Family Psychology

À travers l’analyse de la violence naissant du seul fait de l’urgence, nous étudions le processus d’acting. Dans les services d’urgence, la technicité et l’efficacité médicales se lient paradoxale- ment à la confusion et aux difficultés de communication. Ce lieu devient ainsi propice à une mise en acte, dans la réalité, de fantasmes, de scènes familiales, de drames dont le déroulement s’agit à l’insu des malades, de leur famille et des praticiens. La scène des urgences ne doit pas être celle d’un psychodrame sauvage. L’urgentiste doit aussi tenir compte de l’opacité du fait psychique pour tenter de prévenir, au sein de son service, la commission d’actes violents qui n’émanent pas toujours de ses malades.

Content and focus: This paper will briefly consider the general conceptualisation of mental disorder before focusing on the specific case of parental alienation (PA), variously termed a disorder or a syndrome.  By virtue of the recent debate surrounding its potential inclusion in the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM5, this is a topical example.  A critical analysis of the petition for its inclusion within DSM5 will both highlight the range of professionals’ views, and also consider ethical and practical issues inherent in the conceptualisation of a mental disorder and its classification within the evolving DSM.  Following this general and specific conceptualisation of mental disorder, the tensions that diagnosis raises for counselling psychology will be briefly deliberated.  The positive aspects of classification and diagnosis will be acknowledged, whilst highlighting the focus on the subjective experience of individual clients.

Conclusions: Despite the controversy about the concept, validity and reliability of PA, the evidence suggests that there is more agreement than disagreement among practitioners and professionals in the field.  Whilst there is a general consensus that alienation exists within a distinct population who would benefit from intervention, there is no consensus on its inclusion in DSM5.  Irrespective of its inclusion in any nosology, the recent debate has highlighted the need for further research.  A greater understanding of the processes, symptoms and behaviours involved in PA will enable the needs of children and families involved in high-conflict separation to be better addressed.

This study prospectively assessed the implications of war captivity and former prisoners of war's (ex-POWs) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD trajectory on their wives' marital adjustment, adjusting for their secondary traumatization (ST). Results show that marital adjustment of the wives of ex-POWs with PTSD (N = 66) was lower compared to wives of ex-POWs (N = 37) and combat veterans (N = 55) without PTSD symptoms. Investigating the possible mechanism underlying the lower marital adjustment, via a mediating model, indicated that husbands' PTSD symptoms mediated the association between captivity and the wives' marital adjustment. Moreover, husbands' PTSD trajectories assessed over 17 years were implicated in their wives' marital adjustment; wives of ex-POWs with chronic PTSD reported lower marital adjustment compared to wives of resilient ex-POWs. The substantial novelty was revealed in prospective deterioration found in dyadic adjustment among wi...

For many married individuals, the ups and downs of daily life are connected such that stressors impacting one person also impact the other person. For example, stress experienced by one individual may "spill over" to negatively impact marital functioning. This study used both partners' daily diary data to examine same-day and cross-day links between stress and marital conflict and tested several factors that make couples vulnerable to spillover. Assessment of 25 wide-ranging sources of daily stress included both paid and unpaid work, health issues, financial concerns, and having to make difficult decisions. Results showed that both husbands' and wives' experiences of total daily stress were associated with greater same-day marital conflict and that conflict was greater on days both spouses experienced high levels of stress. Evidence of cross-day spillover was found only in those couples with high concurrent marital aggression and in couples where wives reported...

We tend to select topics for our anthologies that resonate with us
personally—and which we would like to explore with others because they
are common challenges, essential for healthy, resilient relationships . . . and
difficult to stay with comfortably. Repair is one of them for me—perhaps
because it requires such patient good faith, accountability tempered by self-acceptance,
and a firm sense of proportion and time, none of which, even
at sixty-one, are my most reliable virtues (although they are my husband's).
Repair also requires attunement, a taste for the subjective worlds of others, an
ardent desire for things to turn out 'right,' a flexible and inventive freedom
to re-imagine that 'right' in a way that makes room for changing insights,
realities, and stories, and tenacity that verges on the quixotic, all of which, for
better and worse, are intrinsic to me.

