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Item Using network analysis to identify factors influencing the heath-related quality of life of parents caring for an autistic child(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-09-01) Shepherd D; Buchwald K; Siegert RJ; Vignes MBACKGROUND: Raising an autistic child is associated with increased parenting stress relative to raising typically developing children. Increased parenting stress is associated with lower parent wellbeing, which in turn can negatively impact child wellbeing. AIMS: The current study sought to quantify parenting stress and parent health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the autism context, and further understand the relationship between them by employing a relatively novel statistical method, Network Analysis. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This cross-sectional study involved 476 parents of an autistic child. Parents completed an online survey requesting information on parent and child characteristics, parent's perceptions of their autistic child's symptoms and problem behaviours, and assessed their parenting stress and HRQOL. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Relative to normative data, parent HRQOL was significantly lower in terms of physical health and mental wellbeing. The structure extracted by the Network Analysis indicated that child age and externalising behaviours were the main contributors to parenting stress, and that externalising behaviours, ASD core behavioural symptoms, and parenting stress predicted HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Parental responses to child-related factors likely determine parent HRQOL. Findings are discussed in relation to the transactional model, emphasising the importance of both parent and child wellbeing.Item Does Parental Mind-Mindedness Account for Cross-Cultural Differences in Preschoolers' Theory of Mind?(John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2018-07-01) Hughes C; Devine RT; Wang ZThis study of 241 parent-child dyads from the United Kingdom (N = 120, Mage = 3.92, SD = 0.53) and Hong Kong (N = 121, Mage = 3.99, SD = 0.50) breaks new ground by adopting a cross-cultural approach to investigate children's theory of mind and parental mind-mindedness. Relative to the Hong Kong sample, U.K. children showed superior theory-of-mind performance and U.K. parents showed greater levels of mind-mindedness. Within both cultures parental mind-mindedness was correlated with theory of mind. Mind-mindedness also accounted for cultural differences in preschoolers' theory of mind. We argue that children's family environments might shed light on how culture shapes children's theory of mind.Item Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy: Personal utility of a genetic diagnosis for families(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy, 2021-03) Jeffrey JS; Leathem J; King C; Mefford HC; Ross K; Sadleir LGObjectives Identifying genetic pathogenic variants improves clinical outcomes for children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) by directing therapy and enabling accurate reproductive and prognostic information for families. We aimed to explore the additional personal utility of receiving a genetic diagnosis for families. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen families of children with a DEE who had received a genetic diagnosis. The interviews stimulated discussion focusing on the impact of receiving a genetic diagnosis for the family. Interview transcripts were analyzed using the six-step systematic process of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results Three key themes were identified: “Importance of the label,” “Relief to end the diagnostic journey,” and “Factors that influence personal utility.” Families reported that receiving a genetic label improved their knowledge about the likely trajectory of the DEE, increased their hope for the future, and helped them communicate with others. The relief of finally having an answer for the cause of their child's DEE alleviated parental guilt and self-blame as well as helped families to process their grief and move forward. Delay in receipt of a genetic diagnosis diluted its psychological impact. Significance To date, the factors associated with the personal utility of a genetic diagnosis for DEEs have been under appreciated. This study demonstrates that identifying a genetic diagnosis for a child's DEE can be a psychological turning point for families. A genetic result has the potential to set these families on an adaptive path toward better quality of life through increased understanding, social connection, and support. Early access to genetic testing is important as it not only increases clinical utility, but also increases personal utility with early mitigation of family stress, trauma, and negative experiences.Item Navigating asthma-the immigrant child in a tug-of-war: A constructivist grounded theory(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2023-07) Sudarsan I; Hoare K; Sheridan N; Roberts JBACKGROUND: Avoidable hospitalisation rates for Indian immigrant children with asthma is high in New Zealand and other Western countries. Understanding how children and their carers manage asthma may lead to a reduction in hospitalisation rates. The topic of asthma and Indian immigrant children's perspectives has not been investigated. Most studies on the topic focus on the experiences of family carers and health professionals. Practice cannot be advanced in the child's best interests unless the child's asthma experiences are explored. The following research addressed this gap by upholding Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, thereby giving Indian immigrant children a voice in describing their asthma experiences. DESIGN: Constructivist grounded theory. METHODS: Intensive interviews were conducted with ten family carers and nine children (eight to 17 years old). Child-sensitive data collection techniques such as drawing, and photography were used to facilitate interviewing children younger than 14 years. The COREQ guidelines guided the reporting of this study. RESULTS: The theory, navigating asthma: the immigrant child in a tug-of-war, is the resulting grounded theory with the tug-of-war being the basic social process. This theory comprises three main categories: being fearful, seeking support and clashing cultures. The data reflected two types of tug-of-war: one between two cultures, the native Indian and the host New Zealand culture and another between family carers' and children's preferences. CONCLUSION: Acculturation and sociocultural factors may significantly influence the asthma experiences of Indian immigrants. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The theory may assist healthcare practitioners to better comprehend Indian immigrants' asthma experiences within their wider sociocultural context. Our research indicates the need for healthcare practitioners to work in partnership with Indian immigrant families to implement culturally safe asthma management strategies.Item What contributes to alcohol and substance misuse recovery while parenting in integrated residential rehabilitation? : thesis submitted in partial completion of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Stanley, LauraAlcohol and substance use recovery while parenting is a complicated endeavour. People in alcohol and substance misuse recovery while parenting have unique and complex needs, which mainstream treatment approaches cannot always meet. Treatment often focuses solely on substance misuse and fails to pay attention to parenting, and most often, parents and their children are separated during residential treatment. Parents often face the tough decision to either take care of themselves or take care of their children. Integrated treatment services, which include both drug and alcohol treatment and parenting support, have been developed to break the often intergenerational cycle of substance use and troubled parenting. These programmes have rendered successful outcomes in participants achieving and maintaining abstinence, improving their mental health, and supporting responsive parenting. However, little is known about what particular factors in integrated services support these positive changes made in recovery while parenting. The current research explores the unique factors that have contributed to parents’ recovery at the Family Centre, an integrated parent-child rehabilitation facility. The research additionally illustrates the needs of these individuals in recovery. Experiences of recovery and parenting were explored in semi-structured interviews and case studies with mothers undertaking a recovery programme. Through a reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were constructed: ‘The Construction of Self’ ‘The Therapeutic Milieu’, and ‘Relational Recovery’. The complex histories and recovery journeys of research participants were given context through the use of case vignettes. The findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of recovery while parenting, particularly the role that parenting plays in driving recovery-orientated change. The relational nature of recovery was a prevalent factor in recovery, providing a developing perspective on how recovery is viewed in research and practice.Item Babies and Babble : parents’ experiences of the neonatal unit and the role of the Babble app : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand(Massey University, 2020) Gibson, CharlotteNeonatal unit admission is commonly a highly distressing and difficult time for new parents, impacting their confidence in their parenting abilities and predisposing them to significant mental health difficulties (Ballantyne et al., 2017; Holditch-Davis & Miles, 2000). In response to admission, parents commonly report a need for clear, concise information and inclusion in neonatal care (Cleveland, 2008). Alongside the rise of technology and the prevalence of smartphones across the world, mobile health applications have been theorised as an effective method of delivering rapid, consistent and accessible information to health consumer populations. Within the neonatal sphere, such approaches have been growing in popularity, however, little research has focused on the development and efficacy of mobile health applications dedicated to needs of parents with an infant admitted to a neonatal unit. In response, MidCentral District Health Board has developed an informational mobile health application, Babble, for use in conjunction with traditional care formats and with the hopes of providing greater support to parents in neonatal units (Spargo & de Vries, 2018). Although utilised by parents, the Babble app is yet to be empirically evaluated and the impacts of its use are not well understood. In this thesis, an exploration as to parents’ experiences of the neonatal unit and the role of the Babble app is conducted in two parts. Study One explores the experiences of 449 parents with an infant admitted to a neonatal unit in New Zealand, across measures of distress, self-efficacy, how informed they felt during their infant’s admission, and their Babble app use. Study Two involved in-depth qualitative interviews with eight mothers from the Palmerston North neonatal unit, (where the Babble app originated), exploring their perspectives of their infant’s hospitalisation, and the Babble app itself. Study One showed that parents experienced moderate distress, felt reasonably informed and considered themselves to be somewhat confident in their parental role during their infant’s neonatal admission. The Babble app did not demonstrate any significant effect on any of the variables of interest. However, results indicated that the more informed parents felt, the less distress they experienced. This relationship was partially mediated by enhanced self-efficacy, suggesting the importance of information in supporting parental self-efficacy and reducing distress. Study Two expanded on these findings, identifying several key