Differential susceptibility and the early development of aggression: interactive effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and environmental quality

Negative family expressiveness and adolescents' externalizing problems: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a moderator and anger regulation as a mediator

Family environment, emotion regulation and biological sensitivity have been shown to be associated with adolescents' externalizing problem behaviours. However, findings regarding respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity are mixed and sometimes contradictory. This study aims to clarify the roles of RSA reactivity and anger regulation in the relationship between negative family expressiveness (NFE) and adolescents' externalizing behaviour by measuring RSA reactivity during the Parent-Adolescent Interaction Task (PAIT), designed to simulate a naturalistic negative family environment. In this study, 125 Chinese adolescents (M = 13.95 years, SD = 0.95; 48% male) completed questionnaires assessing negative family expressiveness, anger regulation and externalizing problems. Additionally, we collected electrocardiogram and respiration data during both the resting period and a 10-min PAIT. Results showed that anger regulation mediated the relationship between NFE and externalizing problem behaviours. Moreover, adolescents' RSA reactivity moderated this mediation effect, even after controlling for baseline RSA. Greater RSA suppression potentially indicated greater susceptibility, with the relationship between NFE and anger regulation being more pronounced in adolescents with greater RSA suppression compared to those with lesser RSA suppression. These findings highlight the importance of considering physiological systems, especially within the context of adverse family environments, when studying the relationships with externalizing problems.

RSA instability in mothers of preschoolers and adolescents is related to observations of supportive parenting behaviors

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; a measure of respiratory modulation of vagal control of heart rate) is a dynamic process. For mothers, RSA functioning has been associated with depressive symptoms and coincides with supportive parenting. However, research has largely focused on RSA suppression (i.e., difference score from rest to stress task). The present study examined depressive symptoms and supportive parenting with RSA instability-a dynamic measure of the magnitude of RSA change across a task. In two samples of mothers (N = 210), one with preschoolers (Study 1: n = 108, Mage = 30.68 years, SD = 6.06, 47.0% Black, 43.0% White) and one with adolescents (Study 2: n = 102, Mage = 35.51, SD = 6.51, 75.2% Black), RSA instability was calculated during an interaction task. In both studies, instrumental supportive parenting behaviors were negatively related to RSA instability. Findings provide preliminary support for RSA instability as an indicator of physiological dysregulation for mothers.

The role of environmental sensitivity in the mental health of Syrian refugee children: a multi-level analysis

Individuals with high environmental sensitivity have nervous systems that are disproportionately receptive to both the protective and imperilling aspects of the environment, suggesting their mental health is strongly context-dependent. However, there have been few consolidated attempts to examine putative markers of sensitivity, across different levels of analysis, within a single cohort of individuals with high-priority mental health needs. Here, we examine psychological (self-report), physiological (hair hormones) and genetic (polygenic scores) markers of sensitivity in a large cohort of 1591 Syrian refugee children across two waves of data. Child-caregiver dyads were recruited from informal tented settlements in Lebanon, and completed a battery of psychological instruments at baseline and follow-up (12 months apart). Univariate and multivariate Bayesian linear mixed models were used to examine a) the interrelationships between markers of sensitivity and b) the ability of sensitivity markers to predict anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and externalising behaviour. Self-reported sensitivity (using the Highly Sensitive Child Scale) significantly predicted a higher burden of all forms of mental illness across both waves, however, there were no significant cross-lagged pathways. Physiological and genetic markers were not stably predictive of self-reported sensitivity, and failed to similarly predict mental health outcomes. The measurement of environmental sensitivity may have significant implications for identifying and treating mental illness, especially amongst vulnerable populations, but clinical utility is currently limited to self-report assessment.

Longitudinal associations between maternal harsh parenting and child temperament: The moderating role of children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia

To better understand biology by environment interactions in early temperament, we examined whether children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; resting RSA and RSA reactivity) operated as a biological marker of differential susceptibility to maternal harsh parenting in predicting children's temperament. Participants were 133 mother-child dyads (53% male children) from families oversampled for lower income, higher life stress, and child maltreatment risk. Mothers reported harsh parenting at age 3 and children's temperament, including negative affectivity, effortful control, and surgency, at ages 3 and 4. Resting RSA was measured during a 3-min resting task. RSA reactivity was computed as a difference score between a 4-min toy cleanup task and the resting task. Results showed that the interaction between maternal harsh parenting and children's resting RSA significantly predicted negative affectivity, after controlling for sex, household income, and age 3 negative affectivity. Specifically, harsh parenting positively predicted negative affectivity among children with higher, but not lower, resting RSA. Similarly, maternal harsh parenting interacted with children's RSA reactivity to predict negative affectivity after adjusting for controls, such that harsh parenting positively predicted negative affectivity in children with higher, but not lower, RSA reactivity. These findings suggest that higher resting RSA and greater RSA reactivity may operate as markers of increased susceptibility to negative parenting in the development of negative affectivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Pre-COVID respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates associations between COVID-19 stress and child externalizing behaviors: Testing neurobiological stress theories

Exposure to stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to psychopathology risk, yet not all children are negatively impacted. The current study examined a parasympathetic biomarker of stress sensitivity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as a moderator of the effects of exposure to pandemic stress on child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in a sample of children experiencing economic marginalization. Three to five years pre-pandemic, when children were preschool-aged, RSA during baseline and a challenging parent-child interaction were collected. Mid-pandemic, between November 2020 and March 2021, children's exposure to pandemic stress and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were collected. Results demonstrated that children who, pre-pandemic, demonstrated blunted parasympathetic reactivity (i.e., no change in RSA relative to baseline) during the dyadic challenge exhibited elevated risk for externalizing behaviors mid-pandemic. Further, this risk was greatest for children exposed to high and moderate levels of pandemic stress. Consistent with diathesis stress and polyvagal frameworks, these conditional effects suggest that blunted parasympathetic reactivity in response to stress in early childhood may escalate the development of externalizing behaviors following stress exposure at school age.

