Longitudinal relations of prematurity and fetal growth restrictions with hyperactivity/inattention and aggression/delinquency

BACKGROUND

It is the aim of this study to analyze the longitudinal relationship between premature birth and low birth weight and the reciprocal influence between hyperactive/inattentive behavior and aggressive/delinquent behavior problems in children from early to late childhood.

METHODS

This study contains data from the German Erlangen-Nuremberg Development and Prevention Study. It applies prospective longitudinal path analyses on data obtained from postnatal pediatric assessments as well as later psychosocial behavior assessments by teachers and parents on N = 667 children, out of which n = 83 children (12.44%) were born preterm/small for gestational age.

RESULTS

The results show direct effects of birth complications at the beginning of preschool on hyperactivity/inattentiveness (teacher rating: ß = 0.28; p = 0.017; parent rating: ß = 0.32; p = 0.005), but not on aggression/delinquency (teacher rating: ß = 0.002; p = 0.427; parent rating: ß = 0.12; p = 0.324). Reciprocal effects between aggression/delinquency and hyperactivity/inattentiveness were stable at the end of elementary school, but not at the end of preschool across informants.

CONCLUSION

Our results support a differentiated view on the potential development of behavior problems after birth complications and the demand for early prevention measures.

IMPACT STATEMENT

Our results extend to the existing body of research by providing insight into the longitudinal effects of prematurity and fetal growth restrictions on hyperactive and aggressive/delinquent behavioral problems throughout a rather long period of development in childhood. The results show direct effects of birth complications on the development of hyperactivity for boys, but not for girls across informants. No direct effects of birth complications on aggression/delinquency are found. Our findings speak against too simple views on behavioral consequences of birth complications and thus can relieve too anxious parents, however close monitoring of the behavioral development of respective children is indicated.

Potential Mechanism Linking Peer Relationships and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: Mediation of Cognitive Empathy and Moderations of OXTR and DRD2

Peers are important socializers of adolescent prosocial behavior. Still, the proximal cognitive and emotional process underlying this link and the sources of individual differences in sensitivity to peer influence have yet to be explored. Utilizing the gene-gene-environment (G × G × E) approach and multi-informant measurement, this study investigated how peer relationships operate to influence adolescent prosocial behavior by examining the mediating role of cognitive and emotional empathy, and the moderating role of the OXTR and DRD2 genes. The study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 1080, Mage = 13.32 years at T1). Results showed that cognitive empathy rather than emotional empathy mediated the link between peer acceptance/rejection and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, the association among peer acceptance, cognitive empathy, and prosocial behavior was moderated by OXTR and DRD2. Specifically, adolescents with the combinations of AA/AA or G/G genotypes of OXTR/DRD2 benefited more from peer acceptance compared to their counterparts carrying other combined genotypes. The findings highlight cognitive empathy as a proximal process linking peer interaction to prosocial behavior and lend support to the interaction between oxytocinergic and dopaminergic systems on environmental sensitivity.

Explanatory and modifying factors of the association between sex and depression onset during adolescence: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is twice as high in women as in men and this difference already emerges during adolescence. Because the mechanisms underlying this sex-difference remain poorly understood, we took a bottom-up approach to identify factors explaining the sex-MDD relationship.

METHODS

Data came from the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a population study investigating youths' development from age 11 into adulthood. We assessed multiple baseline covariates (e.g., demographic, social and psychological) at ages 11-13 years and MDD onset at ages 19 and 25 years. In regression analyses, each covariate's role in the sex-MDD association as an effect modifier or confounder/explanatory variable was investigated. Replicability was evaluated in an independent sample.

RESULTS

The analyses identified no effect-modifiers. Baseline internalizing problems, behavioral inhibition, dizziness, comfort in classroom, physical complaints, attention problems, cooperation, self/effortful control, interpersonal life events and computer use partially explained the association between sex and MDD at age 19. The association between sex and MDD at age 25 was explained by largely the same variables, but also by shyness, acne, antisocial behavior, aggression, affection from peers and time spent shopping. The explanatory roles of internalizing problems, behavioral inhibition, negative events involving gossip/rumors and leisure-time spending (computer-use/shopping) were replicated.

LIMITATIONS

Potentially important baseline variables were not included or had low response rates. Gender roles or identification were not considered. Baseline MDD was not adjusted for.

CONCLUSION

The sex-MDD association is partially explained by sex differences in symptoms and vulnerability factors already present in early adolescence.

Polygenic risk and hostile environments: Links to stable and dynamic antisocial behaviors across adolescence

Adverse environments are linked to elevated youth antisocial behavior. However, this relation is thought to depend, in part, on genetic susceptibility. The present study investigated whether polygenic risk for antisociality moderates relations between hostile environments and stable as well as dynamic antisocial behaviors across adolescence. We derived two antisocial-linked polygenic risk scores (PRS) (N = 721) based on previous genome-wide association studies. Forms of antisocial behavior (nonaggressive conduct problems, physical aggression, social aggression) and environmental hostility (harsh parenting and school violence) were assessed at age 13, 15, and 17 years. Relations to individual differences stable across adolescence (latent stability) vs. time-specific states (timepoint residual variance) of antisocial behavior were assessed via structural equation models. Higher antisocial PRS, harsh parenting, and school violence were linked to stable elevations in antisocial behaviors across adolescence. We identified a consistent polygenic-environment interaction suggestive of differential susceptibility in late adolescence. At age 17, harsher parenting was linked to higher social aggression in those with higher antisocial PRS, and lower social aggression in those with lower antisocial PRS. This suggests that genetics and environmental hostility relate to stable youth antisocial behaviors, and that genetic susceptibility moderates home environment-antisocial associations specifically in late adolescence.

Longitudinal patterns of polysubstance use throughout adolescence: association with adult substance use and psychosocial outcomes controlling for preadolescent risk factors in a male cohort

PURPOSE

Inconsistent reports raise the question of the extent to which poor adult outcomes are associated with adolescent polysubstance use (PSU: alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drugs) above and beyond earlier risk factors.

METHODS

Early adulthood substance-related and psychosocial outcomes were examined in association with age 13 to 17 developmental patterns of PSU in boys from urban, low SES neighborhoods (N = 926). Three classes obtained by latent growth modeling described low/non-users (N = 565, 61.0%), lower risk PSU (later onset, occasional use, 2 ≤ substances; N = 223, 24.1%), and higher risk PSU (earlier onset, frequent use, 3 ≥ substances; N = 138, 14.9%). Preadolescent individual, familial and social predictors of adolescent PSU patterns were used as covariates.

RESULTS

Adolescent PSU contributed to both age-24 substance-related outcomes (frequency of alcohol, drug use, and getting drunk, risky behaviors under influence, and use-related problems) and psychosocial outcomes (no high school diploma, professional or financial strain, ASP symptoms, criminal record) over and above preadolescent risk factors. Controlling for preadolescent risk factors, adolescent PSU made a more important contribution to adult substance use outcomes (increasing the risk by about 110%) than to psychosocial outcomes (16.8% risk increase). PSU classes showed poorer adjustment for all age-24 substance use, and for various psychosocial outcomes than low/non-users. Higher risk polysubstance users also reported poorer outcomes than their lower risk peers for most substance use outcomes, and for professional or financial strain and criminal record.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the contribution of adolescent PSU in a dose-response fashion, over and above preadolescent risk factors, on both homotypic and heterotypic outcomes in early adulthood.

