Building a Foundation for Resiliency from the Inside Out

• Date: 01 February 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12186
• Published date: 01 February 2016
• Author: Wendy Middlemiss

W M University of North Texas

Building a Foundation for Resiliency from the

Inside Out

Without question, advances in biophysiological

and neurological science have contributed to

our understanding of how family interactions

may impact physical, emotional, and social

well-being. Research across these disciplines

has helped to identify sources of risk and pro-

tection for children and adults, and has provided

an explanatory base for how ecological contexts

within families and communities can impact

healthy outcomes. This special issue, Bioso-

cial Models of Family Science, brings these

advances in neuroscience, biophysiology, and

epigenetic research into the framework of their

implications for family science, with a focus

across areas of family science research, practice,

and policy. Taking a life-span developmental

approach, this issue presents articles across

several key topics in family science. Articles

are grouped together in sections with the rst

article describing an important advance in bio-

physiological or neurological science and the

following article(s) exploring implications of

that research as translated to family research,

practice, and policy. This format provides

readers with clear connections between these

areas of research and guidance for how these

advances can become tools to advance fam-

ily researchers’ and practitioners’ support of

family well-being and further understanding

Associate Professor,Department of Educational Psychology,

University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311335,

Denton, TX 76203-5017 (wendy.middlemiss@unt.edu).

Key Words: biophysiology, biosocial, family science, trans-

lational research.

of the interactive nature of family systems and

biophysiological health.

S I C

Early Adversities

In the introductory article of this special issue,

Ha and Granger draw connections between the

biophysiology of the stress response system

and its impact on children, as well as on family

interactions. Building from this foundation,

Perry and Conners-Burrow outline steps to

support the mental health and long-term out-

comes of children facing adversity in early

childhood. Skúladóttir then describes an applied

parent education program focused on supporting

parents in early infant care.

Child Care Experiences

The relation between stress related to poverty

and its impact on children’s experience of early

childcare settings is examined in an article by

Berry and Family Life Project investigators.Tak-

ing a closer look at the relation between ecolog-

ical variables, such as socioeconomic level and

immigration status, Crosnoe and Ansari review

research outlining how early socioeconomic and

demographic disparities impact children’s tran-

sition to school and long-term educational tra-

jectories.

Childhood Obesity

In this area of growing concern for children and

adults alike, Pervanidou and Chrousos examine

Family Relations 65 (February 2016): 7–8 7

DOI:10.1111/fare.12186