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Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to explore the associations among COVID‐19 distress, maternal parenting practices (e.g., adaptive and maladaptive parenting), COVID‐19 exposure, and emotional problems of preschoolers (ages 3 to 6) in Chinese culture. Background: In the current study, we focused on Shanghai kindergarteners who, due to the complete COVID‐19 citywide lockdown, experienced an interruption in learning and social interaction. Method: Participants were 382 mothers of children (Mage = 5.49 years, SD = 0.62; 53.4% boys) from one kindergarten in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Upon obtaining consent, mothers completed the measures (administered via an online survey website) of COVID‐19 exposure, COVID‐19 distress, and maternal parenting practices and child's emotional problems. Results: Our main finding showed that the relation between COVID‐19 exposure and children's emotional problems is serially explained by COVID‐19 distress and maladaptive parenting. Conclusion: The COVID‐19 pandemic has induced and exacerbated a variety of stressors that impact mothers' parenting behavior, which in turn exacerbated child emotional problems. Implications: This research adds to our understanding of the negative impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on Chinese families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Symptoms related to mood and anxiety disorders (emotional disorders) often present in childhood and adolescence. Some of the genetic liability for mental disorders, and emotional and behavioral difficulties seems to be shared. Yet, it is unclear how genetic liability for emotional disorders and related traits influence trajectories of childhood behavioral and emotional difficulties, and if specific developmental patterns are associated with higher genetic liability for these disorders.This study uses data from a genotyped sample of children (n = 54,839) from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We use latent growth models (1.5–5 years) and latent profile analyses (1.5–8 years) to quantify childhood trajectories and profiles of emotional and behavioral difficulties and diagnoses. We examine associations between these trajectories and profiles with polygenic scores for bipolar disorder (PGSBD), anxiety (PGSANX), depression (PGSDEP), and neuroticism (PGSNEUR).Associations between PGSDEP, PGSANX, and PGSNEUR, and emotional and behavioral difficulties in childhood were more persistent than age‐specific across early childhood (1.5–5 years). Higher PGSANX and PGSDEP were associated with steeper increases in behavioral difficulties across early childhood. Latent profile analyses identified five profiles with different associations with emotional disorder diagnosis. All PGS were associated with the probability of classification into profiles characterized by some form of difficulties (vs. a normative reference profile), but only PGSBD was uniquely associated with a single developmental profile.Genetic risk for mood disorders and related traits contribute to both a higher baseline level of, and a more rapid increase in, emotional and behavioral difficulties across early and middle childhood, with some indications for disorder‐specific profiles. Our findings may inform research on developmental pathways to emotional disorders and the improvement of initiatives for early identification and targeted intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a longitudinal sample of early adolescent boys and girls (ages 10–12; N = 1113) to test a theoretically and empirically informed model suggesting that exposure to peer sexual harassment (age 10) predicts more emotional problems (age 12), and that lower appearance esteem (age 11) mediates this relation. On the within‐person level, which is the level on which the processes theoretically should play out, we found no support for the proposed mediation model for boys or for girls. Unexpectedly, we found that following times of more exposure to peer sexual harassment than usual, early adolescents instead experienced higher appearance esteem and fewer emotional problems than usual. More research is needed to replicate and understand these unexpected findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intellectual disability is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders. Studies indicated that depression and anxiety are the most prevalent emotional problems among the people with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of behavioral activation therapy in addressing emotional problems of two depressed students with borderline intellectual disability. Method: This study is a single‐subject design with multiple baseline and one month follow‐up. Two students with borderline intelligence underwent behavioral activation therapy for 12 sessions. Beck Depression Inventory‐Second Edition, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Oxford Happiness Inventory and Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale were used. Data were analyzed using visual inspection of graphed data, changes in trends, improvement percentage and effect size. Findings: The findings of this study support the utility of behavioral activation therapy in addressing the emotional problems of two depressed students with borderline intellectual disability. Conclusion: Behavioral activation therapy has had favorable outcomes in reducing depression and anxiety in depressed students with borderline intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological evidence shows a substantial increase in adolescent emotional problems in many countries, but reasons for this increase remain poorly understood. We tested change in emotional problems in a national sample of young people in Wales in 2013, 2017 and 2019 using identical symptom screens, and examined whether trends were accounted for by changes in youth friendship quality and bullying. Methods: The present study of 230,735 11–16‐year olds draws on repeat cross‐sectional data obtained on three occasions (2013, 2017 and 2019) in national school‐based surveys in Wales (conducted by the School Health Research Network). Emotional problems were assessed with a brief validated symptom screen (the SCL‐4). Results: There was a significant increase in emotional problem scores between 2013 and 2019 (b[95% CI] = 1.573 [1.380, 1.765]). This increase was observed for all ages and was more pronounced for girls than boys (interaction b [95% CI] = 0.229 [0.004, 0.462]) and for young people from less affluent families (interaction b [95% CI] = −0.564[−0.809, −0.319]). Of the total sample, 14.2% and 5.7% reported frequent face‐to‐face and cyberbullying respectively. There were modest decreases in friendship quality and increases in rates of bullying between 2013 and 2019, but accounting for these changes did not attenuate estimates of the population‐level increase in emotional problems. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a substantial increase in emotional problems among young people in Wales, particularly for young people from less affluent backgrounds. Changes in bullying or friendship quality did not explain this increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study we compare results obtained when applying the monozygotic twin difference cross‐lagged panel model (MZD‐CLPM) and a random intercept cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) to the same data. Each of these models is designed to strengthen researchers' ability to draw causal inference from cross‐lagged associations. We explore differences and similarities in how each model does this, and in the results each model produces. Specifically, we examine associations between maladaptive parenting and child emotional and behavioural problems in identical twins aged 9, 12 and 16. Method: Child reports of 5698 identical twins from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) were analysed. We ran a regular CLPM to anchor our findings within the current literature, then applied the MZD‐CLPM and the RI‐CLPM. Results: The RI‐CLPM and MZD‐CLPM each enable researchers to evaluate the direction of effects between correlated variables, after accounting for unmeasured sources of potential confounding. Our interpretation of these models therefore focusses primarily on the magnitude and significance of cross‐lagged associations. In both the MZD‐CLPM and the RI‐CLPM behavioural problems at age 9 resulted in higher levels of maladaptive parenting at age 12. Other effects were not consistently significant across the two models, although the majority of estimates pointed in the same direction. Conclusion: In light of the triangulated methods, differences in the results obtained using the MZD‐CLPM and the RI‐CLPM underline the importance of careful consideration of what sources of unmeasured confounding different models control for and that nuance is required when interpreting findings using such models. We provide an overview of what the CLPM, RI‐CLPM and MZD‐CLPM can and cannot control for in this respect and the conclusions that can be drawn from each model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased risk for emotional and behavioural problems among children. Evidence from twin studies has shown that family SES moderates genetic and environmental influences on child mental health. However, it is also known that SES is itself under genetic influence and previous gene–environment interaction (G×E) studies have not incorporated the potential genetic overlap between child mental health and family SES into G×E analyses. We applied a novel approach using extended family data to investigate the moderation of aetiological influences on child emotional and behavioural problems by parental socioeconomic status in the presence of modelled gene–environment correlation. Methods: The sample comprised >28,100 children in extended‐family units drawn from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Mothers reported children's emotional and behavioural symptoms. Parents' income and educational attainment were obtained through linkage to administrative register data. Bivariate moderation Multiple‐Children‐of‐Twins‐and‐Siblings (MCoTS) models were used to analyse relationships between