Secondary traumatization describes the phenomenon whereby those in proximity to trauma survivors develop psychological symptoms similar to those experienced by the direct survivor. The current study examined secondary trauma (ST) and generalized distress symptoms (general psychiatric symptomatology, functional disability, and self-rated health) in wives of former prisoners of war (ex-POWs). The study compared wives of Israeli ex-POWs from the 1973 Yom Kippur War with wives of a matched control group of non-POW Yom Kippur War combat veterans (CVs). The wives also were divided into groups based on their husbands' current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status and PTSD trajectory (i.e., chronic, delayed), and their outcomes were compared with resilient CVs. We found that wives of ex-POWs with PTSD reported higher ST and generalized distress than wives of ex-POWs and non-POW CVs without PTSD. Wives of ex-POWs with chronic PTSD reported the highest levels of functional disabilit...

Most research on psychosomatic processes has been
limited by its reliance on very general psychological
concepts, such as emotional states and personality traits.
Looking at construing especially as it occurs specifically
in its relational context may break us out of this impasse.
As long as we investigate a general process such as
"anxiety" or "stress" we will only learn very general things
about the associated physiology - such as general arousal
levels. The framework of Family Construct Psychology is introduced as potentially valuable in formulating and carrying out research on psychosomatic processes.

Este capítulo parte da abordagem do ciclo de vida familiar para centrar e aprofundar o último estádio desse ciclo. Abordam-se os desafios normativos e desenvolvimentais, enquadrando ganhos e perdas e analisando como a família se pode organizar de forma saudável neste momento da vida. Além disso, sendo esta uma área ainda pouco explorada na literatura e investigação, apresentam-se alguns reptos à atualização das vivências no fim da vida, especialmente a possibilidade de conceder duas fases ao último estádio da vida familiar. Estas duas fases seriam unidas por um processo emocional de transição (construir um significado para a vida), promotor da construção da integridade das relações familiares (estabelecer pertenças na família multigeracional). A primeira fase caracterizada pelo envolvimento ativo com a vida familiar e comunitária e a segunda fase centrada no envolvimento espiritual. É nossa intenção que o interesse pelas famílias no fim da vida ganhe um modelo teórico normativo e se expanda para além dos cuidados familiares a idosos dependentes, que tem dominado a literatura que une os estudos da família e envelhecimento.

In the current essay, the author examines culturally relevant mindfulness practices. The author argues that an Afrocentric Worldview is essential within African American experiences. Mindfulness interventions directed toward African Americans must consider characteristics that are integral to many within the people group. The Africentric therapeutic approach NTU is used as a framework. This essay gives special attention to the success of mindfulness with African American women in family settings. The author discusses health disparities, stressors, and social support and concludes with recommendations for future research.

Objective: This descriptive-correlational study analyzed the relationship between family communication and perceived stress during the Covid-19 pandemic in Colombia.

Methods: The participants were 800 Colombians, between 18 and 91 years old (Mean = 33,91; Standard Deviation = 15,75), who responded with prior informed consent to three reliable instruments: Parent-Child Communication Scale (PACS), Perceived Stress Scale (EEP-10), and the Scale of Stressful Concerns in the Covid-19 Pandemic (EPEP).