themes present in the experiences of mothers with infants admitted to a Level II+ neonatal unit. Firstly, findings indicated there were various ways in which mothers struggled with their parental role within a neonatal context, experiencing challenges related to managing their own expectations of the experience and asserting their role within the unit. Consistent and supportive relationships with staff, family, friends, and their partners, were seen as influential in the maternal experience. Most significantly, good communication and strong relationships with staff were seen to improve maternal confidence. Information was highly valued by mothers, with some variation in their interactions with information, depending on individual needs and styles. The Babble app was considered a useful adjunct to traditional care formats by mothers who identified that they were able to adapt and integrate its use in alignment with their individual preferences and needs. Taken together, these findings suggest that for families, neonatal admission is a challenging and diverse experience. Staff are essential, not only as sources of information, but as part of a supportive relationship with families. The importance of informational support cannot be understated and its value in building parental self-efficacy and reducing parental distress was evidenced across both studies. Ultimately, the findings presented here suggest that informational resources, such as Babble, can act supportively for parents and therefore, are worthy of further development and exploration.Item Transition to school for children with challenging behaviours : family/whānau and teachers' perspectives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) MacMillan, Gina MarieChallenging behaviours are complex and are exhibited in a range of ways as a result of many different personal and environmental factors. When a child who is already predisposed to exhibiting these behaviours transitions from early childhood to primary school, the new and unknown circumstances can add to those challenging behaviours and create a negative experience for the children, families and teachers involved. Upon reviewing existing literature on transitions to school, there is an apparent gap in the literature on how to create a positive transition experience for children with challenging behaviours, particularly in the New Zealand context. This study started to address this gap by gaining the perspectives of parents and teachers on the transition to school for children with challenging behaviours. Semi-structured interviews involving 11 adults (parents, teachers/management) who were involved in transitioning three children to school in the last 12-18 months were used to draw out their voices. A qualitative approach within the framework of appreciative inquiry placed positive experiences as the focus. This meant barriers were addressed as a starting point for positive change. A thematic analysis was used to identify positive factors and barriers to successful transitions. The findings of this research highlighted that the building of positive, collaborative and trusting relationships, and open communication within transition teams was at the centre of positive transition practices, whether it be for children with challenging behaviours or for all children. The study also highlighted the importance of ecological adaptations needed in both the early childhood centres and schools for transitions to be effective. Children and parents needed to be well prepared for what to expect when starting school. This drew attention to the importance of bridging existing pedagogical gaps and gaps in policy between early childhood education and primary school. As is common in the New Zealand context, where Māori values such as aroha, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga are well integrated into practice, the teachers in the study were committed to providing children and their families with the best level of support possible during their children’s transition. However, issues of funding, time and professional expertise were identified as barriers. It is hoped that changes proposed under the government’s Learning Support Action Plan (Ministry of Education, 2019) will be a step in the right direction to address these barriers.Item What makes a great story? : teacher and parent perceptions of quality learning stories in early childhood education : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Salcin-Watts, Ellie (Michelle)Learning stories have held a primary position within the assessment landscape of early childhood education in New Zealand for over two decades. Learning stories are designed as formative approach to assessment that occurs in partnership with parents and families. Emerging evidence suggests that the way in which learning stories are used for assessment and to support children’s learning varies widely. Limited research has attended to teacher beliefs about their use of learning stories and the values that guide their practice. In addition, limited research has examined parents’ perspectives of learning stories and the features parents place value upon. This study aims to address these identified gaps in literature through exploring what features and practices of learning stories teachers and parents value and considers the ways in which these perspectives may align. An interview-based, qualitative case study approach was adopted to explore the perspectives of 9 teachers and 10 parents across two early childhood education settings in New Zealand. Data collection methods for this study drew on replication of the teacher interview tool and the supporting protocol from The Learning Stories Project (McLaughlin, Cameron, Dean, & Aspden, 2016) with a study-specific paired interview and supporting protocol developed for use with parents. Findings revealed that teachers and parents placed value on eight shared features and practices. Most notably, well presented, personally meaningful stories individualised to children and inclusive