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The unique perspective of children communicating about the loss of a parent has rarely been studied. In this qualitative research, we interviewed 12 children aged 7–12 and asked them about their experience communicating their loss. The children's verbal and non-verbal communication was characterized by constant movements away from and closer to various aspects of their loss, illustrated by three main themes: (a) children either talking about the loss or not talking about it; (b) first talking about the loss and then stopping to talk about it; and (c) simultaneously talking and not talking about the loss. Based on Stern's interpersonal relational thinking, our findings indicate that children wish to talk about the loss but also to avoid talking about it. The possibility of choosing to talk and not to talk with themselves and close individuals about the loss allows children to think about and articulate their feelings and thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Lee Salk was a Pediatric/Clinical Child Psychologist known for his contributions in the areas of parent-child relationships, family, and promoting emotional health in children and adolescents. He conducted research on topics such as retirement and mortality, mother's heartbeat as an imprinting stimulus in infants, and the impact of divorce on children. Dr. Salk believed in the importance of active father participation in child rearing and emphasized the role of psychologists in pediatric settings. He also wrote books and appeared on television programs to disseminate scientific research to the public and provide guidance to parents. His work continues to be relevant in addressing issues related to family relationships and child development. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines children's opportunities to participate in everyday child–parent conflicts as revealed in young boys' fictional narratives. The data were collected from 19 boys aged 3–6 years using the Story Magician's Play Time method. Narrative analysis yielded four story types: ignored participation stories, parent‐directed participation stories, child‐directed participation stories and dialogical participation stories. The study illustrates that when considering children's participation in child–parent conflicts, differences between children in their opportunities to participate in resolving conflicts should be taken into account. The boys' stories draw attention to the importance of children's right to a voice and influence in child–parent conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines age crises that manifest themselves in children’s mental development. The study showed that one of the criteria for the successful course of the crisis and cognitive development, in general, is the ratio of negative and constructive symptoms. Correlation analysis also revealed some relationships between the psychological characteristics of the crisis and indicators of readiness to learn. The research showed that the obtained data are not unambiguous. Greater expression of adult behaviour corresponds to higher levels of visual linear thinking (p < 0.01) and visual-motor coordination, the ability to move correctly (p < 0.05). Argument is also positively related to imaginative thinking (p < 0.05). The higher the child’s cognitive motivation and ability to concentrate, the more general questions and new topics he has in communication (p <0.05). These contradictions show that constructive, neutral symptoms and an active form of negativism (argument) with a high level of motivation and intellectual preparation serve the normal course of the crisis. Passive forms of negativist behavioural reactions, on the contrary, are more common in children with a low level of speech development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does political partisanship extend to childhood? To what degree are children, a largely non‐political population, impacted by parents' and communities' political orientations? We examined children's behaviours and attitudes during a politically divisive event – the COVID‐19 pandemic. Children (4‐ to 12‐year‐olds; N = 313) of liberal (vs. conservative) parents reported greater preventive COVID‐19 behaviours, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, and responded more positively to these health behaviours. At the community level, children living in Democratic‐voting (vs. Republican‐voting) U.S. counties more strongly endorsed preventive COVID‐19 behaviours. Political orientation was a better predictor than education, income, religiosity, population‐density, and infection rates. Mediation and moderation analyses revealed that the parent–child political link was driven by children's perceptions of their parents' guidance, behaviours, and concern about COVID‐19, and that this link was attenuated in Democratic‐ versus Republican‐voting counties. Political orientation appears to play an unexpectedly prominent role, both at the intimate family and broader community level, in determining children's behaviours and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aim to examine whether having been separated from parents during childhood influences multiple dimensions of intergenerational solidarity during adulthood. Background: In developing countries, many children experience geographic separation from one or both parents due to parental out-migration. Previous research has examined the concurrent effects of parental migration on parent-child relationships, but little is known about the long-term implications of parental absence during childhood for intergenerational relationships in adulthood. Method: Our study used data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010 and 2016) to examine the relationship between mothers' and fathers' absence during childhood and intergenerational solidarity during adulthood. The sample includes adult respondents aged 25-54 with a living mother or father in 2016, generating 8889 respondentmother and 7159 respondent-father dyads. We estimated multilevel regression models predicting emotional, associational, and functional solidarity with the mother and the father during adulthood. Results: For both mother and father, the parent's absence during childhood is negatively associated with children's closeness to and frequency of seeing the parent in adulthood. Parental absence during childhood has little impact on the economic and instrumental support of parents in adulthood. A longer duration of parental absence has a stronger detrimental impact on intergenerational solidarity than a shorter duration for both mother-child and father-child relationships. Moreover, one parent's absence during childhood can influence the child's relationship with the other parent during adulthood (a spillover effect). Conclusion: Parents' absence during childhood has longterm implications for parent-child relationships during adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial in the Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience journal focuses on the neuropsychobiological aspects of parent-child interactions, emphasizing the crucial role these connections play in shaping the neurobiological development of both parties. The article highlights how daily interactions between parents and children influence brain development, emotional regulation, social behavior, and attachment formation. By understanding these early interactions, researchers aim to enhance interventions that support the well-being of both parents and children, ultimately contributing to improved developmental outcomes and quality of life. [Extracted from the article]

