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Teixeira DN, Narciso I, Henriques MR. Driving for Success in Family Reunification-Professionals' Views on Intervention. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16594. [PMID: 36554475 PMCID: PMC9778863 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Family reunification is a complex process and is consensually considered the best solution for children in care, as soon as the family has changed the dysfunctional patterns that prevent child safety and well-being. Intervention throughout the entire process is crucial to the success of family reunification. This study aimed to explore and understand child protection professionals' views on factors influencing (un)successful family reunification trajectories. Using a qualitative design, 33 Portuguese child protection professionals participated in five focus groups. The thematic analysis revealed a set of influential factors within three different systemic levels: child, family, and child welfare system. The latter level was clearly predominant, pointing to the powerful role of the intervention as a vehicle for successful family reunification. The results showed the relevance attributed by the professionals to some main intervention guidelines, children-professionals' relationships, multisystemic assessment and intervention, coordinated work of intervention teams, and sufficient time between the court decision and the child's re-entry into the family home. The need for early intervention and its continuity after the child's reintegration into the home also emerged as relevant factors. This study provides in-depth knowledge of professionals' views on the intervention process, thus contributing to a comprehensive understanding of (un)successful family reunification trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana N. Teixeira
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto (CPUP), Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Isabel Narciso
- Research Center for Psychological Science (CICPsi), Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Margarida R. Henriques
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto (CPUP), Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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2
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A review of the differential contributions of language abilities to children’s eyewitness memory and suggestibility. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.101009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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3
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Blanchard AR, Comfort WE. Keeping in Touch with Mental Health: The Orienting Reflex and Behavioral Outcomes from Calatonia. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E182. [PMID: 32235727 PMCID: PMC7139622 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10030182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical and psychological therapy based on touch has been gradually integrated into broader mental health settings in the past two decades, evolving from a variety of psychodynamic, neurobiological and trauma-based approaches, as well as Eastern and spiritual philosophies and other integrative and converging systems. Nevertheless, with the exception of a limited number of well-known massage therapy techniques, only a few structured protocols of touch therapy have been standardized and researched to date. This article describes a well-defined protocol of touch therapy in the context of psychotherapy-the Calatonia technique-which engages the orienting reflex. The orienting reflex hypothesis is explored here as one of the elements of this technique that helps to decrease states of hypervigilance and chronic startle reactivity (startle and defensive reflexes) and restore positive motivational and appetitive states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William Edgar Comfort
- Social and Cognitive Science Laboratory, Centre for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo 01241, Brazil;
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4
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Benedan L, Powell MB, Zajac R, Lum JAG, Snow P. Suggestibility in neglected children: The influence of intelligence, language, and social skills. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 79:51-60. [PMID: 29407856 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We administered the GSS-2, a standardised measure of suggestibility, to 5- to 12-year-old children to ascertain whether neglected children's responses to leading questions distinguish them from those of their non-neglected counterparts. Neglected children (n = 75) were more likely than an age-matched sample of non-neglected children (n = 75) to yield to leading questions, despite no difference in their ability to recall the test stimuli. Subsequent collection of individual difference data from the neglected sample revealed that this effect could not be attributed to intelligence, language ability, problem behaviours, age at onset of neglect, or time spent in out-of-home care. With respect to social skill, however, suggestibility was positively correlated with communicative skill, and marginally positively correlated with assertion and engagement. While on the surface our social skills findings seem counter-intuitive, it is possible that maltreated children with relative strengths in these areas have learned to comply with adults in their environment as a way to protect themselves or even foster belonging. Our data, while preliminary, raise interesting questions about whether targeted interventions could help these children to more actively participate in decisions about their lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Benedan
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy; Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Martine B Powell
- Centre for Investigative Interviewing, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
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Meng X, Fleury MJ, Xiang YT, Li M, D'Arcy C. Resilience and protective factors among people with a history of child maltreatment: a systematic review. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2018; 53:453-475. [PMID: 29349479 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-018-1485-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To provide an overview of resilience and protective factors associated with a better life following child maltreatment exposure, to compare protective factors across specific subtypes of maltreatment, and to explore existing issues in the current state of the literature. METHODS Electronic databases and grey literature up to October 2017 were systematically searched for English language with observational study designs for the research on resilience and childhood maltreatment. Systematic review and qualitative approaches were used to synthesize the results. Study quality and heterogeneity were also examined. RESULTS Initial screening of titles and abstracts resulted in 247 papers being reviewed. A total of 85 articles met eligibility criteria of this review. Most of these studies had low or middle study quality. There were two subgroups of studies reviewed: (1) 11 studies examined whether resilience protected against the negative consequence of childhood maltreatment, and, (2) 75 studies explored what protective factor was associated with a kind of adaptive functioning. Although the conceptualization of resilience significantly varied from study to study, protective factors associated with resilience at individual, familial, and societal levels reduced the likelihood of negative consequences of childhood maltreatment. Negative consequences following childhood maltreatment can be prevented or moderated if protective factors are provided in time. Future research needs to address the conceptualization issue of resilience. CONCLUSIONS Public and population mental health preventions should focus on early childhood and apply preventive strategies as early as possible. Cost-effective studies should be considered in the evaluation of resilience prevention program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfei Meng
