Parental separation and child aggressive and internalizing behavior: an event history calendar analysis

Cohort Profile: The Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso)

The Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso) began in 2004 in response to the need for a better evidence base to support optimal child social development and prevent crime and violence. Since then, the study has tracked the development of a diverse sample of youths (N = 1,675 in the target sample; ~50% female) from age 7 (n = 1,360) to age 20 (n = 1,180), with primary data collection waves at ages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, and 20. The study uses a multi-method, multi-informant design that combines teacher, youth, and parent reports with observational and behavioural measures, biosampling, functional imaging, and ecological momentary assessment. Analyses of the data have contributed important evidence to a diversity of topics in child and adolescent development, illuminating the developmental roots of crime and aggression, the impacts of exposure to different forms and combinations of victimisation, and trajectories of mental health and neurodevelopmental symptoms.

Developmental Trauma Disorder: A Legacy of Attachment Trauma in Victimized Children

Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found to have both shared and unique traumatic antecedents. The present study was an independent replication, with the DTD Structured Interview and the Traumatic Events Screening Instrument administered to 271 children in mental health treatment in six U.S. sites. On an unadjusted basis, DTD (27.3% prevalence, N = 74) and PTSD (40.2% prevalence, N = 109) both were associated with traumatic physical assault or abuse, family violence, emotional abuse, caregiver separation or impairment, and polyvictimization. After controlling for PTSD, DTD was associated emotional abuse, OR = 2.9, 95% CI [1.19, 6.95], and traumatic separation from a primary caregiver, OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.04. 4.60], both of which also were associated with caregiver impairment, physical assault/abuse, and witnessing family/community violence. Three traumatic antecedents associated with PTSD were not associated with DTD: noninterpersonal trauma, sexual trauma, and traumatic loss. Children exposed to both traumatic victimization and attachment trauma (36.2%) or attachment trauma alone (32.5%) were more likely than children exposed only to victimization (17.5%) or those with no history of victimization or attachment trauma (8.1%) to meet the symptom criteria for DTD, χ²(3, N = 271) = 17.68, p < .001. Study findings replicate and extend prior DTD field trial study results, showing that, although PTSD and DTD share traumatic antecedents, DTD is uniquely associated with traumatic emotional abuse and caregiver separation. Further research is needed to examine how specific trauma types contribute to the risk, course, and severity of DTD.

Maternal Work-Life Balance and Children's Social Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress and Parenting Practices

The participation of women with young children in the Japanese labor force has increased dramatically in recent years, bringing growing potential for conflict between work and family roles amid inadequate social systems, such as childcare support. Thus, work–life balance (WLB) of mothers may influence their children’s mental health and lifestyle. This study aims to clarify the relationship between parents’ WLB and children’s mental health, as well as the underlying factors of parental stress and nurturing attitude. The study is based on a questionnaire survey administered in 2019 to fifth-grade elementary school students and their caregivers in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The regression results indicated that the higher the work–family negative spillover, the higher the child’s externalizing and internalizing problems, and the higher the positive spillover, the lower the problems and the higher the prosocial behaviors. Path analysis indicates that maternal WLB is negatively and positively related to children’s behavior through maternal stress and parenting practices. The study suggests that maternal WLB is related to children’s emotional and behavioral problems. WLB may impact children’s emotional and behavioral problems through parents’ mental health and involvement with their children, particularly because of work arrangements changing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pathways From Early Family Violence to Adolescent Reactive Aggression and Violence Victimization

PURPOSE

The current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., maternal aggression, sibling aggression, environmental risk) predicted early adolescent (EA) reactive physical and relational aggression and violence victimization through middle childhood (MC) parenting (i.e., guilt induction, power assertive discipline).

METHOD

Mother-infant dyads (N = 216; 72% African American) were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study on prenatal cocaine and other substance exposure. Observations, interviews, and maternal and child self-report measures were collected from dyads in early childhood (1 to 36 months), middle childhood (84 months), and early adolescence (12 to 15 years).

RESULTS

A cascading path model was specified where current variables were regressed on variables from the preceding time point. Primary results showed that environmental risk and EC child physical aggression predicted higher levels of MC caregiver power assertive discipline, which subsequently predicted lower levels of EA reactive relational aggression. Maternal substance use in pregnancy and the child's continuous placement with biological caregivers predicted higher levels of reactive physical aggression in EA. Finally, MC physical aggression and EA reactive relational aggression predicted higher levels of EA violence victimization.

CONCLUSION

There were a series of direct paths from early childhood family violence and demographic factors to reactive aggression and violence victimization. The current study underscores the importance of evaluating multiple facets of family violence and risk when evaluating aggressive behavior and victimization.

