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Bullying is a public health priority but to date, there is a lack of evidence‐based anti‐bullying programmes or interventions designed for use in special schools. KiVa is a successful anti‐bullying programme for mainstream schools currently used in 23 countries. This brief paper outlines the co‐development and adaptation of two KiVa lessons into KiVa‐SEND lessons and their implementation in two special schools in the UK. One school supports pupils with a primary need of Autism, the other supports pupils with severe and complex learning disabilities. Engagement with the lessons was high from both pupils and staff; the content was perceived as acceptable by staff, complementing the curriculum and perceived as suitable for their pupils. Minor adjustments need to be made to ensure all pupils can comprehend and access the concepts. Further development of the KiVa‐SEND programme and testing its potential effectiveness to reduce bullying and associated negative outcomes in special schools is now warranted. Key PointsThere is a lack of evidence‐based anti‐bullying programmes for use in special schools. This paper details the piloting of an adaptation of KiVa (a successful, evidence‐based anti‐bullying programme for mainstream schools) for use in special schools.The adaption (KiVa‐SEND) was a co‐design between a couple of special school teachers, and educational and psychological researchers to ensure the materials and approach were in line with school requirements and teaching practices.The KiVa‐SEND lesson engagement was excellent from the 12 staff and 62 learners involved and the materials were deemed acceptable via direct feedback and researcher observations. Suggestions were provided on how to make the materials even more suitable for diverse learning needs.KiVa‐SEND has the potential to be embedded within the special school curriculum and then be tested for its effectiveness at reducing bullying and associated negative outcomes of bullying amongst the special school population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has traditionally relied on cumulative ACE scores, which prevents understanding about the effects of distinct adversities and their mechanistic pathways. Dimensional and person-centred approaches have been proposed as alternative methods to conceptualise ACEs, which address limitations of the cumulative ACE score. In this issue, Sisitsky et al. (Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 2023) apply these approaches to identify dimensions of ACEs and profiles of children with distinct patterns of early exposure, in a large, racially diverse cohort from the US. The authors also examine the longitudinal associations between profiles of early adversity in early childhood with later mental health and telomere length. In this commentary, we discuss key findings from the study and recommend future avenues for improving the conceptualisation of ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A major concern throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been on young people's experiences with mental health. In this study we mapped children and adolescents' mental health trajectories over 13 months of the pandemic and examine whether family, peer, and individual-level factors were associated with trajectory membership. Methods: This study focuses on a sub-sample from the Co-SPACE study of 3322 children and adolescents (aged 4-16 years) for whom parents completed a survey at Time 0 and at least one follow-up survey between March 2020 and May 2021. We used growth mixture models to examine trajectories in emotional, conduct, and hyperactivity/inattention difficulties using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and multinomial logistic regression models to estimate factors associated with individual trajectory membership. Results: The average trend in young people's mental health appeared to follow changes in national guidelines regarding the pandemic. Distinct trends in GMM models highlighting individual differences showed that a 5-trajectory model best explained the changes in emotional problems whilst 4-trajectory models best explained variation in hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems. While most young people followed low stable (62%-85%) or moderate stable (28%) symptom trajectories, 14%-31% experienced very high, high stable or increasing mental health difficulties. Young people following high stable trajectories were more likely to have special educational needs and/or neurodevelopmental disorders, parents reporting higher levels of distress and parent-child conflict, and were less likely to have at least one close friend. Conclusions: Most young people adapted well and experienced low stable symptoms, but nearly one third experienced high stable or increasing mental health difficulties. Young people with complex needs and parents with higher psychological distress were particularly vulnerable to high stable problems while those with positive peer relationships were less vulnerable. This study offers insight into potential factors that can be addressed using targeted interventions to improve the wellbeing of parents and young people in the event of future lockdowns and school closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing bullying is a public health priority. KiVa, a school-based anti-bullying programme, is effective in reducing bullying in Finland and requires rigorous testing in other countries, including the UK. This trial aims to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of KiVa in reducing child reported bullying in UK schools compared to usual practice. The trial is currently on-going. Recruitment commenced in October 2019, however due to COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures was re-started in October 2020.Methods: Design: Two-arm pragmatic multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with an embedded process and cost-effectiveness evaluation.Participants: 116 primary schools from four areas; North Wales, West Midlands, South East and South West England. Outcomes will be assessed at student level (ages 7-11 years; n = approximately 13,000 students).Intervention: KiVa is a whole school programme with universal actions that places a strong emphasis on changing bystander behaviour alongside indicated actions that provide consistent strategies for dealing with incidents of bullying. KiVa will be implemented over one academic year.Comparator: Usual practice.Primary Outcome: Student-level bullying-victimisation assessed through self-report using the extensively used and validated Olweus Bully/Victim questionnaire at baseline and 12-month follow-up.Secondary Outcomes: student-level bullying-perpetration; student mental health and emotional well-being; student level of, and roles in, bullying; school related well-being; school attendance and academic attainment; and teachers' self-efficacy in dealing with bullying, mental well-being, and burnout.Sample Size: 116 schools (58 per arm) with an assumed ICC of 0.02 will provide 90% power to identify a relative reduction of 22% with a 5% significance level.Randomisation: recruited schools will be randomised on 1:1 basis stratified by Key-Stage 2 size and free school meal status. Process evaluation: assess implementation fidelity, identify influences on KiVa implementation, and examine intervention mechanisms. Economic evaluation: Self-reported victimisation, Child Health Utility 9D, Client Service Receipt Inventory, frequency of services used, and intervention costs. The health economic analysis will be conducted from a schools and societal perspective.Discussion: This two-arm pragmatic multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial will evaluate the KiVa anti-bullying intervention to generate evidence of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and scalability of the programme in the UK. Our integrated process evaluation will assess implementation fidelity, identify influences on KiVa implementation across England and Wales and examine intervention mechanisms. The integrated health economic analysis will be conducted from a schools and societal perspective. Our trial will also provide evidence regarding the programme impact on inequalities by testing whether KiVa is effective across the socio-economic gradient.Trial Registration: Trials ISRCTN 12300853 Date assigned 11/02/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Forced displacement may increase the risk of child maltreatment and mental health problems among children and caregivers. This study assessed the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a parenting intervention to prevent child maltreatment and improve parental and child mental health among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Method: 292 parents and 88 children participated in a structured assessment before and after a group-based parenting intervention implemented by an international nongovernmental organization serving refugee and vulnerable Lebanese communities. Results: Paired sample t tests showed significant reductions in harsh punishment and rejecting parenting behavior and significant improvements in measures of parental and child mental health from pre- to postintervention. On average, parents completed 7.7 of 10 sessions. Discussion: Preliminary results suggest that the parenting intervention was acceptable to refugee parents and may show promise in reducing child maltreatment and improving parental and child mental health in a humanitarian setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions It is estimated that 78% of children experience the death of a close friend or family member by 16 years of age, yet longitudinal research examining the mental health outcomes of wider experiences of bereavement is scarce. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of the association between maternal experienced bereavement before the age of 11 years and offspring depressive and anxiety disorders at age 18 and examined moderation of this association by modifiable parental factors.We analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK‐based birth cohort, including 9,088 child participants with data available on bereavement. Bereavement was measured via maternal report at eight timepoints until children were 11 years. Offspring depressive and anxiety‐related disorders were self‐reported at 18 years old using the Clinical Interview Schedule‐Revised (CIS‐R). The potential moderating roles of maternal anxiety, maternal depression, parental monitoring, positive parenting and negative parenting practices were examined.Maternal experienced bereavement was not associated with depression or anxiety‐related disorders in early adulthood among offspring. In addition, no support was found for negative parenting practices, parental monitoring or maternal anxiety and depression as moderators of the relationship between maternal experienced bereavement and offspring mental health problems at 18 years old. Findings in relation to the moderating role of positive parenting practices were inconsistent.Findings suggest that a large number of children are exposed to maternal experienced bereavement. We found no evidence that maternal experienced bereavement during childhood increases the risk for offspring psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. Several methodological considerations prudent to bereavement research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to war trauma increases the risk of negative individual and family-level outcomes. However, not all trauma-exposed individuals exhibit mental health or family dysfunction, and some function better than expected given their level of trauma exposure. Research with at-risk populations, including refugees, suggests that social support may promote positive mental health and parenting behavior in the face of adversity. We used cross-sectional data from 291 Syrian refugee mothers to test the role of perceived social support in promoting their psychological and parenting resilience, defined here as better than expected mental health and parenting behavior given level of exposure to war trauma. Psychological and parenting resilience were operationalized using the residual approach, which assesses the difference between mothers' actual score on mental health and harsh discipline measures, and the score predicted by their level of trauma exposure. Linear regression models were used to test for associations between mothers' perceived social support and their psychological and parenting resilience. Results showed that mothers' perceived social support was associated with both psychological and parenting resilience, including after controlling for covariates. Exploratory analyses further suggested that emotional support, but not instrumental support, was associated with mothers' psychological resilience. Social support may have a promotive effect on mothers' mental health and parenting behavior in a context of ongoing conflict and displacement. Identifying intervention strategies to increase social support for refugees, within the framework of a multi-layered intervention approach, could potentially contribute to children's psychosocial resilience via improved maternal mental health and parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying has been described as one of the most tractable risk factors for poor mental health and educational outcomes, yet there is a lack of evidence-based interventions for use in low and middle-income settings. We aimed to develop and assess the feasibility of an adolescent-led school intervention for reducing bullying among adolescents in Indonesian secondary schools. The intervention was developed in iterative stages: identifying promising interventions for the local context; formative participatory action research to contextualize proposed content and delivery; and finally two pilot studies to assess feasibility and acceptability in South Sulawesi and Central Java. The resulting intervention combines two key elements: 1) a student-driven design to influence students pro-social norms and behavior, and 2) a teacher-training component designed to enhance teacher's knowledge and self-efficacy for using positive discipline practices. In the first pilot study, we collected data from 2,075 students in a waitlist-controlled trial in four schools in South Sulawesi. The pilot study demonstrated good feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. We found reductions in bullying victimization and perpetration when using the Forms of Bullying Scale. In the second pilot study, we conducted a randomised waitlist controlled trial in eight schools in Central Java, involving a total of 5,517 students. The feasibility and acceptability were good. The quantitative findings were more mixed, with bullying perpetration and victimization increasing in both control and intervention schools. We have designed an intervention that is acceptable to various stakeholders, feasible to deliver, is designed to be scalable, and has a clear theory of change in which targeting adolescent social norms drives behavioral change. We observed mixed findings across different sites, indicating that further adaptation to context may be needed. A full-randomized controlled trial is required to examine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor comprehenders are traditionally identified as having below‐average reading comprehension, average‐range word reading, and a discrepancy between the two. While oral language tends to be low in poor comprehenders, reading is a complex trait and heterogeneity may go undetected by group‐level comparisons. Methods: We took a preregistered data‐driven approach to identify poor comprehenders and examine whether multiple distinct cognitive profiles underlie their difficulties. Latent mixture modelling identified reading profiles in 6846 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, based on reading and listening comprehension assessments at 8–9 years. A second mixture model examined variation in the cognitive profiles of weak comprehenders, using measures of reading, language, working memory, nonverbal ability, and inattention. Results: A poor comprehender profile was not identified by the preregistered model. However, by additionally controlling for overall ability, a 6‐class model emerged that incorporated a profile with relatively weak comprehension (N = 947, 13.83%). Most of these children had weak reading comprehension in the context of good passage reading, accompanied by weaknesses in vocabulary and nonverbal ability. A small subgroup showed more severe comprehension difficulties in the context of additional cognitive impairments. Conclusions: Isolated impairments in specific components of reading are rare, yet a data‐driven approach can be used to identify children with relatively weak comprehension. Vocabulary and nonverbal ability were most consistently weak within this group, with broader cognitive difficulties also apparent for a subset of children. These findings suggest that poor comprehension is best characterised along a continuum, and considered in light of multiple risks that influence severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The psychological effects of war trauma are well-documented, but comparatively little research has focused on the mechanisms underlying intergenerational impacts of war and displacement. Specifically, the effects of armed conflict on family processes such as parenting behavior, and subsequent impacts on child psychosocial outcomes, are less understood. Methods. This study tests a conceptual model linking past war trauma and current displacement-related stressors to maternal mental health, parenting behavior, and child psychosocial problems. Cross-sectional data were collected in 2016-2017 from a sample of 291 Syrian refugee mothers in Lebanon. We used structural equation modeling to examine associations between war trauma, daily stressors, mothers' general psychological distress and post-traumatic stress (PTS), negative parenting, and child psychosocial problems. Results. Exposure to war-related events was directly associated with maternal PTS and general psychological distress, as well as indirectly via daily stressors. Mothers' general psychological distress, but not PTS, was directly associated with negative parenting and child psychosocial difficulties. Negative parenting mediated the association between maternal general psychological distress and child psychosocial problems. Model fit statistics indicate that the measurement and structural models provided a good fit to the data. Conclusions. Results suggest that the adverse effects of past war trauma and ongoing displacement on refugee mothers' general mental health can increase the risk of negative parenting behavior, and in turn contribute to poorer psychosocial outcomes for children. Interventions should focus on psychosocial and parenting support for war-affected caregivers, as well as address structural challenges that debilitate caregiver and child mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the strength of the association between victimisation by peers at age 13 years and depression at 18 years.Design: Longitudinal observational study.Setting: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK community based birth cohort.Participants: 6719 participants who reported on peer victimisation at age 13 years.Main Outcome Measures: Depression defined according to international classification of diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) criteria, assessed using the clinical interview schedule-revised during clinic assessments with participants when they were aged 18 years. 