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This study analyzed the mediating role that implicit theories of intelligence and academic self-efficacy may play in the relationship between psychopathology and mathematical performance. The sample consisted of 838 students from first and second year of high school. A numerical calculation test was applied, followed by psychopathology self-report scales, implicit theories of intelligence, and academic self-efficacy. Serial multiple mediation models were tested. The results showed a complete mediation of the effect of psychopathology on mathematical performance through implicit theories of intelligence and academic self-efficacy. The effect of entity theories of intelligence on mathematical performance was both direct and through academic self-efficacy, whereas the effect of incremental theories of intelligence was only through academic self-efficacy. Identifying the variables that mediate the relationship in question is crucial to develop targeted interventions to prevent the development of a vicious circle between psychopathology and poor school performance.

Emotion regulation (ER) represents an important factor in youth's academic wellbeing even in contexts that are not characterized by outstanding levels of academic stress. Effective ER not only enhances learning and, consequentially, improves youths' academic achievement, but can also serve as a protective factor against academic burnout. The relationship between ER and academic burnout is complex and varies across studies. This meta-analysis examines the connection between ER strategies and student burnout, considering a series of influencing factors. Data analysis involved a random effects meta-analytic approach, assessing heterogeneity and employing multiple methods to address publication bias, along with meta-regression for continuous moderating variables (quality, female percentage and mean age) and subgroup analyses for categorical moderating variables (sample grade level). According to our findings, adaptive ER strategies are negatively associated with overall burnout scores, whereas ER difficulties are positively associated with burnout and its dimensions, comprising emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of efficacy. These results suggest the nuanced role of ER in psychopathology and well-being. We also identified moderating factors such as mean age, grade level and gender composition of the sample in shaping these associations. This study highlights the need for the expansion of the body of literature concerning ER and academic burnout, that would allow for particularized analyses, along with context-specific ER research and consistent measurement approaches in understanding academic burnout. Despite methodological limitations, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of ER's intricate relationship with student burnout, guiding future research in this field.

This study conducted on a sample of 295 Dutch and Italian undergraduate and graduate students aims to investigate how psychopathic personality traits (meanness, boldness and disinhibition) may lead to cheating behavior, and to study whether there are correlations between psychopathic traits, motivation, moral disengagement, the perception of seriousness of academic dishonesty and frequency of academic dishonesty to try to better understand what causes students to cheat and engage in dishonest conduct. Results confirmed the key role of psychopathic traits, particularly the disinhibition aspect in predicting academic dishonesty. In addition, it was shown that students' perceptions of what constitutes academic dishonesty and what does not are also important in predicting the frequency of dishonest behavior. Furthermore, the role of motivation and moral disengagement in predicting and mediating the relationship between traits of psychopathy and academic dishonesty were analyzed through mediation and regression analysis.

Background: School engagement is a positive, malleable aspect of youth functioning that may be influenced by familial factors. Both risk and protective factors may affect youth's school engagement. Objective: Utilizing an intergenerational transmission of risk framework, the current study examined how maternal factors (i.e., maternal psychopathology, maternal trauma history, maternal education) and youth factors (i.e., social support) relate to school engagement. Methods: Participants were 117 youth of color aged 8-13 years (M[subscript age] = 9.96, SD = 1.40), 51% female, 89% Black or African American and their female primary caregivers; all families had experienced adversity. Using a single-group, cross-sectional design, hierarchical linear regression models examined direct and interactive effects. The first block included maternal psychopathology (i.e., anxiety or depression), maternal trauma history, maternal education, and child social support. The second block added the interaction between maternal psychopathology and child social support. Results: Results revealed a direct, positive relation between child social support and school engagement. Social support also moderated the association between maternal anxiety and school engagement; for individuals with extremely low social support, higher maternal anxiety was related to lower school engagement. Conclusions: Results illustrate the value of an intergenerational approach to exploring how maternal factors have implications for youth functioning. Findings also highlight the importance of social support among families of color exposed to adversity. Limitations include the cross-sectional design; thus, future research would benefit from longitudinal examination of maternal and child factors related to school engagement to assess temporal and directional effects.

In recent years, some models for binary and graded format responses have been proposed to assess unipolar variables or "quasi-traits." These studies have mainly focused on clinical variables that have traditionally been treated as bipolar traits. In the present study, we have made a proposal for unipolar traits measured with continuous response items. The proposed log-logistic continuous unipolar model (LL-C) is remarkably simple and is more similar to the original binary formulation than the graded extensions, which is an advantage. Furthermore, considering that irrational, extreme, or polarizing beliefs could be another domain of unipolar variables, we have applied this proposal to an empirical example of superstitious beliefs. The results suggest that, in certain cases, the standard linear model can be a good approximation to the LL-C model in terms of parameter estimation and goodness of fit, but not trait estimates and their accuracy. The results also show the importance of considering the unipolar nature of this kind of trait when predicting criterion variables, since the validity results were clearly different.

The Big Three Perfectionism Scale (BTPS) was created to integrate different aspects of perfectionism, including the newly conceptualized concept of narcissistic perfectionism. The goal of our two studies (N = 1341) was to examine the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the BTPS, supporting the validity and portability of the measure. The studies were conducted among people who had a child, thus contributing to a better understanding of parental perfectionism, one of the key factors influencing parental well-being and a child's functioning. Our analyses included investigating the structure of the scale, intercorrelations between subscales, reliability, and convergent validity by correlating BTPS scores with other measures of perfectionism and correlates of psychopathology (borderline symptoms) and parental difficulties (parental stress and parental burnout). Results supported the structure of the original BTPS. As predicted, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that items comprising the Polish adaptation of the questionnaire, like the original version, measure three related but specific aspects of perfectionism: rigid perfectionism, self-critical perfectionism, and narcissistic perfectionism. The three dimensions were also found to be specifically related to the difficulties experienced by parents. Further, the Polish version of the BTPS was found to have good internal reliability and validity. Our results from two independent Polish samples suggest that the Polish version of the BTPS is a psychometrically robust measure of perfectionism for assessing the three perfectionism factors.

