Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology最新文献

Binge eating and binge drinking commonly onset in adolescence and frequently co-occur with one another, especially among females. Understanding shared and unique risk factors for these behaviors can inform etiological models and elucidation of common and specific prevention/intervention targets. We analyzed self-report data from 1,994 participants of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, a population-based longitudinal study of behavioral and emotional development. We used path analysis to examine the impact of age 14 predictor variables on age 16 binge eating and drinking, adjusting for these behaviors at age 14. We hypothesized that greater negative emotionality, sensation-seeking, and impulsivity would be shared risk factors, whereas higher body mass index and thinness expectancies would be unique to binge eating, and positive alcohol expectancies would be unique to binge drinking. Results showed little comorbidity between binge eating and drinking (1.9% at age 14; 4.4% at age 16). Of the three hypothesized shared risks, only age 14 negative emotionality was associated with both binge eating and drinking at age 16; sensation-seeking was associated with binge drinking only and impulsivity was unrelated to either outcome. None of the hypothesized unique risk factors were associated with binge eating. Contrary to hypotheses, positive alcohol expectancies were related to both binge eating and drinking. While this study requires replication and extension to a greater spectrum of putative risk factors, findings suggest that negative emotionality and positive alcohol expectancies, but not impulse control or appearance-related factors, may be viable targets for unified prevention/treatment protocols delivered in community settings.

The current longitudinal study examined bidirectional links between harsh parenting (HP) and child externalizing behaviors (EXT) in middle childhood (ages 6-8, 55.7% female, 92% White), with self-regulation (effortful control, working memory, attention regulation) and household chaos as moderators. Data were collected from 174 families across three annual waves, using both maternal reports and observational assessments. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed bidirectional effects based on observer-reported HP, while maternal reports showed only a child-driven effect (EXT → HP). Moderation analyses indicated that distinct aspects of child-regulation influenced these dynamics in nuanced ways. Effortful control unexpectedly amplified the parent-driven effect (HP → EXT), while working memory buffered the parent effect. Attention regulation strengthened the child-driven effect. Household chaos did not moderate these links. These findings underscore the dual role of self-regulation as both a risk and protective factor, depending on the context and regulatory domain. Results highlight the value of multimethod, multi-informant designs in understanding complex parent-child interactions and suggest that interventions promoting both supportive parenting and child regulatory skills may help mitigate behavioral difficulties during this key developmental stage.

The present study tested three aims regarding the socializing roles of peer victimization and harsh parenting in the development of callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors. First, we investigated whether peer victimization's promotive effects on the development of CU behaviors extend downward to early childhood and persist above effects of harsh parenting. We then considered whether, consistent with recent theoretical models, the effects of family and peer stressful experiences may be stronger for those who are emotionally (i.e., higher irritability) or physiologically (i.e., higher basal salivary cortisol) sensitive. Aims were tested over one year across the transition from preschool to kindergarten using a community sample (N = 263, M_age = 4.32 years, SD = 0.31 years, 47.7% female). Harsh parenting and CU behaviors were measured using parent report. Irritability and physical and relational victimization were measured using teacher report. Basal cortisol was assessed from saliva samples collected on three consecutive days in the morning. Hypothesized effects of peer victimization were not supported. However, consistent with hypotheses, harsh parenting predicted increases in CU behaviors specifically for youth with high levels of irritability (i.e., > 2.12 SDs from the mean; B = 0.26, p =.05). Finally, lower cortisol directly predicted increased CU behaviors (B = - 0.23, p <.001). Findings provide support for negative emotional reactivity as a moderating factor in the effects of harsh parenting on the development of early childhood CU behaviors, whereas HPA axis hypoactivity may directly increase risk.

Classroom environment may play a significant role in shaping adolescent development. This one-year longitudinal study investigated the moderating effects of classroom cultural norms on the relations between aggression and adjustment among Chinese adolescents. Participants included 2,671 students (47.7% boys) in middle schools, initially in 7th grade (M age = 12.91 years), in China. Data on self- and group-orientations, aggression, and adjustment variables were obtained from multiple sources including self-reports, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and school records. Classroom group-oriented norm significantly moderated the relations between aggression and later adjustment. More specifically, aggression was negatively associated with academic and social competence in classrooms with higher scores on group-oriented norm. Aggression was also positively associated with distinguished studentship and negatively associated with loneliness in classrooms with lower scores on group-oriented norm. The results suggested that adolescents who were more aggressive performed worse in classrooms with a higher group-oriented norm and better in classrooms with a lower group-oriented norm. The study indicates that the context of classroom may affect school and psychosocial adjustment of adolescents high on aggression.

Childhood social withdrawal is linked to increased risk of depression and peer difficulties. While data suggest that some child temperaments are more likely to be socially withdrawn, empirical data investigating whether distinct child temperament profiles, characterized by different social approach and avoidance motivations, influence the development of depression into late adolescence are lacking. Additionally, it is unclear whether peer difficulties in mid-adolescence explain such associations. This study addressed these research gaps using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC: n = 9491). Based on parent reports of shyness and sociability across ages 3 to 6, four distinct temperament profiles were identified: introvert (29.6%), extravert (26.6%), conflicted-shy (24.6%), and avoidant-shy (19.2%). Depressive symptoms in adolescence were self-reported using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire at ages 13 and 18. Peer difficulties were parent-reported through the peer problems subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at age 13. Results from the latent change score models indicated that introverted and avoidant-shy adolescents exhibited more depressive symptoms compared to conflicted-shy adolescents at both ages 13 and 18. A further mediation analysis revealed that introverted and avoidant-shy adolescents experienced more peer difficulties in mid-adolescence compared to their conflicted-shy counterparts, which in turn predicted more depressive symptoms at ages 13 and 18, as well as a greater increase in depressive symptoms over time. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the roles of social withdrawal subtypes and peer relations and how they might shape the development of depressive symptoms.