Childhood trauma, intraindividual reaction time variability, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and perceived relapse tendency among males with substance use disorders

Background: People with substance use disorders (SUDs) who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments contributing to relapse. Baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reflects physiological regulation capacity, which has been found to buffer the negative effects of childhood trauma. Baseline RSA has also been found to be related to intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV), which is an index of executive function.Objectives: The present study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the mediation role of IIRTV, and the moderation role of baseline RSA.Methods: The study is cross-sectional, a total of 110 males with SUDs participated (Mage = 46.45 years, SD = 11.24). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Intention to Rehabilitate Questionnaire were used to assess childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency, the two-choice oddball task was used to measure IIRTV, and electrocardiogram (ECG) data were collected to obtain baseline RSA.Results: IIRTV mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and perceived relapse tendency (Coeff = 0.049, Boot CI [0.004, 0.121]); interaction of childhood trauma and Baseline RSA negatively influences IIRTV (β = -0.208, t = -2.022, p = .046).Conclusion: The results suggest that males with SUDs who have experienced serious childhood trauma may have executive function impairments that contribute to relapse, and baseline RSA may buffer the negative effect of childhood trauma on IIRTV. These findings suggest that the prevention of relapse through cognitive enhancement can be complemented by the enhancement of physiological regulation.

Maternal and paternal emotion expression and youths' negative emotions: The moderation of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether college students' resting Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) would moderate the association between parental negative dominant and submissive emotion expression and their negative emotions.

METHODS

Participants were 97 Chinese college students (28.87% male, Mage = 19.11, SD =.89). Participants reported their perceived maternal and paternal emotion expression, as well as their negative emotions. Resting RSA was assessed during a laboratory visit.

RESULTS

Parental negative dominant emotion expression was positively related to students' negative emotions. Additionally, the association between paternal negative dominant emotion expression and negative emotions was stronger among students with low (versus high) levels of resting RSA. Nonetheless, no similar association was found in maternal negative emotion expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings contribute important information regarding the different roles of maternal and paternal negative emotion expression in college students' emotional outcomes, and signify the interaction between parental socialization and individual characteristics in human developmental process.

Vagal Flexibility Moderates the Links between Observed Sensitive Caregiving in Infancy and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Middle Childhood

This study explored how patterns of physiological stress reactivity underpin individual differences in sensitivity to early rearing experiences and childhood risk for psychopathology. To examine individual differences in parasympathetic functioning, past research has largely relied on static measures of stress reactivity (i.e., residual and change scores) in infancy which may not adequately capture the dynamic nature of regulation across contexts. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of 206 children (56% African Americans) and their families, this study addressed these gaps by employing the latent basis growth curve model to characterize the dynamic, non-linear patterns of change in infants' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e., vagal flexibility) across the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm. Furthermore, it investigated whether and how infants' vagal flexibility moderates the links between sensitive parenting, observed during a free play task when children were 6 months of age, and parent-report of children's externalizing problems at 7 years of age. Results of the structural equation models revealed that infants' vagal flexibility moderates the predictive relations between sensitive parenting in infancy and children's later externalizing problems. Simple slope analyses revealed that low vagal flexibility, characterized by less suppression and flatter recovery patterns, exacerbated risk for externalizing psychopathology in the context of insensitive parenting. Children with low vagal flexibility also benefited most from sensitive parenting, as indicated by the lower number of externalizing problems. Findings are interpreted in the light of the biological sensitivity to context model and provide evidence for vagal flexibility as a biomarker of individual's sensitivity to early rearing contexts.

Parental sensitivity modifies the associations between maternal prenatal stress exposure, autonomic nervous system functioning and infant temperament in a diverse, low-income sample

Evidence suggests that adversity experienced during fetal development may shape infant physiologic functioning and temperament. Parental sensitivity is associated with child stress regulation and may act as a buffer against risk for intergenerational health effects of pre- or postnatal adversity. Building upon prior evidence in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of infants (M infant age = 6.5 months) and women of low socioeconomic status, this study examined whether coded parenting sensitivity moderated the association between an objective measure of prenatal stress exposures (Stressful Life Events (SLE)) and infant parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) or sympathetic (pre-ejection period; PEP) nervous system functioning assessed during administration of the Still-Face-Paradigm (SFP) (n = 66), as well as maternal report of temperament (n = 154). Results showed that parental sensitivity moderated the associations between prenatal stress exposures and infant RSA reactivity, RSA recovery, PEP recovery, and temperamental negativity. Findings indicate that greater parental sensitivity is associated with lower infant autonomic nervous system reactivity and greater recovery from challenge. Results support the hypothesis that parental sensitivity buffers infants from the risk of prenatal stress exposure associations with offspring cross-system physiologic reactivity and regulation, potentially shaping trajectories of health and development and promoting resilience.

Vagal flexibility to negative emotions moderates the relations between environmental risk and adjustment problems in childhood

Neurobiological and social-contextual influences shape children's adjustment, yet limited biopsychosocial studies have integrated temporal features when modeling physiological regulation of emotion. This study explored whether a common underlying pattern of non-linear change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) across emotional scenarios characterized 4-6 year-old children's parasympathetic reactivity (N = 180). Additionally, we tested whether dynamic RSA reactivity was an index of neurobiological susceptibility or a diathesis in the association between socioeconomic status, authoritarian parenting, and the development of externalizing problems (EP) and internalizing problems over two years. There was a shared RSA pattern across all emotions, characterized by more initial RSA suppression and a subsequent return toward baseline, which we call vagal flexibility (VF). VF interacted with parenting to predict EP. More authoritarian parenting predicted increased EP two years later only when VF was low; conversely, when VF was very high, authoritarian mothers reported that their children had fewer EP. Altogether, children's patterns of dynamic RSA change to negative emotions can be characterized by a higher order factor, and the nature by which VF contributes to EP depends on maternal socialization practices, with low VF augmenting and high VF buffering children against the effects of authoritarian parenting.