3898 participants had data on both victimisation by peers at age 13 years and depression at age 18 years.Results: Of the 683 participants who reported frequent victimisation at age 13 years, 101 (14.8%) were depressed according to ICD-10 criteria at 18 years; of the 1446 participants reporting some victimisation at age 13 years, 103 (7.1%) were depressed at age 18 years; and of the 1769 participants reporting no victimisation at age 13 years, 98 (5.5%) were depressed at age 18 years. Compared with children who were not victimised those who were frequently victimised by peers had over a twofold increase in odds of depression (odds ratio 2.96, 95% confidence interval 2.21 to 3.97, P<0.001). This association was slightly reduced when adjusting for confounders (2.32, 1.49 to 3.63, P<0.001). The population attributable fraction suggested that 29.2% (95% confidence interval 10.9% to 43.7%) of depression at age 18 years could be explained by peer victimisation if this were a causal relation.Conclusion: When using observational data it is impossible to be certain that associations are causal. However, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that victimisation by peers in adolescence is associated with an increase in the risk of developing depression as an adult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: The younger individuals quit smoking, the greater the health benefits. We studied the role of adolescent and concurrent psychological, social and familial factors in successful tobacco cessation in a general population sample of French young adults.Methods: Our data came from participants of the TEMPO cohort study and their parents (members of the GAZEL cohort study) in France. Among regular smokers (n = 678), Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios of self-reported tobacco cessation of at least 12 months in relation to individual and socioenvironmental variables.Results: On average, participants (mean: 28.9 years) smoked for 10.51 years (SD = 5.9); the majority had attempted to quit smoking at least once (59.5%). In multiple regression analyses, cannabis use in the preceding year and recent financial difficulties were both negatively associated with successful smoking cessation. Conversely, living with a partner and, for women only, recent pregnancy or childbirth were associated with an increased likelihood of tobacco cessation.Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of young adults' cannabis use, family situation and socioeconomic context with regard to their smoking behavior. Physicians and public health decision makers aiming to decrease the burden of tobacco smoking should take into consideration these social and behavioral factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The younger individuals quit smoking, the greater the health benefits. We studied the role of adolescent and concurrent psychological, social and familial factors in successful tobacco cessation in a general population sample of French young adults. Methods: Our data came from participants of the TEMPO cohort study and their parents (members of the GAZEL cohort study) in France. Among regular smokers (n = 678), Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios of self-reported tobacco cessation of at least 12 months in relation to individual and socioenvironmental variables. Results: On average, participants (mean: 28.9 years) smoked for 10.51 years (SD = 5.9); the majority had attempted to quit smoking at least once (59.5%). In multiple regression analyses, cannabis use in the preceding year and recent financial difficulties were both negatively associated with successful smoking cessation. Conversely, living with a partner and, for women only, recent pregnancy or childbirth were associated with an increased likelihood of tobacco cessation. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of young adults' cannabis use, family situation and socioeconomic context with regard to their smoking behavior. Physicians and public health decision makers aiming to decrease the burden of tobacco smoking should take into consideration these social and behavioral factors. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying victimisation has been prospectively linked with mental health problems among children and adolescents in longitudinal studies in the developed world. However, research from the developing world, where adolescents face multiple risks to social and emotional development, has been limited by cross-sectional designs. This is the first longitudinal study of the psychological impacts of bullying victimisation in South Africa. The primary aim was to examine prospective relationships between bullying victimisation and internalising and externalising symptoms in South African youth. Secondary aims were to examine gender and age-related differences in experiences of bullying victimisation. Children and adolescents (10-17 years, 57 % female, n = 3,515) from high HIV-prevalent (>30 %) communities in South Africa were interviewed and followed-up 1 year later (97 % retention). Census enumeration areas were randomly selected from urban and rural sites in two provinces and door-to-door sampling included all households with a resident child/adolescent. Exposure to multiple experiences of bullying victimisation at baseline predicted internalising symptoms and conduct problems 1 year later. Additionally, baseline mental health scores predicted later bullying victimisation, demonstrating bi-directionality of relationships between bullying victimisation and mental health outcomes in this sample. Expected gender differences in physical, verbal, and relational bullying victimisation were evident and predicted declines in bullying victimisation over time were observed. In the developed world, school-based anti-bullying programmes have been shown to be effective in reducing bullying and victimisation. Anti-bullying programmes should be implemented and rigorously evaluated in South Africa, as this may promote improved mental health among South African children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Peer victimization is ubiquitous across schools and cultures, and has been suggested as one developmental pathway to anxiety disorders. However, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining this relationship. The purpose of this cohort study was to examine the association between peer victimization during adolescence and subsequent anxiety diagnoses in adulthood. A secondary aim was to investigate whether victimization increases risk for severe anxiety presentations involving diagnostic comorbidity. Methods The sample comprised 6,208 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who were interviewed about experiences of peer victimization at age 13. Maternal report of her child's victimization was also assessed. Anxiety disorders at age 18 were assessed with the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between victimization and anxiety diagnoses adjusted for potentially confounding individual and family factors. Sensitivity analyses explored whether the association was independent of diagnostic comorbidity with depression. Results Frequently victimized adolescents were two to three times more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than nonvictimized adolescents (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.62-3.85). The association remained after adjustment for potentially confounding individual and family factors, and was not attributable to diagnostic overlap with depression. Frequently victimized adolescents were also more likely to develop multiple internalizing diagnoses in adulthood. Conclusions Victimized adolescents are at increased risk of anxiety disorders in later life. Interventions to reduce peer victimization and provide support for victims may be an effective strategy for reducing the burden associated with these disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review is presented, based on prospective longitudinal studies, on protective factors that interrupt the continuity from bullying perpetration at school to externalizing problem behaviors later in life; and from bullying victimization to later internalizing problems. Some common factors were established, which seem to interrupt the continuity from school bullying perpetration and victimization to later maladjustment problems. These included having a good performance at school and good social skills, coming from a stable (undisrupted) family, being attached to parents, and having prosocial friends. Findings are consistent with the wider resilience literature on factors that confer emotional and behavioral adjustment to school youth. This is not surprising given the interconnectedness and common pathways between bullying and other risk behaviors. Effective antibullying and other multicomponent programs may successfully interrupt this long-term continuity. Future intervention research should be informed by the resilience literature and incorporate existing findings in future program planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Debate is ongoing about what role, if any, variation in the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) plays in depression. Some studies report an interaction between 5-HTTLPR variation and stressful life events affecting the risk for depression, others report a main effect of 5-HTTLPR variation on depression, while others find no evidence for either a main or interaction effect. Meta-analyses of multiple studies have also reached differing conclusions. Method/design To improve understanding of the combined roles of 5-HTTLPR variation and stress in the development of depression, we are conducting a meta-analysis of multiple independent datasets. This coordinated approach utilizes new analyses performed with centrallydeveloped, standardized scripts. This publication documents the protocol for this collaborative, consortium-based meta-analysis of 5-HTTLPR variation, stress, and depression. Study eligibility criteria: Our goal is to invite all datasets, published or unpublished, with 5- HTTLPR genotype and assessments of stress and depression for at least 300 subjects. This inclusive approach is to minimize potential impact from publication bias. Data sources: This project currently includes investigators from 35 independent groups, providing data on at least N= 33,761 participants. The analytic plan was determined prior to starting data analysis. Analyses of individual study datasets will be performed by the investigators who collected the data using centrally developed standardized analysis scripts to ensure a consistent analytical approach across sites. The consortium as a group will review and interpret the meta-analysis results. Discussion Variation in 5-HTTLPR is hypothesized to moderate the response to stress on depression. To test specific hypotheses about the role of 5-HTTLPR variation on depression, we