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Youth with attention problems are at increased risk for school disengagement (Booster et al., JAD 16:179–189, 2012; DuPaul & Langberg, in: Barkley (ed), Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, Guilford, New York, 2014), which portends risk for poor outcomes (Bond et al., JAH 40:357.e9–357, 2007; Carter et al., JA 30:51–62, 2007; Fredricks et al., RER 74:59–109, 2004). Interventions that target school engagement may benefit from peer delivery because peers are widely available in schools and potentially more credible than adults. In this study, a peer-supported school-based school engagement intervention for middle school students with attention problems, Together Engaging and Achieving Meaningfully (TEAM) was developed with educators and students. In initial development (Study One), community development team meetings with partners (N = 9 school staff and students) were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes used to refine TEAM. In Study Two, a single-case pilot with one student with attention problems and one peer coach was conducted. Measures of fidelity, attendance, acceptability, and satisfaction were collected. Results were used to refine TEAM. Then in pilot implementation (Study Three), a non-randomized pilot was conducted with 10 fifth- through seventh-grade students with attention problems (n = 6 in the intervention group) and six eighth-grade coaches. Measures of fidelity, attendance, acceptability, satisfaction, and clinician-required time for implementation were collected. Cohen's d mean difference effect sizes were calculated between and within groups over implementation. Feedback from partners highlighted barriers and aspects that were acceptable and feasible. Results from implementation suggested high attendance, high coach fidelity with revised implementation support, and low clinician-required time. Lessons learned and avenues for future development and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Children with special health care needs (SHCN) perform more poorly at school compared to their classmates. Specific causal pathways have not yet been extensively studied. Therefore, we investigated teacher‐rated global attention, an important prerequisite for educational attainment, in children with SHCN. Methods: Data of a population‐based prospective cohort study, which recruited preschool children from the Mainz‐Bingen area, Germany, were analysed. Children with SHCN were identified by the Children with Special Health Care Needs screening tool. In 2016, global attention was reported by teachers at the end of first grade (mean age: 7.3 years) on a 5‐point rating scale ranging from −2 through +2. Associations between SHCN consequences and teacher‐rated attention were estimated by linear mixed models, adjusted for confounding variables. Results: We included 1921 children (51% males); of these, 14% had SHCN. Compared to their classmates, children with SHCN had poorer teacher‐rated attention scores (adjusted mean difference: −0.35, 95% CI: −0.52 to −0.17). The effect was strongest among children with treatment or counselling for mental health problems or functional limitations. The effect remained after excluding children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the analysis. Conclusion: Children with SHCN showed more teacher‐rated attention problems, which could explain their lower educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive functions and psychopathology develop in parallel in childhood and adolescence, but the temporal dynamics of their associations are poorly understood. The present study sought to elucidate the intertwined development of decision-making processes and attention problems using longitudinal data from late childhood (9–10 years) to mid-adolescence (11–13 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 8918). We utilised hierarchical drift-diffusion modelling of behavioural data from the stop-signal task, parent-reported attention problems from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and multigroup univariate and bivariate latent change score models. The results showed faster drift rate was associated with lower levels of inattention at baseline, as well as a greater reduction of inattention over time. Moreover, baseline drift rate negatively predicted change in attention problems in females, and baseline attention problems negatively predicted change in drift rate. Neither response caution (decision threshold) nor encoding- and responding processes (non-decision time) were significantly associated with attention problems. There were no significant sex differences in the associations between decision-making processes and attention problems. The study supports previous findings of reduced evidence accumulation in attention problems and additionally shows that development of this aspect of decision-making plays a role in developmental changes in attention problems in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to examine what happens to established associations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and cortical surface and thickness regions once we apply inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW) to address potential selection bias. Moreover, we illustrate how different factors that predict participation contribute to potential selection bias. Participants were 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children from the Generation R study (N = 2707). Cortical area and thickness were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ADHD symptoms with the Child Behavior Checklist. We examined how associations between ADHD symptoms and brain morphology change when we weight our sample back to either follow‐up (ages 9–11), baseline (cohort at birth), or eligible (population of Rotterdam at time of recruitment). Weights were derived using IPCW or raking and missing predictors of participation used to estimate weights were imputed. Weighting analyses to baseline and eligible increased beta coefficients for the middle temporal gyrus surface area, as well as fusiform gyrus cortical thickness. Alternatively, the beta coefficient for the rostral anterior cingulate decreased. Removing one group of variables used for estimating weights resulted in the weighted regression coefficient moving closer to the unweighted regression coefficient. In addition, we found considerably different beta coefficients for most surface area regions and all thickness measures when we did not impute missing covariate data. Our findings highlight the importance of using inverse probability weighting (IPW) in the neuroimaging field, especially in the context of mental health‐related research. We found that including all variables related to exposure‐outcome in the IPW model and combining IPW with multiple imputations can help reduce bias. We encourage future psychiatric neuroimaging studies to define their target population, collect information on eligible but not included participants and use inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW) to reduce selection bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internalizing and externalizing problems are common targets for school mental health screening. Prior research supports the interpretation of scores from the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS) and the Youth Externalizing Problems Screener (YEPS), which were developed separately yet intended as companion measures. We extended previous work by evaluating the psychometric defensibility of integrated measurement models that combined items from the YIPS and YEPS into a unified screener (YIEPS). Specifically, we