Inhibition (a temperamental profile characterized by elevated levels of avoidance behaviors) is associated with increased likelihood for developing anxiety and depression, whereas exuberance (a temperamental profile characterized by elevated levels of approach behaviors) is associated with increased likelihood for developing externalizing conditions (e.g., attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder). However, not all children who exhibit high levels of approach or avoidance behaviors develop emotional or behavioral problems. In this preregistered study, we assessed context-dependent profiles of approach and avoidance behaviors in 3-year-old children (N = 366). Using latent profile analysis, four groups were identified: nonsocial approachers, social approachers, social avoiders, and nonsocial avoiders. Analyses revealed that there were minimal differences in internalizing and externalizing symptoms across the four context-dependent groups. However, exploratory analyses assessed whether high levels of approach or avoidance combined across contexts, similar to findings reported in prior work, were related to psychopathology. Children identified as high in avoidance behavior at 3 years of age were more likely to show internalizing symptoms at 3 years of age but not at 5 years of age. Children high in approach were more likely to meet criteria for anxiety and externalizing disorders by age 5 years. These findings further our understanding of individual differences in how young children adjust their behavior based on contextual cues and may inform methods for identifying children at increased likelihood for the development of emotional and behavioral problems.

Objective: To examine the theoretical and empirical contribution of Joe Biederman and his colleagues to the understanding of executive function (EF) and ADHD. Method: We searched PubMed for references to EF in Biederman's publications and conducted a narrative review of this literature. Results: In 50 or more papers using neuropsychological tests, rating scales and measures of mind wandering, Biederman demonstrated that EF are evident in ADHD and closely linked to its underlying neurobiological and genetic risk. He argued that EF need to be monitoring to ensure comprehensive assessment and treatment, but could not be used as a diagnostic proxy. Conclusion: Biederman built an innovative and impressive collaboration to address the issue of EF in ADHD. His work shows a commitment to understanding of EF in order to improve patient care. Biederman laid down a roadmap for research in ADHD and EF for the rest of the field to follow.

Objective: This article will review the use of the CBCL to diagnose youth with psychopathological disorders focusing on: ADHD, Mood Disorders, Autism Spectrum disorders, and Disruptive Disorders. Method: Using a narrative review approach, we investigate the usefulness of the CBCL as a screening tool to detect childhood onset psychopathology across different diagnostic syndromes. Results: The available literature supports the use of the CBCL for ADHD screening and as a measure of ADHD severity. While some studies support a specific profile linked with childhood bipolar disorder, replication studies for this profile found mixed results. The CBCL was also found to be useful in screening for patients presenting with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Conduct Disorder, and Childhood Bipolar Disorder all of which presents with more severely impaired scores. Conclusion: The CBCL holds promise as a screening tool for childhood psychopathology.

Researchers, theorists, and practitioners have expressed a renewed interest in the longitudinal dynamics of personality characteristics in adulthood, including organic life span trajectories and their amenability to volitional change. However, this research has apparently not yet expanded to include the Dark Triad (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), despite approximately 2 decades of research that has thoroughly examined other important issues related to construct validity and interpersonal behavior. We argue that researchers in postsecondary, occupational, and community-based settings are in a unique position to study the important phenomenon of Dark Triad malleability, as they are less hindered by obstacles in clinical and forensic contexts that have generated largely inconclusive results. In this article, we discuss several examples of methods for evaluating, quantifying, and interpreting Dark Triad malleability, examples of relevant extant training programs, possibilities for developing new programs, and factors that may moderate training efficacy, including Dark Triad levels themselves. Beyond addressing a fundamental question regarding the nature of these traits, the Dark Triad's destructive tendencies suggest that efforts to reduce them would provide myriad societal benefits and could propel Dark Triad research in an important new direction.

The news of a 16-year old teenager hacking a 13-year old boy to death in a toilet unprovoked in a secondary school in Singapore shook the whole nation in July 2021. In this article, we analyze the institutionalizing responses to the growing sense of youth mental health crisis in Singapore, catalyzed by River Valley High School incident, as the subjectification of wellbeing. We argue, firstly, that the national schools have become the main site for the production of networked surveillance and internalization of wellbeing. We examine the inclusive production of subjects ­characterized by varying levels of wellbeing in a rehabilitative social ­system exercising authority and control. Secondly, we argue that a totalizing system of surveillance and internalization is emerging in a technocratic heterotopia. We conclude by discussing interdisciplinary and intersectional alternative approaches emerging from the heterotopic space of the school.

