Child Psychiatry & Human Development最新文献

Our study is guided by Beck's cognitive stress-vulnerability model of depression. We examined the associations between perceived everyday discrimination (PED) and TNF-⍺, an inflammatory biomarker associated with risk for severe illness, through the negative cognitive triad (NCT; negative thoughts about the self, world, and future) and depressive symptoms in adolescents. We utilized a sample of 99 adolescents (36.4% female; ages 13-16, M = 14.10, SD = 0.52) in our cross-sectional study. We used PROCESS and AMOS to compute regressions and direct, indirect, and total effects of PED, NCT aspects and depressive symptoms on TNF-⍺. Negative views of the self and world mediated between PED and depressive symptoms and that negative views of the self and future mediated between PED and TNF-⍺. In conclusion, Beck's theory can be expanded to physical health providing directions for addressing mental and physical health simultaneously by restructuring adolescents' negative view of the self.

The purpose of this study was to study psychopathological and temperamental correlates of selective mutism (SM) (symptoms) in a mixed sample of non-clinical (n = 127) and clinically referred (n = 42, of whom 25 displayed the selective non-speaking behavior that is prototypical for SM) 6- to 12-year-old children. Parents completed questionnaires to measure their child's symptom levels of selective mutism, social anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and the temperament trait of behavioral inhibition. The results first and foremost showed that SM symptoms were clearly linked to social anxiety and an anxiety-prone temperament (behavioral inhibition), but findings also suggested that autism spectrum problems are involved in the selective non-speaking behavior of children. While the latter result should be interpreted with caution given the methodological shortcomings of this study, findings align well with the notion that SM is a heterogeneous psychiatric condition and that clinical assessment and treatment need to take this diversity into account.

This study examined the test-retest reliability and predictive validity of the East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS) Short Form. In China, preschools typically provide children with educational activities in age-segregated classrooms - Kindergarten Level 1 (K1) (3 to 4 years), Kindergarten Level 2 (K2) (4 to 5 years), and Kindergarten Level 3 (K3) (5 to 6 years). A total of 709 children in K2 (M_age = 57.85 months, SD = 4.77) were randomly selected from 29 kindergartens in Shanghai municipality and Guizhou province of China. Children were assessed using the EAP-ECDS in K2 and K3. School readiness was assessed in K3, and literacy and mathematics achievement were assessed in Grade 2. Pearson's correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.73) indicated that the tool had good test-retest reliability across K2 and K3. Regarding predictive validity, K2 EAP-ECDS predicted K3 school readiness (β = 0.26), Grade 2 language and literacy (β = 0.18) and mathematics (β = 0.22) after adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and region. Findings support using the tool to measure the holistic development of preschool-aged children in China and the region.

The Japanese term Hikikomori is used to describe a clinical condition in which young people present a prolonged social withdrawal and isolation. Hikikomori syndrome represents an emergent worldwide phenomenon but is still poorly reported and often misdiagnosed. This study investigates and describes an Italian hikikomori adolescent group. Socio-demographic and psychopathological profiles and the relationship between hikikomori and psychopathological conditions were analyzed. No gender difference, a medium-high intellectual level, and no correlation with socioeconomic status were highlighted among the clinical group. The relationship between social withdrawal and social anxiety was significant while no correlation was found with depressive symptoms. The presence of Hikikomori syndrome was also significant in Italian adolescents, suggesting that hikikomori is not a culture-bound syndrome related to the Japanese cultural context, but rather a syndrome occurring in the upper-medium class.

This study applied network analysis to executive function test performances to examine differences in network parameters between demographically matched children and adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 141 per group; M = 12.7 ± 2.9 years-old; 72.3% boys, 66.7% White, 65.2% ≥ 12 years maternal education). All participants completed the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, including the Flanker, measuring inhibition, Dimensional Change Card Sort, measuring shifting, and List Sorting test, measuring working memory. Children with and without ADHD had comparable mean test performances (d range: .05-0.11) but presented with differences in network parameters. Among participants with ADHD, shifting was less central, had a weaker relationship with inhibition, and did not mediate the relationship between inhibition and working memory. These network characteristics were consistent with the executive function network structure of younger ages in prior research and may reflect an immature executive function network among children and adolescents with ADHD, aligning with the delayed maturation hypothesis.

The present study investigated group and individual stability and predictors of somatic symptoms from childhood to adolescence in a population-based sample. 259 youth were evaluated at 6-12 years (M 8.1) and 8 years later (M 15.2). Sixteen somatic symptoms from the parent-rated Pediatric Behavior Scale were used for analyses, in addition to psychopathology subscales. Most somatic symptom prevalence rates decreased from childhood to adolescence. Group mean scores were relatively stable over time. Individual stability for the absence of somatic symptoms in childhood and adolescence was high, yet individual stability for the presence of somatic symptoms at both time points was low. Most symptoms remitted for the majority of youth. New cases in adolescence were common. Significant correlates of childhood and adolescent somatic symptoms varied. Longitudinal predictors were childhood somatic symptoms and adolescent medication status. Childhood psychopathology scores did not predict the total adolescent somatic symptom score.