Adverse childhood experiences and Chinese young adults' sleep quality: Moderation of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

This study examined the moderating roles of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the relations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sleep quality (i.e., sleep efficiency, perceived sleep quality, and daily disturbances) in young adulthood. Chinese young adults (N = 259; M_age = 25.85 years) reported on their adverse childhood experiences retrospectively and current sleep quality. Their electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration data were recorded while they were seated resting and resting RSA scores were computed. Results indicated that ACEs were associated with poor perceived sleep quality and greater daily disturbances among young adults who showed low resting RSA. The associations were not significant among those who showed high resting RSA. These findings suggest that high resting RSA may serve as a protective factor for young adults' sleep against adverse childhood experiences and these effects were consistent for different biological sex and sexual orientation groups.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia is related to emotion reactivity to social-evaluative stress

BACKGROUND

Higher resting parasympathetic nervous system activity, as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), has been considered a marker of emotion regulatory capacity and is consistently related to better mental health. However, it remains unclear how resting RSA relates to emotion reactivity to acute social-evaluative stress, a potent predictor of depression and other negative outcomes.

METHOD

A sample of 89 participants (Mage = 18.36, SD = 0.51; 58.43 % female) provided measures of RSA at rest and then completed the Trier Social Stress Test, a standardized laboratory-based social-evaluative stress task that involves public speaking and mental arithmetic while being evaluated by two confederate judges. Participants reported a variety of emotions (e.g., negative emotion, positive emotion) at baseline and immediately after the stress task.

RESULTS

Participants with higher resting RSA showed greater increases in negative emotion, guilt, depressive emotion, and anger, as well as greater decreases in positive emotion after the task.

LIMITATION

Data were limited to a relatively small sample of late adolescents, who may be particularly responsive to social-evaluative stress compared to adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that higher resting RSA may enhance emotion responses to social-evaluative stress in adolescents, potentially due to active engagement and responding to rather than passively viewing stimuli. Higher resting RSA may promote flexible emotion responses to the social environment, which may account for associations between higher RSA and better mental health.

Attachment avoidance and internalizing symptoms: Does respiratory sinus arrhythmia withdrawal make a difference?

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the association between attachment avoidance and internalizing symptoms and the moderating role of parasympathetic nervous activity (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia withdrawal) in the association.

METHODS

A sample of 109 (M_age = 18.94 years old, SD = 0.92; 69 male) Chinese college students participated in this study. Participants reported attachment avoidance and internalizing symptoms, and their physiological data were collected.

RESULTS

Results showed a positive link between attachment avoidance and internalizing symptoms. Further, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) withdrawal and attachment avoidance interactively predicted internalizing symptoms. Specifically, the positive relation between attachment avoidance and internalizing symptoms was only found among people of low, but not high, levels of RSA withdrawal.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlighted the importance of considering psychophysiological interactions in predicting internalizing symptoms in college students, and contributed to our understanding of the complicated factors underlying college students' internalizing problems.

Heart rate variability in 2014 predicted delayed onset of internalizing problems in 2015 among children affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Experience of natural disaster was related to an increased risk of long-term child internalizing problems. Initial traumatic experiences are hypothesized to work as disaster-related stresses and sensitize neural circuitry, leading to heightened reactivity to subsequent stressful experiences, which in turn results in delayed onset of internalizing problems. However, empirical evidence is lacking. Thus, we aimed to examine the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and internalizing problems among children exposed to the disaster. The Great East Japan Earthquake Follow-up for Children (GEJE-FC) study followed children aged 4-6 years old and their siblings and parents from three affected prefectures (Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate) and one unaffected prefecture (Mie) in Japan over four periods: from August 2012 to June 2013 (= T1), August 2013 to April 2014 (= T2), July 2014 to December 2014 (= T3), and August 2015 to December 2015 (= T4) (n = 155). HRV was assessed at T2 and T3 as a biomarker of autonomic nervous system activity. Child internalizing problems were assessed by caregivers at T3 and T4, using the Child Behavior Checklist. HRV measurements at T2 were not associated with child internalizing problems at T3. However, HRV in low frequency domains at T3 showed an inverse association with child internalizing problems at T4 (B = -1.72, 95% CI = -3.12 to -0.31). The findings indicated that later exacerbation of internalizing problems could be predicted by dysfunction of autonomic nervous system measured by HRV.

Links between Oppositional Defiant Disorder Dimensions, Psychophysiology, and Interpersonal versus Non-interpersonal Trauma

The etiology of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is not well understood but appears to have both biologically-based roots and can develop following adverse experiences. The current study is the first to examine the interaction between biologically-based factors and type of trauma experience (i.e., interpersonal and non-interpersonal) and associations with ODD. The psychophysiological factors included baseline resting heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and cortisol. ODD was measured as two dimensions of irritable and defiant/vindictive. The sample included 330 children, 3-7 years-old, oversampled for a history of trauma. Results showed the interactions between baseline physiological arousal variables and trauma type in predicting ODD dimensions were not supported. However, the baseline RSA by trauma interaction was a significant predictor of defiance/vindictiveness among boys, but not girls, when interpersonal trauma was compared to controls. Several other gender differences emerged. Among boys, both interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma were predictive of ODD dimensions; however, among girls, non-interpersonal trauma was not. Among girls, there was a significant negative bivariate relationship between baseline cortisol and irritability. Also, when the sample was restricted to those with interpersonal trauma only and controls, baseline RSA was negatively associated with irritability in girls only (controlling for trauma). Finally, retrospective reports revealed that children who met criteria for ODD diagnosis and experienced interpersonal trauma were more likely to exhibit ODD symptoms prior to their trauma compared to those who experienced non-interpersonal trauma. Results are discussed in the context of previous mixed findings, and avenues for future research are highlighted.