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 6875 Boul. LaSalle, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada. .,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Marie-Josee Fleury
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 6875 Boul. LaSalle, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yu-Tao Xiang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Muzi Li
- School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Carl D'Arcy
- School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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6
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Helton JJ, Cross TP, Vaughn MG, Gochez-Kerr T. FOOD NEGLECT AND INFANT DEVELOPMENT. Infant Ment Health J 2018; 39:231-241. [PMID: 29469214 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The impact of food insecurity on child development in the general U.S. population is well-established, yet little is known about the harm of food neglect relative to other types of maltreatment. Due to the harmful physiological impact of inadequate nutrients and the social impact of food-related stress, it was hypothesized that food neglect would be more likely to impair infant cognitive and language development than physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other forms of neglect. Families of infants (N = 1,951) investigated by Child Protective Services were studied using the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II; NSCAW Research Group, 2002). Results from multivariable logistic regression models that controlled for likely confounding variables showed that the odds of impairment in cognition and language were significantly greater when food neglect was the most serious form of maltreatment. Considering that both food insecurity and child neglect are associated with poverty and parental mental health problems, it will be important for child welfare and mental health professionals to work collaboratively to better the health of these vulnerable children.
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Otgaar H, Howe ML, Muris P. Maltreatment increases spontaneous false memories but decreases suggestion-induced false memories in children. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 35:376-391. [PMID: 28093783 PMCID: PMC5573940 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
We examined the creation of spontaneous and suggestion‐induced false memories in maltreated and non‐maltreated children. Maltreated and non‐maltreated children were involved in a Deese–Roediger–McDermott false memory paradigm where they studied and remembered negative and neutral word lists. Suggestion‐induced false memories were created using a misinformation procedure during which both maltreated and non‐maltreated children viewed a negative video (i.e., bank robbery) and later received suggestive misinformation concerning the event. Our results showed that maltreated children had higher levels of spontaneous negative false memories but lower levels of suggestion‐induced false memories as compared to non‐maltreated children. Collectively, our study demonstrates that maltreatment both increases and decreases susceptibility to memory illusions depending on the type of false memory being induced. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Trauma affects memory. It is unclear how trauma affects false memory.
What does this study add? This study focuses on two types of false memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Otgaar
- Maastricht University, The Netherlands.,City, University of London, UK
| | - Mark L Howe
- Maastricht University, The Netherlands.,City, University of London, UK
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Meng X, D’Arcy C. Gender moderates the relationship between childhood abuse and internalizing and substance use disorders later in life: a cross-sectional analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:401. [PMID: 27846829 PMCID: PMC5111209 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1071-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although some studies examined the moderating role of gender in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental disorders later in life, a number of them examined the effects of only one or two types of maltreatment on an individual mental disorder, for instance, depression, substance use. It is of considerable clinical and theoretical importance to have in-depth understanding what roles of different types of childhood abuse play out in a wide range of mental disorders among women and men using well accepted instruments measuring abuse and mental disorders. The present study aimed to examine this issue using a large nationally representative population sample to explore the gender effect of different types of childhood abuse in mental disorders, and assess the moderating role of gender in the abuse-mental disorder relationship. METHODS Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012: Mental Health we sought to answer this question. Respondents with information on childhood maltreatment prior to age 16 were selected (N = 23, 395). RESULTS We found: i) strong associations between childhood abuse frequency and gender; ii) significant differences between men and women in terms of mental disorders; iii) strong associations between childhood abuse and mental disorders; and, iv) gender moderated the role of childhood abuse history on adulthood mental disorders. Females with a history of sexual abuse and/or exposure to interpersonal violence were at a greater risk of alcohol abuse or dependence later in life. CONCLUSIONS Intervention should occur as early as possible, and should help female victims of childhood sexual abuse and/or exposure to interpersonal violence, and their families to build more constructive ways to effectively reduce the negative affects of these experiences. Recognition of the moderating role of gender on the relationship between childhood abuse history and mental disorders later in life may aid clinicians and researchers in providing optimal health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfei Meng
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 boul. LaSalle, Verdun, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Carl D’Arcy
- Department of Psychiatry & School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
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9
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Abstract
Eight- and 12-year-old children were presented with neutral and negative emotional Deese-Roediger-McDermott lists equated on familiarity and associative strength. Both recall and recognition (A') measures were obtained. Recall measures exhibited the usual age increments in true and false recollection. True neutral items were better recalled and recognized than true negative emotional items. Although the children showed more false recall for neutral than for negative emotional lists, false recognition was higher for negative emotional than for neutral items. A' analyses also showed that whereas true neutral information and false neutral information were easily discriminated by children regardless of age, the same was not the case for true and false negative emotional information. Together, these results suggest that although children may be able to censor negative emotional information at recall, such information promotes relational processing in children's memory, making true and false emotional information less discriminable overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Howe
- Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom.