In this commentary, I argue that including and operationalizing allostatic processes will become increasingly important in future research on parent–child biobehavioral coregulation. In particular, the conceptualization and modeling of dyadic oscillatory rhythms that align in expected ways with the child's developmental stage and that distinguish typical and atypical development will be useful in future work. Despite the inherent asymmetry characteristic of parent–child relationships, we should not forget to consider the child's effects on the parent within and across time, the additional environmental demands upon parents that shape parent–child coregulation, and variations in parent–child asymmetry by parental risk factors. Studying risk factors that are dyadic in nature, such as child maltreatment, may be particularly informative in gaining a deeper understanding of how parent–child coregulation interfaces with developmental psychopathology. To best model parent–child coregulation as a dynamic system, it will be critical to employ more nonlinear analytic models and better represent the multiple hierarchical domains of coregulation and their interactions, including affect, cognition, behavior, and biology. Finally, in future research, a deeper application of existing dyadic and dynamic theories, as well as the generation of new dyadic developmental theories, will aid us in obtaining a stronger understanding of the developmental function and intervention implications of parent–child biobehavioral coregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychotic disorders are highly heritable, yet the evidence is less clear for subclinical psychosis expression, such as psychotic experiences (PEs). We examined if PEs in parents were associated with PEs in offspring. Methods: As part of the Danish general population Lolland-Falster Health Study, families with youths aged 11–17 years were included. Both children and parents reported PEs according to the Psychotic Like Experiences Questionnaire, counting only 'definite' PEs. Parents additionally reported depressive symptoms, anxiety, and mental wellbeing. The associations between parental and child PEs were estimated using generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation structure to account for the clustering of observations within families, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Altogether, 984 youths (mean age 14.3 years [s.d. 2.0]), 700 mothers, and 496 fathers from 766 households completed PEs-questionnaires. Offspring of parents with PEs were at an increased risk of reporting PEs themselves (mothers: adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 2.42, 95% CI 1.73–3.38; fathers: aRR 2.25, 95% CI 1.42–3.59). Other maternal problems (depression, anxiety, and poor mental well-being), but not paternal problems, were also associated with offspring PEs. In multivariate models adjusting for parental problems, PEs, but not other parental problems, were robustly associated with offspring PEs (mothers: aRR 2.25, 95% CI 1.60–3.19; fathers: aRR 2.44, 95% CI 1.50–3.96). Conclusions: The current findings add novel evidence suggesting that specific psychosis vulnerability in families is expressed at the lower end of the psychosis continuum, underlining the importance of assessing youths' needs based on psychosis vulnerability broadly within the family systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood is a stage of rapid psychological development, movement and psychological development are inseparable. At this stage, games are the main form of activity for children which play a dominant role in promoting children's psychological development. By implementing parent-child sports game intervention activities, children can prevent psychological disorders or behavioural problems, help them better adapt to social life, and make more effective contributions to society and humanity. Therefore, current research aimed to check the impact of parent-child sports games on children's psychological development. For this purpose, survey subjects were 50 students from large class of kindergarten A and 50 students from the large class of kindergarten B. An experimental research design was applied by using control and experimental group. The findings that the experimental group showed significant improvements in cognitive ability, emotional stability, willpower, and personality shaping compared to the control group. Moreover, their social adaptability was notably higher, fostering smoother communication and harmonious interpersonal relationships. The findings highlight the importance of early engagement in sports game activities to promote psychological health and resilience in preschool children, emphasizing the need for integrating such activities into early childhood education and parental involvement programs. The research also explored a new research area for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides summaries of various studies and symposiums related to child development and psychology. The symposium focuses on topics such as the assessment and diagnosis of learning disabilities in children and the use of the Griffiths Scales of Child Development - Third Edition for child development assessment. The presentations discuss the importance of standardized assessment and the impact of screen use and social media on children. Other studies explore the relationship between narrative skills and emotion understanding, the impact of the birth of a new sibling on older siblings' physical and mental health, the differences in preteens' perception of difficult situations over time, the correlations among nutrition, sleep, emotion, and cognitive development in children, the effects of integrative play therapy on preschool children with behavior problems, and the impact of media multitasking on executive function in adolescents. These studies provide valuable insights for parents, policymakers, and researchers in understanding and supporting children's development. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Several studies have examined the impact of parents' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on their children's mental health, but few have evaluated the role of parents' specific PTSD trajectories. The aim of this study was to assess the mechanisms underlying distinct trajectories of parental PTSD that affect children's PTSD and depression through the feeling of safety. Methods: The final sample comprised 242 dyads of parents and their children who experienced Super Typhoon Lekima in 2019. All participants were surveyed at three time points after the typhoon: 3 months (T1), 15 months (T2), and 27 months (T3). Parental PTSD symptoms at three time points and children's PTSD, depression, and feeling of safety at T3 were analyzed. Results: Four parental PTSD trajectories were identified: recovery, resilience, delayed, and coping. Compared with the resilient group, children of parents with delayed PTSD trajectories reported higher levels of depression at T3, while children of parents in the coping group were more likely to experience severe PTSD at T3. Children of parents in the recovery group, with a reduced feeling of safety, exhibited more severe depression and PTSD at T3, whereas children of parents in the delayed group were at an increased risk of PTSD at T3. Conclusions: These findings highlight the heterogeneity of parental PTSD trajectories following natural disasters and their distinct effects on children's PTSD and depression. Furthermore, feeling of safety emerges as a crucial mechanism in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals could support the development of secure attachment in children with developmental delay or disability (DD) within the context of ECI in Australia. Secure parent–child attachment is conducive to the aims of ECI to enhance the development, well-being, and participation of children with DD. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied to collect and analyze data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with three parents and 18 professionals. Seven conceptual categories were selected: (a) Importance; (b) Challenges; (c) The System; (d) The Key Worker; (e) Assessment; (f) Strategies; and (g) Outcomes. Two dominant themes were identified: the quality of the relationship between the ECI professional and the family and self-regulation. An attachment-focused ECI framework is proposed, aligned with the ecological system model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting children with conduct problems (CP) is challenging, yet very little research has examined parenting using both quantitative and qualitative methods, from the perspective of the child and their parent/caregiver, and separately for those with high vs. low levels of callous-unemotional traits (HCU vs. LCU). One hundred and forty-six boys aged 11–16 [Typically developing (TD) n = 31; CP/HCU n = 35; CP/LCU n = 35] and their parents/caregivers completed the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire and provided a written qualitative statement describing their respective experiences of parenting/being parented. Parents/caregivers of CP/HCU boys reported more difficulty with child monitoring and supervision than parents of TD boys. This was echoed in qualitative reports of parents of CP/HCU boys reporting concerns regarding their child's safety. Parents/caregivers of both groups of CP boys reported more inconsistent discipline than parents of TD boys. Parental qualitative descriptions of challenging behavior in CP/HCU boys, and difficulties with setting boundaries and motivating CP/LCU boys, provided further insight to the potential triggers for inconsistent discipline. Qualitative reports from boys with CP indicated that they understood the parenting challenges their parents/caregivers faced. These findings replicate and extend previous work on the associations between parenting and CP. Children with CP/HCU and CP/LCU show some commonalities and differences in their parenting experiences and CP children and their parents/caregivers do not necessarily share all the same perceptions or concerns. CP interventions often involve parent/family engagement and this research highlights the continued importance of examining both parent and child perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the relative associations of mothers'/fathers' and offspring's internalizing and externalizing problems with parent‐to‐offspring and offspring‐to‐parent warmth and negativity. Background: Psychological conditions of family members may be related to intrafamilial social interactions. Particularly, internalizing and externalizing problems may affect the quality of parent–offspring communication. Method: In this study, fathers (N = 94), mothers (N = 125) and their offspring (N = 224, age rangeoffspring = 7.5–65.5 years) from 137 nuclear families participated in a behavioral conflict interaction task during which expressed warmth and negativity were observed. Associations between parents' and offspring's psychological problems (of the past 6 months) and parent‐to‐offspring and offspring‐to‐parent communication were tested simultaneously using structural equation models separated for fathers and mothers. Based on prior findings in the study sample, our analyses were controlled for history of childhood abuse. Results: Offspring's internalizing problems were related to less negativity toward their father, whereas offspring's externalizing problems were related to more negativity toward their father and to receiving less warmth from their mother. Father's externalizing problems were linked to more negativity toward offspring. No associations were found between maternal and paternal internalizing problems and dyadic parent–offspring interactions, nor for maternal externalizing problems. Conclusion: Findings support that psychological conditions of one family member have an impact on their social interactions within the family. Implications: Supporting families with interventions to improve parent–offspring interactions and (early) treatment of externalizing problems is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most broadly used questionnaires to evaluate children's psychological adjustment, however its internal structure has been a target of ongoing controversy. Recent studies suggested a three-factor structure of the SDQ, however data is still scarce. The present study used the Multitrait-Multimethod analysis to examine SDQ construct related-validity with three and five dimensions, provided by children, their parents and teachers. A total of 415 participants were recruited from a Portuguese community sample. Both SDQ versions presented good convergence-related validity, with higher values for the five version. Findings from this study suggest that the SDQ with three dimensions could be more suitable as a screening measure of children's psychological adjustment in a community low-risk sample. Nevertheless, the SDQ still needs further psychometric improvements in order to properly collect information from multi-source samples about the prevalence of children's psychological adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dirasat: Educational Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research suggests that bibliotherapy can help children cope with life's challenges through age‐appropriate reading and storytelling. Bibliotherapy has been employed to assist children in dealing with grief, divorce, adoption and other stressors. However, limited studies have investigated how this approach can support young children with incarcerated parents. Utilizing bibliotherapy as a framework, this study conducts a thematic analysis of children's picture books published between 1977 and 2014, featuring children of incarcerated parents as main characters to better understand the challenges they face. The study aims to explore the challenges depicted among child characters in picture books addressing parental incarceration for a young reading audience over almost 50 years. Our findings reveal that child characters grapple with various emotional, psychological and social challenges related to the sudden separation from their loved ones. We discuss the implications of each finding in greater detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) experience heightened rates of childhood trauma and adversity. Research has examined the negative impact adverse childhood experiences have on developmental outcomes. This study aims to take the field a step further by examining the details of traumatic events, including duration, perpetrator, whether the event significantly impacted the child, and trauma subtype. Subtype is examined using threat/deprivation dimensions and their relation to child behavior and the caregiver‐child relationship. Methods: A sample of 84 children aged 4–12 with FASD, all in out‐of‐home placements, and their families took part in an emotion coaching intervention study. At baseline, caregivers completed questionnaires assessing child trauma, child emotion regulation and behavior, caregiver emotion socialization, and caregiver‐child