of their voices were collectively valued by both teachers and parents, as were opportunities for informal sharing and connection to parental aspirations. Yet, several other key features and practices of learning stories yielded disparate views from parent and teacher participants, including the value placed on links to curriculum and learning, inclusion of parent voice, and the use of stories that were connected to a wider evidential cycle of learning. Five key points were identified from data analysis as key discoveries: differing and shared views on good learning stories; the things not said; a preference for individual stories over group stories; meeting the needs and expectations of third party audiences; and an absence of shared dialogue between teachers and parents on valued practices. Findings highlight the need for deeper collaboration and shared understanding between teachers and parents in relation to the valued features of learning stories, alongside further consideration afforded to the prevalence of wider assessment methods in early childhood education to meet diverse needs.Item 'Healthy Kiwi Programme' : the outcomes and experiences of a brief parental education programme on the introduction of complementary food to infants and infant feeding cues in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Speech and Language Therapy at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Murray, Deirdre AnneNew Zealand infants are being started on complementary foods earlier than is currently recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, 2017; Simons, 1999, World Health Organisation, 2003). The untimely introduction of complementary foods to infants has been associated with a number of possibly preventable health issues (Dell and To, 2001; Gdalevich, Minoumi & Minoumi, 2000; Kemp and Kakakios 2004; Forsyth, Ogslon, Clark, Florey & Howie, 1993; Popkin, Adair, Akin, Black, Briscoe & Flieger, 1990). Parental infant feeding decisions, such as when to introduce complementary foods are complex and influenced by multiple personal, social, environmental and behavioural factors. Many developing and developed countries have found parental education interventions on the introduction of complementary foods to infants beneficial for increasing parental knowledge and adherence to the current WHO recommendations. In New Zealand the no such study or implementation of a similar parental education intervention has been completed. This study utilised a case study design to explore the perceptions, outcomes and experiences of four first-time parents from New Zealand who participated in a parental education intervention on the introduction of complementary foods to infants. This programme was called the ‘Healthy Kiwi Programme’ (HKP). The study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data to enable a more holistic and comprehensive exploration of parental perceptions, outcomes and experiences. The mothers perceived that they were exposed to mixed messages regarding infant feeding from a range of sources and that the current infant feeding supports in New Zealand are inadequate. Three out of the four mothers who participated in this study showed positive outcomes in terms of their knowledge on infant feeding following their participation in the parental education programme. Another key outcome from this study was that all four mothers identified the education they received on identifying and interpreting infant feeding cues as the most valuable thing they learnt. The mothers identified several of aspects of the HKP which facilitated their participation in the programme such as the programme being home-based, the inclusion of practical activities and them developing an effective working relationship with the interventionist. These findings indicate that the current public service being provided to parents to support them with infant feeding is insufficient and further exploration of parental education interventions on this topic in New Zealand is recommended.Item The influence of shifting Pacific identities in learning : the experience of parents raising children of mixed Pacific ethnicities : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Leafe, Rachael VioletiIdentity construction for the Pacific population in Aotearoa/New Zealand remains a politically and contextually contested arena that shifts according to the socio-cultural interactions within the immediate and external environment of an individual. This study views parents as agents of change and explores ethnic transmission and cultural identity development through the eyes of parents raising children of mixed Pacific ethnicities. This qualitative study employed both Western and Pacific methodologies to collect and analyse data and used the talanoa method to engage the insights and experiences of five couples. Social constructionism and Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) ecological systems theory provided a framework to explain the dynamics of social interactions and external conditions that influence the constructs of peoples’ lived realities. This study found that families, peers, and schools influence interactions that shift and impact the cultural identity development and resiliency of children with mixed Pacific ethnicities. In addition to this, societal perceptions, racism, and stereotypes are external environmental conditions that further impact cultural identity development and resiliency. The metaphor of a balancing act illustrates the challenges and strategies parents use to manage family and cultural expectations as well as the efforts required to maintain access and opportunities to cultural knowledge, values and practices. The findings suggest that a culturally responsive education can work to minimise intolerance, exclusion, and racism experienced by an individual. Key recommendations include the promotion of identity development education that serves to empower individuals and parents to nurture positive identities and resilience in the mixed Pacific generation.