The study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their children in terms of being “raised by parents” and “raising children,”while also examining the ASD-associated characteristics of the mother–child relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five mothers with ASD and two of their children. We identified the following four key categories related to the experiences of being “raised by parents” and “raising children”: 1) Parents’ attempts to raise them properly, 2) Challenges in relying on parents, 3) Raising their children in their own way, and 4) Similarities between mothers and grandparents. Further, we identified the following five categories related to mothers’ experiences of “weaving relationships” with their children: 1) Mixed feelings toward children’s behavior and indifference, 2) Self-reflection on the impact of personal characteristics on children, 3) Balancing parenting with personal traits and challenges, 4) Equal and peaceful interaction, and 5) Respecting children’s autonomy and supporting their success. The children’s experiences of “weaving relationship” with their mothers were grouped into two categories: mutual support in coping with each other’s challenges and complex emotions toward the mother and surroundings. The relationship between mothers with ASD and their children was ambivalent and complex, characterized by mutual care, support, and self-criticism. To effectively support these relationships, traditional support should be complemented with diverse perspectives and enhanced mutual understanding, involving open dialogues with these mothers and relevant stakeholders.

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively clarify the experiences and characteristics of women who begin providing elderly care during the newlywed period and at the same time begin raising children, and to provide suggestions for support for families who provide this double care during the family formation period. A qualitative study was conducted with five women who had experience of simultaneously caring for their parents and raising children as primary caregivers from the time they were newlyweds until their children were infants. Analysis was performed using M-GTA.

As a result, during the newlywed period while performing caregiving duties, women begin to “take on the role of ‘elderly care for newlyweds’ when there is no other choice”, starting a new life while taking on a burdensome role. After giving birth, the actual life of taking on the double care of childcare and elderly care is characterized by “fluctuations that occur in the marital relationship” and “conflicts between the mother’s role and the caregiving role”, bringing about “the distress caused by the addition of childcare to elderly care”. While this distress continued, the women reached a “decision turning point” and made either “a decision to interrupt the caregiving” or “a decision to continue the caregiving”. Each decision took the form of “searching for a way to form a family” while tackling the issue of re-forming a family. This entire process was “the process of discontinuation or continuation of care for a woman who takes care of her parents during the newlywed period, becomes a mother, and performs double care of elderly care and childcare”. The whole process was supported by “the wish for the happiness of the family”.

For families who are responsible for elderly care during the family formation period, during the newlywed period, and after pregnancy and childbirth, they are responsible for the double care of childcare and elderly care, suggesting the need for support for family development issues and support for healthy role performance.

This study elucidates the experiences of mothers who spend life with their children with selective mutism from childhood to adulthood. The study participants included two mothers who were interviewed individually about their life stories. Each narrative had subheading subthemes, and each coherent story was named with a theme indicating the overarching content.

Three themes emerged from A’s narrative: “patiently waiting for her child’s growth as a mother while observing her child’s difficulty in speaking outside the home,” “distressed by inappropriate support as she struggled to resolve her child’s truancy, but continued to search for the appropriate support,” and “living her own life while considering her child’s future due to changes in her perspective of her child who could not speak.”

B’s narrative generated four themes: “despite her child’s worrisome development, she managed it by thinking that she could,” “her child was diagnosed with selective mutism, but the anguish built up in the mother and her child due to a lack of treatment and understanding from those around them,” “various supporters who understood the situation of her child with selective mutism helped improve the mother’s and her child’s life,” and “she found direction for her own activities through participating in a self-help group.”

An environment in which parents recognize the need for early professional intervention and seek support while their child is young, a support for the whole family to look after her child by being sympathetic to her and her child’s pain, and an encouragement that enables parents to accept their child’s situation and enrich their own lives are required to support parents and families of children with selective mutism.

Objective: This study was conducted to elucidate the current status of family nursing practices adopted by senior neonatal intensive care unit （NICU） nurses, identify methods for imparting these practices, and clarify challenging factors.

Methods: A self-developed questionnaire survey was administered to nurses with at least three years of experience working in a NICU at perinatal medical centers across Japan. The three domains of the questionnaire, namely “current status of family nursing practices,”“ methods for imparting family nursing practices,” and“ challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices,” were subject to basic statistical and factor analysis, the mean values for“ current status of family nursing practices” were compared with those for“ methods for imparting family nursing practices,” and “challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices,” and the correlation coefficients for “methods for imparting family nursing practices” and “challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices” were determined.

Results: Completed questionnaires were received from 102 nurses （response rate, 56.7％）. Factor analysis revealed that “methods for imparting family nursing practices,” consisted of four factors and “challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices,” consisted of five factors. Each score for the composite variables was between 2.69 and 3.00. The factor analysis revealed that“ methods for imparting family nursing practices” consisted of four factors and“ challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices” he following correlations were observed between“ own efforts” and“ communicating one’s experience of family nursing practices,” for“ efforts by the entire workplace” with “guidance according to the situation of the junior member” and “providing practical guidance on family nursing practices,” for“ own efforts” with“ aversion towards educating junior members” and“ anxieties towards nursing related to one’s own family,” and between“ efforts by the entire workplace” and“ low motivation of junior members.” As for the correlation between“ methods for imparting family nursing practices,” and“ challenging factors related to imparting family nursing practices,” negative correlations were observed between “building a relationship with junior members” and “low motivation of junior members” and for “aversion towards educating junior members” with“ providing practical guidance on family nursing practices” and “communicating experience.”