relationships. We used analysis of covariance to examine the differing impacts of threat, deprivation, and a combination of the two on behavioral outcomes, while controlling for age. We also used Pearson's r correlations, controlling for age, to examine whether the duration of threat or deprivation exposure was related to child outcomes. Results: Descriptive statistics showed that 87.5% of individuals experienced three or more subtypes of trauma. The average duration of all subtypes was 1.62 years, with a mean onset of 3.94 years. Biological parents were the most common perpetrator. There were significantly worse behavioral and caregiver‐child relationship outcomes for children experiencing a combination of threat and deprivation trauma. A r correlations, controlling for age, demonstrated longer duration of deprivation was associated with greater cognitive difficulties. Conclusions: We found unique patterns of behavior in children with FASD when analyzing the impact of traumatic experiences through a threat/deprivation framework. The combination of both threat and deprivation experiences leads to worse outcomes overall. Additionally, vital details surrounding the traumatic experiences point to crucial areas for intervention, including caregiver‐child relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the results of a study which examined how the combination of prenatal substance exposure and childhood trauma exposure impact neurobehavioral functioning. Topics covered include the interaction of trauma with prenatal polydrug exposure in the disruption of childhood behavior control, whether the type of prenatal substance exposure alters the relationship and whether the effects differ by sex. It also discusses the limitations of the study.

The consequences associated with child sexual abuse are well known. However, factors exacerbating child behavior problems following sexual abuse (SA) deserve further attention. Self-blame following the abuse has been identified as a predictor of negative outcomes in adult survivors, however there is limited evidence regarding the impact of self-blame on consequences in child victims of sexual abuse. This study assessed behavioral problems in a sample of sexually abused children and tested the mediating role of children's internal blame attributions in the association between the parent's self-blame and the internalizing and externalizing difficulties of the child. A sample of 1066 sexually abused children between 6 and 12 years of age and their non-offending caregiver completed self-report questionnaires. Parents completed questionnaires related to the child's behavior following the SA and their own feelings of self-blame regarding the SA. Children completed a questionnaire assessing their level of self-blame. Results showed that parents' self-blame was associated with a higher level of self-blame in the child which, in turn, was linked to more child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. In addition, parents' self-blame was directly associated with a higher level of internalizing difficulties in children. These findings underscore the importance of considering the non-offending parent's self-blame in interventions aiming the recovery of child victims of SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a synthesis of two PhD studies of Support Family Intervention (SFI) in Finland. This is a service in which volunteer families provide support and respite care to children and parents who are coping with a range of psycho-social challenges by looking after the children for one weekend a month. The aim of this article is to develop a child-centred programme theory (CCPT) of SFI that combines a meta-ethnography-based theory underpinning the use of SFI with evidence of participating children's lived experiences. The CCPT that emerged is grounded on three elaborations of the programme theory currently informing SFI: a more nuanced description of the child as a stakeholder in the intervention, an investigation into the supportive properties of the environment and the activities provided by the support family to the child and clarification of the function of relationships as a central element of the intervention. Plain language summary: Support Family Intervention is a social work service provided to children and parents in Finland and other Nordic countries. The child receives a voluntary 'extra' family whom they visit on a regular basis one weekend every month. At the same time, the parents get time for recovery and rest. In this article we present the results of two doctoral theses. Our focus is on how the support family can be understood from the child's point of view. We summarise our results in a programme theory that can be used, for example, when the social worker introduces the service to the family. For the child, the home, the support family and the surroundings provide opportunities for many activities. The most important element is the relationship(s) to which the child gets access in the support family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment is a serious problem affecting millions of children. Research on self-reporting of child maltreatment has shown a difference in reporting between caregivers and children. Increased understanding of this has implications for further evaluations of parenting programmes and assessment of violence and maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to explore caregiver-child reporting discrepancies on child maltreatment and emotional health before and after piloting of the International Child Development Program (ICDP) in the Philippines. Data was collected from caregivers and their children before and after caregiver participation in ICDP. Participants were selected from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Leyte by Save the Children. Caregivers and children completed a questionnaire with some adapted items from the Conflict Tactics Scale Parent–Child version (CTSPC), some relevant complementary items on psychological aggression and items from the emotional problems subscale from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Matching items, subscales and total count scores were compared using paired t-tests in STATA 14. Forty-six caregivers and 43 children aged from 5–13 years participated at baseline, and 44 caregivers and 42 children at endline. At baseline, children reported significantly more maltreatment than their caregivers. The groups reported similarly at baseline and endline on the items from the subscale on emotional problems. Both children and caregivers had lower scores on our harsh discipline scale at endline, indicating improved parenting strategies after the intervention. These results indicate a difference in reporting of child maltreatment between caregivers and children, with higher rates reported by the children before the intervention, but not after. This is important because it illustrates child and caregiver perspectives on maltreatment, and how they can differ. As such, our findings point towards a positive effect of ICDP on parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to address some of the criticisms of Behavioral Parent Training programs (BPT; high attrition, reliance on caregiver report measures), the current study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and outcome of an intensive behavior treatment program (120-minute sessions for 5 days/week over the course of 2 weeks). Using a changing criterion single case experimental design, 12 children (M child age = 4.9 years) and their primary caregivers completed the 2-week function-based