Codevelopment of externalizing and internalizing problems in early childhood

Maternal Perceptions and Responsiveness to Cry in Armed Conflict Zones: Links to Child Behavior Problems

Crying is a typical infant behavior that activates parental caregiving behaviors, acting as "human alarms" important for the infant's survival. When living under war-related threat, the auditory system may be sensitized given its importance for survival, potentially impacting maternal cry processing. Children living in armed-conflict zones are at increased risk for behavior problems, which may relate to both direct exposure and indirect effects through their parents' perceptions and behaviors. This hypothesis was examined in a sample of mothers and their first-born children (aged 10-45 months) living in the Gaza vicinity area in Israel, chronically exposed to missile alarms (high-exposure; n = 45), and a comparison group (low-exposure; n = 86). Group differences in child behavior problems and maternal perceptions of and responsiveness to cry were investigated. A moderated indirect-effect of maternal cry perceptions on child behavior problems via maternal responsiveness to cry was examined. In the high-exposure group, children had more externalizing problems and mothers rated cries as more aversive. Maternal cry perception was indirectly related to child behavior problems via responsiveness to cry only in the high-exposure group: higher perceptions of cry as aversive or the child as distressed were related to faster responding to crying, and faster cry responsiveness was linked with fewer behavior problems. Results suggest that in armed-conflict zones with auditory warning signals, the parental caring system may be easily activated by cries due to the strong association between alarms and threat. Furthermore, children may need their mothers to react faster when feeling distressed, possibly because of the surrounding threat.

The Effect of CRHBP rs10062367 Polymorphism and Parenting Styles on Internalizing Problems in Preschoolers: The Moderating Effect of Sensory Processing Sensitivity

The present study aimed to examine how CRHBP rs10062367 polymorphism interacted with parenting styles and sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) to impact on preschoolers' internalizing problems. A total of 446 preschoolers (Mage = 4.55, SD = 1.07) participated in the study and their saliva were extracted to genotype the CRHBP rs10062367 polymorphism, and their parents were invited to complete a battery of questionnaires to assess parenting styles, preschoolers' SPS, and internalizing problems. Results indicated that high SPS preschoolers with A allele exhibited fewer internalizing problems under the condition of positive parenting while they exhibited more internalizing problems under the condition of negative parenting. The findings provide support for the Differential Susceptibility Model/Biological Sensitivity to Context Theory that A allele of rs10062367 and high SPS might be the "susceptibility markers" of children to environments.

Executive dysfunction as a possible mediator for the association between excessive screen time and problematic behaviors in preschoolers

Excessive screen time in children is a growing concern for parents and healthcare providers worldwide because it frequently leads to behavioral problems. Although executive dysfunction is proposed to be one of the contributing factors to maladaptive behaviors, little is known about the link between screen time and behaviors. This study aimed to identify whether executive dysfunction contributes to the negative behaviors of children exposed to excessive screen time. A cross-sectional study was conducted on preschool-aged children from public and private schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The parents/guardians of each child completed the questionnaires regarding clinical characteristics and screen time use, the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Children with more than one hour of media exposure per day were considered to have excessive screen time. Multivariable Gaussian regression was analyzed to compare the BRIEF-P and SDQ scores between the excessive and appropriate screen time groups. Causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the effects of total screen time on increasing behavioral problems with executive functioning as a mediator. A total of 1,126 preschoolers were included in the analyses. After controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal education, the excessive screen time group had significantly higher BRIEF-P global executive composite score than the appropriate screen time group (mean difference of global executive composite score = 1.49, 95% CI [0.12, 2.86], and p = 0.033). Concurrently, there were significant differences in externalizing behavior subscales and SDQ total difficulties scores between the excessive and appropriate screen time groups (mean difference of total difficulties score = 0.90, 95% CI [0.29, 1.50], and p = 0.004). A significant average causal mediation effect (ACME) of screen time on behavioral problems mediated through executive functioning was β = 0.28, 95% CI [0.13-0.44], which was more than half of the total effect (54.9%, 95% CI [37.4-100%]). The current study suggests that the increase in behavioral issues in preschoolers might be partly explained by the direct effect of excessive screen time and the mediating effect of impaired executive functioning. Our results may raise concerns about the necessity to limit screen time and monitor for executive function deficits and behavioral problems in young children with high screen time.

The effects of child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence on the co-occurrence of anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment (CM) and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) pose significant threats to child behavioral health, particularly for young children in toddlerhood and early childhood. Children who experience CM and/or are exposed to IPV are more likely to develop anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior.

OBJECTIVE

This study is a three-year longitudinal examination of the effects of CM and exposure to IPV on the co-occurrence of anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 459 children drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II, a national longitudinal study that investigated the outcomes and well-being of children and families that were involved in Child Protective Services (CPS).

METHODS

Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine the correlation between the trajectories of anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior, and the effect of CM and IPV exposure on child behavioral outcomes.

RESULTS

A positive correlation was observed between anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior intercepts, and the slope parameters of both growth models were also positively correlated. CM and IPV exposure was associated with worse anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest the co-occurrence of anxious/depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior among CPS-involved children and demonstrate the negative effects of CM and IPV exposure on children over time. The findings pinpoint the necessity of comprehensive methodological considerations for research and a lens of trauma-informed care for practice.

Hot and cool executive function in the development of behavioral problems in grade school

Despite the well-established link between children's executive function and behavioral adjustment, it remains unclear whether the hot and cool aspects of executive function are uniquely associated with children's behavioral problems. Using longitudinal data spanning in the grade school (N = 1,140), this study aimed to examine whether hot and cool executive function skills may be uniquely related to the development of behavioral problems. Hot and cool executive function skills were measured with tasks, standardized tests, and questionnaires at 54 months and in the first grade, respectively. Internalizing and externalizing problems were evaluated by teachers using questionnaires throughout the grade school. The results indicated that, independent of each other, hot and cool executive function skills were uniquely and negatively related to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems over time at the between-individual level, adjusting for within-individual fluctuations. Moreover, internalizing and externalizing problems were positively related at the between-individual level across the grade school. Findings provide needed evidence to clarify the relations between hot and cool executive function and children's behavioral problems, emphasizing the importance of both aspects of executive function in understanding the development of behavioral problems in school-age children.

