Association between childhood family structure and health-related quality of life at middle age: A longitudinal study of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

AIMS: This longitudinal study evaluated the association between childhood family structure and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at middle age. METHODS: The data on childhood family structure at the age of 14 years ('two-parent family', 'one parent not living at home/no information on father' and 'father or mother deceased') and HRQoL (measured by 15D (15-dimensional)) at the age of 46 were collected from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 using postal questionnaires. We used the binary logistic regression model to estimate the associations between childhood family structures and the lowest 15D quartile (reference: all other quartiles). The associations were adjusted for offspring mothers' factors during pregnancy (mothers' educational and occupational status). RESULTS: Of the 6375 participants, the offspring belonging to the 'one parent not living at home/no information on father' family structure subgroup had higher odds ratio of belonging to the lowest 15D quartile than the offspring of 'two-parent families' (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-2.36, p<0.001 for females; adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.28-2.70, p=0.001 for males). There were no statistically significant associations between the 'father or mother deceased' subgroup and the lowest 15D quartile among the offspring. CONCLUSIONS: A single-parent family origin (due to reasons other than parental death) in childhood was significantly associated with impaired HRQoL at middle age. These results provide new perspectives for understanding the long-standing associations on living in a single-parent family.

Effect of Intergenerational Trends on Parental Child-Rearing Gender Role Attitudes (PCGAs) in Single-Parent Families: A Relative Mediation.

Family structures are diverse, with single-parent families being special. Single-parent families have garnered interest regarding their impact on their children's development in relation to gender roles and social adaptation. This study investigated 532 children from single-parent families (mean age = 14.81, SD = 1.62) and their parents. We collected data on the parental child-rearing gender role attitudes (PCGAs) of grandparents and parents, as well as the gender role and social adaptation of the children. The results revealed four intergenerational trends in PCGAs: progression between generations, undesirability in both generations, desirability in both generations, and retrogression between generations. An ANOVA showed that families with intergenerational desirability tended to have children with the highest gender role and social adaptation scores among the four intergenerational trends, while families with intergenerational undesirability had the lowest. A relative mediation analysis showed that compared to intergenerational undesirable PCGAs, intergenerational progress and intergenerational desirable PCGAs are beneficial for children's gender traits, and their social adaptation development is also better. The results confirm the positive effect of children's gender roles on their social adaptation, which suggests that parents should pay attention to children's gender role education, transform their PCGAs, and create a nurturing environment for children's gender role development.

Regional disparities in measles vaccination coverage and their associated factors: an ecological study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The decline in measles vaccination coverage is a global concern. In Japan, coverage of the first-dose of measles vaccine, which had exceeded the target of 95.0% since fiscal year (FY) 2010, fell to 93.5% in FY 2021. Vaccination coverage increased to 95.4% in FY 2022 but varied by municipality. Few studies have focused on regional disparities in measles vaccination coverage. This study aimed to clarify the regional disparities in measles vaccination coverage by municipality in Japan and their associated factors. METHODS: In this ecological study, the measles vaccination coverage in FY 2022; population density; area deprivation index (ADI, an indicator of socioeconomic status); proportion of foreign nationals, single-father households, single-mother households, and mothers aged ≥30 years; and number of medical facilities, pediatricians, and non-pediatric medical doctors in 1,698 municipalities were extracted from Japanese government statistics. Negative binomial regression was performed with the number of children vaccinated against measles as the dependent variable, number of children eligible for measles vaccination as the offset term, and other factors as independent variables. RESULTS: Vaccination coverage was less than 95.0% in 54.3% of municipalities. Vaccination coverage was significantly positively associated with population density and negatively associated with the proportion of single-father households, mothers aged ≥30 years, and the ADI (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.004, 0.976, 0.999, 0.970, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study showed regional disparities in measles vaccination coverage in Japan. Single-father households, age of mothers, and socioeconomic status may be key factors when municipalities consider strategies to improve vaccination coverage.

