Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology最新文献

Studies have shown a reciprocal relationship between basic psychological need frustration and depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, the underlying pattern of this relationship remains unclear. This longitudinal study employed network analysis to examine the central nodes, bridge nodes, and dynamic changes in the network structure of psychological need frustration and depressive symptoms among 1,381 Chinese adolescents (51.85% girls; M_age = 15.17, SD = 0.49, range: 13-16). The results revealed that competence frustration, mood, fatigue, and worthlessness were central nodes, exhibiting strong connections with other nodes in the network. Furthermore, competence frustration and worthlessness functioned as bridge nodes, linking psychological need frustration with depressive symptoms. Notably, the network structure remained stable over time, with no significant changes observed. These findings highlight the critical role of competence frustration and worthlessness in the co-occurrence of psychological need frustration and depressive symptoms. Targeting these nodes in interventions may help reduce adolescent distress and improve mental health outcomes.

Family, peers, and teachers are the three pillars that significantly shape adolescents' lives. Traumatic events originating from these domains (i.e., family, peers, and teachers) can have profound implications on adolescents' mental health. Using a three-wave dataset with a 6-month interval, this study investigated 2,166 Chinese adolescents (51.9% girls, M_age = 13.44 ± 0.72), who completed questionnaires assessing family adversity, peer victimization, and teacher maltreatment at Time 1, cognitive emotion regulation strategies at Time 2, followed by assessments of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms at Time 3. The latent profile analysis and Bolck, Croons, and Hagenaars (BCH) method were used for data analyses. Four groups were identified: low risk (82.6%, n = 1,790), family adversity (6.5%, n = 140), peer adversity (7.8%, n = 170), and multiple adversities (3.0%, n = 66). The direct model showed that compared with the "low risk" group, adolescents in the "family adversity" and "peer adversity" groups showed a significantly higher risk of developing CPTSD symptoms. Additionally, compared with the "low risk" group, adolescents in the "family adversity," "peer adversity," and "multiple adversities" groups exhibited higher level of CPTSD symptoms only through increased rumination. These findings underscore the critical impact of adversity from family, peers, and teachers on the mental health of adolescents, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions on rumination to mitigate the risk of CPTSD in these vulnerable groups.

Racial discrimination in educational settings remains a significant barrier to equitable learning environments and is toxic for the mental health of Black youth in Canada. This study employed a mixed-methods multi-study approach to document the rates, dynamics, and mental health impacts of racial discrimination in education experienced by Black youths aged 14 to 24. Quantitative data were collected from two large samples (N = 558 and N = 914) to measure racial discrimination in education, stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 32 youths provided deeper insights into their racial discrimination's experiences in educational settings. Over 40% of participants reported racial discrimination in education, which was significantly associated to elevated symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and PTSD. In both quantitative datasets, experience of racial discrimination in education moderated the association between resilience and internalized mental health problems (β = .53, p = .037, β = .34, p = .015, respectively). Racial discrimination in education lowers the protective role of resilience against internalized mental health problems. Thematic analysis of qualitative data uncovered key themes, including pervasive assumptions of low academic potential for Black students by authority figures, lack of appropriate intervention by educators and administrators when racial discrimination occurred, and ongoing enablement of a racist environment within schools. These findings underscore a critical need for systemic reform in Canadian schools and universities to prevent racism and address its mental health impacts. Implementing culturally responsive policies and antiracist interventions can foster safer, more inclusive educational environments, supporting well-being and academic success of Black Canadians youth.

Despite the severe impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on trauma-related disorders, preventive interventions are scarce, especially in (post-)conflict regions. We developed and evaluated a narrative family communication approach for sexually abused Burundian female children and adolescents (N = 102). The intervention cohort (n = 55) received psychoeducation, parental skill training, and preventive narrative exposure therapy. Intervention participants reported improved parental acceptance at 3- and 12-month follow-ups (3mFUP, 12mFUP), and showed greater improvement in overall mental health between initial assessment (IA) and 3mFUP (d_rm = -0.70) and between IA and 12mFUP (d_rm = -1.36) compared to non-treated controls (d_rm = -0.33, d_rm = -0.02, respectively). Moreover, PTSD symptoms were significantly less pronounced in the intervention cohort than in the control cohort at both follow-ups. Our findings suggest that the preventive narrative family intervention might effectively buffer against devastating mental health consequences, including emerging PTSD symptoms, in the aftermath of CSA. The study and its outcome measures were preregistered at Clinical Trials ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ) with the registration number NCT05136105.

Children in war-torn areas are highly susceptible to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), influenced by direct exposure to war and maternal PTSS. This risk is further heightened by continuous traumatic stress (CTS). However, the relationship between war exposure, maternal PTSS, CTS, and PTSS in children, particularly in different age groups, has not been extensively studied. The current study investigated Israeli children, with a specific focus on treatment-seeking preschoolers (ages 3-7) and school-aged children (ages 8-12). The sample included 220 dyads of children aged 3-12 and their parents, who were seeking treatment for children's PTSS after the October 7th terrorist attack. They underwent a clinical assessment including sociodemographic information and filled out validated self-report and parent-report questionnaires assessing PTSS. Overall, 69% of preschoolers and 49.2% of school-aged children exhibited probable PTSD, along with 32.4% of their mothers. Maternal PTSS significantly predicted PTSS in preschoolers (b = 0.24, SE = 0.14, p <.01), whereas war exposure significantly predicted PTSS in school-aged children (b = 0.81, SE = 3.84, p <.05). The relationship between CTS condition and children's PTSS was indirectly associated through maternal PTSS, solely among preschool children (b = 4.81, SE = 1.78, 95% CI [1.84, 8.69]). The study highlights early intervention's need to target age-specific vulnerabilities to PTSS in children. It stresses the importance of enhancing parental skills and improving children's resilience towards current and future traumas, particularly in conflict-affected areas. Healthcare services should provide trauma-focused treatment for parents and children to prevent exacerbating symptoms.