Preventive interventions for children and adolescents of parents with mental illness: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Children of parents with mental disorders have a relatively high risk of developing a mental illness or behavioural disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of preventive psychotherapeutic interventions in children of parents with mental illness. In particular, the development of mental illness and/or psychological symptomatology in this population was assessed.

METHOD

This qualitative systematic review looked at interventions targeting children aged 4-18 years without a diagnosed mental disorder, alone or with their families, with a parent with a diagnosed mental disorder. The protocol was pre-registered in Open Science Framework. A total of 1255 references were retrieved from MEDLINE, PsychArticles, PsycINFO, Springer Link, Science Direct, Scopus and WOS databases, and 12 references from grey literature. This search was replicated by an external reviewer.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies involving 1941 children and 1328 parents were included. Interventions were based on cognitive-behavioural and/or psychoeducational components, including six randomized controlled trials. Internalizing symptomatology was assessed in 80% of the studies, externalizing and prosocial behaviour in 47%, and coping style in 33%. Only two studies measured the future risk of developing a mental disorder (ORs of 2.37 and 6.6). There was variability in the format of the intervention (group; family) as well as in the type of intervention and its duration (from one session to 12 sessions).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions for children of parents with mental disorder were clinically and statistically significant, especially in preventing internalizing symptomatology at one-year follow-up, with effect sizes ranging from d = -0.28 to 0.57 (95% CI).

When Too Much Help is of No Help: Mothers' and Fathers' Perceived Overprotective Behavior and (Mal)Adaptive Functioning in Adolescents

Although parental overprotection is theorized to have lasting negative effects throughout a child's life, there is limited empirical evidence available on its long-term significance on adolescent well-being. This preregistered, three-wave longitudinal study investigated the association of maternal and paternal perceived overprotection in early adolescence with the development of (mal)adaptive psychological, academic, and social functioning throughout adolescence. Data (N = 2229; 50.7% girls) from the longitudinal TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) in the Netherlands were used (M_age T1 = 11.11, T2 = 13.57, T3 = 16.28). At T1, adolescents reported on their mothers' and fathers' overprotection. From T1 to T3 adolescents and teachers reported about internalizing problems, academic achievement, prosocial, and antisocial behavior. The results showed concurrent associations between higher levels of perceived overprotection and higher levels of internalizing problems, antisocial behaviors, and (after controlling for parental warmth and rejection) lower levels of academic achievement. Perceived overprotection was positively associated with decreased internalizing problems over time. This longitudinal association disappeared after controlling for baseline levels of internalizing problems, suggesting that this result was less robust than expected. Mothers and fathers did not differ in their associations between perceived overprotection and (mal)adaptive functioning. The findings showed that perceived overprotection is mainly concurrently associated with (mal)adaptive adolescent functioning. Future research recommendations are discussed in terms of stability and bidirectional relations.

Alcohol, Marijuana and Other Illicit Drugs Use Throughout Adolescence: Co-occurring Courses and Preadolescent Risk-Factors

This study examined developmental patterns of co-occurrent alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs use during adolescence and the associated preadolescent risk factors in a longitudinal sample of 926 boys from low-socioeconomic, urban neighborhoods. Latent growth mixture modeling revealed six developmental patterns: non-/low-alcohol and non-illicit drug users (61% sample) and five polysubstance user-groups varying in severity based on onset, frequency and type of substances used. In comparisons with non-/low-users, several preadolescent risk factors were associated with increasing severity of polysubstance use. Higher sensation-seeking and lower anxiety were associated with all user-groups. Low self-esteem and family-related risk factors differentiated all user-groups from later-onset users. Higher impulsivity and school problems characterized early-onset and frequent polysubstance users. Impulsive sensation-seekers with lower anxiety and self-esteem cumulated a larger number and higher severity of risk factors and were at risk of early-onset frequent polysubstance use, emphasising the importance of indicated prevention for these high-risk boys.

Classroom Placement and Twins' Social Behaviors in Elementary School: Providing Empirical Evidence to Inform Educational Policy

Classroom placement of twins is an ongoing issue for educational policy. Many educational jurisdictions have standard policy most commonly founded in the belief that separation supports individual identity, personal development and academic opportunity. This study examined the effects of classroom placement in a sample of 560 twin pairs whose behaviors were assessed from ages 5 to 12 years. We found no detrimental effect of classroom sharing on twins' social development. In contrast, this study provides evidence that educating twins together is associated with modest positive twins' behaviors and social functioning at school. Implications for educational policies are further discussed.

Associations between Student-Teacher Bonds and Oppositional Behavior Against Teachers in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Analysis from Ages 11 to 15

Prior research has found evidence for a positive effect of student-teacher bonds on children's behavior. However, little research has investigated these relations following a transactional model of child development. This study investigated the bidirectional associations between student-teacher relationships and oppositional behaviors towards teachers using the 'Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood' (n = 1527; median ages 11, 13 and 15; 49% female). Results of a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model suggested that, among boys, positive student-teacher bonds at age 13 were associated with fewer teacher-reported oppositional behaviors two years later. The results indicated that negative interactions with teachers may be part of vicious cycles of poor relationships and increased levels of oppositional behavior, particularly for boys in late adolescence.

External childcare and socio-behavioral development in Switzerland: Long-term relations from childhood into young adulthood

This study examined early external childcare in relation to development from age 7 to 20. A Swiss sample was used (N = 1,225; 52% male). Development included multi-informant-reported externalizing behavior, internalizing problems, prosocial behavior, delinquency, and substance use. Growth curve models revealed that, dependent on the informant, time in a daycare center was related to increased externalizing and internalizing problems until at least age 11. It was not related to delinquency. Roughly three days per week at a daycare mother or playgroup was related to increased externalizing behavior. External family care was associated with increased prosocial behavior. Finally, time in a daycare center was associated with fewer externalizing but more internalizing problems and substance use for children from vulnerable backgrounds. This relation with substance use lasted to age 20.

A three-factor model of common early onset psychiatric disorders: temperament, adversity, and dopamine

Commonly comorbid early onset psychiatric disorders might reflect the varying expression of overlapping risk factors. The mediating processes remain poorly understood, but three factors show some promise: adolescent externalizing traits, early life adversity, and midbrain dopamine autoreceptors. To investigate whether these features acquire greater predictive power when combined, a longitudinal study was conducted in youth who have been followed since birth. Cohort members were invited to participate based on externalizing scores between 11 to 16 years of age. At age 18 (age 18.5 ± 0.6 y.o.), 52 entry criteria meeting volunteers had a 90-min positron emission tomography scan with [¹⁸F]fallypride, completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The three-factor model identified those with a lifetime history of DSM-5 disorders with an overall accuracy of 90.4% (p = 2.4 × 10^-5) and explained 91.5% of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI: .824, 1.000]. Targeting externalizing disorders specifically did not yield a more powerful model than targeting all disorders (p = 0.54). The model remained significant when including data from participants who developed their first disorders during a three-year follow-up period (p = 3.5 × 10^-5). Together, these results raise the possibility that a combination of temperamental traits, childhood adversity, and poorly regulated dopamine transmission increases risk for diverse, commonly comorbid, early onset psychiatric problems, predicting this susceptibility prospectively.