The longitudinal relationship between loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction among rural left-behind children: A cross-lagged panel analysis

INTRODUCTION

Left-behind children are a special group that needs urgent attention. Due to enduring separation from their parents, loneliness is considered the most common and prevalent developmental hurdle in the experiences of left-behind children. This longitudinal cross-lagged study examined the direction of the association between loneliness and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with considering gender and left-behind status differences.

METHODS

A total of 1175 rural Chinese children (48.3% boys, 39.9% left-behind children, Mage  = 14.54 ± 1.18 at baseline) completed self-reported loneliness, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction at two-time points with 6 months intervals. Descriptive statistics, cross-lagged panel analysis, and multiple group analysis were estimated in the present study.

RESULTS

Loneliness exacerbated social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa. In addition, gender and left-behind status moderated these relationships, with boys more likely to be mobile phone addicted due to loneliness and girls more likely to be lonely due to mobile phone addiction. More importantly, left-behind children with loneliness are more prone to social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa, compared with non-left-behind children.

CONCLUSIONS

The targeted interventions should be carried out for different genders and left-behind statuses. Particularly for left-behind children, neglecting to address both the symptoms of loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction could significantly undermine the efficacy of intervention programs that solely target either one of these afflictions.

Between- and within-child level associations between externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in a nationally representative sample of US elementary school children

BACKGROUND

Both transactional and common etiological models have been proposed as explanations of why externalizing behavior problems (EBP) and internalizing behavior problems (IBP) co-occur in children. Yet little research has empirically evaluated these competing theoretical explanations. We examined whether EBP and IBP are transactionally related at the within-child level while also identifying antecedents commonly associated with between-child differences in underlying stability of both EBP and IBP across elementary school.

METHODS

We analyzed a nationally representative and longitudinal sample of US schoolchildren (N = 7,326; 51% male) using random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM). We used teacher ratings of EBP and IBP as annually assessed from the spring of kindergarten (Mage  = 6.12 years) through the spring of 5th grade (Mage  = 11.09 years). Early childhood antecedents included child internal (i.e. inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and language/literacy) and external factors (i.e. parental warmth, harsh parenting, parenting stress, and maternal depressive symptoms).

RESULTS

We found little evidence for within-child, transactional relations between EBP and IBP. Both types of behavior problems instead were substantially associated at the between-child level. Inhibitory control was the strongest common antecedent that explained this longitudinal overlap. Cognitive flexibility, working memory, language/literacy skills, and maternal depression contributed specifically to the stability of IBP. Measures of parenting were specific to the stability of EBP.

CONCLUSIONS

Common etiological factors rather than transactional relations better explain the co-occurrence of EBP and IBP during elementary school. Inhibitory control is a promising target of early intervention efforts for schoolchildren at risk of displaying both EBP and IBP.

Vocabulary size predicts behavioral problems in emotionally reactive children

Internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems place children at an increased risk for low academic achievement and socioemotional maladjustment. Children's language skills and level of emotional reactivity have been shown to predict behavioral problems later in development. Yet, there is an absence of research investigating vocabulary by negative emotionality interactions with respect to the development of behavioral problems during early childhood. Our study sought to fill this gap by examining whether the relation between preschool (age 3) vocabulary size and internalizing/externalizing problems during the early school years (age 6) is moderated by preschool negative emotional reactivity, even after controlling for preschool behavioral problems as well as children's socioeconomic background. Longitudinal data was collected from 256 typically developing children (129 girls, 75% White) and their mothers (64% held a college degree). Linear regression analyses revealed moderate rank-order stability in children's internalizing and externalizing problems across this period of development. Evidence of an interaction effect emerged in both the internalizing and externalizing problems regression models. That is, age 3 vocabulary was negatively related to age 6 behavioral problems, but only among children exhibiting higher levels of negative emotional reactivity. Our results indicate that early vocabulary acquisition may serve as a buffer against adverse behavioral outcomes in children with a natural propensity toward expressing negative emotions. These findings point to a more nuanced picture of the relations between language, emotional reactivity, and behavioral problems in childhood, which are discussed in greater detail to inform future intervention and educational research.

Joint developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems from mid-childhood to late adolescence and childhood risk factors: Findings from a prospective pre-birth cohort

There is limited evidence on heterogenous co-developmental trajectories of internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) problems from childhood to adolescence and predictors of these joint trajectories. We utilized longitudinal data from Raine Study participants (n = 2393) to identify these joint trajectories from 5 to 17 years using parallel-process latent class growth analysis and analyze childhood individual and family risk factors predicting these joint trajectories using multinomial logistic regression. Five trajectory classes were identified: Low-problems (Low-INT/Low-EXT, 29%), Moderate Externalizing (Moderate-EXT/Low-INT, 26.5%), Primary Internalizing (Moderate High-INT/Low-EXT, 17.5%), Co-occurring (High-INT/High-EXT, 17%), High Co-occurring (Very High-EXT/High-INT, 10%). Children classified in Co-occurring and High Co-occurring trajectories (27% of the sample) exhibited clinically meaningful co-occurring problem behaviors and experienced more adverse childhood risk-factors than other three trajectories. Compared with Low-problems: parental marital problems, low family income, and absent father predicted Co-occurring and High Co-occurring trajectories; maternal mental health problems commonly predicted Primary Internalizing, Co-occurring, and High Co-occurring trajectories; male sex and parental tobacco-smoking uniquely predicted High Co-occurring membership; other substance smoking uniquely predicted Co-occurring membership; speech difficulty uniquely predicted Primary Internalizing membership; child's temper-tantrums predicted all four trajectories, with increased odds ratios for High Co-occurring (OR = 8.95) and Co-occurring (OR = 6.07). Finding two co-occurring trajectories emphasizes the importance of early childhood interventions addressing comorbidity.

