Child Behaviour Problems Research Articles

Sexual Minority Status and Academic Achievement During the Transition to Adolescence Among Youth With Childhood Conduct Problems

Youth with conduct problems have poorer academic outcomes than their typically developing peers. The objective of the current study was to examine how sexual minority status was associated with trajectories of teacher-rated mathematics and language arts (i.e., reading and writing) achievement in seven consecutive years across the transition to adolescence among youth with childhood histories of conduct problems ( N = 383). Sexual minority status (as assessed via indicators of identity, attraction, or behavior during adolescence in the eighth year of the study) was not associated with initial mathematics or language arts performance at time 1, but was associated with declining mathematics achievement during the transition to adolescence. These findings suggest that sexual minority status is linked to change in some aspects academic achievement among youth already at risk for poorer academic achievement (i.e., youth with conduct problems).

Explaining the influence of non-shared environment (NSE) on symptoms of behaviour problems from preschool to adulthood: mind the missing NSE gap.

Individual differences in symptoms of behaviour problems in childhood and adolescence are not primarily due to nature or nurture - another substantial source of variance is non-shared environment (NSE). However, few specific environmental factors have been found to account for these NSE estimates. This creates a 'missing NSE' gap analogous to the 'missing heritability' gap, which refers to the shortfall in identifying DNA differences responsible for heritability. We assessed the extent to which variance in behaviour problem symptoms during the first two decades of life can be accounted for by measured NSE effects after controlling for genetics and shared environment. The sample included 4,039 pairs of twins in the Twins Early Development Study whose environments and symptoms of behaviour problems were assessed in preschool, childhood, adolescence and early adulthood via parent, teacher and self-reports. Twin-specific environments were assessed via parent-reports, including early life adversity, parental feelings, parental discipline and classroom environment. Multivariate longitudinal twin model-fitting was employed to estimate the variance in behaviour problem symptoms at each age that could be predicted by environmental measures at the previous age. On average across childhood, adolescence and adulthood, parent-rated NSE composite measures accounted for 3.4% of the reliable NSE variance (1.0% of the total variance) in parent-rated, symptoms of behaviour problems, 0.5% (0.1%) in teacher-rated symptoms and 0.9% (0.5%) in self-rated symptoms after controlling for genetics, shared environment and error of measurement. Cumulatively across development, our parent-rated NSE measures in preschool, childhood and adolescence predicted 4.7% of the NSE variance (2.0% of the total variance) in parent-rated and 0.3% (0.2%) in self-rated behaviour problem symptoms in adulthood. The missing NSE gap between variance explained by measured environments and total NSE variance is large. Home and classroom environments are more likely to influence behaviour problem symptoms via genetics than via NSE.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Compressed Caregiver Training Program to Treat Child Behavior Problems.

In an effort to address some of the criticisms of Behavioral Parent Training programs (BPT; high attrition, reliance on caregiver report measures), the current study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and outcome of an intensive behavior treatment program (120-minute sessions for 5 days/week over the course of 2 weeks). Using a changing criterion single case experimental design, 12 children (M child age = 4.9 years) and their primary caregivers completed the 2-week function-based intervention procedure designed to increase children's frustration tolerance via a wait training procedure based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Using both direct observation and standardized measures, results indicated that the treatment was effective in reducing childhood behavior problems, both within and between appointments (Cohen's ds = 3.2 and 1.37, respectively). Preliminary evidence suggests that a compressed treatment package designed to train caregivers in function-based intervention strategies is feasible and acceptable.

Middle childhood and adolescence sleep duration and behavior problems in adolescence.

We examined the associations of middle childhood and adolescence nighttime sleep duration with adolescence internalizing and externalizing behavior problems per the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaires, in a cohort of 889 Colombian schoolchildren. We estimated adjusted differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in mean behavior problem t-scores in standardized units between recommended sleep duration categories and as a continuous exposure using multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline models, respectively. Compared with sleep duration within recommendations, middle childhood sleep above recommendations was related to 4.6 (95% CI: 1.6, 7.6; p = .004) and 5.4 (95% CI: 1.2, 9.7; p = .01) adjusted units higher YSR and CBCL externalizing problem scores, respectively. In continuous exposure analyses, this association seemed restricted to children aged ≥11 years. Longer sleep, both in categories and as a continuous exposure, was also associated with increased CBCL internalizing problems. Results did not differ by sex or weekend/weekday sleep. Sleeping under recommendations in middle childhood was not significantly related to behavior problems; nevertheless, shorter sleep in adolescence, in both categorical and continuous scales, was significantly related to behavior problems. In conclusion, behavior problems in adolescence are associated with longer sleep in middle childhood and shorter sleep in adolescence.

