Prevention Science最新文献

This study evaluated a classroom program to address Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in secondary school students in Australia. IU is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for a range of psychological difficulties. A universal classroom program aimed to increase student understanding of feelings of uncertainty and explored socioemotional factors that could influence behaviors when facing uncertainty. Classroom teachers in two high schools were trained to deliver an 18-lesson program under naturalistic classroom conditions. Relative to the control group, the intervention lowered IU at post-test, but not at a later follow-up. The only socioemotional outcome measure to demonstrate a concurrent change was social media use. Limitations of the study were associated with the naturalistic classroom intervention, including the high level of attrition. Future studies may need to address broader factors in the students' context that could influence intolerance of uncertainty.

Parenting programs have been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing externalising problems in young children. Despite their efficacy, the low rate of initial parental engagement in these programs is a major challenge for clinicians and researchers. Few studies have examined factors associated with rates of initial engagement in parenting prevention programs, most probably due to limited data on families refusing intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic characteristics as well as child and parent characteristics in the prediction of parents' refusal to engage in a randomised control trial (RCT) evaluating the parenting program ÉQUIPE (French version of COPE) offered as a prevention intervention to families with preschool children (4-5 years) who showed low self-control at the age of 2 years. A total of 268 families were recruited from a longitudinal community sample followed from pregnancy (3D study), with 162 parents accepting to be randomised to a control or intervention group and 106 families refusing to engage in the RCT. Of the 83 families randomised to the intervention condition, 32 accepted, and 51 refused to participate in the intervention before or during the transition to formal schooling. ANOVAs and logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with parents' refusal to engage in (1) the RCT and (2) the intervention. Results showed that parents who reported lower scores on perceived parental efficacy and higher perceived relationship quality had higher odds of refusing to participate in the study. Also, participating parents who refused to participate in the intervention were more likely parents of girls and reported significantly higher parental efficacy and impact. The findings of the current study could guide clinicians and researchers in improving parental recruitment strategies.

Inspired by the tremendous impact of Robert McMahon's career, this study evaluated an intergenerational cascade model in which young adult conduct problems may serve as a risk pathway linking generation 1 (G1) parenting and family climate in adolescence with generation 2 parenting quality and family climate with their children (G2-G3). Our sample included 396 parents (M_age = 28.3; 70% women; child M_age = 3.96, 48% girls) who have participated in the PROSPER study since they were in 6th grade. Our developmental model included a random intercept cross-lagged panel model assessing bidirectional relations between family climate and effective discipline, assessed over six measurement occasions from 6th through 10th grade (G1). In turn, random intercepts for family climate and effective discipline in adolescence predicted distal outcomes: young adult antisocial behavior (assessed at ages 20, 23, and 25) and G2-G3 parenting quality (warm, lax, harsh, and abusive parenting) and family-level (cohesion, conflict, routines) functioning. Cross-lagged analyses revealed a bidirectional relation between G1 family processes: in early adolescence, higher levels of a positive family climate were associated with increases in effective discipline; in middle adolescence, the direction of effects reversed, with effective discipline predicting increases in positive family climate. In terms of cascading effects, a more positive G1 family climate was associated with reduced risk for young adult antisocial behavior, but no effect was evident for G1 effective discipline. Antisocial behavior was linked with all three aspects of G2-G3 family climate and with lower levels of parental warmth. Direct, domain-specific intergenerational links were found for G1 family climate with G2-G3 family-level functioning and G1 effective discipline with more effective G2-G3 parenting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led prevention researchers to increasingly use remote observational procedures given social distancing directives associated with the pandemic. However, few studies have used remote observational procedures with children and their caregivers, with scant literature describing procedures with socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse families. This manuscript describes processes to pivot to remote assessment of parent and child observations in the context of a longitudinal study examining the effects of a postpartum depression preventive intervention on responsive parenting and child self-regulation. We conducted remote assessments across three timepoints-42, 48, and 54 months-with 133 low-income and racially and ethnically diverse parent-child dyads. Details are provided on remote observation preparation and setup, as well as adaptation of observational assessments. Lessons learned are shared on the use of technology, scheduling considerations, parent's role as facilitator, maintaining child engagement, and cost considerations. We demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability between independent coders on all assessments, suggesting the quality of remote assessments was conducive for analysis. Surveys with families completing a remote assessment found that most felt it was easy to participate in remote assessments and their child had a positive experience. Most parents preferred virtual visits if given an option for future assessments. Much prevention research utilizes observational measures that are less subject to bias. Our study demonstrated that research teams can effectively and reliably pivot to remote assessment with racially and ethnically diverse, low socioeconomic families, thereby providing guidance to other prevention researchers considering similar remote assessments with diverse samples.