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10
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Dunn EC, Busso DS, Raffeld MR, Smoller JW, Nelson CA, Doyle AE, Luk G. Does developmental timing of exposure to child maltreatment predict memory performance in adulthood? Results from a large, population-based sample. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2016; 51:181-91. [PMID: 26585216 PMCID: PMC4713298 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Although maltreatment is a known risk factor for multiple adverse outcomes across the lifespan, its effects on cognitive development, especially memory, are poorly understood. Using data from a large, nationally representative sample of young adults (Add Health), we examined the effects of physical and sexual abuse on working and short-term memory in adulthood. We examined the association between exposure to maltreatment as well as its timing of first onset after adjusting for covariates. Of our sample, 16.50% of respondents were exposed to physical abuse and 4.36% to sexual abuse by age 17. An analysis comparing unexposed respondents to those exposed to physical or sexual abuse did not yield any significant differences in adult memory performance. However, two developmental time periods emerged as important for shaping memory following exposure to sexual abuse, but in opposite ways. Relative to non-exposed respondents, those exposed to sexual abuse during early childhood (ages 3-5), had better number recall and those first exposed during adolescence (ages 14-17) had worse number recall. However, other variables, including socioeconomic status, played a larger role (than maltreatment) on working and short-term memory. We conclude that a simple examination of "exposed" versus "unexposed" respondents may obscure potentially important within-group differences that are revealed by examining the effects of age at onset to maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. Dunn
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
| | | | | | - Jordan W. Smoller
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Charles A. Nelson
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
| | - Alysa E. Doyle
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
| | - Gigi Luk
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
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11
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McWilliams K, Harris LS, Goodman GS. Child maltreatment, trauma-related psychopathology, and eyewitness memory in children and adolescents. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2014; 32:702-717. [PMID: 25537437 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to examine eyewitness memory in children and adolescents (9- to 15-years-old) with and without known histories of maltreatment (e.g., physical abuse, exposure to domestic violence). In Experiment 1, participants (N = 35) viewed a positive film clip depicting a congenial interaction between family members. In Experiment 2, participants (N = 31) watched a negative film clip in which a family argument was shown. Younger age and higher levels of trauma-related psychopathology significantly predicted commission errors to direct questions when the positive family interaction had been viewed, but not when the negative family interaction had been shown. Maltreatment history was not a significant unique predictor of memory performance for the positive or negative film clip. Implications for a scientific understanding of the effects of child maltreatment on memory are discussed.
