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Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a relatively new diagnostic entity concerning children with chronic irritability and severe anger outbursts. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the parental factors associated with the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare stress levels and attachment styles in parents of children with DMDD with those of parents of children with other diagnoses. Our sample consisted of 218 children (6–12 years, Mage = 9.68 years) referred to child mental health outpatient clinics. Clinicians used a standardized semi-structured diagnostic interview to identify diagnoses. Parental stress levels and attachment styles were assessed using parent reports. We found that parents of children with DMDD experience significantly higher levels of parenting stress related to factors in the child than parents of children with other diagnoses. Furthermore, parents of children with DMDD show a higher association with insecure adult attachment styles than parents of children without DMDD. Finally, an adult preoccupied-ambivalent attachment style explains the variability in parental stress in the DMDD group to a large degree. We discuss how parental stress and an insecure attachment style can be associated with negative parenting practices. An implication from this study could be that treatment results might be improved by involving parents more in treatment programs for children with DMDD.

Clinicians often miss making the diagnosis of abusive head injury in infants and toddlers who present with mild, non-specific symptoms such as vomiting, fussiness, irritability, trouble sleeping and eating, and seizure. If abusive head injury is missed, the child is likely to go on to experience more severe injury. An extensive review of the medical literature was done to summarize what is known about missed abusive head injury and about how these injuries can be recognized and appropriately evaluated. The following issues will be addressed: the definition of mild head injury, problems encountered when clinicians evaluated mildly ill young children with non-specific symptoms, the risk of missing the diagnosis of mild abusive head trauma, the risks involved in subjecting infants and young children to radiation and/or sedation required for neuroimaging studies, imaging options for suspected neurotrauma in children, clinical prediction rules for evaluating mild head injury in children, laboratory tests than can be helpful in diagnosing mild abusive head injury, history and physical examination when diagnosing or ruling out mild abusive head injury, social and family factors that could be associated with abusive injuries, and interventions that could improve our recognition of mild abusive head injuries. Relevant literature is described and evaluated. The conclusion is that abusive head trauma remains a difficult diagnosis to identify in mildly symptomatic young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the relation between familial risk factors and maltreatment types and mental health diagnoses among youth in residential care were examined. Using data from a larger study, six separate hierarchical logistic regression models were specified using family risk factors and maltreatment type to predict risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reactive attachment disorder, and major depressive disorder. The results show that, for this population, demographic characteristics are more predictive of diagnoses compared to family risk factors and maltreatment. Specifically, age and gender significantly predicted four out of the six diagnoses. Maltreatment types were associated with two diagnoses, ADHD and PTSD. Findings from this study suggest residential treatment programs should include person-centered treatment plans considering demographics and maltreatment experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined bidirectional relations between television exposure and effortful control accounting for the effects of family contextual risk factors. Data were from a sample (N = 306) of parents and their preschool‐age children (T1 M = 36 mos. in 2008–2010) assessed four times, once every 9 mos. At T1, adolescent parent status predicted lower child delay ability (DA), and maternal depression predicted higher TV time. Above these effects, higher T1 and T2 child executive control (EC) prospectively predicted lower T2 and T3 TV time, while higher T1 TV time predicted lower T2 EC. Higher EC at T4 predicted fewer total problems, greater social competence, and greater academic readiness at T4, and higher TV time at T4 predicted lower academic readiness. DA was unrelated to TV time or adjustment. Findings suggest executive control and TV time predict changes in each other in early childhood, and in turn, executive control predicts better child adjustment while TV time might be more relevant for academic readiness. Moreover, family risk factors appear to play a role in both TV viewing time and effortful control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Family risk factors are crucial to adolescent mental health. Few studies have investigated the complex relationship between family risk factors and adolescent mental health. This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between family cumulative risk (FCR) and adolescent mental health, and to clarify the factors contributing to adolescent mental health problems., Methods: This study recruited 903 junior high school students and 991 senior high school students in Changsha, Hunan and was conducted through an offline computer-based questionnaire survey using the Middle School Student Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS) and the Family Cumulative Risk Questionnaire (FCRQ) to assess the mental health status and FCR factors, respectively. Statistical analyses were conducted to clarify the demographic factors influencing MSSMHS total and factor scores, and to analyze the relationship between FCRQ and MSSMHS total and factor scores., Results: Females exhibited more mental health problems than males in various MSSMHS factors (all P <0.05); adolescents were prone to different mental health problems at different stages (junior high school first-grade vs. senior high school first-grade); senior high school first-grade students were more likely to experience academic pressure and maladjustment than junior high school first-grade students ( P <0.01), and junior high school first-grade students were more likely to exhibit obsessive, paranoia, and hostility symptoms than senior high school first-grade students (all P <0.01); adolescents with low family intimacy and high family conflict reported more symptoms in every dimension of MSSMHS (all P <0.05); adolecents with poor parent-child separation reported higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, academic pressure, maladjustment, emotional instability, and unbalanced mind than those with good parent-child separation (all P <0.05)., Conclusions: Female, low family intimacy, high family conflict, and poor parent-child separation are risk factors of adolescent mental health problems. Higher-grade middle school students are prone to exhibit academic pressure and maladjustment, while lower-grade middle school students are prone to exhibit obsessive, paranoia, and hostility symptoms.

Detrimental effects of adverse family conditions for children's wellbeing are well-documented, but little is known about the impact of specific risk factors, or about potential protective factors that buffer the effects of family risk factors on negative development. We investigated the impact of five important family risk factors (e.g., parental conflict) on internalizing and externalizing problems and the potential buffering effects of peer acceptance and academic skills at two measurement points two years apart in 1195 7- to 10-year-olds (T1: M Age = 8.54). Latent-change models showed that increases in risk factors over the two years predicted increasing internalizing and externalizing problems. Parental conflict was the most impactful risk factor, although peer acceptance and academic skills showed some buffering effects. The results highlight the necessity of investigating cumulative and single risk factors, specifically interparental conflict, and emphasize the need to strengthen children's internal and social resources to buffer the effects of adverse family conditions. • Family risk factors prospectively predicted developmental problems in childhood. • A large sample of 1195 children were followed over a 2-year period. • Cumulative family risk predicted more internalizing and externalizing problems. • Interparental conflict was by far the most influential single family risk factor. • Peer acceptance and academic skills partly buffered family risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]