Discussion: The present results show that senior nurses with more family nursing practice were imparting implicit knowledge to junior nurses and were not finding it difficult to impart their practices. Furthermore, those who responded that their entire facility was engaged in family nursing practices were more likely to consider the relationship with and the readiness of the junior members when imparting their practices.

Living with children who have severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) significantly changes the lives of all family members; thus, it is important for nurses to understand family functioning prior to providing support. In this study, semi-structured interviews focusing on family functioning were conducted with 10 families who were rearing children with SMID at home who used a home-visit nursing station. Qualitative inductive content analysis identified 10 categories and 38 subcategories associated with family functioning of families rearing for children with SMID at home: [Provision of care to children with SMID by the family, mainly by the mother], [Housework by the parents, mainly by the mother], [Parenting including siblings by the parents, mainly by the mother], [Maintenance of economic foundation, mainly by the father], [Incorporating support from significant others to meet family needs], [Use of social resources to reduce family burdens], [Coordination by mothers with others], [Fulfillment of family leisure and recreational needs], [Strengthening emotional bonds between family members], [Family initiatives planning for the future taken by the parents]. While the target families experienced family burdens associated with providing care for children with SMID, identification of strengthened family functioning, such as stronger family bonds, were noted. It is important for nurses to support reduction of family burdens as well as maintaining motivation to continue living at home by fulfilling the leisure and recreational needs of family members.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine NICU nurses’ perspectives on family support for the transition of children requiring medical care to home care.

Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven NICU nurses with over three years of experience and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: Before the children were discharged, the nurses “looked ahead and made preparations for their transition to home relatively early so that the children could spend time at home.” In addition, the nurses’ perspective of their practice was “to be considerate of the family’s wavering feeling,” “try not to break off family’s heart for acquiring skill of medical care,” “support them in acquiring skills of medical care independently,” and the nurse taking into consideration a whole family, “support for build the foundation of family’s life taking in their child who requires medical care.”

Conclusion: The NICU nurses’ perspective is to provide support to families during the transition to home care for children who require medical care. They take into account the families’ feelings and life, such as their acceptance of disabilities and their thoughts on the transition.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the experiences of families who double-cared for adolescents and older parents.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three mothers or fathers who had experience caring for older parents during the same period as adolescent child-rearing. The contents were transcribed verbatim and analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

Results: In total, nine categories were extracted. Both negative and positive aspects were generated. Negative aspects were extracted into four categories: “family members each had their own thoughts and worries,” “difficulty in maintaining the family’s daily life,” “children harbored their own feelings and had a rebellious spirit,” and “children’s school life and advancement were hindered.” Conversely, four categories were extracted from positive aspects: “acted to support each other and maintained care and daily life,” “felt a sense of security with support from medical staff and people around them,” “children expanded their own world,” and “family grew through the experience of caring.”

Conclusion: In nursing care for families who provide double care for adolescents and older parents, treating the whole family as the target of support is important. Furthermore, considering the potential problems for support from various angles according to the family’s situation, such as the child’s grade and career path, is also important.

Objective: To examine the relationship between the “sense of burden of primary caregivers” of children with disabilities and “communication within the family.” This study also aims to explore factors related to the sense of burden.

Methods: An anonymous online self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the primary caregivers of children using disability daycare services (child development support and after-school daycare services) in city A. The sense of burden of primary caregivers was operationalized as the dependent variable. Independent variables with significant effects (p<0.15) were identified using multiple regression analysis.

Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that communication within families was not a significant factor influencing the sense of burden of the primary caregiver. The factors influencing the sense of burden, including the three subscales were the frequency of the caregiver’s waking during the night, the presence of daily support for both the child and caregiver from people outside the family, the child’s care situation (changing positions, toileting, transfers, and bathing), and developmental characteristics (strong interest in certain things, difficulty in reading, writing, and calculating).

Discussion: Regardless of whether communication within families was present, the primary caregivers of children with disabilities feel a sense of burden in caring for their children. Effective involvement involves providing communication topics to families or connecting them to support so that they take concrete actions, focusing on ensuring adequate sleep and utilizing support from those around them to reduce the burden of caregiving.

This study aimed to elucidate the activities of certified nurse specialists in family health nursing (FCNS) in Japan and visualize their practices to facilitate their inclusion in medical fees using a web-based questionnaire via Google Forms. Responses were obtained from 29 FCNS, with approximately 70% affiliated with hospitals and about 90% working as FCNS in nonexclusive roles. The findings indicated that most FCNS activities extended beyond their affiliated institutions, involving collaboration with other certified nurses and certified nurse specialists across various fields; however, many of these activities were not covered by medical fees. The practice of FCNS involves dynamically and proactively engaging with patients’ families and multidisciplinary teams and understanding and coordinating relationships from an early stage. The results highlight the diverse activities and expertise of FCNS and suggest the need for further research to evaluate outcomes and build evidence related to FCNS practices.