Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology最新文献

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs), encompassing both nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidality, are a growing public health concern in youth. Although maternal depression is a well-established risk factor for psychopathology in offspring, less is known about protective factors that may mitigate this risk. Peer social support, particularly during the transition to adolescence, may play a critical role in reducing risk for SITBs, yet limited research has examined the potential impact of different domains of peer influence (e.g., close friends versus classmates) as specific and distinct facets of the peer environment. In a two-year longitudinal study, we assessed SITBs in 215 children (ages 8-14), half of whom had mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) during their child's life. We hypothesized that maternal MDD would predict increased risk of SITBs in children but that higher levels of peer social support would buffer this effect. Survival analyses confirmed that children of mothers with MDD were over twice as likely to develop SITBs during the follow-up. Importantly, higher levels of social support from classmates uniquely predicted reduced risk for SITBs in children, even after accounting for the influence of maternal MDD history. Our findings highlight the role of broad peer environments in protecting against SITBs in youth. These results underscore the importance of school-based interventions that foster social inclusion as potential preventive measures for SITBs.

Life history framework underscores the importance of time perspective in studies on dark personality development and its outcomes. This study aims to examine the potential role of future negative insight between Dark Triad and antisocial attitudes through a temporal process. Data were collected from 245 participants (120 boys, 125 girls; mean age = 15.58, SD = 1.76) across three time points in a longitudinal design. Study 1 used structural equation modeling (SEM) with baseline data (T1) to examine the mediating role of future negative insight in the relationship between Dark Triad traits and antisocial attitudes. Study 2 employed a three-wave Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to investigate the dynamic relationships among them. Study 1's SEM analysis demonstrated that future negative insight significantly mediated the relationship between Dark Triad traits and antisocial attitudes. Study 2's RI-CLPM revealed intricate cross-lagged associations among Dark Triad traits, future negative insight, and antisocial attitudes, underscoring their temporal dynamics and longitudinal interdependence. These findings highlight the motivational process and psychological developmental mechanisms underlying the link between dark personality traits and antisocial outcomes from a temporal perspective.

The codevelopment of positive and negative coping styles and adolescent depression and their relationships at both the between-person and within-person levels remain poorly understood, particularly among adolescents in East Asia. This large-sample Chinese cohort study seeks to address these gaps through a three-wave design. A total of 4,548 Chinese high school students (50.70% female; M_age = 16.87, SD = 0.81) were surveyed at baseline. This study employed latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) and the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). Univariate LGCMs revealed, on average, a decline in both positive and negative coping styles and an increase in depressive symptoms. Parallel LGCMs demonstrated that, relative to other adolescents, adolescents reporting steeper decreases in positive coping styles and less steep decreases in negative coping styles reported steeper increases in depressive symptoms (between-person effects). In the RI-CLPM, which affords clearer temporal order and within-person causal inference, we found that (1) adolescents reporting more negative coping relative to their own average in a given wave reported more depressive symptoms in the next wave (unidirectional within-person effect) and (2) adolescents reporting more positive coping relative to their own average at T2 reported fewer depressive symptoms at T3, and vice versa (bidirectional within-person effects). These within-person lagged effects are generalizable across genders, having siblings or not, and being from rural areas vs. urban areas. In conclusion, this study underscores the nuanced and largely convergent relationships between coping styles and adolescent depressive symptoms across levels of analysis.

This study examined changes in the agreement, stability, and validity of parent and self-reports of a commonly used measure of youth depression symptoms, the Children's Depression Inventory, from childhood through adolescence. The study consists of 530 families (youth, mothers, and fathers) assessed at ages 9, 12, and 15. Agreement between youth and each parent on youth depression symptoms was modest but significant at age 9, while agreement between mothers and fathers was high. At age 12, agreement between youth and parents increased; agreement between parents was again high. At age 15, mother-youth and father-youth agreement did not change from age 12, but mother-youth agreement was higher than father-youth agreement. Agreement between parents remained high. Stability of youth-reported depression symptoms was low between ages 9 and 12 but high from ages 12 to 15. Parent-reported youth depression symptoms demonstrated greater stability than youth reports from 9 to 12 but similar stability to youth from 12 to 15. At age 9, parent-reported symptoms predicted concurrent and subsequent depressive diagnoses, however the youth reports did not. At age 12, parent-reported symptoms significantly independently predicted concurrent but not subsequent youth depressive diagnoses, whereas youth reports were independently associated with subsequent, but not concurrent, depressive diagnoses. At age 15, youth, but not parent, reports were independently associated with concurrent depressive disorder diagnoses. These findings indicate that although both informants can provide important insights into youth depression, parents' reports should be more heavily weighted in childhood and youth reports should be given increasing credence in adolescence.

Research on Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) has predominantly focused on adulthood, with limited attention to children. However, examining IU during childhood is clinically important, as it can shed light on the development of early-emerging psychopathologies. Valid and reliable tools assessing IU in children are therefore essential. This study aimed to investigate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Parent (IUS-P), a questionnaire for parents to evaluate IU in their children. 796 Italian parents (88.4% mothers) of children aged 4-10 years (51.3% boys) were involved. Other-report tools assessing IU, psychopathological features, and executive functioning impairments (i.e., cognitive inflexibility, impulsivity, difficulties in planning/organization, and emotion dysregulation) were administered. To investigate the IUS-P factor structure, we compared a one-factor model, a two-factor model, and a bifactor model. Measurement invariance across sex and age groups (i.e., 4-6 vs. 7-8 vs. 9-10 years), reliability, and construct validity were evaluated. The bifactor model outperformed competing factor models. Bifactor model indices suggested using a total score instead of separate subscale scores. Measurement invariance by sex and age groups was fully supported. Additionally, the IUS-P total score exhibited excellent one-month test-retest reliability. The total score also showed positive associations with psychopathological features and executive functioning impairments. These findings highlight the IUS-P as a reliable tool to evaluate IU in Italian children. The relations of IU with psychopathological dimensions and difficulties in executive functioning underscore the transdiagnostic nature of IU during childhood. The practical implications of these results are discussed.