will perform coordinated meta-analyses of de novo results obtained from all available data, using variables and analyses determined a priori. Primary analyses, based on the original 2003 report by Caspi and colleagues of a GxE interaction will be supplemented by secondary analyses to help interpret and clarify issues ranging from the mechanism of effect to heterogeneity among the contributing studies. Publication of this protocol serves to protect this project from biased reporting and to improve the ability of readers to interpret the results of this specific meta-analysis upon its completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in response to stressful environmental exposures is at the core of resilience research. In order to understand why some individuals show resilient functioning in the face of adversity, one needs to understand the mechanisms through which risky environments lead to pathology in some and not others, and the ways in which risk and protective factors affect these processes. Understanding the interplay between genetic and biological processes and different environments is necessary in order to elucidate the causal pathways through which individuals show resilience or vulnerability in the face of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We investigated the antecedents and consequences of chronic victimization by bullies across a school transition using a genetically sensitive longitudinal design. Data were from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (E-Risk), an epidemiological cohort of 2,232 children. We used mothers' and children's reports of bullying victimization during primary school and early secondary school. Children who experienced frequent victimization at both time points were classed as “chronic victims” and were found to have an increased risk for mental health problems and academic difficulties compared to children who were bullied only in primary school, children bullied for the first time in secondary school, and never-bullied children. Biometric analyses revealed that stability in victimization over this period was influenced primarily by genetic and shared environmental factors. Regression analyses showed that children's early characteristics such as preexistent adjustment difficulties and IQ predicted chronic versus transitory victimization. Family risk factors for chronic victimization included socioeconomic disadvantage, low maternal warmth, and maltreatment. Our results suggest that bullying intervention programs should consider the role of the victims' behaviors and family background in increasing vulnerability to chronic victimization. Our study highlights the importance of widening antibullying interventions to include families to reduce the likelihood of children entering a pathway toward chronic victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social inequalities in substance use have been well-documented; however, the impact of changes in socio-economic position from childhood to adulthood is unclear. We examined the relationship between intergenerational trajectories of social position and tobacco and cannabis use among young adults. Methods: Data come from 1103 participants (mean age: 28.9 years) of the Trajectoires Epidémiologiques en Population (TEMPO) study and their parents, participants of the GAZEL study, France. Multinomial regression analyses were used to examine associations between lifecourse socio-economic position (SEP) assessed using the parent’s reports of family income (1989 and 2002) and the participant’s educational attainment, occupational grade and job stability in 2009, with self-reported tobacco and cannabis use in 2009. Results: Compared with participants with stable intermediate/high SEP, those with stable low SEP and those with declining SEP were more likely to use tobacco (age- and sex-adjusted ORs = 2.03 and 2.26). Participants who experienced declining SEP were also disproportionately likely to use and abuse cannabis (adjusted ORs = 2.22 and 2.73). Associations remained significant after adjusting for family (parental smoking, alcohol use, ill health, unemployment, depression and divorce) and individual (early tobacco and cannabis use, academic difficulties, juvenile internalizing and externalizing problems) risk factors. Conclusions: Cross-sectional studies indicate social inequalities in substance use. Our longitudinal findings suggest that individuals who experienced declining SEP from childhood to adulthood may be twice as likely to use tobacco and cannabis compared with individuals with a stable/high trajectory. Interventions targeting substance abuse should take into account lifecourse determinants including the interplay between individuals’ socio-economic origins and later attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To examine whether bullying is a risk factor for psychological distress among children in poor, urban South Africa. To determine risk and protective factors for bullying victimization. Method: One thousand and fifty children were interviewed in deprived neighborhoods, including orphans, AIDS-affected children, street children, and child-headed households. Using standardized scales, children reported on bullying victimization, psychological problems, and potential risk and protective factors at individual, peer, family, and community levels. Results: 34% of children reported bullying victimization. Bullied children showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress, as well as higher levels of clinical-level disorder. Risk factors for being bullied were being a victim of physical or sexual abuse or domestic violence at home, living in a high-violence community, and experiencing AIDS-related stigma (independent of sociodemographic cofactors and child psychological disorder). Protective factors were sibling support and support from friends, although findings suggest that friendship groups may also be sources of bullying for AIDS-affected children. Conclusions: Bullying is an independent and important risk factor in child psychological distress in South Africa. Children victimized at home or in the community are more likely to be bullied, suggesting a cycle of violence. Practice implications: Those working with children in Southern Africa should be alert to risk of bullying, especially among abused or AIDS-affected children. Interventions combating community violence and AIDS-related stigma may have additional positive impacts on bullying, and promotion of peer and sibling support may reduce bullying victimization among high-risk children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Bullied children are at risk for later emotional and behavioural problems. ‘Resilient’ children function better than would be expected given their experience of bullying victimisation. This study examined the role of families in promoting resilience following bullying victimisation in primary school. Method: Data were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Study which describes a nationally representative sample of 1,116 twin pairs and their families. We used mothers’ and children’s reports to examine bullying victimisation during primary school and mothers’ and teachers’ reports to measure children’s emotional and behavioural adjustment at ages 10 and 12. We used mothers’ and interviewers’ reports to derive measures of protective factors in the home including maternal warmth, sibling warmth and positive atmosphere at home. Results: Results from linear regression models showed that family factors were associated with children’s resilience to bullying victimisation. Maternal warmth, sibling warmth and a positive atmosphere at home were particularly important in bullied children compared to non-bullied children in promoting emotional and behavioural adjustment. We used a twin differences design to separate out environmental protective factors in twins who are genetically identical. Differences in maternal warmth between twins from genetically identical monozygotic pairs concordant for bullying victimisation were correlated with twin differences in behavioural problems ( r = –.23) such that the twin who received the most warmth had fewer behavioural problems. This shows that maternal warmth has an environmental effect in protecting children from the negative outcomes associated with being bullied. Conclusions: Warm family relationships and positive home environments help to buffer children from the negative outcomes associated with bullying victimisation. Warm parent–child relationships can exert an environmentally mediated effect on children’s behavioural adjustment following bullying victimisation. Identifying protective factors that promote resilience to bullying victimisation could lead to improved intervention strategies targeting the home environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a longitudinal study which examined whether school, neighborhood, and family factors were independently associated with children's involvement in bullying. It states that the study collected information about school characteristics from the Great Britain Department for Children, Schools and Families, and used mother and teacher reports to identify children ages 5-7 years old who experience bullying either as victims, bullies, or bully-victims. Results show that school size, problems with neighbors, and family factors were associated with children involved in bullying. The study concludes that socioenvironmental factors are associated with children's risk for becoming involved in bullying over and above their own behaviors.

