competence based model. In this paper the authors explore the factors which have led to the adoption of a competence based approach in many sectors of education and training. They describe how a Post Graduate Certificate in Education program has been developed to enable students to achieve competence through the establishment of links between education and business. They go onto consider the wider implications of this approach for teaching and learning. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Building a Dam,Constructing a Nation: The ‘drowning’ of Capel Celyn

Throughout history, the planning and construction of a dam has become symbolic of wider political events and processes. This paper investigates how the Tryweryn scheme in north-west Wales in the 1950s and 1960s became a central signifier within the emergent Welsh nationalism of the period. The project, providing water to the city of Liverpool, flooded the village of Capel Celyn and displaced its 48 residents. However, the opposition to the project extended beyond this rural community, with the scheme becoming a focal point for Welsh nationalism. This paper explores this significance, arguing that the Tryweryn scheme was articulated in a number of ways that elevated the project from a local issue to a national outcry, resulting in the term ‘Tryweryn’ having a resonance that continues to this day.     

Men's psychological functioning in the context of women's breast cancer

Previous research indicates that men are affected when their female partners have breast cancer. However, little is known about what predicts men's psychological well-being in this context. The current investigation involved couples in which the woman had early stage breast cancer and explored the degree to which men's positive and negative well-being was related to women's well-being, women's physical symptoms, relationship functioning, and relationship duration. The findings indicate that all of these factors play a role and interact in predicting men's well-being. In particular, when women have a high level of physical symptoms, the typical associations between men's well-being with women's well-being and relationship adjustment no longer persist. Implications for working with couples addressing health problems are provided.     

Inter‐professional collaboration and conceptualisations of practice

This article discusses the inter‐professional collaborative experiences of professionals working with children and their families in two areas of high social need. The findings suggest that, although the way that professionals conceptualise their practice may hinder attempts to collaborate effectively, a complex interplay of several factors is involved. A typology of the various collaborations reported is then constructed. Finally, integrating this work with the findings of other studies, an explanatory model is developed. These have particular relevance given the current rhetoric of ‘joined‐up government’. The project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (Ref. R000221542). Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.