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of two teacher trainings, both focused on identifying student anxiety and implementing empirically supported anxiety reduction strategies in the classroom. A comparison of teachers' satisfaction with their training was examined along with pre-post training changes on measures of teachers' knowledge and use of evidence-based anxiety reduction strategies, perceived confidence in assisting students with anxiety, and teaching self-efficacy. Volunteer elementary teachers in New England USA were randomized to receive either a six-hour interactive training (Teacher Anxiety Program for Elementary Students; TAPES; n = 41) or a three-hour didactic (Teacher Anxiety Training; TAT; n = 37). Fifty-four teachers completed their respective training (mean age 40.9; SD = 10.2; 98% female; 96% White). Results from t-tests indicated that levels of training satisfaction were high and similar across trainings. Mixed-design ANOVA analyses found that teachers receiving both trainings showed significant improvements in teacher knowledge and use of anxiety reduction strategies, confidence, and self-efficacy. Teachers receiving TAPES, compared to TAT, showed greater improvements in their knowledge of anxiety reduction strategies. Findings highlight the need and perceived value of training teachers on topics related to identifying and managing student anxiety.

Brain age, a measure of biological aging in the brain, has been linked to psychiatric illness, principally in adult populations. Components of socioeconomic status (SES) associate with differences in brain structure and psychiatric risk across the lifespan. This study aimed to investigate the influence of SES on brain aging in childhood and adolescence, a period of rapid neurodevelopment and peak onset for many psychiatric disorders. We reanalyzed data from the Healthy Brain Network to examine the influence of SES components (occupational prestige, public assistance enrollment, parent education, and household income-to-needs ratio [INR]) on relative brain age (RBA). Analyses included 470 youth (5-17 years; 61.3% men), self-identifying as White (55%), African American (15%), Hispanic (9%), or multiracial (17.2%). Household income was 3.95 ± 2.33 (mean ± SD) times the federal poverty threshold. RBA quantified differences between chronological age and brain age using covariation patterns of morphological features and total volumes. We also examined associations between RBA and psychiatric symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist [CBCL]). Models covaried for sex, scan location, and parent psychiatric diagnoses. In a linear regression, lower RBA is associated with lower parent occupational prestige (p = 0.01), lower public assistance enrollment (p = 0.03), and more parent psychiatric diagnoses (p = 0.01), but not parent education or INR. Lower parent occupational prestige (p = 0.02) and lower RBA (p = 0.04) are associated with higher CBCL anxious/depressed scores. Our findings underscore the importance of including SES components in developmental brain research. Delayed brain aging may represent a potential biological pathway from SES to psychiatric risk.

Researchers have argued that many leaders, such as CEOs and politicians, tend to possess narcissistic traits. At healthy and productive levels, narcissistic traits, such as self-promotion, may actually be an advantage to achieving success in some fields. Yet, few researchers have explored gifted narcissists as a twice-exceptionality. This article discusses the gifted narcissist profile and grandiose narcissism in particular. Following a brief introduction to key terms, the gifted narcissist profile is explored through the augmented theory of successful intelligence. The impact of giftedness on individuals with a narcissistic personality disorder is discussed in terms of positive and negative effects. Presidents, autocratic leaders, and cult leaders are presented as examples of gifted grandiose narcissists.

Background: While parent management training (PMT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for adolescents with externalizing concerns, evidence suggests that effectiveness is not equitable across all types of families. Research suggests that caregiver psychopathology may adversely affect PMT success for adolescents. However, it remains unclear whether research on caregiver psychopathology is integrated within adolescent PMT resources (e.g., treatment manuals). Objective: A scoping review of commercially available, clinician focused PMT resources was conducted to assess for information on caregiver psychopathology and clinical guidance for addressing caregiver psychopathology. Methods: A search for commercially available resources was conducted among national treatment databases and book resource websites. Information on caregiver psychopathology was extracted from individual sessions of the PMT resources. Results: Seven treatment resources met inclusion criteria. The majority of the treatment resources made at least one explicit comment that caregiver psychopathology may impact the course of treatment. There was very limited mention of caregiver psychopathology in skill building sections of the resources. Conclusions: While most resources mentioned caregiver psychopathology, these comments lacked breadth and depth in providing clinicians with recommendations on how to tailor treatment to caregivers' needs. Recommendations are provided for how PMT programs might be improved in the future to support clinicians when faced with caregiver psychopathology by recognizing inequities and lack of diversity in resource development, using a transdiagnostic perspective (including a transdiagnostic approach to assessment of caregiver psychopathology), and integrating caregiver skill development.

The present study sought to assess the ability of teachers to identify emerging mental health disorders through a novel vignette measure. Canadian certified primary grade teachers (N = 101) completed a survey that included a novel vignette measure. Participants rated the severity of fictitious student behaviors depicted in several vignettes and their accuracy was calculated based on how closely their ratings matched the severity of symptoms depicted. Accuracy estimates derived through this measure differed considerably from previous vignette measure paradigms, producing much lower estimates of identification accuracy. A binomial logistics regression indicated that neither the gender nor pathology depicted in the vignettes significantly influenced rating accuracy. This novel vignette measure may represent a quick and effective means of assessing the accuracy of teachers in identifying emerging mental health disorders in their students.

The Person-in-the-Rain (PITR) drawing scoring system primarily assesses stress, excluding consideration of color usage. In contrast, the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) effectively evaluates psychopathological disorders and provides a comprehensive assessment of color usage. This study aimed to: (1) develop an alternative scoring system for PITR by modifying FEATS, (2) explore the clinical significance of color in PITR by examining its relationship with Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and (3) determine if color mediates the relationship between DASS-21 and FEATS-based PITR ratings. We recruited 61 college students who completed PITR and DASS-21. PITR drawings were coded using modified FEATS. Findings suggest that the modified FEATS scoring system provides clinically meaningful information for assessing stress, coping mechanisms, anxiety, and depression.