Participation in organized sport and disruptive behavior in childhood: A prospective, population-based study

Child disruptive behavior refers to ongoing patterns of disorganized, uncooperative, and defiant behavior. Sport involvement promotes positive child development. However, few longitudinal studies have tested the association between organized sport participation and the behavioral components of disruptive behavior. First, we aim to examine the link between inattentive, hyperactive, aggressive, and oppositional behavior at age 4 years and trajectories of organized sport participation from ages 6 to 10 years. Then, we compare children, according to trajectory membership, on outcome differences on these same behaviors at age 12 years. Data are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 1492). Child behavior was assessed by questionnaires completed by mothers at age 4 years and teachers at age 12 years. Preschool child inattention as perceived by mothers, significantly reduced the odds of middle childhood organized sport participation by 7% (95% CI = 1.00-1.15). Low or inconsistent participation in organized sport was subsequently associated with increased inattention (d = 0.28) by the end of sixth grade. These findings are above and beyond individual and family characteristics and baseline behavior. No other associations were statistically significant. Inattentive children who participated less in organized sport showed a greater likelihood toward increases in attention deficit by the end of sixth grade. To improve engagement from these children, coaches and trainers should use strategies that support positive experiences such as developing a one-to-one alliance with the child, favoring social cooperation through team spirit, and focusing on the performance experience rather than the outcome of winning or losing.

From Negative Emotionality to Aggressive Behavior: Maternal and Paternal Parenting Stress as Intervening Factors

Child temperament plays a key role in the development of psychopathology, notably through transactions with the family environment. In particular, temperamental negative emotionality is a documented antecedent of child aggressive behavior, with parenting stress sometimes proposed to play a mediating role in this association. However, research has mostly addressed bivariate associations and seldom considered the full chain linking child negative emotionality to aggression through parenting stress. In addition, most relevant studies have focused on mothers; therefore, possible combined contributions of maternal and paternal stress, such as interactive effects, are under-investigated. Addressing these gaps, this longitudinal multi-informant study aimed to examine the mediating role of maternal parenting stress, paternal parenting stress, and their interaction in the association between infant negative emotionality and child aggression. Among 186 mostly White middle-class families (98 boys), infant negative emotionality was reported by mothers and fathers at 15 months, both parents reported on their own parenting stress at 3 years, and child aggression was assessed by teachers in the first grade of elementary school. The results revealed a moderated mediated pathway, such that there was a significant indirect effect of child negative emotionality on aggression through paternal stress, however only when maternal stress was also high. These findings suggest that the risk of negative emotionality translating to aggressive behavior is magnified when both parents experience high levels of stress in their parenting role. The results also underscore that both parents play significant yet different roles in the process linking early negative emotionality to subsequent aggression.

Externalizing Risk Pathways for Adolescent Substance Use and Its Developmental Onset: A Canadian Birth Cohort Study: Trajectoires de comportements extériorisés et le risque pour l'initiation et l'usage de substances des adolescents : Une étude de cohorte de naissance canadienne

OBJECTIVE

Only a minority of drug and alcohol users develops a substance use disorder. Previous studies suggest that this differential vulnerability commonly reflects a developmental trajectory characterized by diverse externalizing behaviors. In this study, we examined the relation between child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use in a prospectively followed Canadian birth cohort, accounting for the temporal sequence of a wide variety of contributing factors.

METHODS

Two hundred and forty-two adolescents followed since birth (date range: 1996 to 2012) were assessed on externalizing behavior (age 17 months to 16 years), alcohol and cannabis use at age 16, age of alcohol use onset, family history of substance use problems, family functioning (age 11 to 15), sensation seeking (age 16), prenatal substance exposure, socioeconomic status (age 1 to 9), and sex.

RESULTS

Age of alcohol use onset was predicted by a family history of substance use problems, externalizing traits from ages 6 to 10 and 11 to 16, sensation seeking at age 16, prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure and family functioning at ages 11 to 15. High frequencies of alcohol and cannabis use at age 16 were both predicted by externalizing traits from ages 11 to 16, a family history of substance use problems and sensation seeking after controlling for other individual, environmental and familial variables. The association between familial substance use problems and substance use during adolescence was partially mediated by externalizing traits from age 11 to 16.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings provide prospective evidence for a developmental risk pathway for adolescent substance use, potentially identifying those who could benefit from early interventions.

Measuring Prosocial Behaviors: Psychometric Properties and Cross-National Validation of the Prosociality Scale in Five Countries

This research investigated the psychometric properties of the Prosociality Scale and its cross-cultural validation and generalizability across five different western and non-western countries (China, Chile, Italy, Spain, and the United States). The scale was designed to measure individual differences in a global tendency to behave in prosocial ways during late adolescence and adulthood. Study 1 was designed to identify the best factorial structure of the Prosociality Scale and Study 2 tested the model's equivalence across five countries (N = 1,630 young adults coming from China, Chile, Italy, Spain and the United States; general M _age = 21.34; SD = 3.34). Findings supported a bifactor model in which prosocial responding was characterized by a general latent factor (i.e., prosociality) and two other specific factors (prosocial actions and prosocial feelings). New evidence of construct validity of the Prosociality Scale was provided.

Adrenocortical Activity and Aggressive Behavior in Children: A Longitudinal Study on Risk and Protective Effects

Most research on aggression and delinquency concentrates on risk factors. There has been less attention for protective factors and mechanisms, in particular with regard to biosocial influences. Based on theories of autonomous arousal and stress reactance the present study addresses the influence of adrenocortical activity as a risk and/or protective factor in the development of antisocial behavior in children. We also investigated relations to anxiousness and family stressors. In a prospective longitudinal study of 150 German boys, the first measurement took place at preschool age and contained an assessment of cortisol after waking up and 30 min later. Aggressiveness and anxiousness of the children were assessed by the kindergarten teachers with the Social Behavior Questionnaire. After 6 years, the children's behavior was rated by the teachers in middle school. Variable-oriented data analyses revealed a significant correlation between the total amount of cortisol after waking up and 30 min later (AUC _G ) and anxiousness both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, but not with aggressiveness. A family stress index correlated positively with aggressiveness but neither with cortisol nor with anxiousness. There were significant correlations between aggressiveness and anxiousness at kindergarten age and the respective behavior problems 6 years later. In a linear regression analysis on aggression only family stress had a significant effect but anxiousness not. Moderator analyses on aggressiveness with anxiousness and AUC _G or on AUC _G with anxiousness and aggressiveness did not show any significant interactions. Longitudinally, only aggression significantly predicted aggression 6 years later in a linear regression. In addition to variable-oriented analyses, we also applied a person-oriented approach to investigate specific patterns of behavior. Children who were high in both aggressiveness and anxiousness had the highest cortisol level and those with low anxiousness and high aggressiveness the lowest. The groups with different patterns of externalizing and internalizing problems at preschool age showed significant differences in aggression 6 years later. Our results underline the need for complex pattern analyses on cortisol, aggression, and anxiousness in children and for a differentiated consideration of emotional reactive aggression and unemotional instrumental aggression.

mGlu5 receptor availability in youth at risk for addictions: effects of vulnerability traits and cannabis use

The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate has been implicated in experience-dependent neuroplasticity and drug-seeking behaviors. Type 5 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu5) receptors might be particularly important. They are critically involved in synaptic plasticity and their availability has been reported to be lower in people with alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine use disorders. Since these reductions could reflect effects of drug use or pre-existing traits, we used positron emission tomography to measure mGlu5 receptor availability in young adults at elevated risk for addictions. Fifty-nine participants (age 18.5 ± 0.6) were recruited from a longitudinal study that has followed them since birth. Based on externalizing traits that predict future substance use problems, half were at low risk, half were at high risk. Cannabis use histories varied markedly and participants were divided into three subgroups: zero, low, and high use. Compared to low risk volunteers, those at elevated risk had lower [11C]ABP688 binding potential (BPND) values in the striatum, amygdala, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Cannabis use by risk group interactions were observed in the striatum and OFC. In these regions, low [11C]ABP688 BPND values were only seen in the high risk group that used high quantities of cannabis. When these high risk, high cannabis use individuals were compared to all other participants, [11C]ABP688 BPND values were lower in the striatum, OFC, and insula. Together, these results provide evidence that mGlu5 receptor availability is low in youth at elevated risk for addictions, particularly those who frequently use cannabis.

