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Parents of gender variant children currently receive conflicting information concerning how to respond to their child's gender variance. This conflict arises from divisions within the academic literature between what are referred to as either reparative or affirmative approaches to working with gender variant children. The current paper reports on a scoping study designed to understand the support experiences of Australian parents of gender variant children, together with their attitudes towards gender variance. The study was mixed methods in design, including both quantitative and qualitative information gained from 61 parents of gender variant children. The major findings of the project indicate that a formal diagnosis of gender variance appears to facilitate support towards gender variant children and their parents. The study also found conflicting experiences of contact with healthcare professionals, with some participants reporting positive and supportive experiences and others reporting negative interactions with professionals. Finally, the study found that there were gender differences in relation to parental responses, namely that fathers were less supportive of their child's gender variance. As such, the paper indicates room for improvement in relation to healthcare professionals working with gender variant children and their families, together with insight into the experiences of parents for this group of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether family structure and its transitions are associated with internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders among Puerto Rican-origin children. It uses longitudinal data (three waves) from the Boricua Youth Study, which includes probability samples of children in the South Bronx (New York) and San Juan (Puerto Rico) (n = 2,142). We also examine factors which may explain how family structure and transitions may be related to child psychiatric disorders. Our results show that for both internalizing and externalizing disorders there were no significant differences between children of cohabiting (biological or step) parents or of single parents compared to children of married biological parents. In Puerto Rico only, transitioning once from a two-parent family to a single-parent family was related to child internalizing disorders. Family transitions were not associated with externalizing disorders at either site. Context may be an important factor shaping the risk that family dissolution is followed by an internalizing disorder among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer support groups have been an increasingly popular way of limiting the adverse effects of life with a chronic illness for adolescents although few groups have been rigorously evaluated. This paper reports the findings of a realistic evaluation of a hospital based peer support program Chronic Illness Peer Support (ChIPS), in Sydney, Australia. We collected qualitative interview and focus group data from four participant groups; new ChIPS members, their parents, older members who had been in ChIPS for two or more years, and ChIPS co-ordinators past and present. Results of qualitative data have been aggregated and organised into three categories; program attendance: getting in and staying in; program outcomes for young people: personal growth and development; and social connection. Questionnaires were also administered to fourteen new ChIPS members but no significant changes in distress or self-esteem were recorded between the beginning and the end of the short study period. The ChIPS Introductory Program fulfilled its aim, entering young people with chronic illness into the peer support program. There was evidence of initial personal growth and development in those young people, with potential for enhanced social connection from ongoing participation in ChIPS activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Life Experiences Scale (ELES) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses personal feelings of perceived threat and submissiveness in interactions within family. This paper presents the adaptation and validation of the ELES in Portuguese language for adolescents. The sample was composed of 771 adolescents from community schools with ages between 13 and 18 years old. Along with ELES, participants also answered the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children and Adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the factor structure of the ELES and results confirm a three-factor structure, composed by Threat, Submissiveness and Unvalued dimensions. These emotional memories focused on perceived threat, submissiveness and unvalued seem to have a distinct nature. The scale also showed adequate internal consistency, good test-retest reliability and convergent validity with measures of positive emotional memories, positive and negative affect. There were sex differences for threat subscale and age differences for submissiveness subscale. Overall, these findings suggest that the ELES in its Portuguese version for adolescents may be a useful tool for research, educational and clinical contexts with school-aged adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most frequently used measures to assess parents' assessment of their parenting ability is the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) Scale. However, there is limited psychometric evaluation of the measure with samples of mothers of infants. This paper examines the psychometric properties of the PSOC in a heterogeneous sample of mothers of infants between the ages of 2 and 12 months of age. To capture a diverse sample, data were obtained from two studies of mothers of infants. All participants (n = 218) completed the 17-item PSOC at one time point during the postpartum period along with information about maternal age and education. Additional measures for the purpose of examining convergent validity assessed mothers' self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and social support. The characteristics of the mothers differed significantly between the two subsamples except for their PSOC scores. Despite these differences, within each subsample the PSOC total and subscale scores were internally consistent and significantly, moderately correlated with the three psychosocial measures confirming the PSOC's construct validity when administered to mothers of infants. Future studies should continue to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PSOC with varied samples of mothers as well as fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on coping strategies employed by children and adolescents with diagnosed short stature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on coping, examines the relationship between coping and health related quality of life (QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between height and QoL. Coping with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in short stature youth (QoLISSY-QoL) questionnaires were completed by 137 short-statured children and adolescents between 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectional European QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographic data were collected to examine differences in coping via variance and regression analyses, associations between CODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation and mediation analyses. Most frequently employed coping strategies in the CODI were 'Acceptance' and 'Wishful Thinking', with 'Emotional Reaction' used least. Significant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status on coping strategies were detected. CODI scales 'Acceptance' and 'Distance' were associated with higher QoLISSY-QoL scores, 'Emotional Reaction' and 'Wishful Thinking' with lower scores. Coping strategies predicted 60 % of the QoLISSY-QoL variance. Relationships between height deviation and QoLISSY-QoL were mediated by the coping strategies of 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Distance'. Findings suggest that coping efforts vary with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, that protective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be identified and that coping mediates the relationship between short stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research should focus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoL over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As primary caregivers of children with mental health problems, mothers face challenges that put them at risk for depression, which is rarely identified or addressed. The aims of this paper were to (a) identify mean differences among demographic, stressor, threat, and resource variables specified in a theoretical model and thought to be associated with maternal depressive symptoms and (b) determine how much variability in depressive symptoms is explained by these variables. High levels and prevalence of depressive symptoms were found within a quality of life study that these data were drawn from. Of 139 mothers participating in this study, 58% had a score of 16 or greater on the CES-D indicating moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms. Significant differences were found between mothers with higher versus lower levels of depressive symptoms for 11 of the 18 variables. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the variance explained in depressive symptoms based upon the conceptual model with 4 composite variables. Income (step 1), behavioral problems (step 2), threat appraisal (step 3), and resource appraisal (step 4) combined explained 42% of the variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to delay gratification is related to success in school and other aspects of life. Genetic as well as environmental factors such as parenting style partly explain the development of delay of gratification (DoG). However, it is unclear whether parental personality impacts children's DoG, and how maternal and paternal personalities contribute to this relationship. The present study investigates the relationship between parental personality and 45-month-old children's DoG (N = 329). Personality was measured using the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory-30, DoG was operationalized through waiting time in the marshmallow test. In model 1, using only maternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience was associated with shorter waiting time of the child in the marshmallow test, whereas maternal agreeableness was associated with longer waiting time. In model 2, using only paternal data to predict DoG, paternal agreeableness was related to longer waiting time. In model 3, combining maternal and paternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience as well as paternal agreeableness remained significant predictors of DoG. The present study underlines the influence of both parents' personalities on the development of children's DoG and indicates differential maternal and paternal effects. Future studies should investigate the relationship between parental personality and children's DoG in detail and take further factors into account, such as genetic factors, other environmental factors and the personality of the child. Highlights: Investigation of parental personality jointly and separately to predict child's DoG. Separate models: Agreeableness of both parents predicts DoG (positively). Separate models: Maternal openness predicts DoG (negatively). Joint model: Maternal openness & paternal agreeableness stay significant predictors. The results indicate differential maternal and paternal effects on children's DoG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), early and accurate diagnosis enables early intervention, which leads to improved quality of life. The diagnostic label of ASD has only been recognized in Vietnam since 2000 and the number of children who have been diagnosed has increased dramatically. However, there is limited understanding about the condition. This article aims to describe the current assessment and diagnostic practices in Hanoi, Vietnam, a low resource setting. Data for this article came from in-depth interviews with parents of children with ASD and service providers, and observation at health clinics and early intervention centers that provide ASD assessment during field work from July 2011 to May 2012. This study reveals that although there is some improvement in assessment services, parents still face a number of challenges in accessing quality assessment and diagnosis of ASD in Vietnam. These include rushed and perfunctory assessment; a lack of clinical guidelines for assessment; limited communication among health professionals in assessment teams, and between professionals and parents of children with ASD. Public awareness-raising of the signs of autism, capacity building for professionals, development of practical and contextual appropriate assessment protocols are needed to enhance the accessibility and quality of assessment services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with secure attachments to parents and peers are less likely to be bullies and victims of bullying. The current study examined the interplay between gender, parent attachment, and peer attachment as factors related to roles (bullying involvement, defending a victim, and outsider) during bullying. One-hundred forty-eight adolescents ( M age = 15.68) completed surveys about parent and peer attachment and roles during bullying. Findings indicated that females were less likely than males to be involved in bullying and were more likely than males to defend a victim or be an outsider ( ps < .05). Greater attachment security to parents and peers was associated with less involvement in bullying and greater defending of victims ( ps < .05). Additionally, a significant three-way interaction demonstrated that greater peer attachment security predicted less bullying involvement for those with lower parent attachment security ( p < .05), but not for those with higher parent attachment security ( p > .05). However, this was only true for males ( p < .01). These results indicate that having a secure attachment to peers may be a potential protective factor against bullying involvement for males with insecure attachments to parents. Future research should examine the possible mechanisms involved in the association between attachment and bullying, such as empathy, aggression, or social information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about parenting in the context of HIV and psychosis, two co-existing conditions affecting many mothers in South Africa. In this study a mixed methods approach was used to firstly do qualitative investigation of the illness and parenting experiences of a case group of mothers living with HIV/AIDS and psychosis ( n = 41). Secondly, the support networks of this group are compared with a control group of mothers with HIV/AIDS without psychosis ( n = 44). Integrating qualitative and quantitative data highlight the emotional and physical disruption experienced by the case group that contribute to dysfunctional mother-child interactions. This experience may be detrimental to the child's well-being and formation of attachment relationships. Healthy support networks may buffer these adversities. The availability of support figures is similar between the groups, but the case group has less spousal support. Paranoia associated with the case group predicted fewer support figures, thus emphasizing the vulnerability of this group of mothers and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses large, longitudinal, multisector administrative datasets of families investigated by child welfare services for maltreatment to explore which children are more likely to later enter psychiatric residential treatment facilities. This question is grounded in a pressing interest to understand these costly, highly restrictive mental health treatment settings. We use statewide data from one Southeastern state linked from multiple systems (child welfare services, income maintenance, and Medicaid). We use Cox regression analyses to develop models predicting psychiatric residential treatment facilities entry among children 5-17 years, whose families were investigated for maltreatment between 2003 and 2012 ( n = 182,676). Findings show children from these families who enter foster care have a heightened risk for psychiatric residential treatment facilities entry (hazard ratio = 11.63), after controlling for other factors. Study findings build on a body of research underscoring the importance of the overlap of child welfare and mental health systems to child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher negative (or lower positive) mood is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems among some, but not all youth, suggesting that contextual factors may influence these temperament-symptom relations. Family conflict also is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, although it is unclear whether family conflict influences the relation between negative mood and symptoms. To address this gap, we examined whether family conflict moderates the relations between temperamental negative mood and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Participants were 775 youth (69 % male, 76 % Caucasian). Mothers and youth completed questionnaires when youth were ages 10-12 (time 1) and 12-14 (time 2). When exposed to higher family conflict at time 1, children higher in negative mood experienced higher time 2 internalizing and externalizing problems than children lower in negative mood. When exposed to lower family conflict, children's internalizing and externalizing symptom levels were similar regardless of their levels of negative mood. