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Anxiety and externalizing concerns create notable challenges for families. One factor that has been widely studied in relation to anxiety concerns, which may also be influenced by externalizing symptoms, is parental accommodation. Most research on parental accommodation has tended to focus on behaviors, while not accounting for accommodation beliefs. The current study sought to examine the relation between both parental accommodation beliefs and behaviors and also determine to what extent externalizing symptoms may influence this relation in youth. Treatment-seeking youth (N = 260; M age = 13.48, range: 8–17) and their caregivers in the U.S. Midwest completed measures on anxiety symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and parental accommodation. Results indicated that parental accommodation behaviors had a direct influence on anxiety-related family impairment and avoidance but not anxiety symptom severity. There were no direct associations for parental accommodation beliefs. Externalizing symptoms moderated the relation between accommodation behaviors and family impairment, suggesting that the influence of parental accommodation on reported family impairment is attenuated at greater levels of externalizing symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of considering externalizing symptoms when examining the relation between parental accommodation and anxiety presentations, as well as further researching how accommodation-specific beliefs may influence accommodation behaviors and anxiety in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexual minorities, including children, are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes compared to their heterosexual peers, but longitudinal studies are needed to determine the factors that explain the associations between sexual minority identification and adverse mental health outcomes during this developmental period. We examined longitudinal associations between sexual orientation and mental health over 2 years in a US cohort of children (aged 9–10 at baseline) and two explanatory factors (increased social problems such as getting teased and decreased perceived school safety). We hypothesized that beginning to identify as gay/bisexual and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual would be associated with increases in internalizing (e.g. depression, anxiety) and externalizing (e.g. aggression) problems compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual, and these associations would be partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety. Methods: We used data from Waves 1–3 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The analytic sample included 5,574 children (46.0% female; 55.1% non‐Hispanic White). Results: Beginning to identify as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing/externalizing problems, and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual was associated with increased internalizing problems, compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual. For those who consistently identified as gay/bisexual, increased disparities in internalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety, and increased disparities in externalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems. Conclusions: These findings suggest the health disparities affecting sexual minority children include both internalizing and externalizing problems, and social problems and feeling unsafe at school may be contributing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common adolescent psychiatric symptoms cluster into two dominant domains: internalizing and externalizing. Both domains are linked to self-esteem, which serves as a protective factor against a wide range of internalizing and externalizing problems. This study examined trends in US adolescents' self-esteem and externalizing symptoms, and their correlation, by sex and patterns of time use. Methods: Using Monitoring the Future data (N = 338 896 adolescents, grades:8/10/12, years:1991–2020), we generated six patterns of time use using latent profile analysis with 17 behavior items (e.g. sports participation, parties, paid work). Groups were differentiated by high/low engagement in sports and either paid work or high/low peer socialization. Within each group, we mapped annual, sex-stratified means of (and correlation between) self-esteem and externalizing factors. We also examined past-decade rates of change for factor means using linear regression and mapped proportions with top-quartile levels of poor self-esteem, externalizing symptoms, or both. Results: We found consistent increases in poor self-esteem, decreases in externalizing symptoms, and a positive correlation between the two across nearly all activity groups. We also identified a relatively constant proportion of those with high levels of both in every group. Increases in poor self-esteem were most pronounced for female adolescents with low levels of socializing, among whom externalizing symptoms also increased. Conclusions: Rising trends in poor self-esteem are consistent across time use groups, as is the existence of a group facing poor self-esteem and externalizing symptoms. Effective interventions for adolescents' poor self-esteem/co-occurring symptoms are needed broadly, but especially among female adolescents with low peer socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report findings of a psychometric study comparing two screening tools: the Student Risk Screening Scale-Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) and the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini). Participants included 3,110 kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary students from five schools in one district in one state in the southern United States. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated statistically significant relations between DESSA-mini and each subscale and the total score of the SRSS-IE: externalizing (r = -0.58), internalizing (r = -0.25, p <.0001), and total score (r = -0.54). When DESSA-mini scores were dichotomized in terms of needs instruction versus combined typical and strengths, DESSA-mini scores demonstrated marginal agreement with SRSS-IE externalizing scores (SRSS-E7) and, in many instances, identified different students as requiring instruction than the students identified as having externalizing behavior patterns according to SRSS-E7 scores. DESSA-mini scores demonstrated low agreement with the SRSS-IE internalizing scores (SRSS-I5) and, in many instances, identified different students as requiring instruction than the students identified as having internalizing behaviors as measured by the SRSS-I5. Although the percentage of students detected across both screening tools was quite low; overall, the DESSA-mini performed more similarly to the SRSS-E7 in detecting students with externalizing behaviors than to the SRSS-I5 for detecting students with internalizing behaviors. We discuss educational implications, limitations, and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) is associated with increased externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression and oppositionality), internalizing symptoms (e.g., withdrawal and anxiety), and biological indicators of accelerated aging (e.g., telomere length) in childhood. However, little is known about