Results: Findings revealed high levels of negative stress at the beginning and end of qua- rantine that had to do with economic, work, family, and health concerns. Family commu- nication proved to be a significant predictor of stress. In that sense, it was observed that
open communication between household members is associated with a reduction in nega- tive stress (r = -,103***). However, when communication at home is mediated by frequent offenses (β = ,719 ***), and is combined with health concerns (β =. 723 ***), and family co- existence (β =, 657***), it increases predictively high negative stress by up to 37.9% of the total variance.
Conclusions: these findings suggest strengthening family dialogue and collective coping strategies to reduce stress and learn to better manage concerns in this pandemic context surrounded by fears and uncertainties. Finally, recommendations from the fields of psycho- logy and communication in health are given to focus on preventive actions against high or chronic stress.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Este estudio descriptivo-correlacional analizó la relación entre la comunicación familiar y el estrés percibido durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Colombia. Método: Participaron 800 colombianos entre 18 y 91 años (Media = 33,91; Desviación estándar = 15,75) que respondieron, con previo consentimiento informado, a tres instrumentos confiables:

These questions have been derived, over many years from a large variety of sources, including the work of
the Palo Alto Brief Therapy Team, the Milan team, from Personal Construct Psychologists such as George
Kelly and Tom Ravenette as well as from our own practice at Southwood House, Bridgwater and other
family therapy teams in Somerset , UK (see references).
Think of the questions listed here as tools, rather like Wittgenstein’s handles in a locomotive (1953, para
12) – they are all questions but work in different ways and have very different functions. They are designed
to provide information and stimulate internal search about the topics and concerns that they refer to. They
also elicit the constructs and polarities that the family members use to make sense of, and which govern
their interactions. When the interviewer glimpses and begins to utilise and explore the members’
constructs and dimensions, the questions will indirectly elicit copious amounts of material in the form of
narratives and reflections and stimulate new conversations and explorations both within the session and
subsequently. This will begin to modify the understandings of both interviewer and family members which
will contribute to and initiate therapeutic change.
The numbered sections can be thought of as stages of the interview, but far better to let the conversation
flow where it will naturally, giving the opportunity to explore the gems of the family members’
contributions as they arise. Having said that, it is good in an initial session to “touch on” the different
topics, so that a sufficient overview of the situation can be gained. This will help one to decide what to
negotiate with the family about whether to meet again and what therapeutic plan to propose.
Understanding their positions on the problem and treatment will help the therapist to know how to frame
formulations and suggestions in a way that makes most sense to the family and is least likely to be resisted
or rejected.
Questions for use with families in general are given first. On page 130, a set of questions with simplified
language is provided for use with children or people with communications difficulties.

Consider a study of positive and negative emotional affect in which siblings are discussing who is favored by their parents. One of the siblings vigorously defends her claims that she is the most deserving, loyal, and obedient child to their ailing father. Yet, she says she is calm, while her sister knows which "buttons to push to elicit a reaction" and hence teases her, hoping for the predictable reaction. We can determine if the so-called calm demeanor is reflected in stable or increased blood pressure. Hence, the appearance of someone being calm may actually be associated with physiological arousal. Physiological measures are more resilient to self-reports in which people may lie about what they are feeling in an attempt to mask emotions. The goal of this chapter is to introduce you to the marriage, family, and physiology literature in terms of physiological outcomes, including how the autoimmune system is affected when there is recurrent conflict. Physiological arousal involves the autonomic nervous system in a state of adrenalin release and includes pulse (heart rate beats per minute [bpm]), interbeat intervals (IBI), and somatic activity measured on a wrist monitor. Somatic activity tracks wrist and hand movements used while gesturing. It reflects kinetic energy release and tension release through motion. Honeycutt (2010) discusses the importance of physiological variables to measure family conflict and affection. Physiological data complement existing methods for measuring family interaction through surveys, interviews, and observation of family members in discussing recent conversations that reflect retroactive imagined interactions. We measure physiological arousal of married couples, engaged couples, and non-romantic pairs (such as siblings) with varying degrees of conflict in their relationships by asking participants to imagine either discussing a topic they are highly pleased with (e.g., sharing time together) or displeased with (e.g., how they communicate) and then to actually discuss those topics. The former is referred to as an induced imagined interaction. We observe positive and conflictual interaction in the Matchbox Interaction Lab at our university (see link: http://web.archive.org/web/20110927190726/http://www.lsureveille.com/lab-conducts-studies-in-communication-1.903513). The laboratory resembles a living room, containing a comfortable couch, coffee table, end table, round table, computer, magazines, and paintings. Most physiological measures are not under conscious control. Hence, physiological measures offer a means of circumventing the self-presentation bias that is endemic to observational studies of communication.