When is Parental Suppression of Black Children's Negative Emotions Adaptive? The Role of Preparation for Racial Bias and Children's Resting Cardiac Vagal Tone

Research demonstrates that Black parents attempt to suppress children's expressions of negative emotions (e.g., anger, fear), in part, to protect them from experiencing racial bias from authority figures. The goal of this study was to examine whether the effectiveness of parental suppression strategies in reducing behavior problems depends on whether parents talk to children about the potential of experiencing racism (i.e., preparation for bias) and children's resting cardiac vagal tone as indexed by baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Ninety-four parents (97% mothers) who identified their child as Black (56% girls) completed questionnaires about their punitive and minimizing responses to their child's negative emotions and their child's internalizing and externalizing problems at ages 5 and 6. Children's baseline RSA was assessed at age 5. Results indicated that parents' suppression of children's negative emotions predicted decreased externalizing behaviors (e.g., acting out) only when parents talked to their children about racism. When parents did not contextualize their restrictions on children's emotional expressions with discussions about race, children with higher baseline RSA demonstrated increased externalizing behaviors, whereas those with lower baseline RSA were unaffected. Parental suppression strategies led to increased internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, withdrawal) among children with higher baseline RSA regardless of whether parents discussed racism. Black parents face a conundrum in which suppressing their children's negative emotions, in hopes of subverting racism, may reduce their children's externalizing problems under some circumstances, but may increase the risk of their children developing internalizing problems. Implications for systemic policy change to combat racism are discussed.

Using Virtual Reality to Examine the Association Between Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Adolescent Substance Use

Early substance use is associated with long-term negative health outcomes. Emotion regulation (ER) plays an important role in reducing risk, but detecting those vulnerable because of ER deficits is challenging. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a biomarker of ER, may be useful for early identification of substance use risk. To examine this, we enrolled 23 adolescents (M_age = 14.0; 56% minority) with and without a history of substance use and collected RSA during a neutral baseline, virtual reality challenge scene, and neutral recovery. ANOVAs indicated that adolescents who reported having used a substance were not different from non-using peers on baseline or challenge RSA but demonstrated lower RSA during recovery. This suggests that adolescents with a history of substance use exhibit slower return to baseline RSA after experiencing a challenging situation compared to non-using peers. RSA, an index of ER, may be useful in identifying adolescents at risk for early substance use.

Sex moderated and RSA mediated effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on behavior problems at age 7

This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex differences in behavior problems in middle childhood and whether there are sex differences in the way in which parasympathetic functioning mediates the relations between PCE and behavior problems within a diverse low-income sample. Participants included 164 high risk mother-child dyads including 89 PC exposed children and 75 control children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured to assess parasympathetic functioning at 13 months of age and maternal reports of child behavior problems were collected at 7 years of age. Results revealed no significant association between PCE and behavior problems for the full sample. A 2 × 2 Anova revealed a significant interaction between PCE and child sex on internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems (F (3, 160) = 13.45, p < .001) with cocaine exposed females averaging the highest behavior problem scores. Results also revealed a statistically significant indirect effect linking cocaine exposure to lower externalizing problems via lower baseline RSA among males. Findings indicate that cocaine exposed females may be more vulnerable to developing behavior problems than cocaine exposed males and that high baseline RSA may present a sex specific risk factor for externalizing problems among exposed males.

Resting autonomic activity in adults who stutter and its association with self-reports of social anxiety

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate resting autonomic activity in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to adults who do not stutter (ANS) and the relationship this has on self-reports of social anxiety.

METHODS

Thirteen AWS and 15 ANS completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; Mattick & Clark, 1998) and Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE; Leary, 1983). Following this, measures of skin conductance levels (i.e. index of sympathetic activity) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e. index of parasympathetic activity) were taken during a 5-minute resting, baseline period. Independent sample t tests were used to assess differences between groups on self-reports of anxiety (SIAS, BFNE) and resting autonomic levels (SCL, RSA). Separate multiple regression analyses were performed in order to assess the relationship between self-reports of anxiety and autonomic measures.

RESULTS

Results showed significantly higher mean SCL and lower mean RSA levels in the AWS compared to the ANS at resting, baseline. Regression analysis showed that self-reports from the SIAS had a significant effect on RSA levels for the AWS but not the ANS. No significant effects were found for BFNE on RSA. Nor was there a significant effect from SIAS or BFNE on SCL levels for either group.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that resting RSA levels may be a physiological marker for social anxiety levels in adults who stutter.

Children with developmental dyslexia show elevated parasympathetic nervous system activity at rest and greater cardiac deceleration during an empathy task

Reading difficulties are the hallmark feature of dyslexia, but less is known about other areas of functioning. Previously, we found children with dyslexia exhibited heightened emotional reactivity, which correlated with better social skills. Whether emotional differences in dyslexia extend to the parasympathetic nervous system-an autonomic branch critical for attention, social engagement, and empathy-is unknown. Here, we measured autonomic nervous system activity in 24 children with dyslexia and 24 children without dyslexia, aged 7 - 12, at rest and during a film-based empathy task. At rest, children with dyslexia had higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) than those without dyslexia. Cardiac deceleration during the empathy task was greater in dyslexia and correlated with higher resting RSA across the sample. Children with dyslexia produced more facial expressions of concentration during film-viewing, suggesting greater engagement. These results suggest elevated resting parasympathetic activity and accentuated autonomic and behavioral responding to others' emotions in dyslexia.