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12
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Stensland SO, Thoresen S, Wentzel-Larsen T, Zwart JA, Dyb G. Recurrent headache and interpersonal violence in adolescence: the roles of psychological distress, loneliness and family cohesion: the HUNT study. J Headache Pain 2014; 15:35. [PMID: 24912800 PMCID: PMC4085726 DOI: 10.1186/1129-2377-15-35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recurrent headache is the most common and disabling pain condition in adolescence. Co-occurrence of psychosocial adversity is associated with increased risk of chronification and functional impairment. Exposure to interpersonal violence seems to constitute an important etiological factor. Thus, knowledge of the multiple pathways linking interpersonal violence to recurrent headache could help guide preventive and clinical interventions. In the present study we explored a hypothetical causal model where the link between exposure to interpersonal violence and recurrent headache is mediated in parallel through loneliness and psychological distress. Higher level of family cohesion and male sex is hypothesized to buffer the adverse effect of exposure to interpersonal violence on headache. Methods The model was assessed using data from the cross-sectional, population-based Young-HUNT 3 study of Norwegian adolescents, conducted from 2006–2008. A cohort of 10 464 adolescents were invited. The response rate was 73% (7620), age ranged from 12 and 20 years, and 50% (3832) were girls. The study comprised self-report measures of exposure to interpersonal violence, loneliness, psychological distress and family cohesion, in addition to a validated interview on headache, meeting the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria. Recurrent headache was defined as headache recurring at least monthly during the past year, and sub-classified into monthly and weekly headache, which served as separate outcomes. Results In Conditional Process Analysis, loneliness and psychological distress consistently posed as parallel mediating mechanisms, indirectly linking exposure to interpersonal violence to recurrent headache. We found no substantial moderating effect of family cohesion or sex. Conclusions Loneliness and psychological distress seem to play crucial roles in the relationship between exposure to interpersonal violence and recurrent headache. To facilitate coping and recovery, it may be helpful to account for these factors in preventive and clinical interventions. Trauma-informed, social relationship-based interventions may represent a major opportunity to alter trajectories of recurrent headache.
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Affiliation(s)
- Synne Oien Stensland
- Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, University of Oslo, P,B, 181, Nydalen 0409 Oslo, Norway.
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False memory for trauma-related Deese-Roediger-McDermott lists in adolescents and adults with histories of child sexual abuse. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 23:423-38. [PMID: 23786687 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579411000150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the present research was to examine Deese-Roediger-McDermott false memory for trauma-related and nontrauma-related lists in adolescents and adults with and without documented histories of child sexual abuse (CSA). Individual differences in psychopathology and adult attachment were also explored. Participants were administered free recall and recognition tests after hearing CSA, negative, neutral, and positive Deese-Roediger-McDermott lists. In free recall, CSA and negative lists produced the most false memory. In sharp contrast, for recognition, CSA lists enjoyed the highest d' scores. CSA-group adolescents who evinced greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms had higher rates of false memory compared to (a) non-CSA group adolescents with higher PTSD symptom scores (free recall), and (b) CSA-group adolescents with lower PTSD symptom scores (recognition). Regression analyses revealed that individuals with higher PTSD scores and greater fearful-avoidant attachment tendencies showed less proficient memory monitoring for CSA lists. Implications for trauma and memory development and for translational research are discussed.
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Abstract
The present study examined the specificity of autobiographical memory in adolescents and adults with versus without child sexual abuse (CSA) histories. Eighty-five participants, approximately half of whom per age group had experienced CSA, were tested on the autobiographical memory interview. Individual difference measures, including those for trauma-related psychopathology, were also administered. Findings revealed developmental differences in the relation between autobiographical memory specificity and CSA. Even with depression statistically controlled, reduced memory specificity in CSA victims relative to controls was observed among adolescents but not among adults. A higher number of posttraumatic stress disorder criteria met predicted more specific childhood memories in participants who reported CSA as their most traumatic life event. These findings contribute to the scientific understanding of childhood trauma and autobiographical memory functioning and underscore the importance of considering the role of age and degree of traumatization within the study of autobiographical memory.
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Bunnell SL, Greenhoot AF. When and why does abuse predict reduced autobiographical memory specificity? Memory 2012; 20:121-37. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2011.648197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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16
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Event memory and suggestibility in abused and neglected children: Trauma-related psychopathology and cognitive functioning. J Exp Child Psychol 2011; 110:520-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2011.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2010] [Revised: 05/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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17
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Maltreated Children's Memory of Stressful Removals from Their Biological Parents. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.1817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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18
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Abstract
The authors examined 284 maltreated and nonmaltreated children's (6- to 12-year-olds) ability to inhibit true and false memories for neutral and emotional information using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Children studied either emotional or neutral DRM lists in a control condition or were given directed-remembering or directed-forgetting instructions. The findings indicated that children, regardless of age and maltreatment status, could inhibit the output of true and false emotional information, although they did so less effectively than when they were inhibiting the output of neutral material. Verbal IQ was related to memory, but dissociative symptoms were not related to children's recollective ability. These findings add to the growing literature that shows more similarities among, than differences between, maltreated and nonmaltreated children's basic memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Howe
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
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19
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Grassi-Oliveira R, de Azevedo Gomes CF, Stein LM. False recognition in women with a history of childhood emotional neglect and diagnose of recurrent major depression. Conscious Cogn 2011; 20:1127-34. [PMID: 21444214 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Revised: 02/27/2011] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
While previous research has suggested that adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse may be more prone to produce false memories, little is known about the consequences of childhood neglect on basic memory processes. For this reason, the authors investigated how a group of women with a history of childhood emotional neglect (CEN) and diagnosed with recurrent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) performed on the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm in comparison to control groups. The results indicated that women with MDD and CEN were actually less prone to produce false memories relative to both women with MDD but no CEN and healthy women without MDD and any form of childhood maltreatment. These findings were explained in terms of the inability to extract/retrieve gist memories that support false recognition of critical lures, an explanation that seems to fit well with emerging MRI findings linking childhood neglect to reduced volume of brain regions associated to memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Postgraduate Program in Psychology - Human Cognition, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil.