We investigated the longitudinal associations among maternal pre- and postnatal depression, maternal anxiety, and children's language and cognitive development followed from 15 to 61 months. Furthermore, we assessed the protective role of children's early print experiences with books against the adverse effect of maternal depression on language development. Data for mothers and children (51.7% boys, 95% White, N = 11,662) were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Prenatal maternal depression held an adverse association with child language ([beta] = -0.16, p = 0.002). Moreover, the risk was greater for girls than boys ([beta] = 0.19, p = 0.02). In addition, prenatal depression was significantly and negatively associated with child verbal intelligence quotient ([beta] = -0.11, p = 0.02) and performance intelligence quotient ([beta] = -0.12, p = 0.01). In contrast, postnatal depression or anxiety were not unique predictors of child outcomes. Importantly, children's early experiences with books, as measured by the reported frequency of parent-child shared reading, moderated the negative association between maternal depression and child language development ([beta] = 0.30, p < 0.001). Although modest in size, these findings inform models of child risk and resilience related to maternal psychopathology. The results also have implications for clinical programs as well as for prevention and intervention studies focusing on at-home early literacy.

Temperament and externalizing problems are closely linked, but research on how they codevelop across adolescence remains sparse and equivocal. Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) provides a useful framework for understanding temperament and externalizing problems associations. During adolescence, oppositional problems are posited to be linked to an overactive behavioral approach system (BAS) while conduct problems are linked to an underactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS). However, this research mostly uses adult samples and cross-sectional designs and tests only between-person associations. Moreover, most studies typically test only one direction of effects (i.e., temperament predicts externalizing problems) and do not consider alternative models of associations, such as reciprocal associations. To address these limitations, we use three annual waves of a longitudinal, community-based sample of 387 early adolescents (mean Wave 1 age = 11.61 years, 55% female, 83% non-Hispanic White) to test reciprocal associations between BIS and BAS and oppositional and conduct problems. Latent curve models with structured residuals are used to test hypotheses and disaggregate between- and within-person associations. Evidence supports within-person reciprocal associations between BAS and oppositional problems and between BIS and combined conduct and oppositional problems. Results potentially inform developmental theories of temperament and externalizing problems linkages and interventions with adolescents who are engaging in oppositional problems and more severe conduct problems.

Group social skills interventions (GSSIs) are among the most commonly used treatments for improving social competence in youth with ASD, however, results remain variable. The current study examined predictors of treatment response to an empirically-supported GSSI for youth with ASD delivered in the community (N[subscript total]=75). Participants completed a computer-based emotion recognition task and their parents completed measures of broad psychopathology, ASD symptomatology, and social skills. We utilized generalized estimating equations in an ANCOVA-of-change framework to account for nesting. Results indicate differential improvements in emotion recognition by sex as well as ADHD-specific improvements in adaptive functioning. Youth with both co-occurring anxiety and ADHD experienced iatrogenic effects, suggesting that SDARI may be most effective for youth with ASD without multiple co-occurring issues. Findings provide important directions for addressing variability in treatment outcomes for youth with ASD.

Children who show elevated levels of indirect aggression (IA) from childhood to adolescence are at increased risks of experiencing detrimental outcomes. Some studies suggest that psychopathic traits could act as a predisposing vulnerability in the development of IA, but the contributions of all three dimensions of psychopathic traits in explaining developmental trajectories of IA from childhood to adolescence remain unclear. This study aimed to determine if the three dimensions of psychopathic traits during childhood (i.e., callous-unemotional, narcissism-grandiosity, and impulsivity-irresponsibility at 6-9 years old) increase the risk of following a high IA trajectory across preadolescence, and whether sex moderated these associations. Participants were 744 children (47% girls; 93% born in Quebec, Canada, and over 50% from low socioeconomic backgrounds) assessed annually over 5 years. Approximately half of them (n = 370; 40.3% girls) were referred to school-based services for conduct problems (CP) at study intake. Latent class growth analyses revealed four developmental trajectories of IA, which were regressed on psychopathic traits dimensions using a three-step approach. After adjusting for demographic confounders, CP, and other dimensions of psychopathic traits, only narcissism-grandiosity traits significantly predicted memberships to a high and stable trajectory of IA use. The associations between the other dimensions of psychopathic traits and IA trajectories were not significant when considering confounders. No moderating effects by child sex were observed. These results suggest that narcissism-grandiosity traits could be of use for clinicians aiming to detect children most at risk of showing high and persistent levels of IA.

The current study uniquely examines mattering and narcissism and reflects our contention that pathological narcissism involves an excessive need to matter and a hypersensitivity to being devalued and not mattering to other people. Specifically, we evaluated the proposed association between pathological narcissism and deficits in mattering by comparing the results obtained with the Anti-Mattering Scale and the General Mattering Scale. We also evaluated anti-mattering as a potential mediator of the link between narcissism and distress. A sample of 168 university students completed the Anti-Mattering Scale, the General Mattering Scale, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and a depression measure. Results confirmed that elevated scores on the Anti-Mattering Scale are associated with grandiose and vulnerable narcissism as well as depression. Mattering assessed by the General Mattering Scale had a weaker association with narcissism, thus highlighting the distinction between the Anti-Mattering Scale and the General Mattering Scale. Further analyses suggested that elevated Anti-Mattering Scale scores did indeed mediate the link between vulnerable narcissism and depression in keeping with anti-mattering as a factor that elicits the vulnerability of narcissists. Our findings attest to the uniqueness of the Anti-Mattering Scale and illustrate the need to consider the role of feelings of not mattering as a contributor to the self and identity issues and interpersonal sensitivity that contribute to pathological narcissism. This work also suggests the need to emphasize an excessive need to matter when assessing the self and when developing future measures of the need to matter.