Developmental Relations Between ADHD Symptoms and Reactive Versus Proactive Aggression Across Childhood and Adolescence

Objective: Past research has provided some preliminary evidence that ADHD and reactive aggression have overlapping neurocognitive bases. Based on this, we tested the hypothesis that ADHD symptoms are closely coupled in developmental terms with reactive aggression, more so than with proactive aggression with which it has been postulated to be only indirectly linked. Method: We used latent growth curve analysis to estimate the developmental relations between ADHD symptoms and subtypes of aggressive behavior in a normative sample of 1,571 youth (761 female, 810 male) measured from ages 7 to 15. Results: Individual ADHD trajectories were significantly and substantially correlated with individual trajectories in both aggressive subtypes; however, consistent with our hypothesis, the relation with reactive aggression was significantly stronger. Conclusion: Our study provides some of the first evidence for a differential relation between ADHD symptoms and aggression subtypes not only cross-sectionally but also in terms of their longitudinal developmental trajectories.

Disturbing Dreams and Psychosocial Maladjustment in Children: A Prospective Study of the Moderating Role of Early Negative Emotionality

Although frequent disturbing dreams, including bad dreams and nightmares, have been repeatedly associated with poor psychological well-being in adults, considerably less information exists on their psychosocial correlates in children. Recent empirical and theoretical contributions suggest that the association between disturbing dream frequency and psychosocial adaptation in children may differ as a function of children's negative emotionality. The current study assessed the moderating effect of very early negative emotionality (17 months of age) in the relation between disturbing dream frequency and psychosocial maladjustment (i.e., externalizing + internalizing behaviors) in a sample of 173 11-year-old children. Mixed-model analyses revealed that disturbing dream frequency was associated with some internalizing behaviors but that the association between disturbing dream frequency and most externalizing behaviors was moderated by early negative emotionality. The latter result indicates that the relation between disturbing dream frequency and externalizing behaviors was significant in 11-year-old children showing moderate negative emotionality early in life, but particularly strong in those children with high early negative emotionality. Whereas, a moderating effect of early negative emotionality was not found between disturbing dream frequency and internalizing behaviors, the findings highlight the more specific role of early emotional negativity as a developmental moderator for the link between disturbing dreams and externalizing behaviors in children. The results are discussed in light of recent models of disturbed dreaming production.

Extra-striatal D2/3 receptor availability in youth at risk for addiction

The neurobiological traits that confer risk for addictions remain poorly understood. However, dopaminergic function throughout the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and upper brainstem has been implicated in behavioral features that influence addiction vulnerability, including poor impulse control, and altered sensitivity to rewards and punishments (i.e., externalizing features). To test these associations in humans, we measured type-2/3 dopamine receptor (DA_2/3R) availability in youth at high vs. low risk for substance use disorders (SUDs). In this study, N = 58 youth (18.5 ± 0.6 years) were recruited from cohorts that have been followed since birth. Participants with either high (high EXT; N = 27; 16 F/11 M) or low pre-existing externalizing traits (low EXT; N = 31; 20 F/11 M) underwent a 90-min positron emission tomography [¹⁸F]fallypride scan, and completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Substance Use Risk Profile scale (SURPS), and Sensitivity to Punishment (SP) and Sensitivity to Reward (SR) questionnaire. We found that high vs. low EXT trait participants reported elevated substance use, BIS-11, SR, and SURPS impulsivity scores, had a greater prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and exhibited higher [¹⁸F]fallypride binding potential (BP_ND) values in prefrontal, limbic and paralimbic regions, even when controlling for substance use. Group differences were not evident in midbrain dopamine cell body regions, but, across all participants, low midbrain BP_ND values were associated with low SP scores. Together, the results suggest that altered DA_2/3R availability in terminal extra-striatal and dopamine cell body regions might constitute biological vulnerability traits, generating an EXT trajectory for addictions with and without co-occurring alterations in punishment sensitivity (i.e., an internalizing feature).

Examining the impact of a social skills training program on preschoolers' social behaviors: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in child care centers

Background

Preschoolers regularly display disruptive behaviors in child care settings because they have not yet developed the social skills necessary to interact prosocially with others. Disruptive behaviors interfere with daily routines and can lead to conflict with peers and educators. We investigated the impact of a social skills training program led by childcare educators on children’s social behaviors and tested whether the impact varied according to the child’s sex and family socio-economic status.

Methods

Nineteen public Child Care Centers (CCC, n = 361 children) located in low socio-economic neighborhoods of Montreal, Canada, were randomized into one of two conditions: 1) intervention (n = 10 CCC; 185 children) or 2) wait list control (n = 9 CCC; 176 children). Educators rated children’s behaviors (i.e., disruptive and prosocial behaviors) before and after the intervention. Hierarchical linear mixed models were used to account for the nested structure of the data.

Results

At pre-intervention, no differences in disruptive and prosocial behaviors were observed between the experimental conditions. At post-intervention, we found a significant sex by intervention interaction (β intervention by sex = − 1.19, p = 0.04) indicating that girls in the intervention condition exhibited lower levels of disruptive behaviors compared to girls in the control condition (f2 effect size = − 0.15). There was no effect of the intervention for boys.

Conclusions

Girls may benefit more than boys from social skills training offered in the child care context. Studies with larger sample sizes and greater intervention intensity are needed to confirm the results.

Trial registration

Current clinical trial number is ISRCTN84339956 (Retrospectively registered in March 2017). No amendment to initial protocol.

Trajectories of behavioral problems among moderate-late preterm children from 4 to 10 years: A prospective population-based study

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research suggests that moderate to late preterm children (MLP; 32 through 36 weeks of gestation) may have higher rates of behavioral problems than full-term (FT) children. However, few studies have followed MLP children over time using a longitudinal design with repeated measures.

AIM

The current prospective longitudinal study aims to examine the relation between MLP birth and trajectories of behavioral problems among children from ages 4 to 10 years.

STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS

The data comes from a Canadian representative population-based study including 1841 FT children and 89 MLP children.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Four categories of behavioral problems were measured repeatedly from 4 to 10 years using parent and teacher reports: hyperactivity-impulsivity, inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression. Developmental trajectories were modeled using Mplus.

RESULTS

After accounting for child sex and family income, a significant and persistent association was found between MLP birth and the developmental trajectory of hyperactivity-impulsivity reported by the parent. No relation was found regarding trajectories of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.

CONCLUSIONS

According to parent reports, MLP children were more likely to exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors compared to FT peers during early childhood. However, the relation between MLP birth and the trajectory of parent-reported hyperactivity-impulsivity was small and was not confirmed by teacher evaluation. Moreover, MLP children did not differ from FT children regarding the overall trajectory of inattention, anxiety-depression, and aggression problems.