how distinct dimensions of ELA, such as threat and deprivation, impact youth psychobiological outcomes. The present study includes data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a large population-based, birth cohort study of majority (approximately 75%) racial and ethnic minority youth born between 1998 and 2000 across 20 large cities in the United States. The present study includes a subset of the original sample (N = 2,483, 51.6% male) who provided genetic data at age 9. First, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which revealed four distinct dimensions of ELA (home threat, community threat, neglect, and lack of stimulation) when children were age 3. Second, latent profile analyses identified an eight-profile solution based on unique patterns of the four ELA dimensions. Lastly, latent profiles were used to predict associations with child psychological and biological outcomes at age 9. Results suggest that exposure to specific combinations of ELA is differentially associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in childhood, but not with telomere length. Findings have implications for personalized early intervention and prevention efforts aimed at reducing ELA exposure to protect against downstream negative mental health outcomes for diverse youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent characteristics at childbirth influence children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors, which are critical determinants of broader socioemotional outcomes. The current study employed a longitudinal, person-centered, latent class analytic (LCA) approach to examine subgroup differences among key parent characteristics and associations with children's distal internalizing and externalizing behavior outcomes. The study sample (n = 2460) was drawn from baseline and Year 9 waves of the nationally representative Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Project. LCA results supported a 3-class solution to the data, comprising a married, well-educated, wealthy, English-speaking, U.S.-born subgroup; an unmarried, English-speaking, U.S.-born subgroup with low SES and educational attainment levels; and an immigrant, Spanish-preferred, low-SES, low educational attainment subgroup with moderate marriage probability. Children of the wealthy subgroup demonstrated the lowest internalizing and externalizing behavior scores, followed by the low-SES, Spanish-preferred subgroup. Children of the low-SES, English-speaking subgroup had the highest internalizing and externalizing scores. Results suggest a protective effect for children of the immigrant, Spanish-preferred subgroup despite low parental SES and educational attainment levels. Highlights: Latent class analysis uncovered subgroup heterogeneity and facilitated nuanced exploration of parent predictors of child behavior outcomes. Predictors for maladaptive child behavior outcomes (e.g., parent's social and financial stressors) may differ across sociocultural groups. Results suggest a protective effect for children of Spanish-preferred immigrants despite low parental SES and educational attainment levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Alcohol use disorder is comorbid with numerous other forms of psychopathology, including externalizing disorders (e.g. conduct disorder) and, to a lesser extent, internalizing conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety). Much of the time, overlap among alcohol use disorder and other conditions is explored at the disorder level, assuming that criteria are co‐equal indicators of other psychopathology, even though alcohol use disorder criteria span numerous varied domains. Emerging evidence suggests that there are symptom clusters within the construct of alcohol use disorder that relate differentially with important external criteria, including psychopathology and allied personality traits (e.g. impulsivity, novelty‐seeking). The present study mapped individual alcohol use disorder criteria onto internalizing and externalizing dimensions. Design and participants: We used multivariate and factor analytical modeling and data from two large nationally representative samples of past year drinkers (n = 25 604; 19 454). Setting: United States. Measurements: Psychopathology was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule, yielding alcohol use disorder criteria, internalizing diagnoses (i.e. major depressive disorder, dysthymia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, agoraphobia and panic disorder) and externalizing diagnoses and symptoms (i.e. antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder and three impulsivity items drawn from borderline personality disorder criteria). Alcohol consumption was assessed in terms of past‐year drinking frequency, usual amount of alcohol consumed on drinking days, binge drinking frequency, intoxication frequency, and maximum number of drinks in a 24‐hour period. Findings Four different patterns emerged. First, several alcohol use disorder criteria were relatively weakly associated with externalizing and internalizing. Secondly, withdrawal was associated with internalizing, but this association was not specific to distress. Thirdly, there was a general lack of specificity between alcohol use disorder criteria and narrower forms of internalizing, despite what might be predicted by modern models of addiction. Fourthly, recurrent use in hazardous situations reflected higher degrees of externalizing and lower internalizing liability. Conclusions: Different symptom combinations appear to yield differential expressions of alcohol use disorder that are disorder‐specific, or reflect broader tendencies toward externalizing, internalizing or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-occurrence of mental disorder symptoms is common in people who use substances. It is unclear whether patterns of comorbidity in a population-based sample of adults are consistent with prior work. The study goal was to identify this comorbidity structure and evaluate its stability over time., Using Waves 1, 2, and 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, this study applied latent class analysis to identify comorbid substance use, internalizing and externalizing mental disorder symptoms, and their stability over time., A four-class solution was identified for Wave 1 as: (1) low symptom ( N  = 23,571, 72.9%), (2) internalizing ( N  = 4,098, 12.7%), (3) externalizing ( N  = 2,691, 8.3%), and (4) comorbid ( N  = 1,960, 6.1%). Similar latent profiles emerged across the three waves specifically where the low symptom class was largest (65.5% to 72.9%), and the comorbid class was smallest (6.1% to 8.2%). However, the composition of the classes changed in Wave 3 with low comorbid ( N  = 5,400, 20.6%) and substance use ( N  = 1,524, 5.8%) classes emerging. Overall, when individuals transitioned from preceding to subsequent wave, they typically transitioned into the low symptom class., The comorbidity structure of substance use behaviors, including cigarette and e-cigarette use, and mental disorder symptoms in a population-based sample of U.S. adults was characterized by four classes. Psychiatric comorbidity may vary in severity within a population and by specific sociodemographic factors. When comparing the latent classes over three years of data, the results suggest that the comorbidity structure may change as participants age.