evaluated (a) a unidimensional model, (b) a correlated-factors model with two latent variables representing internalizing and externalizing problems, and (c) a bifactor model with two specific factors—internalizing and externalizing—and a general factor representing global mental health problems. We then tested the reliabilities of the several factors from these models and the informational value added of the competing models. Results indicated the bifactor YIEPS model had the best data-model fit for representing the unified screener. However, exploratory analyses suggested an alternative bifactor model with three specific factors—parsing attention problems from externalizing and internalizing content—might be an even better fit for the data. Reliability findings suggested the general factor—representing global mental health problems—was the most psychometrically defensible. Future directions for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the relationship between attention problems (AP) and observed parenting in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 41 mother–child dyads with ASD recruited from an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) U.S. preschool and whose behaviors were observed during parent–child interactions. Children with ASD and elevated AP (n = 19) on the Child Behavior Checklist had significantly lower verbal ability, and mothers reported significantly more stress than children with ASD only (n = 22). Causal modeling was used to examine the directionality of the expected relationship between AP and parenting behavior as partially or wholly mediated by parenting stress. Mothers who exhibited less positive parenting experienced higher parenting stress and their children demonstrated increased AP and decreased engagement during dyadic interactions. The strength of this relationship varied according to child verbal ability. These findings have practical implications for identifying and implementing appropriate intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health problems are elevated in autistic individuals but there is limited evidence on the developmental course of problems across childhood. We compare the level and growth of anxious-depressed, behavioral and attention problems in an autistic and typically developing (TD) cohort. Methods: Latent growth curve models were applied to repeated parent-report Child Behavior Checklist data from age 2–10 years in an inception cohort of autistic children (Pathways, N = 397; 84% boys) and a general population TD cohort (Wirral Child Health and Development Study; WCHADS; N = 884, 49% boys). Percentile plots were generated to quantify the differences between autistic and TD children. Results: Autistic children showed elevated levels of mental health problems, but this was substantially reduced by accounting for IQ and sex differences between the autistic and TD samples. There was small differences in growth patterns; anxious-depressed problems were particularly elevated at preschool and attention problems at late childhood. Higher family income predicted lower base-level on all three dimensions, but steeper increase of anxious-depressed problems. Higher IQ predicted lower level of attention problems and faster decline over childhood. Female sex predicted higher level of anxious-depressed and faster decline in behavioral problems. Social-affect autism symptom severity predicted elevated level of attention problems. Autistic girls' problems were particularly elevated relative to their same-sex non-autistic peers. Conclusions: Autistic children, and especially girls, show elevated mental health problems compared to TD children and there are some differences in predictors. Assessment of mental health should be integrated into clinical practice for autistic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurofeedback training is a common treatment option for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Given theta/beta-based neurofeedback (T/B NF) training targets at the electrophysiological characteristics of children with ADHD, benefits for attention may be expected. PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through December 31, 2020. Studies were evaluated with Risk of Bias tools. Within-group effects based on Pre- and Post-treatment comparisons of the Intervention Group, and Between-group effects based on the between-group differences from Pre-treatment to Post-treatment were calculated. Nineteen studies met selection criteria for systematic review, 12 of them were included in meta-analysis. Within-group effects were medium at Post-treatment and large at Follow-up. Between-group analyses revealed that T/B NF was superior to waitlist control and physical activities, but not stimulant medication. Results showed that T/B NF has benefits for attention in children with ADHD, however, cautions should be taken when interpreting the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of perceptual motor games on attention problems, ability and speed of cognitive processing and visual-spatial of educable mentally retarded girls. The study was a quasi-experiment. The research design included pre-test and post-test with control group with independent variable. The statistical population included educable mentally retarded girls. Thirty participants were randomly selected from the girls of exceptional schools in Tabriz and were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The research measurement tool was the Connors Child and Adolescent Psychological Questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was reported to be 0.79 by Cronbach's alpha method.Reading performance test and spatio-visual performance test were performed for both groups as a pre-test. Perceptual motor game training sessions were performed in 16 sessions of 45 minutes for 8 weeks for the experimental group. Inferential statistics of covariance analysis were used for groups' comparison using SPSS21 software at significant level of 0.05. The results showed that perceptual motor games had a significant positive effect in reducing the attention problems, improving the ability and speed of cognitive processing and improving visual-spatial performance in educable mental retarded girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific learning disabilities (SLDs) represent a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties in acquiring academic skills in one or more areas. These difficulties persist despite typical intelligence and sufficient access to educational resources. In 2021, a research study was conducted in Tabriz, Iran, with the objective of comparing visual-spatial performance, attention problems, and cognitive processing speed among male students with and without specific learning disabilities in writing. This research adopted a casual-comparative method, selecting two groups of 60 third-grade male students through purposive sampling. One group comprised students with diagnosed learning disabilities in writing, who were under the care of the Learning Disabilities Center. The other group consisted of typically developing students attending regular schools. Data collection involved the utilization of the Conners Neuropsychological Scale (2004), and data analysis employed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The study's results revealed significant differences in attention-related problems, cognitive processing speed, and visual-spatial performance between students with learning disabilities in writing and their typically developing peers. These findings offer valuable insights for educators working with students facing learning disabilities and for psychologists involved in their care.