Il perdono genitoriale è una scelta di fronte alla quale, prima o poi, vengono a trovarsi le persone chiamate ad affrontare gli errori commessi dai propri genitori nei loro confronti e che talvolta condizionano la loro vita adulta. Devono, in pratica, superare “se stessi” e concedere il perdono a quegli esseri umani dai quali ci si aspetta tutto, ma che spesso vengono meno alle aspettative dei figli. Rispetto per la dignità, comprensione, compassione, empatia e amore sono i pezzi del puzzle che compongono il concetto del perdono verso il genitore e che possono (ri)portare la riconciliazione con il figlio.
Il perdono diventa ancora più importante quando il conflitto influisce non solo sul genitore carnefice e sul figlio-adulto vittima, ma s’imbatte in modo drammatico anche sulla terza generazione (i nipoti) e, di conseguenza, sui legami che uniscono le tre parti.
Una panoramica sul vero senso del perdono, analizzato nel suo sviluppo diacronico. Una presentazione del suo indispensabile valore e un opportuno collocamento entro i confini familiari. Una riflessione sull’inevitabilità dei conflitti, l’imperfezione e la tragicità della natura umana, nonché sul disagio vissuto dal figlio-offeso e dal genitore-offensore a causa della malefatta.
Un’analisi dei motivi per i quali si ritiene possibile perdonare i propri genitori proponendo anche pochi semplici passi. Una considerazione sulla correlazione tra il perdono genitoriale e la crescita dei figli, attraverso l’interruzione delle trasmissioni transgenerazionali, la serenità interiore e la capacità alla resilienza trasmessi, l’insegnamento dell’imperfezione umana e del perdono e i benefici tratti dalla probabile presenza del nonno nella vita del nipote, vista come risorsa educativa e psicologica. Infine, una proposta progettuale che mira alla creazione di gruppi formativi di figli-adulti, desiderosi di apprendere l'arte del perdono da applicare nei confronti dei genitori.

Parental warmth is vital for child adjustment, but the expressive practices of parental warmth as gendered and cultural practices have remained understudied so far. The present study examines the expression of warmth among contemporary Chinese fathers who, based on inferences from traditional Chinese emotion philosophy and Confucian family ethics, have been typically portrayed as strict, stern, and inexpressive disciplinarians of their children. This study aims to understand the expression of paternal warmth in the backdrop of China’s drastically transformed sociocultural landscape. Interview data were collected from fathers, mothers, and children in 133 two-parent families in southeast China (girls  51.9%; Mage  9.54 years, SD  0.77), who were asked individually about how the father in their family demonstrated love and affection, among a variety of fathering behaviors. Thematically coded interview transcripts suggested that today’s Chinese fathers are willing to display parental warmth toward their children, contrary to stereotypes. However, Chinese fathers prefer nonverbal expressions such as by providing instrumental support or showing physical intimacy, whereas verbal displays of love and affection were not preferred. The children noticed and valued their fathers’ coveted expression of love through instrumental support and the use of an authoritative parenting style. These findings shed light on the nuances in fathering behaviors and processes in contemporary Chinese families and call for culturally informed reflection and revision of the conceptualization and measurement of warmth in fathering and parenting scholarship.

Уміщено тексти декількох лекцій із курсу «Психологія сім’ї», спрямовані на полегшення навчального процесу через надання систематизованого стислого екскурсу. Наприкінці кожного тексту запропоновано список відповідної літератури, питання для самоперевірки або кейс для аналізу.
Для студентів факультету психології ДНУ.