Children's dove temperament as a differential susceptibility factor in child rearing contexts

This multistudy article examines whether children's susceptibility to their socialization experiences varies as a function of their dove temperament dispositions, an evolutionarily informed pattern of traits marked by a low threshold of environmental stimulation and greater behavioral flexibility across environmental contexts. Participants in Study 1 consisted of 70 mothers and their 4- to 6-year-old children: M age = 4.79 years; 57% girls; 33% Black or multiracial; 14% Latinx; median annual income range = $55,000 - $74,999. For Study 2, participants were 243 families, including mothers, fathers, and preschool children: M age = 4.60 years; 56% girls; 54% Black or multiracial, 16% Latinx; median annual income = $36,000). The studies used multimethod, multiinformant measurement batteries within a cross-sectional design (i.e., Study 1) or longitudinal design with three annual measurement occasions (i.e., Study 2). Study 1 findings indicated that associations among maternal parenting quality and psychological problems were only significant for children who were high in dove temperament. Consistent with these findings, Study 2 latent growth curve analyses showed that children experiencing high family adversity (i.e., maternal and paternal parenting difficulties, interparental conflict) were more susceptible to subsequent internalizing and social problems only when they were high in dove temperament. Supporting its role as a susceptibility factor, findings revealed that children with dove temperaments evidenced lower levels of psychological problems under supportive family conditions and higher psychological difficulties in adverse family contexts. Analyses further showed that the composition and moderating effects of dove temperament were distinct from other temperamental susceptibility candidates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental history of childhood maltreatment and child average RSA shape parent-child RSA synchrony

We examined whether dynamic parent-child RSA synchrony varied by individual differences in child average RSA and parental history of childhood maltreatment (CM), which has been linked to parental behavioral and physiological dysregulation. We also examined whether RSA synchrony was curvilinear, reflecting homeostatic regulation. Synchrony was defined as the dynamic association between parent and child RSA reactivity (change relative to their own mean) within epoch across a challenging task. Eighty-three mother-preschooler and 61 father-preschooler dyads participated. State-trait modeling showed that RSA synchrony was curvilinear such that significant relations were only found at lower and higher child reactivity. Children's higher task average RSA predicted maternal RSA augmentation and lower task average RSA predicted maternal RSA withdrawal, regardless of whether child reactivity in the moment was low or high, suggesting individual differences in child regulatory capacity were associated with dynamic maternal reactivity. When maternal CM history and child average RSA were both higher, mothers showed RSA augmentation. Father-child synchrony was not moderated by child average RSA but greater paternal CM history predicted fathers' greater RSA withdrawal regardless of whether child RSA reactivity was low or high. Findings offer novel insights into the nature and meaning of RSA synchrony with parents at risk.

Interactive effects of childhood maltreatment and tonic respiratory sinus arrhythmia on young adults' depressive symptoms

The goal of the current study was to investigate the moderating effect of tonic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the relation between childhood maltreatment and depression symptoms among young adults. A total of 98 participants (70 women) aged 17-22 years completed questionnaires on childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. RSA data were obtained during a resting condition in the laboratory. Results indicated that childhood maltreatment interacted with tonic RSA to predict depressive symptoms, even after controlling for age and body mass index (BMI) of each participant. Specifically, higher levels of childhood maltreatment were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, but only among young adults who exhibited lower tonic RSA. The results indicated that the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms depends on young adults' physiological functioning/flexibility. Findings suggest that consideration of external environmental factors in combination with internal physiological factors is critical to understand young adults' mental health.

Heart rate variability moderates the effects of COVID-19-related stress and family adversity on emotional problems in adolescents: Testing models of differential susceptibility and diathesis stress

The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique period of stress, uncertainty, and adversity that will have significant implications for adolescent mental health. Nevertheless, stress and adversity related to COVID-19 may be more consequential for some adolescents' mental health than for others. We examined whether heart rate variability (HRV) indicated differential susceptibility to mental health difficulties associated with COVID-19 stress and COVID-19 family adversity. Approximately 4 years prior to the pandemic, we assessed resting HRV and HRV reactivity to a well-validated stress paradigm in 87 adolescents. During the pandemic, these adolescents (ages 13-19) reported on their health-related stress and concerns about COVID-19, family adversity related to COVID-19, and their recent emotional problems. The association between COVID-19 stress and emotional problems was significantly stronger for adolescents who previously exhibited higher resting HRV or higher HRV reactivity. For adolescents who exhibited lower resting HRV or HRV augmentation, COVID-19 stress was not associated with emotional problems. Conversely, lower resting HRV indicated vulnerability to the effect of COVID-19 family adversity on emotional problems. Different patterns of parasympathetic functioning may reflect differential susceptibility to the effects of COVID-19 stress versus vulnerability to the effects of COVID-19 family adversity on mental health during the pandemic.

Interplay between social isolation and loneliness and chronic systemic inflammation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: Results from U-CORONA study

In the face of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, billions of people were forced to stay at home due to the implementation of social distancing and lockdown policies. As a result, individuals lost their social relationships, leading to social isolation and loneliness. Both social isolation and loneliness are major risk factors for poor physical and mental health status through enhanced chronic inflammation; however, there might be an interplay between social isolation and loneliness on the association with chronic inflammation. We aimed to clarify the link between social relationships and inflammation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by distinguishing whether social isolation only, loneliness only, or both were associated with chronic inflammation markers among community-dwelling adults. The data of 624 people (aged 18-92 years, mean 51.4) from the Utsunomiya COVID-19 seROprevalence Neighborhood Association (U-CORONA) study, which targeted randomly sampled households in Utsunomiya city, Japan, were analyzed. Social isolation was assessed as a structural social network by asking the number of social roles they have on a daily basis. Loneliness was measured with the UCLA loneliness scale. As chronic inflammation biomarkers, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Generalized estimating equations method was employed to take into account the correlations within households. Isolated-Lonely condition (i.e., being both socially isolated and feeling lonely) was associated with higher NLR among men (B = 0.141, 95%CI = -0.01 to 0.29). Interestingly, Nonisolated-Lonely condition (i.e., not socially isolated but feeling lonely) was associated with lower CRP among women (B = -0.462, 95%CI = -0.82 to -0.10) and among the working-age population (B = -0.495, 95%CI = -0.76 to -0.23). In conclusion, being both socially isolated and feeling lonely was associated with chronic inflammation. Assessing both social isolation and loneliness is critical for proper interventions to mitigate the impact of poor social relationships on health, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parental Marital Conflict and Growth in Adolescents’ Externalizing Problems: the Role of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