Health of single mothers and fathers in Germany. Results of the GEDA studies 2019 - 2023.

Background: The living situation of single parents is often characterised by sole responsibility for family and household, problems in reconciling work and family life, and a high risk of poverty. In a comparative perspective with parents in partner households, the health of single mothers and fathers was analysed, considering differences in their social status. Methods: The analyses are based on data from the GEDA studies 2019 - 2023 (7,999 women, 6,402 men). Prevalences for single mothers and fathers and mothers and fathers living in partner households were calculated for self-rated health, chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, smoking and utilisation of professional help for mental health problems. In multivariate models, adjustments were made for income, education, employment status and social support, and interactions with family type were included. Results: Single mothers and fathers show higher prevalences for all health indicators in comparison to parents living in partner households. Also after adjustment, the differences between family types remain significant. The health of single mothers also varies partially with income, employment status and social support. Conclusions: Health promotion measures have to consider that single parents are a heterogeneous group. In addition to strengthening personal skills, policy and setting-based interventions aim to reduce health inequalities.

[Social situation, health, and health behavior of children and adolescents in one-parent households at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the KIDA study 2022-2023]. / Soziale Lage, Gesundheit und Gesundheitsverhalten von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Ein-Eltern-Haushalten zum Ende der COVID-19-Pandemie. Ergebnisse der KIDA-Studie 2022­2023.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, single parents and their children were particularly exposed to stress due to the containment measures and to limited resources. We analyzed differences in the social and health situation of children and adolescents in one-parent households and two-parent households at the end of the pandemic. METHODS: The analysis is based on data from the KIDA study, in which parents of 3­ to 15-year-old children as well as 16- to 17-year-old adolescents were surveyed in 2022/2023 (telephone: n = 6992; online: n = 2896). Prevalences stratified by family type were calculated for the indicators psychosocial stress, social support, health, and health behavior. Poisson regressions were adjusted for gender, age, level of education, and household income. RESULTS: Children and adolescents from one-parent households are more likely to be burdened by financial restrictions, family conflicts, and poor living conditions and receive less school support than peers from two-parent households. They are more likely to have impairments in health as well as increased healthcare needs, and they use psychosocial services more frequently. Furthermore, they are less likely to be active in sports clubs, but they take part in sporting activities at schools as often as minors from two-parent households. The differences are also evident when controlling for income and education. DISCUSSION: Children and adolescents from one-parent households can be reached well through exercise programs in a school setting. Low-threshold offers in daycare centers, schools, and the community should therefore be further expanded. Furthermore, interventions are needed to improve the socioeconomic situation of single parents and their children.

Association between childhood family structure and longitudinal health behaviour changes in adulthood -Northern Finland birth cohort 1966 study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood family structure is considered to play a role in person's health and welfare. This study investigated the relationships between the longitudinal changes of adult health behaviours and childhood family structure. METHODS: From Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 questionnaires, we collected data on childhood family structure at the age of 14 ('two-parent family', 'one parent not living at home/no information on father', and 'father or mother deceased'), and on health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity status) at the ages of 31 and 46. We used the multinomial logistic regression model to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted associations between childhood family structures and the longitudinal changes between 31 and 46 years of health behaviours (four-category variables). RESULTS: Of the study sample (n = 5431; 55.5% females), 7.1% of the offspring were represented in the 'One parent not living at home/no information on father' subgroup, 6.3% in the 'Father or mother deceased' subgroup and 86.6% in the 'Two-parent family'. 'One parent not living at home/no information on father' offspring were approximately twice as likely to smoke (adjusted OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.70-2.81) and heavily consume alcohol (adjusted OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.25-3.16) at both times in adulthood, relative to not smoking or not heavily consume alcohol, and compared with 'two-parent family' offspring. We found no statistically significant associations between childhood family structure and physical activity status changes in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the offspring of single-parent families in particular should be supported in early life to diminish their risk of unhealthy behaviours in adulthood.

Long-term effects of childhood single-parent family structure on brain connectivity and psychological well-being.

