Rare childhood diseases can impose significant burden on the lives of affected children, their parents or primary caregivers, and their families. Evaluating the extent and scope of this burden is vital to yield reliable data to inform better support for families. The aim of this systematic review was to identify specific surveys and questionnaires used to assess the psychological harms of rare diseases on parents/primary caregivers and families, and to summarize the harms described by studies that have administered these surveys. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar electronic databases were comprehensively searched in 2024 for published studies evaluating psychological harms on parents/primary caregivers and families caring for a child or young person aged 0-21 years and living with a rare disease, using both validated and non-validated surveys. Full text articles were screened and assessed by two independent reviewers. From the initial search, 350 studies were included after removing duplicates. Following full text review, 14 cross-sectional studies were included that used surveys to assess the psychological harms on parents/primary caregivers. Of the 22 surveys identified, 17 had been validated. Anxiety and stress were the most frequent and significant psychological conditions experienced by parents/primary caregivers of a child with a rare disease. More awareness of the psychological harms on parents and primary caregivers of children with rare diseases is needed to ensure they receive adequate support.
Goals, outcome expectations, and normative beliefs constitute schemas which are thought to affect social information processing and behavior. The aim of this review is to enhance the theoretical framework that elucidates the role of schemas in the occurrence of aggressive behavior in children and adolescents. Empirical and meta-analytic studies on goals, outcome expectations, and normative beliefs in children and adolescents with aggressive behavior are first discussed. Next, areas for future research are specified, in particular the mechanisms involved in the relation between social experiences, schemas, social information processing, and aggressive behavior. According to extant research, we suggest that schemas help elucidate the impact of aggressive children's and adolescents' social experiences on their social information processing and, ultimately, their behavior. Therefore, we consider how schemas can be integrated in cognitive behavioral therapy with the objective of achieving long-term changes in adaptive social behavior among children and adolescents with aggressive behavior.
Despite increasing focus on the mental well-being of Queer and Trans (QT) youth, as well as those who hold BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) identities, the existing research literature lacks intersectionality in describing the experiences of youth who hold both these identities (QTBIPOC youth). Further, there is sparse clinical guidance in how best to support these youth within therapeutic settings. This article aims to provide a foundation for psychologists and other clinicians to support QTBIPOC youth's mental health and well-being, while also centering community, joy, and liberation. First, the literature surrounding best clinical practices for working with BIPOC and Queer and Trans youth populations is broadly reviewed and synthesized. Second, we draw on this literature to present a conceptual model for psychologists and other clinicians to conceptualize and sensitively respond to the ecologies, strengths, and needs of QTBIPOC youth. Finally, we provide practical recommendations on how to apply this conceptual model in clinical settings.
The current study is a scoping review on coparenting interventions with diverse families to assess how the characteristics, needs, and perspectives of participating coparents are addressed. We followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eligibility criteria: participants belonged to racially minoritized groups (≥ 50% sample); studies reported on an intervention; the intervention targeted the coparental relationship OR assessed coparenting as an outcome. Demographics, study, and intervention characteristics, and the process and content of cultural adaptation were extracted. A systematic search was last executed in April 2025 in PsycINFO and MEDLINE, which yielded 1875 records. Following abstract/title screening, 409 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 35 studies were included in the review. Studies prioritized surface-level (e.g., language) over deep-level dimensions (e.g., goals). Few studies used an adaptation framework. We discuss how researchers and clinicians can consider the unique experiences of coparenting in diverse communities.
To determine the associations between parental differential treatment (PDT) and various psychopathological symptoms in children and its mechanisms, this systematic review integrated 26 studies spanning more than three decades, involving 37,025 participants. A network meta-analysis was employed to calculate correlations between absolute and relative PDT and specific symptoms (including anxiety, depression, aggression, and rule-breaking behavior), as well as broad-band symptoms (including internalizing and externalizing behavior) in children. Meta-analytic structural equation modelling was used to examine the mediating effect between PDT and psychopathology. Results indicated that a greater amount of PDT in the family (absolute PDT) was significantly associated with depression (r = 0.14, 95% CI [0.06, 0.22]), internalizing behavior (r = 0.14, 95% CI [0.06, 0.22]), aggression (r = 0.11, 95% CI [0.03, 0.19]), rule-breaking behavior (r = 0.21, 95% CI [0.08, 0.33]) and externalizing behavior (r = 0.13, 95% CI [0.04, 0.21]). Compared to favored siblings, disfavored children (relative PDT) displayed more anxiety (r = 0.11, 95% CI [0.01, 0.21]), depression (r = 0.10, 95% CI [0.00, 0.18]), internalizing behavior (r = 0.12, 95% CI [0.01, 0.23]), aggression (r = 0.12, 95% CI [0.02, 0.21]) and externalizing behavior (r = 0.20, 95% CI [0.10, 0.29]). Children who received less favoritism were at higher risk for psychopathology in cultures with higher levels of individualism. Furthermore, the sibling relationship factor mediated the association between absolute PDT and child psychopathology. These findings highlight that PDT may be a risk factor for both specific and broad-band symptoms of psychopathology and offer insights into its potential mechanisms.

