Abstract This systematic review examines the occupational well-being of child welfare workers, a group highly vulnerable to stress and burnout. Following PRISMA guidelines, 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2025 were analyzed. Thematic synthesis identified risk and protective factors at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. Individual risks included burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and work–life conflict, while resilience, coping strategies, and occupational commitment emerged as protective resources. Organizational risks centred on high workloads, role ambiguity, and limited support, whereas positive work climate, adequate resources, and professional development were protective. Systemic risks included policy instability, underfunding, and negative societal perceptions, with coherent frameworks and workforce investment providing protection. The findings highlight the need for multi-level strategies to sustain worker well-being, support retention, and ensure quality services for children and families.
Most studies of discrepancies in parents' reports about children's psychological problems address younger children and psychological problems. The current contribution shifts the focus to adult children and to well-being. In adult intergenerational relationships, knowledge of children's well-being is more uncertain and there is more room for disagreements to arise, especially in the context of divorce. We analyzed Dutch multi-actor survey data, using a sample of triads of adult children, fathers, and mothers (N = 1,440). Two hypotheses were tested about the origins of discrepancies using structural equation models in which child well-being reports were included of parents and self-reports of children. The analyses supported the notion of relational specificity: when parents have a closer and more harmonious relationship with the child, they evaluate the child more positively than the other parent, after controlling for adult children's self-reports of well-being. Qualified support was obtained for the depression-distortion hypothesis, with mothers who have higher well-being themselves being more positive about the child. Discrepancies were larger among separated parents than among married parents and parent-stepparent combinations. The conclusion is that parents do not always have similar views of adult children's well-being and that disagreements are systematic, with bias stemming from the informant and the relationship.
BACKGROUND: Motor development models highlight the interplay between actual motor competence, perceived motor competence and physical activity in children. In studies, mental health parameters, such as well-being, are mostly considered as an outcome of PA or motor development, but they can also be the prerequisite for participation in PA. While variable centered studies have explored mostly correlations among these factors, there is a need to adopt person-centered approaches to identify distinct profiles based on these variables. Understanding these profiles can support targeted interventions to promote healthy motor development. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving n = 427 children (M = 7.78 years, SD = 0.70). Actual motor competence was assessed via motor competence test, perceived motor competence via self-perception and physical activity and well-being via parent questionnaires. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify distinct profiles based on the characteristics of the investigated constructs. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles. Highly competent team players (profile 1), who were characterized by high actual and perceived motor competencies in “object movement”, high participation in team sports and high well-being scores. Competent self-movers (profile 2), who exhibited good actual and perceived motor competencies, engaged primarily in individual sports and high well-being. Low-participating overestimators (profile 3), who demonstrated low actual motor competencies but high perceived motor competencies with an overestimation of their competencies, low involvement in organized sports and significant lower well-being compared to the other profiles. CONCLUSION: This study identifies distinct profiles in children’s motor development parameters, emphasizing the complex interplay between actual motor competencies, perceived motor competencies, physical activity and well-being. The presence of a profile with low actual motor competencies, physical activity and well-being indicates that a certain level of these factors may be necessary for active motor development. Tailored interventions should not only address physical activity or actual motor competencies but also encourage positive-realistic self-assessment and increased participation in physical activity, especially organized sports, to enhance both motor development and well-being.
Typical lunch meals consumed by Dutch children fall short of national dietary guidelines. The average vegetable intake during lunch is around 8 g, contributing to inadequate overall vegetable consumption in over half of children under 12. A school-based lunch programme offering vegetable-rich meals may improve vegetable intake and potentially lead to other benefits. In the current controlled quasi-experimental study, such programme was assessed. Children aged 7-13 years at three primary schools received lunch on 3 school days per week, while three other schools served as controls. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured cognition, well-being, food neophobia, food literacy, and skin carotenoid status using the Veggie Meter (VM). Post intervention, meal liking was assessed. 2 x 2 mixed ANOVAs were run (group x time). No significant differences were observed between groups and over time for any of the variables, but a decrease in food neophobia over time in the control group, but not in the intervention group, was observed. Exploratory analyses revealed positive associations between VM score and well-being, and between meal liking and VM score, while meal liking was negatively associated with food neophobia. Insufficient meal consumption, driven by low meal acceptance, social dynamics, and cultural unfamiliarity with warm lunches at school, is the most plausible explanation for the absence of effects. Future school meal programmes in the Netherlands should focus on gradual familiarisation with new meal formats before meaningful effects on dietary intake, cognition, and well-being can be expected.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether young adults who had a parent in prison while growing up in Sweden are disadvantaged in terms of parental support, school well-being and functioning, and socioemotional and/or behavioral problems, compared to young adults whose parents were not in prison when they were a child. Design/methodology/approach Retrospective self-report information about parental imprisonment and childhood and adulthood welfare was collected from 2,500 Swedish young adults as part of the RESUME project. Of these, 52 who had had a parent in prison during their childhood were compared to the young adults who had not had a parent in prison, by measuring differences concerning their family relations, school well-being, and well-being as adults, and the risk of some events occurring later in life. Findings Having had a parent in prison was significantly related to feeling less loved during childhood, and having less contact and support from both parents during adulthood, in comparison with other young adults. In school they experienced lower well-being and were more often placed in special education than other children. They were at greater risk of not attending higher education, of planning or attempting suicide, and of being hospitalized for mental health problems than the rest of the young adults. Research limitations/implications Taking into consideration the complexity of childhood conditions and the limitations of retrospective data, prison, and social-services, professionals should pay special attention to the fact that a child has a parent in prison. Originality/value This is a unique study of young adults' experiences of a childhood with parent in prison.