The high and increasing proportion of single-parent families is considered a risk factor associated with various childhood trauma experiences. Consequently, concerns have been raised regarding the potential long-term effects of the childhood single-parent family structure. In this study, we employed advanced magnetic resonance imaging technology, including morphometric similarity mapping, functional connectivity density, and network-based analysis, to investigate brain connectivity and behavioral differences among young adults who were raised in single-parent families. Our study also aimed to explore the relationship between these differences and childhood trauma experiences. The results showed that individuals who grew up in single-parent families exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, and harm-avoidant personality. The multimodal MRI analysis further showed differences in regional and network-based connectivity properties in the single-parent family group, including increased functional connectivity density in the left inferior parietal lobule, enhanced cortical structural connectivity between the left isthmus cingulate cortex and peri-calcarine cortex, and an increase in temporal functional connectivity. Moreover, elevated levels of anxiety and depression, along with heightened functional connectivity density in the left inferior parietal lobule and increased temporal functional connectivity, were found to be correlated with a greater number of childhood trauma experiences. Through analyzing multiple data patterns, our study provides objective neuropsychobiological evidence for the enduring impact of childhood single-parent family structure on psychiatric vulnerability in adulthood.

Family Income and Child Depression: The Chain Mediating Effect of Parental Involvement, Children's Self-Esteem, and Group Differences.

Family income is an important factor that affects depression in children and can indirectly be associated with children's development through family and individual factors. However, few studies have examined the mechanism of multiple risk factors. Therefore, this study focused on the relationship between family income and child depression, as well as the chain mediating the roles of parental involvement and children's self-esteem both in single-parent families and intact families. A total of 1355 primary school students completed questionnaires that assessed family income, parental involvement, children's self-esteem, and depression. The results showed that family income influenced child depression through both the mediating roles of parental involvement and children's self-esteem and the chain mediating role of parental involvement and children's self-esteem. Meanwhile, family income only influenced child depression through chain mediation in single-parent families. The group differences in the mechanism of depression provide a reference for empirical research on depression intervention in children from different family structures.

Hesitancy and Time in Fertility Treatment.

In this article, I employ a psychodynamic lens to describe how women's fantasies of time as standing still, which is encouraged by sociocultural forces, is used to undermine the notion of the biological clock. These fantasies, also fueled by the timeless nature of the unconscious, can lead to hesitancy in not only initiating fertility treatment but also in complying with fertility treatment recommendations. When this happens, hesitancy is often unconsciously utilized in a conflict about becoming a mother. Once these hesitancies are worked through in therapy through a focus on previous losses, fertility treatment often moves forward. I present the psychotherapy treatment of a 45-year-old woman with both fertility treatment hesitancy and fertility compliance hesitancy, who had not only significant childhood losses but also significant losses in her ongoing fertility treatment. I also comment how my countertransference, which urged me to work through issues quickly in therapy, was informed partly by my experience as a former obstetrician and gynecologist and hindered my work with this patient.

Intergenerational transmission of parental child-rearing gender-role attitudes and its influence on gender roles in single-parent families.

BACKGROUND: The development of children's gender roles in single-parent families is worthy of attention. It may be affected by family members' gender roles and parental child-rearing gender-role attitudes (PCGA). PCGA will form a consistent or inconsistent intergenerational relationship between parents and children. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the intergenerational similarities in gender roles and PCGA. Also, the intergenerational transmission of parental child-rearing gender-role attitudes (ITPCGA) in single-parent families, and the impact of various family factors on children's gender roles were comprehensively considered. METHOD: Participants were 550 single-parent parent-adolescent dyads. The Gender-role Scale and the Parental Child-rearing Gender-role Attitude Scale were used to evaluate participants' gender-role and PCGA. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the intergenerational similarities in gender roles and PCGA, and the influencing family factors of ITPCGA and children's gender roles. RESULTS: The intergenerational similarities of gender role types and PCGA types existed. Both parents' gender roles and family gender pairs affected ITPCGA, father-daughter families and parents' undifferentiated and sex-typed gender roles significantly predicted undesirable ITPCGA. Family gender pair, parent's gender roles and ITPCGA types affected children's gender roles. Undesirable ITPCGA significantly predicted children's undifferentiated gender roles; father-daughter families and mother-son families, parents' undifferentiated and sex-typed gender roles significantly predicted children's sex-typed gender roles, and mother-son families and parents' reversed gender roles significantly predicted children's reversed gender role. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the effects of single-parent family gender pairs and parents' gender roles on ITPCGA, which influences the development of children's gender roles.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Roles: Evidence From Parents and Children in Single-Parent.