Patterns of adverse childhood experiences among Chinese preschool parents and the intergenerational transmission of risk to offspring behavioural problems: moderating by coparenting quality

ABSTRACT Background: Although intergenerational transmission of ACEs among parents and their offspring have been extensively studied in the West, few studies have been conducted in China on preschool children and their parents, and explore the protective fact for the intergeneration transmission. Objective: Using latent class analysis and moderation model, this study examined the associations between patterns of adverse childhood experiences of Chinese preschool parents and behavioural problems in their children and whether coparenting quality plays a protective role in this relationship. Method: A retrospective study was conducted on 3091 parent–child dyads from 11 kindergartens in the northern, central, and southern Anhui provinces in China. Online questionnaires were used to collect the data. Parents reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and provided information on their children's behavioural problems and perceived coparenting quality. Latent class analysis and a moderating model were used to examine the associations between patterns of adverse childhood experiences of Chinese preschool parents and behavioural problems in their children, and the moderating role of coparenting quality. Results: Four classes were identified: a high ACEs group, a violent victimisation group, a child abuse and physical neglect group, and a low ACEs group. Increasing levels of co-parenting quality were associated with reduced parent-reported child behaviour problems for all classes, and that potentially buffering effect was significantly stronger for the low ACEs class than for children whose parents in high ACEs class. Conclusions: Exposure to high ACEs increases the risk of developing behavioural problems in offspring, and coparenting quality may serve as a protective mechanism for intergenerational transmission. Future research should develop and implement interventions to support disadvantaged, at-risk parents and promote coparenting quality.

Examining Influences on Problem Recognition and Help-Seeking for Child Externalizing Behaviors Among African American Mothers

Childhood behavior problems are one of the most common clinical referrals. If left untreated, these behaviors can result in detrimental consequences to the child’s development (Wehmeier et al., 2010; Scholtens et al., 2012). Behavior parent training has been identified as first-line treatment for oppositional behavior; however, many racial minority families fail to enroll in behavior parent training. The current study examines maternal help-seeking for children displaying oppositional behavior in hopes to delineate variables that might influence parent training enrollment among African American families. Participants were 112 African American mothers who were provided child behavior vignettes and completed measures assessing factors related to problem recognition, parental attributions, child rearing values, mental health stigmatization, racial identity, and treatment utilization. Results found that when presented with a child displaying clinically significant externalizing child behaviors, slightly more than half of African American mothers recognized clinically significant child behavior problems. Mothers were more likely to engage in behavioral parent training if problematic behavior was recognized. Additionally, mothers’ attributions of child behavior, cultural values, and mental health stigmatization were influential to help seeking. This study supports the importance of considering cultural variables that impact problem recognition and subsequent treatment utilization among African American families.

Assessment of Boys' Responses to Interpersonal Conflict in Virtual Reality.

Background: Continuous advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have increased its potential for clinical use in the research, assessment, and treatment of mental health difficulties. One potential target for VR use is childhood behavior problems, which are often associated with social-cognitive deficits that can be difficult to measure or modify. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 36 boys between the ages of 8-13 to assess the usability of a VR device and its feasibility as a psychiatric tool for youth. Each participant experienced three virtual school cafeteria scenes that varied in antisocial content and the intentions of a virtual counterpart (VC) (control, ambiguous, or hostile). Following each scene, participants completed questions about ease and comfort in using the headset as well as an assessment of hostile attribution bias (HAB). HAB is the tendency to attribute hostile motivations to others' behaviors, which contributes to antisocial thoughts and behaviors. Following this VR use, participants completed a standard text assessment of HAB. Results: In general, participants reported the VR headset to be enjoyable and easy to use, and scenes worked as intended, with VCs in the hostile scene rated the meanest. In addition, boys with more conduct problems reported that virtual characters were meaner to them, despite no difference in text vignette measures of HAB. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the further development of VR programs to assess and treat childhood behavior problems.

Prenatal Programming of Behavior Problems via Second-by-Second Infant Emotion Dynamics

Fetal adaptations to prenatal maternal stress may confer high risk for childhood behavior problems, potentially operating via dynamic fluctuations in infants’ emotions during mother–infant interactions. These fluctuations over time may give rise to behavior problems. Among a sample of 210 low-income mothers of Mexican origin and their 24-week-old infants, dynamic structural equation modeling was used to examine whether within-infant second-by-second emotion processes were predicted by maternal prenatal stress and predicted behavior problems at 36 and 54 months. The mean level around which infant negative affect fluctuated was related to prenatal stress, but not to childhood behavior problems. The volatility in infant negative affect, reflecting greater ebb and flow in infant negative affect during playful interaction, was predicted by prenatal stress and predicted enduring behavior problems in childhood. Results highlight a potential child-driven pathway linking prenatal exposure with childhood behavior problems via infant negative emotional volatility.