Per Åke Nylander, Åsa Källström Cater, Karin Hellfeldt
Summary Domestic violence in forced child marriage can have impact on mental health and well-being of an adolescent. However, mental health problems are discussed less often than other negative consequences forced child marriage can cause. Although there are several international conventions, appropriate domestic law and active administrative bodies and NGOs embodying the strategies for protecting children, women and human rights, all these tools seem to be inefficient to protect children in a community practicing traditions which violate children’s rights. Article maps the available legal tools and analyses their application in European practice discussing whether these tools are effective enough to protect Roma children from domestic violence in forced child marriage and ensure their mental well-being.
This study evaluates the impact of introducing Maternity Capital (MC) programchild subsidy of 250,000 Rub (7,150 euros or 10,000 USD, in 2007) for giving birthto /adopting 2nd and subsequent children since January 2007. The reform madeit possible for eligible Russian families to allocate these funds to improve family housing conditions, to sponsor children education, or to invest them in mother's retirement fund. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the MC claim eligibility on various child outcomes and household-level consumption patterns. Using data from representative Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey 2011-2017,I test regression discontinuity models and find no significant difference in health, educational and well-being outcomes between children raised in MC claim eligible and ineligible families. In addition, no such differences were found in terms of household-level dietary habits and preferences. The results are robust to different and functional, semi- and non-parametric RDD specifications.
Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been found in toddlers in childcare. Measuring cortisol may provide an indication of children's experiences in childcare and help to adjust practices better to their needs. To the best of our knowledge, toddlers' cortisol levels in childcare have not yet been investigated longitudinally. Furthermore, it is unclear which child and childcare factors contribute to cortisol elevation in toddlers. Using linear mixed model analyses, we investigated the full-day cortisol activity (10.00 h, 15.00 h, 18.00 h) of 156 toddlers (81 female, 56 male) during a year in childcare (September, January, June). We also investigated child cortisol levels at home in January. In addition, we tested the relation between cortisol activity and changes in cortisol activity across the year and childcare quality, temperament, well-being in childcare, and maternal education. We found increasing evening cortisol levels through the year while controlling for age. Afternoon cortisol levels were stable, but above morning cortisol levels in September and January and only slightly below morning cortisol levels in June. At home in January, afternoon levels were significantly below morning levels. Higher well-being in childcare was associated with lower overall cortisol levels and less increase in evening cortisol levels through the year in childcare. Further, less active toddlers seemed to accumulate some stress during the childcare day, indicated by higher evening cortisol levels. Rising evening cortisol levels may indicate accumulating stress across the year. Results point toward childcare being demanding for toddlers and their need for consideration from caregivers and parents, also after a longer period of childcare attendance. The findings underline the importance of observing, promoting, and further researching children's well-being in childcare.
Kathrin Nystad, May Britt Drugli, Stian Lydersen et al.
This paper examines the links between household income and child subjective well-being. Previous studies produce contradictory findings: qualitative investigations indicate a strong relationship which is elusive in quantitative studies. I hypothesise that the reason for this discrepancy is that household-level measures of child poverty do not adequately capture children’s active roles in forming views on their material needs, assessing their comparative socio-economic status, and contributing to processes and outcomes of intra-household resource sharing. Thus a relationship between household income and subjective well-being is hypothesised to exist, but to be mediated by factors including (among others) material deprivation, perceptions of fairness in the processes and outcomes of intra-household allocation, and subjective material well-being. Drawing on survey data from a sample of 1010 parent-child (aged 10–16) pairs in England, structural equation modelling is used to examine these potential mediating effects. Findings indicate that income has a complex role to play in child subjective well-being, with significant direct and indirect associations. Income, deprivation, perceptions of the fairness of intra-household allocation processes and outcomes, and subjective material well-being are all significantly interrelated and are all predictors of subjective well-being. The complex nature of these relationships illustrates the multi-dimensional nature of child poverty and its impacts. Household income is an important factor; but alone it cannot capture children’s active roles in assessing their needs and material living conditions. This confirms the importance of considering children’s agency in understandings of child poverty and material well-being, and including their reports in studies of child poverty and intra-household allocation.
In the spring 2020, the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic quickly spread across Finland, having significant negative consequences for people’s living conditions. On March 16, 2020, the Finnish government declared a state of emergency and imposed several restrictive measures that were in effect until July 16, 2020 [13; 16]. The coronavirus and its aftermath have weakened the resilience of the Finnish welfare state, thereby challenging the welfare state’s ability to protect those most in need of its support. Recent studies have shown that the most vulnerable populations, such as children, are most affected by the negative effects of the pandemic in Finland and worldwide [5; 9; 11; 14; 18]. In autumn 2020, the Central Union for Child Welfare (CUCW) and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) conducted a large-scale survey among the heads of child protection authorities (15.08.—13.10.2020), the aim of which was to find out how the consequences of the coronavirus and government restrictions have affected the well-being of children and their families who are clients of child protection authorities during the fall 2020. This article presents the main results and conclusions of the survey.