Given the current increases in the divorce rate and the number of single-parent families, the development of gender roles among children from single-parent families has received more and more attention. This study investigated how single parents influenced the formation of their children's gender roles and family-related factors that benefited the development of gender roles in single-parent children. Through in-depth interviews with 24 pairs of parents and children from single-parent families, we investigated single parents' and their children's cognition on gender roles, parents' parenting attitudes and behaviors during their children's gender role development, and communication and interaction between parents and children. Results showed intergenerational consistency in the gender role concepts of parents and their children in single-parent families. However, the children's gender role concepts were not completely and directly inherited from their parents, and could be affected by their subjective initiative. Additionally, single parenting did not necessarily negatively impact children's gender role development, which depends on their parent's parenting style. The study's limitations are discussed, and future directions for in-depth research are suggested.

A study of the mechanism for intergenerational transmission of gender roles in single-parent families.

The divorce rate in China is rising yearly, and the concept of marriage is changing, triggering many social topics related to single parents. Among them, gender-awareness education for children in single-parent families is particularly worthy of attention, as there has been insufficient exploration of how parents transfer their gender role concepts to their children. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 58 single parents and children from 29 families in Suzhou and constructed the mechanism for intergenerational transmission of gender roles in single-parent families based on grounded theory. It found that single parents' gender stereotypes, the starting point of the intergenerational transmission mechanism, have been diluted. It affords them a more enlightened attitude towards child-rearing style, and they expect more equality in the gender role of their offspring. However, in some parents' actual parenting process, when the children's sexualization behaviours exceed their acceptance range, they will communicate with children in an authoritative and didactic way to "correct" the children's behaviour. In addition to direct verbal instruction, parents' expectations of their children's gender roles will be implicitly conveyed through various parent-child interactions in daily life to affect the formation of their children's gender roles. In the intergenerational transmission of gender roles, external people (such as grandparents, teachers and peer groups) have horizontal socialisation effects on children to modify or strengthen the results of gender education from their parents. Under the comprehensive influence of the above factors, the children's gender roles are finally determined. These studies expand previous theories and studies and have significant theoretical and practical implications.

Risk perceptions of individuals living in single-parent households during the COVID-19 crisis: examining the mediating and moderating role of income.

The COVID-19 crisis had severe social and economic impact on the life of most citizens around the globe. Individuals living in single-parent households were particularly at risk, revealing detrimental labour market outcomes and assessments of future perspectives marked by worries. As it has not been investigated yet, in this paper we study, how their perception about the future and their outlook on how the pandemic will affect them is related to their objective economic resources. Against this background, we examine the subjective risk perception of worsening living standards of individuals living in single-parent households compared to other household types, their objective economic situation based on the logarithmised equivalised disposable household incomes and analyse the relationship between those indicators. Using the German SOEP, including the SOEP-CoV survey from 2020, our findings based on regression modelling reveal that individuals living in single-parent households have been worse off during the pandemic, facing high economic insecurity. Path and interaction models support our assumption that the association between those indicators may not be that straightforward, as there are underlying mechanisms-such as mediation and moderation-of income affecting its direction and strength. With respect to our central hypotheses, our empirical findings point toward (1) a mediation effect, by demonstrating that the subjective risk perception of single-parent households can be partly explained by economic conditions. (2) The moderating effect suggests that the concrete position at the income distribution of households matters as well. While at the lower end of the income distribution, single-parent households reveal particularly worse risk perceptions during the pandemic, at the high end of the income spectrum, risk perceptions are similar for all household types. Thus, individuals living in single-parent households do not perceive higher risks of worsening living standards due to their household situation per se, but rather because they are worse off in terms of their economic situation compared to individuals living in other household types.

