Children's screen use is an increasingly prominent global public health concern. However, existing guidance has largely focused on immediate caregivers, with limited attention paid to grandparents and other forms of intergenerational co-parenting (ICP). We conducted this scoping review to examine current knowledge about ICP and children's screen use with four research questions: (1) How have ICP and children's screen use been measured in existing studies?; (2) How does ICP affect children's screen use?; (3) Are there any identifiable patterns of ICP that seem to be related to children's screen use?; and (4) Within an ICP context, what factors have been found to influence children's screen use? We searched five databases for articles published in English and Chinese between 2000-2025 and included 17 relevant studies. Nine were conducted in Western countries and eight in non-Western contexts such as China and Brazil. Ten were published in the past three years. We found that these studies had several methodological limitations, including inconsistencies in conceptualisation, a lack of methodological diversity, and limited use of multiple informants. Findings on the association between ICP and children's screen use were mixed, although most studies suggested that ICP was linked to longer children's screen use time. Different ICP patterns related to children's screen use were also identified. Finally, five categories of influencing factors emerged: (i) children's characteristics, (ii) parent's characteristics, (iii) grandparent characteristics, (iv) media-related characteristics, and (v) family environment characteristics. Future research should prioritise this understudied area to better inform guidance for healthy screen use among children.

Neurodivergent children face unique challenges during medical procedures due to distinct sensory processing patterns and communication difficulties. Evidence-based interventions for procedural pain/distress may inadequately address their specific needs, leading to undertreated distress and negative healthcare experiences.Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, we conducted comprehensive searches across six databases on January 10, 2025, for studies published 2014-2025 focusing on neurodivergent children (0-21years) undergoing medical procedures. Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data, with results presented as a narrative synthesis with evidence mapping.From 14,393 initial records, 144 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies (n = 121, 84.0%) focused on autism spectrum disorder, with limited representation of other neurodivergent diagnoses. Hospital outpatient settings (n = 93, 64.6%) and dental specialty (n = 50, 34.7%) were most commonly studied. The most frequently used support strategies were visit preparation and support (n = 61, 42.4%), pharmacological agents (n = 48, 33.3%), and patient care plans/pathways (n = 43, 29.9%). Few studies used validated pain and distress assessment tools, with only 4.2% (n = 6) reporting child-reported pain measures. While 74.3% (n = 107) of studies reported distress outcomes, these were primarily observational rather than validated measures.Findings highlight significant gaps in procedural support strategies for neurodivergent children, particularly for conditions beyond autism. There is a critical need for research using validated pain and distress measures, especially those capturing the child's perspective. Future studies should prioritise diverse neurodivergent populations, incorporate structured assessment tools, and evaluate tailored interventions across wider clinical settings.

Investing in relational health across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood not only promotes health and development within a generation, but may have cascading benefits to the next generation. Here we review the literature on universal interventions designed to promote relational health from childhood to young adulthood (4-24years), just prior to the normative transition to parenthood and raising next generation offspring. This review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Electronic databases (MEDLINE [EBSCOhost], PsycINFO [EBSCOhost], and Embase [EBSCOhost] databases) were searched using terms that combined concepts: (1) outcomes pertaining to child, family and community relational ecology; (2) childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood; (3) RCT study design; (4) universal prevention approach. This yielded 3,396 articles, of which 113 were eligible for inclusion. A further 12 articles were identified via expert knowledge resulting in 125 articles reporting on 85 universal interventions (including nine population interventions). Most (90%) interventions were designed for children and adolescents, and most (97%) targeted family, school and community microsystems including aggressive/disruptive behaviour, parenting, peer relationships, and social competence using mostly classroom/school and parenting/family interventions. The few mesosystem interventions focused mostly on family-school connections. Only nine made changes to exosystems, for instance through community coalitions. Key features of population trials included: (1) multiple components; (2) involvement of the community, and; (3) integration into existing service systems. Efforts to promote relational health could be strengthened by a focus on improving the the interlocking social infrastructure which enables relational health to flourish at the microsystem level.

Multilevel random effects meta-analyses were performed to produce a summary effect size from 231 studies (2000 to 2025) that contributed 482 effect estimates for intrusive parenting and youth's (age 13-25) internalizing (N = 152,280) and 232 effect estimates for intrusive parenting and externalizing symptoms (N = 85,711). Intrusive parenting subtype (psychological control, overprotective, helicopter, autonomy support-reversed), youth symptom subtype, parent gender, respondent, child age, and study region were examined as moderators. Intrusive parenting was associated with higher symptoms, with a pooled effect size of r = 0.24 for parenting-internalizing and r = 0.22 for parenting-externalizing. I2 values indicated that a large proportion of variation in the effects across studies was not explained by chance (internalizing I2 = 89.3%; externalizing I2 = 91.8%). Subtypes of intrusive parenting, parent gender, and respondent moderated the parenting-internalizing effect size, accounting for a small portion of this heterogeneity; studies of psychological control produced a stronger effect than studies of helicopter parenting and autonomy support-reverse. Parent gender revealed a smaller effect for fathers than mixed gender (mothers in-between), and there was a larger effect for studies using child report than multiple reporters. For the parenting-externalizing relationship, studies of delinquency and antisocial behavior produced smaller effects than aggression and externalizing, and the parenting-externalizing association was weaker among youth aged 19 + and stronger for child report. Region of the world was not a significant moderator. Even after considering all moderators, large proportions of effect size heterogeneity were not accounted for by chance. When working with parents and youth, intrusive parenting should be considered as one partial indicator of elevated symptoms among youth.