offspring outcomes (emotional and behavioural symptom scores) and parental socioeconomic moderators (income rank and educational attainment). Results: The aetiology of child emotional symptoms was moderated by maternal and paternal educational attainment. Shared environmental influences on child emotional symptoms were greater at lower levels of parents' education. The aetiology of child behavioural symptoms was moderated by maternal, but not paternal, socioeconomic factors. Genetic factors shared between maternal income and child behavioural symptoms were greater in families with lower levels maternal income. Nonshared environmental influences on child behavioural symptoms were greater in families with higher maternal income and education. Conclusions: Parental socioeconomic indicators moderated familial influences and nonshared environmental influences on child emotional and behavioural outcomes. Maternal SES and child mental health share aetiological overlap such that shared genetic influence was greater at the lower end of the socioeconomic distribution. Our findings collectively highlight the role that family socioeconomic factors play in shaping the origins of child emotional and behavioural problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An individual's overall burden of behavioural and emotional problems across childhood is associated with increased likelihood of later mental health conditions. However, the relative extent of behavioural versus emotional problems ‐ that is, the extent to which the domains are differentiated from one another ‐ may provide additional information about who is at risk of developing a mental health condition. Here, we seek to validate differentiation as an independent predictor of later mental health conditions, and to explore its aetiology. Methods: We analysed data from ~79,000 children in the population‐based Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study, and linked health‐care registries. In preregistered analyses, we modelled the extent and rate of differentiation of behavioural and emotional problems between ages 1.5–5 years, and estimated associations with later symptoms (age 8) and diagnoses (after age 8). We also explored the aetiology of differentiation by estimating associations with early life exposures and, in a subset of 23,945 full siblings, assessing the impact of accounting for unobserved familial confounding. Results: Differentiation of behavioural and emotional problems was associated with later symptoms and diagnoses of mental health conditions, independent of total problems. Maternal at‐risk drinking (β = 0.04 [0.02, 0.06]) and parental relationship problems (β = 0.04 [0.02, 0.05]) were associated with higher behavioural relative to emotional problems at age 5. Maternal prenatal distress (|β| = 0.04 [0.03, 0.06]), concurrent distress (|β| = 0.04 [0.02, 0.06]) and parental education (|β| = 0.05 [0.04, 0.07]) predicted higher emotional relative to behavioural problems at age 5. Estimates for maternal prenatal distress and at‐risk drinking were consistent across both unadjusted and adjusted analyses accounting for unobserved familial risk. Conclusions: Differentiation of behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood represents a valid source of inter‐individual variability linked to the later emergence of psychopathology and may be relevant for early detection and prevention strategies for mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence shows that a lower second‐to‐fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), which is a sexually dimorphic trait and the indicator of prenatal testosterone exposure, may be associated with aggressive behaviors. In this cross‐sectional, case‐control study, we investigated: (1) Are the aggression and impulsivity levels and emotional problems higher? (2) Is the 2D:4D ratio lower in adolescents and young adults who presented with a fifth metacarpal neck fracture (boxer's fracture) compared to controls? (3) Is the digit ratio correlated with aggressive measures in individuals with a fifth metacarpal neck fracture? Seventy‐one consecutive patients presented with a fifth metacarpal neck fracture within the age range of 11–25 years old comprised the study group. The control group consisted of 71 age and sex‐matched subjects without a history of aggression‐related injury. The aggression, impulsiveness, and psychosocial well‐being were measured by self‐reported questionnaires. 2D:4D was measured by conventional radiography. The 2D:4D ratio was similar between groups, however, when the analyses were conducted separately for sex, females in the study group showed lower 2D:4D than females in the control group (p = 0.001). The aggression level of the study group, measured by the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire was higher than the control group (p = 0.014). The impulsiveness scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale‐11 were similar (p = 0.60) and the total difficulty score on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was higher in the study group (p = 0.009). A lower 2D:4D ratio significantly predicted verbal and total aggression scores (p = 0.036, p = 0.032, respectively). Our findings suggest that females with a history of aggression‐related injury have lower 2D:4D, and a lower 2D:4D is correlated with higher aggression levels in both sexes. Understanding and addressing aggression in these patients may help prevent further self‐inflicted injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Academic difficulties are common in adolescents with mental health problems. Although earlier childhood emotional problems, characterised by heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms are common forerunners to adolescent mental health problems, the degree to which mental health problems in childhood may contribute independently to academic difficulties has been little explored. Methods: Data were drawn from a prospective cohort study of students in Melbourne, Australia (N = 1239). Data were linked with a standardised national assessment of academic performance at baseline (9 years) and wave three (11 years). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and wave two (10 years). Regression analyses estimated the association between emotional problems (9 and/or 10 years) and academic performance at 11 years, adjusting for baseline academic performance, sex, age and socioeconomic status, and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. Results: Students with depressive symptoms at 9 years of age had lost nearly 4 months of numeracy learning two years later after controlling for baseline academic performance and confounders. Results were similar for anxiety symptoms. Regardless of when depressive symptoms occurred there were consistent associations with poorer numeracy performance at 11 years. The association of depressive symptoms with reading performance was weaker than for numeracy if they were present at wave two. Persistent anxiety symptoms across two waves led to nearly a 4 month loss of numeracy learning at 11 years, but the difference was not meaningful for reading. Findings were similar when including hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. Conclusions: Childhood anxiety and depression are not only forerunners of later mental health problems but predict academic achievement. Partnerships between education and health systems have the potential to not only improve childhood emotional problems but also improve learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Youth suicide is a worldwide public health and social issue. Suicidal ideation (SI), which spans a spectrum of thoughts from mild cognitions about death to serious and specific plans about taking one's life, is a significant risk factor for actual completed suicide. Thus, it is important to identify the environmental factors and psychological mechanisms that affect SI in adolescents. Methods: A sample of 607 Chinese high school students (Mage = 16.20, SD = 0.55) participated. Latent growth curve modeling was used to examine developmental trends in emotional problems and SI, incorporating a four‐wave longitudinal design over a 1‐year interval. A longitudinal mediation model was constructed to examine the effects of the intercept and slope of emotional problems in the relation between negative life events and SI. Results: The results indicated that: (1) adolescents demonstrated a linear decrease in emotional problems and SI during the follow‐up period, and the higher the initial level, the slower the growth rate; (2) negative life events demonstrated a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of adolescent SI; and (3) negative life events played an indirect role in the initial level of adolescent SI through the initial level of emotional problems. Conclusions: Negative life events and emotional problems are influential factors in the level of SI in adolescents; however, further research is needed regarding the rate of change in SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Parents Plus Special Needs (PPSN) programme, a seven‐week parenting group intervention for parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Method: In a cluster randomised controlled trial, 24 intellectual disability services supporting families of adolescents with an intellectual disability were assigned to PPSN (12 services; 141 parents) or waitlist control group (12 services; 136 parents). Primary outcomes were parent‐reported parenting practices, family adjustment, problem behaviours, emotional problems, and prosocial behaviours. Secondary outcomes were parental satisfaction, parental self‐efficacy, and goal attainment. Results: Compared to the waitlist group, participants in the PPSN group reported improvements in parenting practices, problem behaviours, parental satisfaction, parental self‐efficacy and goal attainment, which were retained at 3‐month follow‐up. There were additional gains for family adjustment at follow‐up. Conclusion: The PPSN is effective in improving parenting behaviour, family relationships, and problem behaviours in adolescents, but not in improving emotional difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research was conducted to determine the relationship of the COVID‐19 pandemic with the emotional and behavioral problems of children. Method: In this study, carried out using the descriptive survey model, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used with 205 mothers. Results: Significant differences were observed in the emotional and behavioral problems of children according to their mother's working status, having COVID‐19 in the family, and being in contact. According to mothers' perceptions, the level of emotional and behavioral problems differed before and after the pandemic. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the pandemic and related factors have an effect on children's emotional and behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various models of specialized foster care have been developed, but research on them is limited. This longitudinal, exploratory study analysed data on adaptive functioning, emotional and social problems and self‐concept in a specialized foster care service in Sweden. The focus of the study was on the development of the children and young people in placement. The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS‐II) was used to measure adaptive functioning, and the Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment (BYI) was used to measure self‐rated emotional and social problems and self‐concept. Self‐ratings showed significant improvements in disruptive behaviour, anger, anxiety and depression. Adaptive functioning as rated by foster parents improved but not enough to catch up with the non‐clinical norm group. The average adaptive functioning among the participants at baseline was considerably below the Swedish norm group. Similar to the results of a previous study of the same treatment model, children and young people rated improvement while their foster parents did not do so to the same extent. Possible explanations for this are discussed in the paper. The study is limited by the lack of a control group and by data attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies using symptom‐based screeners have suggested that mental ill‐health has increased in adolescents in recent decades, however, few studies have tested the equivalence of their instruments, which is critical for inferring changes in prevalence. In addition, little research has explored whether socioeconomic position (SEP) and sex inequalities in adolescent mental health have changed over time. Methods: Using structural equation modelling, we explored SEP and sex differences in harmonised parent reports of emotional and behavioural problems, using data from four UK birth cohorts: the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS'58; n = 10,868), the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS'70; n = 8,242), the 1991–92 Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC'91; n = 5,389), and the 2000–01 Millennium Cohort Study (MCS'01; n = 9,338). Results: Compared with the two earliest cohorts, members of MCS'01 had higher latent mean scores on emotional problems (both sexes), and lower scores on behavioural problems (females only). The associations between four indicators of SEP and emotional problems were strongest in MCS'01, with housing tenure having the strongest association. All four SEP indicators were associated with behavioural problems in each cohort, with housing tenure again more strongly associated with problems in the MCS'01. Mediation analyses suggested that the increase in emotional problems occurred despite broadly improving socioeconomic conditions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that parent reports of adolescent emotional problems, but not behavioural problems, have risen in recent generations and this trend is not solely due to reporting styles. A failure to address widening social inequalities may result in further increases in mental ill‐health amongst disadvantaged young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research investigated how peer victimization and support are reciprocally related and how Cooperative Learning (CL) can reverse the progressive cascade that, unchecked, can culminate in youth mental health problems. Methods: The sample (N = 1890; 53% male) was derived from a randomized trial of CL in 15 middle schools in the United States. Students were recruited in the 7th grade. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to fit our cross‐lag difference score model across four waves of data. Results: The results indicated a reciprocal relationship between peer support and victimization across time, suggesting the potential for negative experiences with peers to become amplified over time in a "vicious cycle," negatively impacting mental health. Students in intervention schools reported significantly higher levels of peer support and lower levels of victimization, suggesting that CL can intervene in this cycle, with salutary effects on mental health; CL also demonstrated direct effects on mental health. Conclusions: The present study indicates that low peer support can be both a precursor to and an outcome of victimization, serving to maintain a vicious cycle that compounds negative effects on student mental health. Further, results demonstrate how CL can reverse this cycle. We conclude that CL can be of particular importance to the prevention field as a universal mental health program that does not require the associated stigma of identifying youth at elevated risk for referral to treatment programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Specific programs are often implemented for specific child mental health problems, while many children suffer from comorbid problems. Ideally, programs reduce a wider range of mental health problems. The present study tested whether parenting programs for children's conduct problems, and which individual and clusters of program elements, have additional effects on children's emotional problems. Methods: We updated the search of a previous systematic review in 11 databases (e.g., PsycINFO and MEDLINE) and included studies published until July 2020 with keywords relating to 'parenting', 'program', and 'child behavioral problems'. Also, we searched for recent trials in four trial registries and contacted protocol authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a parenting program for children aged 2–10 years which was based on social learning theory and included a measure of children's emotional problems postintervention. Results: We identified 69 eligible trials (159 effect sizes; 6,240 families). Robust variance estimation showed that parenting programs had small significant parent‐reported additional effects on emotional problems immediately postintervention (Cohen's d = −0.14; 95% CI, −0.21, −0.07), but these effects faded over time. Teachers and children did not report significant effects. Additional effects on emotional problems were larger in samples with clinical baseline levels of such problems. No individual program elements predicted larger additional effects. Of the clusters of elements, combining behavior management and relationship enhancement elements was most likely to yield the strongest additional effects. Conclusions: The additional effects on emotional problems of parenting programs designed to reduce conduct problems are limited, but some clusters of elements predict larger effects. Our findings may contribute to realistic expectations of the benefits of parenting programs for children's conduct problems and inform the development of programs with wider benefits across mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to explore the role of family resilience in the relationship between parents' psychological stress and their perceptions of children's emotional and behavioral symptoms during the COVID‐19 lockdown in Italy. Background: The COVID‐19 lockdown threatened the well‐being of parents, with a potentially cascading effect on children's adjustment. However, the negative impact of parents' stress on children's well‐being may be attenuated in resilient families. Method: During the Italian lockdown, an online survey was administered to 649 parents of at least one child aged between 5 and 17 years. Respondents completed the survey themselves and their child(ren). The Perceived Stress Scale, the Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were administered to parents. Results: Results show that family resilience is a key mechanism in the association of parents' perceived stress with their perceptions of children's emotional symptoms, prosocial behavior, and hyperactivity and that only parents' marital status moderates this relationship. Conclusion: The intervening role of family resilience emphasizes the need to empower parents and families during the pandemic crisis. Implications: By strengthening family resilience, family resources maybe strengthened to meet new challenges more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive functioning is lower in many autistic individuals to a greater extent than would be expected based on IQ. However, the clinical features associated with these difficulties are less well understood. This study examines longitudinal and contemporaneous associations of adaptive functioning in autistic youth across a wide ability range. Parent‐reported autism symptoms, co‐occurring emotional, behavioral and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and IQ were assessed in early childhood (M age 7 years; T1) and 6 years later in adolescence (M age 13 years; T2) in 179 autistic youth. Adaptive functioning was assessed at T2. Structural equation modeling estimated pathways to adaptive functioning from autism, and psychiatric symptoms at T1 and T2, testing whether associations were driven by continuity of behaviors from T1 to T2 or their contemporaneous effect at T2, or both, controlling for T1 IQ. Lower adaptive functioning at T2 was associated with higher T1 and T2 ADHD symptoms (β = −0.14, and β = −0.21) but not behavioral nor emotional symptoms at either timepoint. Lower adaptive functioning at T2 was also associated with lower T1 IQ (β = 0.43) and higher social communication symptoms (β = −0.37) at T2 but not T1, but the relationship with ADHD symptoms remained. Paths were not moderated by sex or IQ. Increased symptoms of ADHD, both in early childhood and contemporaneously, were associated with reduced adaptive