Prenatal exposures to phthalates and life events stressors in relation to child behavior at age 4-6: A combined cohort analysis

Prenatal exposures to chemical and psychosocial stressors can impact the developing brain, but few studies have examined their joint effects. We examined associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and child behavior, hypothesizing that prenatal stressful life events (PSLEs) may exacerbate risks. To do so, we harmonized data from three U.S. pregnancy cohorts comprising the ECHO-PATHWAYS consortium. Phthalate metabolites were measured in single mid-pregnancy urine samples. When children were ages 4-6 years, mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), from which a Total Problems score was calculated. Mothers additionally provided recall on their exposure to 14 PSLEs during pregnancy. Primary models examined problem behaviors in relation to: (1) phthalate mixtures calculated through weighted quantile sums regression with permutation test-derived p-values; and (2) joint exposure to phthalate mixtures and PSLEs (counts) using interaction terms. We subsequently refitted models stratified by child sex. Secondarily, we fit linear and logistic regression models examining individual phthalate metabolites. In our main, fully adjusted models (n = 1536 mother-child dyads), we observed some evidence of weak main effects of phthalate mixtures on problem behaviors in the full cohort and stratified by child sex. Interaction models revealed unexpected relationships whereby greater gestational exposure to PSLEs predicted reduced associations between some phthalates (e.g., the metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, di-iso-nonyl phthalate) and problem behaviors, particularly in males. Few associations were observed in females. Additional research is needed to replicate results and examine potential mechanisms.

Impacts of a tiered intervention on child internalizing and externalizing behavior in the context of maternal depression

Greater maternal depressive symptoms are consistently associated with higher levels of behavioral difficulties in children, emerging in early childhood and with long-lasting consequences for children's development. Interventions promoting early relational health have been shown to have benefits for children's behavior; however, these impacts are not always realized in the context of maternal depression. This study examined whether tiered programs could address this limitation by focusing on both parenting, through universal primary prevention, and psychosocial stressors and parent mental health, through tailored secondary prevention. Analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Smart Beginnings (SB) intervention was conducted to determine whether SB attenuated the association between maternal depression and early childhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Maternal depression significantly predicted both internalizing and externalizing behaviors in linear regression models. Further, there was a significant interaction between maternal depression and treatment group, such that among mothers with higher depressive symptoms, the SB treatment attenuated the magnitude of the association between depression and child behavior. Findings suggest that while parenting support is important for all families, it may be particularly critical for those with higher levels of depression and underscores the need to consider multidimensional family processes in both research and clinical practice.

A longitudinal comparison of emotional, behavioral and attention problems in autistic and typically developing children

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems are elevated in autistic individuals but there is limited evidence on the developmental course of problems across childhood. We compare the level and growth of anxious-depressed, behavioral and attention problems in an autistic and typically developing (TD) cohort.

METHODS

Latent growth curve models were applied to repeated parent-report Child Behavior Checklist data from age 2-10 years in an inception cohort of autistic children (Pathways, N = 397; 84% boys) and a general population TD cohort (Wirral Child Health and Development Study; WCHADS; N = 884, 49% boys). Percentile plots were generated to quantify the differences between autistic and TD children.

RESULTS

Autistic children showed elevated levels of mental health problems, but this was substantially reduced by accounting for IQ and sex differences between the autistic and TD samples. There was small differences in growth patterns; anxious-depressed problems were particularly elevated at preschool and attention problems at late childhood. Higher family income predicted lower base-level on all three dimensions, but steeper increase of anxious-depressed problems. Higher IQ predicted lower level of attention problems and faster decline over childhood. Female sex predicted higher level of anxious-depressed and faster decline in behavioral problems. Social-affect autism symptom severity predicted elevated level of attention problems. Autistic girls' problems were particularly elevated relative to their same-sex non-autistic peers.

CONCLUSIONS

Autistic children, and especially girls, show elevated mental health problems compared to TD children and there are some differences in predictors. Assessment of mental health should be integrated into clinical practice for autistic children.

The Youth Internalizing Problems Screener: Validation in Serbian Adolescents and Measurement Invariance across Serbia and the USA

The Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS) is a recently developed measure of general internalizing problems in adolescence. Validity evidence supporting interpretation and use of the YIPS outside the USA is still limited, and no research to date has examined cross-national invariance of this scale. Using two samples of Serbian adolescents, the present study examined the factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and convergent and incremental validity of a Serbian language version of the YIPS. Following, we evaluated the measurement invariance of the YIPS across Serbian and USA samples. Evidence for a one-factor structure and good internal consistency for the Serbian YIPS was found. The scale scores yielded strong associations with measures of depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, and positive and negative affect, indicating evidence of convergent validity. YIPS scores also had a unique contribution over and above depression and anxiety in predicting subjective well-being, thus supporting incremental validity. Partial scalar invariance for the YIPS measurement model was indicated across Serbian and USA samples. We conclude the YIPS appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of general internalizing problems among Serbian adolescents.

Future-oriented cognition: links to mental health problems and mental wellbeing in preschool-aged and primary-school-aged children

Future-oriented cognition plays a manifold role for adults' mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between future-oriented cognition and mental health in N = 191 children aged between 3 and 7 years. Parents completed an online-questionnaire including children's future-oriented cognition (e.g., episodic foresight; Children Future Thinking Questionnaire; CFTQ), children's mental health problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ), and wellbeing (Parent-rated Life Orientation Test of children; PLOT and Positive-Mental-Health Scale; PMH). More externalizing problems (especially hyperactivity) related to lower future-oriented cognition. For mental wellbeing, higher levels of optimism were associated with higher episodic foresight. Future-oriented cognition increased with age cross-sectionally. This increase was flatter at higher levels of wellbeing (indicated by lower pessimism). Results are discussed considering findings on the role of future-oriented cognition for mental health in adults and adolescents. Suggestions for future work are presented regarding the direction of the observed links and underlying mechanisms.

Gender-specific co-developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems from middle childhood to early adolescence: Environmental and individual predictors

This study aimed to identify gender-specific co-developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems from middle childhood to early adolescence, along with key environmental and individual predictors among Chinese youth. A total of 1653 Chinese elementary school students (M age = 9.40; SD = 0.51; 54.57% boys) participated in assessments at six time points, using 6-month assessment intervals. Parallel process latent class growth modeling identified four trajectories for boys: Congruent-low (65.74%), moderate-decreasing internalizing and moderate-stable externalizing problems (18.40%), high increasing-internalizing and low-stable externalizing problems (8.20%), and high decreasing-internalizing and low-stable externalizing problems (7.65%). Three trajectories were identified for girls: Congruent-low (81.09%), moderate co-occurring (7.19%), and high increasing-internalizing and low-stable externalizing problems (11.72%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that peer victimization served as an environmental risk predictor for the adverse co-developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems for boys and girls. High sensation-seeking and low self-control served as individual risk variables predicting the trajectories of high increasing-internalizing and low-stable externalizing problems, and low self-control also predicted the trajectories of high decreasing-internalizing and low-stable externalizing problems for boys. The findings highlight the importance of gender differences in understanding the progression of internalizing and externalizing problems and inform effective strategies for prevention and intervention.

