Taylor P. Harris

Parenthood involves ongoing transitions and shifts in dynamics as children develop from infancy through adulthood (Westrupp et al., 2022). Rossi (1968) was the first to engage in a structural analy...

Objectives: This scoping review investigates the character strengths of caregivers of children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), which impacts 1 in 37 children under 5 years of age. Caregivers of children with PFD are at risk for poor mental health outcomes, but there is limited research on the unique strengths that caregivers develop or leverage to help navigate the stress of caring for a child with PFD. Methods: The scoping review followed a standard framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines to analyze studies focusing on caregivers of children with PFD or feeding-related issues. Definitions of strengths were defined by the 24 character strengths framework, outlined in the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), which highlights positive traits of humans. A comprehensive search of four databases identified 1,174 articles, which were screened based on inclusion criteria, resulting in 11 studies. Results: No studies directly investigated the strengths of caregivers as their primary outcome; however, multiple strengths were identified by coding strengths consistent with the VIA-IS across findings of the 11 included articles. Identified strengths highlighted caregiver resilience, with hope being the most frequent strength across studies. Conclusions: Strengths can be protective factors of caregiver mental health. However, there is limited literature on the strengths in caregivers of children with PFD, and how they develop over time. A small number of studies have identified the presence of multiple strengths among caregivers of children with PFD, but more research is needed to understand how we can leverage strengths to improve caregiver and child resiliency.

Objectives: Caregivers of children with Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) are at-risk for experiencing anxiety and stress. Given the high prevalence of PFD, many caregivers are susceptible to such symptoms. However, regular screening for caregiver mental health concerns within pediatric clinics is scarce. This study examined rates of caregiver mental health screening completion and levels of anxiety and stress among caregivers of children with PFD. Methods: Caregivers ( n = 67) were approached about completing a mental health screener. Descriptive statistics were used to explore completion rates of screenings and levels of stress and anxiety. Results: Sixty-three caregivers (94%) completed the mental health screening and findings reflect high rates of anxiety and stress for this population. Conclusions: These results highlight the high rates of anxiety and stress in this caregiver population and demonstrate the need for universal screening for caregiver mental health among pediatric feeding clinics.

Objective: Recent research has suggested that mental health is not only the absence of mental illness but includes aspects of well‐being. One common psychological assessment used to assess dimensions of well‐being is the Mental Health Continuum‐Short Form (MHC‐SF). The MHC‐SF is a 14‐item measure that assesses emotional, psychological, and social well‐being. The purpose of this study was to assess measurement invariance of the MHC‐SF across US military veterans and civilians.Method: First, we examined the factor structure of the MHC‐SF separately for veterans (n = 418) and civilians (n = 411). We then conducted multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MG‐CFA) to assess measurement invariance for the two groups.Results: Findings suggested there were three latent factors representing emotional, social, and psychological well‐being. Results from MG‐CFA suggested that the MHC‐SF is invariant across veterans and civilians.Conclusion: Researchers and practitioners can administer the MHC‐SF with both groups.

This qualitative study investigated creative adolescent perceptions of their educational and mental health experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Participants were 25 English‐speaking adolescents from the Midwest in the United States. They were identified as creative by their teachers according to known creative profiles. Participants attended an all‐day creative career workshop in the Spring 2021 semester. The five focus groups guided by semi‐structured interviews conducted for this study occurred during the workshop. This study was phenomenological in nature with constructivist and transformative paradigms, and transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis by the first, second, and third authors. Creative adolescents' education during the pandemic was marked by classroom changes based on COVID‐19 policies, experiences of disconnection, disengagement, and disappointment, as well as feelings of empathy and appreciation for their educators. Creative adolescents experienced mental health challenges related to adjustment issues, powerlessness and hopelessness, and isolation. Implications of results are discussed.

Summary: Previous research shows that adults with children have poorer sleep overall than adults without children. Poorer sleep is associated with experiencing more frequent and severe stressors. The daily link between sleep and stressors may differ by parenting status; yet this potential difference has not been addressed, especially in nurses who provide care both at work and home. This study examined whether the sleep–stress relationship is stronger for nurses with children than those without. During 14 days of ecological momentary assessment, 60 hospital nurses (24 parents) reported their previous night's sleep characteristics upon waking. Three times daily, they also reported whether they encountered any stressors and how severe those stressors were. Associations were assessed at the within‐ and between‐person levels with parenting status as a between‐person moderator. After controlling for covariates, previous night's poorer sleep quality, lower sleep sufficiency, and shorter time in bed were associated with perceiving more frequent or severe stressors the following day. Some of these daily associations were moderated by parenting status, such that the sleep–stressor link was only significant for parents, with the magnitude of association being stronger for those with 2+ children relative to 1 child. These findings suggest that nurses with children are at greater risk for a stronger linkage between poorer sleep and greater stressor frequency and severity. A stronger sleep–stressor relationship could have compounding effects on health. Improving sleep in this group may be critical to reduce their stress and improve the quality of care across work and home.