intervention procedure designed to increase children's frustration tolerance via a wait training procedure based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Using both direct observation and standardized measures, results indicated that the treatment was effective in reducing childhood behavior problems, both within and between appointments (Cohen's d s = 3.2 and 1.37, respectively). Preliminary evidence suggests that a compressed treatment package designed to train caregivers in function-based intervention strategies is feasible and acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cet article propose de passer en revue les changements récents dans les méthodes d'intervention précoce des jeunes enfants avec Trouble du Spectre de l'Autisme. Nous sommes passés de modèles d'interventions intensives, en situations écologiquement non pertinentes, centrées sur les comportements autistiques des enfants, à des interventions moins intensives, au sein de la dyade, en contexte écologique. Elles ciblent l'interaction parent/enfant, notamment la synchronie, la sensibilité parentale, les compétences langagières et la communication sociale de l'enfant. Les différentes techniques de vidéo feed-back, particulièrement pertinentes chez l'enfant autiste, sont détaillées, notamment la VIPP, le PACT et la Thérapie de Guidance Interactive (TGI) avec leur intérêt, leur validité et leurs limites. L'enjeu est de développer ces techniques de manière reproductible et mesurable, tout en respectant la spécificité de chaque dyade. Nous proposons, pour répondre à ces gageures, de développer la TGI, qui répond aux exigences énoncées, et de développer la méthodologie du cas unique afin d'évaluer les effets des interventions précoces chez les enfants avec autisme. This paper aims to review recent changes in the methods of early intervention used in treating young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We have transitioned from models of intensive interventions, in ecologically irrelevant situations, that focus on children's autistic behavior, to less intensive dyad-based interventions in ecological contexts. They target parent/child interaction, including synchrony, parental sensitivity, language skills, and the child's social communication. The various video feedback techniques, particularly relevant for autistic children, are detailed, in particular VIPP, PACT, and Interactive Guidance Therapy (IGT) taking into account their interest, validity and limitations. The challenge is to develop these techniques in a reproducible and measurable way, while respecting the specificity of each dyad. To meet these challenges, we propose to develop the IGT model, which meets the stated requirements, and to develop the single-case methodology in order to assess the effects of early interventions on children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the psychosocial effects of parents' absence on children left behind in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). A survey was conducted in 2018 with a sample of 457 secondary school children aged 11–18-years-old in the Kyrgyz Republic. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the psychological well-being of children was not significantly influenced when their parents were not divorced but did live separately. However, children with parents who lived abroad and were divorced did show a significant increase in their psychological distress when compared to children who lived with both parents. Furthermore, children whose father was away and who were cared for by their mother only, were more likely to experience a lower level of psychological well-being than children who lived with both parents. Additionally, no significant effect on the well-being of children whose mothers or both parents had migrated was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in infants' home environment is implicated in their cognitive and psycho‐social development. The pandemic has intensified variations in home environments through exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities, and increasing psychological stressors for some families. This study investigates the effects of parental (predominantly maternal) mental health, enriching activities and screen use on 280 24‐ to 52‐month‐olds' executive functions, internalising and externalising problems, and pro‐social behaviour; with socioeconomic status and social support as contextual factors. Our results indicate that aspects of the home environment are differentially associated with children's cognitive and psycho‐social development. Parents who experienced sustained mental distress during the pandemic tended to report higher child externalising and internalising problems, and executive function difficulties at follow‐up. Children who spent more time engaged in enriching activities with their parents showed stronger executive functions and social competence six months later. Screen use levels during the first year of the pandemic were not associated with outcomes. To mitigate the risk of persistent negative effects for this 'pandemic generation' of infants, our study highlights the importance of supporting parents' mental health. As our results demonstrate the impact of social support on mental health, investing in support services and interventions promoting building support networks are likely to be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie is the property of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the relationship between incarcerated parents and their children. A total of 110 participants in the "Reading for a Change" program at three Colorado correctional facilities were recruited. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, incarcerated parents were asked about their relationships with their children and the impact incarceration has had on their families. Results indicated considerable barriers to visits, high costs of keeping in touch, significant impacts on the family at home, strained financial support, and important reported changes in children's behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military-connected families face many challenges associated with military life transitions, including deployment separations. We report on a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of Families OverComing Under Stress-Early Childhood (FOCUS-EC) delivered through an in-home, virtual telehealth platform. FOCUS-EC is a trauma-informed, family-centered preventive intervention designed to promote family resilience and well-being. Military-connected families with 3- to 6-year-old children (194 mothers; 155 fathers; 199 children) were randomized to FOCUS-EC or an online education condition. Parent psychological health symptoms, child behavior, parenting, and parent–child relationships were examined by parent-report and observed interaction tasks for up to 12 months. Longitudinal regression models indicated that FOCUS-EC families demonstrated significantly greater improvements than online education families in parent-reported and observational measures of child behavior, parenting practices, and parent–child interaction, as well as greater reductions in parent posttraumatic stress symptoms. Findings provide support for the benefit of a virtually-delivered preventive intervention for military-connected families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to determine the role of the family in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for children aged 3–12 years during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Qassim region in light