Heterotypic and homotypic continuity in psychopathology: a narrative review

Psychopathology is a process: it unfolds over time and involves several different factors. To extend our knowledge of such process, it is vital to understand the trajectories that lead to developing and maintaining a specific disorder. The construct of continuity appears very useful to this aim. It refers to the consistency, similarity, and predictability of behaviors or internal states across different developmental phases. This paper aims to present a narrative review of the literature on homotypic and heterotypic continuity of psychopathology across the lifespan. A detailed search of the published literature was conducted using the PsycINFO Record and Medline (PubMed) databases. Articles were included in the review based on the following criteria: (1) publication dates ranging from January 1970 to October 2022; and (2) articles being written in the English language. To ensure a thorough investigation, multiple combinations of keywords such as "continuity," "psychopathology," "infancy," "childhood," "adolescence," "adulthood," "homotypic," and "heterotypic" were used. Articles were excluded if exclusively focused on epidemiologic data and if not specifically addressing the topic of psychopathology continuity. The literature yielded a total of 36 longitudinal studies and an additional 190 articles, spanning the research published between 1970 and 2022. Studies on continuity focus on the etiology of different forms of mental disorders and may represent a fundamental resource from both a theoretical and clinical perspective. Enhancing our understanding of the different trajectories beneath psychopathology may allow clinicians to implement more effective strategies, focusing both on prevention and intervention. Since literature highlights the importance of early detection of clinical signs of psychopathology, future research should focus more on infancy and pre-scholar age.

Early childhood maltreatment and profiles of resilience among child welfare-involved children

Given the high burden of child maltreatment, there is an urgent need to know more about resilient functioning among those who have experienced maltreatment. The aims of the study were to: 1) identify distinct profiles of resilience across cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social domains in young children involved in the child welfare system; and 2) examine maltreatment characteristics and family protective factors in relation to the identified resilience profiles. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-II). Latent profile analysis was performed on a sample of 827 children aged 3-5 years (46% girls, Mean age = 3.96). Three distinct resilience profiles were identified: 1) low cognitive resilience (24%); 2) low emotional and behavioral resilience (20%); and 3) multidomain resilience (56%). Caregiver cognitive stimulation, no out-of-home placement, higher caregiver education level, older child age, and being a girl were associated with the multidomain resilience profile. The findings provide empirical support for the multifaceted nature of resilience and suggest that practitioners need to help children achieve optimal and balanced development by assessing, identifying, and targeting those domains in which children struggle to obtain competence.

Maternal Childhood Maltreatment History and Child Behavior Problems: Developmental Patterns and Mediation via Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Parenting Behavior

Maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with offspring behavioral problems; however, little work has examined these associations longitudinally across child development. This study examined the effects of maternal history of CM on trajectories of child internalizing and externalizing behavior measured from toddlerhood to preschool, and the role of maternal depressive symptoms and parenting behavior as potential mediators. Participants included 115 mother-child dyads recruited from a hospital maternity ward. Maternal CM was measured at 3-months postpartum. At 18, 36, and 60 months, maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior were assessed via maternal report and parenting behavior was assessed through direct observation. Findings indicated that children of mothers exposed to CM demonstrated poorer trajectories of problem behavior across early childhood. Maternal depressive symptoms mediated the relation between CM and children's internalizing problems. Findings highlight the importance of screening for maternal depressive symptoms and early intervention for maternal and child mental health.

Housing insecurity and adolescent behavioral outcomes: The mediating role of aggression in parenting

BACKGROUND

Housing insecurity impacts millions of families with children each year and is linked with a range of adverse outcomes. Greater understanding of pathways linking housing insecurity with emotional and behavioral problem is needed to prevent enduring mental health problems. The Family Stress Model and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model contribute understanding to the complex dynamics underlying development from childhood to adolescence in the context of economic hardship and parental strain.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of harsh parenting in the relationship between childhood housing insecurity and adolescent behavior problems.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study, and included a sample of at-risk mothers with children from 20 large U.S. cities (N = 2719).

METHODS

Structural equation modeling with latent variables tested direct and indirect pathways from housing insecurity at age 5 with emotional and behavioral problems at age 15 via intermediary harsh parenting at age 9.

RESULTS

Housing insecurity directly predicted adolescent anxious/depressive behaviors (β = 0.14, p < 0.01); and indirectly predicted rule-breaking (β = 0.04, p < 0.01), aggressive (β = 0.05, p < 0.01), and anxious/depressive (β = 0.03, p < 0.05) behaviors via psychological aggression in parenting.

CONCLUSIONS

Failure to address housing hardship among families with young children increases maltreatment risk and subsequent enduring mental health problems. Efforts to identify and mitigate housing hardship and maltreatment among at-risk families offer promise to promote long-term mental health in the transition from childhood to adolescence.

Childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid problems: distinguishing young adults who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide

BACKGROUND

While childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid problems have been associated with suicidal risk, little is known about their specific associations with suicidal ideation and attempts. We examined associations between childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid problems and suicidal ideation (without attempts) and attempts by early adulthood, in males and females.

METHOD

Participants were from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children, a population-based study of kindergarteners in Quebec from 1986 to 1988 and followed-up until 2005. We captured the co-development of teacher-rated externalizing and internalizing problems at age 6-12 using multitrajectories. Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule administered at age 15 and 22, we identified individuals (1) who never experienced suicidal ideation/attempts, (2) experienced suicidal ideation but never attempted suicide and (3) attempted suicide.

RESULTS

The identified profiles were no/low problems (45%), externalizing (29%), internalizing (11%) and comorbid problems (13%). After adjusting for socioeconomic and familial characteristics, children with externalizing (OR 2.00, CI 1.39-2.88), internalizing (OR 2.34, CI 1.51-3.64) and comorbid (OR 3.29, CI 2.05-5.29) problems were at higher risk of attempting suicide (v. non-suicidal) by age 22 than those with low/no problems. Females with comorbid problems were at higher risk of attempting suicide than females with one problem. Childhood problems were not associated with suicidal ideation. Externalizing (OR 2.01, CI 1.29-3.12) and comorbid problems (OR 2.28, CI 1.29-4.03) distinguished individuals who attempted suicide from those who thought about suicide without attempting.

