Developmental trajectories of externalizing behavior from ages 4 to 12: Prenatal cocaine exposure and adolescent correlates

Prenatal Substance Exposure: Associations with Neurodevelopment in Middle Childhood

OBJECTIVE

Single-substance exposure effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes, such as problem behavior and intelligence quotient (IQ), have been studied in children for decades. However, the long-term consequences of polysubstance exposure are poorly understood.

STUDY DESIGN

Longitudinal neurodevelopmental data were gathered from cohorts across the United States through the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program. Data on prenatal exposure to opioids, nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol were collected from children ages 6 to 11 years (N = 256). Problem behavior was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (school-age version), and verbal IQ (VIQ) and performance IQ (PIQ) were assessed using the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition. We first identified latent profiles in the overall sample, then evaluated differences in profile membership for children with and without prenatal substance exposure.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis identified two mutually exclusive categories: average VIQ and PIQ, with typical problem behavior, and below-average VIQ with average PIQ and clinically significant problem behavior. Children with prenatal nicotine and polysubstance exposures were more likely to be classified in the below-average VIQ, elevated problem behavior profile compared with children without prenatal nicotine exposure.

CONCLUSION

The presence of clinically significant behavior problems in children with average PIQ, but below-average VIQ, could represent a unique endophenotype related to prenatal nicotine exposure in the context of other prenatal substance exposures.

KEY POINTS

· The neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal polysubstance exposure are poorly understood.. · Children with prenatal polysubstance exposure exhibited reduced IQ and elevated problem behavior.. · We found significant behavior problems in children with average PIQ and below-average VIQ.. · This may represent a unique endophenotype related to prenatal nicotine exposure..

Prenatal cocaine exposure and self-reported behavioral adjustments from ages 12 to 21: environmental pathways

BACKGROUND

In a birth-cohort study, we followed offspring with prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) to investigate longitudinal associations of PCE with self-reported behavioral adjustment from early adolescence to emerging adulthood (EA). Environmental pathways (family functioning, non-kinship care, maltreatment) were specified as potential mediators of PCE.

METHODS

Participants were 372 (190 PCE; 47% male), primarily Black, low socioeconomic status, enrolled at birth. Internalizing and externalizing behaviors were assessed using Youth Self-Report at ages 12 and 15 and Adult Self-Report at age 21. Extended random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling was used to account for potential bidirectional relationships between internalizing and externalizing behaviors over time, examining potential mediators.

RESULTS

Adjusting for covariates, significant indirect effects were found for each mediator at different ages. For family functioning, these were both internalizing (β = 0.83, p = 0.04) and externalizing behaviors (β = 1.58, p = 0.02) at age 12 and externalizing behaviors at age 15 (β = 0.51, p = 0.03); for non-kinship care, externalizing behaviors at ages 12 (β = 0.63, p = 0.02) and 15 (β = 0.20, p = 0.03); and for maltreatment, both internalizing and externalizing behaviors at ages 15 (β = 0.64, p = 0.02 for internalizing; β = 0.50, p = 0.03 for externalizing) and 21 (β = 1.39, p = 0.01 for internalizing; β = 1.11, p = 0.01 for externalizing). Direct associations of PCE with internalizing and externalizing behaviors were not observed, nor cross-lagged relationships between internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Negative associations of PCE with behavioral adjustment persist into EA via environmental pathways, specifying intervention points to disrupt adverse pathways toward healthy development.

