Assessing social dysfunction: the contributions of laboratory and performance-based measures

Predictive models for social functioning in healthy young adults: A machine learning study integrating neuroanatomical, cognitive, and behavioral data

Poor social functioning is an emerging public health problem associated with physical and mental health consequences. Developing prognostic tools is critical to identify individuals at risk for poor social functioning and guide interventions. We aimed to inform prediction models of social functioning by evaluating models relying on bio-behavioral data using machine learning. With data from the Human Connectome Project Healthy Young Adult sample (age 22-35, N = 1,101), we built Support Vector Regression models to estimate social functioning from variable sets of brain morphology to behavior with increasing complexity: 1) brain-only model, 2) brain-cognition model, 3) cognition-behavioral model, and 4) combined brain-cognition-behavioral model. Predictive accuracy of each model was assessed and the importance of individual variables for model performance was determined. The combined and cognition-behavioral models significantly predicted social functioning, whereas the brain-only and brain-cognition models did not. Negative affect, psychological wellbeing, extraversion, withdrawal, and cortical thickness of the rostral middle-frontal and superior-temporal regions were the most important predictors in the combined model. Results demonstrate that social functioning can be accurately predicted using machine learning methods. Behavioral markers may be more significant predictors of social functioning than brain measures for healthy young adults and may represent important leverage points for preventative intervention.

An emotional competence curriculum for young children four to five years old

The aim of this study is to test the efficacy of the Seeds of Unity curriculum on a Pre-Kindergarten class consisting of four to five-year-old children in Brooklyn New York. The syllabus is a fusion of The Starting Small Program created by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the teaching of emotional competence theory. This study measured fourteen, four to five-year-old children before and after a ten-month exposure to the Seeds of Unity Curriculum. The Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) was utilized to measure changes in emotional competence before and after exposure to the curriculum. The results showed a mean score on the Gresham Social Skills index that placed the girls in the 76^% before the program and the 97% after, and the boys went from the 64% to the 89% when measured against children their age. Despite the small N, this study showed that using this curriculum, increased social emotional intelligence. The competencies incorporated into this paradigm are vital to improving relations between cultures in the ethnically diverse New York city schools and provides hope that change is possible.

Cross-disorder and disorder-specific deficits in social functioning among schizophrenia and alzheimer's disease patients

Background

Social functioning is often impaired in schizophrenia (SZ) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, commonalities and differences in social dysfunction among these patient groups remain elusive.

Materials and methods

Using data from the PRISM study, behavioral (all subscales and total score of the Social Functioning Scale) and affective (perceived social disability and loneliness) indicators of social functioning were measured in patients with SZ (N = 56), probable AD (N = 50) and age-matched healthy controls groups (HC, N = 29 and N = 28). We examined to what extent social functioning differed between disease and age-matched HC groups, as well as between patient groups. Furthermore, we examined how severity of disease and mood were correlated with social functioning, irrespective of diagnosis.

Results

As compared to HC, both behavioral and affective social functioning seemed impaired in SZ patients (Cohen’s d’s 0.81–1.69), whereas AD patients mainly showed impaired behavioral social function (Cohen’s d’s 0.65–1.14). While behavioral indices of social functioning were similar across patient groups, SZ patients reported more perceived social disability than AD patients (Cohen’s d’s 0.65). Across patient groups, positive mood, lower depression and anxiety levels were strong determinants of better social functioning (p’s <0.001), even more so than severity of disease.

Conclusions

AD and SZ patients both exhibit poor social functioning in comparison to age- and sex matched HC participants. Social dysfunction in SZ patients may be more severe than in AD patients, though this may be due to underreporting by AD patients. Across patients, social functioning appeared as more influenced by mood states than by severity of disease.

Examining the Role of Attention Deficits in the Social Problems and Withdrawn Behavior of Children With Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms

Previous studies have found that sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms are often associated with social problems and withdrawn behavior. However, the possible neuropsychological mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. Some studies have also found that SCT symptoms are related to deficits in sustained attention and selective attention. However, no study has examined whether attention deficits are related to social problems and withdrawn behavior in children with SCT. This study was the first to examine the neuropsychological correlates of social problems and withdrawn behavior among children with SCT symptoms. The results showed that sustained attention measure (omission) predicted the severity of social problems and withdrawn behavior in children with SCT even after controlling for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Selective attention measure (response latency mean) was also found to predict the severity of social problems. These results suggest that the social problems commonly exhibited by children with SCT are related to deficits in sustained attention and attentional control. Thus, our results provide an initial support to the link between attention deficits and social problems among children with SCT.

Resilience-Based Intervention with Underserved Children: Impact on Self-Regulation in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Schools

Resilience and emotion regulation are crucial for optimal psychosocial functioning in children. This study assessed whether a group-based intervention, the Resilience Builder Program (RBP), improved student report of emotion regulation when administered in elementary schools. Sixty-seven students aged 9-12 years (M = 10.50, SD =.74; 82.1% male, 98.5% ethnic/racial minority) were randomly assigned to receive the RBP intervention immediately or following a semester delay. Participants reported their emotional control using the How I Feel scale. Students who received the RBP reported a significant increase in their emotional control and a significant decrease in negative emotion compared to those students in the delayed treatment sample who had not yet received the intervention. Further, students indicated a strongly positive perception of the therapy.

Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and psychosocial well-being among young South Korean children

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between television (TV) viewing, reading, physical activity (PA), and psychosocial well-being among a representative sample of young South Korean children aged 0-5 years.

METHODS

Findings are based on 1,774 children who participated in the Korea Children and Youth Survey. All measures were questionnaire-derived. Psychosocial well-being included social, interactive, and emotional skills (α = .7-.9), and the top quartile denoted high psychosocial well-being. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to examine relationships after controlling for several confounders.

RESULTS

Compared to children who participated in PA for <1 hr/week, those who participated in PA for 1- <3 hr/week were more likely to show high emotional skills (odds ratio [OR]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.02, 1.93]), and those who participated ≥3 hr/week were more likely to show high social (OR: 2.01, 95% CI [1.45, 2.78]) and interactive skills (OR: 1.39, 95% CI [1.01, 1.92]). During weekdays, children who read 1- <3 hr/day and ≥3 hr/day, compared to <1 hr/day, were more likely to show high social (OR: 1.61, 95% CI [1.20, 2.16] and OR: 2.47, 95% CI [1.31, 4.67]) and emotional skills (OR: 1.57, 95% CI [1.16, 2.13] and OR: 2.58, 95% CI [1.34, 4.98]). In addition, children who read 1- <3 hr/day, compared to <1 hr/day, were more likely to show high interactive skills (OR: 1.44, 95% CI [1.08, 1.92]). Similar findings for reading on weekends were observed. TV viewing was not associated with social skills or interactive skills. TV viewing for 1- <3 hr/day, compared to <1 hr/day, was associated with increased odds of high emotional skills (OR: 1.71, 95% CI [1.28, 2.27] on weekdays; OR: 1.90, 95% CI [1.39, 2.61] on weekends).

CONCLUSION

PA and reading primarily showed favourable associations with psychosocial well-being, whereas TV viewing did not; thus, PA or reading may be a better option over TV viewing for optimal psychosocial well-being among young South Korean children. These findings should be confirmed with stronger study designs.

Social functioning in pediatric epilepsy reported by parents and teachers: Contributions of medically related variables, verbal skills, and parental anxiety

Children with epilepsy are at increased risk for deficits in social functioning, though the underlying causes are not well-understood. We examined multiple seizure-related, demographic, and cognitive variables in a group of 93 pediatric patients with intractable seizures who were at risk for social skills deficits and social problems at home and in the classroom. Verbal intelligence and parental anxiety about epilepsy were found to be the two primary predictors of social functioning in children with epilepsy as reported by parents and teachers. Though other social variables and secondarily generalized seizures were significantly correlated with certain aspects of parent-reported social functioning, the impact of these variables appeared to be mediated through verbal intelligence and/or parental anxiety about epilepsy. These findings emphasize the importance of family characteristics on social functioning in children with epilepsy and also suggest that parental anxiety about their child's epilepsy may be a specific risk factor for this population. The findings from this study suggest that the factors associated with social functioning in children with epilepsy are similar regardless of whether social functioning is assessed by the parent or the classroom teacher.

Increasing social engagement in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using collaborative technologies in the school environment

This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based, collaborative technology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy to teach the concepts of social collaboration and social conversation to children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (n = 22) as well as to enhance their actual social engagement behaviors (collaboration and social conversation) with peers. Two computer programs were included in the intervention: "Join-In" to teach collaboration and "No-Problem" to teach conversation. Assessment in the socio-cognitive area included concept perception measures, problem solving, Theory of Mind, and a dyadic drawing collaborative task to examine change in children's social engagement. Results demonstrated improvement in the socio-cognitive area with children providing more active social solutions to social problems and revealing more appropriate understanding of collaboration and social conversation after intervention, with some improvement in Theory of Mind. Improvement in actual social engagement was more scattered.

Attrition from therapy effectiveness research among youth in a clinical service setting

This study examined research attrition in clinical service settings by comparing psychotherapy research completers and dropouts in a private therapy practice. Seventy-seven children 7-12 years old enrolled in the Resilience Builder Program(®) (RBP), a manualized group therapy created and administered in a private practice. Children had social impairments, and most were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or anxiety disorders. Results found that compared to completers, research dropouts had significantly greater social deficits, disruptive behavior problems, affective problems, medication use, and were more likely to be ethnic minorities. We discuss implications for research recruitment and retention in clinical service settings.

Results of the Aprender a Convivir Program for development of social competence and prevention of antisocial behavior in four-year-old children

The present study is the result of implementing an antisocial behavior prevention program in preschool education. The intervention goal was to prevent the emergence of antisocial behaviors through developing social competence in the participants. The program, called Aprender a Convivir, is divided into four modules by topic: rules and rule-following, emotions and feelings, communication skills, and helping and cooperation skills. The intervention was carried out during the academic year 2007—2008. The sample was composed of four-year-old pupils (n = 147) divided between a control group (n = 69) and an experimental group (n = 78). Results were obtained by administering the Child Behavior Checklist—Teacher Report Form (CBCL-TRF) and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) for teachers and parents. Results show a noteworthy reduction in antisocial behaviors and a substantial improvement in social competence among experimental group members.