functioning in adolescence. Co‐occurring ADHD may be a modifiable risk factor for adaptive function impairments and should be routinely assessed and when present evidence‐based treatments initiated which may benefit adaptive functioning outcomes. Lay Summary: Adaptive functioning is lower in many autistic individuals to a greater extent than would be expected based on IQ. However, the clinical features associated with these difficulties are less well understood. In a community sample higher attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, but not emotional or behavioral symptoms, in both early childhood and contemporaneously were associated with lower adaptive functioning in autistic adolescents. Co‐occurring ADHD may be a modifiable risk factor for adaptive function difficulties in autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current cross‐sectional study aimed to analyse adolescents' adjustment during and before the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, by evaluating levels of emotional problems and hyperactivity as referred by adolescents themselves. A further purpose was to compare adolescents' and mothers' perception about adolescents' adjustment. Participants comprised 206 adolescents (50.5% females; mean age = 12.2; SD = 3.3) and their mothers (mean age = 43.9; SD = 5.9). Findings showed that levels of emotional symptoms and hyperactivity in adolescents during the pandemic were significantly higher than before. This worsening was consistently detected by both mothers and adolescents themselves. Two main conclusions are highlighted by the current research: During the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic, adolescents participating to this study detected a worsening in their well‐being; mothers' perceptions of their adolescents' psychological problems may be considered reliable and consistent with the offspring's point of view. Practitioner points: Italian adolescents' adjustment during the COVID‐19 outbreak has been little investigated.The current study highlighted a worsening in adolescents' well‐being, in terms of higher emotional symptoms and hyperactivity, with respect to the pre‐pandemic period.This worsening was consistently highlighted by both adolescents themselves and their mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissociation has been reported to be associated with emotive‐relational and behavioral difficulties; however, the temporal relationship between dissociation and these difficulties is unclear. Accordingly, this study investigated whether dissociation predicts difficulties (including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems) in adolescents. A two‐wave cross‐lagged panel study (Time 1: September–November 2016, Time 2: February–March 2017) was conducted among 1,773 Japanese junior high and high school students at two private schools (995 boys and 778 girls; Mage = 14.79 years at Time 1 and 15.09 years at Time 2). Dissociation was assessed using the Japanese version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale and perceived difficulties were assessed via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A cross‐lagged effects model analysis indicated that high dissociation scores at Time 1 predicted high difficulties scores at Time 2. These findings suggest that dissociation could effectively predict difficulties in junior high and high school students. This study expands the field's understanding of the temporal relationship between behavioral problems and dissociation, which could help prevent problem behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood antisocial behaviour has been associated with poorer teacher–student relationship (TSR) quality. It is also well‐established that youth with antisocial behaviour have a range of emotion‐related deficits, yet the impact of these students' emotion‐related abilities on the TSR is not understood. Furthermore, the addition of the Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐5) indicates that understanding the role of callous–unemotional (CU) traits for youth with antisocial behaviour problems is of particular importance. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antisocial behaviour difficulties and the TSR by examining the influence of emotion‐related abilities and CU traits. Sample: Twelve teachers from 10 primary schools provided anonymized information on 108 children aged 6–11 years. Results: Antisocial behaviour was associated with higher teacher–student conflict (but not closeness) as well as higher emotion lability/negativity and lower emotion understanding/empathy. Emotion lability/negativity was associated with higher teacher–student conflict (but not closeness), and emotion understanding/empathy was associated with lower teacher–student conflict and higher closeness. CU traits were associated with higher teacher–student conflict and lower teacher–student closeness (controlling for antisocial behaviour more broadly). We found no evidence of a moderating effect of CU traits or emotion‐related abilities on the association between antisocial behaviour and TSR quality. Conclusions: Interventions for behaviour difficulties should consider teacher–student relationships in the classroom. Strategies which aim to improve teacher–student closeness as well as reduce teacher–student conflict may be of particular value to students with high CU traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine how constructiveness in interparental conflict affects mothers' perception of children's psychological and physical health and whether coparenting and positive parenting mediate these effects. Background: Children exposed to high levels of interparental conflict are at elevated risk of developing health problems. However, previous research suggests that constructive and destructive interparental conflict may affect children's health differently. Method: Mothers (n = 289) with at least one child aged 3.5 to 8 years completed an online survey about parenting, coparenting, interparental conflict, and different aspects of child health. Results: Results suggest that higher constructiveness in interparental conflict is related to fewer emotional problems, less pain, and fewer infectious diseases in children, independent of gender. The effects were fully mediated by coparenting. Conclusion: Constructive interparental conflict promotes children's physical and psychological health and coparenting emerged as an important mechanism for this link. Implications: Enhancement of constructive interparental conflict and coparenting are promising avenues to foster children's healthy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing evidence that children with motor difficulties are at risk of psychosocial problems and vice versa. However, it is not clear how far different aspects of motor function are predictive of psychosocial well‐being in the context of other powerful factors, such as family upset, that are known to affect psychosocial development. Aims: To investigate the role of basic motor skills and primary reflex persistence in young children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Sample: From a total sample of 225 children, three groups were selected: children excluded from school (severe EBD) (n = 29), a male comparison group (n = 38), and a female comparison group (n = 45). The groups were matched (at group level) on age, IQ, and level of social disadvantage. Method: All of the selected children completed a range of standardized motor, cognitive, social, and behavioural measures, as well as a clinical protocol for primary reflex persistence. Results: Children with severe EBD had significant levels of motor difficulties, primary reflex persistence, and family upset, as well as significant literacy problems, attention deficits, and raised levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity relative to the comparison groups. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that basic motor skills, primary reflex persistence, family upset, hyperactivity, and literacy were all significant predictors of psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: The findings suggest that motor difficulties and primary reflex persistence may act as independent stressors of psychosocial functioning in children with EBD. We suggest that specific movement interventions should be adopted to complement existing provision for children at risk of psychosocial problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Using data from the English & Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study, we recently reported that early time‐limited exposure to severe institutional deprivation is associated with early‐onset and persistent neurodevelopmental problems and later‐onset emotional problems. Here, we examine possible reasons for the late emergence of emotional problems in this cohort. Our main focus is on testing a developmental cascade mediated via the functional impact of early‐appearing neurodevelopmental problems on late adolescent functioning. We also explore a second putative pathway via sensitization to stress. Methods: The ERA study includes 165 Romanian individuals who spent their early lives in grossly depriving institutions and were subsequently adopted into UK families, along with 52 UK adoptees with no history of deprivation. Age six years symptoms of neurodevelopmental problems and age 15 anxiety/depression symptoms were assessed via parental reports. Young adult symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by both parent and self‐reports; young adults also completed measures of stress reactivity, exposure to adverse life events, and functioning in work and interpersonal relationships. Results: The path between early institutional deprivation and adult emotional problems was mediated via the impact of early neurodevelopmental problems on unemployment and poor friendship functioning during the transition to adulthood. The findings with regard to early deprivation, later life stress reactivity, and emotional problems were inconclusive. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that the risk for adult depression and anxiety following extreme institutional deprivation is explained through the effects of early neurodevelopmental problems on later social and vocational functioning. Future research should more fully examine the role of stress susceptibility in this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of different types of maltreatment on adolescents' emotional/behavioural problems in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Adolescents aged ten to 16 years in two urban and two rural schools were invited to complete a questionnaire survey, including experiences of maltreatment and emotional/behavioural problems. In total, 791 questionnaires were eligible for analysis. Preceding‐year prevalence was 5.6 per cent for minor physical maltreatment, 27.6 per cent for moderate physical maltreatment and 4.6 per cent for severe physical maltreatment, 47.5 per cent for emotional maltreatment and 8.2 per cent for non‐contact punishment. Witnessing domestic violence was reported by 49.4 per cent of the adolescents. Emotional maltreatment was consistently associated with a higher risk of emotional/behavioural problems (relative risk ratio (RRR) ranging from 1.85–2.36) after adjusting for other maltreatment exposures and socio‐economic factors. Severe physical maltreatment showed the strongest association with behavioural problems (RRR = 4.75 (95% confidence interval 1.74, 12.98), P = 0.002). Witnessing domestic violence alone was not associated with emotional/behavioural problems in adolescents. The effect size of emotional maltreatment was greater for girls, while physical maltreatment had greater effects among boys. There was a cumulative negative effect with an increasing number of maltreatment types. The results indicate an important need: to educate parents, to identify high‐risk children and to introduce a formal child protection system in China. 'The aim of the study was to determine the effects of different types of maltreatment on adolescents' emotional/behavioural problems in Zhejiang Province, eastern China' Key Practitioner Messages: Emotional maltreatment was consistently and robustly associated with an increased risk of both emotional and behavioural problems after adjusting for other maltreatment exposures and socio‐economic factors.Severe physical maltreatment showed the strongest association with behavioural problems but not with emotional problems, while witnessing domestic violence alone was associated with neither of them.An increase in the number of maltreatment types had a cumulative negative effect on child emotional and behavioural problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to examine sex differences in self‐reported psychological distress, behavioural and emotional problems, and substance use in young people living in out‐of‐home care (OoHC). One hundred seventy‐six young people aged 12–17 years (females 53.4%) in OoHC in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, were interviewed. Participants completed self‐report measures: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test—Youth Version. Girls had more OoHC placement instability over the past year compared with boys (p =.019). Compared with boys, the girls had significantly higher levels of distress (p <.001) (p =.007), were more likely to have self‐reported emotional symptoms (p <.001) and peer relationship problems (p =.043) and were more likely to use sedatives (p =.004). Girls had more psychological distress, behavioural disturbance, and sedative abuse; placement instability might contribute to these problems. Greater integration across OoHC, mental health, and substance use sectors is required. Girls in OoHC may benefit from interventions targeting problems with peer relationship and substance use and supporting prosocial behaviour; such targets may reduce distress and emotional symptoms and possibly prevent longer term problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.Design: Follow up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial.Setting: St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital, Norway (2007-09).Population: Women randomised to follow a 12-week structured exercise protocol or standard antenatal care during pregnancy.Methods: At 7 years of age, neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by the parent questionnaire Five-To-Fifteen (FTF), including motor skills, executive functions, perception, memory, language, social skills and possible emotional/behavioural problems.Main Outcome Measure: Continuous and dichotomised (cut-off 90th centile) FTF scores.Results: A total of 855 women were randomised to exercise (n = 429) or standard antenatal care (n = 426) during pregnancy. At follow up, 164 (38.2%) children born to mothers in the intervention group and 115 (27.0%) children born to mothers in the control group participated. We found no group differences in FTF scores or in the proportion of children with scores ≥90th centile. Stratified analyses by sex, subgroup analyses of women who adhered to the exercise protocol or sensitivity analyses excluding preterm children and/or children who had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit did not change the results.Conclusions: In the present randomised controlled trial follow-up study, regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy did not have adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.Tweetable Abstract: Moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had no adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Escalating rates of childhood mental health disorders constitute a serious issue for countries like Pakistan. However, due to a scarce number of studies on childhood behavioural problems, understanding the magnitude and gap of the problem is a challenge. Thus, the present study is intended to bridge this gap. This study provides estimates for prevalence, associated demographic risk factors and the impact of behavioural and emotional problems among school children.Methods: A sample of children (n = 800) from public schools of Islamabad were selected using two-stage cluster random sampling. Data were collected from parents through telephonic interviews using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.Results: Prevalence of overall behaviour problems accounted for 15.9%. For conduct problems, estimates were around 26.6%, for emotional problems 22.5%, for peer problems 13%, for hyperactivity 10.6% and for social problems 3% in the initial analysis. Mother's education also appeared to be a significant predictor for mental health problems of youth, where low maternal education was associated with high prevalence and higher impact of emotional and behavioural problems in the present sample.Conclusions: Prevalence estimates of the current study call for attention towards improving mental health services and access to children who are at risk or are having mental health problems. In the context of scarcity of the data from countries like Pakistan, the findings should be considered a call for mental health service providers, researchers and policymakers to scale up mental health services for youth in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Hazardous drinking (i.e. alcohol consumption that places drinkers at risk for adverse health outcomes) during pregnancy is associated with adverse child outcomes. To address whether the associations are causal, we aimed to estimate the effect of maternal hazardous drinking during the first trimester on offspring emotional and behavioural problems throughout the pre‐school age. We adjusted for: (1) measured confounding (e.g. smoking), (2) familial risk factors by sibling control design and (3) non‐shared environmental risk factors by using hazardous drinking the 3 months before pregnancy as an instrumental variable. Design Prospective cohort study. Participants were recruited between 1999 and 2009 at ultrasound examination offered to all pregnant women in Norway. Data were collected during the 17th and the 30th weeks of gestation, and when the children were aged 1.5, 3 and 5 years. Setting Norway, 1999–2015. Participants: The sample consisted of 14 639 mothers with 25 744 offspring siblings from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Measurements Respondents self‐reported on: alcohol consumption, children's emotional problems (i.e. emotional reactive, anxiety/depression, somatic complaints) and children's behavioural problems (i.e. attention and aggressive behaviour) throughout pre‐school age. We used longitudinal latent growth curve models to estimate the effect of maternal drinking during the first trimester on offspring emotional and behavioural problems. Findings Most associations were strongly reduced after controlling for both familial and measured environmental risk factors. After adjustment, exposed children were more emotionally reactive [β = 2.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.13–4.53] and had more somatic complaints (β = 1.93; 95% CI = 0.09–3.77) at age 3, but not at age 5. Exposed children were less aggressive than unexposed siblings at age 5 (β = −2.27; 95% CI = –4.02 to –0.52). Conclusions: Children exposed to their mothers' hazardous drinking during the first trimester appear to be more emotionally reactive and have more somatic complaints at age 3, but not at age 5, and are less aggressive at age 5 compared with unexposed siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Behavioural and emotional problems are a salient concern for parents of children with neurodisability, but little is known about the nature of such concerns in this population, nor about the distribution of concern types across ostensibly different subpopulations. Methods: Information about behavioural and emotional concerns was extracted from clinical reports of developmental paediatricians (N = 12) who had assessed children aged 3 to 8 years (N = 129) through three clinics at a major developmental and rehabilitation service centre. All concerns were captured at a granular level. A two‐stage, consensus‐based interdisciplinary concept‐sorting technique was used to identify and group thematically related behavioural and emotional concerns into First Stage Groupings, intended to preserve detail and specificity, and a reduced number of Second Stage Clusters. Results: A total of 669 discrete concerns were encountered, aggregated to 58 First Stage Concern Groupings and 28 Second Stage Concern Clusters. Findings of the