There is a long-standing interest in gender differences in satisfaction in intimate relationships. Whereas prior research has focused on gender differences in central tendency (i.e., means), we conducted two studies - a secondary analysis of data from a probability sample of Australian married couples and a meta-analysis - to examine gender differences in variability (i.e., variances). We hypothesized that compared to males, females would demonstrate greater variability in intimaterelationship satisfaction (i.e., greater female variability hypothesis), particularly at lower levels of relationship satisfaction. Results from a secondary analysis of data from 2,711 married couples in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and from a meta-analysis of 20 years of research (k = 171, N = 84,976), including independent samples from 33 countries, indicated that relative to males, females reported greater variability in relationship satisfaction. Obtained effect sizes (female-to-male variance ratios [VRs] of 1.42 for the HILDA sample and 1.19 for the meta-analysis) were larger than proposed cutoffs for meaningful group differences in variability. Analysis of tail ratios (ratios of the relative proportion of females divided by the relative proportion of males in the distributional tail regions) in the HILDA sample indicated that gender differences in variability were greater at lower (versus higher) levels of satisfaction. Findings support the greater female variability hypothesis and suggest that by focusing only on gender differences in means, the existing literature has underestimated gender differences in intimaterelationship satisfaction.

This scoping review examined grief related to the incarceration of a family member in order to establish a theoretical framework. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, Embase, PsycInfo, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials & Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PILOTS, and Psychiatry Online was conducted. We extracted data on sample characteristics, study design, purpose of the study, grief measure used, grief term and definition used, and key qualitative and quantitative findings. Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Most studies used the terms 'ambiguous loss' (n = 15) and 'disenfranchised grief' (n = 12); however, grief terms and their definitions varied. The review identified 14 unique terms and more than 20 definitions. In several cases, the same term was defined and conceptualized differently between studies. This review also revealed shortcomings in existing theoretical frameworks for grief related to incarceration. Grief related to losing a family member to incarceration involves two distinct constructs: non-traditional losses and cascading losses. Non-traditional losses (measured on a continuum) capture elements of a loss to incarceration that are unique (compared to a loss via death) or may not be socially accepted, whereas cascading losses refers to the ongoing losses that one may experience related to the incarceration (e.g., loss of financial stability). This framework provides the field with consistent constructs and definitions that can be used to further advance research in incarceration-related grief and facilitates an improved ability to replicate findings between laboratories.

Parental self-efficacy (PSE) assesses a parent's expectations and beliefs about their ability to effectively parent their child. PSE has implications for a parent's well-being, parenting practices, mental health, the parent-child relationship, and child adjustment. While PSE has been extensively examined within the broader parenting literature, the examination of PSE specifically for parents of autistic children has gained increasing attention in recent years. The following systematic review aimed to investigate the role of PSE for parents of autistic children by examining variables that predict PSE or are predicted by PSE in relation to how they align with the broader parenting literature and are unique to autism. Utilizing PRISMA guidelines, peer-reviewed articles were included if (a) participants included caregivers of autistic children, (b) at least one quantitative outcome measure of PSE was utilized, and (c) the role of PSE was examined as an outcome, predictor, or variable in an explanatory model. A total of 53 studies were included in the review and the role of PSE was examined regarding family (e.g., parental characteristics, parent stress, well-being, and support) and child factors (e.g., autism symptomology, problem behaviors, interventions). Several themes emerged including a positive relationship between PSE and support, and a negative relationship between PSE and parenting stress, parent mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression), and autism symptomology. Findings were compared to the broader parenting and PSE literature to examine how increased considerations and challenges (e.g., child problem behaviors, social impairment, and caregiver strain) associated with raising an autistic child might impact PSE.

Mental health and wellbeing problems in middle childhood are increasing worldwide which needs more support than just clinical services. Early intervention has been explored in other settings, but not in extended education care settings such as outside school hours care (OSHC). A systematic literature review was undertaken to determine what interventions have been tested in extended education settings to address or promote emotional, behavioural, or social wellbeing in children, and to assess how effective they have been. A PRISMA guided search found seven peer reviewed articles from an initial pool of 458. Data from the articles were extracted and the mixed method appraisal tool (MMAT) was applied to assess methodological quality of the studies design, data collection, and analyses. The final selections were methodologically heterogeneous with an average MMAT quality rating of 71%. All but one of the interventions were delivered to children in small group settings and were a mix of activities. Studies that trained educators to deliver the interventions were limited and no data were collected for them. The two interventions that trained educators to deliver content to children were seen as promising. This review showed an overall paucity of research examining interventions delivered in extended education settings to improve children's wellbeing. Given variations in extended education services and the absence of formal qualifications required for educators, further research is needed to understand what interventions may be effective and what role educators could play in such interventions or in supporting children's wellbeing in extended education.This review protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO . Registration ID: CRD42023485541 on 03/12/2023.