Qualitative research highlights the importance of perceived social support for well-being in juvenile justice-involved youth, but to date, little quantitative research has tested the generalizability of these findings. We sought to address this gap by utilizing a person-centered approach to articulate (a) common interpersonal profiles in justice-involved youth, (b) their relation to prospective well-being, and (c) the impact of identity and placement on the relation between support profiles and psychopathology over time. At baseline, 1,354 adjudicated adolescents (Age_M = 16.04 years; 86.4% male; 41.4% non-Hispanic Black) completed self-report measures for perceived support from parents and friends. Respondents additionally completed measures of depression, anxiety, aggression, and suicidal ideation across 11 waves spanning 7 years. Latent profile analyses identified five support profiles: Isolated, Conflicting Support, High Parent Support, Low Parent Support, and Moderate Support. Latent growth curve modeling suggested that Low Parent Support youth were at increased risk for all outcomes, while High Parent Support adolescents experienced reduced anxiety and aggression. Disparities existed across gender and race/ethnicity in profile composition, and placement moderated our findings. These findings suggest that interpersonal or familial-based preventive-interventions may be vital for reducing the elevated rates of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in justice-involved youth.

Despite the impact of maltreatment on child psychopathology, research has shown that the effects of maltreatment can vary depending on individual characteristics. Guided by differential susceptibility theory, this multi-method longitudinal study examined the role of temperamental sensitivity in shaping the relation between maltreatment and the development of child psychopathology over time. Participants included 316 maltreated and 269 non-maltreated children who attended a research summer camp and were followed over two measurement occasions spaced roughly one year apart (Wave 1: M_age = 9.35 years old; 47.1% girls, 66.7% Black, 21.1% White). Maltreatment status and timing were determined via examination of Department of Human Services records for the maltreated group. Camp counselors rated temperamental sensitivity at the first wave using the Temperamental Sensitivity Q-scale. Child internalizing and externalizing problems were rated by counselors at both measurement occasions. Findings indicated that maltreatment, whether measured broadly or by developmental timing (reflecting early onset and prolonged exposure), was linked to greater increases in externalizing problems over time. Greater temperamental sensitivity was associated with greater decreases in externalizing problems but greater increases in internalizing problems. The relation between childhood maltreatment and changes in internalizing problems was moderated by temperamental sensitivity. While children with high temperamental sensitivity showed higher increases in internalizing problems regardless of maltreatment experiences, children with lower temperamental sensitivity exhibited greater increases in internalizing problems only if exposed to childhood maltreatment. These findings highlight the role of temperamental sensitivity in high-risk contexts and provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of childhood maltreatment.

In 2020, youth experienced transformative change, as schools shut down and adolescents' social and school lives moved fully online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid this upheaval, adolescents also experienced the normative changes of the pubertal transition, a well-known time of rapid physical and psychosocial change that coincides with increases in depressive symptoms for youth. The present analysis draws on a sample of N = 596 female youth recruited continuously from 2014 to 2023 to explore how an altered social landscape may change the experience of puberty. Multiple linear regression was utilized to examine cohort differences in the associations between pubertal status and timing with depressive symptoms, as well as associations between months since menarche and age at menarche with depressive symptoms. We found that previously established associations between pubertal status and timing with depressive symptoms were not replicated in the pandemic cohort; however, months since menarche was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in both pre- and pandemic cohorts. Our findings stress the importance of considering broader socio-historical context in studying adolescent development. They also highlight the value of considering the continuous reproductive development that occurs after menarche and extends the critical period for the development of internalizing symptoms in adolescence.

Suicide is a complex phenomenon influenced by various individual and contextual factors that may inform prevention efforts. This research is part of a comprehensive project conducted in the chain clinics of Iris Company (pseudonym) throughout Iran. 1). The objective of the study was to expand the current literature on adolescent suicidality by qualitatively exploring the lived experiences of adolescents with a history of at least one suicide attempt and suicidal ideation through in-depth semi-structured interviews. 2).

Participants: The sample included 69 Iranian adolescents (38 females and 31 males) aged 15-19 years from diverse cultural and societal backgrounds across various regions of Iran. 3).

Results: Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method of phenomenological analysis (Praveena & Sasikumar, 2021), resulting in six main themes and 14 sub-themes. The main themes were: (1) overwhelming emotional pain, (2) influence of traditional cultural values, (3) desire for stronger connections, (4) openness to treatment, (5) wish to improve life, and (6) feeling trapped in the present. 4).

Conclusions: This study addresses gaps in prior research and aims to advance the understanding of adolescent suicide prevention. The authors emphasize the importance of family and relational contexts in understanding suicide risk among adolescents and highlight the roles of family therapy and peer support in developing prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk youth.