Bullying is increasingly being viewed as a major public mental health problem; children and adolescents who are victims of bullying are at increased risk for negative psychological, social, and educational outcomes.1 Children who bully others may also be at risk; as a group, they show higher levels of substance abuse, antisocial behavioral problems, and criminal offending when compared to children who do not bully others.2,3 Yet bullying is tractable; systematic reviews provide evidence that complex, whole-school interventions are effective at reducing victimization and bullying.4 Although whole-school anti-bullying interventions have reported reductions in overall prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization, it has been noted that some vulnerable children continue to be bullied. Of particular concern is the finding that such children may experience even greater levels of internalizing symptoms as overall rates of bullying and victimization decline-the so called "healthy context paradox." For example, in a study of 10- to 12-year-olds, children who were bullied suffered from lower self-esteem than their non-bullied peers and had even lower self-esteem in classrooms that had lower levels of peer-reported bullying victimization.5 Similarly, adolescents who reported higher rates of victimization experienced somatic problems more often when they were in classrooms with lower overall levels of self-reported victimization.6 Analyses from randomized controlled trial data from the Dutch implementation of the KiVa anti-bullying program similarly revealed that-despite the overall success of the intervention-those who remained or became victimized in intervention schools had more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem after 1 year, compared to those who remained or became victimized in control schools.7 These early findings have led to calls for more targeted prevention programs designed specifically to support the most vulnerable children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters happen across the world. The situations are different but the disruption to children's education and wellbeing is similar. This study focused on the school context changes caused by the COVID‐19 global disaster, and the impact of these changes on children's mental health. The aim was to better understand the associations between any mental health changes and children's school level of deprivation and pre‐disaster involvement in bullying. Cross‐sectional data were collected from 4316 children aged 6–11 years old, from 57 schools across England and Wales. Data were collected before the national lockdowns, early 2020, and 3–5 months after the final return to school, summer 2021, when schools were operating under a range of context restrictions. Child data included bullying involvement at school and health‐related quality of life; teacher data included reports of each child's internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours. School‐level disadvantage was determined by the proportion of children in each school eligible to receive free school meals (an indicator of family disadvantage). The results showed that victims of bullying pre‐lockdown, and pupils from schools with a higher concentration of disadvantage, had significantly reduced externalising behaviours once back in the restricted school context. Victims had also increased their prosocial behaviours. It is possible that the restricted school context may have been a relief for the most vulnerable pupils. This study adds a new phase of understanding to the global disaster literature and the initial return to school when the environment is the same but the context has changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Educational achievement is an independent predictor of many life outcomes and so it is important to understand its causes and correlates. Internalising symptoms, encompassing anxiety and depression symptoms, are one candidate influence.Methods: Using a prospective and genetically-informative design, the present study investigated the associations between internalising symptoms and educational achievement, controlling for IQ at age 7 years and socioeconomic status, among participants of the Twin and Early Development Study (up to N = 10,791). Internalising symptoms were measured by the parent-rated Anxiety Related Behaviours Questionnaire (ages 7, 9, 16 years), and educational attainment were indexed by UK-wide standardized examination results at ages 16 and 18 years, and self-reported transition to university education.Results: Negative affect was the only internalising symptom subtype that was uniquely associated with academic underachievement at all timepoints, from mid-adolescence to early adulthood. The association between negative affect and achievement became non-significant when using MZ twin difference scores, suggesting that the majority of the relationship is accounted for by genetic and shared environmental effects.Limitations: Limitations include the reliance on parent-reported internalising symptoms.Conclusions: Negative affect in youth may be an important marker of later academic underachievement. Findings suggest that academic underachievement is not simply a consequence of the disruption caused by negative affect symptoms and therefore educational interventions may be required to optimise outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is unclear how hospitals are responding to the mental health needs of the population in England, against a backdrop of diminishing resources. We aimed to document patterns in hospital activity by psychiatric disorder and how these have changed over the last 22 years. Methods: In this observational time series analysis, we used routinely collected data on all NHS hospitals in England from 1998/99 to 2019/20. Trends in hospital admissions and bed days for psychiatric disorders were smoothed using negative binomial regression models with year as the exposure and rates (per 1000 person-years) as the outcome. When linear trends were not appropriate, we fitted segmented negative binomial regression models with one change-point. We stratified by gender and age group [children (0–14 years); adults (15 years +)]. Results: Hospital admission rates and bed days for all psychiatric disorders decreased by 28.4 and 38.3%, respectively. Trends were not uniform across psychiatric disorders or age groups. Admission rates mainly decreased over time, except for anxiety and eating disorders which doubled over the 22-year period, significantly increasing by 2.9% (AAPC = 2.88; 95% CI: 2.61–3.16; p < 0.001) and 3.4% (AAPC = 3.44; 95% CI: 3.04–3.85; p < 0.001) each year. Inpatient hospital activity among children showed more increasing and pronounced trends than adults, including an increase of 212.9% for depression, despite a 63.8% reduction for adults with depression during the same period. Conclusion: In the last 22 years, there have been overall reductions in hospital activity for psychiatric disorders. However, some disorders showed pronounced increases, pointing to areas of growing need for inpatient psychiatric care, especially among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority youth are at higher risk of self-harming than heterosexual adolescents. Understanding why sexual minority youth are more vulnerable to poor mental health and identifying factors that might buffer against this risk is important for developing targeted interventions. We used the Millennium Cohort Study to investigate whether same-sex attraction at age 14 is associated with suicide attempts and self-harm at age 17. Additionally, we tested whether bullying victimisation might mediate any observed associations, and whether social support might protect against any increased risk. Sexual minority youth were 2.44 times more likely to attempt suicide and 2.59 times more likely to self-harm aged 17. There was no evidence for an association between greater social support and lower levels of self-harm. However, greater social support in sexual minority youth is associated with reduced risk for suicide attempt. Bullying partially mediated the relationship between same-sex attraction and mental health. Greater levels in bullying in sexual minority youth were associated with 1.32 times higher risk for suicide and 1.30 times higher risk for self-harm. Social support was not associated with reduced risk of suicide attempt or self-harm among bullied sexual minority youth. Sexual minority youth in the UK are at higher risk for suicide attempt and self-harm. To address this disparity, health and educational practitioners should understand this heightened risk for poor mental health, and address bullying as one risk factor. Further interventions are needed to assist sexual minority youth beyond social support provision through friends and family. • Social support moderates the association between same-sex attraction and suicide attempts in sexual minority youth • Social support does not moderate the association between same-sex attraction and self-harm in sexual minority youth • No moderating effect of social support on relationship between suicide attempt/ self-harm and same-sex attraction in bullied sexual minority youth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience higher levels of peer victimization than their peers. However, it is not known if such associations reflect genetic and environmental confounding. We used a co‐twin control design to investigate the association of language difficulties (DLD and separately poor pragmatic language) with peer victimization and compare the developmental trajectories of peer victimization across adolescence for those with and without language difficulties.Participants were 3,400 pairs of twins in the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), a UK‐based population birth cohort. Language abilities were assessed via online tests at age 11 and peer victimization was self‐reported at ages 11, 14 and 16. Language difficulties were defined as language abilities at least −1.25 SD below the mean of the TEDS sample. We performed linear regressions and latent growth curve modeling at a population level and within monozygotic and same‐sex dizygotic twin pairs.At population level, youth with DLD experienced higher levels of peer victimization at ages 11 (β = 0.27, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.20–0.35), 14 (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.03–0.27) and 16 (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.32) and a sharper decline in peer victimization between ages 11 and 16 compared to their peers without DLD. The associations between DLD and peer victimization were reduced in strength and not statistically significant in within‐twin models. Moreover, there was no difference in the rate of change in peer victimization between twin pairs discordant