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With considerable debate concerning the impact of culture on the expression of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, it is unclear whether the core features of CU traits generalize to youth across cultures. This study aimed to examine whether cultural differences are reflected in the core features of CU traits and the associations among these features. Network analysis was employed to identify the core features and to examine the network structure of CU traits operationalized by the Inventory of Callous Unemotional traits (ICU) in four community youth samples from different nations (Australia, N = 190; the UK, N = 437; the USA, N = 330; China, N = 503). The item "Apologizes to people" was identified as a cross-cultural core feature in the ICU network with a greater centrality of this item compared to others in all four samples. In addition, some items were identified as culture-specific core features in the network, differing in their centrality across samples. The network structures of the youth self-report ICU items were moderately similar across samples, while the structures of parent-report items showed substantial differences. These findings have important implications for cross-cultural research on CU traits as well as practical implications for screening and treatment. The core features of ICU appear to be generalizable in youth across cultures, although cultural-specific manifestations should be noted., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Aims: To study the associations of anxiety/affective disorders, conduct/antisocial disorders (ASPD/CD), attention deficit disorders (ADHD), and alcohol use disorders (AUD) with suicidal behaviors in an American Indian (AI) community sample of adolescents and adults., Methods: Participants were AI (360 adolescents, 925 adults) recruited from reservations who were assessed with the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA)., Results: Among AI adults (mean age = 33 years), 17% percent reported lifetime experiences of suicidal thoughts (ideation and/or plans) and 14% reported suicidal acts (including either a suicide attempt history or verified death by suicide; n = 19 deaths). Among AI adolescents (mean age = 15 years), 20% experienced suicidal thoughts and 9% experienced suicidal acts (including 3 deaths). In logistic regression analyses, suicidal thoughts were significantly associated with lifetime diagnoses of affective disorder, CD and ADHD in adolescents, and with anxiety disorder, affective disorder, and ASPD/CD in adults. Suicidal acts were associated with affective disorder, ADHD, and alcohol drinking in adolescents and with anxiety disorder, ASPD/CD and AUD in adults. The number of comorbid disorders greatly increased the risk of both suicidal thoughts and acts among both adolescents and adults., Conclusions: In addition to affective disorders, both ADHD and CD in adolescents, and ASPD in adults, demonstrated an association with suicidal thoughts. Alcohol use by adolescents and AUD among adults also were associated with suicidal attempts in this AI sample. These findings suggest need for additional research and potential integration of alcohol in screening and intervention programs focused on the prevention of suicide among AI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no conflicts of interest, competing interests or financial support. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Electrophysiological variables may represent sensitive biomarkers of vulnerability to or endophenotypes for alcohol use disorders (AUD)., Methods: Young adults (age 18-30 yrs, n = 580) of Mexican American heritage were assessed with the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism and event-related oscillations (EROs) generated in response to a task that used pictures of objects, food, and alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related drinks as stimuli., Results: Decreases in energy in the alpha and beta frequencies and higher phase synchrony within cortical brain areas were seen in response to the alcohol-related as compared to the non-alcohol-related stimuli. Differences in ERO energy and synchrony responses to alcohol-related stimuli were also found as a function of age, sex, AUD status and comorbidity. Age-related decreases in energy and increases in synchrony were found. Females had significantly higher energy and lower synchrony values than males. Participants with AUD had higher synchrony values specifically in the beta frequencies, whereas those with a lifetime diagnosis of conduct disorder and/or antisocial personality disorder had lower alpha power and synchrony, and those with any affective disorder had lower ERO energy in the beta frequencies. Those with substance-associated affective "dark-side" symptoms had slower reaction times to the task, lower energy in the beta frequencies, lower local synchrony in the theta frequencies, and higher long-range synchrony in the delta and beta frequencies., Conclusions: These findings suggest that EROs recorded to alcohol-related stimuli may be biomarkers of comorbid risk factors, symptoms and disorders associated with AUD that also can differentiate those with "dark-side symptoms"., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of anxiety disorders in Chinese children with ADHD., Method: Overall, 120 children with ADHD aged 6 to 12 years were recruited, and the parent version of computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Version 4 was administrated to their primary caretakers., Results: The prevalence rate of anxiety disorders was 27.5%, which is consistent with the reports of previous Asian and Western studies. Among the children with ADHD and anxiety disorders, more than 50% of them also had comorbid oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder (ODD/CD), which yielded an adjusted odds ratio of 3.0 in multivariable analysis for anxiety disorder, with comorbid ODD/CD. In addition, anxiety disorders were positively associated with inattention symptoms in children with both disorders., Conclusion: Clinicians should perform screening and careful assessment for anxiety symptoms in children with ADHD, particularly those suffering from comorbid ODD/CD.

Objective: The current study examined (a) the mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relationship between parental risks and youth antisocial behaviors (YASB), and (b) the role of youth cultural stress in a racial/ethnic minority group (i.e., Puerto Rican [PR] youth)., Method: This longitudinal study consisted of 3 annual interviews of PR youth (N = 1,150; aged 10-14 years at wave 1) and their caretakers from the South Bronx (SB) in New York City and from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Parents reported on parental risks, parenting behaviors, and YASB. Youth also self-reported on YASB and youth cultural stress. A lagged structural equation model examined the relationship between these variables across 3 yearly waves, with youth cultural stress as a moderator of the association between effective parenting behaviors and YASB., Results: Findings supported the positive influence of effective parenting on YASB, independently of past parental risks and past YASB: higher effective parenting significantly predicted lower YASB at the following wave. Parenting also accounted for (mediated) the association between the composite of parental risks and YASB. Youth cultural stress at wave 1 was cross-sectionally associated with higher YASB and moderated the prospective associations between effective parenting and YASB, such that for youth who perceived higher cultural stress, the positive effect of effective parenting on YASB was weakened compared to those with lower/average cultural stress., Conclusion: Among PR families, both parental and cultural risk factors influence YASB. Such findings should be considered when treating racial/ethnic minority youth for whom cultural factors may be a relevant influence on determining behaviors., (Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Psychiatric disorder prevalence has been shown demonstrably higher among justice-involved adolescents than youth in the general population. Yet, among arrested juveniles, little is known regarding racial/ethnic differences in disorder prevalence, the role of trauma exposure in the diagnosis of behavioral disorders, or subsequent psychiatric treatment provided to adolescents with such diagnoses. The current study examines racial/ethnic disparity in psychiatric diagnoses and treatment of behavioral disorders associated with delinquency, controlling for traumatic experiences, behavioral indicators, and prior offending among serious juvenile offenders. Logistic regression is employed to explore the racial/ethnic disproportionality in behavioral disorder diagnoses and psychiatric treatment provision among 8763 males (57.7 % Black, 11.8 % Hispanic) and 1,347 females (53.7 % Black, 7.6 % Hispanic) admitted to long-term juvenile justice residential placements in Florida. The results indicate Black males are 40 % more likely, and Black females 54 % more likely to be diagnosed with conduct disorder than Whites, even upon considerations of trauma, behavioral indicators, and criminal offending. Black and Hispanic males are approximately 40 % less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than White males, with no racial/ethnic differences for females. Importantly, Black males are 32 % less likely to receive psychiatric treatment than White males, with no differences between White and Hispanic males, or any female subgroups. Traumatic exposures increased the odds of oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD, but not conduct disorder for males, though adverse childhood experiences were unrelated to behavioral disorder diagnoses among females.

