This longitudinal study examined the role of coping strategies and posttraumatic growth (PTG) on the psychological adjustment to breast cancer trajectory. The participants were 50 women assessed at the time of surgery (T1), during adjuvant treatment (T2) and six months after the end of treatment (T3). Women completed questionnaires assessing coping strategies, PTG and psychological adjustment (psychological quality of life, anxiety and depression). Results showed that the greatest impact of breast cancer on women's adjustment occurred at T1, when patients were significantly more anxious than in the other phases of the disease. The type of surgery and adjuvant treatment did not account for the course of PTG and adjustment. Coping through seeking social support and using cognitive strategies at T1 were linked to psychological quality of life and depression at T3 via PTG dimension of personal resources and skills at T2. Findings emphasise the value of promoting adaptive coping strategies and PTG in order to improve psychological adjustment in breast cancer patients.

This paper is a systematic review of 39 empirical studies on family routines and rituals in the context of a chronic condition of a family member. The search strategy encompassed a wide spectrum of chronic conditions affecting family members from childhood/adolescence to adulthood. Twenty quantitative, 13 qualitative, 3 mixed-methods, and 3 intervention studies published between 1995 and 2012 were reviewed. A conceptual framework of routines and rituals as key elements of family health was adopted, resulting in three main findings. First, a chronic condition in a family member impacted the frequency and nature of family's routines and rituals. Second, these whole-family interactions held important functions for individuals and families, constituting strategic resources in the condition's management and opportunities for emotional support exchanges, and providing the family with a sense of normalcy amid the challenges posed by chronic conditions. Third, family routines and rituals were linked to positive health and adaptation outcomes for both patients and family members. Implications for future research include the need for the distinction between routines and rituals against a conceptual background, use of validated assessment methods, and empirical examination of predictors of changes in routines and rituals throughout the course of the condition and of the mechanisms linking these family events to positive outcomes. Conclusions support the inclusion of routines and rituals in a family-centered care approach to the understanding and treatment of chronic conditions.

Family rituals are important in promoting QoL in pediatric cancer via family cohesion and hope individually and via family cohesion in terms of parent-child interactions.

This research examined the longitudinal links between perceptions of family rituals, family cohesion, and adolescents' well-being in 713 adolescent-parent/caregiver dyads in New Zealand. Parents (86% mothers) assessed family ritual meaning and family cohesion, and adolescents (10 to 16 years old at Time 1) reported on family cohesion and well-being at two times of measurement with a 1-year interval. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess stability coefficients, cross-lagged effects, and to test a multistep mediation model. Results showed longitudinal bidirectional effects between perceptions of family ritual meaning and family cohesion (for parents), and between perceptions of family cohesion from parents/caregivers and adolescents. In addition, family ritual meaning was found to be linked to adolescents' well-being indirectly via parents' and adolescents' family cohesion. Results support and expand previous research on the direct and indirect effects of family rituals in family and individual positive outcomes.

The present study examined the longitudinal links between perceptions of family connectedness and body satisfaction in 1,774 (52% female) adolescents. Participants (10-15 years of age at Time 1) completed self-report measures at three measurement occasions separated by 1 year each. Mean group difference results showed that both body satisfaction levels and perceived levels of family connectedness decreased over 2 years for the whole sample. As expected, girls were generally less satisfied with their bodies than boys, particularly in the older cohort. Structural equation modelling was used to assess stability coefficients and cross-lagged effects, and longitudinal bidirectional effects between perceptions of family connectedness and body satisfaction were found for girls, but not for boys. This result suggests that adolescent girls' body satisfaction is both affected by and a predictor of perceived family connectedness.

The present study investigated the role of connectedness to the family and school contexts on future orientation of New Zealand adolescents. Participants were 1774 young people (51.9% female) aged between 9 and 16 years at time 1 of the study, who reported their connectedness to family and school and their perceptions of future orientation at three times of measurement one year apart. Structural equation modelling was used to test the combined role of family and school connectedness on future orientation over time. Findings supported a multiple mediation model in that adolescents' connectedness to family and school predicted more positive perceptions of future orientation both directly and indirectly via the effect of the context variables on each other.

The present study is a systematic review of empirical literature from the last 35 years on families' responses to economic distress in the context of macroeconomic crises. Thirty-nine studies published between 1983 and 2015 in 12 countries were identified, resulting in 3 main findings. First, economic distress was associated with negative changes in family dynamics, specifically couple relationships and parenting. Second, protective factors were found to buffer the adverse effects of economic distress on family and individual outcomes. Third, the results suggest that individual responses to macroeconomic crises may be moderated by sex. Implications for future research encompass using validated assessment instruments, including participants beyond 2-parent families with adolescent children and conducting both longitudinal and qualitative studies that focus on the processes and meanings of adaptation within this risk context. Conclusions highlighted the need to assist families dealing with macroeconomic crises' demands, encouraging the development and validation of macrosystemic intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record

Routine assessment of paediatric HrQoL and psychological problems in healthcare and research contexts should include self- and parent-reported data as complementary sources of information, and also consider the family context. The additional cost of conducting a more in-depth assessment of paediatric adaptation outcomes can be offset through more efficient allocation of health resources.