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing youth's risk for internalizing and externalizing symptoms should address conflictual interactions within the larger family system, particularly among youth with higher negative mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively coordinating school and community services has remained an elusive goal for children's mental health service providers. Researchers speculate that when community and school-based providers collaborate, supports for youth with serious emotional and behavioral disorders improve. An understudied corresponding hypothesis is that such improvement will be associated with successful school outcomes. Aims of this study included: (1) investigating outcomes of students referred by their schools to systems of care; (2) examining socio-demographic correlates of outcomes; and (3) comparing youth referred by schools to youth referred by mental health agencies. Using data from an ongoing examination of more than 170 federally-funded system of care communities, findings suggest that students referred to systems of care by schools improved on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, absence rates, and rates of school failure. Youth referred from schools also had significantly greater improvement in absence rates than those referred by mental health agencies. These findings suggest the importance of considering referral source in understanding treatment outcomes. In particular, results indicate that school staff might play an especially important role in referral to community systems of care, as their involvement in referral might facilitate improved school functioning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to test the replicability of the Youth Self-Report structure in Mexican adolescents living in poverty; to determine gender and rurality differences in internalizing and externalizing problems; and to identify predictors of internalizing and externalizing problems. Data were collected from a probabilistic sample of households that are beneficiaries of the Oportunidades program, including the heads of those households, their spouses and their adolescent children. The self-reports of parents and children were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results confirmed the Youth Self-Report structure in Mexican adolescents, and indicated higher levels of emotional disorders in females, higher levels of behavioral disorders in males, and higher levels in all the Youth Self-Report scales in rural adolescents. Internalizing and externalizing problems were mediated by the presence of loneliness, oppositional behavior and stress, through which the model's other latent variables exerted indirect influence on the determination of youth psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood internalizing problems such as anxiety and depression can have serious personal, familial and societal repercussions, including drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, unplanned pregnancy, and even suicide. There is little research on mindfulness interventions for children with clinical levels of internalizing problems, and school-based mindfulness research with children has focused on non-clinical groups. We employed a two-stage screening and intervention procedure to evaluate an in-school mindfulness-based cognitive intervention for Hong Kong children with subclinical internalizing difficulties. Ninety-three fourth to sixth graders were screened, and twenty students (age 9-13, median age 10) highest among their peers on internalizing problems, but lowest on externalizing problems, participated in a 9-week group mindfulness-based intervention. We employed a two-phase open trial design, with random assignment to an immediate intervention group or wait-list control group. In single-trial analysis, one-tailed dependent sample t-tests showed significant decreases in both worry and in symptoms of panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety and overall internalizing problems. In a randomized controlled trial analysis, the immediate intervention group evidenced larger but nonsignificant reductions on almost all measures. Eighty-five percent of the participants rated the program as helpful, and 65-80 % reported improvement in handling emotions and interpersonal relationships at post-treatment, with some treatment gains maintained at 3-month follow-up. These preliminary findings have encouraging implications for implementing time-limited school-based mindfulness interventions targeting elevated childhood internalizing difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study represents the first examination of adolescent anxiety in relation to peer emotion recognition, rather than adult emotion recognition. Additionally, we examine potential mechanisms for the development of social anxiety in females. Facial emotion recognition (FER) is important for accurate social cognition, which is impaired in individuals with various disorders, including anxiety disorders. Social anxiety often onsets during adolescence, is observed more commonly in females, and is often associated with FER difficulties. Given the importance of peer interaction during adolescence, and some evidence that FER may differ as a function of the stimuli (adolescent or adult faces), we sought to study FER in relation to social anxiety symptoms using stimuli portraying adolescent faces. Male and female adolescents (N = 64) completed an online survey in which they rated 257 child and adolescent emotional faces and completed a self-report measure of social anxiety symptoms. We examined differences in emotion recognition (e.g., fear, anger, sadness) between individuals with high and low levels of social anxiety symptoms. Adolescents with high social anxiety symptoms were more likely to have problems correctly identifying fearful expressions (90.55 % accuracy) compared to adolescents with low social anxiety symptoms (96.00 % accuracy; t = 2.375, p = .021, d = 0.594), and this effect was observed exclusively in female adolescents. The observed sex difference in accurate identification of fearful faces in relation to social anxiety could suggest a potential mechanism for social anxiety development in adolescent females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wraparound process aims to provide an effective practice-level approach to coordinating care for youths with complex behavioral health needs, and reformed system structures to support such integration of care. The current study provides an update to two prior surveys of state children's mental health directors, completed in 1998 and 2007, on the extent of wraparound implementation in the United States and implementation supports that have been employed. Results from 2013 found that 100 % of states reported having some type of wraparound program that conformed to the definition and yielded an estimate of 75,000 children and families served via wraparound in that year. States reported a continued increase in use of wraparound standards; however, fewer states reported collection of fidelity data, and availability of internal resources for training and coaching. Over three-quarters of states reported availability of parent to parent peer support, and 46 % of states are supporting wraparound implementation by blending or braiding funding across child-serving systems. Results also revealed that 61 % of states had a centralized oversight entity for wraparound, an important finding given that such 'statewideness' was also associated with more youth served, greater accountability, use of standards, and other implementation supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-resident work practices, which involve prolonged separations from family, long-distance commuting between home and remote work sites and long work hours across compressed rosters, are now commonplace in Australia. This study examined the impact of these work arrangements, often termed Fly-In/Fly-Out (FIFO), on children and families, and to identify family-related and employment-related factors that influence child and family outcomes. Anonymous online surveys containing measures