Prior studies have shown that the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) holds promise as a self-report tool for assessing psychopathic traits in detained adolescents. However, these studies have been conducted in a research context where anonymity and confidentiality are provided. Few studies have examined the usefulness of the YPI in clinical settings. To address this research gap, the present study examined data from 1,559 detained boys who completed the YPI as part of a clinical protocol. Official criminal records were available for a subsample (n = 848), allowing us to test the prognostic usefulness of the YPI. Results of confirmatory factor analyses, overall, support the proposed 3-factor structure, though model fit indices were not as good in Dutch boys compared to boys from other ethnic groups. Measurement invariance tests showed that the YPI scores are manifested in the same way across all 4 ethnic groups and suggest that means scores between the 4 ethnic groups are comparable. The YPI scores were internally consistent, and correlations with external variables, including aggression and conduct problems, support the convergent validity of the interpretation of YPI scores. Finally, results demonstrated that YPI scores were not significantly positively related to future criminality. In conclusion, this study suggests that the YPI may hold promise as a self-report tool for assessing psychopathic traits in detained male adolescents during a clinical protocol. However, the finding that the YPI did not predict future offending suggests that this tool should not yet be used for risk assessment purposes in forensic settings. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).)

This study investigated baseline client characteristics that predicted long-term treatment outcomes among adolescents referred from school and community sources and enrolled in usual care for conduct and substance use problems. Predictor effects for multiple demographic (age, sex, race/ethnicity), clinical (baseline symptom severity, comorbidity, family discord), and developmental psychopathology (behavioral dysregulation, depression, peer delinquency) characteristics were examined. Participants were 205 adolescents (52 % male; mean age 15.7 years) from diverse backgrounds (59 % Hispanic American, 21 % African American, 15 % multiracial, 6 % other) residing in a large inner-city area. As expected, characteristics from all three predictor categories were related to various aspects of change in externalizing problems, delinquent acts, and substance use at one-year follow-up. The strongest predictive effect was found for baseline symptom severity: Youth with greater severity showed greater clinical gains. Higher levels of co-occurring developmental psychopathology characteristics likewise predicted better outcomes. Exploratory analyses showed that change over time in developmental psychopathology characteristics (peer delinquency, depression) was related to change in delinquent acts and substance use. Implications for serving multiproblem adolescents and tailoring treatment plans in routine care are discussed.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify separate and joint trajectories of conduct disorder (CD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) DSM-IV diagnostic symptoms among American Indian and First Nation (Indigenous) youth aged 10 to 18 years, and to characterize baseline profiles and later outcomes associated with joint trajectory group membership., Method: Data were collected between 2002 and 2010 on three indigenous reservations in the northern Midwest and four Canadian reserves (N = 673). CD and substance use disorder (SUD) were measured using the DSM-IV Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Revised (DISC-R), administered at four time points., Results: Using group-based trajectory modeling, three CD and four AUD trajectories were found. Both had a small group with high symptoms, but the largest groups for both had no symptoms (55% and 73%, respectively). CD symptom trajectories began at age 10 years and peaked at age 14; AUD trajectories began at age 12 years and were highest from age 16 on. Eight joint trajectories were identified. Of the sample, 53% fell into the group with no CD or AUD symptoms. Compared to symptomatic groups, this group had greater caretaker warmth, positive school adjustment, less discrimination, and fewer deviant peers, and were less likely to have a caretaker with major depression at baseline. Symptomatic groups had higher odds of high school dropout, sex under the influence, and arrest at age 17 to 20 years., Conclusion: Despite significant risk factors, a large proportion of Indigenous youth had no CD-SUD symptoms over time. CD-SUD symptoms have multiple development trajectories and are related to early developmental risk and later psychosocial outcomes., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Latino parents can experience acculturation stressors, and according to the Family Stress Model (FSM), parent stress can influence youth mental health and substance use by negatively affecting family functioning. To understand how acculturation stressors come together and unfold over time to influence youth mental health and substance use outcomes, the current study investigated the trajectory of a latent parent acculturation stress factor and its influence on youth mental health and substance use via parent-and youth-reported family functioning. Data came from a 6-wave, school-based survey with 302 recent (<5 years) immigrant Latino parents (74% mothers, Mage = 41.09 years) and their adolescents (47% female, Mage = 14.51 years). Parents' reports of discrimination, negative context of reception, and acculturative stress loaded onto a latent factor of acculturation stress at each of the first 4 time points. Earlier levels of and increases in parent acculturation stress predicted worse youth-reported family functioning. Additionally, earlier levels of parent acculturation stress predicted worse parent-reported family functioning and increases in parent acculturation stress predicted better parent-reported family functioning. While youth-reported positive family functioning predicted higher self-esteem, lower symptoms of depression, and lower aggressive and rule-breaking behavior in youth, parent-reported family positive functioning predicted lower youth alcohol and cigarette use. Findings highlight the need for Latino youth preventive interventions to target parent acculturation stress and family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