CONCLUSION

Childhood externalizing problems alone or combined with internalizing problems were associated with suicide attempts, but not ideation (without attempts), suggesting that these problems confer a specific risk for suicide attempts.

Serum oxytocin levels in adolescents with conduct disorder associated with callous-unemotional traits

Background

Conduct disorder (CD) is a serious and common psychiatric disorder affecting children and adolescents. “Callous-unemotional traits” is a new specifier added to the diagnosis of CD in the DSM-5. The new specifier is thought to be associated with more severity and higher genetic load. Oxytocin is known to be related to interpersonal sympathy and social affection, and so its deficiency might be related to unemotionality. This work aims to explore the levels of serum oxytocin in adolescents with CD associated with callous-unemotional (CU) traits as compared to healthy control subjects. Twenty patients aged 12–18 years and 20 controls of the same age range were recruited. An Arabic-translated and validated version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for kids (MINI-kid) was used to confirm the diagnosis. The Youth Psychopathic Inventory-short version (YPI-short version) and the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), both parent and self-reports, were all translated into Arabic and validated by the authors and used to evaluate the sample. Evaluation of serum oxytocin level using ELISA technique was done.

Results

After statistical adjustment for differences in socioeconomic status, an adolescent with CD associated with CU traits showed low levels of serum oxytocin level as compared with the control group. Serum oxytocin levels were negatively correlated in a statistically significant degree with the unemotional, the callousness, and the uncaring subscores of ICU—self-report.

Conclusions

Low levels of serum oxytocin might play a potential role as a biomarker for CU traits and CD severity in adolescents with CD.

Developmental profiles of child behavior problems from 18 months to 8 years: The protective effects of structured parenting vary by genetic risk

Some children are more affected by specific family environments than others, as a function of differences in their genetic make-up. However, longitudinal studies of genetic moderation of parenting effects during early childhood have not been conducted. We examined developmental profiles of child behavior problems between 18 months and age 8 in a longitudinal parent-offspring sample of 361 adopted children. In toddlerhood (18 months), observed structured parenting indexed parental guidance in service of task goals. Biological parent psychopathology served as an index of genetic influences on children's behavior problems. Four profiles of child behavior problems were identified: low stable (11%), average stable (50%), higher stable (29%), and high increasing (11%). A multinominal logistic regression analysis indicated a genetically moderated effect of structured parenting, such that for children whose biological mother had higher psychopathology, the odds of the child being in the low stable group increased as structured parenting increased. Conversely, for children whose biological mother had lower psychopathology, the odds of being in the low stable group was reduced when structured parenting increased. Results suggest that increasing structured parenting is an effective strategy for children at higher genetic risk for psychopathology, but may be detrimental for those at lower genetic risk.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Preliminary Support for Delivering Brief Behavioral Parent Training Through Telehealth

Behavioral problems, such as noncompliance and aggression, are a common referral reason to mental health services for young children. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the leading intervention for addressing behavioral problems and leads to benefits in a variety of parental factors (e.g., parenting efficacy and parenting stress). While the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted service delivery toward telehealth services, limited work has evaluated the effectiveness of BPT when delivered in a brief, group format through telehealth. The current retrospective chart review study evaluated the engagement to and preliminary effectiveness of a brief version of BPT delivered through telehealth to 64 families of 3- to 7-year-olds referred for behavioral problems. Families attended an average of 4.55 of 6 sessions and most families had two caregivers who engaged in the intervention. Significant reductions in caregivers' report of children's behavioral problems and improvements in parenting self-efficacy resulted. Future research and clinical implications are discussed.

Sensory processing sensitivity behavior moderates the association between environmental harshness, unpredictability, and child socioemotional functioning

Building on Ellis et al.'s theorization for potent dimensions of environmental adversity, the present work sought to evaluate how environmental harshness and unpredictability might function directly and in interaction with child sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) to shape the development of child socioemotional functioning. Participants were 235 young children (M_age = 2.97 at the first measurement occasion) and their parents, who were followed for two consecutive annual measurement occasions. Child SPS was measured through behavioral observation across multiple tasks within the laboratory setting. Greater environmental unpredictability was significantly associated with the development of children's externalizing problems over a year only for children with high SPS. Follow-up analyses indicated that the unpredictability-x-SPS interaction was consistent with differential susceptibility, such that high SPS children showed greater increases in externalizing problems under high unpredictability, but also lower increases/greater decreases in externalizing problems under low unpredictability. Such association did not apply to children with low SPS.

Early Childhood Temperamental Trajectories following Very Preterm Birth and Their Association with Parenting Style

Childhood temperament is an early characteristic shaping later life adjustment. However, little is currently known about the stability of early temperament and its susceptibility to the environment in children born very preterm (VPT; <33 weeks’ gestation). Here, we investigated infant-to-childhood temperamental trajectories, and their interaction with parental practices, in VPT children. Maternal reports of infant temperament were collected in 190 infants (mean age: 11.27 months; range 9−18 months) enrolled in the longitudinal Evaluation of Preterm Imaging (ePrime; Eudra: CT 2009-011602-42) study, using the ePrime questionnaire on infant temperament. At 4−7 years of age, further assessments of child temperament (Children’s Behavior Questionnaire—Very Short Form) and parenting style (Arnold’s Parenting Scale) were conducted. Results showed that more difficult temperament in infancy was associated with increased Negative Affectivity in childhood, regardless of parenting practices. This lends support to the stability of early temperamental traits reflecting negative emotionality. In contrast, a lax parenting style moderated the relationship between easy infant temperament and Negative Affectivity at 4−7 years, such that an easier infant temperament was increasingly associated with higher childhood Negative Affectivity scores as parental laxness increased. These results highlight a potential vulnerability of VPT infants considered by their mothers to be easy to handle, as they may be more susceptible to the effects of suboptimal parenting in childhood.