Crescimento Pós-Traumático após Divórcio: Contribuição dos Valores para Além das Variáveis Demográficas

Resumo Objetivou-se verificar em que medida os valores humanos explicam o crescimento pós-traumático no contexto do divórcio, controlando o efeito das variáveis idade, sexo e tempo de divorciado. Responderam ao Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático, Questionário de Valores Básicos e questões demográficas 200 pessoas que vivenciaram o divórcio (M idade = 38,4, DP = 11,51). Entre as variáveis demográficas, unicamente o sexo foi importante para explicar o crescimento, mais evidente entre mulheres. Ademais, os valores humanos se mostraram um construto importante. Subfunções sociais (interativa e normativa) e a de existência foram as mais importantes; entre os valores pessoais, unicamente os da subfunção realização lograram fazê-lo. Concluindo, estes achados foram discutidos à luz da literatura, sinalizando a importância dos valores humanos.

Psychiatric comorbidity of developmental trauma disorder and posttraumatic Stress disorder: findings from the DTD field trial replication (DTDFT-R)

Background: Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) has extensive comorbidity with internalizing and externalizing disorders distinct from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: To replicate findings of DTD comorbidity and to determine whether this comorbidity is distinct from, and extends beyond, comorbidities of PTSD. Method: DTD was assessed by structured interview, and probable DSM-IV psychiatric disorders were identified with KSADS-PL screening modules, in a multi-site sample of 271 children (ages 8-18 years old; 47% female) in outpatient or residential mental health treatment for multiple (M = 3.5 [SD = 2.4]) psychiatric diagnoses other than PTSD or DTD. Results: DTD (N = 74, 27%) and PTSD (N = 107, 39%) were highly comorbid and shared several DSM-IV internalizing and externalizing disorder comorbidities. Children with DTD with or without PTSD had more comorbid diagnoses (M = 5.7 and 5.2 [SD = 2.4 and 1.7], respectively) than children with PTSD but not DTD (M = 3.8[SD = 2.1]) or neither PTSD nor DTD (M = 2.1[SD = 1.9]), F[3,267] = 55.49, p < .001. Further, on a multivariate basis controlling for demographics and including all potential comorbid disorders, DTD was associated with separation anxiety disorder, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder after controlling for PTSD, while PTSD was associated only with separation anxiety disorder after controlling for DTD. Both DTD and PTSD were associated with suicidality. Conclusions: DTD is associated with psychiatric comorbidity beyond that of PTSD, and DTD warrants assessment for treatment planning with children in intensive psychiatric services.

Racial Differences in the Relationship between Neighborhood Disorder, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Child Behavioral Health

The neighborhood and family context in which children grow profoundly influences their development. Informed by ecological systems theory and social disorganization theory, we hypothesized that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) mediate the relationship between neighborhood disorder and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and that these pathways vary by race/ethnicity. We conducted secondary data analysis using Fragile Families and Child Well-being study data. To test hypothesized pathways, we performed a mediation path analysis on a sample of 3001 mothers of children (ages 3 and 5) living in 20 U.S. cities. A moderated mediation path analysis was used to test racial/ethnic differences in hypothesized pathways. We found that living in disordered neighborhoods increased children's likelihood of exhibiting externalizing and internalizing behaviors through childhood ACEs. Compared to Black and Hispanic children, White children's ACEs were more susceptible to negative neighborhood environment effects, suggesting that White children's behavioral health may be more indirectly affected by neighborhood disorder. The finding that ACEs mediated the pathway from neighborhood disorder to child behavior problems provides opportunity for child psychiatrists and pediatricians to interrupt negative pathways by providing interventions for children and families. Our findings on racial/ethnic differences highlight the need for culturally sensitive programming to address children's behavior problems.

Child maltreatment is mediating long-term consequences of household dysfunction in a population representative sample

Background:

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) exhibit long-lasting consequences on later life and are considered as a major public health problem. ACEs can be divided into household dysfunctions, which affect the child indirectly, and direct maltreatment. As a high correlation between ACEs in general is known, we assessed the risk for child maltreatment associated with the occurrence of household dysfunctions. To provide a better understanding for the mechanisms leading to the deleterious sequelae of ACEs, we furthermore assessed whether the long-term consequences of household dysfunction are mediated by child maltreatment and thereby might be targeted by effective child protection programs.

Methods:

A representative sample of the German population above the age of 14 (N = 2531) was assessed in a cross-sectional observational population-based survey.

Results:

The data reveal that mental illness of a household member was associated with significantly increased risks for all child maltreatment subtypes (ORs 4.95–5.55), just as household substance abuse (ORs 5.32–6.98), violence against the mother (ORs 4.43–10.26), incarceration of a household member (ORs 6.11–14.93) and parental separation (OR 3.37–4.87). Child maltreatment partially mediated the association of household mental illness, substance abuse and parental separation with later depression, anxiety, life satisfaction and subjective general health status and completely mediated the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV) and incarceration of a household member with anxiety, depression and subjective health status in adulthood.

