Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology最新文献

Exposure to prenatal stress increases offspring risk for long-term neurobehavioral impairments and psychopathology, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Epigenetic regulation of glucocorticoid pathway genes may be a potential underlying mechanism by which maternal conditions 'program' the fetal brain for downstream vulnerabilities. The present study aims to investigate whether mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta predict offspring negative affect during early childhood (between 6 and 24 months). Participants include 318 mother-child dyads participating in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Placental mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes (HSD11B1, HSD11B2, NR3C1, NCOR2) were profiled and negative affect traits of the offspring were measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. HSD11B1 mRNA expression significantly predicted negative affect (β = -.09, SE = .04; p = .036), and Distress to Limitations trajectories (β = -.13, SE = .06; p = .016). NCOR2 mRNA expression significantly predicted Distress to Limitations (β = .43, SE = .21; p = .047), and marginally predicted Sadness trajectories (β = .39, SE = .21; p = .068). HSD11B2 and NR3C1 did not predict trajectories of Negative Affect or subscale scores. Infant negative affect traits were assessed via maternal self-report, and deviated from linearity across follow-up. mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta may be a potentially novel tool for early identification of infants at greater risk for elevated negative affect. Further study is needed to validate the utility of mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta.

This study examined the associations between internalizing and externalizing symptoms during early adolescence and the subsequent development of Major Depressive Disorder. The role that temperament plays in predisposing individuals to these particular pathways was also examined. Temperament at approximately age 12 was used to produce a risk-enriched subsample of 243 (124 female) participants. Data was collected in four waves over 6-7 years roughly corresponding to ages 13, 15, 17 and 19. Participants were excluded from the study, prior to the first wave, based on current or prior depressive, substance-use, or eating disorders. Logistic regression analyses revealed that internalizing symptoms and social-externalizing problems were significant risk pathways to the development of depression. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that high temperamental negative emotionality, high affiliation, low effortful control, and low surgency were significant vulnerability factors for depression via the internalizing symptom pathway, whereas low effortful control was the only significant predictor for depression via the social-externalizing problem pathway. As such, high levels of effortful control acted as a protective factor for the development of depression across both symptom pathways, suggesting that is may be an important target for prevention strategies.

Previously institutionalized children on average show persistent deficits in physiological and behavioral regulation, as well as a lack of normative reticence towards strangers, or disinhibited social engagement (DSE). Post-adoption parenting, specifically a combination of supportive presence and structure/limit-setting, may protect against DSE over time via better adrenocortical functioning. This study examined the impact of adrenocortical activity and post-adoption parenting on DSE across the first two years post-adoption (age at adoption: 16-36 months) and observed kindergarten social outcomes in previously institutionalized children (n = 94) compared to non-adopted children (n = 52). Path analyses indicated a developmental cascade from institutional care (operationalized as a dichotomous group variable, age at adoption, and months of institutionalization) to blunted adrenocortical activity, increased DSE, and lower kindergarten social competence. Consistent with a permissive parenting style, higher parental support was associated with increased DSE, but only when not accompanied by effective structure/limit-setting. Further, parental structure reduced the association between blunted adrenocortical activity and DSE behaviors.

The present study investigated baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as moderator of the prospective association between parenting (i.e., monitoring knowledge, psychological control) and internalizing symptoms among typically developing adolescents across the transition to middle school. Gender differences in the aforementioned association were tested as an exploratory aim. At Time 1 (5^th grade), participants included 100 young adolescents (53% boys; 57% European American; Mage = 11.05 years, SD = 0.33) and their mothers (Mage = 41.25 years, SD = 6.22; 96.0% biological). At Time 2 (6^th grade), 89 adolescents and their mothers returned. To address study aims, a multi-informant, multi-method, longitudinal design was used. At Time 1, mothers reported on monitoring knowledge and psychological control, and adolescents' baseline RSA was measured during a resting baseline period. At Times 1 and 2, adolescents reported on three indices of internalizing symptoms (depressive symptoms, social anxiety, loneliness and social dissatisfaction). Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that higher levels of psychological control predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness over time. Further, among boys, lower baseline RSA exacerbated the link between maternal psychological control and higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness, whereas higher baseline RSA attenuated the effect. Overall, our findings for boys were consistent with prior evidence of lower baseline RSA as a risk factor and higher baseline RSA as a protective factor against psychopathology. Findings contribute to the growing literature on biopsychosocial interactions and youth mental health.