Research has identified a multitude of demographic, psychological, and contextual factors that are associated with violent offending among youth. However, much of the previous research has focused on single factors, and little is known about the effects of these various factors in tandem. The present study examines whether certain community factors impact the effects of race and psychopathology on violent crime. Multivariate analyses were used to investigate race-psychopathology combinations and the moderating influence of exposure to community violence in a sample of youth (N = 1,116). Youth without antisocial personality disorder (APD) or psychopathy were less violent than the other diagnostic groups, and Black youth were less likely to have psychopathy compared with Whites and Hispanics. However, Black youth with APD and psychopathy were twice as likely to exhibit violent crime versatility. Furthermore, Black and Hispanic youth demonstrating aggressive conduct problems committed a greater number of violent crime types than Whites. This relationship was further qualified, such that Black and Hispanic youth with APD and psychopathy, who were more exposed to community violence, committed a greater number of violent crime types compared with Whites. These results suggest that prevention and intervention strategies should consider individual and community-level factors. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

Existing theories (e.g., acculturative stress theory) cannot adequately explain why mental disorders in immigrants are less prevalent than in non-immigrants. In this paper, the culture-gene co-evolutionary theory of mental disorders was utilized to generate a novel hypothesis that connection to heritage culture reduces the risk for mental disorders in immigrant children. Four groups of children aged 2-17 years were identified from the 2007 United States National Survey of Children's Health: 1.5th generation immigrant children (n = 1378), 2nd generation immigrant children (n = 4194), foreign adoptees (n = 270), and non-immigrant children (n = 54,877). The 1.5th generation immigrant children's connection to their heritage culture is stronger than or similar to the 2nd generation immigrants, while the foreign adoptees have little connection to their birth culture. Controlling for age, sex, family type and SES, the odds for having ADD/ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, and Depression diagnosis were the lowest for the 1.5th generation immigrant children, followed by the 2nd generation immigrant children and the foreign adoptees. The foreign adoptees and non-adopted children were similar in the odds of having these disorders. Connection to heritage culture might be the underlying mechanism that explained recent immigrants' lower rates of mental disorders.

Mothers and adolescents hold distinct albeit correlated views of their relationship and of one another. The present study focuses on disentangling these independent views. Concurrent associations between maternal psychological control and children's adjustment are examined at two time points in order to identify the degree to which associations reflect (a) views that are shared by mothers and adolescents, and (b) views that are unique to mothers and adolescents. A total of 123 (56 % female) U.S. Latino/a adolescents (M = 10.4 years old at the outset) and their mothers reported on maternal psychological control, children's conduct problems, and children's anxiety, twice within a 5-month period. Data were collected at the close of primary school when the adolescents were in grade 5 and again at the beginning of middle school, when they were in grade 6. Results from conventional correlations indicated that mother- and adolescent-reports yielded similar associations between maternal psychological control and adolescent adjustment. Common fate model analyses partitioned results into variance shared across mother and adolescent reports and variance unique to mother and adolescent reports. Results differed for anxiety and conduct problems. Shared views indicated that greater maternal psychological control was associated with heightened child conduct problems; there were no associations unique to either reporter. In contrast, unique reporter views indicated that greater maternal psychological control was associated with child anxiety; there were no associations involving shared views. Although mother- and adolescent-reports agree that maternal psychological control is correlated with children's adjustment, there is considerable divergence in results when associations are partitioned according to shared and unique reporter views. Associations between maternal psychological control and children's anxiety are more apt to be inflated by same-reporter variance bias than are associations between maternal psychological control and children's conduct problems.

The current study explored the influences of genetic and environmental factors on the mental health of twins between ages 6 and 16. A total of 41 monozygotic (MZ) twins and 35 dizygotic twins were recruited. The psychological attributes and environmental information of children were evaluated. A significant correlation was found between twins in the diagnostic categories of any psychiatric disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/hyperkinesis based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scale in MZ twins. Furthermore, fathers' authoritarian parenting style was positively correlated with the probability of any psychiatric disorders and oppositional/conduct disorders, whereas mothers' authoritative parenting style was negatively correlated with the probability of any psychiatric disorders and ADHD/hyperkinesis. The probability of emotional disorders was negatively correlated with scores on the Stressful Life Events Scale. These results collectively suggest that genetic and environmental elements, such as parental rearing style and stressful life events, may influence children's mental health. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54(8), 29-34.]., (Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.)

Despite widespread speculation about the detrimental effect of unsupervised self-care on adolescent outcomes, little is known about which children are particularly prone to problem behaviors when left at home without adult supervision. The present research used data from a longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin children residing in the United States to examine the prospective effect of unsupervised self-care on conduct problems, and the moderating roles of hostile aggression and gender. Results showed that unsupervised self-care was related to increases over time in conduct problems such as lying, stealing, and bullying. However, unsupervised self-care only led to conduct problems for boys and for children with an aggressive temperament. The main and interactive effects held for both mother-reported and observational-rated hostile aggression and after controlling for potential confounds., (Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The onset of hyperactivity/impulsivity and attention problems (HAP) is typically younger than that of conduct problems (CP), and some research supports a directional relation wherein HAP precedes CP. Studies have tested this theory using between-person and between-group comparisons, with conflicting results. In contrast, prior research has not examined the effects of within-person fluctuations in HAP on CP., Method: This study tested the hypothesis that within-person variation in HAP would positively predict subsequent within-person variation in CP, in two population samples of youth (N = 620) who participated in identical methods of assessment over the course of 30 months. Three-level, hierarchical models were used to test for within-person, longitudinal associations between HAP and CP, as well as moderating effects of between-person and between-family demographics., Results: We found a small but significant association in the expected direction for older youth, but the opposite effect in younger and non-Caucasian youth. These results were replicated across both samples., Conclusions: The process by which early HAP relates to later CP may vary by age and racial identity., (© 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