Early emotional caregiving environment and associations with memory performance and hippocampal volume in adolescents with prenatal drug exposure

Early adversities, including prenatal drug exposure (PDE) and a negative postnatal emotional caregiving environment, impact children's long-term development. The protracted developmental course of memory and its underlying neural systems offer a valuable framework for understanding the longitudinal associations of pre- and postnatal factors on children with PDE. This study longitudinally examines memory and hippocampal development in 69 parent-child dyads to investigate how the early caregiving emotional environment affects children with PDE's neural and cognitive systems. Measures of physical health, drug exposure, caregiver stress, depression, and distress were collected between 0 and 24 months At age 14 years, adolescents completed multiple measures of episodic memory, and at ages 14 and 18 years, adolescents underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Latent constructs of episodic memory and the caregiving environment were created using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Multiple regressions revealed a negative emotional caregiving environment during infancy was associated with poor memory performance and smaller left hippocampal volumes at 14 years. Better memory performance at 14 years predicted larger right hippocampal volume at 18 years. At 18 years, the association between the emotional caregiving environment and hippocampal volume was moderated by sex, such that a negative emotional caregiving environment was associated with larger left hippocampal volumes in males but not females. Findings suggest that the postnatal caregiving environment may modulate the effects of PDE across development, influencing neurocognitive development.

Latent Class Analysis of Prenatal Substance Exposure and Child Behavioral Outcomes

OBJECTIVES

To predict behavioral disruptions in middle childhood, we identified latent classes of prenatal substance use.

STUDY DESIGN

As part of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program, we harmonized prenatal substance use data and child behavior outcomes from 2195 women and their 6- to 11-year-old children across 10 cohorts in the US and used latent class-adjusted regression models to predict parent-rated child behavior.

RESULTS

Three latent classes fit the data: low use (90.5%; n = 1986), primarily using no substances; licit use (6.6%; n = 145), mainly using nicotine with a moderate likelihood of using alcohol and marijuana; and illicit use (2.9%; n = 64), predominantly using illicit substances along with a moderate likelihood of using licit substances. Children exposed to primarily licit substances in utero had greater levels of externalizing behavior than children exposed to low or no substances (P = .001, d = .64). Children exposed to illicit substances in utero showed small but significant elevations in internalizing behavior than children exposed to low or no substances (P < .001, d = .16).

CONCLUSIONS

The differences in prenatal polysubstance use may increase risk for specific childhood problem behaviors; however, child outcomes appeared comparably adverse for both licit and illicit polysubstance exposure. We highlight the need for similar multicohort, large-scale studies to examine childhood outcomes based on prenatal substance use profiles.

Assessment of Psychosocial and Neonatal Risk Factors for Trajectories of Behavioral Dysregulation Among Young Children From 18 to 72 Months of Age

Importance

Emotional and behavioral dysregulation during early childhood are associated with severe psychiatric, behavioral, and cognitive disorders through adulthood. Identifying the earliest antecedents of persisting emotional and behavioral dysregulation can inform risk detection practices and targeted interventions to promote adaptive developmental trajectories among at-risk children.

Objective

To characterize children's emotional and behavioral regulation trajectories and examine risk factors associated with persisting dysregulation across early childhood.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study examined data from 20 United States cohorts participating in Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes, which included 3934 mother-child pairs (singleton births) from 1990 to 2019. Statistical analysis was performed from January to August 2022.

Exposures

Standardized self-reports and medical data ascertained maternal, child, and environmental characteristics, including prenatal substance exposures, preterm birth, and multiple psychosocial adversities.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Child Behavior Checklist caregiver reports at 18 to 72 months of age, with Dysregulation Profile (CBCL-DP = sum of anxiety/depression, attention, and aggression).