While parental psychological distress is a commonly examined risk factor in the development and maintenance of child's emotional and behavioral problems, there is an incomplete understanding of the unique contribution of the father. The current study examines whether paternal psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and anger) exacerbates child's internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as well as whether a child's internalizing and externalizing behaviors exacerbate paternal psychological distress. The National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD)'s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) longitudinal dataset was utilized. A bivariate latent difference score model was applied to examine the interdependence of each member within the dyad. This novel statistical technique allowed for the examination of the influence of psychological distress in the father–child dyad across 10 years. Results indicated that paternal anger is a risk factor associated with the development and maintenance of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children. Likewise, children's behavioral problems served as a contributing factor to paternal anger and anxiety. Results were nonsignificant for the effect of depression on change in internalizing and externalizing problems. The initial levels correlated with each other, but one did not affect the change in the other. Overall, the results have clinical implications, as they can be applied to the creation or modification of intervention plans by shifting the focus from the primary outcome being a decrease in child problem behavior to an overall reduction of psychological distress in the family unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, PK-12 school buildings across the United States closed and educators quickly pivoted to remote and continuous learning opportunities to protect students and society as a whole from the deadly coronavirus. As educational leaders navigate the complexities for providing instruction during the 2020-2021 academic year, questions have arisen regarding systematic screening practices. At a time when many people—including students—are likely to be experiencing heightened emotional and behavioral challenges, educational leaders are seeking guidance on how to support students' well-being. Systematic screening being a vital part of the response. In this manuscript, we offer considerations for conducting systematic screenings for internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the COVID-19 era. We recommend educators continue to screen, use multiple sources of data to inform programming, and screen responsibly. We close with our commitment to swiftly explore psychometric properties of the Student Risk Screen Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) behaviors, to provide clarity on the reliability and validity of this free-access screening tool in the new and varied school contexts, and provide data-informed guidance to educational leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used mental health screening instrument developed in the United Kingdom that measures five proposed factors. U.S. research, however, historically supports a slightly different three-factor solution. The present study reports results using both principal factor analysis (PFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data from multiple waves of an ongoing mental health project in middle school aged children. PFA analyses suggested three, five and six-factor solutions with substantial cross-loadings from items. CFAs showed alternative five and six-factor solutions fit well when items guided by the initial PFA were allowed to cross-load. Neither the original five-factor nor popular three-factor models fit well without allowing cross-loading items. These data suggest that popular SDQ three and five-factor model may have variable fit in certain U.S. populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background There is limited research on the disclosure experiences of men who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and on how such experiences might impact mental health outcomes. Objective The current study described men's disclosure experiences and examined the role of disclosure characteristics on mental well-being (internalizing and externalizing behaviors, substance use, resilience). Participants and setting Men (N = 253) from across Canada and the U.S. were recruited through websites for males with sexual abuse histories. Men aged 18–59 years anonymously completed an online study on their sexual abuse, disclosure experiences, and mental health outcomes. Results Findings indicated that 77.9% of men disclosed their sexual abuse, although they waited an average of 15.4 years before sharing their experience. Once disclosed, 64.4% of the men reported a positive response (e.g., support), while 35.6% reported a negative response (e.g., blame). Regression analyses indicated that a greater delay in disclosure predicted greater externalizing behaviors (B =.49, p <.05), although this was a small effect (Cohen's f 2 = 0.02). Additional disclosure variables were associated with components of externalizing (aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors) and internalizing (somatic complaints) behaviors. Conclusions These results require replication in future studies. However, they do suggest that efforts need to be undertaken to address the barriers that hinder men from disclosing their sexual abuse and to ensure that men are supported once they disclose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The first year of university attendance represents a critical time frame for the development of alcohol use and misuse given changes in autonomy and increased access to alcohol. Prior studies have demonstrated that the establishment of drinking patterns during this period is impacted by an array of demographic, environmental, and familial factors. It is critical to consider such factors jointly, and to understand potentially differential effects on stages of alcohol use/misuse, in order to identify robust predictors that may be targeted in prevention and intervention programming. Methods As part of a longitudinal study, students at a large, public U.S. university were invited to complete online surveys that included questions related to alcohol use, emotional and behavioral health, environmental factors, sociodemographic factors, and familial environment. This study uses data from surveys administered in the fall and spring of the first year of university. We used univariate (maximum N = 