A growing body of research has investigated the experiences of parents of children treated for cancer. Until recently, a qualitative review has not been possible because of the lack of qualitative studies in this area. However, this has changed in recent years. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the findings from qualitative studies on the experiences of mothers and fathers from different countries and cultures. Twenty-eight qualitative studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria for this review. Key findings included the parents' desire to feel in control, the need to continuously adjust to the unpredictable nature of cancer treatment, the adoption of various coping styles, emotional and practical support being valued, and gender and cultural differences being reported. Clinical implications include the need for health care professionals to provide clear information and aid the sense of control, care to be individualized with gender and cultural backgrounds taken into account, and fathers' needs to be acknowledged and met. Other implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

The SRQ (six subscales, total of 67 items) is a valid and reliable measure of the SR from the supervisee perspective. The present findings support existing models of the SR, and its distinct nature during training as an educative and evaluative process. The SRQ is a promising tool for further research, and is likely to be useful in supervisor training and clinical settings.

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The Short Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (S-SRQ) is a psychometrically reliable and valid 18-item measure of the supervisory relationship based on the SRQ. Clinically, the measure represents a quick and accessible means for supervisees to assess the quality of their supervisory relationship and discuss this with their supervisors. It can also be used in conjunction with the supervisor-completed Supervisory Relationship Measure to support a dyadic discussion about clinical supervision and the supervisory relationship.

An eating pattern consisting ofgorging, alternating with dieting and purging is identified as a clinical problem in patients of normal weight, in the obese, and in patients with anorexia nervosa. The clinical reports have used a variety of names for this problem, and this has obscured the similarity between the various descriptions. Another perspective on the problem is offered by the experimental research on dietary restraint and counter-regulation. Counter-regulation, found in subjects from all weight groups who are restricting their food intake, is construed as a laboratory version of an eating binge. The clinical and experimental reports are combined to provide suggestions for the aetiology and treatment of the problem ofbinge eating.

The supervisory relationship measure (SRM) is a new psychometrically sound measure of the supervisory relationship (SR) with clinical and research uses. Clinically, it is a useful and structured way for supervisors to provide constructive feedback to their trainees. It can be used in conjunction with the Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) (completed by the supervisee) to support a dyadic discussion about clinical supervision. Currently the measure is only validated on Clinical Psychology trainees and should be used with caution with qualified staff and other professional groups. Participants were predominantly white British supervisors who chose to take part in an internet-based study and thus the sample may not be fully representative of the population.

The study aimed to understand how teachers responded to students bereaved of a parent. The authors interviewed 12 secondary school teachers and implemented a grounded theory design. Participants described how they engage in six central processes: flexibility, openness, support, emotionality, sharing, and communication. The authors conceptualized these processes as continua with opposing actions at each end. Teachers' movement on the continua is fluid, influenced by systemic factors, student-specific factors and factors individual to the teacher. Responses on the continua in relation to each student's bereavement are unique to each teacher-student relationship.

Amandeep Samrai, Helen Beinart and Peter Harper report on a study exploring foster carers' experiences of placements and placement support, including their views of current services. Eight foster carers employed by a local authority, with fostering experience ranging from two to 22 years, were interviewed. The qualitative method of Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) was used to analyse verbatim data from eight semi-structured interviews. Six main categories emerged through the analysis. The theory constructed from the data suggests that support formed the basis of a successful placement and that there are interactions between the support the foster carer received and their relationship with social workers and the child. Successful placements occurred when both relationship cycles worked effectively in the context of appropriate support. Related clinical and service implications are discussed and suggestions for future research outlined.