Considerable attention has been devoted to the concept of flexible emotion regulation, which de-emphasizes the importance of any specific regulatory strategy in favor of the flexible deployment of strategies in response to specific situational challenges. The bulk of research in this area has been conducted on adult samples. Research on emotion regulation flexibility (ERF) in youth has been documented in only a limited number of studies and using various definitions. This systematic review aims to gather and summarize different conceptualizations and methodological approaches of adolescent ERF. We incorporate these findings into a general framework to understand ERF and its role in adolescents' emotional, behavioral and social functioning. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, 11 studies were included in the review. While ERF has been defined in various and inconsistent ways, the included studies utilized conceptualizations from two overarching domains: the regulation of expressed emotion and the repertoire of emotion regulation strategies. Promising approaches and future directions will be highlighted.

Antisocial behavior in childhood and adolescence is associated with poor family and peer relationships, and a higher risk of mental and physical health problems in adulthood, as well as criminality. Emotions play a central role in children's moral development, but most research has focused on negative emotions (e.g., shame and guilt), in relation to childhood antisocial behavior. Research in adult populations indicates that positive emotions experienced in anticipation of, during, and after antisocial acts may play an important role in the development and maintenance of antisocial behavior. Consequently, this systematic review aimed to investigate the relationship between positive emotion and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. A systematic search in five databases was conducted, yielding 52 studies that used different methodological approaches, samples, designs and methods to examine this association. Results provide support for a positive relationship between positive emotion and antisocial behavior across community, forensic and clinical samples. This link appeared to be stronger for younger children, boys, and for children high in social dominance, callous-unemotional or sensation-seeking traits. Results suggested that positive affect may act in concert with negative emotion, cognitive, personality and motivational processes, as well as peer influences to determine the initiation and maintenance of antisocial behavior. This review presents directions for future research and discusses the implications of findings for prevention and intervention programs for youth with antisocial behavior.

Brief, school-based mental health interventions hold promise for reducing barriers to mental health support access, a critical endeavor in light of increasing rates of mental health concerns among youth. However, there is no consensus on whether or not brief school-based interventions are effective at reducing mental health concerns or improving well-being. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide consensus and determine directions for future work. Articles were included if they examined a brief (≤ four sessions or 240min of intervention time) psychosocial intervention, were conducted within a Pre-K through 12th-grade school setting, included at least one treatment outcome evaluating mental health or well-being, and were published since 2000. A total of 6,702 papers were identified through database searching, of which 81 papers (k studies = 75) were ultimately selected for inclusion. A total of 40,498 students were included across studies and a total of 75 unique interventions were examined. A total of 324 effect sizes were extracted. On average, interventions led to statistically significant improvements in mental health/well-being outcomes versus control conditions up to one-month (g = .18, p = .004), six-month (g = .15, p = .006), and one-year (g = .10, p = .03) post-intervention. There may be benefits to brief school-based interventions from a preventative public health standpoint; future research may focus on how to optimize their real-world utility. Prospero pre-registration: CRD42021255079.

The literature on the role of parenting in the relation between child inhibited temperament and child anxiety is inconsistent, with some literature supporting a moderating role and some literature supporting alternative (e.g., mediating) roles. A systematic review of the evidence that parenting moderates the longitudinal relation between child inhibited temperament and child anxiety is needed. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in February and March of 2022 and repeated in January of 2024. Ten articles met criteria for inclusion, with 39 moderation analyses of interest among them. All included studies were conducted in Western contexts with predominately White, middle-class families. Thus, the current review can only be generalized to this population. Despite inconsistent findings, some evidence indicated that avoidance-promoting parenting behaviors such as overprotection and overinvolvement moderate the relation between child inhibited temperament and social anxiety symptoms, in particular. There was a lack of evidence that parenting behaviors moderate the relation between child inhibited temperament and anxiety disorders, and that affect-related parenting behaviors (e.g., negativity) moderate the relation between child inhibited temperament and non-social anxiety symptoms. There was mixed evidence regarding the moderating role of control-related parenting behaviors in the relation between child inhibited temperament and non-social anxiety symptoms, with some evidence that encouraging behaviors moderate this relation. Future research is needed to clarify these inconsistent and nuanced findings and investigate this moderation in non-Western, non-White, and low-income populations.

Children and adolescents with conduct problems participate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), either in individual or group format, in view of learning social problem-solving skills that enable them to behave in more independent and situation-appropriate ways. Parents must support their child’s learning processes in everyday life and therefore these processes need attention in CBT sessions in which parents and their child participate. The social problem-solving model of CBT previously described (Matthys & Schutter, Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 25:552–572, 2022; Matthys & Schutter, Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 26:401–415, 2023) consists of nine psychological skills. In this narrative review we propose that instead of addressing each skill separately in sessions with both parents and their child, therapists work on three schemas (latent mental structures): (1) goals, (2) outcome expectations, and (3) normative beliefs about aggression. Based on social-cognitive and cognitive neuroscience studies we argue that these three schemas affect five core social problem-solving skills: (1) interpretation, (2) clarification of goals, (3) generations of solutions, (4) evaluation of solutions, and (5) decision-making. In view of tailoring CBT to the individual child’s characteristic schemas and associated social problem-solving skills, we suggest that children and adolescents participate in individual sessions with their parents. The therapist uses Socratic questioning in order to find out characteristic schemas of the child, encourage reflection on these schemas, and explore alternative schemas that had previously been outside the child’s attention. The therapist functions as a model for parents to ask their child questions about the relevant schemas with a view of achieving changes in the schemas.