7,291) and multivariate (maximum N = 4,788) logistic and linear regressions to evaluate the associations between potential risk and protective factors with 4 alcohol use outcomes: initiation, consumption, problems, and addiction resistance. Results In multivariate models, we observed associations between demographic, social/environmental, and personal-level predictors with all 4 alcohol outcomes, several of which were consistent across each stage of alcohol use. A deviant high school peer group was one of the strongest predictors of risk across outcomes. The influence of drinking motives and alcohol expectancies varied by alcohol use outcome. Externalizing characteristics were associated with increased risk across outcomes, while internalizing symptoms were associated with more problems and lower addiction resistance. Conclusions These findings underscore the complex network of factors influencing stages of alcohol use during the first year of university. Importantly, these findings demonstrate that the impact of predictors changes across stages of alcohol use/misuse, which presents opportunities for targeted prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical evidence suggests maternal behavioral health problems are significant predictors of child behavioral health difficulties, but it is unclear of the specific relation of maternal alcohol use problems and depression symptoms with child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of maternal depression symptoms and alcohol use problems on children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems over a period of 5 years. Implications for intervention may differ depending on which type of maternal behavioral health concerns predicts which child behavior problem. A total of 1874 families eligible for Early Head Start participated. Maternal depression symptoms and alcohol use problems were assessed when children were in preschool, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were assessed when children were in fifth grade. Clinical internalizing behavior problems was best predicted by maternal depression symptoms, whereas clinical externalizing behavior problems was best predicted by maternal alcohol use problems. Children were almost twice as likely to have clinical internalizing behavior problems when mothers exhibited very elevated depression symptoms compared to when mothers displayed minimal symptoms. A similar relation was found with maternal alcohol use problems and clinical externalizing behavior problems. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding and treating various kinds of behavioral health concerns in mothers of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justice-involved youth have high rates of psychiatric diagnoses, and these youth are often placed out-of-home, although evidence identifies several negative implications of juvenile confinement, especially for youth with psychopathology. Furthermore, youth in the justice system may be processed differently based on gender. As males and females tend to manifest symptoms differently, the psychopathology of youth may act to moderate the relationship between gender and placement in the juvenile justice system. The present study used a large, diverse sample ( n = 9 851, 19.8 % female) to examine whether youth placed in various types of out-of-home facilities differed in terms of externalizing, internalizing, substance use, or comorbid disorders, and to determine the predictive value of mental health diagnoses in placement decisions. The moderation effect of psychopathology and substance use on the relationship between gender and placement also was explored. The results indicated that each type of disorder differed across placements, with internalizing being most prevalent in non-secure, and externalizing, comorbid, and substance use being most prevalent in secure settings. Mental health diagnoses improved the prediction of placement in each out-of-home placement beyond legal and demographic factors such that externalizing and substance use disorders decreased the likelihood of placement in non-secure settings, and internalizing, externalizing, and substance use disorders increased the likelihood of placement in secure and state-secure facilities. The relationship between internalizing pathology and placement in more secure facilities was moderated by externalizing pathology. The relationship between gender and placement was significantly moderated by mental health such that females with mental health diagnoses receive less secure placements. Implications for policymakers and practitioners are discussed, as well as implications for reforming juvenile justice within a developmental approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substance use before and during sexual activity is associated with many negative health outcomes. Estimates suggest that at least 4.3 million American adults annually engage in regular sex-related alcohol consumption, indicating that the intersection of substance use and sexual behavior is of public health concern. However, it is likely that when considering broader sex-related substance use, estimates would be notably higher. While substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder have been associated with sex-related alcohol consumption, no study has investigated how regular sex-related substance use is associated with the broader transdiagnostic externalizing spectrum. Further, no studies have assessed whether or not sexual risk-taking behaviors can be integrated into the externalizing spectrum.Methods: In a large internet sample (N=936), we used confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, and logistic regression to link sex-related alcohol and drug use to an externalizing latent variable; identified psychometric characteristics of these behaviors; and determined the extent to which one's externalizing level was associated with changes in odds of regular sex-related substance use. We then replicated these findings in a nationally representative sample (N=34,653).Results: Results highlighted the close association between sex-related substance use and externalizing, with externalizing increases being associated with significantly increased odds of regular sex-related substance use.Conclusions: These findings bear notable implications for conceptualization and treatment of sex-related substance use. Transdiagnostic intervention can be an efficient means of addressing this problematic behavior as well as other comorbid presentations. Results expand the current conceptualization of the externalizing spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sheds