Results

The sample included 3934 mother-child pairs studied at 18 to 72 months. Among the mothers, 718 (18.7%) were Hispanic, 275 (7.2%) were non-Hispanic Asian, 1220 (31.8%) were non-Hispanic Black, 1412 (36.9%) were non-Hispanic White; 3501 (89.7%) were at least 21 years of age at delivery. Among the children, 2093 (53.2%) were male, 1178 of 2143 with Psychosocial Adversity Index [PAI] data (55.0%) experienced multiple psychosocial adversities, 1148 (29.2%) were exposed prenatally to at least 1 psychoactive substance, and 3066 (80.2%) were term-born (≥37 weeks' gestation). Growth mixture modeling characterized a 3-class CBCL-DP trajectory model: high and increasing (2.3% [n = 89]), borderline and stable (12.3% [n = 479]), and low and decreasing (85.6% [n = 3366]). Children in high and borderline dysregulation trajectories had more prevalent maternal psychological challenges (29.4%-50.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that children born preterm were more likely to be in the high dysregulation trajectory (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.76; 95% CI, 2.08-3.65; P < .001) or borderline dysregulation trajectory (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.06-1.76; P = .02) vs low dysregulation trajectory. High vs low dysregulation trajectories were less prevalent for girls compared with boys (aOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.36-1.01; P = .05) and children with lower PAI (aOR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.51-2.49; P < .001). Combined increases in PAI and prenatal substance exposures were associated with increased odds of high vs borderline dysregulation (aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08-1.53; P = .006) and decreased odds of low vs high dysregulation (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92; P = .005).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of behavioral dysregulation trajectories, associations were found with early risk factors. These findings may inform screening and diagnostic practices for addressing observed precursors of persisting dysregulation as they emerge among at-risk children.

Cognitive and functional outcomes at age 21 after prenatal cocaine/polydrug exposure and foster/adoptive care

OBJECTIVE

Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been linked to specific cognitive deficits and behavioral outcomes through early adolescence but there is little information on adult outcomes nor on the relationship of environmental interventions, such as foster/adoptive care, to outcomes.

METHODS

At 21 years, data were available on 325 young adults, [163 PCE and 162 non-exposed (NCE)], primarily African-American, with low SES, who were followed from birth in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) and surveyed regarding high school completion, problematic substance use, and incarceration/probation history. In the PCE group, 32 remained in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/FA) from early in life (< 4 years) to 17 years. Group differences were examined through t-tests, MANOVA/ MANCOVA with post-hoc analyses, comparing outcomes and environmental correlates of young adults with PCE vs. NCE, as well as outcomes of PCE young adults in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/ FA) vs. PCE in birth/kinship care and NCE young adults.

RESULTS

At 21 years, young adults with PCE had lower mean Full Scale (83.7 ± 10.4 vs. 87.3 ± 12.5, p < .01) and Perceptual Reasoning IQs (87.3 ± 11.5 vs. 91.4 ± 13.9, (p < .02), lower high school completion rates (75% vs. 86%, p < .02), and were marginally more likely to have been on probation than NCE young adults, but did not differ in Verbal IQ, self-report of problematic substance use or incarceration. Young adults with PCE in F/A had similar lower IQ scores but had better verbal skills and high school graduation rates that did not differ from NCE young adults (80.6 vs 86.2%, p > .05). They had higher drug exposure at birth and more experiences of maltreatment (p's < 0.05) but their home environment quality was better and lead levels lower (p's < 0.05) than those of young adults with PCE in birth/kinship care.

CONCLUSIONS

Young adults with PCE had lower Perceptual Reasoning and Full-Scale IQ scores, independent of caregiving placement, compared to non-exposed young adults. Young adults with PCE placed in non-kinship foster/adoptive care had lower lead levels, more stimulating home environments, better vocabulary skills and were more likely to graduate from high school than those in birth/kinship care,but were not different in their self-report of problematic substance use, or experiences of incarceration or probation. Our data suggest that some cognitive deficits observed in young adults with PCE may be biologically based, but that some functional outcomes can be modified through environmental interventions. Our data also reflect the complexity of disentangling the effects of teratologic exposures on long term outcomes across a variety of domains and the need for studies of children in the foster care system.

Prenatal cocaine exposure and substance use disorder in emerging adulthood at age 21

BACKGROUND

Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been associated with child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and early substance use, yet few studies investigated its association with substance use disorder (SUD) in emerging adults. The present study examined the association of PCE with SUD in emerging adulthood, and whether childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use mediated the relationship.

METHODS

Participants were 367 (187 PCE; 53% female) adults at age 21, primarily urban African American who were recruited at birth. PCE and exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana were determined using biologic assays for drug metabolites and/or maternal self-report at birth. Offspring externalizing problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report at age 12, substance use and substance use-related problems via biologic assays and/or self-report at age 15, and SUD determined using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria at age 21.