The aim of this research was to examine the hypothetical model of conditionings of adolescents to positive adaptation and to identify risk and protective factors for being victims or aggressors in interpersonal relation. In the research exploratory model adopted for the study, the following variables were considered: temperament; attachment; aggressiveness; social support; resilience; and previous victim or aggressor experiences. The study group comprised 779 adolescents (399 in early; 380 in late adolescence). Path analysis was used to examine the interrelationships and to identify the direct and indirect pathways. In early adolescence, main triggers for victim experiences were low resilience and aggressiveness, in girls, and aggressiveness and past victim experience in boys. For aggressor experiences there were low resilience and high sadness among girls, and sadness and aggressiveness, among boys. In late adolescence, the main triggers of victim experiences were previous victim experience and sadness (inhibited by classmate support and resilience) and for aggressor experiences, there were hostility, sadness and previous aggressor experience. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the potential preventive and therapeutic interventions require consideration of factors such as age, level of educational success, aggressiveness and social support.

Bringing real-life cases to the educational environment and presenting them to students is one of the main goals of psychology. However, this is unfortunately not as easy as it is said, both ethically and practically. Since the educational materials to be offered to students on this subject are insufficient, academics and lecturers recommend that their students read case studies in psychopathology lessons or watch videos depicting certain disorders. While the use of films in both national and international literature in psychology and psychological counselling theories and practices is increasing, it is thought-provoking that there is no similar interest/attempt in reading literary works. Despite the (not)reading rates, the using literary works in students' education is overshadowed by films constitutes the main motivation of this study using literary works in students' education is overshadowed by films, which constitutes this study's main motivation. In this sense, the main purpose of the research is to provide an example of how literary works can be used in psychopathology teaching. Accordingly, Jean-Louis Fournier's book entitled "My daddy never killed anybody" was examined in terms of both causal factors and DSM criteria by using document analysis, which is one of the qualitative research methods, to delineate "alcohol use disorder. Accordingly, Jean-Louis Fournier's book named "My daddy never killed anybody" was examined in terms of both causal factors and DSM criteria by using document analysis, which is one of the qualitative research methods, to delineate "alcohol use disorder". In conclusion, it is thought that analysing literary works in terms of psychopathology and actively discussing them in front of a class will make the teaching process more creative and permanent.

Academic Engagement (AE) can explain part of the success of current educational programmes. This observational and prospective study aims to identify the facilitating and hindering psychosocial variables involved in AE. We included achievement goals and academic motivation as facilitating academic variables and perceived stress and social problems as hindering variables. The sample included 603 students who were consecutively recruited in ESO and Baccalaureate in schools in Barcelona. The inclusion criteria for the participants were as follows: to be enrolled in a year from 1st year of ESO to 2nd year of Baccalaureate; to have access to the average mark of the previous year and to complete the questionnaires in full. The following were administered: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student version, Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised, Academic Motivation Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Youth Self Report/11-18. Linear regression analysis shows that the variables involved in the development and maintenance of AE were intrinsic motivation, mastery approach and extrinsic motivation whereas lack of motivation, perceived stress and social issues were hindering variables (R[superscript 2]=0.634; F=98.793; p=0.000). In conclusion, all these variables should be taken into account because they can contribute to academic engagement in students.

This study is a secondary data analysis that extends knowledge about the effects of the early childhood Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention to trajectories of general psychopathology problems (p factor) across early and middle childhood, and effects on adolescent psychopathology and polydrug use. The Early Steps Multisite study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00538252) is a randomized controlled trial of the FCU and consists of a large, racially and ethnically diverse sample of children who grew up in low-income households in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Eugene, Oregon; and Charlottesville, Virginia (n = 731; 49% female; 27.6% African American, 46.7% European American, 13.3% Hispanic/Latinx). To represent a comorbid presentation of internalizing and externalizing problems, we fit a bifactor model that included a general psychopathology (p) factor at eight ages in early childhood (ages 2-4), middle childhood (ages 7.5-10.5), and adolescence (age 14). Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine trajectories of the p factor across ages within the developmental periods of early and middle childhood. The effects of FCU on the reductions in growth in the childhood p factor had cascading effects on adolescent p factor (i.e., within-domain effect) and polydrug use (i.e., across-domain effect). Findings underscore the utility of the early FCU in preventing a host of maladaptive adolescent outcomes across diverse settings and populations.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is expressed differently in women than men. It is unclear whether differences found are specific to autism or merely reflecting normative development. In this study, we compared sex differences in developmental trajectories of autistic and co-occurring psychopathological symptoms in adolescents with milder forms of autism to those in a normative group matched for intelligence quotient (IQ) and socioeconomic status. Data of five assessment waves from ages 11 to 22 years were analyzed using linear mixed modeling. We found that in adolescence, sex differences in developmental trajectories of psychopathological symptoms specific for autism are confined to the repetitive stereotyped domain (males had higher scores on the sensory/stereotypic and resistance to change domains, the latter difference disappeared during adolescence due to an increase of these problems in females with ASD). Other sex differences, among which an increase over time in affective and anxiety problems in females was the most outstanding, were also observed in typically developing females. These sex-specific differences have relevance in the clinical care of men and women with autism, although they are subtle compared to differences between individuals with and without autism, which are broadly present in internalizing and externalizing problem domains.