Previous studies have examined the moderating effect of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on the association between marital conflict and externalizing problems, however the findings were inconsistent. One possible reason is that the covariation of internalizing problems in externalizing problems. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine this issue. Participants were 332 Chinese adolescents (54.5% boys) age from 13 to 15 years old. At T1, electrocardiogram monitoring was performed on adolescents during the resting state and stressor tasks (a speech task and a mental arithmetic task) to obtain RSA data. The Chinese version of the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 (YSR-2001) and the Chinese version of the Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict scale were used to assess adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problems and their perception of marital conflict, respectively. Adolescents’ problem behaviors were assessed again in the second and third waves of data collection, with a 1-year lag among each wave. The results revealed that the 3- interactions of marital conflict × RSA reactivity in speech task × sex significantly predicted the trajectory of externalizing problems when controlling for internalizing problems from externalizing problems. Specifically, girls with greater RSA suppression to the speech task reported low and stable externalizing problems, however, boys with the same pattern were associated with slightly increased levels of externalizing problems. While, RSA augmentation to the speech task predicted the increase in externalizing problems among both girls and boys in high marital conflict families over time. However, this interaction effects were not significant when not partial out internalizing problems from externalizing problems. The findings highlight the importance of controlling for the covariation of internalizing problems when examining the interaction effects of person and environment on the development of adolescents’ externalizing problems.

Physiological measurement of emotion from infancy to preschool: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Emotion regulation, the ability to regulate emotional responses to environmental stimuli, develops in the first years of life and plays an important role in the development of personality, social competence, and behavior. Substantial literature suggests a relationship between emotion regulation and cardiac physiology; specifically, heart rate changes in response to positive or negative emotion-eliciting stimuli.

METHOD

This systematic review and meta-analysis provide an in-depth examination of research that has measured physiological responding during emotional-evoking tasks in children from birth to 4 years of age.

RESULTS

The review had three main findings. First, meta-regressions resulted in an age-related decrease in baseline and task-related heart rate (HR) and increases in baseline and task-related respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Second, meta-analyses suggest task-related increases in HR and decreases in RSA and heart rate variability (HRV), regardless of emotional valence of the task. Third, associations between physiological responding and observed behavioral regulation are not consistently present in children aged 4 and younger. The review also provides a summary of the various methodology used to measure physiological reactions to emotional-evoking tasks, including number of sensors used and placement, various baseline and emotional-evoking tasks used, methods for extracting RSA, as well as percentage of loss and reasons for loss for each study.

CONCLUSION

Characterizing the physiological reactivity of typically developing children is important to understanding the role emotional regulation plays in typical and atypical development.

Paternal antisociality and growth in child delinquent behaviors: Moderating effects of child sex and respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Children of fathers with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are at risk for developing delinquency, and both biological and environmental mechanisms contribute. In this study, we test parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) function as a vulnerability/sensitivity attribute in predicting intergenerational associations between fathers' antisociality and children's delinquency scores. We followed 207 children (ages 8-12 years at intake; 139 boys) across three annual assessments. Fathers' antisociality was measured via maternal reports on the Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS). At Year 1, children's resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured. At Years 1, 2, and 3, child delinquent behaviors were assessed using the delinquency subscale of the Youth Self-Report. At age 8, boys' delinquency scores were associated weakly with paternal antisocial behaviors. However, boys' delinquency scores increased steeply thereafter specifically for those who had fathers with higher antisocial symptoms. In addition, associations between delinquency and paternal antisociality were largest for boys with higher resting RSA. For girls, growth in delinquency was unrelated to both father antisociality and resting RSA. These findings (a) suggest moderating effects of children's age, sex, and PNS function on associations between father antisocial behavior and offspring delinquency; and (b) provide insights into differential vulnerability among children of fathers with ASPD.

Latent profiles of children's autonomic nervous system reactivity early in life predict later externalizing problems

Prior researchers have observed relations between children's autonomic nervous system reactivity and externalizing behavior problems, but rarely considers the role of developmentally regulated changes in children's stress response systems. Using growth mixture modeling, the present study derived profiles of parasympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)) and sympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by pre-ejection period (PEP)) from low income, primarily Mexican American children measured repeatedly from infancy through age 5 (N = 383) and investigated whether profiles were associated with externalizing problems at age 7. Analyses identified two profiles of RSA reactivity (reactive decreasing and U-shaped reactivity) and three profiles of PEP reactivity (blunted/anticipatory reactivity, reactive decreasing, non-reactive increasing). Compared to children with an RSA profile of reactive decreasing, those with an RSA profile of U-shaped reactivity had marginally higher externalizing problems, however, this difference was not statistically significant. Children who demonstrated a profile of blunted/anticipatory PEP reactivity had significantly higher externalizing problems compared to those with a profile of non-reactive increasing, likely related to the predominantly male composition of the former profile and predominantly female composition of the latter profile. Findings contribute to our understanding of developmental trajectories of ANS reactivity and highlight the utility of a longitudinal framework for understanding the effects of physiological risk factors on later behavior problems.

An autonomic nervous system context of harsh parenting and youth aggression versus delinquency

Harsh parenting is a significant predictor of youth aggression and delinquency. However, not every child exposed to adverse parenting develops such problem behaviors. Recent developmental evolutionary models suggest that variability in stress response reactivity to parenting, reflected by autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning, may affect the impact of adverse parenting on youth behavioral adjustment. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the ANS moderate the association between parenting and aggressive and delinquent behaviors. The study sample included low-income, ethnically diverse preadolescents (M = 10.28 years old; N = 101) and their caregivers. Direct effects were found from basal RSA to delinquent behaviors. In addition, harsh parenting predicted increased youths' aggressive and delinquent behaviors in the context of high RSA withdrawal and increased youths' delinquent behaviors in the context of shortened basal PEP. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Socioemotional Mechanisms of Children's Differential Response to the Effects of Maternal Sensitivity on Child Adjustment

OBJECTIVE

Children differ in the extent to which they reap the benefits of maternal sensitive care or suffer the adverse consequences of insensitive care, and these differences can be accounted for by biological characteristics. However, how susceptible children adapt to maternal sensitivity in ways that either maximize positive development or lead to maladjustment has yet to be determined. Here, we propose a novel model of socioemotional mechanisms by which the joint influences of maternal sensitivity and child biological characteristics influence child adjustment.