The factor structure and potential uniform differential item functioning (DIF) among gender and three racial/ethnic groups of adolescents (African American, Latino, White) were evaluated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom scores of the DISC Predictive Scales (DPS; Leung et al., 2005; Lucas et al., 2001). Primary caregivers reported on DSM-IV ADHD, CD, and ODD symptoms for a probability sample of 4,491 children from three geographical regions who took part in the Healthy Passages study (mean age = 12.60 years, SD = 0.66). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the expected 3-factor structure was tenable for the data. Multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling revealed uniform DIF for three ADHD and 9 ODD item scores, but not for any of the CD item scores. Uniform DIF was observed predominantly as a function of child race/ethnicity, but minimally as a function of child gender. On the positive side, uniform DIF had little impact on latent mean differences of ADHD, CD, and ODD symptomatology among gender and racial/ethnic groups. Implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Objectives: Minimal attention has been given to understanding parenting stress among low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with conduct problems. Maternal health and parenting hassles may serve as important risk factors for parenting stress. This study examined whether parenting hassles mediated the relations between maternal physical and mental health and parenting stress in a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse mothers of children with behavioral problems., Methods: The sample included 177 low-income black, Latina, and white mothers of kindergartners with behavior problems. Path analysis was employed to assess the associations between maternal mental and physical health and parenting stress, as well as the moderating role of parenting hassles in this cross-sectional study., Results: After adjusting for covariates, we found that parenting hassles mediated the relationship between social support and parenting stress as well as maternal health and parenting stress., Conclusion: Findings suggest that promoting coping resources for daily parenting hassles and supporting the physical and mental health of minority mothers may have important implications for parenting children with high behavior problems.

Background: Mental health disorders are common and disabling for young people because of the potential to disrupt key developmental tasks. Implementation of evidence-based psychosocial therapies in New Zealand is limited, owing to the inaccessibility, length, and cost of training in these therapies. Furthermore, most therapies address one problem area at a time, although comorbidity and changing clinical needs commonly occur in practice. A more flexible approach is needed. The Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC) is designed to overcome these challenges; it provides a range of treatment modules addressing different problems, within a single training program. A clinical trial of MATCH-ADTC in the USA showed that MATCH-ADTC outperformed usual care and standard evidence-based treatment on several clinical measures. We aim to replicate these findings and evaluate the impact of providing training and supervision in MATCH-ADTC to: (1) improve clinical outcomes for youth attending mental health services; (2) increase the amount of evidence-based therapy content; (3) increase the efficiency of service delivery., Methods: This is an assessor-blinded multi-site effectiveness randomized controlled trial. Randomization occurs at two levels: (1) clinicians (≥60) are randomized to intervention or usual care; (2) youth participants (7-14 years old) accepted for treatment in child and adolescent mental health services (with a primary disorder that includes anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, or disruptive behavior) are randomly allocated to receive MATCH-ADTC or usual care. Youth participants are recruited from 'mainstream', Māori-specific, and Pacific-specific child and adolescent mental health services. We originally planned to recruit 400 youth participants, but this has been revised to 200 participants. Centralized computer randomization ensures allocation concealment. The primary outcome measures are: (i) the difference in trajectory of change of clinical severity between groups (using the parent-rated Brief Problem Monitor); (ii) clinicians' use of evidence-based treatment procedures during therapy sessions; (iii) total time spent by clinicians delivering therapy., Discussion: If MATCH-ADTC demonstrates effectiveness it could offer a practical efficient method to increase access to evidence-based therapies, and improve outcomes for youth attending secondary care services., Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000297628 .

This study examined longitudinal effects of cultural stress (a latent factor comprised of bicultural stress, ethnic discrimination, and negative context of reception) on depressive symptoms and a range of externalizing behaviors among recently (≤5 years in the U.S. at baseline) immigrated Hispanic adolescents. A sample of 302 adolescents (53% boys; mean age 14.51 years) completed baseline measures of perceived ethnic discrimination, bicultural stress, and perceived negative context of reception; and outcome measures of depressive symptoms, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, aggressive behavior, and rule-breaking behavior six months post-baseline. A path analysis indicated that higher cultural stress scores predicted higher levels of all outcomes. These effects were consistent across genders, but varied by study site. Specifically, higher cultural stress scores increased depressive symptoms among participants in Miami, but not in Los Angeles. Findings suggest that cultural stress is a clinically relevant predictor of depressive symptoms and externalizing behaviors among Hispanic immigrant adolescents., (Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: While work has been conducted on gender differences to inform gender-specific programming, relatively little work has been done regarding racial and ethnic differences among incarcerated and detained girls in particular. This is an important gap, considering gender, race, and ethnicity may be important factors in responding to the needs of incarcerated and detained girls within the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model. We hypothesize girls will show relatively more pathology than boys, and that White girls will show relatively more pathology as compared to girls of other groups. Implications of findings for services delivery and policy are presented., Method: Data were collected on N = 657 youth using structured interview and record review. Analyses included χ2 and t tests., Results: As compared to boys, girls were older at first arrest yet younger during most lock-up, received poorer grades, experienced more family difficulty, and more were lesbian/bisexual. As compared to minority girls, White girls began hard drugs at a younger age, had more conduct disorder symptoms, and more frequently experienced parental difficulty and abuse., Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Age-appropriate programming that addresses family difficulty and sexuality is needed for girls. As compared to White girls, reentry planning may more readily rely on family support for minority girls. Systems should consider use of actuarial methods in order to reduce bias in making placement decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Introduction: To determine sociodemographic and psychological factors associated with bullying behavior among young adolescents in Malaysia., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of four hundred ten 12-year-old adolescents from seven randomly sampled schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic features of the adolescents and their parents, bullying behavior (Malaysian Bullying Questionnaire), ADHD symptoms (Conners Rating Scales), and internalizing and externalizing behavior (Child Behaviour Checklist) were obtained from adolescents, parents and teachers, respectively., Results: Only male gender (OR=7.071, p=0.01*, CI=1.642-30.446) was a significant sociodemographic factor among bullies. Predominantly hyperactive (OR=2.285, p=0.00*, CI=1.507-3.467) and inattentive ADHD symptoms reported by teachers (OR=1.829, p=0.03*, CI=1.060-3.154) and parents (OR=1.709, p=0.03*, CI=1.046-2.793) were significant risk factors for bullying behavior while combined symptoms reported by young adolescents (OR=0.729, p=0.01*, CI=0.580-0.915) and teachers (OR=0.643, p=0.02*, CI=0.440-0.938) were protective against bullying behavior despite the influence of conduct behavior (OR=3.160, p=0.00*, CI=1.600-6.241). Internalizing behavior, that is, withdrawn (OR=0.653, p=0.04*, CI=0.436-0.977) and somatic complaints (OR=0.619, p=0.01*, CI=0.430-0.889) significantly protect against bullying behavior., Discussions: Recognizing factors associated with bullying behavior, in particular factors distinctive to the local population, facilitates in strategizing effective interventions for school bullying among young adolescents in Malaysian schools., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study used cross-lagged modeling to examine reciprocal relations between maternal and paternal physical punishment and adolescent misconduct and depressive symptoms, while accounting for stability in both physical punishment and adjustment problems over time. Data were drawn from a sample of 862 two-parent families and their adolescent children (52 % males; 54 % European American; 44 % African American; 2 % other ethnic backgrounds). Mothers' and fathers' physical punishment of their adolescents' ages 12 and 14 predicted increased misconduct and depressive symptoms among these adolescents at ages 14 and 16. Adolescent misconduct, but not depressive symptoms, at ages 12 and 14 predicted increased physical punishment by their parents at ages 14 and 16. Neither parental warmth nor child ethnicity moderated the longitudinal relationship between parental physical punishment and adolescent adjustment. Patterns of findings were similar across mothers and fathers.