Tourette syndrome and persistent tic disorders (TS/PTD) begin in childhood and can contribute to negative outcomes across the lifespan. A systematic review was conducted to summarize current evidence on education and employment outcomes among individuals with TS/PTD. The review summarized education and/or employment outcomes from 69 articles published between 2003 and March 5, 2025 that reported these outcomes for individuals with TS/PTD and a comparison group without TS/PTD. Of these studies, most included small samples of individuals with TS/PTD (less than 100), and those that reported on race or ethnicity were predominantly White. Only five studies on adult employment status and no studies on the transition to higher education were identified for inclusion. Children and adolescents with TS/PTD may experience poorer school-related quality of life, lower school competence, and more parent-reported school problems compared to those without TS/PTD. Although evidence was less robust, children and adolescents with TS/PTD may also be more likely to experience other negative school outcomes, including poor attitudes about school and low pass rates/frequent grade retention. Findings can be used by healthcare providers and school personnel to inform supports for students with TS/PTD. Adult employment status and transition to higher education for individuals with TS/PTD, and studies with larger, more heterogeneous samples, may be important directions for future research.

Intergenerational studies suggest that the developmental foundations of children's early relational health are seeded well before conception. Here, we present studies that report on associations between factors in the parental preconception life course (across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood), and indicators of the child's early relational ecology (e.g., infant-to-parent attachment, parent-to-infant bonds). We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase databases for peer-reviewed articles, published in English, that reported on prospectively assessed factors at any stage of a parent's life course prior to conception, and associations with offspring relational health from conception to end of age 3years. No date restrictions were imposed. A total of 13,594 articles were screened of which 30 met inclusion criteria, reporting data from 17 separate cohorts. Next generation child relational health was assessed using both coded observations and parent reports, with most studies focused on the mother-child relationship (70%). Most preconception predictors were assessed at the individual level (63%) or within the family microsystem (53%) and were measured during adolescence (60%). Few studies assessed other microsystems or broader ecological systems, with no studies investigating workplaces, online interactions, or cultural belief systems as predictors of next generation relational health. We conclude that longitudinal cohorts that track individuals into parenthood can provide critical insights into the preconception origins of early relational health; however, the existing body of prospective studies is heterogeneous and reflects a nascent field of enquiry. We present five recommendations for future investment in public health approaches that promote early relational health.

To assess how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) influences stress levels in parents of children with special needs, while also exploring the relationship between therapy intensity and possible influencing factors. We followed PRISMA guidelines and searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library through June 15, 2025, for randomized controlled trials. We defined PICOS explicitly as Population (parents of children with special needs), Intervention (CBT), Comparator (any control condition), Outcomes (parental stress measured by validated scales), and Study design (randomized controlled trials). Continuous outcomes were pooled as standardized mean differences (SMDs; differences in parental stress scores between the intervention and control groups). A three-level random-effects meta-analytic model was fitted to account for dependent effect sizes; heterogeneity was assessed with I2 and the Q test. Sensitivity analyses and publication-bias assessments were performed. Subgroup and dose-response analyses were conducted to explore moderators. Sixteen trials met inclusion criteria; after exclusion of two outliers, 14 trials (n = 1007) were included in the primary analysis. There was substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 92.3%). Pooled results indicated that CBT significantly reduced parental stress (SMD = - 0.57; 95% CI - 1.00 to - 0.14; p = 0.0095). Interventions with moderate session duration (≈90min) delivered once weekly over several weeks (total≈11-12weeks) were associated with larger pooled effects in our subgroup analyses. Larger effect estimates were also observed when stress was measured with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), when control groups received no active intervention, and among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Trials with predominantly mothers (> 90%) showed significant pooled effects within that subgroup. Dose-response analyses suggested diminishing returns when session frequency exceeded twice weekly; a total intervention time of approximately 14.42-17.42h was associated with the most significant average reductions in stress. CBT was associated with a moderate pooled reduction in parental stress across included trials. The intervention protocol most strongly associated with larger average effects in our dataset was "≈90min per session × once weekly × 11-12weeks"; however, this should not be interpreted as a universally optimal protocol given the high between-study heterogeneity and uncertainty in some subgroup estimates. Future RCTs with larger samples, more consistent outcome measurement, prespecified dose-finding designs, and long-term follow-up are warranted to refine CBT dosage thresholds and to validate generalizability across different cultures and disability types.

Childhood trauma exposure is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders including Eating Disorders (EDs) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A systematic review of comorbid PTSD and EDs in adults found relatively high prevalence rates of this comorbidity and more severe ED symptoms associated with this comorbidity. However, there has been less focus on comorbid PTSD and ED in children and young people, despite this group's increased susceptibility to psychiatric conditions due to their neurodevelopmental sensitivity. This systematic review aimed to synthesise research on co-occurring PTSD and EDs in children and young people (the latter group defined by the World Health Organisation-WHO-as aged 10-25years), examining prevalence, aetiology, and treatment. Six electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, APA PsychNET, Web of Science and Embase) were searched for articles published from 1990 to 2024 which included participants aged under and up to 25years who were either assessed as meeting criteria for both an ED and PTSD in the study, or were reported to have had a pre-existing diagnosis of ED and PTSD. Data from 24 studies were extracted and synthesised. PTSD prevalence among young people with EDs ranged from 0% to 46.4%, with higher rates observed in binging and purging-related EDs such as Bulimia Nervosa and binge-purge type anorexia. Risk factors associated with the comorbidity included trauma severity, binge-purging behaviours, and poor emotion regulation. No studies assessed treatment outcomes for this population. Overall, the current review highlights that, while co-occurring PTSD and EDs represents a relatively common psychiatric comorbidity in young people, the existing body of literature does not adequately explain the development of this comorbidity or how it impacts response to treatment. Future research is needed to clarify causal pathways, understand developmental trajectories of this comorbidity, and evaluate the impact of this psychiatric comorbidity on treatment outcomes.