RESULTS

About 32.3% of the emerging adults were determined to have marijuana use disorder, 30.3% tobacco use disorder, and 15.5% alcohol use disorder. PCE was related to greater externalizing behaviors at age 12 (β = 0.12, p = .042), which in turn was related to SUD (β = 0.22, p = .008). PCE was also related to substance use, mainly marijuana, at age 15 (β = 0.22, p = .011), which was related to SUD (β = 0.51, p < .001). Total indirect effects including these two pathways were significant (β = 0.19, p = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

PCE may increase risk for SUD in emerging adulthood through childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use.

Substance use and individual assets in urban adolescents: Subgroups and correlates in emerging adulthood

INTRODUCTION

To investigate patterns of divergence in adolescent adjustment, this study examined the co-occurring patterns of adolescents' individual assets (e.g., school engagement, values) and substance use, and whether the co-occurring patterns were associated with later functioning in emerging adulthood.

METHODS

Participants were 358 (54% females), predominantly African American, urban adolescents, recruited at birth for a prospective study on the effects of prenatal substance exposure in the Midwest United States. Individual assets, using the Developmental Assets Profile, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana), via biologic assays and self-report, and substance use-related problems were assessed at age 15 years. High-school completion, substance use disorder, mental health symptoms, and legal problems were assessed at age 21 years.

RESULTS

Latent class analysis identified five classes as follows: high assets with low substance use (C1, 10.2%); moderate assets with low substance use (C2, 28.7%); low assets with low substance use (C3, 32%); moderate assets with high substance use (C4, 9.4%); and low assets with high substance use (C5, 19.2%). Despite similar levels of assets, adolescents in C5 reported more life adversities (suboptimal caregiving environment, daily hassles, non-birth parents' care) than those in C3. C4 and C5 reported more substance use disorder at age 21 years than the three low substance use classes; adolescents in C5 were less likely to complete high school than those in C2. More females in C5 reported greater mental health symptoms than those in C1 and C3, and criminal justice involvement than those in C1.

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings underscore the significance of substance use in adolescence in disrupting healthy transition to adulthood, especially among females in the context of low individual assets.

Preschool blood lead levels, language competency, and substance use in adolescence

BACKGROUND

Elevated lead levels in children are a persistent public health problem, particularly in urban areas in the United States, yet few prospective studies have examined the association of childhood lead levels with substance use in adolescence.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the association of early lead levels with adolescent substance use and whether childhood IQ, language skills, and externalizing (aggressive and disruptive) behavior mediate the association, controlling for confounding biological and environmental factors.

METHODS

The participants (N = 265) were a subsample of a prospective birth cohort study on the developmental effects of prenatal cocaine exposure in the Midwest United States. Blood lead levels (BLL) were assessed at age 4, IQ at age 11, language skills and externalizing behavior at age 12, and substance (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana) use and substance use-related problems at age 15. Biologic assays (hair, urine, bloodspots), along with self-report, were utilized to determine adolescent substance use. Path analyses were conducted to examine the direct and indirect associations of BLL with adolescent substance use.

RESULTS

The children's mean BLL at 4 years of age was 7.07 (SD = 4.12) μg/dL. Approximately 31% of adolescents used tobacco or marijuana, 40% used alcohol, and 23% reported experiencing substance use-related problems at age 15.7 (SD = 0.28). Elevated BLL was related to a higher likelihood of substance use. Childhood language skills fully mediated the relationship of BLL with substance use-related problems. IQ was related to neither substance use nor substance use-related problems.

DISCUSSION

Elevated BLL in preschool years is a risk factor for adolescent substance use and related problems. Early screening and intervention for language impairment may reduce substance use-related problems.

Prenatal cocaine exposure, early cannabis use, and risky sexual behavior at age 25

BACKGROUND

Prior research on prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) indicates that exposed children experience behavioral dysregulation resulting in risky adolescent behavior including earlier initiation of cannabis use and sexual intercourse. The goal of this study was to examine the long-term effects of PCE on adult sexual behavior.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort study of the association between PCE and risky adult sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 202 young adults (mean age = 27, SD = 0.98 years). The sample was 55% female, 46% White, and 54% Black. Data from the prenatal, childhood, and adolescent phases of the study were used to delineate pathways from PCE to adult sexual behavior.