Background: International literature has underlined the complex interplay between genetic and environmental variables in shaping children's emotional-behavioral functioning. Objective: This study aimed to explore the dynamic relationship between children's Dopamine Transporter (DAT1) genotype and methylation, and maternal and paternal affective environment, on children's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) problems and dysregulation problems. Method: In a community sample of 76 families with school-aged children, we assessed children's DAT1 genotype and methylation, their own ADHD problems and dysregulation profile (CBCL 6-18 DP), and maternal and paternal psychopathological risk, parenting stress, and marital adjustment. Hierarchical regressions were carried out to verify the possible moderation of children's genotype on the relationship between children's methylation and psychopathological risk, parental environment and children's methylation, and parental environment and children's psychopathological risk. Results: The levels of methylation at M1 CpG significantly predicted ADHD problems among children with 10/10 genotype, whereas high levels of methylation at M6 CpG predicted low ADHD problems for children with 9/x genotype. High levels of methylation at M3 CpG were associated with high scores of CBCL DP. DAT1 genotype moderated the relationship between maternal and paternal variables with children's methylation and psychopathological risk. The scores of maternal and paternal Dyadic Adjustment Scale showed indirect effects on children's methylation and psychopathological risk in relation to those exerted by risk factors. Conclusion: Our study has supported the emerging evidence on the complex nature of children's emotional-behavioral functioning and the associated risk and protective factors, with important implications for the planning of preventive programs.

Statistical analysis of categorical data often relies on multiway contingency tables; yet, as the number of categories and/or variables increases, the number of table cells with few (or zero) observations also increases. Unfortunately, sparse contingency tables invalidate the use of standard goodness-of-fit statistics. Limited-information fit statistics and bootstrapping procedures offer valuable solutions to this problem, but they present an additional concern in their strict reliance on the (potentially misleading) observed data. To address both of these issues, we demonstrate the Bayesian model checking technique, which yields insightful, useful, and comprehensive evaluations of specific properties of a given model. We illustrate this technique using item response data from a patient-reported psychopathology screening questionnaire, and we provide annotated R code to promote dissemination of this informative method in other prevention science modeling scenarios. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED618144.]

The excessive use of social media is prevalent among undergraduates. Dark triad personality is one of the significant predictors of social media addiction, but inconsistent findings were reported. This study adopted the personality-coping-outcome theory as a framework to examine whether coping strategies mediate the effects of dark triad personality on social media addiction. The purposive sampling method was used to recruit 219 undergraduates for a survey. The results showed that only narcissism is associated with social media addiction, and only avoidance coping strategy mediated the effects of pathology on social media addiction. It is suggested a complete theory is required to explain the relationships between dark triad personality and social media addiction, and a coping scale to be developed to cover the coping strategies that fit dark triad personality.

Objective: Youth who receive services in residential programs have high rates of traumatic exposure and associated symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Little information is available on specific social skills training that could be beneficial for youth in residential programs with PTSD. This study examined changes in behavioral incidents and psychopathology in youth receiving group home services based on training they received across three categories of social skills (i.e., self-advocacy, emotional regulation, problem-solving). Method: The sample included archival data on youth (N = 677) ages 10-18 years (M = 15.7 years, SD = 1.53). Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the frequency of disruptive and self-injurious behaviors over 12 months as it relates to reported traumatic symptoms at admission and the presence of the three types of social skills objectives. Analysis of Covariance was conducted to test whether the social skill objectives differentially predicted changes in youth psychopathology from intake to discharge for youth with low and high trauma symptoms. Results: Youth with high trauma symptoms who received training on problem-solving skills had significantly greater decrease in emotional problems from intake to discharge compared to youth with high trauma symptoms who did not receive problem-solving training (d = -0.54). Conclusion: Problem-solving training could be further developed and tested to maximize the support youth with trauma symptoms receive in trauma-informed residential programs.

When meeting someone at zero acquaintance, we make assumptions about each other that encompass emotional states, personality traits, and even cognitive abilities. Evidence suggests individuals can accurately detect psychopathic personality traits in strangers based on short video clips or photographs of faces. We present an in-depth examination of this ability. In two studies, we investigated whether high psychopathy traits are perceivable and whether other traits affect ratings of psychopathic traits in the sense of a halo effect. On the perceiver's end, we additionally examined how cognitive abilities and personality traits of the responders affect these ratings. In two studies (n[subscript 1] = 170 community adults from the USA, n[subscript 2] = 126 students from Australia), participants rated several targets on several characteristics of psychopathy, as well as on attractiveness, masculinity, sympathy, trustworthiness, neuroticism, intelligence, and extraversion. Results show that responders were generally able to detect psychopathy. Responders generally came to a consensus in their ratings, and using profile similarity metrics, we found a weak relation between ratings of psychopathy and the targets' psychopathy level as determined by the Psychopathy Checklist: Short Version. Trait ratings, though, were influenced by the ratings of other traits like attractiveness. Finally, we found accuracy in the perception of psychopathy was positively related to fluid intelligence but unrelated to emotion perception ability.