Objective: An important contributing factor, but one that has not been investigated thoroughly in South Africa, is the role of parental styles which has been consistently found to be a precursor of conduct disorder., Method: To establish whether specific parental factors that contribute to this disorder in a South African sample, the Parental Bonding Instrument and the Family Environment Scale were administered to 2 groups of adolescent boys: a group diagnosed with conduct disorder (n = 40) and a group without a diagnosis of conduct disorder (n = 40). To test for significant differences between the two groups, t-tests were performed., Results: A typical parenting style characterised by low care by the mother and overprotection by the father, which forms an affectionless, controlling parenting style, was found in the children in the conduct disorder group. This type of parenting style results in high control, low expressiveness of emotions, minimal involvement with children, and inadequate supervision and monitoring of children., Conclusion: The study provided sufficient evidence to conclude that a specific style of parenting can contribute to the aetiology of conduct disorder.

This pilot study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a linguistically and culturally adapted intervention for immigrant Latina mothers with depression and their families. Fortalezas Familiares (Family Strengths) is a community-based, 12-week, multifamily group intervention that aims to increase communication about family processes leading up to and affected by the mother's depression, build child coping and efficacy, enhance parenting competence and skills, and promote cultural and social assets within the family. In terms of feasibility, of 16 families who enrolled and participated in the intervention, 13 families attended more than 90% of meetings and completed the intervention. Posttests reported positive changes following the intervention, including improved psychological functioning, increased family and marital support, and enhanced family functioning, as reported by mothers and other caregivers. Mothers also reported decreased conduct and hyperactivity problems among their children. Children reported positive changes in their psychological functioning and coping, parenting warmth and acceptance, and overall family functioning. Postintervention focus groups and surveys measuring acceptability revealed families' satisfaction with the intervention and suggested areas of improvement. We discuss similarities and differences in outcomes between the adapted intervention, Fortalezas Familiares, and the original intervention, Keeping Families Strong, and propose future areas of intervention adaptation and development., (© FPI, Inc.)

This study examined the cross-racial measurement equivalence of the three Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory Intensity Scale factors, found by Stern and Johnson: Oppositional Defiant Behavior, Attention Difficulties, and Conduct Problems. Cross-racial measurement equivalence was examined between 278 low-income African American and 119 non-Latino White children aged 3 to 6 years. Results did not support configural equivalence of the three subscales between groups. Exploratory factor analyses conducted separately for each racial group showed support for a single factor structure in both groups. Convergent validity of the Intensity Scale was found separately for both groups. Findings suggest the three Intensity Scale factors should not be used to screen or compare treatment outcomes of specific externalizing behavior problems among community samples that include low-income non-Latino White and African American preschoolers.

A randomized prevention study for ethnic minority mothers assessed the intervention effects of Parent Management Training-Oregon Model (PMTO) on maternal parent practices and child behavior. Ninety-six mothers from Somalia and Pakistan and their children aged 3 to 9 years were randomized to PMTO or a wait-list condition (WLC). Assessments were carried out at the baseline and post-intervention, using standardized measures and a multi-agent approach. All analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that PMTO was effective in enhancing parent practices, with a decrease in harsh discipline and an increase in positive parenting. Moreover, PMTO produced reductions in motherreported child conduct problems. The largest effect sizes were found among mothers who attended more than 50 % of the PMTO group sessions. Teacher reports showed, however, that there were no significant intervention effects on conduct problems and social competence in kindergarten or school. The results emphasize the importance and feasibility of offering PMTO to ethnic minority families.

Background: Prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with impaired performance on attention tasks in previous studies, but the extent to which these cognitive deficits translate into behavioral problems in the classroom and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains unknown. By contrast, lead (Pb) exposure in childhood has been associated with ADHD and disruptive behaviors in several studies., Objectives: In this study we examined the relation of developmental exposure to MeHg, PCBs, and Pb to behavioral problems at school age in Inuit children exposed through their traditional diet., Methods: In a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic, exposure to contaminants was measured at birth and at school age. An assessment of child behavior (n = 279; mean age = 11.3 years) was obtained from the child's classroom teacher on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) from the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (DBD)., Results: Cord blood mercury concentrations were associated with higher TRF symptom scores for attention problems and DBD scores consistent with ADHD. Current blood Pb concentrations were associated with higher TRF symptom scores for externalizing problems and with symptoms of ADHD (hyperactive-impulsive type) based on the DBD., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify an association between prenatal MeHg and ADHD symptomatology in childhood and the first to replicate previously reported associations between low-level childhood Pb exposure and ADHD in a population exposed to Pb primarily from dietary sources.