of family and couple relationship quality, child behavioral and emotional adjustment, parenting and personal adjustment were completed by 232 partners of FIFO workers, 46 FIFO workers, and a comparison group of community parents ( N = 294 mothers, N = 36 fathers). There were no differences between FIFO partners and community parents on family or couple relationship quality, parenting competence and child behavioral or emotional difficulties. FIFO partners reported higher levels of personal emotional problems and greater usage of harsh discipline practices than community mothers, while FIFO workers reported greater work to family conflict and alcohol use than community fathers. Regression analyses on the FIFO partners sample indicated that child and family functioning were best predicted by family factors, including harsh parenting and parental emotional adjustment. Implications of the findings for the design and provision of family-based support for FIFO families are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The links between parents' emotion regulation practices and children's behavioral outcomes are well established. The aim of the current study designed as a randomized micro-trial was to test experimentally if and to what extent stimulating parents' emotion coaching practices improves preschoolers' behavioral outcomes, i.e. positive affect, irritability, non-compliance, persistence and enthusiasm. In line with this objective, the emotion coaching practices of parents of 4-to-5-year-old children were stimulated in a brief 15-min lab session. Immediately afterwards, parents and children were observed during a free-play session and frustration laboratory tasks designed to elicit negative emotions in children. The results indicated that, compared to the control group, parents whose emotion coaching practices had been stimulated displayed higher positive affect and were more emotionally sensitive during free play. Positive behaviors persisted in frustration tasks; parents were more behaviorally and emotionally responsive towards their children. In turn, children of these parents displayed higher persistence and enthusiasm but only when they had to deal with negative emotional arousal during frustration tasks. Mediation analyses also confirmed that the influence of the stimulation of parents' emotion coaching practices on children's outcomes, i.e. persistence and enthusiasm, was mediated by the parents' behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A longitudinal model was presented, that included reciprocal associations between physically harsh parenting by the mother, child externalizing problems, and support from the father, the extended family, and the neighbors. This transactional process was estimated for the years preceding school entry. The data were from a 4-years longitudinal and nationally representative study of 1009 children and their mothers in Turkey. The results indicated that concurrently, physically harsh parenting and child externalizing problems were strongly associated. Controlling for their within domain stability and cross-domain concurrent correlation, changes in harsh parenting and changes in child externalizing behaviors had significant reciprocal effects in early childhood, although these effects were small. These reciprocal effects were smaller for observer reported harsh parenting than maternal reports. There was a role of the mesosystem in this developmental process. Increases in the support from the father, and the extended family and the neighbors predicted declines in the child externalizing behaviors subsequently. Reciprocally, high child externalizing and maternal physically harsh parenting predicted subsequent declines in the support from these sources. These results were consistent with the hypotheses that negative mother-child relationships could spill over to the other relationships of the mothers, and that positive and supportive relationships of the mother could constitute positive role models for the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent management training programs have proven the most effective way to treat child behavior problems. This study reports on an effectiveness trial of a community-based implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in comparison with the Dutch-developed Family Creative Therapy (FCT). Forty-five children (58 % boys) aged between 32 and 102 months ( M = 67.7, SD = 15.9) were referred for treatment, and they and their parent(s) were randomly assigned to PCIT or FCT. Treatment effectiveness was measured primarily by the degree of improvement on child behavior problems, using the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory. Secondary outcomes included parent and teacher report data and independent observations of parenting skills and child behavior. During the trial, randomization was violated by treatment crossovers (from FCT to PCIT). Intention-to-treat analyzes revealed no significant differences in the primary outcome at 6-month follow-up, but interpretation was hampered by the crossovers. Subsequent treatment-received analyzes revealed significant interaction effects between time and treatment condition, with greater improvements in child behavior and parenting skills for PCIT families compared to FCT families. Analyzes on families that fully completed the PCIT protocol also showed higher treatment maintenance at follow-up. The treatment-received analyzes indicated promising results for the effectiveness of PCIT in treating young children's disruptive behavior problems in a high-risk population. However, caution in generalizing the conclusions is needed in view of the design difficulties in this study. Suggestions are made for enhancing treatment delivery in daily practice, and clinical implications are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family expressiveness, a reflection of a family's emotional environment, has been identified as a critical factor that influences children's emotion regulation, yet research on this topic is limited, especially in varying cultural contexts. The present study addresses this research gap and expands on the extant literature by examining the influence of family expressiveness on children's emotional development in the context of cumulative risks (e.g., low annual household income, parental psychological distress, parents' education level, marital dissatisfaction and the family's housing situation). Our final sample included one hundred and seventy-eight school-aged children (84 boys and 94 girls) and their biological parents. Results showed that higher scores on the familial risk index were related to increased emotion dysregulation and decreased adaptive emotion regulation, through the mediated effects of positive family expressiveness. Negative expressiveness, however, did not mediate the aforementioned links. Reasons for the different findings regarding positive expressiveness and negative expressiveness were discussed. These findings highlight the importance of cumulative risk on children's emotional development in the Chinese cultural context and offer potential avenues to promote adaptive emotional development in the context of cumulative risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines whether early experiences of threat, subordination and devaluation with family influence adolescents' negative emotional states and subsequently deliberate self-harm; and if this effect is conditioned by daily peer hassles. The sample consisted of 441 adolescents (57.6 % female) with ages between 13 and 18 years old from middle and high schools. Participants completed self-report instruments measuring early memories of threat, subordination and devaluation, daily peer hassles, negative affect and deliberate self-harm behaviors. Results from conditional process analysis showed that adolescents who feel devalued and experience threat and submission within family tend to endorse high levels of negative affect, which in turn accounts for increased endorsements on deliberate self-harm. Moreover, the impact of negative affect on deliberate self-harm is amplified by the presence of moderate and high levels of daily peer hassles. This study suggests the relevance of assessing and intervening on type of emotional memories (i.e., threat, subordination and devaluation), daily disruptions with peers and negative emotional states with adolescents who self-injure. These findings may be useful in the development of preventive and intervention programs for reducing deliberate self-harm in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents of children with emotional and behavioral needs frequently experience