Selective and sustained attention as predictors of social problems in children with typical and disordered attention abilities

OBJECTIVE

Investigated the relationship between selective and sustained attention and social behavior in children with different degrees of attentional disturbance.

METHOD

Participants were 101 6- to 12-year-old children, including 18 who were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), 61 who were clinically referred for attentional difficulties but did not meet criteria for ADHD, and 22 typically developing children. Two groups of children completed either a sustained attention task or a selective attention task. Task performance was compared with teacher reported social behavior.

RESULTS

In support of the investigator's hypothesis poor performance on the sustained attention task correlated with social behavior problems. However, contrary to expectation, poor performance on the selective attention task was not correlated with teacher reported social problems. Results are discussed with specific emphasis on the need to identify underlying cognitive contributions to social dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

The findings support a growing body of research highlighting the negative relationship between inattention and social functioning.

Integrating theoretical, measurement, and intervention models of youth social competence

Social competence is of great interest to developmental psychopathologists and is assessed frequently in both basic and applied research. A review of the literature reveals not only significant heterogeneity in definitions of this construct but an apparent disconnect between theoretical, measurement, and intervention models of competence in youth. This paper attempts to integrate these disparate enterprises by identifying four types of predictors theorists have associated with competence--child, behavior, situation, and judge--and critiquing common models in light of these dimensions. In general, assessment and intervention approaches appear less complex than theoretical conceptualizations of competence. When considering whether to incorporate additional predictors, notably situation- and judge-level factors, into these models, researchers must weigh parsimony versus the model misspecification that results from omitting important variables. Basic research that may assist in making these decisions is identified.

Brief report: individual social-multi-modal intervention for HFASD

This research is the first part of a 2-year cognitive-behavioral-ecological (CB-E) social skills training for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Current study examined efficacy of an individual CB-E intervention in facilitating children's dyadic interactions (immediately after treatment and 4 months later) and their social cognition capabilities (e.g., emotion understanding and recognition, social problem solving). Participants were 19 HFASD children aged 7 years and 7 months to 11 years and 6 months. Results demonstrated improvement in children's social cognition and positive dyadic interaction and decrease in children's low-level social interaction behavior. Long-term evaluation revealed maintenance of improvement. Progress in children's cooperation, self-control, and assertiveness was reported by their teachers. Discussion focused on CB-E intervention efficacy in promoting integral social functioning for HF children with ASD.

X-linked imprinting: effects on brain and behaviour

Imprinted genes are monoallelically expressed in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner and can affect brain and behavioural phenotypes. The X chromosome is enriched for genes affecting neurodevelopment and is donated asymmetrically to male and female progeny. Hence, X-linked imprinted genes could potentially influence sexually dimorphic neurobiology. Consequently, investigations into such loci may provide new insights into the biological basis of behavioural differences between the sexes and into why men and women show different vulnerabilities to certain mental disorders. In this review, we summarise recent advances in our knowledge of X-linked imprinted genes and the brain substrates that they may act upon. In addition, we suggest strategies for identifying novel X-linked imprinted genes and their downstream effects and discuss evolutionary theories regarding the origin and maintenance of X-linked imprinting.

Social Skills Training with Children and Young People: Theory, Evidence and Practice

Deficits in social skills and social competence play a significant role in the development and maintenance of many emotional and behavioural disorders of childhood and adolescence. Social skills training (SST) aims to increase the ability to perform key social behaviours that are important in achieving success in social situations. Behavioural SST methods include instructions, modelling, behaviour rehearsal, feedback and reinforcement, frequently used in association with interpersonal problem solving and social perception skills training. Effective change in social behaviour also requires interventions that reduce inhibiting and competing behaviours, such as cognitive restructuring, self- and emotional-regulation methods and contingency management. Research suggests that SST alone is unlikely to produce significant and lasting change in psychopathology or global indicators of social competence. Rather, SST has become a widely accepted component of multi-method approaches to the treatment of many emotional, behavioural and developmental disorders.

Klinische Kinderpsychologie:

Zusammenfassung. Der Übersichtsbeitrag geht auf Konzepte der sozialen Kompetenz ein, die eine Grundlage für die Interventionsplanung in der Klinischen Kinderpsychologie bilden. Neuere Ansätze der klinischen Diagnostik zur sozialen Kompetenz werden skizziert. Aus der Vielzahl der Kompetenztrainings werden einige Vorgehensweisen (z.B. Rollenspiele zur Vermittlung sozialer Fertigkeiten) dargestellt. Eine besondere Bedeutung besitzen soziale Kompetenztrainings bei der Behandlung sozialer Ängste und sozialer Unsicherheit. Auf die Wirksamkeit sozialer Kompetenztrainings wird abschließend eingegangen.