Online parenting programs to support parents of children with behavioral problems and emotional problems have become widely available in recent years. Research has consistently shown their positive effects on child development, parents' adaptive parenting practices, and parents' mental health. However, knowledge is lacking on which type of content is more suitable to be delivered online. Our work addresses this knowledge gap by conducting traditional and network meta-analyses to improve our understanding of (1) how effective online parenting programs are to improve children's behavior and emotional problems, and (2) what clusters of components are most likely to yield the strongest effects. Following the PROSPERO preregistration, we systematically searched PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Of the 8292 records retrieved, 28 records on 27 randomized controlled trials (N = 5,312) met the inclusion criteria. Results show moderate effect sizes of online parenting programs on reduced child behavioral and emotional problems, parents' ineffective parenting practices, and parents' mental health problems. Online programs adopting a learning theory perspective, either with or without additional parental self-care and parents as therapist approaches, are most likely to yield the strongest effects on child behavioral problems. Online programs adopting a learning theory perspective, parental self-care and parents as therapist approaches, with or without additional relationship perspectives, are most likely to yield the strongest effects on child emotional problems. Online parenting programs seem promising tools for improving child behavioral and emotional problems. Future research should identify the circumstances that allow parents and children to benefit more from specific components in these programs.

Early preventive interventions can improve outcomes in childhood, but the most effective interventions can continue to deliver benefits through the life course. The Fast Track intervention, a randomized controlled trial for children at risk of conduct problems, has lowered psychopathology, substance use problems, and criminality and elevated happiness at age 25. However, research has not studied whether the intervention's effects continue further into established adulthood. In addition, little is known about the mechanisms through which the intervention may affect adult outcomes. We attempted to answer both questions by simultaneously estimating the intervention's direct effect on adult outcomes at age 31 and the intervention's indirect effects on those outcomes via interpersonal, intrapersonal, and academic competencies gained through the intervention. Participants included the Fast Track intervention (n = 445; 72.4% male) and high-risk control samples (n = 446; 66.4% male). Direct and total effects of random assignment to Fast Track on age 31 outcomes were not significant. However, our analyses showed that Fast Track's improvements to interpersonal and intrapersonal skills in childhood served as catalysts for better life outcomes at age 31. Higher interpersonal skills led to fewer externalizing, internalizing, and substance use problems, reduced criminality and sexual partners, in addition to increased general health and full-time employment. Improved intrapersonal skills led to greater strength. There were no significant indirect pathways via academic skills. Our findings inform understanding of how a childhood preventive intervention can improve adjustment and behaviors into established adulthood.

Past longitudinal research has demonstrated links between parenting behaviors and adolescent conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits on macro timescales (e.g., years). Less is known about daily fluctuations in parenting behaviors and adolescent CP and CU traits, as well as their daily associations on a micro timescale. This study investigated the daily reciprocal associations between three key dimensions of parenting behaviors-parental warmth, inconsistent discipline, and non-harsh discipline-and adolescent CP and CU traits, and explored potential moderating effects of person-mean levels of these parenting behaviors on within-person cross-day links. Participants included an ethnically-racially diverse low risk community sample of 86 adolescents (Mage = 14.5 years, 55% female, 45% non-White) who completed daily reports over 1 month regarding their perceived parenting behaviors and their own levels of CP and CU traits (2056 total observations). Results from dynamic structural equation modeling showed that at the within-person level, higher than average levels of inconsistent discipline were linked to higher than average levels of CU traits the next day. Among adolescents with higher person-mean levels of parental warmth and non-harsh discipline, daily parental warmth and non-harsh discipline were protective against CU traits. Moreover, among adolescents with higher person-mean levels of parental warmth, adolescent CU traits also evoked lower parental warmth the next day. These findings have significant implications for understanding daily fluctuations in parenting behaviors and adolescent CP and CU traits, and inform novel parenting-based interventions that capitalize on recent advances in mobile and other technology.