salience of Groupings related to Attention, Concentration and Distractibility, and Anxiousness, Shyness, and Emotional Sensitivity reflect existing literature for children with neurodevelopmental concerns. “Social Isolation/Peer Engagement,” “Tantrums/Outbursts/Meltdowns” and “Volatility/Self‐regulation Difficulties,” and “Sensory Issues” emerged as areas of significant concern and salience as well. Across clinics, three Clusters recurred among the top five observed for each clinic: “Tantrums/Outbursts/Meltdowns,” “Inflexibility/Gets Stuck or Fixated,” and “Social Behaviours.” Conclusions: This rich descriptive dataset affords insight into the phenomenology of behaviour and emotional concerns in the daily lives of parents whose children have known or suspected neurodisability. Study findings can inform and sensitize clinicians working with this population. Usefulness is enhanced by inclusion of behavioural material that is subthreshold for a formal psychopathologic diagnosis. Certain concern types are encountered commonly across different clinical subpopulations, supporting a noncategorical view of behavioural and emotional problems as functional attributes that cross neurodisability diagnostic categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athletic identity (AI) has been suggested as a variable that can have an impact on the psychological health of the athletes upon retirement. The aim of this study was to provide more insight on the transition out of elite sport by assessing and comparing the extent of AI and self-esteem in an active group (AG) and a retired group (RG) of Paralympic athletes. Perceived stress and depressive symptoms were additionally assessed in the AG and RG, respectively. A non-probability sampling method was used to recruit active and retired Paralympic athletes (AG, n = 43; RG, n = 41, where 35 retired voluntarily and 6 retired involuntarily) with visual or physical impairments, from Dutch-, English-, Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries. Participants completed an electronic survey with questionnaires to assess the study variables mentioned above. Descriptive analysis, comparisons (Mann-Whitney U test and t-test) and Spearman's correlation coefficient were performed for the statistical analysis. Scores of AI were significantly lower in the RG (44.6 ± 9.6) compared to the AG (49.4 ± 8.9); t(82) = 2.36, p = .021, d = 0.51. No differences in self-esteem were found between RG and AG; however, within the RG, athletes who involuntarily retired (21 ± 7.1) had significantly lower self-esteem scores than those who retired voluntarily (25.2 ± 4.2); t(39) = 2.04, p = .049, d = 0.73. In conclusion, free choice upon retirement can positively influence the athletes' selfesteem, whereas a strong AI may negatively influence the retirement process, as it was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (p = .409, p = .008). These findings can have practical implications for sport psychologists to better support their athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous evidence indicates that mental health problems are becoming more common for adolescents. Less is known about whether these trends have continued and there has been no study to date which has specifically focused on early adolescents over a sufficiently long period. This study examines changes in parent‐ and teacher‐reported mental health problems among 10‐ and 11‐year‐olds in 1999, 2004 and 2012 in Great Britain. Method: Parent and teacher ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to compare the prevalence of conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, emotional problems, peer problems and total difficulties among 10‐ and 11‐year‐olds in three nationally representative British samples assessed in 1999 (n = 1904), 2004 (n = 1348) and 2012 (n = 11,397). Results: Teacher reports showed improving trends for boys’ and girls’ mental health from 1999 to 2012, particularly for externalizing behaviours (i.e. conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention). Parent reports, on the other hand, identified only one area of sustained improvement between 1999 and 2012, namely hyperactivity/inattention among boys. Although parent reports of girls’ mental health indicate improving trends from 1999 to 2004, they also suggest worsening mental health from 2004. Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceptions of emotional and behavioural problems vary by the gender of the adolescent, the context in which they are observed or by whom they are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined differences in emotional problems and personality of traditional bullies and cyberbullies. The present study aimed to determine whether those engaged in cyberbullying differ in emotional problems, and personality from those engage in traditional bullying perpetration. An Argentinean sample of 898 high school students was recruited (56% female; mean age = 15.2 SD = 1.6). Adolescents completed measures of traditional bullying, cyberbullying, self‐esteem, anxiety, depression, and personality. A 6% were traditional bullies; 8%, cyberbullies; and 4% were involved in both forms; the remainders were non involved. Results indicated that cyberbullies showed less depression and anxiety than traditional bullies. Also, cyberbullies scored low in neuroticism and high in agreeableness compared to traditional bullies. The results suggest that cyberbullies are characterized by an emotional and personality profile different from traditional bullies. In the discussion we analyze the implications of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In England, clinicians and professional organisations report that higher numbers of adolescents with more severe psychosocial difficulties are accessing specialist services. A lack of national data on patterns of access to specialist services means there is limited information to inform policy. We examined whether severity of psychosocial difficulties in adolescents accessing mental healthcare has changed over time. Adolescents seen in specialist child mental healthcare in 2009 vs. 2014 were matched on demographics and problem types using propensity score matching; final sample N = 2776 adolescents. We found: 1) stability over time in overall severity of difficulties, 2) an increase in severity of young women's emotional problems, and 3) a decrease in adolescents' conduct problems. The findings suggest the intriguing possibility that the criteria for accessing mental healthcare are not universally rising, but rather the patterns in access to specialist services may mirror epidemiological changes in severity of psychosocial difficulties in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Many emotional and behavioral problems first emerge in primary school and are the forerunners of mental health problems occurring in adolescence. However, the extent that these problems may be associated with academic failure has been explored less. We aimed to quantify the association between emotional and behavioral problems with academic performance. METHODS A stratified random sample of 8- to 9-year-olds (N = 1239) were recruited from schools in Australia. Data linkage was performed with a national assessment of academic performance to assess reading and numeracy. Parent report assessed emotional and behavioral problems with students dichotomized into 'borderline/abnormal' and 'normal' categories. RESULTS One in 5 grade 3 students fell in the 'borderline/abnormal' category. Boys with total difficulties (β = -47.8, 95% CI: -62.8 to -32.8), conduct problems, and peer problems scored lower on reading. Numeracy scores were lower in boys with total difficulties (β = -37.7, 95% CI: -53.9 to -21.5) and emotional symptoms. Children with hyperactivity/inattention scored lower in numeracy. Girls with peer problems scored lower in numeracy. CONCLUSIONS Boys with emotional and behavioral problems in mid-primary school were 12 months behind their peers. Children with emotional and behavioral problems are at high risk for academic failure, and this risk is evident in mid-primary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Picky eaters in the general population form a heterogeneous group. It is important to differentiate between children with transient picky eating (PE) and persistent PE behavior when adverse outcomes are studied. We analyzed four PE trajectories to determine the associations with child mental health prospectively. Methods: From a population-based cohort, 3,748 participants were assessed for PE at 1.5, 3, and 6 years of age using maternal reports. Four trajectories were defined: persistent (PE at all ages); remitting (PE before 6 years only); late-onset (PE at 6 years only); and never (no PE at any assessment). Child's problem behaviors were assessed with the Teacher's Report Form at 7 years of age. We examined associations between picky eating trajectories and emotional problems, behavioral problems and pervasive developmental problems using logistic regressions. Analyses were adjusted for child, parental, and socioeconomic confounders. We also adjusted for maternal-reported baseline problem behavior at age 1.5 years; the never picky eating group was used as reference. Results: Persisting PE predicted pervasive developmental problems at age 7 years (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.10-3.63). The association remained when adjusted for baseline pervasive developmental problems at 1.5 years (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.10-3.51). Persistent PE was not associated with behavioral (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.53-1.60) or emotional problems (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.74-2.07). Other PE trajectories were not related to child behavioral or emotional problems. Conclusions: Persistent PE may be a symptom or sign of pervasive developmental problems, but is not predictive of other behavioral problems. Remitting PE was not associated with adverse mental health outcomes, which further indicates that it may be part of normal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Preterm birth can impact on child development. As seen previously, children born preterm present more behavioral and/or emotional problems than do full-term