Phenotype Network and Brain Structural Covariance Network of Anxiety

Network-based approach for psychological phenotypes assumes the dynamical interactions among the psychiatric symptoms, psychological characteristics, and neurocognitive performances arise, as they coexist, propagate, and inhibit other components within the network of mental phenomena. For differential types of dataset from which the phenotype network is to be estimated, a Gaussian graphical model, an Ising model, a directed acyclic graph, or an intraindividual covariance network could be used. Accordingly, these network-based approaches for anxiety-related psychological phenomena have been helpful in quantitative and pictorial understanding of qualitative dynamics among the diverse psychological phenomena as well as mind-environment interactions. Brain structural covariance refers to the correlative patterns of diverse brain morphological features among differential brain regions comprising the brain, as calculated per participant or across the participants. These covarying patterns of brain morphology partly overlap with longitudinal patterns of brain cortical maturation and also with propagating pattern of brain morphological changes such as cortical thinning and brain volume reduction in patients diagnosed with neurologic or psychiatric disorders along the trajectory of disease progression. Previous studies that used the brain structural covariance network could show neural correlates of specific anxiety disorder such as panic disorder and also elucidate the neural underpinning of anxiety symptom severity in diverse psychiatric and neurologic disorder patients.

Conceptualization and Measurement of Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: Looking Back and Moving Forward

The struggle to cast a net around the numerous ways prosocial behavior is expressed lends itself to the absence of widely accepted methods of measurement. Additionally, research intent on evaluating the psychometric properties of current approaches has been somewhat limited. Weaving together seminal as well as contemporary research, the current review focuses on how these conceptual and measurement issues pertain to adolescent studies (in an intentional effort to offset the somewhat disproportionate focus directed toward prosocial development in infants, children, and adults). Recommendations to address current limitations and attain a more nuanced understanding of the construct are presented and discussed.

Association Between Childhood Behaviors and Adult Employment Earnings in Canada

Importance

Specifying the association between childhood behaviors and adult earnings can inform the development of screening tools and preventive interventions to enhance social integration and economic participation.

Objective

To test the association between behaviors at age 6 years and employment earnings at age 33 to 35 years.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This study obtained data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children, a population-based sample of boys and girls (n = 3020) born in 1980 or 1981 in Quebec, Canada, and followed up from January 1, 1985, to December 31, 2015. The data included behavioral ratings by kindergarten teachers when the children were aged 5 or 6 years and 2013 to 2015 government tax returns of those same participants at age 33 to 35 years. Data were analyzed from September 2017 to December 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to test the associations between teacher-rated inattention, hyperactivity, aggression, opposition, anxiety, and prosociality at age 6 years and reported annual earnings on income tax returns at age 33 to 35 years. Participant IQ and family adversity were adjusted for in the analysis.

Results

The study included 2850 participants, with a mean (SD) age of 35.9 (0.29) years, of whom 1470 (51.6%) were male and 2740 (96.2%) were white. The mean (SD) personal earnings at follow-up were US $33 300 ($27 500) for men and $19 400 ($15 200) for women. A 1-unit increase in inattention score at age 6 years (males mean [SD], 2.47 [2.42] vs females mean [SD], 1.67 [2.07]) was associated with a decrease in annual earnings of $1271.49 (95% CI, -1908.67 to -634.30) for male participants and $924.25 (95% CI, -1424.44 to -425.46) for female participants. A combined aggression-opposition score (males mean [SD] 2.22 [2.52] vs females mean [SD], 1.05 [1.73]) was associated with a reduction in earnings of $699.83 (95% CI, -1262.49 to -137.17) for males only, albeit with an effect size roughly half that of inattention. A 1-unit increase in prosociality score (males mean [SD], 6.12 [4.30] vs females mean [SD], 7.90 [4.56]) was associated with an increase in earnings of $476.75 (95% CI, 181.53-771.96) for male participants only. A 1-SD reduction in inattention score at age 6 years would theoretically restore $3077 in annual earnings for male participants and $1915 for female participants.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this large population-based sample of kindergarten children, behavioral ratings at 5-6 years were associated with employment earnings 3 decades later, independent of a person's IQ and family background. Inattention and aggression-opposition were associated with lower annual employment earnings, and prosociality with higher earnings but only among male participants; inattention was the only behavioral predictor of income among girls. Early monitoring and support for children demonstrating high inattention and for boys exhibiting high aggression-opposition and low prosocial behaviors could have long-term advantages for those individuals and society.

The Intergenerational Association Between Parents' Problem Gambling and Impulsivity-Hyperactivity/Inattention Behaviors in Children

Despite the well-established association between problem gambling and ADHD core categories of impulsivity-hyperactivity and inattention, the link between parents' problem gambling and impulsivity-hyperactivity/inattention (IH/I) behaviors in children has not been investigated. This study investigated the association between parents' problem gambling and children's IH/I behaviors while controlling for potential confounding variables. A population-based prospective cohort followed-up from kindergarten to age 30, the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children (QLSKC), provided data over three generations. Among 1358 participants at age 30, parents with a child aged 1 year or older (N = 468; Mean age = 4.65 years; SD = 2.70) were selected. Generalized Linear Models included measures of grandparents' and parents' problem gambling, parents' IH/I behaviors in childhood, and a host of risk factors and comorbidities to predict IH/I in children. Intergenerational bivariate associations were observed between grandparents' problem gambling, parents' IH/I in childhood and problem gambling at age 30, and between parents' IH/I, problem gambling, and children's IH/I behaviors. Parents' problem gambling predicted children's IH/I behaviors above and beyond the effects of covariates such as family and socioeconomic characteristics, alcohol and drug use, depression symptoms and parents' gambling involvement. Parents' IH/I behaviors in childhood also predicted children's IH/I and had a moderating, enhancing effect on parents' problem gambling association with their offspring's IH/I behaviors. Problem gambling is a characteristic of parents' mental health that is distinctively associated with children's IH/I behaviors, above and beyond parents' own history of IH/I and of typically related addictive, psychopathological or socioeconomic risk factors and comorbidities.

Impact of a social skills program on children's stress: A cluster randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Most preschool children in Western industrialized countries attend child care during the day while parents work. Studies suggest that child care may be stressful to young children, perhaps because they still lack the social skills to interact daily in a group setting away from parents. This gap in social abilities may be greater for children in lower-income families, who may face more adversity at home, with fewer resources and more social isolation.

METHODS

We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in 2013-2014 to test whether a social skills intervention led by early childhood educators within the child care center could reduce diurnal cortisol levels to more typical patterns expected of children this age. We randomized 19 public child care centers (n = 361 children) in low-income neighborhoods of Montreal, Canada, to either: 1) the Minipally program - intervention group (n = 10 centers; 186 children), or 2) waiting list - control group (n = 9 centers; 175 children). Saliva samples for cortisol levels were collected 3 times/day, pre- and post-implementation. The Minipally puppet program consists of 2 workshops/month for 8 months for the development of social skills and self-regulation in 2-5-year-olds, with reinforcement activities between workshops. Educators received 2-days' training and 12 h' supervision in Minipally.

RESULTS

Linear mixed models for repeated measures revealed a significant interaction between intervention status and time of day of cortisol sampling (β = -0.18, p =  0.04). The intervention group showed patterns of decreasing diurnal cortisol secretion (β = -0.32, p < 0.01), whereas the control group showed increasing slopes (β = 0.20, p < 0.01). Moreover, family income was a moderator; children in lower-income families benefited most from the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that a social skills training program, when integrated into a preschool education curriculum, can foster an environment more conducive to typical childhood patterns of cortisol secretion.

