Child Emotional Outcomes Research Articles

Childhood adversities and memory function in later life: the mediating role of activity participation

BackgroundChildhood adversities may lead to decreased activity participation in later life, impacting memory health in ageing adults. Childhood adversities related to deprivation and threat, as conceptualized by the Dimensional Model of Adversity, can exhibit distinct impacts on cognitive and emotional outcomes in children and younger adults. This study examined the potential influence of childhood deprivation and threat on memory function in later life and the mediating role of activity participation in these relationships.MethodsThis study used data from the first wave of Panel Study of Active Ageing and Society (PAAS), a representative survey of Hong Kong residents aged 50 or above (N = 1,005). Key variables included late-life memory function measured by delayed recall test, deprivation- and threat-related childhood adversities, and the frequency of participation in informal and formal types of activities. Mediation tests were used for analysis.ResultsChildhood deprivation was associated with a lower late-life memory function, whereas threat was not. The negative effects of childhood deprivation and its subdomain, economic hardship, on memory function were mediated by activity participation. Total participation scores presented the strongest mediating effect (17.3–20.6%), with formal activities playing a more substantial mediating role than informal activities in mitigating the effect of childhood deprivation.ConclusionsThese findings expand the applicability of the Dimensional Model of Adversity to ageing populations, highlighting the influence of deprivation on life-long cognitive development. Furthermore, this study revealed an indirect mechanism by which childhood deprivation affects memory health in old age through diverse activity participation.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema-Based Parenting and Mindful Parenting on Sleep Problems, Aggression, and Improvement of Social Interactions in Children with Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on sleep problems, aggression, and improvement of social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Methods and Materials: The present study is applied in terms of its aim and quasi-experimental in terms of method, using a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up period. The statistical population includes all children aged 7-12 years with mild autism spectrum disorder who were studying and receiving education in one autism center under the supervision of the Ministry of Education (Tabassum) and five autism centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization (Ava, Armaghan Noor, Kavosh, Navid-e-Zendegi, and Takapo) in Mashhad. The groupings were conducted through random assignment. Out of these, 40 children (20 boys and 20 girls) and 40 mothers were selected as the research sample using purposive sampling. They were then randomly assigned to three groups: two experimental groups (each with 13 members) and one control group (with 14 members). Data collection was conducted using the Autism Social Skills Profile by Belini and Hopf (2007), the CARS questionnaire by Schopler (1988), the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire by Owens, Spirito, and colleagues (2000). After collecting the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using SPSS-20 software. Findings: The results indicated differences in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on aggression in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, there were differences in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on the improvement of social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, differences were observed in the effectiveness of schema-based parenting and mindful parenting on sleep problems in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that both schema-based and mindful parenting interventions significantly reduce aggression and sleep problems while enhancing social interactions in children with mild autism spectrum disorder. These findings suggest the effectiveness of incorporating these approaches in parenting programs to improve behavioral and emotional outcomes in children.

Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Effects of Disease Severity, Family Life Stress, Disease-Related Chronic Stress, and Psychosocial Adaptation

To evaluate whether effects of congenital heart disease (CHD) severity and family life stress on behavioral and emotional functioning are mediated by disease-related chronic stress and psychosocial adaptation. A cross-sectional analysis of the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Testing Study was performed. Relationships between CHD severity (comprising 3 groups: mild heart disease, moderate biventricular disease, and single ventricle) and family life stress, on patient- and parent disease-related chronic stress, psychosocial adaptation, and behavioral-emotional outcomes were assessed using structural equation modeling. Patient and parent models were reported separately. There were 981 patient-parent dyads: 22% had mild heart disease, 63% biventricular, and 15% single ventricle; 19% of families reported moderate to major family life stress. Path models revealed that CHD severity and family life stress were mediated by disease-related chronic stress and psychosocial adaptation factors (R2=0.18-0.24 for patient outcomes and R2=0.33-0.34 for parent outcomes, P<.001, respectively). The effects of greater CHD severity and family life stress on behavioral-emotional outcomes were mediated by worse disease-related chronic stress and psychosocial adaptation factors. Both disease-related chronic stress and psychosocial adaptation factors may be targets for interventions to improve behavioral and emotional outcomes.