Students with disabilities have higher rates of attention problems than those without disabilities. This can impede their academic success and postsecondary transition, but these effects have not been well-studied. Understanding these effects is especially critical among high school girls with disabilities who additionally experience significant other barriers to college enrolment. Using longitudinal data from 366 high school girls with disabilities, we examined whether attention problems predicted a lower likelihood of applying to college, and whether this effect was mediated by academic difficulties. We also tested whether attention problems moderated the effect of students' future aspirations on the likelihood of applying to college. Consistent with our predictions, attention problems were associated with a lower likelihood of applying to college. The individual paths through academic difficulties were significant, but the bootstrap estimation of the indirect effect was not significant. Attention problems did not moderate the effect of future aspirations. Attention training interventions have the potential to improve postsecondary educational outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific learning disabilities (SLDs) represent a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties in acquiring academic skills in one or more areas. These difficulties persist despite typical intelligence and sufficient access to educational resources. In 2021, a research study was conducted in Tabriz, Iran, with the objective of comparing visual -spatial performance, attention problems, and cognitive processing speed among male students with and without specific learning disabilities in writing. This research adopted a casual-comparative method, selecting two groups of 60 third-grade male students through purposive sampling. One group comprised students with diagnosed learning disabilities in writing, who were under the care of the Learning Disabilities Center. The other group consisted of typically developing students attending regular schools. Data collection involved the utilization of the Conners Neuropsychological Scale (2004), and data analysis employed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The study's results revealed significant differences in attention -related problems, cognitive processing speed, and visual -spatial performance between students with learning disabilities in writing and their typically developing peers. These findings offer valuable insights for educators working with students facing learning disabilities and for psychologists involved in their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic performance in preschool and early elementary grades has long been linked with child attention problems. There is empirical and theoretical support that this co-occurrence is attributable to longitudinal relations between attention and reading problems. However, the literature to date—coming primarily from psychology disciplines—has insufficiently explored the possibility that the relationship between attention problems and reading performance affects students differentially. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, this inquiry extends the current literature by examining whether initial scores and rates of change in the relationship between attention problems and later reading performance vary by child's race, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). Findings support the claim that attention and reading develop in a mutual process and reveal a complicated pattern of social and individual predictors of attention reading growth over time. Social work researchers can reframe and reinvestigate evidence derived from a psychological framing of the dual developmental processes of reading and attention within a broader understanding of the nested nature of child development within structures of oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social causation and health-related selection may contribute to educational differences in adolescents' attention problems and externalizing behaviour. The social causation hypothesis posits that the social environment influences adolescents' mental health. Conversely, the health-related selection hypothesis proposes that poor mental health predicts lower educational attainment. From past studies it is unclear which of these mechanisms predominates, as attention problems and externalizing behaviour have the potential to interfere with educational attainment, but may also be affected by differences in the educational context. Furthermore, educational gradients in mental health may reflect the impact of 'third variables' already present in childhood, such as parental socioeconomic status (SES), and IQ. We investigated both hypotheses in relation to educational differences in externalizing behaviour and attention problems throughout adolescence and young adulthood. We used data from a Dutch cohort (TRAILS Study; n = 2229), including five measurements of educational level, externalizing behaviour, and attention problems from around age 14–26 years. First, we evaluated the directionality in longitudinal associations between education, externalizing behaviour, and attention problems with and without adjusting for individual differences using fixed effects. Second, we assessed the role of IQ and parental SES in relation to attention problems, externalizing behaviour, and educational level. Attention problems predicted decreases in education throughout all of adolescence and young adulthood. Differences in parental SES contributed to increases in externalizing behaviour amongst the lower educational tracks in mid-adolescence. Childhood IQ and parental SES strongly predicted education around age 14. Parental SES, but not IQ, also predicted early adolescent attention problems and externalizing behaviour. Our results provide support for the health-related selection hypothesis in relation to attention problems and educational attainment. Further, our results highlight the role of social causation from parental SES in determining adolescent educational level, attention problems, and externalizing behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many teachers and students in high schools report numerous incidents of disruptive and inappropriate behavior. If these types of behaviors increase, a negatively correlated amount of time and effort of teachers can be consumed due to trying to manage a volatile environment in the classroom, generating a negative experience for both themselves and the students. First impressions matter. Starting from the first day of class, teachers should behave as leaders who are organized, prepared, able and prepared to take responsibility. This can mean allocating extra time to prepare for the first day of class to avoid feeling rushed or unbalanced. Managing the challenges of class policies discussed on day one in a respectful but firm tone will send the message that boundaries will be set constantly throughout the semester. It is much easier to establish strict guidelines, since exceptions arise, than to try to impose new limits once the class has already gotten out of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the prospective relationship from student inattention symptoms to changes in their psychological need satisfaction (PNS) during their transition to secondary school. In doing so, it has explored whether this temporal association was moderated by teachers' involvement (TI). Method: A sample of 688 students (46% male; M age = 11.82) followed in Grade 6 and Secondary 1 was selected from a stratified random list. Results: Inattention symptoms predicted a decrease in autonomy and competence need satisfaction, after adjusting for gender, anxiety, aggression, and PNS at baseline. In addition, TI in Secondary 1 attenuated the association between inattention and autonomy need satisfaction decline. TI also predicted a smaller decrease in competence need satisfaction, over and above the contribution of inattention. Conclusions: Results support the importance of TI in PNS of students who are struggling with inattention throughout a critical transition. Implications for educational practices and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveManagement of type 1 diabetes is a difficult self-regulatory process requiring continued attention to complex regimen tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine whether youths' attention problems were associated with poorer adherence and HbA1c across time, and whether higher parental involvement reduced these associations.MethodsAdolescents with type 1 diabetes (N = 199, M age  = 12.43 years, SD = 1.50) and their mothers rated youths' attention problems and adherence at three time points. Adolescents rated parents' diabetes-specific monitoring and behavioral involvement. HbA1c was collected from medical records.ResultsAdolescents' (but not mothers') greater reports of attention problems compared with their average related to lower adherence across time. Adolescents' (but not mothers') reports of greater attention problems compared with their average related to lower adherence across time.ConclusionsYouth attention problems may help us understand poor adherence, and interventions to promote parental involvement may buffer this risk.