Family research in the field of ASD has focused on describing the impact of child challenges on parents, usually mothers, and given little attention to the ways in which mothers and fathers reciprocally influence the development of the child with ASD. The current study examined the direction of effects between the emotional quality of the mother-child and father-child relationships and the child's severity of ASD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems across three time points spanning 2 years. Using parent Five Minute Speech Samples and teacher ratings of the severity of the child's ASD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems, four cross-lagged structural equation models were employed to test bidirectional effects between parent warmth and criticism and child ASD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems across three waves of data (approximately 12 months apart) in 159 families who had a child with ASD (initially aged 6 to 13 years). Mothers and fathers had an average age of 39.53 (SD=5.55) and 41.66 years (SD=6.19). Children with ASD were predominately male (86.2%) and white, non-Hispanic (76.7%). Crossed-lagged model results indicated bidirectional effects for both mothers and fathers. Warmth in the mother-child relationship and father-child relationship impacted child functioning at earlier time points. In the opposite direction, child functioning impacted father warmth and mother criticism at later time points. Findings indicate that the emotional quality of the parent-child relationships are bidirectionally related to the symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems of children with ASD. Important implications for supporting families are discussed.

Research suggests co-rumination during adolescence has developmental tradeoffs that result in elevated self-disclosure and intimacy between friends but also can be associated with increases in depression (Rose et al. 2007; Rose 2002). The current study further examined this paradox by assessing the role of emotional competencies in co-rumination as they predict depressive symptoms over a 2-year period. We tested whether co-rumination moderated the relation between emotional awareness and emotion regulation and depressive symptoms in reciprocated best friend dyads. At Time 1, 202 adolescents (101 same-sex best friend dyads; M_age = 12.68, 52.5% girls, 76.6% White, middle-class) reported on their emotional competencies (i.e., emotional awareness and perceptions of their friend's anger and sadness regulation), and depressive symptoms as well as engaged in a discussion task where co-rumination was observed. Multilevel modeling (Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling) was used to account for similarity within friend dyads. The results indicated that when girls engaged in high levels of co-rumination, poor emotional awareness was related to greater depressive symptoms in their friend. Regarding the analyses of emotion regulation, at high levels of co-rumination, Friend A's perceptions of stronger anger regulation by Friend B predicted fewer depressive symptoms in Friend A. Stronger sadness regulation in Friend B at high levels of co-rumination predicted fewer depressive symptoms in Friend B. Our findings highlight the potentially adaptive nature of emotional competencies that may ameliorate the negative sequelae of co-rumination as adolescents are afforded the opportunity to discuss problems, better understand their emotions, skills that are then associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time.

This paper is based on the keynote presentation for the biennial meeting of the International Society for Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (ISRCAP) in Los Angeles, California. The topic was purposively selected to raise awareness of how the measurement of child behavioral health care quality at the national level, and corresponding standards for reliability and clinical validity, substantially differ from those traditionally applied to the measurement of child psychopathology. Under a federal mandate, an initial Core Set of quality measures for children was created for voluntary reporting by State Medicaid agencies. The four national child behavioral health quality measures in the 2019 Child Core Set encompass timeliness of care, vary by child age range, and two different types of psychotropic medication treatments. Measures are described and implications for data interpretation are provided. Findings are summarized from: 1) a systematic literature review; 2) State adherence rates; and 3) ten-year national trends in adherence rates by health plan type. Scientific evidence supporting the clinical validity of the measures is scarce, statewide adherence rates widely vary, and improvement over time has been modest. Nevertheless, State Medicaid agencies will be mandated to report measure adherence rates beginning in 2024. Together, these findings stimulate recommendations for health policies to allocate additional resources for data infrastructure to monitor child mental health care quality and identify areas for future research.