for DLD. Results were similar for the association of poor pragmatic language with peer victimization.Associations between language difficulties (DLD and separately, poor pragmatic language) and peer victimization were confounded by genetic and shared environmental factors. Identifying specific factors underlying these associations is important for guiding future work to reduce peer victimization among adolescents with language difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bullying is an international phenomenon that is increasingly becoming recognized as a public health issue and mental health concern. Systematic reviews suggest that complex, whole-school anti-bullying interventions are effective at reducing victimization and bullying in high-income countries (HICs). We report a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of school-based interventions to reduce and prevent bullying among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition to searching 31 databases, we also hand searched key journals and grey literature. We contacted experts in the field for input during the search process. After rigorously screening retrieved studies against predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, only three studies were included in this review. One study used a cognitive and behavioral approach to target bullying among adolescents in Romania, one study adapted the international Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) for use in Malaysia, and the other developed a model for use in South Africa. Results from all three studies were mixed and provided no overall evidence of effect for the interventions. The validity of the results for two of the studies was unclear due to substantial or unclear risks of bias. Given the well-established evidence base for anti-bullying interventions in HICs, there is an urgent need for more rigorously evaluated and reported studies in LMICs, adapted for contexts of considerable resource constraints. Highlights • Bullying is associated with poor educational, social and mental health outcomes. • Anti-bullying interventions have been shown to be effective in high-income countries. • There is limited evidence on anti-bullying interventions for adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). • There is an urgent need for rigorously evaluated and reported anti-bullying interventions in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that explored the strength of association between victimization by peers at age 13 years and depression at age 18 years. The study show the relation between victimization by peers and childhood internalizing symptoms and attributes the burden of depression at age 18 to victimization by peers in adolescence.

Forcibly displaced children are at risk of a range of negative outcomes, yet little is known about how to support war-affected caregivers in promoting children's psychosocial resilience. The current study uses qualitative methods to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of war and displacement on parenting and child adjustment in order to inform intervention development. In April and November 2016, group and individual interviews were conducted with 39 Syrian parents and 15 children in partnership with a humanitarian organization in Lebanon. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results show three interrelated pathways linking daily displacement stressors to various dimensions of parenting: (1) economic hardship prevents parents from meeting their children's basic needs and forces adaptation strategies that impair positive parent-child interactions; (2) parental psychological distress contributes to harsh parenting; and (3) perceptions and experiences of insecurity in the community results in increased parental control. Greater economic resources and social support emerged as potential protective factors for maintaining positive parenting despite exposure to war and displacement-related adversity. Our findings suggest that implementation of policies and programs to remove structural barriers to refugees' physical and economic security can have tangible impacts on parental mental health, parenting quality, and child psychosocial outcomes. Future research priorities include a stronger focus on the effects of war and displacement on family processes, taking into account interactions with the broader social, economic and political context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective antibullying interventions may reduce the impact of bullying on young people's mental health. Nevertheless, little is known about their effectiveness in reducing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety or depression, and what factors may influence intervention effects. The aim of this systematic review, meta‐analysis, and metaregression is to assess the effects of school‐based antibullying interventions on children's and adolescent's internalizing symptoms. The secondary aims are to explore potential moderators, intervention components, and reductions in bullying as mediators of intervention effects on internalizing symptoms. Methods: We searched nine databases: PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library, and performed an author search of included studies in English from January 1983 to April 2021. We included studies that evaluated school‐based antibullying interventions using controlled designs and reporting on both bullying and internalizing outcomes. Random‐effects and metaregression models were used to derive Hedges g values with pooled 95% CIs as estimates of effect size and to test associations between moderator variables and effect size estimates. Path analysis was used to test potential mediation using effect size measures of victimization, perpetration, and internalizing outcomes. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using Cochrane collaboration tools. Results: This review included 22 studies with 58,091 participants in the meta‐analysis. Antibullying interventions had a very small effect in reducing overall internalizing symptoms (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.0284 to 0.1005), anxiety (ES, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.158), and depression (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.014 to 0.107) at postintervention. The reduction in internalizing symptoms did not vary significantly across geographic location, grade level, program duration, and intensity. The intervention component 'working with peers' was associated with a significant reduction, and 'using CBT techniques' was associated with a significant increase in internalizing outcomes. Bullying victimization and perpetration did not mediate the relationship between intervention condition and internalizing outcomes. Conclusions: Antibullying interventions have a small impact on reducing internalizing symptoms. Ongoing development of antibullying interventions should address how best to maximize their impact on internalizing symptoms to safeguard young people from the damaging mental health outcomes of bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent studies suggest mental health in youths is deteriorating. The current policy in the United Kingdom emphasizes the role of schools for mental health promotion and prevention, but little data exist on what aspects of schools influence mental health in pupils. This study explored school-level influences on the mental health of young people in a large school-based sample from the United Kingdom.Method: Baseline data from a large cluster randomized controlled trial collected between 2016 and 2018 from mainstream secondary schools selected to be representative in relation to their quality rating, size, deprivation, mixed or single-sex pupil population, and country were analyzed. Participants were pupils in their first or second year of secondary school. The study assessed whether school-level factors were associated with pupil mental health.Results: The study included 26,885 pupils (response rate = 90%; age range, 11‒14 years; 55% female) attending 85 schools in the United Kingdom. Schools accounted for 2.4% (95% CI: 2.0%‒2.8%; p < .0001) of the variation in psychopathology, 1.6% (95% CI: 1.2%‒2.1%; p < .0001) of depression, and 1.4% (95% CI: 1.0%‒1.7%; p < .0001) of well-being. Schools in urban locations, with a higher percentage of free school meals and of White British, were associated with poorer pupil mental health. A more positive school climate was associated with better mental health.Conclusion: School-level variables, primarily related to contextual factors, characteristics of pupil population, and school climate, explain a small but significant amount of variability in mental health of young people. This information might be used to identify schools that are in need of more resources to support mental health of young people.Clinical Trial Registration Information: MYRIAD: My Resilience in Adolescence, a Study Examining the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Training Programme in Schools Compared With Normal School Provision; https://www.isrctn.com/; 86619085. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bullying behaviours and other conduct problems often co-occur. However, we do not yet know whether bullying behaviours are associated with early factors and later poor outcomes independently of conduct problems. While there are differing, specific interventions for bullying behaviours and for conduct problems, it is unclear if such specificity is justified given parallels between both behaviours. Methods: We used prospective data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative sample of 2232 children. Mothers and teachers reported on children's bullying behaviours and conduct problems at ages 7 and 10. We collected measures of risk factors, including temperament and family factors, when children were age 5. We assessed behavioural, emotional, educational and social problems when participants reached the ages of 12 and 18. Results: Bullying behaviours and conduct problems co-occurred in childhood. Our findings indicated that bullying behaviours and other conduct problems were independently associated with the same risk factors. Furthermore, they were associated with the same poor outcomes at both ages 12 and 18. Despite this, bullying behaviours were uniquely associated with behavioural, emotional, educational and social problems at age 18. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that anti-bullying programmes and interventions aimed at reducing conduct problems could benefit from greater integration. Furthermore, our study highlights the mental health problems children who bully may face in later years and the need to consider those in intervention plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Theory of mind (ToM) allows the understanding and prediction of other people's behaviours based on their mental states (e.g. beliefs). It is important for healthy social relationships and thus may contribute towards children's involvement in bullying. The present study investigated whether children involved in bullying during early adolescence had poor ToM in childhood. Method: Participants were members of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative sample of 2,232 children and their families. We visited families when children were 5, 7, 10 and 12 years. ToM was assessed when the children were 5 years using eight standardized tasks. Identification of those children who were involved in bullying as victims, bullies and bully-victims using mothers', teachers' and children's reports was carried out when they were 12 years' old. Results: Poor ToM predicted becoming a victim (effect size, d = 0.26), bully ( d = 0.25) or bully-victim ( d = 0.44) in early adolescence. These associations remained for victims and bully-victims when child-specific (e.g. IQ) and family factors (e.g. child maltreatment) were controlled for. Emotional and behavioural problems during middle childhood did not modify the association between poor ToM and adolescent bullying experiences. Conclusion: Identifying and supporting children with poor ToM early in life could help reduce their vulnerability for involvement in bullying and thus limit its adverse effects on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking-related death and disability rates for women have risen sharply recently. Despite lower smoking cessation success rates for women using behavioral therapies, data are limited on whether specific pharmacological therapies are equally efficacious in men and women. Using meta-analytic techniques, we examined whether significant differences in therapeutic efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation exist by sex. Out of the 31 randomized clinical trials of NRT that met inclusion criteria, 11 contributed to the analysis. The odds ratios for NRT vs. placebo were derived from each trial separately by sex for males and females, and these ratios were combined to give a pooled estimate of the effect of sex in response to NRT. NRT was effective at all time points in men (< 6 months: OR = 2.05, 95% CI= 1.61-2.60; 6 months: OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.51-2.60; 12 months: OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.39-2.50) and women (< 6 months: OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.65-2.65; 6 months, OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.17-1.98; 12 months: OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.22-2.18). At all time points, no significant difference was observed between sexes (< 6 months: OR = .97, 95% CI = .69-1.36; 6 months: OR = 1.33, 95% CI = .91-1.95; 12 months: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = .79-1.84). The results of this meta-analysis do not support the hypothesis that NRT has higher therapeutic efficacy for men than women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer victimisation is a common occurrence and has well-established links with a range of psychiatric problems in adulthood. Significantly less is known however, about how victimisation influences positive aspects of mental health such as wellbeing. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess for the first time, whether peer victimisation in adolescence is associated with adult wellbeing. We aimed to understand whether individuals who avoid a diagnosis of depression after victimisation, maintain good wellbeing in later life, and therefore display resilience.Methods: Longitudinal data was taken from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective cohort study based in the UK. Peer victimisation was assessed at 13 years using a modified version of the bullying and friendship interview schedule, and wellbeing at age 23 using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. The presence or absence of depression was diagnosed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised at 18 years. A series of logistic and linear regression analyses were used to explore relationships between peer victimisation, depression, and wellbeing, adjusting for potentially confounding individual and family factors.Results: Just over 15% of victims of frequent bullying had a diagnosis of depression at age 18. Victimisation also had a significant impact on wellbeing, with a one-point increase in frequent victimisation associated with a 2.71-point (SE = 0.46, p < 0.001) decrease in wellbeing scores aged 23. This finding remained after adjustment for the mediating and moderating effects of depression, suggesting that the burden of victimisation extends beyond depression to impact wellbeing. Results therefore show that individuals who remain partially resilient by avoiding a diagnosis of depression after victimisation have significantly poorer wellbeing than their non-victimised counterparts.Conclusion: Overall, our study demonstrates for the first time that victimisation during adolescence is a significant risk factor for not only the onset of depression, but also poor wellbeing in adulthood. Such findings highlight the importance of investigating both dimensions of mental health to understand the true burden of victimisation and subsequent resilience. In addition to the need for interventions that reduce the likelihood of depression following adolescent victimisation, efforts should also be made to promote good wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: With improving survival rates, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the psychological aspect and needs of young cancer patients and survivors. Our goal was to describe the self‐reported levels of psychological distress, subjective illness experience and needs of young Slovenian cancer patients and survivors. Methods: Seventy‐nine participants, aged 19–39 years, answered questionnaires about anxiety, depression, mental defeat, cancer worry and their experience of learning the diagnosis and being treated. We used visualisations to demonstrate the relationship between anxiety and depression. The qualitative responses were summarised using a content analysis approach. Results: Twenty‐eight (35%) participants scored in the clinical range for anxiety and fifteen (19%) for depression. Cancer‐related worry was common (85% reported at least one worry). Mental defeat was positively associated with measures of psychological distress. Those who felt negative about learning their diagnosis emphasised the need for more time, empathy and dignity. Psychological support during illness was seen as crucial. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression remain a problem for a subset of patients. Medical professionals working with young people with cancer should encourage a warm atmosphere as they attend to patients' needs and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because of the global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), oncology departments across the world have rapidly adapted their cancer care protocols to balance the risk of delaying cancer treatments and the risk of COVID-19 exposure. COVID-19 and associated changes may have an impact on the psychosocial functioning of patients with cancer and survivors. This study was designed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people living with and beyond cancer.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 177 individuals, aged 18 to 39 years, were surveyed about the impact of COVID-19 on their cancer care and psychological well-being. Participants also reported their information needs with respect to COVID-19. Responses were summarized with a content analysis approach.Results: This was the first study to examine the psychological functioning of young patients and survivors during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. A third of the respondents reported increased levels of psychological distress, and as many as 60% reported feeling more anxious than they did before COVID-19. More than half also wanted more information tailored to them as young patients with cancer.Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving and changing the landscape of cancer care. Young people living with cancer are a unique population and might be more vulnerable during this time in comparison with their healthy peers. There is a need to screen for psychological distress and attend to young people whose cancer care has been delayed. As the lockdown begins to ease, the guidelines about cancer care should be updated according to this population's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor on issues related to investigation of subgroups in smoking cessation treatment.