Self-Stigma and Mental Health in Divorced Single-Parent Women: Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem.

Numerous studies have addressed the issue of "self-stigma" among divorced single-parent women. However, there is a scarcity of quantitative data available on this subject. Moreover, while self-esteem is a crucial factor throughout life, it has been extensively studied in the context of "children" from single-parent families, but not from the perspective of parents themselves. To address this gap, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between self-stigma, self-esteem, and mental health in 347 divorced, single-parent women. The online survey recruited participants randomly, with a specific focus on single mothers who were divorced and had more than one child under the age of 18. The analysis involved utilizing SPSS 25.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA) and PROCESS Macro Version 4.1 (Model 4) to conduct descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, reliability assessment, correlation analysis, and mediating analysis. The findings revealed that self-esteem played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-stigma and mental health. In other words, higher levels of self-stigma among divorced, single-parent women were associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Additionally, the study discovered that engaging in more self-stigma was linked to lower self-esteem and increased mental health distress. These results underscore the significance of internal factors, such as self-stigma and self-esteem, and highlight their relevance in formulating policies aimed at supporting divorced single-parent women. Policymakers should take these factors into account to develop effective strategies to aid this specific group.

Time usage analysis and satisfaction comparison by occupational area according to the sex of single-parent families.

BACKGROUND: Single-parent families are burdened with dual roles as parents amidst economic poverty due to the lack of a spouse. Single parents also face the complications of time poverty. AIM: To examine the time use of single-parent families by dividing their time into occupational area and explore the differences in time deficiency and life satisfaction. METHODS: In this study, the time usage in the '2019 time of life survey' data of the National Statistical Office is classified based on the fourth edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, and the time use and satisfaction of single-parent families classified according to sex. In the '2019 time of life survey' of the National Statistical Office, the subjects who selected single-parent families in the 'single parent-parent-grandchild households' item were first selected. The data of 404 parents from single-parent families were selected next. The time usage, time deficiency, and life satisfaction were analyzed by occupational area. RESULTS: The subjects spent the most time resting and sleeping, followed by engaging in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), work, and health management. As a result of comparing the subjects by sex, it was found that the male subjects spent more time on work than the female subjects, and the female subjects spent more time on IADLs, education and social participation. As a result of comparing time deficiency and life satisfaction, the male subjects felt that they lacked time compared to the female subjects. There was no significant difference in life satisfaction. By examining whether single-parent families' time use by occupational area affected the time deficiency, it was found that male's working time make them feel they have less time, while female's leisure time makes them feel they have more time. CONCLUSION: This study made it possible to determine the characteristics of single-parent households' time use and sex differences. Furthermore, it is expected to be used as basic data for measures to solve not only time poverty, but also economic poverty in single-parent families.

Una aproximación a la satisfacción con la alimentación en familias monoparentales con jefatura femenina / An approach to satisfaction with food-related life in female-headed single parent households