Exposure to childhood adversity has been consistently associated with poor developmental outcomes, but it is unclear whether these associations vary across different forms of adversity. We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between threat and deprivation with cognition, emotional processing, and psychopathology in a middle-income country. The sample consisted of 2511 children and adolescents (6-17 years old) from the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort for Mental Conditions. Parent reports on childhood adversity were used to construct adversity latent constructs. Psychopathology was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to generate a measure of general psychopathology (the "p" factor). Executive function (EF) and attention orienting toward angry faces were assessed using cognitive tasks. All measures were acquired at two time-points 3 years apart and associations were tested using general linear models. Higher levels of psychopathology were predicted by higher levels of threat cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and by deprivation longitudinally. For EF, worse performance was associated only with deprivation at baseline and follow-up. Finally, threat was associated with attention orienting towards angry faces cross-sectionally, but neither form of adversity was associated with changes over time in attention bias. Our results suggest that threat and deprivation have differential associations with cognitive development and psychopathology. Exposure to adversity during childhood is a complex phenomenon with meaningful influences on child development. Because adversity can take many forms, dimensional models might help to disentangle the specific developmental correlates of different types of early experience.

Background: A great amount of information is presented to psychology students through various mediums, often leading to misinformation and believing inaccurate psychological myths. Objective: We conducted two studies to examine psychomythology of psychopathology and whether mythbusting may be an effective pedagogical tool. Method: In Study 1, a total of 251 participants were recruited and asked about psychology myths they believed by using the Myths of Abnormal Psychology Questionnaire (MAP). In Study 2, a total of 46 students across two sections of abnormal psychology courses were asked about psychological myths they believed at the onset of class and at the end of class using the MAP. These students also were provided with an educational mythbusting intervention throughout the class. Results: Participants endorsed several myths of psychopathology and indicated that the greatest sources of their understanding came from instructors, the internet, movies, and mythbusting led to a decrease in myth endorsement. Conclusion: Students enter abnormal psychology courses believing several inaccurate myths and mythbusting appears to be a viable tool to address these misconceptions. Teaching Implications: Mythbusting can be implemented within abnormal psychology courses as an an engaging and effective teaching tool, as well as a means to model scientific thinking.

Worry is a phenomenon that is present in multiple psychopathologies. Given the widely accepted transdiagnostic role that worry plays in psychopathology, reliable measures for this construct are pivotal for clinical practice. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is one of the most widely used and established measures of worry in both clinical and non-clinical populations and it is accepted as a highly reliable measure. The present study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PSWQ for the Portuguese population. The total sample consisted of 428 participants, 256 from the community, and 172 from the clinical population. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a model of one factor with a method factor containing the negatively worded items.

Objective: Self-harm and personality psychopathology have been linked, with the most robust correlations existing between negative affectivity and self-harm. Psychological pain, an emotionally-based aversive feeling, has been linked to self-harm. Considering the connection between personality psychopathology and self-harm, psychological pain may enhance self-harm risk. Participants: Analyses were conducted on 525 undergraduate students in the Spring and Fall semesters of 2019. Methods/Results: Correlation analyses indicated that self-harm was moderately correlated with Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism. Additionally, self-harm was correlated with psychological pain. When examining if psychological pain moderates the relation between personality psychopathology and self-harm, results were mixed. In the cases of Disinhibition and Psychoticism, psychological pain enhanced self-harm. There was no moderating effect on the relations with Negative Affectivity, Detachment, or Antagonism. Conclusions: These findings support the role of psychological pain in self-harm outcomes for those experiencing personality psychopathology; however, this varies depending on the maladaptive traits.

Objective: College students' prescription stimulant and opioid misuse (PSM and POM) share psychosocial risks with other substance use. We sought to extend a prior study of these issues. Methods: National College Health Assessment (2015-2016) participants ages 18-24 years (n = 79,336) reporting 12-month PSM (defined as use of a drug not prescribed to them), 30-day other illicit drug use (non-cannabis), both, or neither, were compared on other substance use, psychopathology, academic adjustment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and chronic pain. Models were repeated for POM. Results: Relative to those who only misused the prescription drug, those who used other illicit drugs had lower odds of chronic pain and academic problems, but higher odds on nearly every other outcome especially if they also misused the prescription drug. Conclusions: Findings suggest PSM and POM are on a continuum of risk shared with illicit drug use, but also are linked to outcomes specific to these drugs' perceived medical purposes.

Research suggests that students entering their first year of college may be at significant risk for developing substance use problems by relying on substances to regulate their emotions. Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the dual role of personality and psychopathology in predicting substance use among first-year students. Participants: 103 first-semester undergraduate students were recruited via the university subject pool. Methods: Participants completed personality questionnaires, structured clinical interviews, followed by the completion of diary entries each week reporting on substance use throughout their first semester. Results: Results indicated that a past diagnosis of an affective (mood/anxiety/stress) disorder was the most significant predictor of substance use. Personality and current psychopathology had no association to substance use. past Conclusion: This finding is consistent with developmental models of substance use relating to emotion-related disease and suggests that greater nuance is needed in understanding substance use risk in college students.

The Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) consists of level of personality functioning (Criterion A) and maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B). The brief scale versions of these are understudied, while often being used by clinicians and researchers. In this study, we wanted to investigate the overlap and predictive validity of Criterion A and B. Participants (N = 253) were measured on level of personality functioning (LPFS-BF) and maladaptive personality traits (PID-5-BF), as well as internalizing outcomes such existential meaninglessness (EMS) and externalizing outcomes such as substance and behavioral addictions (SSAB). Data analysis was conducted with principal component analysis (PCA) and regression analyses. The results showed over 50% overlap between the brief versions of Criterion A and B, while Criterion B slightly outperformed Criterion A in outcomes of EMS and SSAB. We discuss the potential redundancy and usefulness of personality functioning and maladaptive personality traits.