The Moderating Role of Surgency, Behavioral Inhibition, Negative Emotionality and Effortful Control in the Relationship between Parenting Style and Children’s Reactive and Proactive Aggression

The principal aim of this study is to explore the moderating role of temperament in the relationship between parenting style and the reactive and proactive aggressive behavior of 8-year-old children. The participants are 279 children (154 boys and 125 girls). To measure reactive and proactive aggression, children completed the reactive and proactive questionnaire (RPQ). Child temperament and parenting styles were evaluated by both parents using the temperament in middle childhood questionnaire (TMCQ) and the parenting styles and dimensions questionnaire (PSDQ). The results revealed that boys with high surgency levels and authoritarian fathers displayed more reactive aggression, whereas behaviorally inhibited boys with mothers who scored low for authoritarian parenting displayed less reactive aggression. Finally, girls with high levels of effortful control and mothers who scored low for authoritative parenting displayed more proactive aggression. The results highlight the value of studying the moderating role of temperament in the relationship between children’s aggressive behavior and both mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles, and underscores the importance of doing so separately for boys and girls.

Longitudinal Effects of Reminiscing and Emotion Training on Child Maladjustment in the Context of Maltreatment and Maternal Depressive Symptoms

Exposure to child maltreatment and maternal depression are significant risk factors for the development of psychopathology. Difficulties in caregiving, including poor emotion socialization behavior, may mediate these associations. Thus, enhancing supportive parent emotion socialization may be a key transdiagnostic target for preventive interventions designed for these families. Reminiscing and Emotion Training (RET) is a brief relational intervention designed to improve maternal emotion socialization behavior by enhancing maltreating mothers' sensitive guidance during reminiscing with their young children. This study evaluated associations between maltreatment, maternal depressive symptoms, and the RET intervention with changes in children's maladjustment across one year following the intervention, and examined the extent to which intervention-related improvement in maternal emotion socialization mediated change in children's maladjustment. Participants were 242 children (aged 36 to 86 months) and their mothers from maltreating (66%) and nonmaltreating (34%) families. Results indicated that RET intervention-related improvement in maternal sensitive guidance mediated the effects of RET on reduced child maladjustment among maltreated children one year later. By comparison, poor sensitive guidance mediated the effects of maltreatment on higher child maladjustment among families that did not receive the RET intervention. Direct effects of maternal depressive symptoms on child maladjustment were also observed. This suggests RET is effective in facilitating emotional and behavioral adjustment in maltreated children by improving maltreating mothers' emotional socialization behaviors.

Emotional and behavioural pathways to adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviour: results from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

This study examines the emotional and behavioural pathways to adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviour. Using a sample of 17,223 participants from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, we applied parallel-process growth mixture modelling on emotional and behavioural symptoms in those aged 3-14 and employed latent class analysis to identify patterns of substance use and antisocial behaviours at age 14. We then performed a multinomial regression analysis to explore the association between emotional and behavioural trajectories and patterns of adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviours, including sociodemographic, family, and maternal factors. We found five trajectories of emotional and behavioural symptoms and four classes of adolescence substance use and antisocial behaviour. Children and adolescents in the 'high externalising and internalising' and 'moderate externalising' trajectories were more likely to belong to any problematic behaviour class, especially the 'poly-substance use and antisocial behaviours' class. Inclusion in the 'moderate externalising and internalising (childhood limited)' class was associated with higher odds of belonging to the 'alcohol and tobacco' class. These associations remained significant after adjusting for important sociodemographic and contextual factors, such as maternal substance use, poverty, and parental status. Interventions on adolescent health promotion and risk behaviour prevention need to address the clustering of substance use and antisocial behaviour as well as the significant influence of early and chronic internalising and externalising symptoms on the aetiology of these behaviours.

Editorial: Treatment of Early Childhood Callous-Unemotional Traits: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, characterized by lack of remorse, guilt, or empathy, are represented in DSM-5 under the limited prosocial emotions specifier for conduct disorder. Research suggests that some interventions for conduct problems are less effective for children with higher levels of CU traits,¹ and few interventions have been shown to reduce CU traits. Specifically, behavioral parenting interventions, evidence-based treatments for conduct problems, have been shown to be less effective for children with higher levels of CU traits.² Although research suggests high comorbidity of internalizing and externalizing problems in early childhood,³ no prior studies examined the effect of CU traits on the treatment of childhood internalizing problems. Donohue et al.⁴ addressed this significant gap in the literature by evaluating the efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy-Emotion Development (PCIT-ED) in the treatment of preschoolers with major depressive disorder (MDD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and the moderating role of child CU traits on treatment outcomes. In this editorial, we discuss the contributions and limitations of the article by Donohue et al.⁴ and provide recommendations for future research to advance the field.

Predictors of Severity and Change in Emotion Dysregulation among Children and Adolescents with ASD

OBJECTIVE

Emotion dysregulation problems are prevalent and disruptive for many with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study compared severity and perceived change in emotion dysregulation in youth with and without ASD and probed correlates of emotion dysregulation (including possible two-way interactions) among youth with ASD.

METHOD

Participants were drawn from two large online samples (mean age = 12; range: 6-17) with (N = 1323) and without (N = 921) ASD. The study used the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI), a parent-report measure designed for youth with ASD. The EDI asks parents about current severity and perceived change (i.e. how current severity compares to lifetime severity) in emotion dysregulation, and includes two factors: Reactivity (rapidly escalating, intense negative affect) and Dysphoria (poorly upregulated positive affect, general unease).

RESULTS

Results indicated that youth with ASD had greater Reactivity severity and also greater positive change in Reactivity than non-ASD peers. Furthermore, differences between youth with and without ASD in the relationship between Reactivity and Dysphoria suggest a distinct profile of emotion dysregulation in ASD. Within the ASD sample, age and severity of stereotyped behavior predicted Reactivity and Dysphoria severity and Reactivity change. Female gender, lower parent education, and fluent verbal ability were additional predictors of increased Reactivity severity, while intellectual disability predicted lower Dysphoria severity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insight into predictors of emotion dysregulation in youth with ASD and represents a first step toward identifying which children with ASD may be most vulnerable to severe emotion dysregulation problems.

The characteristics and factors of the internalizing and externalizing behaviours of children at high risk for autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

The behavioral characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not only affected by their disease, but also by their parenting environment. HR-ASD has the risk of developing internalization and externalization problems. How the early development of these behavioral problems is affected by parent-child interaction is worth exploring. We tested whether parent-child interactions and parenting characteristics were associated with behavioural problems during the infant periods.

