Objective: To review the literature on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) during pregnancy and to discuss its risks and benefits for treating severe mental illness during pregnancy. Method: PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched for English or English-translated articles, case reports, letters, chapters, and Web sites providing original contributions and/or summarizing prior data on ECT administration during pregnancy. Results: A total of 339 cases were found. The majority of patients were treated for depression and at least partial remission was reported in 78% of all cases where efficacy data were available. Among the 339 cases reviewed, there were 25 fetal or neonatal complications, but only 11 of these, which included two deaths, were likely related to ECT. There were 20 maternal complications reported and 18 were likely related to ECT. Conclusions: Although there are limited available data in the literature, it seems that ECT is an effective treatment for severe mental illness during pregnancy and that the risks to fetus and mother are low.

Numerous medical and psychiatric conditions can cause agitation; some of these causes are life threatening. It is important to be able to differentiate between medical and nonmedical causes of agitation so that patients can receive appropriate and timely treatment. This article aims to educate all clinicians in nonmedical settings, such as mental health clinics, and medical settings on the differing levels of severity in agitation, basic triage, use of de-escalation, and factors, symptoms, and signs in determining whether a medical etiology is likely. Lastly, this article focuses on the medical workup of agitation when a medical etiology is suspected or when etiology is unclear.

This article investigates the life conditions that contribute to low-income fathers' depression and that may jeopardize their relationships with their children. This work is based on a cultural-ecological framework that emphasizes the need to understand these fathers within their larger familial and social contexts. The sample consisted of 127 predominantly African American participants in two urban and rural responsible fatherhood programs. Of the fathers, 56% reported depressive symptoms indicating cause for clinical concern. In addition, fathers'resource challenges (unemployment; inability to pay full amount of child support order; limited access to reliable transportation; lack of permanent housing; problems with alcohol or drugs; health problems or disability; and criminal conviction history), residence (rural vs. urban), and level of social support were all significant predictors of fathers' depression. The authors discuss how these findings can be used to guide future programmatic and policy initiatives pertaining to low-income, nonresidential fathers.

The authors present the voices of 20 low-income fathers, all participants in a Responsible Fatherhood (RF) program in a large urban area. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was used to document participants' memories of becoming fathers, explain participants' perceptions of the benefits and the barriers to remaining involved with the program, and share participants' suggestions for program improvement. The results provide a preliminary evaluation of the program's services, and we discuss how these findings are helpful to future programmatic and policy initiatives.

A social-ecological framework suggests that nutrition education programs designed to increase young children's fruit and vegetable consumption should address the influence of immediate and extended family. However, very few nutrition education programs recognize the importance of grandmothers in shaping preschoolaged children's consumption patterns. This study explored the impact of grandmothers on their grandchildren's fruit and vegetable consumption. Specifically, the authors addressed 3 research questions: (1) Are grandmothers involved in purchasing food for or feeding their preschool-aged grandchildren? (2) What resources do mothers and grandmothers have to purchase fruits and vegetables, and do these resources allow them to purchase a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables? (3) Do mothers and grandmothers consume fruits and vegetables and understand their importance? Using a sample of 62 low-income mothers and grandmothers from ruralMaryland, the authors found evidence that grandmothers shaped their grandchildren's fruit and vegetable consumption by purchasing and providing food for their daughters and grandchildren. However, grandmothers also reported consuming less than the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, which suggests they may negatively affect their grandchildren's fruit and vegetable consumption. Implications for future research and programming are discussed.

In the last 15 years, we have observed women entering the labor force in increasing numbers. This change has forced some families to adopt a commuting relationship where the spouses maintain separate residences in different cities and reunite regularly. Although more families are attempting this alternative, relatively little research has examined this family pattern. This study assesses role strain, division of labor, and decision making for dual-career commuter couples. Thirty-nine couples were surveyed. The results suggest a fairly traditional division of household labor, moderate levels of stress, and an incomplete decision-making process for this nontraditional lifestyle.The last two decades have seen the entry of women into the labor force introduce dramatic familial and community change. With the number of dual-earner families (e.g., married couples where both husband and wife were earners at sometime during the year) having Elaine A. Anderson is Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Development, and Jane W. Spruill is a Doctoral candidate,

The child-rearing practices of homeless and low-income housed mothers of preschool children in Head Start were compared. Overall, homeless mothers provided less learning and academic stimulation, less variety in social and cultural experiences, less warmth and affection, and a less positive physical environment for their children than did housed mothers. Mothers in both living arrangements provided more language stimulation to daughters than to sons. Implications of the findings for working with homeless families are discussed.

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