Profiles of parent emotion socialization: Longitudinal associations with child emotional outcomes

BackgroundFew studies within the field of emotion socialization have used a person-centered approach to investigate how supportive or unsupportive parent subpopulations influence child development over time. Furthermore, the role of parents’ emotion socialization processes at different child developmental stages remains understudied. ObjectivesThe current study tests whether parent profiles of emotion socialization are associated with concurrent and long-term child mental health problems and emotion competence, and whether associations differ for parents of children in early (4-6 years) versus middle childhood (7-10 years). MethodThree waves of annual data were drawn from the Child and Parent Emotion Study, a longitudinal study of multinational families (n = 869). We drew on previously derived profiles from a latent profile analysis describing ‘emotion coaching’, ‘emotion dismissing’, and ‘emotion disengaged’ profiles of parent emotion socialization. Linear regression models tested associations between parent profiles (assessed in 2019) and child internalizing and externalizing problems, negative affect, and child emotion regulation, assessed 0, 1, and 2 years later (2019-21). ResultsEmotion dismissing (versus emotion coaching) was associated with higher concurrent child internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and negative affect; and longitudinally with higher internalizing problems and negative affect, and lower emotion regulation. Emotion disengaged (versus emotion coaching) was associated with higher concurrent and longitudinal child negative affect, and lower longitudinal emotion regulation. Split by child age, we found stronger associations in early compared to middle childhood for emotion dismissing and child externalizing problems. The reverse was evident for emotion disengaged, where associations were stronger/more evident in middle compared to early childhood for child negative affect and emotion regulation. Other associations were no longer evident or were consistent across child ages. ConclusionChildren of parents who have a pattern of emotion dismissing or emotion disengaged emotion socialization are at greater risk for mental health problems and lower emotion competence.

Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study

ObjectiveWhile maternal fish consumption in pregnancy has consistently been linked to better cognitive and emotional outcomes in children, fish is also a primary source of exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg),...

Pandemic Perils and Promise: Implementation of a Virtual Parenting Intervention during COVID-19 among Children with Early Neurological Conditions

ABSTRACT Objective In this study, we examined feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a telepsychological positive parenting intervention (I–InTERACT-North, Internet-basedInteracting Together Everyday: Recovery After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury) during the COVID-19 pandemic among Canadian families of children at-risk for neurodevelopmental challenges given congenital or neonatal conditions. I–InTERACT-North was developed to improve behavioral and emotional outcomes in children with neurological conditions by utilizing and adapting parenting strategies from several established family-focused programmes. Methods A pragmatic prospective pre-post single-site pilot study design was used to assess feasibility, acceptabilty, and preliminary efficacy of I-InTERACT North during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Thirty-five families of children ages three to nine years were referred between March 2020 and January 2021. Eighteen families enrolled, and 12 (67% adherence) completed the programme. Parents reported strong therapeutic alliance and programme acceptability with barriers due to competing time demands. Therapists reported high acceptability but perceived parental burnout. Parenting confidence (d = 0.70), and child behavior (d = 1.30) improved following the intervention. Conclusions Results demonstrate the programme’s value to families during the pandemic, while underscoring unique participation barriers. Future research and clinicial implications are discussed.

Environmental Influences on the Behavioural and Emotional Outcomes of Children: A Network Analysis.