light on the changing patterns of news experiences by defining it as news sharing. The study attempted to explicate the concept of news sharing by identifying the subdimensions of it in the context of online social networking sites (SNSs). Findings showed that news sharing is comprised of two distinctive behaviors: news internalizing (by those who read news) and externalizing (by those who offer news to others). Furthermore, news internalizing and externalizing have two subdimensions, respectively: browsing and personalizing for internalizing, and recontextualizing and endorsing for externalizing. Data were collected through a national survey of adults in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental rejection is linked to deep and enduring adjustment problems during adolescence. This study aims to further clarify this relation by demonstrating what has long been posited by parental acceptance/rejection theory but never validated empirically-namely that adolescents' unique or subjective experience of parental rejection independently informs their future adjustment. Among a longitudinal, multi-informant sample of 161 families (early adolescents were 47 % female and 40 % European American) this study utilized a multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis to isolate for each early adolescent-parent dyad, the adolescent's distinct view of parental rejection (i.e., the adolescent unique perspective) from the portion of his or her view that overlaps with his or her parent's view. The findings indicated that adolescents' unique perspectives of maternal rejection were not differentiated from their unique perspectives of paternal rejection. Also, consistent with parental acceptance-rejection theory, early adolescents' unique perspectives of parental rejection were associated with worse adjustment (internalizing and externalizing) 1 year later. This study further demonstrates the utility and validity of the multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis approach for identifying and examining adolescent unique perspectives. Both conceptually and analytically, this study also integrates research focused on unique perspectives with a distinct but related line of research focused on discrepancies in perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sibling relationships have been described as love-hate relationships by virtue of their emotional intensity, but we know little about how sibling positivity and negativity operate together to affect youth adjustment. Accordingly, this study charted the course of sibling positivity and negativity from age 10 to 18 in African American sibling dyads and tested whether changes in relationship qualities were linked to changes in adolescents' internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Participants were consecutively-born siblings [at Time 1, older siblings averaged 14.03 ( SD = 1.80) years of age, 48 % female; younger siblings averaged 10.39 ( SD = 1.07) years of age, 52 % female] and two parents from 189 African American families. Data were collected via annual home interviews for 3 years. A series of multi-level models revealed that sibling positivity and sibling negativity declined across adolescence, with no significant differences by sibling dyad gender constellation. Controlling for age-related changes as well as time-varying parent-adolescent relationship qualities, changes in sibling negativity, but not positivity, were positively related to changes in adolescents' depressive symptoms and risky behaviors. Like parent-adolescent relationships, sibling relationships displayed some distancing across adolescence. Nevertheless, sibling negativity remained a uniquely important relational experience for African American adolescents' adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to foster increases in congruence between values and behaviors pertinent to those values was evaluated with adolescents. Participants were nine, primarily African American, school aged children (11-15 years) with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, and behavior problems who were enrolled at a charter school in an urban, South-central area of the United States. Despite some feasibility obstacles, several significant Reliable Change Index scores on the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-second edition and the Bull's-Eye Values Assessment were found and other results approached statistical significance in the desirable direction. These findings suggest that ACT may be feasible for increasing congruence between values and behavior, and may have potential clinical utility with acceptance and mindfulness based treatments in youth with comorbid psychological and behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data on 2,535 children included in the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey, we investigate how the legal status of immigrant parents shapes their children’s behavioral functioning. Variation in internalizing and externalizing problems among Mexican youth with undocumented mothers, documented or naturalized citizen mothers, and U.S.-born mothers is analyzed using a comparative framework that contrasts their experience with that of other ethnoracial groups. Our findings reinforce the importance of differentiating children of immigrants by parental legal status in studying health and well-being. Children of undocumented Mexican migrants have significantly higher risks of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than their counterparts with documented or naturalized citizen mothers. Regression results are inconsistent with simple explanations that emphasize group differences in socioeconomic status, maternal mental health, or family routines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Family conflict is a salient risk factor for African American adolescents' mental health problems. No study we are aware of has estimated trajectories of their family conflict and whether groups differ in internalizing and externalizing problems during the transition to young adulthood, a critical antecedent in adult mental health and psychopathology. As hypothesized, latent class growth analysis approximated 4 developmental trajectories of family conflict during high school for 681 African American adolescents (49% boys). Trajectory classes differed in anxiety, depressive symptoms, and violent behavior at age 20, supporting expectations that adolescents demonstrating elevated levels and atypical trajectories of family conflict in high school would report greater mental health problems as young