Basic executive processes in incarcerated offenders

Executive functioning in antisocial behavior: A multi-level systematic meta-analysis

Neurobiological information - including executive functioning - is increasingly relevant for forensic clinical practice, as well as for the criminal justice system. Previous meta-analyses report that antisocial populations show impaired performance on executive functioning tasks, but these meta-analyses are outdated, have limitations in their methodological approach, and are therefore in need of an update. The current multi-level meta-analysis including 133 studies (2008-2023) confirms impaired performance in executive functioning (d=.42), but studies are heterogeneous. Several moderator analyses showed that neuropsychological test used, type of executive function component, and control group characteristics moderated the overall effect. Specifically, matching psychiatric problems in the non-antisocial control group eliminated any differences in executive functioning between groups. No moderation effects were found for assessment quality, hot or cold executive functions, and various population characteristics. These results could indicate that the assessment of executive functioning in antisocial populations may be less relevant for recidivism risk assessment than thought, although this should first be assessed in prospective longitudinal studies. Executive functioning could potentially be used to identify or screen for individuals with certain treatment needs or be used as a responsivity factor, especially in disorders which are often underdiagnosed in criminal justice settings.

The Forensic Symptoms Inventory-Youth Version-Revised: Development and Age Invariance Testing of a Broad-Spectrum Questionnaire for Forensic Assessment

Covering both individual and neuropsychological factors, the Forensic Symptom Inventory-Youth Version-Revised (FSI-YV-R) is the first broad spectrum questionnaire for adolescents in forensic care, measuring several deficits, such as executive dysfunctions, anger, and inadequate coping to enhance treatment goals and evaluate interventions. In this study, both the factor structure and the measurement and structural invariance of the FSI-YV-R were investigated. The sample consisted of 159 forensic juvenile outpatients (79.9% males and 20.1% females) aged 12 to 19 with a mean age of 16.07 (SD = 1.57). Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses identified a second-order model (measuring executive functioning) and proved measurement and structural invariant across age groups (younger adolescents, 12-15 years and older adolescents, 16-18 years). Contrary to the expectations none of the FSI-YV-R subscales differentiated between younger adolescents (N = 74) and older adolescents (N = 85). These results and implications for both theory and practice are discussed.

Perception of Caregiving During Childhood is Related to Later Executive Functions and Antisocial Behavior in At-Risk Boys

Executive functions are considered essential for effective navigation in the social world. Parental responsiveness is a critical ingredient for normative social development and, as such, may be connected with the development of executive functions. Disruption of this development may, in turn, lead to maladaptive and antisocial behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nature of the connections among perceived patterns of caregiving experienced in childhood, executive functions, and antisocial behaviors in at-risk adolescents. Seventy-one adolescent boys were recruited from two high-schools for adolescents who were not deemed suitable for regular schooling due to behavioral and emotional issues. Executive functions were tested using a computer-administered neuropsychological battery (CANTAB), and maternal parenting experiences and antisocial behaviors were assessed using retrospective and current questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed to examine whether executive functions mediated the relationship between children's perceived patterns of maternal care and subsequent development of antisocial behaviors. Although maternal care had a significant direct effect on executive function (standardized coefficient = .49, p = .03) and antisocial behavior (standardized coefficient = .53, p = .05), SEM demonstrated no mediating relationships among these variables. Instead, maternal care predicted unique variance in both executive functions (standardized coefficient = .61, p = .02) and antisocial behavior (standardized coefficient = .51, p = .05). This study suggests a link between the experience of childhood caregiving and adolescent executive functions and delinquency and highlights the importance of early parenting interventions to aid executive function development. Such early interventions could potentially enhance long-term pro-social behavior.

Self-Reported Impulsivity and its Relation to Executive Functions in Interned Youth

In adolescence, antisocial behaviors increase in prevalence, an occurrence that has been related to the parallel increase of impulsive behaviors. However, impulsivity is a conglomerate of unidimensional impulsigenic traits, divided into aspects of behavioral dyscontrol and sensation seeking. In the present study, we examine how these traits differ between interned youth and an aged-matched control group, and how they relate to executive functioning. Results indicate that impulsigenic traits related to behavioral dyscontrol, but not sensation seeking, are more pronounced in interned adolescents. Also, executive functioning was predictive of lack of premeditation, a trait specifically related to antisocial behavior. One implication of this is that interventions improving executive functioning could be beneficial in the rehabilitation of interned adolescents with impulsivity-related problems.

Cognitive risk profiles for anxiety disorders in a high-risk population

The purpose of the present study was to identify subgroups of participants who may be at particularly high risk for anxiety pathology based on specific combinations of demographic characteristics and higher-order cognitive abilities in a population at disproportionate risk for deficits in cognitive abilities (i.e., smokers within the criminal justice system). Participants (N=495) provided demographic information, were administered a semi-structured diagnostic interview, and completed a number of measures assessing cognitive abilities. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) model using signal detection theory indicated that the strongest predictor of anxiety disorder diagnosis was race, with White participants having a 30.6% likelihood of diagnosis and participants in the non-White category (97% of which identified as Black/African American) having a 18.9% likelihood of diagnosis. Interestingly, the individual risk profile associated with the highest probability of having a current anxiety disorder was characterized by White participants with impaired response inhibition (58.6%), and the lowest probability of having a current anxiety disorder was among non-White males (13.9%). The findings, which indicated that White individuals with impaired response inhibition are at a disproportionately high risk for anxiety disorders, suggest a potential target for prevention and intervention.

Typologies of Violence Exposure and Cognitive Processing in Incarcerated Male Adolescents

Incarcerated youth experience high rates of violence exposure (VE), cognitive processing (CP) deficits, and mental health (MH) problems. It is not clear whether VE combined with CP deficits are particularly salient risk factors for MH dysfunction. Male incarcerated youth offenders (n = 115) completed standardized self-reports of MH and VE. CP was measured with executive functioning tasks and academic assessments. Person-centered Ward's Squared Euclidian Distance cluster analysis was used to examine unique patterns of CP and VE. Cluster analysis defined five distinct profiles of MH functioning, CP, and VE rates within incarcerated adolescents. Two groups, with high rates of VE and CP deficits, showed high rates of MH problems. Linear techniques may obscure important differences within this population.