Adolescent impulsivity is a robust risk factor for adolescent problem behaviors. Historically, impulsivity has been conceptualized as a trait characteristic; however, recent work conducted with adult samples indicates impulsivity also exhibits state-like qualities, fluctuating within persons from day to day. If this is also true for adolescents, it suggests that there are days of higher and lower risk for problem outcomes. This study was designed to (a) demonstrate that impulsivity exhibits meaningful within-person variability in adolescents as it does with adults, and (b) to evaluate family and peer relationship dynamics that may explain daily within-person changes in impulsivity. This study collected baseline surveys and 21 consecutive daily surveys from a sample of 135 parents and adolescents (54.8% female). Parents and adolescents reported on daily family cohesion and conflict and parent-adolescent closeness and conflict; adolescents reported on daily peer relationship satisfaction and rejection, and impulsivity. Multilevel models indicated that on days of elevated family conflict, parent-adolescent conflict, and peer rejection, adolescents experienced higher than usual impulsivity, especially in analyses of adolescent-reported data. In parent-report data, days of elevated parent-adolescent conflict (in the context of low parent-adolescent connectedness) also was associated with elevated adolescent impulsivity. These findings underscore the dynamic quality of adolescent impulsivity and indicate that interpersonal conflict may be a key day-level risk factor for elevated impulsivity.

Despite research exploring preadolescent mood disorders, the ability to predict increases in depression severity and risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) remains poor, leaving clinicians few markers to predict increases in individual risk. One promising area of research has focused on sleep disturbances as an acute and proximal risk factor for depression and SITBs. However, little of this research has focused on children prior to adolescence or incorporated designs that enable us to disentangle the directionality of the associations between these constructs. The current study explored the temporal dynamics and directionality of the association between sleep disturbances and psychological symptoms, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm behaviors in a sample of preadolescents enriched for a history of early childhood mood disorders. Participants completed weekly electronic assessments for one year to examine week-by-week associations between sleep disturbances (i.e., trouble sleeping and fatigue) and depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm behaviors. Both trouble sleeping and fatigue were found to predict and precede increased depression severity, and trouble sleeping predicted endorsement of self-harm behaviors the following week, even when controlling for prior depression severity and self-harm behaviors, respectively. There was no evidence for the reverse association (i.e., depression severity or self-harm behaviors predicting subsequent sleep disturbances). Our findings provide the first evidence for a temporal and directional association between sleep disturbances and subsequent depression severity and self-harm behaviors in preadolescents. These findings highlight the potential utility targeting sleep within existing treatments for depression and self-harm behaviors in preadolescents.

Peer problems are a pervasive issue for children with ADHD, but less is known about the role of peers in the development of executive functioning (EF). We examined the predictive relation between childhood peer preference (i.e., the extent to which one is liked vs. disliked by peers) and the development of various EF skills (response inhibition, working memory, and global EF) from childhood to early adulthood within a diverse female sample enriched for ADHD. We sampled 140 girls diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and 88 neurotypical comparison girls, matched for age and race. Girls were 6-12 years old at baseline and followed for three additional waves across 16 years. Peer preference was assessed via sociometric interviews in childhood; EF data were collected at all waves via neuropsychological tests. Through multilevel modeling, we evaluated relations between childhood peer preference and the development of each EF skill from childhood to early adulthood, adjusting for ADHD diagnostic status, verbal IQ, and socioeconomic status. We found that lower peer preference in childhood (a) was associated with poorer global EF across development and (b) predicted significantly less improvement in response inhibition from childhood to adulthood. Childhood ADHD diagnostic status was also related to lower global EF and response inhibition across development, but unlike peer preference, ADHD was not predictive of differences in EF growth. Secondary analyses revealed that peer rejection, not acceptance, drove these core findings. Findings highlight the influence of childhood peer preference on EF development, particularly response inhibition. We discuss intervention implications.

Adolescent depression is heterogeneous. Given maturational changes in reward systems during adolescence, we examined how differences in reward sensitivity (RS) and punishment sensitivity (PS) relate to the presence of manic symptoms during depressive episodes (i.e., mixed features depression) in adolescents. Participants included 161 12-18 year-olds (104 assigned female at birth), including 124 with moderate to high levels of depression (DEP_nomix) of which 54 endorsed mixed features (DEP_mix), and 37 healthy controls (HC). We compared groups based on their questionnaire and behavioral measures of RS and PS. Compared to HC, DEP_mix and DEP_nomix had trait RS characterized by higher impulsivity (p's < .001; η² = .21) and lower reward responsiveness (p's < .003-.006; η² = .08), as well as higher trait PS (p's < .001; η² = .08). DEP_mix had higher RS drive than DEP_nomix when controlling for acuity of mixed features (p < .05). These results indicate the potential utility of integrative treatments that can target both excesses and deficits in RS, particularly in youth with DEP_mix.