adults. Family conflict jeopardizes African American adolescents' transition to young adulthood by contributing to mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined parent emotion dysregulation as part of a model of family emotion-related processes and adolescent psychopathology. Participants were 80 parent-adolescent dyads (mean age = 13.6; 79 % African-American and 17 % Caucasian) with diverse family composition and socioeconomic status. Parent and adolescent dyads self-reported on their emotion regulation difficulties and adolescents reported on their perceptions of parent invalidation (i.e., punishment and neglect) of emotions and their own internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results showed that parents who reported higher levels of emotion dysregulation tended to invalidate their adolescent's emotional expressions more often, which in turn related to higher levels of adolescent emotion dysregulation. Additionally, adolescent-reported emotion dysregulation mediated the relation between parent invalidation of emotions and adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Potential applied implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-maturing girls are at risk for internalizing and externalizing problems. Research concerning pubertal timing and mental health among Mexican Americans or the influence of parenting behaviors on these relations has been scarce. This study addressed these gaps. This was a prospective examination of 362 Mexican-origin girls and their mothers in 3 waves of data. Measures included girls' self-report of pubertal development and girls' and mothers' report of maternal harsh parenting and daughters' mental health. Using structural equation modeling, we examined whether pubertal timing in 5th grade predicted girls' internalizing and externalizing outcomes in 10th grade. We also examined the mediating and moderating effects of harsh parenting on the relations between pubertal timing and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as well as the influence of mothers' and daughters' nativity on these relations. Results differed depending on reporter and maternal nativity. Using daughters' report, we found that Mexican American mothers' harsh parenting acted as a moderator. At high levels of harsh parenting, early pubertal timing predicted higher externalizing scores, while at low levels of harsh parenting, early timing predicted lower externalizing scores. For Mexican immigrant mothers, harsh parenting mediated the effects of pubertal timing on girls' internalizing and externalizing problems. There were no significant pubertal effects for mothers' report. Findings suggest that maternal harsh parenting plays a key role in the relations between early pubertal timing and behavioral and emotional outcomes among Mexican- origin girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence and quality of friendships are posited to have developmental significance, yet little is known about the extent to which children without friends versus low-quality friendships compare on socioemotional adjustment. The current study utilized data from a subsample of 567 children (289 boys) participating in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Based on maternal reports at kindergarten, four friendship groups were formed: no friends, low quality, average quality, and high quality, and these groups were used to predict teacher-reported behaviour problems and social skills concurrently (in kindergarten) and longitudinally (in first and third grade). Concurrently, low-quality friendships were associated with greater externalizing behaviour, whereas high-quality friendships were associated with greater social skills. Longitudinally, having no friends in kindergarten was associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviour for boys, but lower levels for girls. Children without friends also showed more internalizing problems at first grade. Lastly, having a high-quality friendship in kindergarten was associated with greater social skills in first and third grades, but only for boys. Results underscore high-quality friendship as a context for the development of social skills and indicate different trajectories of problem behaviour for kindergarten children with no friends versus low-quality friendships. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent research suggests that several forms of adult psychopathology can be understood as reflecting lower-order elements of a higher-order internalizing/externalizing structure. Internalizing and externalizing factors have been identified with several measures of psychopathology constructs, including the widely used Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). However, research comparing different models of this structure as well as the fit of the structure across sex and ethnicity has been limited and no research on this topic has been conducted with the PAI. In this study, a simplified PAI internalizing and externalizing structure was found to be superior to a more complex model. Furthermore, the structure was found to be invariant across men and women and Hispanic and Anglo undergraduate respondents living in the United States. These results demonstrate the viability of the PAI to study these constructs and the applicability of this structure across various demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In implementing its Behavior Research Initiative, the U.S. Department of Education funded four Behavior Research Centers, each to test the efficacy of a separate intervention to improve the behavior of elementary school students with or at risk for serious behavior problems. The initiative also established the National Behavior Research Coordination Center to conduct a cross-site evaluation of the four behavior interventions. The authors describe how the Department of Education's structuring of the initiative helped avoid many of the shortcomings of earlier federal cross-site demonstration programs and highlight the contributions a research coordination center can make to the quality of research conducted and to the knowledge produced across individual demonstrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study in the U.S., which is aimed to describe the late adolescent drug use outcomes from a large community-identified sample of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results confirmed that ADHD in the absence of comorbid externalizing disorder is not associated with an increased risk of drug abuse while ADHD with comorbid externalizing disorder has influence on the elevated use of drugs.