Should We Subtype ADHD According to the Context in Which Symptoms Occur? Criterion Validity of Recognising Context-Based ADHD Presentations

ADHD symptoms show considerable individual variation in the contexts in which they are expressed. It has previously been proposed that subtyping individuals according to the contexts in which symptoms are expressed may be clinically useful. We examined context-based patterns of ADHD symptoms in a longitudinal cohort study of n = 1388 children, as well as context-specific and context-general predictors of symptoms. Participants were community-ascertained and provided ADHD symptom data at ages 7, 9, and 11. Using growth mixture modelling we identified five inattention and five hyperactivity/impulsivity categories that differed in the developmental patterns of symptoms reported by parent and teacher informants. We found some evidence that context-specific predictors were related to context-specific expressions. Specifically, after controlling for other risk factors for ADHD symptoms, relationships with teachers predicted school-specific (teacher-reported) but not home-specific (parent-reported) symptom levels. However, no subtypes defined by exclusively home-based symptoms emerged, suggesting that while symptoms may sometimes be specific to the school context, they are only rarely confined to the home context. Subtyping by context could be informative; however, further work will required to uncover the nature of any etiological, functional, or outcome differences between those who show symptom expression in different contexts.

Emotional and Behavioral Symptom Network Structure in Elementary School Girls and Association With Anxiety Disorders and Depression in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Network Analysis

Importance

The onset of adult psychopathologic disorders can be traced to behavioral or emotional symptoms observed in childhood, which could be targeted in early interventions to prevent future mental disorders. The network perspective is a novel conceptualization of psychopathologic disorders that could help to identify target symptoms with a distinct role in the emergence of mental illness.

Objective

To assess whether the network structure of emotional and behavioral symptoms among elementary school girls is associated with anxiety disorders or major depression in early adulthood.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children is an ongoing, prospective, population-based study of kindergarten children attending French-speaking state schools in the Canadian province of Quebec in 1986-1988. This study included 932 girls whose parents completed the Social Behavior Questionnaire when the girls were ages 6 (baseline), 8, and 10 years; 780 participants were interviewed to assess the presence of mental disorders at age 15 and/or 22 years. Data analysis was conducted from December 2016 to April 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Gaussian graphical models were estimated for 33 symptoms (eg, internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors) assessed using the Social Behavior Questionnaire to evaluate the temporal stability of the symptom network through childhood. At follow-up time points, mental disorders were assessed using the DSM-III-R, and symptom networks were reestimated at ages 6 to 10 years, this time including a variable indicative of future diagnosis.

Results

At baseline, the mean (SD) age of the 932 girls was 6.0 (0.3) years. Among the 780 women assessed at follow-up, 270 (34.6%) and 128 (16.4%) had developed anxiety disorders and major depression, respectively. Symptoms clustered in internalizing and externalizing communities. Five symptoms-irritable, blames others, not liked by others, often cries, and solitary-emerged as bridge symptoms between the disruptive and internalizing communities. These symptoms were those that were connected with the highest regularized edge weights (from 0.015 to 0.076) to future anxiety disorders once added to the network. Bootstrapped 95% CIs ranged from (95% CI, -0.063 to 0.068) to (95% CI, 0.561 to 0.701) for positive edges and from (95% CI, -0.156 to 0.027) to (95% CI, -0.081 to 0.078) for negative edges included in the regularized network.

Conclusions and Relevance

Bridge symptoms between disruptive and internalizing communities are identified for the first time in childhood, and these findings suggest that these symptoms could be central in indicating probable later anxiety disorders. The study suggests that bridge symptoms should be investigated further as potential early targets in disease-prevention interventions.

From Early Relationships to Preacademic Knowledge: A Sociocognitive Developmental Cascade to School Readiness

This study aimed to test a four-wave sequential mediation model linking mother-child attachment to children's school readiness through child executive functioning (EF) and prosociality in toddlerhood and the preschool years. Mother-child attachment security was assessed when children (N = 255) were aged 15 months and 2 years, child EF at age 2, prosocial behavior at age 4, and finally cognitive school readiness in kindergarten (age 6). The results revealed three indirect pathways linking attachment to school readiness: one through EF only, one through prosocial behavior only, and a last pathway involving both EF and prosocial behavior serially. These findings suggest that secure attachment may equip children with both cognitive and social skills that are instrumental to their preparedness for school.

Parent-Infant Room Sharing During the First Months of Life: Longitudinal Links With Behavior During Middle Childhood

Current recommendations encourage parent–infant room sharing for the first 6 months of life. This longitudinal study (N = 193) is the first to examine long‐term relations of early room sharing with three domains of child behavior: sleep, behavior problems, and prosocial behavior. Information on room sharing was collected daily for infants’ first 6 months. At ages 6, 7, and 8 years, outcomes were assessed with maternal and teacher questionnaires and behavioral observations. Early room sharing was not related to sleep problems or behavior problems. Additionally, more weeks of room sharing were positively related to higher maternal ratings of child sleep quality and more prosocial behavior. In conclusion, early room sharing appears to be related to positive, but not negative, behavior outcomes in middle childhood.

Examining the intertwined development of prosocial skills and ASD symptoms in adolescence

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and reduced prosocial behaviour are strongly intertwined. However, social interactions with peers may be increasingly practiced over the course of development and may instigate a reduction in ASD symptoms and vice versa. We, therefore, sought to determine if, during adolescence, possible improvements in prosocial behaviours and ASD symptoms may benefit one another over time. Participants were 2773 adolescents from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) cohorts. Measurements took place over three waves (mean ages: 11.1, 13.4, and 16.2 years). Longitudinal associations between teacher-rated classroom prosocial skills and parent-rated ASD symptoms were examined using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). In addition to estimating the stable, between-person associations, the dynamical effects between prosocial skills and ASD symptoms over time were estimated at the within-person level. At the between-person level, prosocial skills and ASD symptoms were substantially negatively correlated. At the within-person level, a small and unexpected positive cross-lagged effect from wave 1 ASD symptoms on wave 2 prosocial skills was observed. We added to the existing literature by showing that, in addition to replicating the already firmly established between-person association between low prosocial skills and ASD, within-person gains in prosocial skills do not lead to subsequent reduction of ASD symptoms, and reductions in ASD symptoms do not lead to subsequent enhancement of prosocial skills. We, therefore, conclude from our findings that the inverse association between autistic symptoms and prosocial skills in adolescence is highly stable.

Occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy and childhood behavior: findings from the PELAGIE birth cohort (France, 2002-2013)

BACKGROUND

Numerous industries use organic solvents, and many workers from various occupational sectors are exposed to these known neurotoxicants, including pregnant women. Our objective is to explore whether occupational exposure of pregnant women to solvents may impair the neurodevelopment of their babies and consequently affect their behavior in childhood.

METHODS

Within the French birth cohort PELAGIE, parents assessed their children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors using items from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Preschool Social Behavior Questionnaire at age 2, and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire at age 6. The occupational exposure to solvents of the pregnant women was self-reported prospectively at the beginning of their pregnancy (N = 715). We applied structural equation modeling to capture the longitudinal association of prenatal exposure to solvents with children's behavioral traits at 2 and 6 years.

RESULTS

Increased externalizing behavior score at age 2 was associated with prenatal exposure to solvents (standardized score: 0.34 (95% CI = 0.11, 0.57) for occasional exposure and 0.26 (0.05, 0.48) for regular exposure). This association was attenuated at age 6 (0.22 (- 0.02, 0.47) for occasional exposure and 0.07 (- 0.14, 0.28) for regular exposure). No association was observed for internalizing behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women's occupational exposure to solvents may affect their children's behavior in early childhood. This effect may be attenuated with aging or diluted by the effects of other postnatal predictors.