DESIGN

We propose a theoretical model, in which children's vagal functioning and polymorphisms in serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes confer susceptibility to the effects of maternal sensitivity on internalizing, externalizing, prosocial and moral behavior via changes in interpersonal strategies for emotion regulation, the threat response system, and empathy.

RESULTS

Theoretical and empirical support for the proposed mechanisms are provided.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed mechanistic model of susceptibility to maternal sensitivity offers a novel framework of for whom and how children are affected by early maternal care, highlighting multiple reciprocal, interacting influences across genes, physiology, behavior, and the environment.

Autonomic functioning among cocaine-exposed kindergarten-aged children: Examination of child sex and caregiving environmental risk as potential moderators

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that child sex moderates the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and autonomic functioning as well as to examine the role that caregiving environmental risk played in sex differences in autonomic functioning among exposed children. Measures of the parasympathetic nervous system (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and the sympathetic nervous system (indexed by skin conductance level [SCL]) were obtained from 146 (75 cocaine-exposed, 38 male; and 71 nonexposed, 36 male) children during baseline and a task designed to elicit negative affect (NA). We also examined the role of caregiving environmental risk as a moderator of the association between PCE and autonomic functioning separately for boys and girls. PCE boys had a significantly higher baseline RSA and lower baseline SCL than PCE girls or nonexposed children. Environmental risk also moderated the association between PCE and baseline RSA for boys, but not girls, such that boys with PCE and high environmental risk had the highest baseline RSA. These findings indicate that exposed boys had significantly lower levels of sympathetic activation while at rest. However, for autonomic reactivity, the exposed girls had a larger change in both RSA and SCL relative to nonexposed girls while exposed boys had significantly smaller increases in SCL during environmental challenge. Finally, girls with both PCE and high environmental risk had the highest levels of parasympathetic reactivity during challenge. These results underscore the importance of examining sex differences and considering comorbid environmental risk factors when examining developmental outcomes in cocaine-exposed children and highlight the complexity involved with understanding individual differences in cocaine-exposed populations.

Trait impulsiveness and response inhibition in young adults: Moderating role of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Trait impulsiveness is a multifaceted construct that includes motor-, attention/cognitive- and non-planning facets, but how specific impulsiveness facets are associated with the deficit of response inhibition is not well understood. Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), which is considered as an index of cardiac vagal tone has been demonstrated to play a moderating role in the associations between many individual's variables. Whether resting RSA moderates the relationships between the facets of trait impulsiveness and response inhibition remains unknown. To examine these issues, data of self-reported trait impulsiveness, as assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-II), 5-min resting RSA, and response accuracy (ACC) on a modified Go/NoGo task were collected from 132 college students. Results indicated that ACC of NoGo condition on the Go/NoGo task was negatively correlated with BIS motor and BIS total. Trait motor impulsiveness negatively predicted ACC of NoGo condition on the Go/NoGo task in the low resting RSA group but not in the high resting RSA group. This finding suggests that cardiac vagal tone could moderate the association between trait impulsiveness, especially motor impulsiveness, and deficits of response inhibition.

The association between mothers' and daughters' positive affect is moderated by child cardiac vagal regulation

INTRODUCTION

Extensive research has supported the importance of children's positive affect in fostering prosperous psychosocial adjustment. Children's positive affect is believed to be significantly shaped by their environment in general and their caregivers' positive affect in particular. The current study investigates the role of child cardiac vagal regulation, a psychophysiological marker for social engagement, in shaping the association between maternal positive affect and child positive affect.

METHODS

Mothers and daughters (n_dyads  = 28) participated in two experimental conditions. In the non-interactive condition, they separately drew a picture without interacting. In the cooperative condition, they drew a picture together. We measured child respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a widely used indicator of cardiac vagal regulation, during both conditions. We also coded maternal and child positive affect during the cooperative condition.

RESULTS

Maternal positive affect was related to child positive affect, but only for children with medium-to-high tonic levels of RSA and RSA increases from non-interaction to interaction.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest that child RSA plays a significant role in positive emotion socialization, by making children more susceptible to the emotional cues of their caregivers. Hence, child RSA should be taken into account in preventive and therapeutic efforts regarding child positive affect socialization.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates the association between social phobia symptoms and self-reported physical symptoms

The present study sought to investigate the association between social phobia symptoms and self-reported physical symptoms and the moderation effect of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on this link. Data of 5-min resting RSA, social phobia symptoms assessed by the Social Phobia Scale, and physical symptoms assessed by the Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms were collected from 167 undergraduate students. Results indicated that higher levels of social phobia symptoms were associated with higher levels of self-reported physical symptoms. Resting RSA played the moderating role in the link between social phobia symptoms and self-reported physical symptoms, such that social phobia symptoms were positively associated with self-reported physical symptoms among individuals with low resting RSA, whereas this association was nonsignificant among individuals with high resting RSA. These findings suggest that high resting RSA as a physiological marker of better self-regulation capacity might buffer the effect of social phobia symptoms on physical health.

Fathering across contexts: The moderating role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in predicting toddler emotion regulation

Caregivers play an integral role in promoting children's emotion regulation, while children's individual physiology affects how they respond to the caregiving environment. Relatively little is known about how fathering influences toddler emotion regulation, particularly within African American and low-income communities, where risk related to the development of emotion regulation is higher. This study investigated relations among fathering, toddler parasympathetic regulation, and toddler emotion regulation in a sample of 92 families. Fathering was assessed during two interactions: engagement following a stressor during a triadic task and a dyadic play task. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (resting and reactivity) was obtained as an index of toddler parasympathetic arousal. Findings demonstrated an association between fathers' engagement poststressor and toddler emotion regulation. Toddler RSA moderated this association: toddlers with elevated levels of resting RSA benefitted from parenting engagement following a stressor. Fathering during play did not relate to toddler emotion regulation. The importance of fathering and physiologic contexts in early regulatory development is discussed.