Resumen 1Los hogares monoparentales se ven enfrentados a compatibilizar la generación de ingresos con las tareas de cuidado en el hogar, como la alimentación familiar, la cual se configura como un dominio clave en el bienestar. Es por ello, que el objetivo de este estudio buscó explorar los significados acerca de la satisfacción con la alimentación que tienen madres e hijos de familias monoparentales con jefatura femenina. A partir de un estudio de caso de método mixto, mediante la participación de 47 familias monoparentales de jefatura femenina, tanto madres como hijos adolescentes, cuyas edades fluctuaban entre 10 y 17 años de edad, completaron individualmente una tarea de asociación de palabras con "estar satisfecho con mi alimentación" y una tarea de finalización de palabras con "estaría más satisfecho con mi alimentación si...". Los resultados evidenciaron que los significados de la satisfacción con la alimentación son atribuibles a la conceptualización formal del constructo y que no existiría diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre las respuestas dadas por madres e hijos, en base a los determinantes de comportamiento en la alimentación. Así se concluyó que las similitudes en los significados, en torno a los determinantes que se identifican con la satisfacción con la alimentación y con los aspectos que podrían aumentarla, permiten constatar la influencia de la familia en las construcciones y significados que forman parte de la identidad individual y cultural de los adolescentes, lo cual se convierte en un insumo necesario para el diseño de prácticas y estrategias que propicien una mayor satisfacción con la alimentación.

Abstract Numerous female-headed single parent households face increased pressure when attempting to balance income generation with household responsibilities, such as family nutrition, which is critical given its greater influence on children's nutrition and diet quality (Hebestreit et al., 2017). This situation is critical in light of the fact that food is positioned as a critical domain of human well-being (Schnettler et al., 2014, 2017; Denegri et al., 2014, 2016). Satisfaction with food-related life is conceptualized as an individual's global cognitive evaluation of his or her diet (Grunert, Dean, Raats, Nielsen, y Lumbers, 2007); its formal definition is connected to other facets of life such as health, family, and social relationships (Grunert et al., 2007). According to the literature, satisfaction with food-related life is defined in terms of three primary determinants of eating behavior: the food consumed, the individual, and the diet's context (Köster, 2009). The purpose of this study is to contribute to our understanding of female-headed single-parent families and their meanings by examining the importance placed on the family as the first social space in which people construct and shape their social representations in various spheres of daily life (Moscovici, 1984). The overall objective is to investigate the meanings of satisfaction with food-related life for mothers and adolescent children in female-headed single-parent families. The specific objectives are to i) define the semantic entities of food satisfaction in relation to mothers and adolescent children, ii) identify factors that contribute to mothers' and adolescent children's food satisfaction, and iii) compare how mothers and adolescent children perceive their food satisfaction and the factors that contribute to it increasing. To accomplish these goals, a mixed case study research design was used. This entails combining quantitative and qualitative research methods in order to gain a better understanding of the research issues (Cresswell y Plano Clark, 2011). A total of 47 Chilean single-parent families with a female head of household participated in this study. It consists of a fee-paying mother that has at least one adolescent child between the ages of 10 and 17. The data collection method was an interview developed and tested in the Chilean population by Schnettler et al. (2020), based on a projective technique (Mesas y Escribano, 2018), in which mothers and adolescent children individually responded to the first words, terms, or phrases associated with the expression "being satisfied with my food-related life" with the goal of determining the meaning of satisfaction with food-related life. They were then asked to complete the sentence "I would be more satisfied with my food-related life if...". In order to identify factors that could improve their satisfaction with food-related life. The data was textually analyzed by segmenting and coding it. Subsequently, by establishing conceptual relationships, categories and supracategories were generated deductively (Krippendorff, 2004). Following that, the information expressed in the results and plotted in frequency tables is synthesized and interpreted. The Chi-square test was used to compare mothers' and adolescent children's responses (Agresti, 1990). In conclusion, the findings indicate that the meanings of satisfaction with food-related life can be ascribed to the construct's formal conceptualization. Thus, this study provides evidence that the construct is valid. There were also similarities in the meanings of mothers and adolescent children when it came to the determinants associated with food satisfaction, as well as the factors that could increase their satisfaction with food-related life. This finding is critical for establishing the family's influence on the constructs and meanings associated with adolescents' cultural identities.

Influence of Parenting Guilt on the Mental Health among Single-Parent Women: Multiple Additive Moderating Effect of Economic Well-Being and Level of Education.