Research has consistently shown that child maltreatment and witnessed violence lead to disrupted patterns of social functioning, yet the mechanisms underlying these pathways remain unclear. This cross-sectional study evaluated whether anger and/or attention problems mediated the links from abuse, neglect, and witnessed violence to peer problems and aggressive behavior. Participants included a diverse sample of 470 children (ages 8-11; 52.1% boys) living in out-of-home care. Subtype and severity of maltreatment exposure were coded using Child Protection Services' intake reports and court records. Witnessed violence and anger were assessed using child-reports, and caregivers provided ratings of attention problems and social functioning. Indirect effects were tested using a series of structural equation path analysis models. Results indicated that anger fully mediated the links from witnessed violence to both peer problems and aggressive behavior. Further, attention problems fully mediated the links from physical abuse and physical neglect to both peer problems and aggressive behavior. These findings highlight the need for interventions to target anger regulation and attentional control among children in out-of-home care in order to mitigate their risk for social maladjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Height growth faltering is associated with less optimal behavioral outcomes and educational achievement. Although catch‐up growth after growth delay may result in developmental gains, it may also present as a double‐edged sword, with consequences for neurocognitive functioning such as symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity. As previously institutionalized (PI) children experience height delays at adoption and catch‐up growth after adoption, they provide a cohort to test associations between catch‐up growth and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Methods: This study used latent growth curve modeling to examine how catch‐up in height‐for‐age growth is related to attention problems in a population of PI youth followed from adoption in infancy through kindergarten. Participants were assessed within three months of arrival into their families (age at entry: 18–36 months). Anthropometrics were measured four times, approximately 7 months apart. Two visits measured behavioral outcomes with parent and teacher reports of ADHD, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms at age 5 and kindergarten. Results: The slope of growth in height z‐scores, but not the intercept, was positively associated with parent‐ and teacher‐reported ADHD symptoms in children. A one standard deviation increase in the slope of height z‐scores across four assessments was associated with a 0.252 standard deviation increase in ADHD symptoms after controlling for internalizing and externalizing problems, iron status, duration of institutional care, sex, and age. The slope of growth was also associated with internalizing but not externalizing symptoms. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PI children exhibit individual trajectories of height growth postadoption. Higher rates of change in height‐for‐age growth were associated with increased ADHD symptoms. These results suggest that catch‐up growth comes 'at the cost' of poor attention regulation and hyperactive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention is crucial for academic success, as well as social and emotional growth and development. In this article, the authors discuss models of attention and ways attention influences social and emotional learning and academic success. Additionally, they describe interventions that address attention concerns and discuss implications of using the Multitiered System of Supports (MTSS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sleep disruption among adolescents represents a major public health concern, and social media use may play an important role in affecting sleep and subsequent mental health. While prior studies of youth sleep and mental health have often focused on social media use frequency and duration, adolescents' emotional experiences related to social media have been underexplored, particularly among clinically acute populations. This study offers a preliminary investigation of associations among negative emotional experiences using social media, sleep disturbance, and clinical symptom severity in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized youth. A sample of 243 adolescents (M age = 15.34) completed self-report measures at a single time point. Measures assessed social media use, including frequency and duration, subjective experiences of use, and emotional responses to use, as well as sleep disturbance and clinical symptom severity, including suicidal ideation, internalizing symptoms, and attention problems. Results revealed that more frequent negative emotional responses to social media use were linked to greater sleep disturbance and higher clinical symptom severity. Furthermore, sleep disturbance mediated the relation between negative emotional responses to social media and clinical symptom severity. While gender differences were revealed in characteristics of social media use, sleep disturbance, and clinical outcomes, the associations among these constructs did not vary across gender groups. Overall, these findings highlight sleep disturbance as a potential mechanism through which negative emotional experiences on social media may impact clinical symptoms in psychiatrically vulnerable youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy's psychological effects are variable, some may experience a few mental health issues while some may experience serious problems like anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood disorders etc.hence there is a need to screen these problems at an early age for timely intervention. So our study was conducted to determine the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children with epilepsy. Methods: The overall prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in childhood was determined by calculating the percentage of children with child behaviour checklist score indicative of specific emotional and behavioral problems. Prevalence for specific morbidities were also calculated and reported separately for each condition. Results were presented in form of tables, charts, graphs and narratives. Results: The overall prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in children was 38.7%. Attention problem (13.5%), aggressive behaviour (10.8%), social problems (8.1%) and withdrawal/depression (6.3%) were the four leading syndromes The prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems was significantly associated with age of onset of epilepsy, type of epilepsy, frequency of seizures, antiepileptic drug therapy used by child. Conclusion: As there is higher prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children with epilepsy, age of onset, frequency of seizure and duration of diseases were found to be significantly associated with occurrence of behavioural problems, therefore prompt and early screening for these problems, as well as integrated management consisting of pharmacotherapy, behavioural modification, parental education and counselling, psychotherapy and psychoeducation would help to reduce their effect in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid among children and adolescents with a history of maltreatment and trauma. This comorbidity is linked to increased symptom severity and poor academic and social outcomes. Such negative outcomes are shown to have further negative outcomes during the college years. However, research has yet to directly examine the associations between ADHD, trauma exposure, and PTSD among college students. To address this gap, the current study examined the relations between childhood ADHD symptoms, lifetime trauma exposure, and current PTSD symptoms among a racially and ethnically diverse group of college students (N = 454). Analyses controlled for symptoms of depression and anxiety and examined demographic differences. Findings indicated that college students with a childhood history of elevated ADHD symptoms reported significantly higher numbers of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Findings also indicated that trauma-related arousal symptoms and more general depressive symptoms were the strongest mediators in the association between ADHD symptoms and trauma exposure. These results have implications for child and adolescent clinical interventions, as well as for college counseling and accessibility services related to psychological well-being and academic accommodations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective The pathogenesis of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is currently unclear. We hypothesized that chronic immune activation, as indexed by T and B cells, plays a role in the pathophysiology of attention problems. Therefore, we examined T and B cell subsets in a general pediatric population with information on attention problems. Methods We included 756 10‐year‐old children from the Generation R population‐based cohort. Eleven‐color flow cytometry was performed on peripheral blood samples to determine T and B cell subsets. The Child Behavior Checklist rated by parents was used to measure attention problems. Data were analyzed using linear regression analyses, adjusting for maternal and child covariates and co‐occurring childhood psychopathology. Results For T helper 1 (Th1) cells, one standard deviation (SD) increase was associated with 5.3% (95%CI 0.3; 10.5) higher attention problem scores. Furthermore, 1SD increase in CD8+ T cells was associated with 7.5% (95%CI 2.4; 12.7) higher attention problem scores. Within total CD8+ T cells, 1SD increase in naive or central memory cells was associated with 6.9% (95%CI 2.0; 12.1) and 6.4% (95%CI 1.5; 11.6) higher attention problem scores, respectively. No associations between Th2, Treg or B memory cells and attention problem scores were observed. Conclusion Higher Th1 and cytotoxic T cell numbers are associated with higher attention problem scores independent of co‐occurring psychopathology. This might indicate a possible role of a pro‐inflammatory immune profile in childhood attention problems.