Background: There is converging evidence that mental disorders are more optimally conceptualized in a hierarchical framework (i.e., the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology, HiTOP) that transcends the categorical boundaries of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, the majority of this evidence comes from studies that draw upon predominantly European American or Caucasian populations. Whether a hierarchical conceptualization of mental disorders generalizes across racial-ethnic groups, including for African American (AA) populations, is unclear., Methods: We tested multidimensional and bifactor models of 15 DSM diagnoses and psychiatric traits in two groups, including AA (n = 3,088) and European American (EA; n = 5,147) youths aged 8-21 from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC). We also conducted multigroup confirmatory factor analyses to test for factorial invariance between the best fitting AA and EA multidimensional and bifactor models., Results: In the multidimensional model tests, a three-factor model, specifying internalizing, externalizing, and thought dimensions, emerged as the best fitting model for AAs and EAs. In the bifactor model tests, a three-factor model (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and thought dimensions) that also specified a general factor emerged as the optimal for both AAs and EAs. The general factor accounted for a significant proportion of the covariation between the secondary factors and the individual disorders and traits. Furthermore, both models were factorially invariant, indicating no significant difference in the factor structure of mental disorders between AAs and EAs in PNC., Conclusions: Results suggest that the hierarchical factor structure of mental disorders may be racial-ethnically robust. This finding has implications for etiological and epidemiological studies focused on racial-ethnic subgroup comparisons, particularly with respect to identifying similarities and differences in prevalence rates or sociodemographic risk factors for mental disorders., (© 2020 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

This study used data from 12 cultural groups in 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and United States; N = 1,315) to investigate bidirectional associations between parental warmth and control, and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors. In addition, the extent to which these associations held across mothers and fathers and across cultures with differing normative levels of parent warmth and control were examined. Mothers, fathers, and children completed measures when children were ages 8 to 13. Multiple-group autoregressive cross-lagged structural equation models revealed that evocative child-driven effects of externalizing and internalizing behavior on warmth and control are ubiquitous across development, cultures, mothers, and fathers. Results also reveal that parenting effects on child externalizing and internalizing behaviors, though rarer than child effects, extend into adolescence when examined separately in mothers and fathers. Father-based parent effects were more frequent than mother effects. Most parent- and child-driven effects appear to emerge consistently across cultures. The rare culture-specific parenting effects suggested that occasionally the effects of parenting behaviors that run counter to cultural norms may be delayed in rendering their protective effect against deleterious child outcomes.

There is a current lack of data on the relation between childhood abuse and behavior problems in recently immigrated Latino youth and potential protective factors. This study sought to assess rates of abuse, explore relations between abuse and behavior problems, and examine peer attachment as a possible moderator in 76 recently immigrated high school students. High rates of prior abuse were observed: 36.84% emotional abuse, 22.37% physical abuse, and 9.21% sexual abuse. Emotional abuse was associated with conduct problems (B = 4.19, 95% CI [3.88, 9.39], t = 2.23, p = .028). In the context of physical abuse, peer attachment played a significant, mitigating role on conduct problems (B = -.02, 95% CI [-.05, .00], t = -1.10, p = .049). Results require replication but suggest a critical need for attention to immigrant youth as a highly victimized sample with a high risk for conduct problems.

The present study examines whether early adolescents' self-efficacy beliefs about anger regulation mediate the relation between parents' self-efficacy beliefs about anger regulation and early adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems. Participants were 534 early adolescents (T1: M age = 10.89, SD = .70; 50% female), their mothers (n = 534), and their fathers (n = 431). Families were drawn from Colombia, Italy, and the USA. Follow-up data were obtained two (T2) and three (T3) years later. At T1 and T3, parents' self-efficacy beliefs were self-reported and internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed via mothers', fathers', and early adolescents' reports. At T2, early adolescents' self-efficacy beliefs were self-reported Within the overall sample, mothers with higher self-efficacy beliefs about anger regulation had children with similar beliefs. Early adolescents' low self-efficacy beliefs were associated with higher internalizing and externalizing problems., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: Little is known about recent trends in marijuana use disorders among adolescents in the United States. We analyzed trends in the past-year prevalence of DSM-IV marijuana use disorders among adolescents, both overall and conditioned on past-year marijuana use. Potential explanatory factors for trends in prevalence were explored.Method: We assembled data from the adolescent samples of the 2002 to 2013 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 216,852; aged 12-17 years). The main outcome measures were odds ratios describing the average annual change in prevalence and conditional prevalence of marijuana use disorders, estimated from models of marijuana use disorder as a function of year. Post hoc analyses incorporated measures of potentially explanatory risk and protective factors into the trend analyses.Results: A decline in the past-year prevalence of marijuana use disorders was observed (odds ratio = 0.976 per year; 95% CI = 0.968, 0.984; p < .001). This was due to both a net decline in past-year prevalence of use and a decline in the conditional prevalence of marijuana use disorders. The trend in marijuana use disorders was accounted for by a decrease in the rate of conduct problems among adolescents (e.g., fighting, stealing).Conclusion: Past-year prevalence of marijuana use disorders among US adolescents declined by an estimated 24% over the 2002 to 2013 period. The decline may be related to trends toward lower rates of conduct problems. Identification of factors responsible for the reduction in conduct problems could inform interventions targeting both conduct problems and marijuana use disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On September 11, 2001, a terrorist attack occurred in the U.S. (9/11). Research on 9/11 and psychiatric outcomes has focused on individual disorders rather than the broader internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) domains of psychopathology, leaving unknown whether direct and indirect 9/11 exposure differentially impacted these domains rather than individual disorders. Further, whether such effects were exacerbated by earlier childhood maltreatment (i.e. stress sensitization) is unknown. 