Objectives: The present research addressed the following important question in pediatric medicine: Can participation in a new family-centered preventive intervention, the Strong African American Families-Teen (SAAF-T) program, deter conduct problems, substance use, substance use problems, and depressive symptoms among rural black adolescents across 22 months?, Methods: Data were collected from 502 black families in rural Georgia, assigned randomly to SAAF-T or an attention control condition. The prevention condition consisted of 5 consecutive meetings at community facilities with separate, concurrent sessions for caregivers and adolescents followed by a caregiver-adolescent session in which families practiced skills they learned in the separate sessions. Adolescents self-reported conduct problem behaviors, substance use, substance use problems, and depressive symptoms at ages 16 years (pretest) and 17 years 10 months (long-term assessment)., Results: Adolescents who participated in SAAF-T evinced lower increases in conduct problem behavior, substance use, substance use problems, and depressive symptom frequencies than did adolescents in the attention control condition across the 22 months between pretest and long-term assessment., Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate efficacy in a prevention program designed to deter conduct problems, substance use, substance use problems, and depressive symptoms among rural black adolescents. Because SAAF-T is a manualized, structured program, it can be easily disseminated to public health agencies, schools, churches, boys' and girls' clubs, and other community organizations.

Context: Twin studies suggest that conduct disorder (CD) is under substantial genetic influence, which is stronger for aggressive than for nonaggressive symptoms. Studies of migrating populations offer an alternative strategy for separating environmental and genetic influences on psychiatric disorders., Objectives: To examine variation in the prevalence of CD associated with migration from Mexico to the United States and to determine whether this variation is similar for aggressive and nonaggressive CD symptoms and symptom profiles., Design: The prevalences of CD, different types of CD symptoms, and CD symptom profiles were compared across 3 generations of people of Mexican origin with increasing levels of exposure to American culture: families of origin of migrants (residing in Mexico), children of Mexican migrants raised in the United States, and Mexican-American children of US-born parents., Setting: General population surveys conducted in Mexico and the United States using the same diagnostic interview., Participants: Adults aged 18 to 44 years in the household population of Mexico and the household population of people of Mexican descent in the United States., Main Outcome Measures: Conduct disorder criteria, assessed using the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview., Results: Compared with the risk in families of origin of migrants, risk of CD was lower in the general population of Mexico (odds ratio [OR], 0.54; 95% CI, 0.19-1.51), higher in children of Mexican-born immigrants who were raised in the United States (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.47-11.52), and higher still in Mexican-American children of US-born parents (OR, 7.64; 95% CI, 3.20-18.27). The association with migration was markedly weaker for aggressive than for nonaggressive symptoms., Conclusions: The prevalence of CD increases dramatically across generations of the Mexican-origin population after migration to the United States. This increase is of larger magnitude for nonaggressive than for aggressive symptoms, consistent with the suggestion that nonaggressive symptoms are more strongly influenced by environmental factors than are aggressive symptoms.

Objective: Children of depressed and/or anxious parents are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders. Little research has focused on screening parents bringing their children for psychiatric evaluation, and few studies have included fathers or Hispanic children. This study had the following aims: 1) to identify current symptom rates in parents bringing their children for evaluation; and 2) to determine whether parental symptoms were associated with children's symptoms, diagnoses, and functioning., Method: The sample included 801 mothers, 182 fathers, and 848 children (aged 6 through 17 years). The majority (55.66%) were Hispanic, who attended a child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation service. Parent and child symptoms were assessed via parental reports. Children's diagnoses and functioning were determined by clinicians. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether severity of parental symptoms was associated with clinical child variables adjusting for child and parent demographic variables., Results: In all, 18.80% of mothers and 18.42% of fathers reported elevated internalizing symptoms. Maternal symptoms were significantly associated with problems in children's functioning and children's anxiety, depression, and oppositional/conduct diagnoses; but not attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adjusting for parental and child demographics had a reduction on the effect of maternal symptoms on child depression. Paternal symptoms and functioning were positively associated with children's diagnoses, but the associations were smaller and not significant. Both parents' symptoms were significantly associated with children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, these significant effects were not moderated by marital status or child ethnicity., Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of screening parents when their children receive a psychiatric evaluation. The findings support the development of mental health services that address psychiatric needs of the entire family within one clinical setting., (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effect of childhood trauma, psychiatric diagnoses, and mental health services on school dropout among U.S.-born and immigrant youth is examined using data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, a nationally representative probability sample of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Latinos, and non-Latino Whites, including 2,532 young adults, aged 21-29. The dropout prevalence rate was 16% overall, with variation by childhood trauma, childhood psychiatric diagnosis, race/ethnicity, and nativity. Childhood substance and conduct disorders mediated the relation between trauma and school dropout. Likelihood of dropout was decreased for Asians, and increased for African Americans and Latinos, compared to non-Latino Whites as a function of psychiatric disorders and trauma. Timing of U.S. immigration during adolescence increased risk of dropout., (© 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.)

Jessor (2008) has recently called attention to description versus explanation in cross-cultural and cross-national comparative scholarship on adolescent development, particularly, the etiology of adolescent problem behaviors. In the current study, we were interested in testing to what extent problem behavior theory replicated in samples of 10,310 adolescents from 8 distinct developmental contexts, including Asian, Eastern and Western European, North American, and Eurasian/Muslim cultures. Path analyses by country samples as well as follow-up multigroup analyses provided evidence of great similarities across cultures in the links among two protective factor domains (controls protection and support protection), three risk factor domains (models risk, opportunity risk, and vulnerability risk), and the problem behavior syndrome, operationalized by vandalism, general deviance, school misconduct, theft, and assault measures. This evidence adds to a growing body of scholarship that provides support for similarities in explanation, despite many observed differences in description.