Exploring psychiatric antecedents in youths at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) could help understand determinants for early detection and timely care pathways, consequently improving outcomes and prognosis. The aims of this investigation were: (1) to examine the proportion of CHR-P individuals with past contact with mental healthcare services enrolled within a specialized CHR-P service, and (2) to longitudinally compare sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment parameters between CHR-P subjects with and without psychiatric antecedents across 2 years of follow-up. All participants (aged 12-25 years) were recruited within the "Parma At Risk Mental States" (PARMS) program. Across the follow-up, they completed the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) and the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). A mixed-design ANOVA and a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were also used. Of the 170 CHR-P subjects, 95 (55.9%) had previous contact with mental health services. In 85.2% of cases, a care discontinuity was observed. Main psychiatric antecedents were learning disorders (7.4%), anxiety disorder (23.1%), conduct disorder (22.1%), and depressive disorder (14.7%). CHR-P youths with psychiatric antecedents had longer duration of untreated psychosis and a higher 2-year incidence rate of psychosis transition. Having previous contact with psychiatric services also resulted to be a associated with poorer social functioning over time. Carefully monitor mental health suffering and related help-seeking-behavior in youths typically manifested in their early 20's is crucial, also in terms of psychosis prevention. Moreover, special attention should be given to service engagement as care continuity within adolescent-adult transition.

Research examining the link between emotion dysregulation and youth social impairments has focused almost exclusively on the dysregulation of negative emotions. Yet some youth experience dysregulation of positive emotions, which also may influence social functioning. The present study sought to extend previous research by examining whether negative emotion reactivity and positive emotion reactivity were each uniquely associated with children's social impairments. These effects were examined in a sample of 9-13-year-olds (N = 186; 47% female) enriched for clinical elevations in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, a disorder associated with significant social impairments and emotion dysregulation. Children's negative and positive emotion reactivity were assessed using parent report, ADHD symptoms were assessed with a combined parent and teacher report, and social impairments (social acceptance, aggression, victimization, and prosocial behavior) were assessed using teacher report. Partial correlations indicated that positive emotion reactivity was uniquely associated with greater ADHD symptoms and social impairments even when accounting for overlapping variance with negative emotion reactivity. Additionally, regression analyses indicated that ADHD symptoms moderated the effect of positive emotion reactivity on physical aggression, physical victimization, and social acceptance, with children high in both positive emotion reactivity and ADHD symptoms being the most socially impaired. These results are the first to indicate that especially for youth with elevated ADHD symptoms, positive emotion reactivity may be uniquely associated with social impairment. Results underscore the need for additional research examining positive emotion dysregulation, especially in youth with ADHD.

Callous-unemotional (CU), daring-impulsive (DI), and grandiose-manipulative (GM) specifiers are considered informative for the treatment of youth with conduct disorder (CD), but empirical evidence is limited. This study examined the relationship between the specifiers and treatment engagement (TE) in boys (n = 286) and girls (n = 69) with a CD diagnosis. CD symptoms and diagnosis were assessed via a diagnostic interview and self-report questionnaires were used to assess the specifiers, TE, internalizing problems, and features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine unique associations between the specifiers and TE, after controlling for their overlap and control variables (i.e., number of CD symptoms, internalizing problems, and ADHD and ODD features). At the zero-order level, the three specifiers were negatively correlated to TE in boys, while no significant correlations were found in girls. After controlling for their overlap and control variables, only CU traits were significantly negatively related to TE in boys, while GM traits were unexpectedly but significantly positively related to two TE dimensions in girls. Additional analyses revealed significant sex differences in the associations between TE and GM traits. Results underscore the importance of CU traits in boys and GM traits in girls with CD for understanding individual differences in TE levels. The unexpected positive link between GM traits and TE in girls warrants replication, though further investigation is required to clarify (sex-specific) associations between the proposed specifiers and clinically relevant correlates other than TE, such as treatment outcomes.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) differ in adaptive functioning, executive functioning, and the distribution of intellectual abilities compared to their typically developing (TD) peers. Research consistently demonstrates a link between executive functions and various aspects of adaptive behavior. This study aims to compare cognitive abilities, executive functions, and adaptive behavior in non- or minimally verbal preschool-aged (3-6 years) children with ASD (n = 53) and TD peers (n = 79). The study examines broad cognitive abilities and executive functions as predictors of adaptive behavior. For this purpose, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Preschool Version, and the SON-R 2½-7 intelligence test were utilized. The results indicate that non- or minimally verbal preschoolers with ASD exhibit significant executive difficulties, particularly in working memory, and show marked differences in cognitive abilities compared to TD controls. Significant group differences were observed across all adaptive behavior domains, with the largest effect on Socialization and the smallest on Daily Living Skills. In the ASD group, executive functions and cognitive domains accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in the Communication domain, with slightly less influence observed in Daily Living Skills and Socialization. In contrast, the significant role of cognitive abilities and executive difficulties as predictors of adaptive behavior in everyday functioning was not confirmed for TD children. These findings highlight the critical role of executive functioning as a predictor of adaptive behavior in preschool children with ASD.