Transdiagnostic models of psychopathology suggest that disorders may share common features that could influence their severity. Attention problems and psychomotor restlessness are included in the diagnostic criteria for several disorders, including disorders on the internalizing spectrum, but their transdiagnostic significance has received little attention. The present study identifies patterns of attention problems and restlessness among youth with internalizing problems, in order to understand their clinical significance in terms of internalizing symptom severity and response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Participants were 142 adolescents age 11–18 clinically referred for mood and/or anxiety problems. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of self-reported attention problems and psychomotor restlessness, and classes were compared on internalizing, depression, and anxiety severity. Differences in treatment response were examined in a subset of youth (n = 82; age 14–18) who participated in group CBT. Youth in the Attention Problems class (42% of sample) and youth in the Restless class (15% of sample) endorsed significantly more internalizing, depression, and anxiety problems than youth with Low Symptoms of attention problems or psychomotor restlessness (43% of sample). Youth in the Restless class responded significantly better to CBT than youth in the Low Symptoms of attention problems or psychomotor restlessness class in terms of decrease in overall internalizing problems. Attention problems and psychomotor restlessness appear to be important transdiagnostic markers of severity across the internalizing spectrum; however, they do not limit the effectiveness of CBT and, in the case of psychomotor restlessness, may forecast a good treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW <1500 g) have a high risk of reading difficulties. Previous research has suggested that poor reading skills in VLBW children are associated with attention problems. In the current study, we examined the eye movements in VLBW children during reading and investigated their relationship with attention. The study protocol included a reading test to measure fluency and accuracy, and an attention test to measure selective attention. This test was administered to 33 VLBW children and 32 normal birth weight (NBW) children in the second or third grade of elementary school. We examined eye movements, including fixation frequencies and duration, while reading short (four letters), long (seven to ten letters), and non-words. Frequency of fixation for VLBW children was significantly different from that found for NBW children. Children had significantly more frequent fixation on long words compared to short words and non-words, and more frequent fixations on non-words compared to short words. VLBW children showed a marginally shorter fixation duration than did the NBW children during the non-word reading, but there was no significant difference between groups for long words and short words. There were significant correlations between fixation frequency per word and scores on attention task. The results indicated that the eye movement patterns of VLBW children corresponded to those of children with co-occurring reading and attention problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of early risk for developing childhood attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) symptoms, inattention and hyperactivity, may be critical for prevention and early intervention. Temperament and parenting are two promising areas of risk, representing potential targets for preventive intervention; however, studies have rarely tested these factors longitudinally using multiple methods and reporters. In a longitudinal sample of 312 low-income boys, this study tested the hypothesis that negative emotionality (NE) and effortful control (EC) in toddlerhood (1.5–3.5 years old) would predict mother- and teacher-reported ADHD-related behaviors at school age (5–7 years old). Direct effects of observed warm, supportive and harsh maternal parenting were tested in relation to ADHD-related behaviors and as moderators of associations between NE and EC and ADHD-related behaviors. Several predictions were supported: 1) Greater maternal-reported toddler NE positively predicted mother-reported ADHD behaviors; 2) Greater observed EC was associated with fewer mother- and teacher-reported ADHD-related behaviors; 3) Warm, supportive parenting predicted fewer teacher-reported ADHD-related behaviors, and harsh parenting predicted more ADHD-related behaviors as reported by parents and teachers; 4) Harsh parenting moderated the association between observed EC and mother-reported ADHD-related behaviors. Together, the findings suggest that lower child EC, lower warm/supportive parenting, and greater harsh parenting in toddlerhood independently signal increased risk for later ADHD-related behaviors; further, the association between low EC and ADHD-related behaviors was amplified in the context of high levels of harsh parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether aggressive behavior and emotional problems from early childhood onwards are related to academic attainment at the end of primary education, and whether these associations are independent of attention problems.Methods: Data on 2546 children participating in a longitudinal birth cohort in Rotterdam were analyzed. Aggressive behavior, attention and emotional problems at ages 1½, 3, 5 and 10 years were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. Academic attainment at the end of primary school (12 years of age) was measured with the CITO test, a national Dutch academic test score.Results: Aggressive behavior from age 1½ to 10 years was negatively associated with academic attainment, but these associations attenuated to non-significance when accounting for comorbid attention problems. For emotional problems, first, only problems at 10 years were associated with poorer academic attainment. Yet, when accounting for attention problems, the association reversed: more emotional problems from 1½ to 10 years were associated with a better academic attainment. Attention problems at ages 1½ to 10 years were negatively associated with academic attainment, independent of comorbid emotional problems or aggressive behavior.Conclusions: Attention problems across childhood are related to a poorer academic attainment, while emotional problems predicted better academic attainment. Moreover, the relationship between aggressive behavior and academic attainment was explained by comorbid attention problems. Future research should determine the mechanisms through which attention problems and emotional problems affect academic attainment, to inform strategies for the promotion of better educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research suggests that exposure to interparental conflict may affect children's attention and memory performance, but few studies have examined this hypothesis experimentally. Objective: The goal of this study was to address this gap by completing an experimental approach using audiotaped couple conflict simulations. Method: School classes of fifth‐ and sixth‐graders were randomly assigned to listen to one of the following three types of conversations: (a) an unresolved couple conflict, (b) a resolved couple conflict, or (c) a neutral couple conversation. Children's attention and memory performance were measured before and after stimulus exposure by performance tasks and their emotional insecurity was assessed by self‐report. Results: Children's emotional insecurity moderated the impact of the simulated couple conflict on their memory performance but not on attention. At low levels of emotional insecurity, children performed better in the memory task after hearing the unresolved couple conflict compared with the control group. Conclusion: Children's responses to simulated conflicts differ by a child's history of interparental conflict and conflict characteristics, such as whether arguments are resolved. Implications: Consideration of the family background is warranted when studying or treating child cognitive performance problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objective: The aim of this review was to examine biopsychosocial factors associated with an increased risk of attention problems after a traumatic brain injury in children. Design: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using data sources of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL up to August 30, 2020. Literature primarily examined pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury and attention problems. Risk factors for attention problems posttraumatic brain injury examined in all articles were identified and grouped into broad categories of biological, psychological, and social factors. Methodological quality of each study was assessed using the modified Downs and Black checklist. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines from 2009 were used in completing this review. Results: Forty articles met inclusion criteria for this study. Overall findings were mixed but suggested that younger age at injury, presence of preinjury attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, poorer preinjury adaptive functioning, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer family functioning were associated with increased risk of developing attention problems posttraumatic brain injury. Conclusions: Development of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury is complex and influenced by an array of biologic, environmental/social, injury-related, and host factors. Evidence is mixed, and further study is needed to better understand the relationships between these factors and how they influence attention after traumatic brain injury. Nonetheless, screening for attention problems in children with risk factors may allow for earlier identification and intervention, minimizing negative impacts of attention problems after traumatic brain injury in children. Limitations of this study included heterogeneity of studies and overall low to moderate methodological quality of studies included as measured by the modified Downs and Black checklist. To Claim CME Credits: Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME CME Objectives: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Describe the importance of recognizing and identifying attention problems after traumatic brain injury in children; (2) Identify risk factors for development of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury; and (3) Recognize gaps in existing literature regarding predictors of attention problems after pediatric traumatic brain injury. Level: Advanced Accreditation: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making impairments during emerging adulthood confer risk for challenges in social and occupational roles and may increase the odds of developing health problems. Childhood maltreatment is related to maladaptation in cognitive and affective domains (e.g., executive functioning, emotion regulation) implicated in the development of decision-making capacities. This study investigates childhood maltreatment and subsequent childhood attention problems as developmental antecedents of decision making performance in emerging adulthood. At Wave 1, equal numbers of maltreated and non-maltreated children (Mage = 11.28, SD =.97; 51.5% female; mean family income: $22,530/year) were recruited to take part in a research summer camp. The current study includes a subset of participants (n = 379) from Wave 1 who completed the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) at Wave 2 (Mage = 19.68, SD = 1.12; 77.3% Black/African American, 11.1% White, 7.7% Hispanic, 4.0% Other race). The CGT measured decision-making performance by assessing betting behavior across trials that differed in probability of winning. ANOVA results showed that emerging adults who experienced maltreatment in childhood placed higher bets and less sensitively adjusted bets across trials varying in level of risk. Longitudinal structural equation modeling results indicated significant relationships between number of maltreatment subtypes and greater childhood inattention, controlling for IQ. In turn, greater attention problems in childhood predicted worse risk adjustment, or ability to modify betting based on the probability of winning on CGT trials. This mediated path shows one process by which maltreatment negatively affects decision making and risk taking processes in emerging adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual‐process theories contend that interplay between higher‐order (i.e., regulatory) and lower‐order (i.e., reactive) systems influences the development of attention in early childhood. We therefore investigated interactions between an aspect of children's top‐down self‐regulation (i.e., effortful control; EC) and positive reactivity (indexed by observed positive affectivity; PA) and negative reactivity (indicated by cortisol stress reactivity and observed fear) in predicting children's early attention problems. We found that observed EC at the age of three predicted lower attention problems 2 years later, controlling for attention problems at baseline. Importantly, the predictive effect of EC was more pronounced for children higher in cortisol stress reactivity at the age of three; this pattern was not found for observed PA or fear. Findings align with dual‐process developmental theories that emphasize the dynamics between regulatory and reactive processes in shaping child development. Our study provides the first evidence supporting dual‐process interactions in the domain of attention problems and has implications for identifying early risk markers and informing early prevention programs for children at greater risk for attention problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To increase specificity in the influence of children’s characteristics when interacting with the environment, we aimed to test 1) whether gender has a moderating effect in the relationship between parenting behaviors and preschoolers’ attention problems; and 2) whether this moderating effect varies by level of cool and hot Executive Function (EF). Methods: A sample of 301 mothers and 4 to 6 year old children participated in the present study. Mothers reported on their parenting behaviors and their children’s attention problems, and the children’s executive function were assessed through behavioral tasks done by children. Data were analyzed using SPSS and PROCESS macro. Results: The differential effects of parenting behaviors on children’s attention problems depending on gender and levels of cool EF·hot EF were found. Limit-setting parenting behaviors were negatively associated with attention problems of girls with low levels of hot EF but, interestingly, positively associated with the attention problems among girls with high levels of cool EF. Whereas rejection/ neglectful parenting increased the attention problems of boys with low and medium levels of cool EF, rejection/neglectful parenting reduced the attention problems of girls with high levels of cool EF. Additionally, overprotective/permissive parenting behaviors increased the attention problems of girls with low levels of hot EF. Conclusion: The present study suggests potential implications for theories and practices to better support parents in order to prevent children’s attention problems during transition to school by understanding the differential susceptible effects of children’s protective or vulnerable factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Treatment utilization following child sexual abuse (CSA) is essential in combatting the various negative consequences of CSA. Youth may present to treatment for CSA with symptoms that cut across multiple diagnostic presentations that impact their ability to successfully engage in treatment. In particular, children who have difficulties with attention may have unique treatment needs following CSA. The purpose of this study was to examine how attention problems interplay with comorbid symptoms and how these clinical presentations impact treatment outcomes for youth who have been sexually abused. Participants included 323 families presenting to treatment for CSA. Youth were 7 to 19 years old, 78.5% female, and 76.6% identified as Caucasian/White. Results