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- Parenting sense of competence in at psychosocial risk families and child well-beingPublication . Nunes, C.; Nunes, LaraINTRODUCTION. Parenting sense of competence is a central construct to understand the dynamics and processes that occur within the family system. It is a major determinant of competent parenting behaviors, and it is closely linked to a healthy child development and their overall well-being. The aim of the present study is to obtain a better understanding of parenting sense of competence in Portuguese at-risk families and, more specifically, to analyze the relations between sociodemographic variables, perceived parenting efficacy, satisfaction with the parenting role and the child well-being. METHOD. The participants were 207 families (168 mothers and 39 fathers) receiving family preservation interventions in the Algarve (South of Portugal). The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied by trained interviewers, through an individual interview. Furthermore, the Child Well-Being Scales were filled by 21 case managers. RESULTS. Results showed that the majority of participants lived under a precarious economic and occupational situation, and had a low educational level. On average, families consisted of four people and of two children with 58,5% living below the national poverty line. Participants presented, on average, medium-high levels of perceived parenting efficacy and satisfaction, although they scored significantly higher on efficacy. We observed significant and positive correlations between parenting efficacy and satisfaction with all the child well-being dimensions (child well-being score, parental disposition and child performance) with the exception of household adequacy. DISCUSSION. These findings highlight the need to include the boosting of parental satisfaction and the readjustment of parental sense of efficacy as the primary aim of psycho-educational interventions in at-risk families. The implications for social policies for this vulnerable group are discussed.
- Parents' perceived social support and children's psychological adjustmentPublication . Nunes, Cristina; Martins, Cátia; Nunes, Lara; Adelaide de Matos, Filomena; Costa, Emília Isabel; Gonçalves, AndreaPerceived social support has often been investigated due to its direct and indirect effects in reducing the impact of several risk factors on physical and psychological well-being. Moreover, many studies have revealed a link between social support and positive parenting, which in turn has an impact on children's well-being. In Portugal, there is a significant lack of studies in this area. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between parents' perceived social support and children's psychological adjustment. The sample consisted of 409 parents (83.13% mothers) living in the region of Algarve (South of Portugal). The Duke-UNC Functional Social Support and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires were used. Findings The results showed that, on average, families had a social support network of nine people, with a balanced presence of family (M = 4.25, SD = 3.54) and friends (M = 4.36, SD = 3.17). Parents reported medium-high levels of confidant and affective support, but instrumental support was lower. However, single-parent families, immigrant families, and divorced parents were found to be more socially isolated and received less support than they needed. Affective social support showed predictive value for child psychological adjustment. Applications These findings suggest that developing universal and selective parental education and support programs that focus on strengthening informal social support networks is needed, especially for vulnerable families. Implications for social workers who intervene with families are discussed.
- Parenting and stress: A study with Spanish and Portuguese at-risk familiesPublication . Perez-Padilla, Javier; Nunes, Lara; Victoria Hidalgo, Maria; Nunes, C.; Lemos, Ida; Menendez, SusanaThis study analyzed parenting stress, parental sense of competence, and stressful life events in families at psychosocial risk in Western Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Differences and similarities between families from both countries on these dimensions were explored, as well as the influence of country of origin in determining risk profiles for this population. Although both groups shared some sociodemographic characteristics, differences were found on all studied dimensions, with Portuguese mothers showing higher levels of parenting stress, sense of competence, and accumulation of stressful life events. Results suggest that higher risk families tend to share psychosocial characteristics, regardless of their country of origin.