Longitudinal Links Between Gambling Participation and Academic Performance in Youth: A Test of Four Models

Gambling participation and low academic performance are related during adolescence, but the causal mechanisms underlying this link are unclear. It is possible that gambling participation impairs academic performance. Alternatively, the link between gambling participation and low academic performance could be explained by common underlying risk factors such as impulsivity and socio-family adversity. It could also be explained by other current correlated problem behaviors such as substance use. The goal of the present study was to examine whether concurrent and longitudinal links between gambling participation and low academic performance exist from age 14 to age 17 years, net of common antecedent factors and current substance use. A convenience sample of 766 adolescents (50.6% males) from a longitudinal twin sample participated in the study. Analyses revealed significant, albeit modest, concurrent links at both ages between gambling participation and academic performance. There was also a longitudinal link between gambling participation at age 14 and academic performance at age 17, which persisted after controlling for age 12 impulsivity and socio-family adversity as well as current substance use. Gambling participation predicts a decrease in academic performance during adolescence, net of concurrent and antecedent personal and familial risk factors.

Testing the impact of a social skill training versus waiting list control group for the reduction of disruptive behaviors and stress among preschool children in child care: the study protocol for a cluster randomized trial

Background

Most preschoolers growing up in western industrialized countries receive child care services (CCS) during the day, while their parents are at work. Meta-analytic data suggest that CCS represent a stressful experience for preschoolers. This may be because preschoolers have not yet developed the social skills necessary to cope with the new and rapidly fluctuating social contexts of CCS. We tested the effectiveness of a child care-based social skill training program aiming to improve children’s social behaviors and reduce the stress they experience.

Method and design

We used a cluster randomized control trial (cRCT) to compare children’s social behaviors and stress levels in pre- and post-intervention according to whether they received a social skill training intervention or not. Nineteen (n = 19) public CCS (n = 362, 3-years-old preschoolers) of underprivileged neighborhoods (Montreal, Canada) were randomized to one of two conditions: 1) social skills training (n = 10 CCS); or 2) waiting list control group (n = 9 CCS). Educators in the intervention group conducted bi-weekly social skills training sessions over a period of 8 months. The intervention covered four topics: making social contacts, problem solving, emotional self-regulation, as well as emotional expression and recognition. Main outcome measures included preschoolers’ disruptive (e.g. aggression, opposition, conflicts) and prosocial behaviors (e.g. sharing toys, helping another child), and stress levels assessed by salivary cortisol sampling at pre and post intervention assessments. Educators’ practices will be tested as potential mediators of the expected changes in behaviors and neuroendocrine stress.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first cRCT to test the effectiveness of a child care based social skill training program on the reduction of disruptive behaviors and levels of stress. Significant challenges include the degree of adherence to the intervention protocol as well educators and preschoolers’ turnover.

Trial registration

Current clinical trial number is ISRCTN84339956 (Ongoing study, Retrospectively registered on March 2017) No amendment to initial protocol.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40359-017-0197-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluating Longitudinal Invariance in Dimensions of Mental Health Across Adolescence: An Analysis of the Social Behavior Questionnaire

Measurement invariance over time (longitudinal invariance) is a core but seldom-tested assumption of many longitudinal studies on adolescent psychosocial development. In this study, we evaluated the longitudinal invariance of a brief measure of adolescent mental health: the Social Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ). The SBQ was administered to participants of the Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths in up to four waves spanning ages 11 to 17. Using a confirmatory factor analysis approach, metric invariance held for all constructs, but there were some violations of scalar and strict invariance. Overall, intercepts tended to increase over time while residual variances decreased. This suggests that participants may become more willing or able to identify and report on certain behaviors over time. The noninvariance was not practically significant in magnitude, except for the Anxiety dimension where artifactual increases over development would be liable to occur if invariance is not appropriately modeled. Overall, results support the utility of the SBQ as an omnibus measure of psychosocial health across adolescence.

Lien entre les pratiques parentales négatives et les problèmes de comportement extériorisés des jeunes enfants à leur entrée à la maternelle : effet modérateur des pratiques positives de l’autre parent

Cadre de la recherche : L’étude de l’impact respectif des pratiques parentales des deux parents laisse entrevoir que les pratiques parentales des pères tout comme celles des mères contribuent positivement à l’adaptation sociale de l’enfant. Cependant, les pratiques parentales peuvent également être liées à la présence de difficultés d’adaptation, notamment de problèmes de comportement extériorisés. À une époque où les deux parents s’investissent dans l’éducation de leurs enfants, il est pertinent de se pencher sur l’influence mutuelle des pratiques parentales des deux parents sur les problèmes de comportement extériorisés de l’enfant et ainsi, déterminer des facteurs de modération possibles de la coparentalité au sein d’une même famille.

Objectifs : La présente recherche1 vise à vérifier : 1) si les pratiques parentales positives du père modèrent la relation entre les pratiques parentales négatives de la mère et les problèmes de comportement extériorisés de l’enfant et 2) si les pratiques parentales positives de la mère modèrent la relation entre les pratiques parentales négatives du père et les problèmes de comportement extériorisés de l’enfant.

Méthodologie : L’étude est transversale et porte sur un sous-échantillon de 626 enfants (âge moyen de 5,6 ans) et leurs deux parents. Les données ont été recueillies par questionnaires auprès des pères et des mères séparément.

Résultats : Les résultats d’analyses de régression multiple démontrent l’effet simple des pratiques négatives des deux parents sur les problèmes de comportement extériorisés de l’enfant. On remarque un effet modérateur des pratiques parentales positives de la mère sur les pratiques parentales négatives du père, mais pas l’inverse.

Conclusions : L’étude révèle l’importance de s’attarder aux pratiques parentales négatives, autant pour les mères que pour les pères. De plus, il apparait que l’effet combiné des pratiques des deux parents pourrait avoir un impact aussi important que les pratiques parentales individuelles sur le développement de l’enfant.

Contribution : De nouvelles connaissances dans le domaine du co-engagement parental sur le développement de l’enfant sont présentées dans cette étude, en considérant l’effet modérateur des pratiques parentales positives dans cette relation.

Situating violent ideations within the landscape of mental health: Associations between violent ideations and dimensions of mental health

Violent ideations occur more frequently in individuals with mental health problems. They may be of interest in clinical contexts as possible indicators of dangerousness, as corollaries of mental health problems, as candidate treatment targets and as potentially playing a role in perpetuation or onset of symptoms. In spite of their relevance to mental health, some fundamental questions about their place within the broader landscape of mental health problems remain unanswered. To provide a basic characterisation of the relations between violent ideations and dimensions of mental health and provide a foundation for future research in this area we factor analysed a measure of violent ideations and an omnibus measure of mental health dimensions in a normative sample of 1306 youth (at age 17). Results supported a separate dimension of violent ideations with a small to moderate correlation with five other dimensions of mental health: internalising, prosociality, ADHD, indirect/proactive aggression, and physical/reactive aggression. Controlling for comorbidity among mental health dimensions, all but ADHD had unique relations with violent ideations. This suggests that violent ideations are potentially of broad relevance to mental health and related behaviours and there should be a greater research effort aimed at understanding their possible role in mental health.

Preventing Behavioral Disorders via Supporting Social and Emotional Competence at Preschool Age

BACKGROUND

13-18% of all preschool children have severe behavioral problems at least transiently, sometimes with long-term adverse consequences. In this study, the social training program "Lubo aus dem All! - Vorschulalter" (Lubo from Outer Space, Preschool Version) was evaluated in a kindergarten setting.