indicated that 22.9% of the youth presented with clinically elevated attention problems as collected through parent-report of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results demonstrated that child survivors of CSA who presented with attention problems self-reported more psychological concerns (e.g., symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress). At post-treatment, attention problems, interpersonal problems, and thought problems were significantly reduced for youth initially presenting with attention problems. Further implications for treatment following CSA and unique needs for youth with attention problems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adult self report (ASR) is a well-validated instrument with multiple scales relating to adult psychopathology. Recently, an 18-item version has been introduced, the brief problem monitor (BPM) to measure Internalizing behavior (INT), Externalizing behavior (EXT), and attention problems (ATT). The present study compared the BPM and ASR and investigated how well the BPM can serve as a supplement or an alternative for the ASR for specific clinical and scientific purposes. In a large sample of adult twins (N = 9.835) from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR), we compared the internal consistency, clinical classification concordance, means, and variances of the ASR and BPM. Using the classical twin design, we investigated the genetic covariance structure. For external validation, the associations between subjective well-being and different subscales of the ASR and BPM were compared. The internal consistency of the BPM scales (around α = 0.75) was somewhat lower than the ASR (α ~ 0.85). The BPM Externalizing scale showed the lowest internal consistency (α = 0.63). ASR and BPM scores showed good clinical classification concordance (0.61–0.80) and high correlations (r > 0.88). A small reversed sex difference in the BPM Externalizing scale appeared (women > men). Genetic (0.34–0.54) and environmental components (0.46–0.66) explained the variance to a similar extent for the ASR and BPM. The phenotypic and genetic associations with well-being were comparable. In situations where sum scores are sufficient, the BPM performs as well as the longer ASR. Depending on the situation and goal, it is worth considering the BPM as an alternative for the ASR to reduce the participant burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study had three goals. First, we replicated recent evidence that suggests a concurrent relation between attention bias to reward and externalizing and attention problems at age 7. Second, we extended these findings by examining the relations between attention and behavioral measures of early exuberance (3 years), early effortful control (4 years), and concurrent effortful control (7 years), as well as later behavioral problems (9 years). Third, we evaluated the role of attention to reward in the longitudinal pathways between early exuberance and early effortful control to predict externalizing and attention problems. Results revealed that attention bias to reward was associated concurrently and longitudinally with behavioral problems. Moreover, greater reward bias was concurrently associated with lower levels of parent-reported effortful control. Finally, attention bias to reward moderated the longitudinal relations between early risk factors for behavioral problems (gender, exuberance, and effortful control) and later externalizing and attention problems, such that these early risk factors were most predictive of behavioral problems for males with a large attention bias to reward. These findings suggest that attention bias to reward may act as a moderator of early risk, aiding the identification of children at the highest risk for later behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Development of gender identity is a complicated process. Several biological, familial, environmental, and cognitive factors thought to play role during this process. When a person has a persistent discomfort with his/her assigned gender and exhibits cross-gender identification, gender dysphoria is to be considered. In this study, we aimed to determine the rates of psychiatric diagnoses in youth presenting with gender dysphoria and compare them with a control group in terms of family functioning, emotional, and behavioural problems. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 20 cases with gender dysphoria and 40 controls (5–17 years of age). The instruments included were Sociodemographic Form, Family Assessment Device (FAD), Child Behavior Checklist, and Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children Present-Lifetime Version. RESULTS: Ninety per cent of the cases with gender dysphoria had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (75%) was the leading comorbidity, followed by major depressive disorder (25%). Gender dysphoria group had significantly higher scores in communication, roles, affective involvement, and general family functioning subscales of FAD and in all Child Behavior Checklist subscales. High Child Behavior Checklist attention subscale score was significantly associated with the diagnosis of gender dysphoria in binary logistic regression analysis (odds ratio: 0.82; p

Objective: Investigate neurodevelopmental trajectories related to attention/hyperactivity problems (AP) in a community sample of adolescents and whether these trajectories predict later-emerging health risk behaviors. Method: One hundred sixty-six participants underwent up to three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (n = 367) between 11 and 20 years of age. AP were measured during early adolescence using the Child Behaviour Checklist, and engagement in risk behaviors was measured during late adolescence using the "DRIVE" survey (i.e., driving risks) and items assessing alcohol-harms. Results: Greater AP scores during early adolescence were related to less reduction over time of left dorsal prefrontal, left ventrolateral prefrontal, and right orbitofrontal thickness. Less thinning of the orbitofrontal cortex was related to greater driving-related risk behaviors at late adolescence. Conclusion: Findings highlight altered neurodevelopmental trajectories in adolescents with AP. Furthermore, altered orbitofrontal development was related to later-emerging driving-related risk, and this neurobiological change mediated the association between attention problems and risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task persistence is related to attentional regulation and is needed for the successful transition to school. Understanding preschoolers' task persistence with caregivers could better inform the development and prevention of attention problems across this transition. Preschoolers' real-time task persistence profiles during problem-solving tasks with mothers (N=214) and fathers (N=117) were examined as antecedents of teacher-rated attention problems in kindergarten, accounting for child temperament, parenting, and preschool attention problems. Group-based trajectory modeling identified five profiles with mothers and four with fathers; more children showed high task persistence with mothers than fathers. With mothers, when persistence started low and increased over time, children had lower inhibitory control, higher verbal skills, and received more directives. This increasing profile had the highest-rated attention problems, followed by the stable low persistence profile; both groups showed higher attention problems than children who started high and declined slowly in persistence over time. Results implied children who start tasks low in persistence may require the most maternal effort to get on task, and whether those efforts are successful (increasing persistence) or not (stable low persistence), may be the same children teachers perceive as having the most attention problems. Profiles with fathers were not associated with attention problems but pointed to the importance of father-child affective processes (child negative emotion, paternal praise) in children's task persistence. Findings suggest mothers and fathers play different roles in regulatory development and that person-centered