This project describes the dissemination of an evidence-based parenting skills intervention by training social and health workers with little or no mental health background so that they themselves train mothers of children with behavioral problems in impoverished communities in a developing country. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was completed by mothers to screen for children with behavioral problems and was repeated at the end of the intervention. Pre- and post-tests of knowledge and parenting attitudes were administered to mothers. Mental health workers trained social and health workers in social development centers and dispensaries. Each social and health worker trained mothers of children with behavioral problems under supervision utilizing an Arabic adaptation of the treatment manual for externalizing disorders "Helping Challenging Children" developed by the Integrated Services Taskforce of the World Psychiatric Association Child Mental Health Presidential Programme. A total of 20 workers and 87 mothers participated in the training. The proportion of children who obtained an SDQ total difficulties score in the abnormal range decreased from 54.4 to 19.7% after the training. Whereas 40.2% of mothers used severe corporal punishment with their children before the intervention, this decreased to 6.1% post-intervention. Three-fourths of mothers related that the program helped them develop new parenting skills. This pilot project demonstrated the feasibility of dissemination of a manual-based intervention and training of workers who have little background in mental health to offer effective services to families in impoverished communities who otherwise would have not received them. Successful replication in other developing countries would pave the way to incorporating such programs in national policies given their potential sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Objective: The aims of this study were to examine the time-varying developmental associations between conduct problems and early alcohol use in girls between ages 11 and 15 and to test the moderating role of race., Method: The study is based on annual, longitudinal data from oldest cohort in the Pittsburgh Girls Study (n = 566; 56% African American, 44% White). Two models of the association between conduct problems and alcohol use were tested using latent growth curve analyses: conduct-problem-effect (conduct problems predict time-specific variation in alcohol use trajectory) and alcohol-effect (alcohol use predicts time-specific variation in conduct problem trajectory) models., Results: Girls' conduct problems and alcohol use increased over ages 11-15. Results provided support for a conduct-problem-effect model, although the timing of the associations between conduct problems and alcohol use differed by ethnicity. Among White girls, conduct problems prospectively predicted alcohol use at ages 11-13 but not later, whereas among African American girls, prospective prediction was observed at ages 13-14 but not earlier., Conclusions: Study findings indicate developmental differences in the time-varying association of conduct problems and alcohol use during early adolescence for African American and White girls. Ethnic differences in the development of alcohol use warrant further study, and have potential implications for culture-specific early screening and preventive interventions.

Background: Prior studies have reported that psychiatric disorders are among the strongest predictors of suicidal behavior (i.e., suicide ideation, plans, and attempts). However, surprisingly little is known about the independent associations between each disorder and each suicidal behavior due to a failure to account for comorbidity., Methods: This study used data from a representative sample of 5782 respondents participating in the Mexican National Comorbidity Survey (2001-2002) to examine the unique associations between psychiatric disorders and suicidality., Results: A prior psychiatric disorder was present in 48.8% of those with a suicide ideation and in 65.2% of those with an attempt. Discrete-time survival models adjusting for comorbidity revealed that conduct disorder and alcohol abuse/dependence were the strongest predictors of a subsequent suicide attempt. Most disorders predicted suicidal ideation but few predicted the transition from ideation to a suicide plan or attempt., Limitations: M-NCS is a household survey that excluded homeless and institutionalized people, and the diagnostic instrument used did not include an assessment of all DSM-IV disorders which would increase the comorbidity discussed here., Conclusions: These results reveal a complex pattern of associations in which diverse psychiatric disorders impact different parts of the pathway to suicide attempts. These findings will help inform clinical and public health efforts aimed at suicide prevention in Mexico and other developing countries.

Connections between adolescents' social information processing (SIP), moral reasoning, and emotion attributions and their reactive and proactive aggressive tendencies were assessed. One hundred mostly African American and Latino 13- to 18-year-olds from a low-socioeconomic-status (SES) urban community and their high school teachers participated. Reactive aggression was uniquely related to expected ease in enacting aggression, lower verbal abilities, and hostile attributional biases, and most of these connections were mediated by adolescents' attention problems. In contrast, proactive aggression was uniquely related to higher verbal abilities and expectations of more positive emotional and material outcomes resulting from aggression. Discussion focused on the utility of assessing both moral and SIP-related cognitions, and on the potential influence of low-SES, high-risk environments on these findings.

This study compared the effectiveness of a culturally modified version of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), called Guiando a Ninos Activos (GANA), to the effectiveness of standard PCIT and Treatment as Usual (TAU) for young Mexican Amerian children with behavior problems. Fifty-eight Mexican Amerian families whose 3- to 7-year-old child had a clinically significant behavior problems were randomly assigned to GANA, standard PCIT, or TAU. All three treatment approaches produced significant pre-post improvement in conduct problems across a wide variety of parent-report measures. GANA produced results that were significantly superior to TAU across a wide variety of both parent report and observational indices; however, GANA and PCIT did not differ significantly from one another. PCIT was superior to TAU on two of the parent report indices and almost all of the observational indices. There were no significant differences between the three groups on treatment dropout, and families were more satisfied with both GANA and PCIT than with TAU.

This study examined an ecological perspective on the development of antisocial behavior during adolescence, examining direct, additive, and interactive effects of child and both parenting and community factors in relation to youth problem behavior. To address this goal, the authors examined early adolescent dispositional qualities as predictors of boys' antisocial behavior within the context of parents' knowledge of adolescent activities and neighborhood dangerousness. Antisocial behavior was examined using a multimethod latent construct that included self-reported delinquency, symptoms of conduct disorder, and court petitions in a sample of 289 boys from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds who were followed longitudinally from early childhood through adolescence. Results demonstrated direct and additive findings for child prosociality, daring, and negative emotionality, which were qualified by interactions between daring and neighborhood dangerousness, and between prosociality and parental knowledge. The findings have implications for preventive intervention approaches that address the interplay of dispositional and contextual factors to prevent delinquent behavior in adolescence.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to conduct a preliminary examination of the efficacy and cultural acceptability of the Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme (IYBPP) using data provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education., Methods: Data were gathered on a series of 214 parents attending IYBPP for at least nine sessions. These data included (i) pre-test and post-test T scores on the Eyberg intensity and problem scales; (ii) pre-test and post-test scores on the parent version of the child Social Competence Scale; and (iii) parent satisfaction ratings., Results: Pre-test-post-test comparisons indicated significant improvements in behaviour and social competence scores (p<0.001). Effect sizes ranged from 0.50 to 0.77. Effects were similar for Maori and non-Maori subjects. Parental satisfaction with the programme was high, with Maori and non-Maori parents reporting similar levels of satisfaction., Conclusions: These preliminary data are consistent with the view that IYBPP is an effective and culturally appropriate programme. There is a need for a more comprehensive evaluation using pilot research to assess the fidelity of programme delivery and randomized trials to assess programme efficacy.