Background: Intellectual developmental disorders are a serious source of health morbidity with negative consequences for adults as well as children. However, there is limited evidence on the environmental, trace element, behavioural, and emotional outcomes in children. Here, we investigated whether there is any association between child behaviour and emotional outcomes and micronutrients using network analysis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 9-year-old children within a Pacific Island Families study birth cohort. Elemental concentration was determined in children’s toenails after acid digestion and analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We used network analysis to identify closely associated trace elements and tested the directions and strength of these trace elements. MANCOVA were used to identify the significant associations between individual elements and the behavioural/emotional function of the children using the children behaviour checklist (CBCL). At the final step, quantile regression analysis was used to assess and quantify the identified associations between CBCL function scores and manganese, adjusted by sex, ethnicity, and standardized BMI. Results: Three major nutrient networks were identified. In the Mn network, Mn was strongly positively associated with Al (0.63) and Fe (r = 0.65) and moderately associated with Pb (r = 0.45) and Sb (r = 0.42). Al was also strongly associated with Fe (r = 0.9). Children in the second or third clinical group, with an elevated externalized CBCL score, had a much higher mean and median level of Mn as compared to the normal range group. The aggression score was significantly associated with Mn concentration and sex. Higher Mn concentrations were associated with a higher aggression score. A 1 ug/g unit increase in Mn was associated with a 2.44-fold increase (95% confidence interval: 1.55–4.21) in aggression score, and boys had higher median aggression score than girls (difference: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.9–2.8). Attention and rule breaking scores were both significantly associated with Mn concentration. Higher Mn concentrations were associated with higher attention behaviour problem and rule breaking scores. A 1 ug/g unit increase in Mn was found to be associated with a 1.80-fold increase (95% confidence interval: 1.37–2.82) in attention score, and a 1.46-fold increase (95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.74) in the rule breaking score. Thought score was not significantly associated with Mn concentration (p = 0.13) but was significantly lower in boys (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Exceeding Mn levels is potentially toxic and has been identified to be associated with worse externalized children’s behavioural health and emotional well-being. Future studies are necessary to find the exposure paths so that advice shall be provided to family and care providers in public health and environmental protection.

Breast may not always be best: moderation of effects of postnatal depression by breastfeeding and infant sex

BackgroundThere is good evidence that female infants are particularly vulnerable to poor emotional outcomes following in utero glucocorticoid exposure. It is currently unclear whether such effects might persist into the postnatal period for breastfed infants, as maternal cortisol is expressed in breastmilk and is influenced by maternal psychological distress. We pre-registered hypotheses that maternal postnatal depression would be associated with infant negative emotionality, and that this effect would be moderated by breastfeeding status and infant sex.MethodsWe analysed data from the Wirral Child Health and Development Study (WCHADS), a prospective epidemiological study starting in pregnancy. Nine weeks after birth mothers self-reported depressive symptoms and breastfeeding status, and reported infant negative emotionality using the distress to limits subscale of the infant behaviour questionnaire (IBQ-R) when their infant was aged 9 weeks and 14 months. Maximum likelihood estimations made use of data from 857 mother-infant pairs.ResultsAt 9 weeks of age, maternal postnatal depressive symptoms were positively associated with infant distress to limits; however, this effect was not moderated by infant sex or breastfeeding. At age 14 months, the association between postnatal depression symptoms and distress to limits was greatest in the breastfed females, whereas the association was smaller, but still significant, in the non-breastfed females. For males, the association was non-significant in both the breastfed and non-breastfed groups. A test of sex difference between breastfed males and females was significant.ConclusionsWe provide evidence that effects of maternal postnatal depression on child emotional outcomes are moderated by breastfeeding status and differ by infant sex. Female vulnerability to elevated maternal breastmilk glucocorticoids may, at least in part, explain these effects.

Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Effects of Disease Severity, Social Determinants of Health, Disease-Related Chronic Stress, and Psychosocial Adaptation.

Introduction: Improved survival in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased the focus on optimizing behavioral and emotional outcomes. It is unclear what factors mediate the relationship between CHD severity, social determinants of health (SDH), and behavioral and emotional outcomes. We hypothesized that greater CHD severity and worse SDH are associated with worse behavioral and emotional functioning and are mediated by disease-related chronic stress and psychosocial adaptation. Methods: We performed a corollary analysis of the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Testing study, an international, multi-center, 0>which parents and patients with CHD …

Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Effects of Disease Severity, Social Determinants of Health, Disease-Related Chronic Stress, and Psychosocial Adaptation.

Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Effects of Disease Severity, Social Determinants of Health, Disease-Related Chronic Stress, and Psychosocial Adaptation.

A Longitudinal Study of Power-Assertive Discipline, Inductive Discipline and Preschoolers’ Anxiety: Preschoolers’ Forgiveness as a Moderator

Existing studies on parental discipline have largely focused on its effects on child’s compliance and internalization, with few studies on its emotional outcomes in children. Using data collected over a 1-year period on a stratified random sample of 368 parents with children studying in nurseries (mean age = 3.97 years), this study assessed the predictive effects of parent reports of power-assertive discipline, inductive discipline, and preschoolers’ forgiveness on preschoolers’ anxiety symptoms in Hong Kong, China. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that parent reports of preschoolers’ anxiety symptoms at Time 2 were positively predicted by both strong power-assertive discipline and mild power-assertive discipline at Time 1. Moreover, the prospective relation between mild power-assertive discipline and preschoolers’ anxiety symptoms was moderated by preschoolers’ forgiveness. This study extended previous research on power-assertive discipline by showing that strong power-assertive discipline and mild power-assertive discipline are two distinct forms of discipline, which independently exert adverse impacts on preschoolers’ mental well-being. Further, this study demonstrated that the preschoolers’ trait forgiveness can protect them against anxiety in the face of mild power-assertive discipline.

The impact of maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety on children\u2019s emotional problems: a systematic review

Maternal mental health problems during pregnancy and the postnatal period are a major public health issue. Despite evidence that symptoms of both depression and anxiety are common during pregnancy and the postpartum, the impact of maternal anxiety on the child has received relatively less attention than the impact of maternal depression. Furthermore, the evidence base for the direct impact of maternal anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum on children’s emotional outcomes lacks cohesion. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the empirical evidence regarding the impact of maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety on children’s emotional outcomes. Overall, both maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety have a small adverse effect on child emotional outcomes. However, the evidence appears stronger for the negative impact of prenatal anxiety. Several methodological weaknesses make conclusions problematic and replication of findings is required to improve the identification of at-risk parents and children with appropriate opportunities for intervention and prevention.

The Prevalence and Psychopathological Correlates of Sibling Bullying in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Using data from a prospective population based study, the prevalence and psychopathological correlates of sibling bullying in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were estimated. There were 475 children with ASD and 13,702 children without ASD aged 11 years. Children with ASD were more likely to be bullied by their siblings compared to those without ASD. They were also more likely than those without ASD to both bully and be bullied by their siblings, which was associated with lower prosocial skills as well as more internalizing and externalizing problems compared to those not involved in any sibling bullying. Interventions to improve social and emotional outcomes in children with ASD should focus on both the affected and the unaffected sibling.

Does fathers' and mothers' rumination predict emotional symptoms in their children?