This cross sectional pilot study assesses the feasibility of conducting online research into cognitive mechanisms in adolescent and young adult cancer populations. Twenty-one participants, aged 18–39 years, answered questionnaires about mental defeat, rumination, cancer worry, anxiety, and experience participating in such research. Seven participants scored in the clinical range for anxiety. Cancer-related worry was common. Rumination and mental defeat were positively associated with anxiety. The participants reported the length and type of questions to be appropriate and not distressing. Findings may inform future research into cognitive mechanisms, which could aid the development of psychosocial interventions for young cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment is a major public health problem, which is plagued with research challenges. Good epidemiological data can help to establish the nature and scope of past and present child maltreatment, and monitor its progress going forward. However, high quality data sources are currently lacking for England and Wales. We employed systematic methodology to harness pre-existing datasets (including non-digitalised datasets) and develop a rich data source on the incidence of Child maltreatment over Time (iCoverT) in England and Wales. The iCoverT consists of six databases and accompanying data documentation: Child Protection Statistics, Children In Care Statistics, Criminal Statistics, Homicide Index, Mortality Statistics and NSPCC Statistics. Each database is a unique indicator of child maltreatment incidence with 272 data variables in total. The databases span from 1858 to 2016 and therefore extends current data sources by over 80 years. We present a proof-of-principle analysis of a subset of the data to show how time series methods may be used to address key research challenges. This example demonstrates the utility of iCoverT and indicates that it will prove to be a valuable data source for researchers, clinicians and policy-makers concerned with child maltreatment. The iCoverT is freely available at the Open Science Framework (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although the relationship between maternal bonding and risk of offspring depression has been demonstrated, it is unclear whether this risk exists for subsequent generations. This study examines the association between maternal reports of her own mother's parenting and later risk of depression in offspring at age 18. Method This study is based on data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Mothers enrolled in the study, completed the Parental Bonding Instrument to provide an assessment of how they were parented by their own mothers up to the age of 16. Offspring depression was assessed at age of 18 using the Clinical Interview Schedule- Revised. The sample comprised 10,405 respondents who had completed the Parental Bonding Instrument during the antenatal period. Results were adjusted for grandmother's history of depression, maternal depression, and a range of socioeconomic variables. Results A one standard deviation increase in mothers' perceived lack of care in their own childhood was associated with a 16% increase in the odds of offspring depression at age 18 (odds ratios = 1.16, 95% confidence intervals = [1.04, 1.30]). This effect remained following adjustment for potential confounders (odds ratios = 1.14, 95% confidence intervals = [1.02, 1.27]). There was no evidence for an association between overprotection and offspring depression. Conclusions This study is consistent with the hypothesis that sensitive caregiving is important to future risk of depression across generations. Preventative interventions could be aimed at promoting positive parenting practices, which may help to reduce the risk of depression in subsequent generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Low socioeconomic position predicts risk of substance abuse, yet few studies tested the role of preexisting familial and individual characteristics. Methods: Data come from the TEMPO (Trajectoires Epidémiologiques en Population) study (community sample in France, 1991–2009, n =1103, 22–35 years in 2009) set up among offspring of participants of an epidemiological study (GAZEL). Past 12-month substance use was assessed in 2009 by self-completed mail survey: regular tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse (AUDIT), cannabis use, problematic cannabis use (CAST), other illegal drug use. Socioeconomic position was defined by educational attainment, occupational grade, employment stability and unemployment. Covariates included demographics (age, sex, relationship status, parenthood), family background (parental income, parental tobacco smoking, parental alcohol use), and juvenile characteristics (psychological problems, academic difficulties) measured longitudinally. Results: 35.8% of study participants were regular smokers, 14.3% abused alcohol, 22.6% used cannabis (6.3% had problematic cannabis use) and 4.1% used other illegal drugs. Except for alcohol abuse, substance use rates were systematically higher in individuals with low, rather than intermediate/high, socioeconomic position (age and sex-adjusted ORs from 1.75 for cannabis use to 2.11 for tobacco smoking and 2.44 for problematic cannabis use). In multivariate analyses these socioeconomic disparities were decreased, but remained statistically significant (except for illegal drugs other than cannabis). Conclusions: Tobacco smoking, alcohol, cannabis and polysubstance use are common behaviors among young adults, particularly those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. Interventions aiming to decrease substance abuse and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in this area should be implemented early in life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that early-life stress such as physical maltreatment has long-lasting effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and is associated with blunted HPA axis reactivity in adulthood. Few studies have investigated whether blunted HPA axis reactivity observed in children exposed to early-life stress signals social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Methods: Participants were 190 12-year-old children (50.5% males) recruited from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative 1994 to 1995 cohort of families with twins. Cortisol responses to psychosocial stress were measured in maltreated/bullied (n = 64) and comparison children (n = 126). We ascertained maltreatment and bullying victimization using mothers'' reports and assessed children''s social, emotional, and behavioral problems at ages 5 and 12 using mothers'' and teachers'' reports. Results: Piecewise multilevel growth curve analyses indicated that maltreated/bullied and comparison children showed distinct cortisol responses to stress. Specifically, maltreated/bullied children had lower cortisol responses than comparison children who exhibited a significant increase. Lower cortisol responses were, in turn, associated with more social and behavioral problems among maltreated/bullied children. Conclusions: These findings provide support for the influence of childhood harm on blunted HPA axis reactivity and its potential impact on children''s functioning. Our findings emphasize the need to integrate stress biomarkers in guiding prevention efforts for young victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stressful events early in life can affect children's mental health problems. Collecting valid and reliable information about children's bad experiences is important for research and clinical purposes. This study aimed to (1) investigate whether mothers and children provide valid reports of bullying victimization, (2) examine the inter-rater reliability between the two informants, (3) test the predictive validity of their reports with children's emotional and behavioral problems and (4) compare the genetic and environmental etiology of bullying victimization as reported by mothers and children. We assessed bullying victimization in the Environmental-Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative sample of 1,116 families with twins. We collected reports from mothers and children during private interviews, including detailed narratives. Findings showed that we can rely on mothers and children as informants of bullying victimization: both informants provided information which adhered to the definition of bullying as involving repeated hurtful actions between peers in the presence of a power imbalance. Although mothers and children modestly agreed with each other about who was bullied during primary and secondary school, reports of bullying victimization from both informants were similarly associated with children's emotional and behavioral problems and provided similar estimates of genetic and environmental influences. Findings from this study suggest that collecting information from multiple informants is ideal to capture all instances of bullying victimization. However, in the absence of child self-reports, mothers can be considered as a viable alternative, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment is associated with an increased risk of antisocial behaviour; however, whether this risk persists and remains stable across the life-course is undetermined. To examine associations between chid maltreatment and antisocial behaviour across the life-course. The study used 50 years of longitudinal data from the 1958 British birth cohort (n = 8088) measuring child neglect (prospectively) and abuse (retrospectively) and antisocial behaviour from childhood-to-adulthood. Latent growth curve models analysed the longitudinal course of antisocial behaviour across childhood (7–16years) and adulthood (23–50years) as a function of child maltreatment. We used directed acyclic graphs to identify, and adjust for, potential confounders (biological, family, social). Child maltreatment was associated with higher levels of antisocial behaviour at all seven timepoints across the life-course (7–50years). Antisocial behaviour was elevated during childhood and adulthood in individuals who were maltreated, independently of confounding factors. Individuals who experienced multiple types of maltreatment were at the greatest risk of antisocial behaviour. Each additional maltreatment type was associated with an increased risk during both childhood (B = 0.173; SE = 0.024; p <.001) and adulthood (B = 0.137; SE = 0.014; p <.001). There was limited evidence that child maltreatment was associated with within-person rates of change, indicating that the increased risk of antisocial behaviour did not change over time. Child maltreatment is associated with an increased risk of antisocial behaviour, with a persistent and stable association remaining up to age 50. Our results highlight the burden of child maltreatment and the importance of providing long-term support for individuals who experience child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]