of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program. Background: This study is important in defining the role of the family in promoting an active lifestyle for children during the COVID‐19 pandemic because the family is primarily responsible for promoting a healthy lifestyle for children. Method: We evaluated responses of 320 parents completing an online survey about their children's physical health during the pandemic. Results: The results showed a low level of children's physical activity and excessive use of electronic devices. Late bedtimes were evident and defined as midnight or later. As well, however, families knew the necessary information about COVID‐19 and maintained the children's preventive measures. The families were aware of the child's consumption of a healthy diet. They helped the child complete studies through distance education. The families supported the child's psychological well‐being and helped them develop some entertainment plans. Conclusions: Although the family plays an important role in promoting the active and healthy lifestyle of the child, there is still a need for more awareness regarding the child's practice of physical activity, healthy sleep habits, and correct use of electronic devices. Implications: Programs should be established to increase family awareness of the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Health regarding the child's physical activity, sleep habits, and the use of electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality of children's early home learning environment has an influence on their cognitive development, preliteracy skills, and subsequent educational outcomes. Early intervention programs that promote positive parenting behaviors and child cognition have great potential to positively influence children's school readiness and thereby support social equality. One often advocated parental practice for promoting child language and cognition is interactive book sharing.Methods: We have conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a parent-child interactive book sharing intervention on early child language, cognition, and parental behaviors. Participating caregivers and their 10-month-old child were randomized to an interactive book sharing intervention group (n = 59) or to an active control group (n = 56). The intervention was delivered by a facilitator to small groups of parent-child dyads on a weekly basis over 5 weeks. The primary outcomes were child language and socio-cognition; secondary outcomes were child executive function and parental scaffolding, sensitivity and reciprocity during book sharing, and problem-solving tasks. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6 and 12 months post-intervention.Discussion: The Roadmap to Executive function and Language (REaL) trial aims to evaluate the impact of a brief early parenting intervention on key factors for child development, including child cognition and parental behaviors. If this intervention is beneficial for child outcomes, that would be of significance for the development of early interventions to promote child development.Trial Registration: The REaL trial is registered on the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number database, registration number ISRCTN22319305. Retrospectively registered on 7 February 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Parenting and parent-child relationships change dramatically during development. One unique feature of developmental changes in parenting–lability–is associated with adolescent problem behaviors, above and beyond the general level and developmental trends of parenting. This study investigated lability in parental warmth in childhood, its associations with early adolescent adjustment, as well as antecedents in kindergarten: socioeconomic status (SES), parental depressive symptoms, and child problem behaviors. Method: Using longitudinal data from a large and racially diverse sample (N = 710, 46% urban Black, 58% male), parents reported their warmth annually from kindergarten to grade 5, as well as child externalizing and internalizing problems in grade 7. Teachers rated child social competence in grade 6. Results: Lability accounted for the majority of the variance in the year-to-year changes in parental warmth. Greater lability was associated with more internalizing problems and lower social competence. There was little evidence of the influence of child problem behaviors and parental depressive symptoms on lability. However, parents from lower-SES families showed greater lability in their warmth. Furthermore, lability partly explained the effects of SES on social competence in boys but not in girls, whereas the indirect effects of SES on internalizing problems through lability were significant in girls but not in boys. Conclusions: The findings highlight lability in parental warmth as a unique feature of the developmental changes in parenting in childhood, with linkages to adjustment in early adolescence. Family-based interventions should emphasize consistent parenting and provide stress management and coping skills for parents in order to reduce lability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) are inconsistently associated with lower rates of child prosocial behavior. Studies typically examine prosocial behavior as a unitary construct rather than examining its multiple dimensions, and rarely consider how the quality of the parent-child relationship could influence this association. Objective: The current study examines whether the security of the parent-child attachment relationship moderates the association between MDS and children's helping, sharing, and comforting behaviors. Method: Participants were 164 low-income, majority African American mothers and their preschool-aged children recruited from Head Start centers. Mothers reported the frequency of depressive symptoms at baseline; child attachment security and helping, sharing, and comforting behavior were observationally assessed 5 to 8 months later. Results: Moderation analyses revealed a positive main effect of security (but not MDS) on children's comforting behavior, a main effect of MDS on sharing, and no main effects of MDS or security on children's helping behaviors. Significant interactions between MDS and security predicted comforting and (marginally) helping behaviors, such that MDS were associated with both more helping and more comforting behavior only when children were more secure. No such interaction was observed for sharing. Conclusions: These findings suggest that children may adapt to maternal depressive symptoms in prosocial ways, but that this depends at least in part on the quality of the parent-child relationship, underscoring the importance of examining attachment quality as a moderator of parental influences on children's social-emotional development. We discuss potential explanations for these findings, as well as their implications for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To advance the understanding of how parental self‐regulation contributes to their role in supporting children's development, this study proposes a model of the dynamic processes involved in parental self‐regulation. Based on time‐series data from 157 mothers and their 30‐ to 60‐month‐old children (49.7% female; 96% White; data collected June 2017–December 2019 in central Pennsylvania, U.S.) during a challenging wait task, the model was tested by examining the temporal relations among challenging child behavior, maternal physiology, and maternal responsiveness. Results were consistent with the hypothesized dynamic negative feedback