There is strong evidence that peers are of central importance to children's and adolescents' social and emotional adaptation and success in school. However, it remains an open question as to whether callous-unemotional (CU) traits, or interpersonal and affective deficits that pose risk for antisocial behaviors and psychopathy, are related to social-behavioral outcomes as assessed by those who are believed to have the most accurate perspectives on such outcomes - young adolescents' peers. Using data from a longitudinal and multi-method study of peer relations (N = 379, % female = 51.90, M_age = 10.24 at Time 1), the current study addressed this gap by examining the links between teacher-reports of CU traits and conduct problems (CP) and peer-reports of the extent to which young adolescents are aggressive, victimized, excluded, prosocial, and sociable during the Fall and Spring semesters in Grade 5 (Times 1and 2) and Grade 6 (Times 3 and 4). Results revealed that teacher-rated CP, but not CU traits, was associated positively with peer-reports of aggression. CU traits, but not CP, was associated positively with victimization/exclusion and associated negatively with prosociality. CU traits and CP demonstrated opposite relations with sociability, with CU traits demonstrating a negative association. Findings are discussed in the context of the broader literature examining the social-behavioral correlates of CU traits.

This study tested whether increases in recent and cumulative cannabis use were each associated with increases in internalizing problems from adolescence to young adulthood. Participants were boys from a community sample that was assessed annually from ~age 15-26 (N = 506). Boys reported on their cannabis use, depression symptoms, and anxiety/depression problems each year. Exposures were frequency of cannabis use in a given year (no use, < weekly use, weekly or more frequent use) and cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use. Outcomes were depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems in a given year. Analyses examined within-person associations between changes in exposures and outcomes over time, which eliminated "fixed" (unchanging) individual differences as potential confounds. Analyses also accounted for time-varying factors as potential confounds (other substance use, externalizing problems, subclinical psychotic symptoms). Results showed that increases in recent cannabis use and cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use were each associated with increases in depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems. After controlling for time-varying covariates, increases in cumulative prior years of weekly cannabis use, but not recent cannabis use, remained associated with increases in depression symptoms and anxiety/depression problems. Specifically, each additional year of prior weekly cannabis use was associated with a small increase in depression symptoms (b = 0.012, p = .005) and anxiety/depression problems (b = 0.009, p = .001). Associations did not vary systematically across time. There was also no evidence of reverse causation. As boys engaged in weekly cannabis use for more years, they showed increases in internalizing problems, suggesting the importance of preventing chronic weekly cannabis use.

Parent and teacher ratings of the two attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom dimensions (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity) have been found to differ across child gender, age, race, and ethnicity. Group differences could be due to actual variation in symptomatic behaviors but also could be due to measurement items functioning differently based on child characteristics. This study extended prior investigations establishing measurement invariance at the symptom dimension and item levels, by examining possible measurement variance across child demographic characteristics at the item level (i.e., differential item functioning [DIF]) in two large national samples. Using the Rasch rating scale model (Andrich Psychometrika, 43, 561-73, 1978), we examined DIF of the 18 ADHD symptoms in samples of 2079 children (n = 1037 males) from 5 to 17 years old (M = 10.7; SD = 3.8) rated by parents and 1070 children (n = 535 males) aged from 5 to 17 years old (M = 11.5; SD = 3.5) rated by teachers. All but six ADHD symptom items showed DIF across child age, gender, race (Black vs. White), and ethnicity with more items showing DIF for age than for gender, race, or ethnicity. For child gender and age, more items showed DIF for parent than for teacher ratings. More items showed DIF across racial groups for teacher than for parent ratings. Only two parent- and teacher-rated items showed DIF for ethnicity. Implications of findings for practice, research, and future iterations of ADHD diagnostic criteria are discussed.