Although rumination can have a negative influence on the family environment and the quality of parent-child interactions, there is little research on the role of parental rumination in predicting adverse child outcomes over time. This longitudinal study examined whether mothers' and fathers' brooding rumination would each uniquely predict emotional symptoms in preschool children. The initial sample consisted of 160 families (including 50 mothers with past depression, 33 fathers with past depression, and 7 fathers with current depression according to the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV). Families were seen at two times separated by 16months. Children's mean age at the entry into the study was 3.9years (SD=0.8). Each parent independently completed the Ruminative Response Scale, the Child Behavior Checklist, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Fathers' brooding rumination significantly predicted children's emotional symptoms over 16months when controlling for child emotional symptoms, couple adjustment, parents' depressive symptoms, mothers' brooding and reflective rumination, and fathers' reflective rumination at baseline. Unexpectedly, mothers' brooding rumination did not significantly predict child emotional symptoms over time. Correlational analyses showed significant associations between parents' rumination and lower levels of couple adjustment. Findings suggest that fathers' brooding rumination may play a unique role in their children's emotional outcomes. If these findings are replicated, studies should examine the processes by which these links occur and their implications for clinical interventions. Rumination is prevalent among individuals with depression, but to date no studies have examined the possible role of mothers' and fathers' brooding rumination in predicting children's emotional symptoms. Fathers' brooding rumination was positively associated with children's emotional symptoms over time when controlling for mothers' rumination and other important characteristics. Parental rumination might be a promising target for both prevention and intervention strategies for parents with depression and their children. The findings of this study could inform parenting interventions (e.g., educate parents about the possible effects of rumination on family interactions and children's outcomes, help parents notice when they ruminate, teach them to replace rumination with more adaptive strategies). The findings should be interpreted with caution. The study relied on self-reports, and therefore, the data are subject to shared method variance which may have artificially inflated associations between parent and child outcomes. The sample consisted of well-educated parents, and therefore, the findings should be generalized to other populations with caution.

The Effects of "Bias Based Bullying" (BBB) on Health, Education, and Cognitive-Social-Emotional Outcomes in Children with Minority Backgrounds: Proposed Comprehensive Public Health Intervention Solutions.

“Bias Based Bullying” is defined as physical, verbal, social, or cyber-based threats directed toward a minority population based upon race, ethnicity, religious belief, gender, or sexual orientation and includes a “systematic abuse of power that is characterized by intentionality, frequency, and imbalance of power. Implicit and explicit Bias Based Bullying are associated with several negative health outcomes for adolescents and adults from minority backgrounds including: (1) depressive symptoms, (2) decreased quality of life, (3) anxiety, (4) low self-esteem, and (5) conduct disorders. Children who experience bullying report significantly more negative externalization and internalization of problems with some indication of links to poor academic functioning (Vaillancourt, et al, 2013). The extreme economic cost to the public for Bias Based Bullying (BBB) can be measured by considering the long term health and education effects of BBB, which reached over $2 trillion dollars in 2015, according to one large scale estimate from cumulative academic studies across the nation. Overall, an early intervention, public health, Bias Based Bullying program with comprehensive investment from all levels of stakeholders in public and private platforms should be explored further through research intensive programs that identify the specific needs of vulnerable subgroup populations, with intention to positively affect child health, cognitive-social-emotional wellbeing, and academic performance for children subjected to BBB and to reduce the overall culture and tolerance of those who perpetrate BBB.

Developmental change in the association between adolescent depressive symptoms and the home environment: results from a longitudinal, genetically informative investigation.

BackgroundDepression is already highly prevalent by late adolescence, indicating that research into its developmental emergence should consider earlier risk factors and environmental contexts. The home environment is a key context for children and adolescents throughout development. However, the nature of relationships that exist between aspects of the home environment and the development of depressive symptoms cannot be assumed. Genetically informative studies have been used to provide insights about the aetiology of such relationships, often finding them to be partly confounded by the influence of children's genes. Here, we investigate developmental change in the aetiology of the association between aspects of the home environment and depressive symptoms at the onset of adolescence.MethodsWe used longitudinal child‐ and parent‐report data from >5,000 twin pairs enrolled in the UK‐representative Twins Early Development Study. Multivariate, genetically sensitive structural equation models were used to decompose latent variance and covariance in depressive symptoms (measured at 12 and 16 years) and aspects of the home environment (at 9 and 14 years) into genetic and environmental influences.ResultsGoing from childhood to adolescence, genetic influences accounted for an increasing proportion of the association [30% (16–42) of r = .44 in childhood; 40% (25–61) of r = .43 in adolescence], at the expense of shared environmental influences, which decreased from 70% (58–83) to 48% (29–62). Unique environmental influences accounted for a significant proportion of the association in adolescence only [12% (06–18)]. Developmental changes could largely be attributed to subtle shifts in the relative importance of stable aetiological factors, rather than the emergence of influences unique to adolescence.ConclusionsThese findings emphasise the importance of developmental and aetiological context in interpreting associations between aspects of the home environment and child emotional outcomes.