profiles of self-regulation in context may inform the prevention of children's regulatory problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Girls are better able to delay gratification than boys. • Boys with higher prenatal testosterone levels are less able to delay gratification. • Boys with higher prenatal testosterone levels show more attentions problems/overactive behavior. • Boys with more attention problems/overactive behavior are less able to delay gratification. Sex differences in self-control become apparent during preschool years. Girls are better able to delay their gratification and show less attention problems and overactive behavior than boys. In this context, organizational effects of gonadal steroids affecting the neural circuitry underlying self-control could be responsible for these early sex differences. In the present study testosterone levels measured in amniotic fluid (via ultra performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry) were used to examine the role of organizational sex hormones on self-control. One hundred and twenty-two 40-month-old children participated in a delay of gratification task (DoG task) and their parents reported on their attention problems and overactive behavior. Girls waited significantly longer for their preferred reward than boys, and significantly more girls than boys waited the maximum period of time, providing evidence for sex differences in delay of gratification. Boys that were rated as suffering from more attention problems and overactive behavior waited significantly shorter in the DoG task. Amniotic testosterone measures were reliable in boys only. Most importantly, boys who waited shorter in the DoG task and boys who were reported to suffer from more attention problems and overactive behavior had higher prenatal testosterone levels. These findings extend our knowledge concerning organizational effects of testosterone on the brain circuitry underlying self-control in boys, and are of relevance for understanding how sex differences in behavioral disorders are connected with a lack of self-control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the bidirectional relations between peer relations and attention problems from middle childhood through adolescence. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Chinese Children and Adolescents (LSCCA, N = 2157, 51.9% male), three key aspects of peer relations (acceptance, rejection, and victimization) were assessed annually from 9 to 16 years of age. Attention problems were assessed at 9 and 15 years. Latent growth modeling indicated that greater attention problems at age 9 were linked with a lower intercept for peer acceptance, and higher intercepts for rejection and victimization. Also, prior lower acceptance and greater rejection and victimization, along with a higher increase over time in rejection and lower decrease over time in victimization, predicted attention problems at age 15. Cross-lagged analysis showed that attention problems were associated with less subsequent peer acceptance and greater subsequent rejection and victimization. Only peer rejection (but neither victimization nor acceptance) predicted more subsequent attention problems. Findings point to bidirectional associations between attention problems and peer relations in the developmental transition across adolescence. Evidence for differential bidirectionality of attention problems with the multiple peer experience (group versus dyadic; good versus bad) emerged, and future replications are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a growing understanding that early adversity in childhood broadly affects risk for psychopathology, the contribution of stressful life events to the development of symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not clear. In the present study, we examined the association between number of stressful life events experienced and ADHD symptoms, assessed using the Attention Problems subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist, in a sample of 214 children (43% male) ages 9.11-13.98 years (M = 11.38, SD = 1.05). In addition, we examined whether the timing of the events (i.e., onset through age 5 years or after age 6 years) was associated with ADHD symptoms. Finally, we examined variation in brain structure to determine whether stressful life events were associated with volume in brain regions that were found to vary as a function of symptoms of ADHD. We found a small to moderate association between number of stressful life events and ADHD symptoms. Although the strength of the associations between number of events and ADHD symptoms did not differ as a function of the age of occurrence of stressful experiences, different brain regions were implicated in the association between stressors and ADHD symptoms in the two age periods during which stressful life events occurred. These findings support the hypothesis that early adversity is associated with ADHD symptoms, and provide insight into possible brain-based mediators of this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has yet to determine how much of the variance in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptom ratings is consistent across occasions, sources, and settings versus specific to occasion, source, and setting. Our first objective was to determine the amount of variance in SCT ratings that was consistent (trait consistency) across three occasions of measurement over 12 months versus specific to the occasion (occasion-specificity) with ratings by mothers, fathers, primary teachers, and secondary teachers of 811 Spanish children. Our second objective was then to determine the convergent validity for trait consistency and occasion-specificity variance components within and across settings. SCT ratings reflected mostly trait consistency for mothers, fathers, and primary teachers (less so for secondary teachers) with the convergent validity for trait consistency also being strong for mothers with fathers and for primary teachers with secondary teachers. Across home and school, however, convergent validity for trait consistency was low and even lower for occasion-specificity. SCT appears to be more trait-like rather than state-like, with similar levels of trait consistency across occasions and convergent validity within settings as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a prior study. However, SCT symptoms had slightly weaker convergent validity for trait consistency across settings relative to ADHD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is comprised of sympathetic and parasympathetic branches that control core adaptive systems, including cardiac regulation, across periods of rest, reactivity, and recovery. Despite their heavily intertwined functions, research examining the coordination of parasympathetic and sympathetic ANS regulation is limited. This study examined the effects of 6‐year‐olds' (N = 198; 49.5% female; 46% Latinx) capacity for ANS reactivity and recovery in both sympathetic (i.e., pre‐ejection period [PEP]) and parasympathetic (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) systems on their caregiver‐ and examiner‐reported adaptability and attention problems at age 8. Results indicated that children's later adaptation was better accounted for by the coordination of their PEP and RSA activity than by either system in isolation. Children who evidenced optimal reactivity and recovery patterns, which entail reciprocal sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, evidenced more adaptability and fewer attention problems at age 8. In contrast, children who displayed discoordinated ANS reactivity patterns (e.g., high activation of both systems) or a total failure to recover (e.g., short PEP connoting high sympathetic activity and low RSA connoting low parasympathetic activity) evidenced poorer adjustment. These findings illustrate the incremental knowledge afforded by the joint consideration of both sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of ANS regulation in concert, as well as the importance of considering both ANS reactivity and recovery capacities for understanding adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]