Conclusions:

ACEs linked to household dysfunction are associated with an increased risk for all subtypes of child maltreatment. The assessed widespread consequences of household dysfunction are mediated by child maltreatment. This underlines the role of prevention of child maltreatment in families with household dysfunction and implies child protection as a priority in any interventions.

Family Transitions in Cohabiting Families: a Longitudinal Investigation of the Role of Parent Depressive Symptoms in Youth Problem Behaviors

Cohabiting family structures are becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States but are less stable than married family unions. In this longitudinal study we examine the change in psychosocial adjustment of adolescents when a non-biologically related male cohabiting partner (MCP) transitions out of the family home. Of particular interest, the role of maternal and MCP depressive symptoms was examined as a moderator. At wave 1, the sample was comprised of 111 low-income urban Black families, consisting of an adolescent (42.3 % male; Mage = 13), a biological mother, and a non-biologically-related male cohabiting partner (MCP). Wave 2 and 3 assessments occurred over the course of the subsequent 29 months, with 38 % of MCPs transitioning out of the home. We used latent growth curve modeling to characterize trajectories of youth internalizing and externalizing symptom change across the 3 waves. Both maternal and MCP depressive symptoms interacted with whether a transition occurred, consistent with the notion that adolescent problem behaviors are shaped by the dynamic interplay of individual- and family-characteristics.

Estimating the Epidemiology and Quantifying the Damages of Parental Separation in Children and Adolescents

Parental separation is linked to multiple negative outcomes for children in all spheres of life. A field study was designed to estimate the epidemiology and to quantify the outcomes on the wellbeing of children from separated parents. Thus, data on socio-economic status, psychological adjustment, behavioral disorders, social relations, self-concept, and academic achievement were gathered from 346 children and adolescents, 173 separated parents, and 173 parents from intact families in the paediatric catchment area of Galicia (Spain). The results showed that parental separation had a significant negative impact on the children’s and adolescents’ family income (increasing the probability of falling below the poverty line); psychological adjustment (i.e., higher scores in anxiety, depression, hostility, paranoid ideation, and interpersonal alienation); social relations (i.e., less self-control in social relations; higher social withdrawal); self-concept (lower levels of academic, emotional, physical, and family self-concept), and academic achievement (lower academic achievement with higher school dropout rates). Moreover, children from separated families had a higher probability of being exposed to gender violence. Epidemiologically, parental separation is associated to the probability of falling below the poverty line 33.9%; being exposed to gender violence 43.2%; and symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation interpersonal alienation, and social withdrawal, i.e., 20, 17, 27, 20, 19, and 35.5%, respectively. Inversely, self-control in social relations, and academic, emotional, physical, and family self-concept fell to 16, 32, 27, 22, and 37%, respectively. The interrelationship among these variables and the implications of these results for interventions are discussed.

Typologies of Post-divorce Coparenting and Parental Well-Being, Parenting Quality and Children's Psychological Adjustment

The aim of this study was to identify post-divorce coparenting profiles and examine whether these profiles differentiate between levels of parents' well-being, parenting practices, and children's psychological problems. Cluster analysis was conducted with Portuguese heterosexual divorced parents (N = 314) to yield distinct post-divorce coparenting patterns. Clusters were based on parents' self-reported coparenting relationship assessed along four dimensions: agreement, exposure to conflict, undermining/support, and division of labor. A three cluster solution was found and replicated. Parents in the high-conflict coparenting group exhibited significantly lower life satisfaction, as well as significantly higher divorce-related negative affect and inconsistent parenting than parents in undermining and cooperative coparenting clusters. The cooperative coparenting group reported higher levels of positive family functioning and lower externalizing and internalizing problems in their children. These results suggested that a positive coparenting alliance may be a protective factor for individual and family outcomes after parental divorce.

The impact of military deployment on children: Placing developmental risk in context

During recent conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military families have endured multiple separations, relocations, and alterations in family structure/routines, combined with other significant stressors. This review examines what is known about children's mental health and functioning in relation to parental military deployment during conflicts spanning the last 14years. Findings are organized and considered by age group (i.e., toddlers and preschoolers, school age children, and adolescents) in an effort to highlight unique challenges and strengths present at different stages of development. Across all age groups, numerous studies document an increase in the number of military-connected children receiving mental health services in relation to parental deployment, though specific types of problems and long-term outcomes are not well understood. Evidence for a concerning increase in rates of child maltreatment related to parental deployment has also emerged. However, findings are largely based on aggregate data and the specific perpetrator is often unclear. Overall, we emphasize several critical next steps for research in this area including investigations characterized by greater methodological rigor, consideration of broader parental and contextual influences on child mental health, objective indicators of stress and coping, and longitudinal designs to examine persistence of child emotional/behavioral problems. A focus on adaptive/resilient outcomes is equally essential for understanding long-term outcomes and developing effective intervention programs.