A Role for the Placenta in Programming Maternal Mood and Childhood Behavioural Disorders.

Substantial data demonstrate that the early‐life environment, including in utero, plays a key role in later life disease. In particular, maternal stress during pregnancy has been linked to adverse behavioural and emotional outcomes in children. Data from human cohort studies and experimental animal models suggest that modulation of the developing epigenome in the foetus by maternal stress may contribute to the foetal programming of disease. Here, we summarise insights gained from recent studies that may advance our understanding of the role of the placenta in mediating the association between maternal mood disorders and offspring outcomes. First, the placenta provides a record of exposures during pregnancy, as indicated by changes in the placental trancriptome and epigenome. Second, prenatal maternal mood may alter placental function to adversely impact foetal and child development. Finally, we discuss the less well established but interesting possibility that altered placental function, more specifically changes in placental hormones, may adversely affect maternal mood and later maternal behaviour, which can also have consequence for offspring well‐being.

Long-term functional and behavioral–emotional outcomes in children with early cochlear implants: Parental testimonies

Objectives(1) To assess the long-term effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on speech perception and school life, and (2) to evaluate behavioral and emotional development, including social skills, post-implantation. MethodsWe telephoned caregivers and asked them a standardized questionnaire. We used the data to explore the daily lives (including school life) of children who had undergone CI before the age of 4 years and who had used the device for >10 years. We also evaluated behavioral/emotional development. ResultsMost children used CI devices for virtually all their waking moments and attended mainstream schools. Moreover, more than 75% of them could comprehend common phrases or conversations without lip-reading and carry out a telephone conversation with a person known to them. The mean T-scores for all scales of behavioral/emotional assessment, including those concerning social skills, were within the normal ranges, although scores on the competence scale were lower than those on other scales. ConclusionsThis long-term study of early-CI children shows that CI improves not only speech perception, but also behavioral/emotional development, including social skills.

Parent–child cohesion, friend companionship and left-behind children's emotional adaptation in rural China

Using cross-sectional data from rural left-behind children aged 10–17 years in the Henan Province of China, the present study examined the roles of father–child cohesion, mother–child cohesion, and friend companionship in emotional adaptation (loneliness, depression, and life satisfaction) among children left behind by both of their rural-to-urban migrant parents compared to those with only a migrating father. The results indicated that the children with two migrating parents were disadvantaged according to their demonstration of depression but not in loneliness or life satisfaction. Both parent–child cohesion and friend companionship were directly associated with, to varying extents, the left-behind children's emotional outcomes. Moreover, friend companionship moderated the association between father–child cohesion and emotional outcomes among children with two migrating parents, but the moderating effects of friend companionship did not exist among children with only a migrating father. The implications of these findings for interventions directed at left-behind children are discussed.

Effects of socioeconomic status on maternal and child positive behaviors in daily life among youth with asthma.

Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with poorer behavioral and emotional outcomes in children with asthma. This study investigated the associations between maternal income and education and naturalistically observed behaviors and affect during everyday parent-child interactions. 53 predominantly low-income youth with asthma, aged 10-17 years, wore a naturalistic event-sampling device, the Electronically Activated Recorder, for 4 days to assess mother and child positive behaviors and affect in daily life. Maternal education, but not income, was positively associated with child positive behaviors, displays of mother and child positive affect, and increased maternal responsiveness. Maternal positive affect and maternal responsiveness mediated the effect of maternal education on child positive affect. Our findings suggest that maternal education has an important influence on the socioemotional adjustment of youth with asthma and point to the importance of investigating the independent influence of socioeconomic status components on everyday parent-child interactions.