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20
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Howe ML, Toth SL, Cicchetti D. Can maltreated children inhibit true and false memories for emotional information? Child Dev 2011. [PMID: 21428984 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467‐8624.2011.01585.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The authors examined 284 maltreated and nonmaltreated children's (6- to 12-year-olds) ability to inhibit true and false memories for neutral and emotional information using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Children studied either emotional or neutral DRM lists in a control condition or were given directed-remembering or directed-forgetting instructions. The findings indicated that children, regardless of age and maltreatment status, could inhibit the output of true and false emotional information, although they did so less effectively than when they were inhibiting the output of neutral material. Verbal IQ was related to memory, but dissociative symptoms were not related to children's recollective ability. These findings add to the growing literature that shows more similarities among, than differences between, maltreated and nonmaltreated children's basic memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Howe
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
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21
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Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA, Howe ML, Toth SL. The effects of maltreatment and neuroendocrine regulation on memory performance. Child Dev 2010; 81:1504-19. [PMID: 20840237 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01488.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This investigation examined basic memory processes, cortisol, and dissociation in maltreated children. School-aged children (age range=6-13), 143 maltreated and 174 non-maltreated, were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-Children (D. C. Delis, J. H. Kramer, E. Kaplan, & B. A. Ober, 1994) in a week-long camp setting, daily morning cortisol levels were assessed throughout the duration of camp, and behavioral symptoms were evaluated. Maltreatment and cortisol regulation were not related to short- or long-delay recall or recognition memory. However, children experiencing neglect and/or emotional maltreatment and low cortisol evinced heightened false recognition memory. Dissociative symptoms were higher in maltreated children; however, high dissociation was related to recognition inaccuracy only among non-maltreated children. Results highlight the interplay between maltreatment and hypocortisolism in children's recognition memory errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Cicchetti
- Institute of Child Development, University ofMinnesota, 51 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Abstract
Exposure to childhood trauma, especially child maltreatment, has important implications for memory of emotionally distressing experiences. These implications stem from cognitive, socio-emotional, mental health, and neurobiological consequences of maltreatment and can be at least partially explained by current theories concerning the effects of childhood trauma. In this review, two main hypotheses are advanced: (a) Maltreatment in childhood is associated with especially robust memory for emotionally distressing material in many individuals, but (b) maltreatment can impair memory for such material in individuals who defensively avoid it. Support for these hypotheses comes from research on child abuse victims' memory and suggestibility regarding distressing but nonabusive events, memory for child abuse itself, and autobiographical memory. However, more direct investigations are needed to test precisely when and how childhood trauma affects memory for emotionally significant, distressing experiences. Legal implications and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail S Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
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Effects of an attachment-based intervention on the cortisol production of infants and toddlers in foster care. Dev Psychopathol 2008; 20:845-59. [PMID: 18606034 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579408000400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Studies with nonhuman primates and rodents, as well as with human children, have suggested that early separations from caregivers are often associated with changes in the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. On the basis of these findings, we designed a relational intervention that was intended to normalize HPA functioning among children in foster care. This paper presents findings from a randomized clinical trial that assessed the effectiveness of a relational intervention (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up [ABC]) with regard to HPA functioning. The ABC intervention was intended to enhance children's ability to regulate physiology and behavior. The control intervention (Developmental Education for Families) was intended to enhance children's cognitive skills. A comparison group of children who had never been in foster care was also included. Children's cortisol production was assessed upon arrival at the lab, and 15 and 30 min following the Strange Situation. Random effects analyses of variance were performed to assess differences in initial values and change between children in the two intervention groups. Children in the ABC intervention and comparison group children showed lower initial values of cortisol than children in the treatment control group, considering arrival at lab as initial values (p < .05). Groups did not differ significantly in change over time. These results suggest that the ABC intervention is effective in helping children regulate biology in ways more characteristic of children who have not experienced early adversity.
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