This study explored how the core problems (e.g., parenting, economy, and education level) of single-parent women affect their mental health. Although parenting guilt, economic well-being, and level of education are important variables that affect the mental health of single parents, there is no study that examines the interaction effect between them together. Therefore, this study examined the moderating effects of economic well-being and level of education on the relationship between parenting guilt and mental health in 419 single-parent women. In addition, it was verified whether there was a multiple additive modulation effect when they were put in at the same time. As a result, the higher the parenting guilt and the lower the economic well-being, the higher the level of mental health pain, but the level of education had no statistical significance. However, the interaction term between parenting guilt and education level had statistical significance, while the interaction term between parenting guilt and economic well-being did not produce significant results. These findings suggest the importance of education for single-parent women's mental health as well as the need to establish policies that allow them to have sufficient time and room for child rearing.

Single parent adoption in India: Mental health and legal perspectives and the way forward.

Single parent adoption (SPA) is a relatively new construct worldwide and in India. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, has laid down criteria for adoption in general and SPA in particular, in conjunction with the Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), 2015. There is scant literature on this topic of SPA, more so in India, that looks into the various psychological nuances of SPA from a mental health professional's (MHP) perspective. This review paper aims to assess SPA from the perspective of a MHP that will focus on its various legal nuances as well as the psychological connotations attached to it. For this, a search strategy was employed that included a thorough literature search from two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) with relevant keywords related to the topic. The various legal issues pertaining to SPA in the current scenario, the psychological issues and challenges faced by single parents, the behavioral outcomes of adoptees who are adopted by single parents, and ways to deal with the various obstacles of SPA are discussed.

The effects of virtual logotherapy on health-promoting lifestyle among single-parent adolescent girls during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a randomized clinical trial.

Single-parent adolescents are vulnerable individuals and it is necessary to improve their health, particularly during epidemics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of virtual logotherapy (VL) on health-promoting lifestyle (HPL) among single-parent adolescent girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 88 single-parent adolescent girls recruited from the support organization for vulnerable individuals in Tehran, Iran. They were randomly allocated to a control and an intervention group through block randomization. Participants in the intervention group received VL in three-five person groups in 90 min biweekly sessions. The Adolescent Health Promotion Short-Form was used to assess HPL. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 26.0) and through the independent-sample t, Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests. There was no significant difference between the intervention and the control groups respecting the pretest mean score of HPL (73.58±16.74 vs. 72.80±9.30; P=0.085). However, the posttest mean score of HPL in the intervention group (82 with an interquartile range of 78-90) was significantly more than the control group (71.50 with an interquartile range of 63.25-84.50) (P=0.001). Moreover, after adjusting the effects of the significant between-group differences respecting pretest mean scores, the pretest-posttest differences of the mean scores of HPL and all its dimensions in the intervention group were significantly more than the control group (P<0.05). VL is effective in significantly improving HPL among single-parent adolescent girls. Healthcare authorities are recommended to use VL for health promotion among single-parent adolescents.Trial registrationThis research was registered (17/05/2020) in the www.thaiclinicaltrials.org with registration number: TCTR20200517001.

Editorial: Health and Well-Being Related to New Family Forms: Perspectives of Adults, Couples, Children, and Professionals.

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance our understanding of the factors that shape the experience, well-being, and mental health of individuals on their path to creating new family forms, including adults and children, and to inform the development of policies and practices designed to promote the thriving of these families. This Special Issue contains a collection of 13 papers that shed light on a range of micro- and macro-level factors contributing to the experience and outcomes of members of new family forms from various countries, such as the UK, Israel, Italy, China, Portugal, the Netherlands, the US, and Russia. The papers extend the current knowledge on the subject from a variety of perspectives, including medical, psychological, social, and digital communications. Their findings can aid professionals supporting members of new family forms to recognize the similarities and challenges they share with their counterparts in traditional heterosexual two-parent families, as well as their unique needs and strengths. They may also encourage policymakers to promote laws and policies designed to address the cultural, legal, and institutional constraints facing these families. Based on the overall picture that emerges from this Special Issue, we suggest valuable avenues for future research.