METHODS

This study collected data from 91 infants at high risk for ASD and 68 matched typically developing (TD) infants, about their internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems and engagement states (i.e. positive, negative, and parent-child interactions), using free play paradigm. Parent measures were assessed using the Broad Autism Phenotypic Questionnaire (BAPQ) and Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF) questionnaire. The core symptoms of ASD were assessed using the the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS).

RESULTS

During free play, infants in the HR-ASD group showed more internalizing (P < 0.001) and externalizing (P < 0.05) behaviours and less positive engagement (P < 0.01) than the TD group. In the regression analysis, we found that parenting stress had an impact on the infants' externalizing behaviours (△R2 = 0.215). Parent negative engagement had an impact on the infants' internalizing behaviours (△R2 = 0.451).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study revealed that children at high risk for ASD exhibited more severe internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems than TD group. The parent negative engagement is associated with behavioural problems. The findings on the contribution of parents' factors to behavioural problems suggests that the parenting stress and parent-child interactions are important factors for mitigating behavioural problems.

The Development of Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors Among Youth With or Without a Family History of Substance Use Disorder: The Indirect Effects of Early-Life Stress and Impulsivity

Youth with a family history of substance use disorder (FH+) are more prone to have externalizing and internalizing problems compared to youth without a family history of substance use disorder (FH-), increasing the likelihood of later maladjustment. However, mechanisms for this association remain understudied. In this longitudinal study, we examined if FH+ youth are more likely to experience early-life stressors (ELS), which in turn would increase impulsivity and the expression of externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Data were collected from youth and a parent (n = 386) during a baseline assessment (age 10-12 years) and every six months when the youth was 13-16 years old. In support of the primary hypothesis, FH+ youth reported higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors through ELS to impulsivity providing a developmental pathway through which FH+ youth are more prone to externalizing and internalizing problems.

The Development of Co-Occurrent Anxiety and Externalizing Problems from Early Childhood: a Latent Transition Analysis Approach

Research into co-occurrent internalizing and externalizing problems during childhood is flourishing. In particular, investigation on the association between anxiety and externalizing problems has yielded mixed findings, focused mainly on the issue of which problem might precede the other, and what role anxiety plays with respect to externalizing problems. Relatively little attention has been paid to the developmental patterns of these behaviors from early childhood, despite the potential of such knowledge to fully delineate etiological models of co-occurrence. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association of anxiety and externalizing problems in a community sample of preschoolers (ELISA Project; N = 2,341; 48.2% girls), by identifying empirically derived profiles and then describing their change and stability through the use of Latent Transition Analysis. Gender differences were explored. Four different profiles were identified: “typically developing”, “mainly anxious”, “modestly externalizing” and “co-occurrent”. Membership in these profile groups showed high stability over a two-year period. However, children in the “co-occurrent” profile group were the most likely to show changes, predominantly towards “modestly externalizing”. Furthermore, a significant gender difference for transitions towards the “co-occurrent” profile group was found, with girls showing less likelihood of being assigned to such profile. These findings show that it is possible to identify an early persistent course of co-occurrent anxiety and externalizing problems, as well as observe changes in co-occurrence towards a simpler externalizing behavioral expression. Further research should explore predictors of group membership and changes in membership, that are malleable and therefore open to preventative intervention.

Measurement of Behavioral Emotion Regulation Strategies in Early Childhood: The Early Emotion Regulation Behavior Questionnaire (EERBQ)

The Early Emotion Regulation Behavior Questionnaire (EERBQ) assesses children's emotion regulation (ER) behavioral strategies in both positive and negative emotional contexts. Psychometric properties and factor structure were tested in a sample of caregivers across the United States (N = 362) with children ages 2-6 years-old (56% male; 73% White). Findings suggest that the EERBQ is psychometrically sound and correlates with other well-established measures of children's socioemotional functioning. Previously, researchers have only been able to assess children's emotional behavioral regulatory strategies in a laboratory setting. Thus, use of the EERBQ addresses a critical gap in the current literature by providing researchers and practitioners with an instrument to measure young children's early emotional functioning outside of a laboratory context. This is particularly salient because early difficulty regulating emotions is often a precursor to persistent adverse developmental outcomes. Thus, the ability to easily to collect rich and predictive behavioral regulation data is imperative for early identification and treatment of youths' emotional and behavioral problems.

Intergenerational Associations in Crime for an At-Risk Sample of US Men: Factors that May Mitigate or Exacerbate Transmission

PURPOSE

To examine moderation of intergenerational transmission of crime and antisocial behavior of parents to adult arrests of sons (from age 18 years to ages 37-38 years). Moderators examined were from late childhood (constructive parenting and sons' inhibitory control, internalizing symptoms, and cognitive function), adolescence (delinquency and deviant peer association), and early adulthood (educational achievement, employment history, substance use, deviant peer association, and partner antisocial behavior).

METHODS

Study participants were parents and sons (N = 206) from the longitudinal Oregon Youth Study, recruited from schools in the higher crime areas of a medium-sized metropolitan region in the Pacific Northwest. Assessment included official arrest records, school data, interviews, and questionnaires.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, parents' and sons' histories of two or more arrests were significantly associated. Predictions of sons' arrests from a broader construct of parental antisocial behavior were significantly moderated by sons' late childhood cognitive function and early adult employment history, substance use, and romantic partner's antisocial behavior. Overall, there was relatively little intergenerational association in crime at low levels of these moderators.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate relatively large intergenerational associations in crime. The identified moderators may be used as selection criteria or targeted in prevention and treatment efforts aimed at reducing such associations.

Interparental Relationship Quality During Pregnancy: Implications for Early Parent-Infant Bonding and Infant Socioemotional Development

Research demonstrates the central role of mother-child relationships in child socioemotional development; however, families are complex systems and the unique roles of multiple family subsystems in early infant development have received less attention. In the present study, we investigated the role of multiple family relationships (interparental, mother-infant, father-infant), during pregnancy and the first month after childbirth, in infant socioemotional functioning at 6 months. We administered semi-structured interviews during pregnancy to assess multiple qualities of the interparental relationship. At 1 month postpartum, parents completed reports about their feelings and attitudes toward their infant to assess impaired bonding. At 6 months, parents provided reports of child socioemotional functioning. Both mother-infant and father-infant impaired bonding were uniquely associated with infant socioemotional impairment, controlling for prenatal interparental relationship quality. Additionally, multiple dimensions of the interparental relationship (i.e., poor-quality conflict management, inadequate support for fathers, and low levels of respect toward mothers) were associated with infant socioemotional impairment controlling for parent-infant bonding. Results also demonstrated an indirect pathway, such that poor sexual quality during pregnancy was associated with fathers (but not mothers) reporting more impaired bonding with their infants, which was linked to greater infant socioemotional impairment. Results highlight the importance of understanding the broad family environment, prior to and immediately following the birth of the child, to identify at-risk children at the earliest possible stages of intervention.