RESULTS

The most common risky sexual behavior was having sex while drunk or high (63%). One-third of the sample reported that they "almost always" had sex while drunk or high. We found evidence for an indirect pathway from PCE to adult sex while drunk or high via early cannabis initiation. There were no other effects of PCE on adult risky sexual behavior or on risk for STIs, after controlling for sex assigned at birth, race, age at sexual initiation, and family history of drug and alcohol problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Although PCE has been associated with earlier initiation of sex in prior studies, PCE was not directly associated with risky adult sex or history of STI. Exposed individuals were at greater risk of sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs via earlier initiation of cannabis use during adolescence.

Prenatal drug exposure and executive function in early adolescence

PURPOSE

Study of the relationship between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and executive function (EF) has yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether PCE, biological sex, environmental risk, and their interaction predicted EF in early adolescence.

METHODS

135 12-year-old adolescents (40.7% with PCE), who were followed prospectively from birth, attempted up to 8 Tower of Hanoi (ToH) puzzle trials of increasing complexity. The number of correctly completed puzzles served as the main outcome measure. Survival analysis was used to examine predictors of the number of successfully completed trials.

RESULTS

As trial difficulty increased, fewer adolescents were able to solve the TOH puzzle. Adolescents from high risk environments and with either prenatal alcohol or prenatal cannabis exposure completed fewer puzzles (p < .05). In addition, a hypothesized 3-way interaction of PCE x sex x environmental risk was found such that cocaine-exposed males with high environmental risk had the worst performance (p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings are consistent with prior research indicating that males with PCE may be at particular risk of poorer functioning and highlight the potential importance of examining adolescent's sex and environmental risk as moderators of PCE effects.

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.

Prenatal Substance Exposure and Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing Symptoms: Toddlerhood to Preadolescence

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how prenatal exposure to substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) may contribute to heterogeneous childhood trajectories of internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, withdrawal, anxiety). The present study aimed to identify developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms in children using gender-separate analyses and to examine whether trajectories differ by prenatal substance exposure (PSE) and other environmental and biological correlates.

METHODS

Data from two large community-based birth cohorts with PSE were integrated (N = 1,651, 848 boys, 803 girls): the Cleveland cohort and the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS). Internalizing symptoms were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in the Cleveland study and at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 in the MLS.

RESULTS

Gender-separate group-based trajectory modeling yielded five distinctive developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms from ages 2 to 13 in both boys and girls: low-risk group (14.4% girls, 28.8% boys); normative-decreasing group (35.3% girls, 33.1% boys); increasing risk group (14.4% girls, 13.0% boys); early-high group (22.3% girls, 17.9% boys); and chronic group (13.8% girls, 7.2% boys). Prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal psychological distress, and postnatal maternal alcohol use differentiated the longitudinal courses of internalizing symptoms. Boys were more likely to follow the low-risk trajectory, whereas girls were more likely to follow the chronic trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with suboptimal developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms in the context of prenatal poly-drug exposure, highlighting a need for continued and increased effort toward prevention of prenatal tobacco use.

Statistical analysis of childhood and early adolescent externalizing behaviors in a middle low income country