difficulty navigating community-based services for their child, as well as experience increased stress and parental strain. Peer-to-peer support programs are an emerging approach to assist these parents, and evidence suggests that they are effective in increasing parents' perceptions of social support, self-efficacy, and well-being. However, these programs often focus on parents of youth with diagnosed mental health disorders, despite the potential benefit for parents of youth who are at-risk for significant emotional and behavioral problems. In the current study, we used a pre-post design to evaluate a community-based, peer-to-peer support prevention program delivered via telephone to parents ( N = 139) of youth with emerging behavioral and emotional difficulties. We evaluated (1) whether the intervention was delivered as designed, (2) the pre- and post-intervention gains in social support and concrete support, and (3) whether parents' level of participation in the intervention and program adherence predicted outcomes. Results indicated that the intervention was delivered as intended and resulted in increased parental perceived social support and concrete support over time. Furthermore, higher levels of parental participation and intervention adherence were associated with increases in perceived social support. Thus, findings suggest that it may be beneficial for parents of at-risk youth with significant emotional and behavioral difficulties to engage in a peer-to-peer phone support prevention program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children in foster care suffer from an extremely high prevalence of mental health problems, yet, it remains unclear if they consistently use mental health treatments, such as therapy. To determine whether these children receive treatment more often when they have specific types of mental health problems, we examined the prevalence and associations between mental health problems, as identified by standardized screening, and mental health treatment utilization. Using descriptive statistics, multivariate models, and moderation and exploratory mediation analysis, we analyzed data for 237 children in foster care, aged 5-17 years. We found 71 % were identified with a mental health problem in at least one of the sub-domains examined (emotional, conduct, inattention/hyperactivity, peer, and prosocial), and 61 % of children received mental health treatment ( p = .001). Yet, the only sub-domains predictive of treatment utilization were peer problems ( p = .004) and low prosocial behaviors ( p = .030). Moderation analysis revealed that the relation between peer problems and treatment utilization was strongest among white children ( p = .012). Exploratory mediation analysis suggested that peer problems may increase the likelihood of treatment for children with emotional (95 % CI 0.05, 0.53) and conduct problems (95 % CI 0.05, 0.58). It remains unknown whether this occurs because peer problems are associated with overt symptoms, or because peers problems can exacerbate existing social-emotional problems. Routine screening for mental health problems among children in foster care can facilitate timely treatment, and potentially improve the present and future quality of life for this high risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tested the effects of interparental conflict on adolescents' psychological adjustment as mediated by cognitive (threat, self-blame, and triangulation) and contextual (maternal and paternal rejection) factors. The sample for this study consisted of 524 high school students (48 % boys and 52 % girls) ranging in age from 11 through 18 years (M = 13.28 years, SD = 1.14). The sample was selected from 19 schools of 3 major cities in Bangladesh. Data were collected using a package of self-report measures that include: (1) the Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale; (2 and 3) the Child version (short form) of the Parental Acceptance and Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and for Fathers; (4) the Child version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire; and (5), the Personal Information Form for demographic information. Results of Bootstrapping Multiple Mediation Analysis showed that both cognitive and contextual factors mediated the effects interparental conflict on adolescents' psychological maladjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate if fearfulness and anxiety in children with a specific phobia are related to parental fearfulness and anxiety. Sixty-five 7-18 year-old children that were included in a treatment study completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the revised version of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). The parents of the children answered the adult versions of STAI and FSS; rated to what extent they generally expressed fears in the presence of their children, and answered whether they suffered from any emotional or mental disorders. Analyses showed that there were no correlations between parental fearfulness or anxiety and fearfulness or anxiety in the children, or between parents' expressed fears and children's reported fears. However, there was a positive correlation between mothers' expressed fears and level of trait anxiety in the children. Moreover, age and trait anxiety of the children were significant predictors of their fearfulness. Regarding the question about parental emotional or mental disorder, 54 % of the children had at least one parent suffering from an emotional or mental disorder. In 46 % a parent had an anxiety disorder, and in 32 % this was a specific phobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serious illness or death of a caregiver are two of the most distressing events that can befall a child, and are often temporally linked. Although both adversities may impact children's mental health, studies have not yet attempted to disentangle the effects of parental illness versus those of parental death with regard to children's psychological functioning. Further, there has been little empirical investigation of potential factors that may diminish risk for psychopathology following either of these adversities. The current study evaluated levels of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in youth age 7-13 grappling with either parental cancer (N = 31) or parental death (N = 32) and examined potential predictors of these mental health outcomes across both groups of children. Youth contending with parental cancer exhibited lower levels of PTSS than children who had experienced the death of a parent, but both groups exhibited similar levels of anxiety and depression. Expressive coping was associated with lower levels of PTSS, anxiety, and depression across both groups. An interaction effect revealed that for the bereaved group only, positive parental reinforcement and supportive caregiver communication were inversely associated with PTSS. These findings provide a foundation for future work designed to identify factors associated with distinct mental health outcomes among children facing parental cancer and/or parental death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School staff play a critical role in referring adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED) to mental health services; however, the mechanisms underlying this referral process are poorly understood. We used data from adolescents (N = 4365) enrolled in SAMHSA's Children's Mental Health Initiative Systems of Care (SOC) and participating in a national evaluation to compare the profiles of youth referred for SOC services by school staff with youth referred for those services by professionals at other agencies. We sought to identify whether school staff referred a unique set of adolescents by examining indicators of global impairment and impairment in school functioning (i.e., absences, suspensions, failures). Using multilevel regression models, we estimated the association of global impairment and school functioning with referral source (i.e., school vs. other) and controlled for SOC community characteristics and individual-level socio-demographics. Findings indicated that adolescents referred from schools had significantly lower levels of global impairment than adolescents referred from mental health settings. However, they had considerable school-related impairment, with rates of absences, suspensions, and failures that were equivalent to youth referred from most other agencies. This study is the first to examine school-related impairment among youth receiving SOC services as a function of referral source. By identifying adolescents with more mild global impairment, who