Differential Susceptibility to the Environment and Borderline Personality Disorder

Evolutionary models of psychopathology can shed light on gene-environment interactions. Differential susceptibility to the environment means that heritable traits can have positive or negative effects, depending on environmental context. Thus, traits that increase risk for mental disorders when the environment is negative can be adaptive when the environment is positive. This model can be applied to borderline personality disorder, with predictors such as emotional dysregulation and impulsivity seen as temperamental variations leading to negative effects in an unfavorable environment but to positive effects in a favorable environment. This model may also be useful in conceptualizing the mechanisms of effective therapy for borderline personality disorder.

Infant Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Activity during Baseline, Stress and Recovery: Interactions with Prenatal Adversity Predict Physical Aggression in Toddlerhood

Exposure to prenatal adversity is associated with aggression later in life. Individual differences in autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning, specifically nonreciprocal activation of the parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous systems, increase susceptibility to aggression, especially in the context of adversity. Previous work examining interactions between early adversity and ANS functioning in infancy is scarce and has not examined interaction between PNS and SNS. This study examined whether the PNS and SNS moderate the relation between cumulative prenatal risk and early physical aggression in 124 children (57% male). Cumulative risk (e.g., maternal psychiatric disorder, substance (ab)use, and social adversity) was assessed during pregnancy. Parasympathetic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and sympathetic pre-ejection period (PEP) at baseline, in response to and during recovery from emotional challenge were measured at 6 months. Physical aggression and non-physical aggression/oppositional behavior were measured at 30 months. The results showed that cumulative prenatal risk predicted elevated physical aggression and non-physical aggression/oppositional behavior in toddlerhood; however, the effects on physical aggression were moderated by PNS and SNS functioning. Specifically, the effects of cumulative risk on physical aggression were particularly evident in children characterized by low baseline PNS activity and/or by nonreciprocal activity of the PNS and SNS, characterized by decreased activity (i.e., coinhibition) or increased activity (i.e., coactivation) of both systems at baseline and/or in response to emotional challenge. These findings extend our understanding of the interaction between perinatal risk and infant ANS functioning on developmental outcome.

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Acts as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Parental Marital Conflict and Adolescents' Internalizing Problems

The present study examined the potential moderating role respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) plays in the relationship between parental marital conflict and adolescents' internalizing problems. To examine this issue, data were collected from 330 adolescents (13-14 years, 182 boys). The Chinese version of the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 and the Chinese version of the Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict were used to assess the adolescents' internalizing problems and their perceptions of parental marital conflict. To obtain RSA data, electrocardiogram monitoring was performed on the adolescents at baseline and during a series of stress tasks (watching a film clip depicting marital conflict, a mental arithmetic task, and a speech task). The results indicated that baseline RSA and RSA reactivity to the film clip moderated the relationship between parental marital conflict and internalizing problems in early adolescents. The moderating effect of baseline RSA supported the BSCT hypothesis. Specifically, adolescents with low baseline RSA have both the highest and lowest levels of internalizing problems, depending on the level of marital conflict. In contrast, adolescents with high levels of baseline RSA have moderate levels in internalizing problems, regardless of the level of marital conflict they experience. Similarly, high marital conflict was related to internalizing problems for adolescents with less RSA suppression or RSA augmentation but not for those with greater RSA suppression. This effect was specific to stress related to marital conflict, as RSA reactivity to the mental arithmetic task and speech task did not moderate the relationship between marital conflict and internalizing problems. These findings suggest that certain profile of parasympathetic nervous activity is a risk factor for internalizing problems particularly for those who experience high-conflict environments.

Predicting quality of life during and post detention in incarcerated juveniles

Purpose

Besides reducing recidivism, juvenile justice institutions aim to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents, in order for them to reintegrate in society. As such, improving quality of life (QoL), especially post detention, is an important treatment goal. However, research is primarily focused on recidivism as an outcome measure for juvenile detention. The aim of the current study is therefore to describe and predict QoL of detained young offenders up to 1 year after an initial assessment, and to examine whether QoL differs between youth who are still detained versus released.

Methods

A sample of 186 juveniles admitted to juvenile justice institutions in the Netherlands was assessed within the institution (initial assessment/T0), using psychosocial and neurobiological factors as predictors (self-control, treatment motivation, trauma, mental health problems, respiratory sinus arrhythmia). QoL (MANSA), as well as substance use (alcohol, cannabis) and daily activities (education, work) were assessed at first, second, and third follow-up (respectively 2.5 months, 4.5 months, and 12 months after T0).

Results

QoL increased from first to third follow-up, and was higher for individuals who were no longer detained. The model that best predicted higher QoL upon follow-up consisted of lower trauma and stronger parasympathetic nervous system reactivity. The effects of the predictors did not differ between the various follow-ups, nor between individuals who were or were not detained.

Conclusion

Methods incorporating trauma-sensitive focus and relaxation techniques in treatment protocols in juvenile justice institutions may be of added value in improving the general functioning of these individuals.

Infants' Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Social Support: Evidence Among Mexican American Families

The identification of infants who are most susceptible to both negative and positive social environments is critical for understanding early behavioral development. This study longitudinally assessed the interactive effects of infant vagal tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and maternal social support on behavioral problems and competence among 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (infants: 54.1% female) and explored sex differences. Infant RSA was calculated from resting HR data at 6 weeks of age. Mothers reported on general social support, partner support, and family support at 6 months, and infant behavioral problems and competence at 1 year. Two-way interactions (RSA × support source) were evaluated to predict behavioral problems and competence, adjusting for covariates. Results indicated higher competence among infants with lower RSA whose mothers reported higher general support or higher partner support. Interactive effects on behavior problems of RSA with maternal partner or family support were only found for female infants: Girls with higher RSA showed more behavior problems when mothers reported low support, but fewer problem levels in the context of high support. Our results suggest that infant RSA is an important moderator of the effects of the early social environment on early development.