The Dark Factor of Personality (D) measures the latent core of antagonistic traits. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the full (D70) and the brief (D16) versions, concerning structural validity, item information, and convergent validity. An online sample (N = 294) was analyzed using CFA (Maximum Likelihood Estimation), IRT (Graded Response Model) and SEM (latent correlations). Firstly, the original theorized bifactor model for D70 and a single-factor model for D16 showed good fit to the data. Moreover, new reliability-analyses based on FD and H indicated that the D70 favorably can be collapsed into a unidimensional measure, which is further discussed. Secondly, the IRT-analyses present valid item quality and functioning and showed that items provide the most information on trait levels above mean levels. Lastly, convergent SEM-analyses showed that D had high latent trait correlations to psychopathy and Machiavellianism, but not to narcissism. The correlations with the Big Six personality factors (mini-IPIP6) yielded expected high correlations with Agreeableness and Honesty-Humility. The Swedish translation of the full D70 and brief D16 is recommended for use in future research.

Frontal asymmetry (FA), the difference in brain activity between the left versus right frontal areas, is thought to reflect approach versus avoidance motivation. This study (2012-2021) used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate if infant (M[subscript age] = 7.63 months; N = 90; n = 48 male; n = 75 White) FA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relates to psychopathology in later childhood (M[subscript age] = 62.05 months). Greater right FA to happy faces was associated with increased internalizing ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.09) and externalizing ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.06) problems at age 5 years. Greater right FA to both happy and fearful faces was associated with an increased likelihood of a lifetime anxiety diagnosis (R[superscript 2] > 0.13). FA may be an informative and early-emerging marker for psychopathology.

This study investigated the relationship between mathematics difficulties and psychopathology in a large community sample (N = 881) of youth (8-18 years of age) in the United States. The primary aims of the study were to (a) test the associations between mathematics difficulties and specific components of internalizing, externalizing, attention, and social problems; (b) examine potential age and gender differences; and (c) investigate the longitudinal relationship between mathematics and psychopathology using 5-year follow-up data. Results indicated that individuals with mathematics difficulties exhibited elevations in most dimensions of psychopathology, including anxiety, depression, externalizing behaviors, attention problems, and social problems. Furthermore, mathematics impairment was associated with internalizing problems, rule-breaking behaviors, inattention, and social problems even after controlling for comorbid reading difficulties. Results suggested that the associations between mathematics and psychopathology are generally similar in males and females. Finally, preliminary longitudinal evidence suggested that initial mathematics difficulties predicted elevations of conduct disorder, rule-breaking behavior, inattention, hyperactivity, and social problems at follow-up, with several of these associations remaining significant even after controlling for initial reading. In contrast, there was no significant association between initial mathematics ability and internalizing symptoms at follow-up, demonstrating some amelioration of internalizing symptoms over time.

We developed and validated a self-report scale for screening pathological traits of dependent personality disorder (DPD) from the Hierarchical Taxonomy of psychopathology (HiTOP) perspective. The sample was 693 adults who answered the new scale, the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory DPD (IDCP-DPD), the PID-5, the FFDI, and the FFBI. The IDCP-DPD was composed of six factors grouped in one general score. The scores showed associations with external measures in the expected direction, and the means comparisons showed large differences. Our findings indicated the IDCP-DPD as a useful clinical measure, and the structure observed confirms the spectrum level of the HiTOP.

We aimed to refine the previously proposed antisocial subscale for the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 (IDCP-ASPD). The sample involved 628 Brazilian adults between 18 and 81 years old. We administered the revised ASPD subscale (IDCP-ASPD-R), the Affective and Cognitive Measure of Empathy (ACME), the Crime and Analogous Behavior Scale (CAB), and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP). We confirmed the 3-factors structure for the IDCP-ASPD-R. The IDCP-ASPD-R and its former version presented a good capacity to distinguish the groups, with the largest effect size for the Affective factor (IDCP-ASPD-R). Although the IDCP-ASPD-R has shown good performance, we have observed only a slight increase over the previous version of the scale. Therefore, we can only expect a small higher contribution of IDCP-ASPD-R in its practical application to group discrimination. However, from a theoretical perspective, the IDCP-ASPD-R overrides its former version.

Despite findings that developmental timing of maltreatment is a critical factor in predicting subsequent outcomes, children's developmental stage is understudied in maltreatment research. Moreover, childhood maltreatment is associated with the development of maladaptive peer relationships and psychopathology, with social cognition identified as a process underlying this risk. The current study uses structural equation modeling to examine the impact of developmental timing of maltreatment (i.e., infancy through preschool versus elementary and middle-school years) on psychopathology via negative perceptions of peer relationships. Multi-informant methods were used to assess 680 socioeconomically disadvantaged children. Results did not support differential effects of early versus later maltreatment on children's internalizing symptomatology or disruptive behavior, but indicated that chronic maltreatment, relative to episodic maltreatment, has more severe consequences for children's internalizing symptomatology. Results further support the mediating role of children's perceptions of relationships in the effect of maltreatment on negative developmental outcomes.

Extended school non-attendance, commonly named truancy or school refusal, has over the last decade attracted attention among educational researchers. This article points to a need for theoretical perspectives that can account for the complexity and ambiguity of the phenomenon. The article presents a critical analysis of the research field of extended school non-attendance. It is argued that both the school refusal/truancy terminology as well as more environment sensitive approaches support a simplifying and individualising representation of extended school non-attendance. It is further argued that much research focuses on the prevalence of psychopathology in children with extended school non-attendance, and therefore eliminates the voices of these children. Based on the analysis, the article proposes a theoretical framework based on poststructuralism and new materialism as a way to grasp the complex phenomenon of extended school non-attendance.