counterparts. In addition to gestational age, neonatal clinical status should be examined to better understand the differential impact of premature birth on later developmental outcomes. The aim of the present study was to systematically review empirical studies on the relationship between prematurity, neonatal health status, and behavioral and/or emotional problems in children. A systematic search of the PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and LILACS databases for articles published from 2009 to 2014 was performed. The inclusion criteria were empirical studies that evaluated behavioral and/or emotional problems that are related to clinical neonatal variables in children born preterm. Twenty-seven studies were reviewed. Results showed that the degree of prematurity and birth weight were associated with emotional and/or behavioral problems in children at different ages. Prematurity that was associated with neonatal clinical conditions (e.g., sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and hemorrhage) and such treatments as corticoids and steroids increased the risk for these problems. The volume and abnormalities of specific brain structures also were associated with these outcomes. In conclusion, the neonatal health problems associated with prematurity present a negative impact on later child emotional and adapted behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Language impairments are associated with an increased likelihood of emotional difficulties later in childhood or adolescence, but little is known about the impact of LI on the growth of emotional problems. Aims To examine the link between early language status (language impaired (LI), typical language (TL)) and the pattern and predictors of growth in emotional difficulties from school entry to the start of high school in a large cohort of Australian children. Methods & Procedures Unconditional latent growth curves of emotional difficulties were modelled across four waves (ages 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11) using data from 1627 boys (280 LI, 1347 TL) and 1609 girls (159 LI, 1450 TL). Conditional latent growth curves estimated the main effects of LI on the severity and slope of growth in emotional problems. Simultaneous multiple regression tested the interaction between language status and the other predictors of the development of emotional symptoms. Outcomes & Results LI predicted a significant persistent elevation in severity of emotional difficulties across childhood among boys ( d = 0.33-0.57) and girls ( d = 0.25-0.39) but was not associated with their growth. LI moderated the association between hostile parenting and the severity of emotional symptoms for boys and the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) and temperamental sociability on the linear and quadratic growth of emotional problems for girls but had no impact on the influence of other predictors. Conclusions & Implications There is no effect of LI on the characteristic rate and shape of growth in emotional symptoms across childhood although LI children maintain elevated severities of emotional difficulties. The associations between child reactivity, peer problems, prosocial behaviours, maternal distress and parental warmth and the development of emotional difficulties were the same for LI and TL children. LI enhanced the influence of hostile parenting on a higher severity of emotional symptoms for boys and of lower SES on a faster rate of development of emotional symptoms for girls. LI offset the usual protective effect of higher sociability and the usual vulnerability of higher social avoidance to a faster increase in emotional symptoms with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the theory and practice of educational psychotherapy, an approach to working with children whose learning is hindered by emotional problems. The theoretical foundations in the work of Irene Caspari, Wilfred Bion, Melanie Klein, John Bowlby and D. W. Winnicott are outlined, and the approach is exemplified in two short case studies. The application of this approach in therapeutic story groups is briefly described. The article concludes with some comments on the potential for, and constraints facing, the introduction of educational psychotherapy in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Longitudinal studies have provided mixed findings regarding the relationship between emotional problems and subsequent poor school attainment. A meta-analysis of 26 community-based studies of children and adolescents was performed. Results revealed a prospective association between emotional problems and poor school attainment. More consistent associations were found for depression than anxiety. Moderator analyses indicated that some of the heterogeneity between studies may be due to age and gender, with reduced heterogeneity particularly notable for school grades during early adolescence and for anxiety by gender. Findings suggest that early identification and provision of support for young people with emotional problems may be helpful for improving academic outcomes such as school attainment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background There is a dearth of studies on behavioral and emotional problems in residential care children in Malaysia. This study describes the behavioral and emotional problems in a sample of children in a government residential care home and compares them with their classmates living with their birth parents. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out where carers from both groups were asked to fill in the translated Bahasa Melayu version of the Child Behavior Check List. Results Forms for 53 residential care children and 61 classmates were completed. The residential care children had significantly higher scores on the rule-breaking ( P < 0.001) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM) conduct problem subscales ( P < 0.001). Residential care children's age significantly correlated with DSM somatic problems ( P = 0.03) and post-traumatic stress ( P = 0.023). Duration of care was significantly positively correlated with rule-breaking ( P = 0.008), DSM conduct problems ( P = 0.018) and externalizing scores ( P = 0.017). Abuse and neglect cases had higher anxiety and depression scores ( P = 0.024). Number of reasons in care positively correlated with several subscales, including total behavioral problem score ( P = 0.005). Logistic regression revealed the greater number of reasons for placement a child had was significantly associated with having externalizing scores in the clinical range ( P = 0.016). However, after Bonferroni correction, only the initial findings regarding rule-breaking and DSM conduct problem scores remained significant. Conclusions Challenges exist in managing residential care children in Malaysia, especially regarding externalizing behavior. More studies are required to describe the Malaysian scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social, emotional, and behavioural disorders of children, within the context of a whole-school approach to inclusion as adopted by Hong Kong, can be challenging for teachers and parents. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and feedback from a range of experts and parent groups in Hong Kong, specific scales were developed to measure four behavioural traits identified in local school-aged children and the impact these have on their teachers and parents. Completed surveys were obtained from 914 members of school staff and 573 parents of school-aged children. This research, carried out by Chris Forlin and Paul Cooper of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, led to the identification of substantial levels of student behavioural problems in relation to educational engagement, motivation, co-operativeness and oppositionality. Evidence of emotional burden from these problems was also identified on parents and teachers. Discussion focuses on areas of potential stress in the school situation and possible points of influence in the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clinicians working with clients who have mild intellectual disabilities (IDs) have shown growing enthusiasm for using a cognitive behavioural approach, amid increasing evidence of good treatment outcomes for this client group. However, very little is known about the views and experiences of clients with IDs who have undergone cognitive behavioural therapy. This study aims to explore the perspective of these clients. Methods Fifteen participants with borderline to mild IDs and problems of anxiety, depression and anger were interviewed regarding their experience of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Two semi-structured interviews were carried out in the first phase of therapy between session four and session nine. An interpretive phenomenological approach was taken to seek out themes from participants' own personal accounts. Results Participants valued the opportunity to talk about problems with their therapist and benefitted from therapeutic relationships characterised by warmth, empathy and validation. Participants identified areas of positive change; however, many thought that this may be short lived or not maintained beyond discharge. Conclusions The supportive aspects of therapeutic relationships were particularly important to participants undergoing CBT. The clinical implications are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study assessed the validity, sensitivity, and specificity of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale ( SURPS), a measure of personality risk factors for substance use and other behavioral problems in adolescence. Methods The concurrent and predictive validity of the SURPS was tested in a sample of 1,162 adolescents (mean age: 13.7 years) using linear and logistic regressions, while its sensitivity and specificity were examined using the receiver operating characteristics curve analyses. Results Concurrent and predictive validity tests showed that all 4 brief scales-hopelessness (H), anxiety sensitivity ( AS), impulsivity ( IMP), and sensation seeking ( SS)-were related, in theoretically expected ways, to measures of substance use and other behavioral and emotional problems. Results also showed that when using the 4 