Paternal incarceration is an important predictor of teen delinquency, but the factors that may explain this relationship-such as early child problem behaviors and level of father engagement-have not been adequately explored. The current longitudinal study examined paternal history of incarceration as a predictor of teen self-reported delinquency over a 15-year gap, considering early child problem behaviors and father engagement as mediators. Sex differences in these relationships were also evaluated. This four-wave longitudinal study included an analytic sample of 4897 teens who participated in the birth-cohort Future of Families and Child Well-Being Study. Mothers and fathers were interviewed shortly after the focal child's birth and were then reassessed in follow-up interviews at child ages 1, 3, 5, 9, and 15. The focal children were interviewed at ages 9 and 15. Results showed that paternal prior incarceration at year 1 was associated with greater child behavior problems and father engagement at year 5; however, those relationships disappeared by age 9. Paternal history of incarceration was not related to teen delinquency, but child behavior problems at age 9 were directly related to subsequent engagement in delinquent behaviors. Paternal current incarceration was related to subsequent father engagement but was not associated with later child behaviors. No significant indirect pathways emerged, indicating a lack of support for mediation. No sex differences in these relationships were observed. Overall, the findings underscore the complexity of the relationships between paternal incarceration, child behavior, and father engagement in the emergence of delinquent behaviors.

Relatively few studies have longitudinally investigated how COVID-19 has disrupted the lives and health of youth beyond the first year of the pandemic. This may be because longitudinal researchers face complex challenges in figuring out how to code time, account for changes in COVID-19 spread, and model longitudinal COVID-19-related trajectories across environmental contexts. This manuscript considers each of these three methodological issues by modeling trajectories of COVID-19 disruption in 1080 youth from 12 cultural groups in nine nations between March 2020-July 2022 using multilevel modeling. Our findings suggest that for studies that attempt to examine cross-cultural longitudinal trajectories during COVID-19, starting such trajectories on March 11, 2020, measuring disruption along 6-month time intervals, capturing COVID-19 spread using death rates and the COVID-19 Health and Containment Index scores, and using modeling methods that combine etic and emic approaches are each especially useful. In offering these suggestions, we hope to start methodological dialogues among longitudinal researchers that ultimately result in the proliferation of research on the longitudinal impacts of COVID-19 that the world so badly needs.

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a home visiting program designed to improve pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and life course outcomes for families facing socioeconomic inequalities through support and education provided by nurses to first-time mothers during pregnancy and up to 2 years postpartum. Studies show that home visiting programs like NFP have positive outcomes, but attrition remains a concern which may impact the desired health equity goals. Black mothers are more likely to withdraw from the NFP program, and research is lacking regarding their experiences in home visiting programs despite facing maternal health inequities rooted in racism. The present study aimed to understand factors that influenced program continuation and provide insights for program improvement. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 Black NFP clients from multiple sites. Key findings include the importance of the nurse-client relationship, access to reliable health information, and racial concordance in the nurse-client pairing. Clients valued supportive, nonjudgmental nurses who provided dependable support and education. Racially concordant partnerships were perceived as more comfortable and understanding, fostering trust and open communication. Clients also suggested that invasion of privacy during home visits and a lack of connection with their nurse could contribute to program discontinuation. Efforts to increase program retention of Black clients should focus on fostering a strong nurse-client alliance. Recommendations include increasing racial diversity in the nurse workforce, implementing a nurse-client matching system, and allowing clients to request a new nurse if needed.