18,713 participants from a U.S. national sample with no history of psychiatric disorders prior to 9/11 were assessed using a structured in-person interview. Structural equation modeling conducted in a sample who endorsed no psychiatric history prior to 9/11, indicated that indirect exposure to 9/11 (i.e. media, friends/family) was related to both EXT (alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis dependence, and antisocial personality disorder) and INT (major depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) dimensions of psychopathology (EXT: β = 0.10, p < 0.001; INT: β = 0.11, p < 0.001) whereas direct exposure was associated with the INT dimension only (β = 0.11, p < 0.001). For individuals who had experienced childhood maltreatment, the risk for EXT and INT dimensions associated with 9/11 was exacerbated (Interactions: β = 0.06, p < 0.01; β = 0.07, p < 0.001, respectively). These findings indicate that 9/11 impacted latent liability to broad domains of psychopathology in the US general population rather than specific disorders with the exception of PTSD, which had independent effects beyond INT (as indicated by a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in modification indices). Findings also indicated that childhood maltreatment increases the risk associated with adult trauma exposure, providing further evidence for the concept of stress sensitization., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Parental depressive symptoms are associated with emotional and behavioural problems in offspring. However, genetically informative studies are needed to distinguish potential causal effects from genetic confounds, and longitudinal studies are required to distinguish parent-to-child effects from child-to-parent effects., Method: We conducted cross-sectional analyses on a sample of Swedish twins and their adolescent offspring (n = 876 twin families), and longitudinal analyses on a US sample of children adopted at birth, their adoptive parents, and their birth mothers (n = 361 adoptive families). Depressive symptoms were measured in parents, and externalizing and internalizing problems measured in offspring. Structural equation models were fitted to the data., Results: Results of model fitting suggest that associations between parental depressive symptoms and offspring internalizing and externalizing problems remain after accounting for genes shared between parent and child. Genetic transmission was not evident in the twin study but was evident in the adoption study. In the longitudinal adoption study child-to-parent effects were evident., Conclusions: We interpret the results as demonstrating that associations between parental depressive symptoms and offspring emotional and behavioural problems are not solely attributable to shared genes, and that bidirectional effects may be present in intergenerational associations.

Little is known about the psychosocial circumstances under which children develop excessive body mass. A community sample was followed up from age 2-10 years to determine which early problems were predictive of increased body mass index. Hypothesized mediators (i.e. eating habits, physical activity, and "screen time") were also examined. After controlling for parental psychopathology, family income, child's gender, and child's body mass index, externalizing behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and anger predicted a relatively high body mass index. Exploratory analyses did not support hypothesized mediators, although low power was an issue., (© The Author(s) 2013.)

Objective: This study describes an empirically derived approach to diagnosing adolescent personality pathology that is clinically relevant and empirically grounded., Method: A random national sample of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (N = 950) described a randomly selected adolescent patient (aged 13-18 years, stratified by age and gender) in their care using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-II-A for Adolescents (SWAP-II-A) and several additional questionnaires., Results: We applied a form of factor analysis to identify naturally occurring personality groupings within the patient sample. The analysis yielded 10 clinically coherent adolescent personality descriptions organized into 3 higher-order clusters (internalizing, externalizing, and borderline-dysregulated). We also obtained a higher-order personality strengths factor. These factors and clusters strongly resembled but were not identical to factors similarly identified in adult patients. In a second, independent sample from an intensive day treatment facility, 2 clinicians (the patients' treating clinician and the medical director) independently completed the SWAP-II-A, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and a measure of adaptive functioning. Two additional clinicians, blinded to the data from the first 2 clinicians, independently rated patients' ward behavior using a validated measure of interpersonal behavior. Clinicians diagnosed the personality syndromes with high agreement and minimal comorbidity among diagnoses, and SWAP-II-A descriptions strongly correlated in expected ways with the CBCL, adaptive functioning, and ward ratings., Conclusion: The results support the importance of personality diagnosis in adolescents and provide an approach to diagnosing adolescent personality that is empirically based and clinically useful., (Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study tested the influence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses on the relationship between length of stay and treatment outcome among adolescents residing in an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility. Data were collected via record review. Follow-up information was obtained at 7 days and 3 months post-discharge. Treatment outcome was defined as abstinence and engagement in recovery activities. Hierarchical linear regression demonstrated that comorbidities differentially moderated the relationship between length of stay and treatment outcome. Results suggest that these adolescents attempt to engage in recovery activities independent of abstinence and may need supplemental aftercare assistance to maintain their efforts.

Distress tolerance (DT) is an established construct contributing to the onset and maintenance of psychopathology in adulthood; however, few studies have examined the role of DT in older adolescent psychopathology. Emerging data suggest that gender and race may influence this relation. Therefore, the current study examined the relation between gender, race, and DT on parent-reported internalizing and externalizing DSM-oriented symptoms among a community sample of 128, 14-18 year old adolescents. Results indicated a moderating effect of gender on affective problems, such that females with low DT, but not males, displayed significantly greater affective problems. Findings also indicated a significant moderating effect of race, such that Caucasians with low DT, but not African Americans, displayed significantly higher somatic, oppositional defiant, and conduct problems. These findings suggest that DT is an important clinical variable in older adolescence, particularly among Caucasians and females., (Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)