There are an increasing number of studies focusing on interviewing children who had visits from a non-custodial parent to ascertain what types of visits they would have wanted after a divorce. However, few studies in Japan have focused on how children interacted with a non-custodial parent and how children felt when visits were discontinued.

　　The aim of this study was to ascertain the separation process between a child who had visits after adolescence and a non-custodial parent.

　　Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adults (ages 19-36) whose parents divorced when they were age 18 or younger. They all had visits at least once after age 11, but those visits were discontinued. Interview data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach.

　　An analysis of the interview data revealed that the separation process involved visits resulting in the child feeling distant from both parents. The following three factors were associated with the child feeling distant from both parents. The child 1) was embroiled in parental disputes because of visits, 2) felt distant from the custodial parent because of the parent's unusual response before and after a visit, and 3) felt distant from the non-custodial parent because the child did not receive the expected response from the non-custodial parent.

　　The more a child had visits but no setting in which to share his or her feelings, the more a child felt discouraged and tired. With this background, visits were discontinued because 1) the child ran out of patience with the behavior of the non-custodial parent, 2) the non-custodial parent abruptly severed his or her relationship with the child and 3) the child felt less of a relationship with the non-custodial parent because of remarriage or similar reasons.

　　The discontinuation of visits caused some children to have negative feelings towards the noncustodial parent. However, some children sorted out their feelings by 1) talking about the divorce at home or with friends with whom they could share their difficulties and/or 2) encountering new values.

　　The current study aimed to evaluate the emotional transition and experiences of bereaved families of patients with cancer. This study examined the differences in emotional ups and downs among families. A survey was conducted to measure mental health (GHQ), graphs were used to gauge emotional transitions, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Participants were nine adult subjects who lost a parent to cancer. Participants were grouped according to 3 criteria: the difference in the score on the GHQ was within 1 standard deviation, the amplitude of the graph was within 1 standard deviation, and remarks such as nothing has changed were heard during the interview. Participants who satisfied all 3 criteria were deemed the stable group while participants who did not were deemed the unstable group. A modified grounded theory approach was used to analyze transcript data. Results indicated that the stable group had smaller emotional ups and downs than the unstable group. The stable group mainly used cognitive coping and multiple coping methods whereas the unstable group used only a singular coping method, i.e. focusing on an event associated with depression. Family members who played a central role in dealing with problems in their family fell into the stable group while those who played a peripheral role fell into the unstable group. This finding should be considered in light of the fact that cognitive coping and coping flexibility influenced mental health during bereavement.

　　Previous studies have suggested that adult siblings of individuals with disabilities (Sib-D) exhibit over-adaptation. Some studies have also suggested an association between over-adaptation of Sib-D in adolescence and roles they assumed in their families in childhood. The current study examined the state of parentification by Sib-D and their role in childhood and their over-adaptation in adolescence, and this study examined the associations between parentification and the child's role in childhood and over-adaptation in adolescence. A total of 162 adolescents (51 Sib-D and 111 siblings of individuals without disabilities (Sib-N)) completed a self-reported questionnaire regarding the roles they assumed in their family in childhood and their present overadaptation. Results indicated that Sib-D were more parentified in their family in childhood and were more other-directed in adolescence than Sib-N. Multiple population analysis indicated that parentification in childhood was associated with external aspects of over-adaptation in adolescence in both groups and suggested that Sib-D became more other-directed because they were more parentified in childhood. In addition, a child's role in childhood was associated with internal aspects of over-adaptation in adolescence among Sib-D. These findings suggest that overadaptation of Sib-D in adolescence was associated with parentification and a child's role in childhood.

　　The current study ascertained whether the annual income of one's wife or differences in one's type of employment increased a husband’s sense of a financial burden and whether a sense of a financial burden increased stress. Participants were 1,167 married men in their 30s to 50s, and these men were financially responsible for providing for their families. This study also examined whether views on gender roles alleviated the participants’ sense of a financial burden.

　　Results indicated the following: (1) Instances where the wife was not “employed full-time” affected the husband’s sense of a financial burden. (2) The husband's sense of a financial burden increased stress in all 4 subscales of the Public Health Research Foundation Stress Checklist: “feelings of anxiety and uncertainty,” “fatigue and physical symptoms,” “feelings of depression and inadequacy,” and “autonomic symptoms.” (3) An egalitarian view of gender roles decreased the husband's sense of a financial burden. Both a husband's own views on gender roles and his acknowledgement of his wife's views on gender roles are important.