METHODS

15 kindergartens were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group, in a 2:1 ratio. The intervention was designed to strengthen emotional knowledge and regulation, the ability to take another person's point of view, communication skills, and social problem solving. The control group continued with conventional kindergarten activities. The primary endpoint was improvement in social-cognitive problem solving strategies, as assessed with the Wally Social Skills and Problem Solving Game (Wally). Secondary endpoints were improvement in prosocial behavior and reduction in problematic behavior, as assessed with the Preschool Social Behavior Questionnaire (PSBQ) and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF). Data were collected before and after the intervention and also 5 months later. Mixed models were calculated with random effects to take account of the cluster design and for adjustment for confounding variables.

RESULTS

221 children in kindergarten, aged 5-6 years, were included in the study. Randomization was unsuccessful: the children in the intervention group performed markedly worse on the tests carried out before the intervention. Five months after the end of the intervention, the social-cognitive problem solving strategies of the children in the intervention group had improved more than those of the children in the control group: the intergroup difference in improvement was 0.79 standard deviations of the Wally test (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-1.46). This effect was just as marked 5 months later (0.63, 95% CI 0.03-1.23). Prosocial behavior, as measured by the PSBQ, also improved more in the intervention group, with an intergroup difference of 0.37 standard deviations (95% CI 0.05-0.71).

CONCLUSION

An age-appropriate program to prevent behavioral disorders among kindergarten children improved both the children's knowledge of prosocial problem solving strategies and their prosocial behavior.

Cortisol stress responses and children's behavioral functioning at school

The present study investigated whether cortisol stress responses of 6‐year‐olds were associated with their behavioral functioning at school. Additionally, the moderating role of stress in the family environment was examined. To this end, 149 healthy children (M_age = 6.09 years; 70 girls) participated in an age‐appropriate innovative social evaluative stress test. Saliva cortisol samples were collected six times during the stress test to calculate two indices of the cortisol stress response: cortisol stress reactivity and total stress cortisol. Teachers assessed children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. Stress in the family environment was operationalized as maternally reported parenting stress. Results indicated a significant increase in cortisol concentrations in response to the stressor. No significant associations were found between cortisol stress responses and behavioral functioning at school and there was no evidence for moderation by maternal parenting stress. Potential theoretical and methodological explanations for these results are discussed.

Early Father Involvement and Subsequent Child Behaviour at Ages 3, 5 and 7 Years: Prospective Analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Objective

Fathers are increasingly involved in care of their babies and young children. We assessed the association of resident fathers’ involvement with subsequent behaviour of their children, examining boys and girls separately.

Methods

We used longitudinal data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study for children born in 2000–2001, divided into three separate analysis periods: ages 9 months to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, and 5 to 7 years. By exploratory factor analysis of self-reported attitudes and engagement in caring activities, we derived composite measures of various types of father involvement at 9 months, 3 and 5 years. Where possible we created equivalent measures of mother involvement. Child behaviour was assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which was completed by the mother when the child was aged 3, 5 and 7 years. We estimated gender-specific odds ratios for behaviour problems per quintile of father involvement, using separate logistic regression models for boys and girls in each analysis period. We controlled for a wide range of potential confounders: characteristics of the child (temperament and development at 9 months, and illness and exact age at outcome), equivalent mother involvement where appropriate, and factors related to socioeconomic status, household change, and parental well-being, where statistically significant.

Results

Paternal positive parenting beliefs at age 9 months and increased frequency of creative play at age 5 years were significantly associated with lower risk of subsequent behaviour problems (SDQ total difficulties) in both boys and girls (p<0.05), odds ratios ranging between 0.81 and 0.89 per quintile of involvement. No associations were observed for other composite measures of caring activity by the father at 9 months, 3 years or 5 years.

Conclusion

Quality of parenting, rather than the division of routine care between parents, was associated with child behavioural outcomes.

History of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors as predictors of girls' repeated patterns of dating victimization in two developmental periods

This study aims to document the prevalence of repeated patterns of dating victimization and to examine, within the frameworks of an ecological model and lifestyle/routine activities theories, associations between such patterns and family, peer, and individual factors. Dating victimization in adolescence (age 15) and early adulthood (age 21) was evaluated in 443 female participants. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that history of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors were associated with an increased risk for girls of being victimized (psychologically and/or physically/sexually) in their dating relationships, either in adolescence or early adulthood, or at both developmental periods.

Poverty and behavior problems during early childhood

Poverty is a well-established risk factor for behavior problems, yet our understanding of putative family mediators during early childhood (i.e., before age 5 years) is limited. The present study investigated whether the association between poverty and behavior problems during early childhood is mediated simultaneously by perceived parenting, family dysfunction and/or maternal depression symptoms. Outcomes measures were high trajectories of physical aggression and hyperactivity between 1.5 and 5 years. Poverty was defined as living 2–4 years below the low-income thresholds defined by Statistics Canada. Using data from the first five rounds of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, logistic regressions models showed that poverty was associated with a higher likelihood of being assigned to the high trajectory of physical aggression and hyperactivity. Overprotection and maternal depression symptoms mediated observed associations. Interventions targeting maternal depression, parenting, and poverty should help reducing children’s risk for early behavior problems.

Patterns of Boys' Social Adjustment in Two Cultures and at Different Ages: A Longitudinal Perspective

In the comparison of two longitudinal studies, patterns of boys' social adjustment were identified by using aggression, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, anxiety, and lack of prosocial behaviour as clustering variables. Eight comparable clusters were obtained across two cultures, French Canada and Finland; three age groups, 6, 8, and 10 years; and two decades, the 1960s and 1980s. The clusters confirmed three frequently used categories of behaviour: (1) normal (for no adjustment problems); (2) anxious; and (3) inattentive; two infrequently used categories: (1) passive; and (2) nervous; and the importance of subcategorising aggressive-hyperactive boys into three categories: (1) bully; (2) uncontrolled; and (3) multiproblem. The stability of the behaviour patterns for individuals from one age to another (6 to 10 years of age) was significant. It was not high for a specific cluster, but the subjects tended to remain in either one of the aggressive or nonaggressive clusters. The predictive value of the behaviour patterns for later outcomes was analysed using data collected at the age of 10 to 11 (in Montreal) and at the ages of 14, 20, and 26 (in Jyvaskyla). The clusters were meaningful from a developmental perspective. The outcomes were most negative for the multiproblem boys: high disruptive and antisocial behaviour, low school success, and unstable working career, and most positive for the normals.

Kindergarten Disruptive Behaviour, Family Adversity, Gender, and Elementary School Failure

Objective: To investigate the developmental pathway of school failure from age 8 to age 11 by gender when the main effects and interactions of family adversity and the level of kindergarten disruptive behaviour were accounted for. Method: A population sample of boys ( n = 862) and girls ( n = 985) were followed from kindergarten up to age 11. Family adversity and disruptive behaviour were measured in kindergarten and school failure was assessed from ages 8 to 11. Results: A logit-linear analysis on the patterns of school failure revealed that there was no significant difference in the proportion of boys and girls transferred from an age-appropriate regular class by the end of elementary school. However, the age at which this transfer occurred differed by gender: Girls were found to experience failure later than boys do. The results also indicated that both family adversity and kindergarten disruptive behaviour had an effect on the proportion and age at which children were transferred from an age-appropriate regular class. Conclusion: Findings underline that the academic performance and delinquency relationship may be developmentally different by gender. Further research focused on understanding the impact of school failure by gender is needed to clarify these issues.