Effect of a parenting intervention on decreasing adolescents' behavioral problems via reduction in attachment insecurity: A longitudinal, multicenter, randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Secure attachment in adolescence, related to caregiving quality, is a robust predictor of positive behavioral adjustment in early adulthood and beyond. Nevertheless, few attempts have been made to develop treatments to promote parent-adolescent attachment security.

METHODS

Using a longitudinal, multicenter, randomized controlled trial design, two questionnaire-based studies were run in Italy (Study 1: n = 100 mothers of adolescents, 60% boys, M_age = 14.89, SD = 1.58; Study 2: n = 40 mothers and 40 adolescents, 60% boys, M_age = 14.90, SD = 1.91) to test the effectiveness of an attachment-based parenting intervention (i.e., Connect) in reducing adolescents' behavioral problems and attachment insecurity 2 weeks post-intervention (t2) and at a 4-month follow-up (t3). It was further investigated whether a decrease in avoidant and anxious attachment at t2 would account for changes in externalizing and internalizing problems, respectively, at t3. All adolescents belonged to two-parent intact families.

RESULTS

Mothers who completed Connect reported significantly fewer adolescent behavioral problems and lower adolescent attachment insecurity, compared to mothers in the waitlist group, at both t2 and t3 (Study 1). These findings were confirmed in a second subsample (Study 2), considering both mothers' and adolescents' reports. Controlling for pre-intervention behavioral problems, reductions in internalizing and externalizing problems were observed in both studies at t3 via a decrease in anxious and avoidant attachment, respectively, at t2.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings point to the malleability of attachment security in adolescence and highlight the importance of targeting parenting quality to promote adolescent behavioral adjustment.

Internalising and externalising in early adolescence predict later executive function, not the other way around: a cross-lagged panel analysis

Developmental changes in the brain networks involved in emotion regulation are thought to contribute to vulnerability to mental health problems during adolescence. Executive control is often viewed as allowing top-down regulation of emotional responses. However, while associations between executive control and mental health are commonly observed in both clinical and non-clinical populations, the direction of these associations remains unclear. Low, or immature, cognitive control could limit emotion regulation. Reversely, high emotionality could impede cognitive functioning. The scarcity of longitudinal studies testing for bi-directional effects, particularly in adolescence, has made it difficult to draw conclusions. This study analysed data from 1,445 participants of a longitudinal cohort in a cross-lagged panel design to understand bi-directional longitudinal associations between executive function and emotional behaviours across adolescence. Executive function was assessed using experimental working memory and inhibitory control tasks, emotional behaviours through parental report of internalising and externalising behaviours. Cross-sectional associations were replicated. Controlling for cross-sectional associations, early executive functions were not found to predict later emotional behaviours. Instead, early emotional behaviours predicted later executive function, with the strongest link observed between early externalising and later working memory. These results suggest that emotional well-being may affect the maturation of executive function during adolescence.

Concomitant Trajectories of Internalising, Externalising, and Peer Problems Across Childhood: a Person-centered Approach

This study investigated trajectories of concomitant internalising, externalising, and peer problems, and associated risk factors for group-membership, using a person-centered approach to better understand heterogeneity in subgroups identified. A cohort of 7,507 children in Ireland was followed from infancy to late childhood (50.3%, males; 84.9% Irish). The parent-version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used when children were 3, 5, 7 and 9 years of age. Information on antecedent risk factors was collected when children were 9 months. Group-based multi-trajectory modelling and multinomial logistic regression were used. Six subgroups of children with distinct profiles were identified, evidencing both homotypic and heterotypic comorbidity. No support of a ‘pure’ internalising, externalising or peer problems group was found in any identified trajectory group. Difficulties in one problem domain indicated the presence of difficulty in another problem domain for all children in elevated groups. Risk factors associated with group-membership were complex, with only three common factors across elevated groups: prenatal exposure to smoking, maternal education, and maternal stress. Specific risk factors for group-membership included low birth weight, sex, maternal age, maternal depression, family composition, social class, medical card status and quality of attachment. Despite some overlap in predictors, the combination of predictors specific to each group would suggest tailored programming. For children with the most acute problems, programming targets should include families with boys, born with low birth weight, exposed to smoking prenatally, with mothers who have lower levels of education, postnatal depression, increased stress and fewer financial resources.

A meta-analytic approach to the association between inhibitory control and parent-reported behavioral adjustment in typically-developing children: Differentiating externalizing and internalizing behavior problems

Impairments in inhibitory control (IC) are traditionally seen as a vital aspect in the emergence and course of maladaptive behavior across early childhood. However, it is currently unclear whether this view applies to both the externalizing and internalizing domain of parent-reported behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, past (meta-analytic) developmental research and theory characterizing this association have largely neglected the vast heterogeneity of IC measures and conceptualizations. The present meta-analyses examined the association of IC with parent-reported externalizing (N = 3160, 21 studies) and internalizing (N = 1758, 12 studies) behavior problems, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), in non-clinical populations of children aged 2-8 years. They further investigated the moderating effects of a priori IC categorization, according to a recently proposed two-factor model of IC ("Strength/Endurance" account, Simpson & Carroll, 2019). In line with previous research in the clinical domain, the current results corroborate the notion of a robust, but small association between IC and externalizing behavior problems (r = -0.11) in early childhood. However, although frequently proposed in the literature, no significant linear association could be identified with internalizing behavior problems. Furthermore, in both meta-analyses, no significant moderating effects of IC categorization could be revealed. These findings enhance our knowledge about the cognitive underpinnings of early-emerging maladaptive behavior, indicating that different subtypes of IC are statistically related with externalizing, but not internalizing behavior problems. Overall, the small association of IC ability with behavior problems in non-clinical populations provokes broader questions about the role of IC in behavioral adjustment.