SURPS subscales to identify adolescents 'at risk,' one can identify a high number of those who developed problems (high sensitivity scores ranging from 72 to 91%). And, as predicted, because each scale is related to specific substance and mental health problems, good specificity was obtained when using the individual personality subscales (e.g., most adolescents identified at high risk by the IMP scale developed conduct or drug use problems within the next 18 months [a high specificity score of 70 to 80%]). Conclusions The SURPS is a valuable tool for identifying adolescents at high risk for substance misuse and other emotional and behavioral problems. Implications of findings for the use of this measure in future research and prevention interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While there is considerable evidence of income gradients in child and adolescent behaviour problems, evidence relating to children and young people's emotional difficulties is more mixed. Older studies reported no income differentials, while recent reports suggest that adolescents from low-income families are more likely to experience emotional difficulties than their more affluent peers. Methods: We compared the association between low- versus medium-/high-family income and parent-reported emotional difficulties in 15- and 16-year-olds in three large nationally representative cohorts studied in 1974, 1986 and 1999/2004. We then examined whether increases in the income differential could be accounted for by changes in the association of a range of sociodemographic factors (family type or size, maternal education or housing tenure) with either family income or emotional difficulties. Finally, in the most recent cohorts, we considered whether the effects of these sociodemographic variables were mediated by more proximal family factors (maternal distress, stressful life events or family dysfunction). Results: An increasing income differential in adolescent emotional problems emerged over the period, with standardized coefficients for associations with low income increasing from .07 in 1974 and 1986 to .30 in 1999/2004. This was due partially (∼10%) to sociodemographic risk factors for emotional difficulties becoming more strongly associated with low-income families over time, and partially (∼40%) to the increasing impact of these risk factors. In the most recent cohorts, about 40% of the effects of sociodemographic risks appear to have been mediated by more proximal family factors. Conclusions: These findings have implications for our understanding of the health burden of emotional problems, recognition of the health burden associated with inequality and public concern about the consequences of social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood behavior problems are associated with premature mortality. To identify plausible pathways that may account for this association, we explored the extent to which childhood behavior problems relate to health behaviors and health outcomes at midlife. Methods: The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) study comprises 12,500 children from the Aberdeen area, Scotland, UK. Childhood behavior problems were assessed by teacher ratings at children's age of 6-12 years. Between 2001 and 2003, surviving study members, then aged 46-51 years, were mailed a questionnaire containing enquiries about physician-diagnosed conditions (long-term disease, diabetes, high blood pressure), general health, well-being, weight, smoking, and alcohol intake. A total of 7,183 responded. Results: Two dimensions of externalizing (conduct problems and hyperactivity) and one of internalizing (emotional problems) behaviors were associated with adult health. Childhood conduct problems were related to an increased risk of long-term disease (odds ratio per one standard deviation increase; 95% confidence interval: 1.15; 1.02-1.29 for men; 1.26; 1.08-1.47 for women), obesity (1.16; 1.01-1.33 in men; 1.38; 1.14-1.68 in women), cigarette smoking (1.20; 1.07-1.34 in men; 1.17; 1.01-1.35 in women), and lower well-being. Childhood hyperactivity was associated with earlier initiation of smoking in men and women; smoking more cigarettes in women; and binge-drinking, as well as a higher frequency of hangovers in men. Internalizing behavior was related to a reduced the risk of ever smoking (.87; .80-.95 in men; .92; .85-.99 in women) and to healthier drinking patterns. In women but not men, internalizing problems also predicted a later age of smoking onset. Adjusting for socio-economic status of origin, childhood intelligence, education and age had negligible effects on these results. Conclusions: Childhood behavior problems were associated with a series of adult health-related habits that may partially account for the link between early problem behaviors and premature mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cross-sectional studies suggest an association between eczema and mental health problems, possibly modified by sleeping problems, but prospective evidence is missing. We aimed to prospectively investigate the relationship between infant eczema (within first 2 years of age), infant sleeping problems (within first 2 years of age), and the risk of mental health problems at 10 years of age. Methods: Between 1997 and 1999, a population-based birth cohort was recruited in Munich, Leipzig, Wesel, and Bad Honnef, Germany, and followed until 10 years of age. Physician-diagnosed eczema, parent-reported sleeping problems, and known environmental risk factors for atopy were regularly assessed until 10 years of age. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (parent version) at 10 years of age. We applied logistic regression modeling adjusting for environmental and lifestyle factors, allergic comorbidity, and family history of eczema. Results: From the original cohort of 3097 neonates, 1658 (54%) were followed until age 10, while 1578 (51%) were eligible for analysis. In the fully adjusted model, children with infant eczema were at increased risk of hyperactivity/inattention at 10 years of age [odds ratio (OR) 1.78; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-3.09]. Infant eczema with concurrent sleeping problems predicted emotional problems [OR 2.63; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.20-5.76] and conduct problems (OR 3.03; 95% CI 1.01-9.12) at 10 years of age. Conclusions: Infant eczema with concurrent sleeping problems appears to be a risk factor for the development of mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence about trends in adolescent emotional problems (depression and anxiety) is inconclusive, because few studies have used comparable measures and samples at different points in time. We compared rates of adolescent emotional problems in two nationally representative English samples of youth 20 years apart using identical symptom screens in each survey. Methods: Nationally representative community samples of 16–17-year-olds living in England in 1986 and 2006 were compared. In 1986, 4524 adolescents and 7120 parents of young people participated in the age-16-year follow-up of the 1970 British Cohort Study. In 2006, 719 adolescents and 734 parents participated in a follow-up of children sampled from the 2002/2003 Health Surveys for England. Adolescents completed the Malaise Inventory and 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Parents completed the Rutter-A scale. Individual symptoms of depression and anxiety were coded combining across relevant questionnaire items. Young people also reported frequency of feeling anxious or depressed. Results: Youth- and parent-reported emotional problems were more prevalent in 2006 for girls, and rates of parent-reported problems increased for boys. Twice as many young people reported frequent feelings of depression or anxiety in 2006 as in 1986. Some symptoms showed marked change in prevalence over time (e.g., worry, irritability, fatigue), whereas others showed no change (e.g., loss of enjoyment, worthlessness). There was no evidence of differential trends in emotional problems for young people from socially advantaged and disadvantaged or intact and non-intact families. Changes in family structure and ethnic composition did not account for trends in youth emotional problems. Conclusions: The study provides evidence for a substantial increase in adolescent emotional problems in England over recent decades, especially among girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mothers’ positive emotions expressed about their children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with a reduced likelihood of comorbid conduct problems (CP). We examined whether this association with CP, and one with emotional problems (EMO), is moderated by variants within three genes, previously reported to be associated with ADHD and to moderate the impact of environmental risks on conduct and/or emotional problems; the dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3/DAT1), the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) and the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4/5HTT). Methods: Seven hundred and twenty-eight males between the ages of 5 and 17 with a DSM-IV research diagnosis of combined type ADHD were included in these analyses. Parents and teachers rated children’s conduct and emotional problems. Positive maternal expressed emotion (PMEE) was coded by independent observers on comments made during a clinical assessment with the mother based on current or recent medication-free periods. Results: Sensitivity to the effects of PMEE on CP was moderated by variants of the DAT1 and 5HTT genes. Only children who did not carry the DAT1 10R/10R or the 5HTT l/l genotypes showed altered levels of CP when exposed to PMEE. The effect was most marked where the child with ADHD had both these genotypes. For EMO, sensitivity to PMEE was found only with those who carried the DAT1 9R/9R. There was no effect of DRD4 on CP or EMO. Conclusion: The gene–environment interactions observed suggested that genetic make-up can alter the degree of sensitivity an ADHD patients has to their family environment. Further research should focus on distinguishing general sensitivity genotypes from those conferring risk or protective qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]