The article show the pattern of externalizing behavior across age, gender, school type, and school level, with reference to aggression, delinquency, and hyperactivity. The study samples were primary school pupils and secondary school students from three selected Local Government Areas (LGA) in Ogun State, Nigeria [Ado-Odo/Ota, Ifo, and Yewa South]. Their ages ranged from 10 to 20 years. The student/pupil sample was 1770 in all. The instrument used was an adapted version of Achenbach's child behavior checklist and youth self-report. Basic descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, as well as non-parametric statistics like Phi-coefficient, Chi-square, Goodman and Kruskal's gamma, Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test were utilized. Inferential parametric statistics like Pearson r, analysis of variance and simple regression were also utilized. Four major findings were reported. Firstly, the private schools irrespective of age, gender and level, scored higher than the public school in aggression, delinquency, and hyperactivity. Secondly, aggression is higher in secondary schools, while delinquency and hyperactivity are more prevalent in primary schools. Thirdly, school level and school type are the strongest predictors of externalizing behavior. Lastly, correspondence analysis showed a similar behavioral pattern for the three behaviors and three distinct behavioral patterns. i). Respondents aged 10 and below and those in primary schools (ii). Male, public and between 16 and 20. iii). Private, secondary, female and between 11 and 15. Implications of the study are discussed.

Prenatal drug exposure and neurodevelopmental programming of glucocorticoid signalling

Prenatal neurodevelopment is dependent on precise functioning of multiple signalling pathways in the brain, including those mobilised by glucocorticoids (GC) and endocannabinoids (eCBs). Prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse, including opioids, alcohol, cocaine and cannabis, has been shown to not only impact GC signalling, but also alter functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Such exposures can have long-lasting neurobehavioural consequences, including alterations in the stress response in the offspring. Furthermore, cannabis contains cannabinoids that signal via the eCB pathway, which is linked to some components of GC signalling in the adult brain. Given that GCs are frequently used in pregnancy to prevent complications of prematurity, and also that rates of cannabis use in pregnancy are increasing, the likelihood of foetal co-exposure to these compounds is high and may have additional implications for long-term neurodevelopment. Here, we present a discussion of GC signalling and the HPA axis, as well as the effects of prenatal drug exposure on these pathways and the stress response, and we explore the interactions between GC and EC signalling in the developing brain and potential for neurodevelopmental consequences.

Proceedings of the 2018 annual meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders study group

The 2018 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) meeting was entitled "Sex Differences and Vulnerability." The theme reflected the ongoing NIH initiative to address sex differences in both clinical and preclinical research. The first keynote speaker, Jill Becker, Ph.D., addressed sex differences in addiction in preclinical studies. The second keynote speaker, Meeyoung Min, Ph.D., discussed effects of gender on adolescent outcomes in poly-drug exposed children. The conference presented updates from three government agencies, a discussion panel of new data on FASD prevalence, and short presentations by junior and senior investigators showcasing late-breaking FASD research. The conference was capped by the presentation of Dr. Sarah Mattson, Ph.D., the recipient of the 2018 Henry Rosett award for career-long contributions to the field.

Profiles of individual assets and mental health symptoms in at-risk early adolescents

INTRODUCTION

Few studies investigated the combined patterns of individual assets (e.g., social competence, positive identity) and mental health symptoms (MHS) in adolescents. This study examined the patterns of early adolescents' individual assets and MHS and whether identified patterns were associated with later adolescents' outcomes.

METHODS

Participants were 352 (164 boys, 188 girls) adolescents who were primarily African-American and from low socioeconomic status families, participating in a prospective study of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure from birth in the Midwest United States. Individual assets, using the Developmental Assets Profile, and MHS, using the Youth Self-Report, were assessed at age 12. Substance use, via self-report and biologic assays, early (before age 15) sexual behaviors, and behavioral adjustment were assessed at age 15.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis indicated four distinctive profiles: low assets with elevated MHS (P1, n = 54, 15.3%); adequate assets with thought and social problems (P2, n = 84, 23.9%); low assets without MHS (P3, n = 101, 28.7%); and high assets without MHS (P4, n = 113, 32.1%). Children in the profile with high assets without MHS (P4) were more likely to have a higher IQ and to be in a more optimal environment (higher parental monitoring and less family conflict) than those in other profiles. Although profiles with MHS were associated with adolescent risk behaviors, this relationship was more pronounced for girls than for boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Girls in the low assets with elevated MHS (P1) should be a primary concern for preventive intervention. Our study demonstrates the heterogeneity of individual patterns of adaptation and maladaptation.