nonetheless experienced significant impairment in school functioning, schools can be key contributors to effectively identifying a unique set of adolescents for SOC services. Further, schools might meaningfully inform the provision of comprehensive services to this population by educating community agencies about school functioning among youth with SED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical assessments of adolescent mental health often incorporate the perspectives of multiple caregivers (e.g., mothers and fathers). Caregiver reports tend to exhibit relatively high levels of correspondence versus other informant pairs such as caregivers and teachers. Yet, caregiver reports are not redundant with one another. Thus, researchers often apply strategies for integrating caregiver reports (e.g., composite score), assuming that greater convergence between caregivers on reports of high adolescent mental health concerns points to greater severity in such concerns. To our knowledge, this assumption has never been directly tested. We examined patterns of convergence and divergence between caregiver reports of adolescent mental health in a sample of 519 families from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Caregivers and adolescents completed reports of adolescent mental health, and independent coders rated levels of adolescent hostility displayed in separate caregiver-adolescent interactions (e.g., mother-adolescent vs. father-adolescent). We identified caregiver dyads that converged in their reports of relatively high levels of adolescent mental health concerns, as well as dyads that diverged in reports of such concerns. Relative to adolescents whose caregivers diverged in their reports of adolescent mental health, those adolescents with caregivers who converged on reports of relatively high adolescent mental health concerns both self-reported high levels of mental health concerns, and displayed greater levels of hostility within caregiver-adolescent interactions. Our findings have important implications for using convergence between caregiver reports of adolescent mental health concerns as an indicator of the severity of such concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined changes in first-time parents' marital quality over the transition to parenthood as predictors of their coparenting quality and mothers' and fathers' involvement in parenting and support of their spouse's coparenting. Mothers and fathers (N = 96 couples) individually completed measures of marital conflict and satisfaction prenatally, at 8 months, and at 24 months. Triadic family interactions observed at 24 months were coded for coparenting quality (cooperative and competitive coparenting), and coparenting dynamics (fathers' involvement in parenting, mothers' involvement in parenting, fathers' support of mothers' parenting, and mothers' support of fathers' parenting). Latent growth curve modeling demonstrated that declines in fathers' marital satisfaction predicted higher competitive coparenting and lower father involvement in parenting, and increases in fathers' marital conflict predicted lower cooperative coparenting. Increases in mothers' marital conflict predicted mothers' lower support of fathers' parenting. Thus, declines in fathers' marital quality may have more direct effects on coparenting quality, whereas declines in mothers' marital quality may indirectly affect coparenting through mothers' support of their spouse's parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to analyze the relation between marital adjustment and parenting practices in a sample of 474 Spanish children aged between 6 and 8 years. Thus, we examined the moderating role of children's temperament (negative emotionality and effortful control) in this relation. To measure marital adjustment, parenting practices and children's temperament, parents were given the marital adjustment test, the Spanish version of the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory, and the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire. The results confirmed that higher marital satisfaction predicted more positive parenting practices, whereas lower marital adjustment scores predicted less parenting support and control. Using a statistical modeling approach, we tested a moderation model that revealed the moderating role of effortful control in the relation between marital adjustment and parenting. Concretely, higher marital satisfaction predicts higher parenting communication and involvement, but only in children with low levels of effortful control. No moderating role was found for the negative emotionality construct. Several implications of the data are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the association between perceived family economic stress, quality of father-son relationships, and depressive symptoms among African American adolescent fathers. Data were collected during pregnancy from 65 African American adolescents who were first-time fathers, ages 14-19. Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that higher paternal relationship satisfaction was associated with fewer depressive symptoms among adolescent fathers. Additionally, depressive symptoms were higher among adolescent fathers who reported experiencing higher levels of conflict with their fathers. Further, paternal conflict moderated the effect of perceived family economic stress on depressive symptoms. That is, among adolescent fathers experiencing low levels of conflict with their fathers, high perceived family economic stress was associated with more depressive symptoms. Study findings suggest that the risk for depressive symptoms is highest among adolescent fathers experiencing low family economic stress and highly conflictual relations with their fathers. These results highlight the complexities of paternal relationships and perceived economic stressors on depressive symptoms during pregnancy for African American adolescent fathers. The importance of expanding research on influential familial relationships and economic stressors on adolescent African American fathers is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a traumatic event, many children and adolescents develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Studies in adults suggest that emotional reasoning (i.e., drawing conclusions about situations on the basis of one's emotional responses) is involved in PTSD development or maintenance. This longitudinal study explored whether emotional reasoning predicts children's PTSD symptoms after a single traumatic event, independently of other risk factors for PTSD, which were subjective trauma severity, anxiety sensitivity, cognitive ability, and neuroticism. Within 3.5 weeks post-trauma, 49 children (7-18 years) completed an emotional reasoning task, questionnaires measuring PTSD symptom severity, subjective trauma severity, anxiety sensitivity, and neuroticism, and a test measuring cognitive ability. About 2.5 months later, 33 children (67 %) completed the PTSD symptom scale again. Results show that emotional reasoning tendency was positively associated with initial PTSD symptoms, particularly avoidance symptoms, and that this was independent of trauma symptom severity, anxiety sensitivity, neuroticism and cognitive ability, but did not predict PTSD symptoms at 2.5 months. This is the first study to our knowledge that examined the relationship between emotional reasoning and PTSD symptoms in children. Findings suggest that emotional reasoning may be involved in the development of PTSD symptoms, but not in their maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with behavior externalizing disorders are difficult to cope with and might have a negative impact on parent-child interactions and couples relationships, as well as on parents' psychological adjustment. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of a parent training program [Incredible Years (IY) Basic Program] for improving positive relationships in Portuguese families of preschoolers with symptoms of oppositional/defiant disorder. Eighty-three families randomly assigned to an IY intervention ( n = 44) or to a waiting list control group (CG; n = 39) were evaluated, at baseline and 6 months after the intervention, on the following variables: mothers observed positive parenting practices and coaching skills; mothers' self-reported dysfunctional parenting practices; mothers' depressive symptoms; perceived couples intimacy; and children's behavior. Moreover, families who had received the IY program were also assessed in the same variables 12-months after baseline. Observed and self-reported positive parenting practices, couples openness to exterior and children's oppositional behavior improved significantly more from pre- to post-assessment in the intervention group (IG) than in the CG (medium to large effect sizes). Changes observed in the IG were sustained at the 12-month follow-up. However, the improvements in coaching skills that had been observed at the 6 months follow-up in the IG decreased over time. The findings indicate that the IY Parent Program is a promising intervention to promote more positive parent-child relationships, decrease children's oppositional behaviors and develop couple's willingness to open to the exterior, from the mother's point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined (1) whether families of clinic-referred anxiety-disordered children are characterized by anxiety-enhancing parenting and family functioning, compared to control families; (2) whether family cognitive-behavioral therapy (FCBT) for anxiety-disordered children decreases anxiety-enhancing parenting and family functioning more so than child-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CCBT); (3) whether anxiety-disordered children benefit more from therapy in the long-term when parents display less anxiety enhancing parenting and family functioning. The referred sample consisted of 104 anxiety-disordered children (8-18 year-olds) and their families, randomized to FCBT or CCBT. The control sample consisted of 44 families from the general population. At pretreatment (referred and control sample), posttreatment, 3-months and 1-year follow up (referred sample), children's anxiety disorders were assessed by the ADIS-C/P. Child and parents' anxiety symptoms, parenting behaviors (autonomy granting, overprotection, rejection) and family functioning (relational functioning, family control) were assessed with questionnaires. Parent-reported autonomy granting and family relational functioning were lower in the referred versus control families. Child-reported autonomy granting was higher in the referred families. Anxiety-enhancing parenting/family functioning decreased after FCBT and CCBT, with no differences between treatments. Good family relational functioning at posttreatment predicted more improvement on anxiety measurements at the long term for adolescents, but not for school-aged children. The generally hold idea that certain parenting styles and family functioning cause child anxiety, and need to be specifically targeted in the treatment of anxious children, is not supported. Good relational functioning within adolescent's families however is associated with better long-term outcome on anxiety, suggesting that families can support the maintenance of treatment gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present pilot study was to provide an initial evaluation of a brief, 4-session, universal health promoting parenting group program, the 'ABC'. We examined the effects of the program on improving parental strategies, parental self-efficacy, and child well-being. We also hypothesized that in a health promoting intervention implemented in the general population, increased parental self-efficacy and parental strategies would be associated with improvements in child well-being after 4 months. Parents living in 11 municipalities and local community agencies in Sweden enrolled in the project were invited to participate in the study. A repeated measurement within group design was used to assess the effects. In total, parents of 104 children aged 2-12 years participated in the ABC-study. Parental and child outcomes were evaluated before, after the intervention, and at a 4-month follow-up with parental self-report questionnaires. Paired t tests and ANOVA repeated measures showed statistically significant improvements of parental strategies (showing guidance, empathy/understanding, having rules/boundaries), parental self-efficacy (self-competence, knowledge/experience), and child well-being (emotional well-being, independence) from pre- to post measurement, with small to moderate effect sizes. Improvements were maintained at the 4-month follow-up, apart from changes in parental knowledge. University education and increased pre- to post improvements in self-efficacy predicted child emotional well-being at the 4-month follow-up. The findings suggest that the ABC-group intervention was effective in terms of improving child well-being, parental strategies and self-efficacy. This pilot study provides promising evidence for the ABC as a universal parenting program but further more rigorous evaluations are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the association between father involvement and adolescents' resilience and the roles of male gender-role stereotype and male gender-role identity were examined. Data came from three high school samples of 748 students and was analyzed with structural equation model. Results showed that the data had a satisfactory fit for the model (GFI = .95, AGFI = .94, NFI = .91, CFI = .96, RMSEA = .03), indicating that male gender-role stereotype and male-role identity partially mediated the relationship between paternal involvement and resilience. And multi-group analysis indicated that the pattern of the mediating model of resilience did not differ across gender. But gender difference did exist in the pathway from male gender-role stereotypes to male gender-role identity. This study provided a new way to view father's scaffolding role of children's masculinity formation whereby children may increase their social capabilities. The significance and limitations of the results were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with mentally ill parents are at risk of developing mental health problems themselves. To enhance early support for these children may prevent mental health problems from being transmitted from one generation to the next. The sample ( N = 219) included health professionals in a large university hospital, who responded to a web-based survey on the routines of the mental health services, attitudes within the workforce capacity, worker's knowledge on the impact of parental mental illness on children, knowledge on legislation concerning children of patients, experience, expectations for possible outcomes of change in current clinical practice and demographic variables. A total of 56 % reported that they did not identify whether or not patients had children. There were no significant differences between the groups (identifiers and non-identifiers) except for the two scales measuring aspects of knowledge, i.e., Knowledge Children and Knowledge Legislation where workers who identified children had higher scores. The results also showed that younger workers with a medium level of education scored higher on Positive Attitudes. Furthermore, workers who reported to have more knowledge about children and the impact of mental illness on the parenting role were less concerned about a child-focussed approach interfering with the patient-therapist relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine rates of child abuse and neglect reports following a community implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-supported intervention for the prevention of maltreatment. Among a group of families receiving PCIT, predictors of reports were examined including family demographics, course of treatment, changes in clinical measures, and caregiver report for prior maltreatment victimization and perpetration. Participants (n = 120) included families at-risk for future maltreatment with and without prior maltreatment history. Agency case records were linked with state administrative records of child welfare reports. Time to follow-up ranged from 13 to 40 months. Bivariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to model risk for a later report. During the follow-up period, 12.5 % of families had a report for physical abuse or neglect. Reports of prior victimization as a child and prior perpetration as an adult were strong predictors of a report of perpetration after PCIT. Dosage of PCIT and change in clinical measures did not increase risk for a later report. PCIT can be an effective intervention for preventing maltreatment. Family history of child welfare involvement is a prominent factor in assessing risk for future involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress among parents and other primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities is pervasive and linked to lower quality of life, unhealthy family functioning, and negative psychological consequences. However, few programs address the needs of parents or caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. A mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program