Purpose: The Strong African American Families program, a universal intervention to deter alcohol use among rural African American preadolescents, was evaluated to determine whether it also prevented conduct problems across the 29 months separating the pretest and long-term follow-up assessments. The program is based on a contextual model in which intervention effects on parental behavior and youth protective factors are hypothesized to lead to behavior changes., Methods: African American 11-year-olds (N = 667) and their primary caregivers were randomly selected from public school lists of fifth-grade students and randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 369) or control (n = 298) condition. Intervention families participated in a 7-week family skills training program designed to deter alcohol use. Each meeting included separate, concurrent sessions for parents and children, followed by a joint parent-child session during which the families practiced the skills they learned in their separate sessions. Control families were mailed leaflets regarding early adolescent development, stress management, and exercise. All families completed in-home pretest, posttest, and long-term follow-up interviews during which parent-report and self-report data regarding conduct problems, low self-control, deviance-prone peer affiliations, parenting, and youth protective processes were gathered., Results: Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that prevention-group youth were less involved than control-group youth in conduct problems across time. As hypothesized, prevention effects were stronger for youth at greater risk of developing conduct problems. Intervention targeted parenting and youth factors partially accounted for intervention effects among high risk youth., Conclusions: Although the Strong African American Families program was designed to deter underage drinking, it is also effective in preventing the development of conduct problems.

This study examined correlates of early adolescent alcohol and drug use in a community sample of 217 eighth-grade adolescents with behavior problems and from Hispanic/Latino immigrant families. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships of multiple contexts (e.g., family, school, and peers) to alcohol and drug use. Results suggest that conduct disorder in youth with high levels of hyperactivity symptoms, poor school functioning, and peer alcohol and drug use was directly related to early adolescent alcohol and drug use. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder with comorbid conduct disorder and family functioning was indirectly related to early alcohol and drug use through poor school functioning and through peer alcohol and drug use. Results are discussed in terms of possible targets for interventions to prevent alcohol and drug use in Hispanic adolescents.

This study investigates the prevalence and subtypes of conduct disorder (CD) and behavioral problems among youth in two communities characterized by prolonged parent-child separation upon immigration. CD and problem behaviors were assessed in 252 Caribbean-Canadian and Filipino-Canadian adolescents (12-19-year-old) using the DISC-C, the YSR and the CBCL cross-informant construct. Adolescents reported less problem behaviors than their host country peers, despite immigrant background or parent-child separation. The high adolescent-onset CD rate supports the hypothesis that psychosocial stressors play a role in the emergence of the disorder. Specifically, high levels of perceived racism and low collective self-esteem predicted problem behaviors in these youngsters.

Although the reciprocal effects of parenting and child behavior have long been recognized, the emphasis of empirical study in the field of developmental psychopathology has been on parenting effects on children. For girls in particular, little is known about unique parenting effects on conduct problems in comparison to depression, or vice versa. In the current study, data from the large-scale (n = 2,451) Pittsburgh Girls Study were used to examine the reciprocal relations between parenting and child behavior over a six year period (child ages 7-12 years). Girls and their caregivers (85% of whom were biological mothers) were interviewed annually in their homes. Girls reported on symptoms of conduct disorder and depression, and caregivers reported on level of parent-child warmth and use of harsh punishment. The results of generalized estimating equation regression models demonstrated that both parenting behaviors were uniquely predictive of changes in girls' conduct problems and depressed mood. When the effects of race and poverty on these associations were controlled for, both parenting effects on girls' conduct problems remained significant, but only low parental warmth remained as a significant predictor of depressed mood. Girls' conduct problems, but not depressed mood, predicted changes in harsh punishment over time. The small effect of girls' depressed mood, on changes in parental warmth, was further weakened when socio-demographic factors were also included in the model.

Background: Conduct disorder (CD) is a relatively common disorder of childhood and adolescence in the USA with substantial associated morbidity, yet little has been published on CD among Asians and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (NH/PI) in the USA., Method: We used the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to examine the prevalence and correlates of retrospectively reported CD within Asians and NH/PI (18 years and older). We also completed logistic regressions to explore factors associated with CD within Asians (n=1093) and, separately, NH/PI (n=139) and to explain racial differences in CD prevalence., Results: Asians were about a third as likely [odds ratio (OR) 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.58] whereas NH/PI were about two and half times more likely (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.31-5.06) to have had CD compared with Caucasian respondents. Within Asians and NH/PI, CD was strongly associated with adult antisocial behavior, substance use and affective disorders. Demographic factors, the age that subjects came to the USA, measures of family environment and family history could not explain the observed differences in prevalence of CD for NH/PI relative to Caucasians., Conclusions: Asian and NH/PI youth with CD represent a subgroup of Asian youth at very high risk for a number of serious psychiatric disorders. Further investigation is needed to explain the high CD prevalence among NH/PI.

Theoretical models suggest that child behaviors influence parenting behaviors, and specifically that unpleasant child behaviors coerce parents to discontinue engaging in appropriate discipline. This study examined reciprocal relationships between parenting behaviors (supervision, communication, involvement, timid discipline and harsh punishment) and child disruptive disorder symptoms (ADHD, ODD and CD) in a clinic-referred sample of 177 boys. Annual measures, including structured clinical interviews, were obtained from the beginning of the study (when boys were between the ages of 7 to 12) to age 17. Specific reciprocal influence was observed; only timid discipline predicted worsening behavior, namely ODD symptoms, and ODD symptoms predicted increases in timid discipline. Greater influence from child behaviors to parenting practices was found: ODD also predicted poorer communication and decreased involvement, and CD predicted poorer supervision. ADHD was neither predictive of, nor predicted by, parenting behaviors. The results are specifically supportive of a coercive process between child behaviors and parenting behaviors, and generally suggestive of greater influence of child behaviors on parenting behaviors than of parenting behaviors on child behaviors.