Although binge eating symptoms (BE) can contribute to worsened mental and physical health, little is known about factors associated with binge eating across the lifespan, hindering prevention and treatment. To investigate if there is an association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), adolescent and adult mental health conditions, and BE symptoms among young adults. One hundred and thirty-one junior high-school students participated in a series of assessments and 10 years later, 100 of these individuals participated in a follow-up assessment. Linear regression models were performed to estimate the association between ACEs, adolescent and emerging adult self-esteem, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and emerging adult BE symptoms. Among the sample, 26% had 1 ACEs, 18% had 2 ACEs, and 41% had ≥ 3ACEs. After adjusting for age, sex, and current mental health, there was a positive association between ACEs and increased levels of BE symptoms (β = 0.37, SE = 0.19, CI=(0.03; 0.7), p =.0485). Higher levels of emerging adult depression and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.02, SE = 0.01, CI=(0.01; 0.04), p =.0020) but not self-esteem (β = 0.04, SE = 0.05, CI=(-0.06; 0.14,) p =.4253), were associated with BE symptoms. Parental mental health, a parent experiencing a mental illness during the participant's childhood, was the only individual ACE associated with BE symptoms (β = 0.84, SE = 0.40, CI = 0.04, 1.64, p =.0409). Cumulative ACEs and emerging adult anxiety and depression symptoms were associated with BE symptoms. Findings indicate that ACEs, anxiety, and depression symptoms contribute to BE symptoms, highlighting the importance of screening for ACEs and mental health conditions. Persons struggling with BE symptoms may have co-occurring conditions, of which a traditional treatment for BE may not suffice.

Greater screen time is associated with increased symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (autism), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and lower scores on measures of development in preschool-aged community samples. In the current longitudinal study, we examined screen time differences at 18 months of age based on clinically-defined outcomes (i.e., Autism, ADHD Concerns, Comparison) determined at age 3-5 years in a genetically-enriched sample based on family history, along with prospective associations between toddler screen time and preschool autism/ADHD symptoms and developmental achievement. Participants (n = 82) included children at high and low familial likelihood for autism and ADHD. Children with Autism and ADHD Concerns outcomes experienced significantly more screen exposure at 18 months than children without autism or elevated symptoms of ADHD. Greater screen time at 18 months was also associated with preschool symptoms of autism and ADHD and lower developmental achievement across the sample. Preschoolers with neurodevelopmental challenges experienced more screen exposure earlier in development than same-age peers, increasing potential for negative developmental impacts.

Although the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI) cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) scale has demonstrated validity relative to the CABI attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattention (ADHD-IN) scale with parent ratings of youth from North America, Europe, East Asia, and Central Asia, no study has evaluated the validity of the 15 symptom CDS scale with children from South America. Our purpose was to examine for the first time the validity of the CABI CDS scale with Brazilian children. Latent variable modeling procedures were used to examine the validity of CDS scores. Mothers and fathers completed measures of CDS, ADHD-IN, ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), anxiety, depression, and academic impairment on 366 Brazilian children (M_age = 8.64, SD_age = 1.39, 53.3% females). First, the CDS symptoms showed strong internal validity with the ADHD-IN symptoms. Second, within and across sources, ADHD-IN showed stronger first-order and unique associations than CDS with ADHD-HI, whereas CDS, especially across sources, showed stronger first-order and unique associations than ADHD-IN with anxiety and depression. CDS and ADHD-IN were similarly associated with academic impairment. This study is the first to support the validity of CABI CDS scores with Brazilian children, thus replicating the findings in North America, Europe, East Asia, and the Central Asia in South America.

The present study examined the effect of ADHD-related traits, academic-achievement level, and giftedness label on elementary school teachers' and counselors' referral recommendations for assessment. 532 teachers and counselors were presented with one of 12 vignettes describing a hypothetical pupil. Participants were asked to report the likelihood they would refer the pupil for ADHD diagnosis and address them during a high-level interdisciplinary school-team meeting (HISTM). High ADHD-related traits (effect size 0.359) and low academic-achievement (effect size 0.070) and their interaction were significantly related to a higher likelihood of referral. Further analysis revealed that lower academic achievement was related to a higher likelihood of referral only when ADHD-related traits were not indicated (p < .005). The status of giftedness label was not found to be significant (p > .05). These findings indicate that mainly ADHD-related traits and, to a lesser degree, low academic-achievement influence teachers' decisions to refer pupils for ADHD diagnosis and address them in HISTM.