processes and revealed their associations with the overall quality of parenting behaviors and experiences. Findings elucidate how parents adapt to competing external (attending to child) and internal (restoring parents' equilibrium) demands during parenting challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant disparities in education and social‐emotional outcomes exist between racial/ethnic groups, particularly impacting children growing up in impoverished environments. Home visitation intervention programs, such as the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), have been used for decades to improve academic readiness in these vulnerable preschool‐aged children. Although the benefits of HIPPY on academic readiness and performance are well‐documented, there has been no examination of social‐emotional benefits to participating parent‐child dyads. This study followed a HIPPY cohort over the course of 1 year to evaluate change in maternal and child social‐emotional and behavioral functioning. Program participants demonstrated reduced parental stress and depression and increased parental social connection as well as reduced child externalizing behaviors and improved child adaptive functioning over the course of the program, even in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic and associated lockdown. These data highlight the additional benefits of early home‐based academic intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to examine whether (a) mean differences and changes in athletes' attachment style predicted psychological need satisfaction within two diverse relational contexts (coach and parent) and well-being, and (b) mean differences and changes in need satisfaction within the two relational contexts predicted well-being. One hundred and ten athletes aged between 15 and 32 years old completed a multisection questionnaire at three time points over a span of 6 months to assess the main study variables. Multilevel modeling revealed that insecure attachment styles (anxious and avoidant) predicted well-being outcomes at the within- and between-person levels. Avoidant attachment predicted need satisfaction within the parent relational context at both levels, and need satisfaction within the coach relational context at the between-person level. Need satisfaction within both relational contexts predicted various well-being outcomes at the between-person level, while need satisfaction within the parent relational context predicted vitality at the within-person level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shared book reading (SBR) is a crucial activity fostering parent-child interaction and promoting children's early language and emergent literacy skills. SBR interventions are carried out less in low- and middle-income countries. Hence, there is a need for research in such settings. Aim: The present study focuses on providing SBR training to parents and assesses parents' interactive storybook reading and changes in the child's narrative development at baseline, postintervention, and follow-up. Method: A total of 210 parents and typically developing child dyads participated in this study, 105 in experimental and control groups. The children from the experimental group participated in one-on-one book reading interactions with their parents after receiving training. Parents in the control group were not trained to read with their children. One week after the training sessions and 2 months later, children and parents were tested to determine whether the training led to beneficial effects. Result: The data were analyzed by x2 test, Kruskal Wallis 1-way ANOVA on ranks with Student Newman Keuls multiple comparison test (post-hoc test), and 3-way ANOVA with a post-hoc multiple comparison test. During 2 postintervention sessions, parents and children assigned to the intervention group significantly increased the targeted interactive shared reading skills. This result indicates that the intervention successfully changed parent SBR behaviors (P < .001), resulting in improved child's narrative skills (P < .001). Conclusion: The current findings can aid in the creation of intervention programs to support parents' SBR skills and promote children's overall development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting programs often train parents in improving their parenting practices and parent-child relationship to reduce behavioral problems in children. However, the children's prosocial behaviors are less examined as an intervention outcome in these programs. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting program (IYPP) for Malaysian parents of school-going children and its sustainability in improving the children's prosocial behaviors. This randomized controlled study involved pre- and post-intervention assessments at 2 and 14 weeks. Mothers of children aged 6-12 years (n = 70) recruited through the pediatrics and the child and adolescent psychiatric clinics were randomly assigned to the parenting program or a waitlist control condition. The mothers rated their children's prosocial behaviors using a self-administered questionnaire. The program ran two to three hours weekly for 14 weeks. Several modifications were made to the program to accommodate public health control during the pandemic. Children in the intervention group showed a notable but non-significant increase in prosocial skills. However, subsequent score decline at follow-up may suggest a lack of evidence that the program is potentially effective in improving prosocial behaviors among school children who are at risk of or already having behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity is a costly, yet preventable, public health concern. Strengthening the parent–child relationship and teaching parents strategies to manage children's general and health-related behaviors has the potential to reduce childhood obesity risk. Selective prevention interventions may help parents of young children establish positive parenting and feeding practices to actively reduce risk factors. We review the existing literature on childhood obesity interventions and describe an adaptation to a behavioral parent training program—parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT)—to address children's behaviors in obesity-salient (e.g., mealtime, screen time, bedtime) contexts. In a case example, we describe how PCIT-Health can be effectively implemented. • Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern, related to numerous negative health outcomes. • The quality of the parent–child relationship contributes to childhood obesity risk. • Excessive screen use in children increases obesity risk • Successful obesity prevention models should include intervention at the parent–child dyad level. • PCIT-Health is a promising intervention to reduce childhood obesity risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a parent of dependent children dies, families are often unsure if and how children could be part of the immediate bereavement period. Children excluded can be more susceptive to negative outcomes. In-depth interviews explored funeral directors' (N = 23) experiences of providing a service to families in the immediate bereavement period, when a parent dies from cancer. Findings highlighted funeral directors can have an important role in guiding families through the distressing immediate bereavement period. Recommendations are discussed surrounding a pastoral role of the funeral director in the immediate bereavement period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with school-aged children is limited. We used a cross-sectional, descriptive design to examine pandemic-related family impacts and whether impacts varied based on demographics. We also examined whether parenting behaviors in response to the virus and parent–child interactions were related to pandemic impacts and children's psychological adjustment. We surveyed 595 United States parents (69.2% non-Latinx White, 12.1% Black/African American) using Amazon Mechanical Turk in May 2020. Results revealed that families experienced negative and positive impacts related to the pandemic. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs indicated that parents of color, parents with lower income, and parents of elementary school children reported more negative impacts. Correlational analyses revealed parents who encouraged hygienic behaviors and promoted social connection reported their children engaged in more virus safety behaviors and experienced less impairment. Parents who limited access to COVID-19 information reported their children demonstrated more fear, impairment, and safety behaviors. Positive parenting was inversely related to negative pandemic impacts, whereas inconsistent discipline was positively related to negative pandemic impacts and to children's fear and impairment related to COVID-19. Recommendations for how practitioners and school personnel can support parents during the pandemic are provided. Impact Statement This study contributes to our growing understanding of demographic trends in parents' COVID-19 responses and also identifies parenting behaviors associated with children's adjustment to the pandemic. Our findings highlight the need for interventions to teach parents how to talk to their children about the virus and help their child cope with the pandemic. Interventions should also focus on helping parents learn and utilize positive and consistent parenting strategies. Schools should consider developing focused supports for families of color, of lower income, and with elementary school-aged children to help reduce burden associated with adverse impacts of the pandemic, such as children's transition to online learning from home [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research utilizing the 'Structured Days Hypothesis' suggests that children's weight-related behaviors are more favorable on days with more structure, routine, and consistency. The purpose of this study was to investigate weight-related behaviors of rural children on 'structured' versus 'less-structured' days. A 14-day repeated measures observational study was conducted of 52 parent-child dyads (child mean age 9.2 ± SD 1.9 years; 60% female). Participating parents/guardians reported evening screen-time and sleep (duration and timing). Mixed effect models compared behaviors between structured (e.g., school or camp day) and less-structured days (no formal program). Parent reported sleep duration of their child was −63 minutes/night less (95%CI: −74.6, −50.7 min/night), bed/wake times were earlier, and all children engaged in less screen time after 8:00PM on structured days compared to less-structured days (−34.5 min, 95%CI: −42.0, −27.1). Initial evidence suggests that on structured days children engage in favorable weight-related behaviors compared to less-structured days. Additional research with larger and more diverse samples of rural children is warranted; however, given preliminary findings social work practitioners in rural communities should increase social service-related program and planning that promote interventions focused on positive changes in children's weight related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined how parents and children interact when crossing virtual roads together. We examined (1) whether children's inattention/hyperactivity and oppositionality and children's failure to jointly perform the task interfered with parents' efforts to scaffold children's road-crossing skill and (2) whether experience with the joint road-crossing task impacted children's subsequent performance in a solo road-crossing task.Methods: Fifty-five 8- to 10-year-old children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their parents first jointly crossed a lane of traffic in an immersive pedestrian simulator. Children then completed the same road-crossing task alone. Parents completed questionnaires about children's symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and oppositionality.Results: Analyses of the joint road-crossing task showed that when parents and children crossed different gaps, parents suggested and opposed more gaps and were less likely to use a prospective gap communication strategy (i.e., communicating about a crossable gap prior to its arrival). Crossing different gaps was also associated with increased expressions of negative affect among parents and children and an increase in collisions among children. Children's level of parent-reported oppositionality also predicted an increase in child defiance and parental redirection of child behavior. Analyses of children's subsequent crossing performance indicated that parents' use of a prospective gap communication strategy during the joint road-crossing task predicted selection of larger gaps during the solo crossing task.Conclusions: Not crossing through the same gap and increased levels of child oppositionality interfered with the scaffolding process, potentially informing future parent-based intervention efforts for increasing children's road-crossing safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parental reflective functioning (PRF) refers to parents' mental capacity to understand their own and their children's behaviors in terms of envisioned mental states. As part of a broader concept of parental mentalization, PRF has been identified as one of the central predictors for sensitive parenting. However, the unique contribution of PRF to the quality of various parenting behaviors has not yet been addressed systematically. Thus, the present article provides a systematic overview of current research on the associations between PRF or its sub-dimensions and observed parenting behaviors in infancy and early childhood, while considering the influence of contextual factors. Methods: The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Systematic searches were carried out in five electronic databases. The eligibility and methodological quality of the identified studies were assessed using pre-defined criteria and a standardized checklist. Results: Sixteen studies with moderate to high quality on a total of 15 parenting behaviors were included, the majority of which examined positive parenting behaviors, while negative parenting behaviors were rarely investigated. Most of the associations indicated a positive effect of PRF on parenting behavior, with mostly small-sized effects. The strength and direction of the associations varied depending on the dimensionality of PRF, observation settings, sample types, socioeconomic factors, and cultural background. Moreover, five assessment instruments for PRF and 10 observation instruments for parenting behaviors were identified. Conclusion: In summary, PRF has shown a positive association with parenting quality. However, its complex interaction with further contextual factors emphasizes the need for differentiation of PRF dimensions and the consideration of the observation settings, assessment time points, psychosocial risks, and sample types in observational as well as intervention studies. Further high-quality studies with multivariate analyses and diverse study settings are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]