is a well-suited approach for these parents and caregivers, who may be overwhelmed by their children’s situation, anticipating future challenges and reliving past traumas. We aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the feasibility of an MBSR program designed for this population in a community- based participatory setting. Parents and caregivers were equal partners with researchers in curriculum development, recruitment, implementation and evaluation. Two concurrent classes, morning and evening, were conducted weekly in English with simultaneous Spanish translation over 8-weeks. Classes consisted of meditation practice, supported discussion of stressors affecting parents/caregivers, and gentle stretching. Of 76 participants recruited, 66 (87 %) completed the program. All participants experienced a significant reduction (33 %) in perceived stress (p\0.001) and parents (n = 59) experienced a 22 % reduction (p<0.001) in parental stress. Parents/caregivers also reported significantly increased mindfulness, self-compassion, and well-being (p<0.05). Participants continued to report significant reduction in stress 2 months after the program. Our study suggests that a community-based MBSR program can be an effective intervention to reduce stress and improve psychological well-being for parents and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Additional research should assess the effect of cultural or socioeconomic factors on the outcomes of the intervention and further expand MBSR programs to include community-based participatory settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents who have children with cerebral palsy (CP) have been reported to have a more impaired QL and higher levels of burden than parents of typically developing children; however, little is known about the positive dimensions of their caregiving experience. In this study, WHOQOL-Bref and The Revised Burden Measure were administered to a sample of 105 parents of children/adolescents with CP (clinical group) and 117 parents of children/adolescents with no disabilities (control group). Despite the fact that parents of children with CP reported more Subjective Burden and less caregiving Uplifts, there were more similarities than differences in the variables compared between clinical and control groups. For parents of children with CP, the associations between Burden dimensions and QL, and between caregiving Uplifts and QL, were respectively moderate and weak. Caregiving Uplifts were found to moderate the links between Objective Burden and Psychological QL, and between Relationship Burden and Social QL. In addition, differential main effects of Burden dimensions and caregiving Uplifts were verified for Physical, Psychological and Social QL domains. These results highlight the adaptation variability of parents who have children with CP, as well as the importance of acknowledging caregiving uplifts as a resource that may attenuate the impact of burden on their QL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and practitioners conduct multi-informant assessments of child and family behavior under the assumption that informants have unique perspectives on these behaviors. These unique perspectives stem, in part, from differences among informants in the settings in which they observe behaviors (e.g., home, school, peer interactions). These differences are assumed to contribute to the discrepancies commonly observed in the outcomes of multi-informant assessments. Although assessments often prompt informants to think about setting-specific behaviors when providing reports about child and family behavior, the notion that differences in setting-based behavioral observations contribute to discrepant reports has yet to be experimentally tested. We trained informants to use setting information as the basis for providing behavioral reports, with a focus on parental knowledge of children's whereabouts and activities. Using a within-subjects controlled design, we randomly assigned 16 mothers and adolescents to the order in which they received a program that trains informants to use setting information when providing parental knowledge reports ( Setting- Sensitive Assessment), and a control program involving no training on how to provide reports. Relative to the control program, the Setting-Sensitive Assessment training increased the differences between mother and adolescent reports of parental knowledge, suggesting that mothers and adolescents observe parental knowledge behaviors in different settings. This study provides the first experimental evidence to support the assumption that discrepancies arise because informants incorporate unique setting information into their reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African American youth residing in low income urban neighborhoods are at increased risk of experiencing negative life events in multiple domains, increasing their risk for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. However, little is known about youth's differential responses to life event stress, or protective processes and coping strategies for urban African American youth exposed to adverse life events. Thus, the present study examined whether variability in predominantly low income, urban African American youth's responses to life event stress are accounted for by the type of life event experienced or the type of coping strategies used. Participants were a community sample of 353 urban African American youth (52.8 % girls; age range 8-12 years) who participated in the Multiple Opportunities to Reach Excellence (MORE) Project. Youth reported about their experiences with adverse life events, coping strategies, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results indicated that violent life events were uniquely associated with externalizing behavior, while discrimination and economic stress were uniquely associated with internalizing behavior. The utility of coping strategies varied by gender, such that avoiding problems was protective for girls who experienced violent life events, but not for boys. For boys, exposure to violence was significantly positively associated with externalizing symptoms regardless of the amount of avoiding problems coping used. Findings suggest that interventions to develop coping strategies may need to be gender-specific as well as tailored for the types of stressors common for low income urban youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little research has focused on rates of trauma exposure for youth in treatment foster care (TFC). Available research has utilized record review for assessing exposure, which presents limitations for the range of trauma types examined, as records are predominantly focused on abuse and neglect. The current study examines exposure rates and association with emotional and behavioral outcomes for 229 youth in 46 TFC agencies. The youth in this study had exceptionally high rates of trauma exposure by foster parent report, similar to youth in traditional foster care, with nearly half of the sample exposed to four or more types of traumatic events. A composite child abuse and neglect exposure variable was associated with child and adolescent emotional and behavioral outcomes. Implications for services provided as part of TFC are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the independent and joint effects of child gender and informant (mother-report vs. child self-report) on children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms in an at-risk sample of children of mothers with a history of depression. Data were obtained from mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (N = 149) and their 9- to 15-year-old children (74 males, 75 females) to assess children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Little evidence was found that maternal depression amplified the typical gender differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms and behavioral problems. Partial support was found for the hypothesis that maternal depression may equalize the rates of symptoms in boys and girls. There was also some evidence that maternal depression may reverse typical patterns of gender differences in depressive symptoms; i.e., using normative T scores to account for expected rates of problems, boys reported more symptoms than girls. Mothers and children reported significantly different levels of problems depending on child gender. Future research should investigate the processes of risk that may lead to changes in the normative patterns of gender differences in the context of maternal depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]