Maternal and paternal anxiety during pregnancy: Comparing the effects on behavioral problems in offspring.

Prenatal maternal anxiety has been associated with both short and long-term mental health problems in the child. The current study aims to examine the association between maternal and paternal prenatal anxiety and behaviour problems in the child at 1.5 and 5 years, using three different approaches; (1) adjusting for covariates, (2) using fathers’ anxiety during pregnancy as a negative control, and (3) using a sibling-comparison design, controlling for unmeasured family factors. We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is used. MoBa is a cohort consisting of about 114 000 pregnancies (about 34000 siblings) recruited from 1999 to 2008. Self-reported measures on maternal anxiety were obtained twice in pregnancy and 6 months after birth, while paternal anxiety was reported prenatally at 17th weeks of gestation. Maternal reports on child behaviour problems were obtained at 1.5 and 5 years of age. Results suggests that prenatal exposure to maternal anxiety was associated with behaviour problems at 1.5 years: adjusted beta (β) = 0.13 (CI = 0.12, 0.15), and at 5 years: β = 0.11 (CI = 0.09, 0.14). However, paternal anxiety was also associated with behaviour problems at 1.5 years: β = 0.03 (CI = 0.01–0.03) and at 5 years β = 0.03 (CI = 0.02, 0.03). These associations were attenuated in the sibling comparison analyses: β = -0.02 (CI = -0.02–0.05) at 1.5 years and β = -0.05 (CI = -0.10, 0.02) at 5 years. In conclusions, the sibling analyses are not consistent with a direct effect of prenatal maternal anxiety on child behaviour problems. It is more likely that genetic or shared family environment explain this association.

Invited discussant comments during the UCL-Penn Global Covid Study webinar 'Family Life: Stress, Relationship Conflict and Child Adjustment'.

The main objective of this article is to comment on the findings presented during the UCL-Penn Global Covid Study webinar, 'Family Life: Stress, Relationship Conflict and Child Adjustment' by Portnoy and colleagues. The study examined the ways in which family stress conflict has been affected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Informed by the transactional models of parent-child behaviour, the authors are specifically interested in exploring the effect of child adjustment on parental outcomes. The study, currently under consideration for publication, found that child emotional and conduct problems predicted changes in parental depression and stress during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Child hyperactivity predicted parental stress, but not depression. None of the child behaviour problems (emotional problems, conduct problems and hyperactivity) predicted parental relational conflict. This article discusses reasons why the study under consideration did not find a significant effect on relational conflict and posts questions that can be addressed in future studies.

Using Time-out for Child Conduct Problems in the Context of Trauma and Adversity

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences substantially increases the risk of chronic health problems. Originally designed to treat child conduct problems, parent management training programs have been shown to be effective in preventing children from being exposed to further adversity and supporting children's recovery from adversity; however, there are increasing concerns that a core component of these programs, the discipline strategy time-out, may be harmful for children with a history of exposure to adversity. To investigate the comparative benefits and potential harms to children exposed to adversity that are associated with parenting programs that include time-out. This nonrandomized waiting list-controlled clinical study was conducted at a specialist clinic for the treatment of conduct problems in Sydney, Australia. The self-referred sample included children with conduct problems and their caregivers. Eligibility was confirmed through clinician-administered interviews. Data were collected between February 14, 2018, and February 1, 2021. Caregivers participated in a 10-session, social learning-based parent management training program. Caregivers were provided with parenting strategies aimed at encouraging desired behaviors through effective reinforcement and managing misbehavior through consistent limit setting, including the use of time-outs. The primary outcome was the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score, and secondary outcomes included subscale scores from the clinician-administered Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Adolescents, and Parents. Multi-informant measures of child adversity were collected using the parent-reported Adverse Life Experiences Scale and the clinician-rated Maltreatment Index. A total of 205 children were included in analysis (156 in the full intervention and 49 in the control condition; 158 boys [77.1%]; mean [SD] age, 5.6 [1.8] years [range, 2-9 years]). Compared with children with low adversity exposure, children with high adversity exposure showed greater reductions in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score from baseline (mean difference, 3.46 [95% CI, 1.51-5.41]; P < .001) to after treatment (mean difference, 1.49 [95% CI, -0.46 to 3.44]; P = .13) and in the internalizing symptom subscale score (baseline mean difference, 1.00 [95% CI, -2,00 to 0.00]; P = .50; posttreatment mean difference, 0.06 [95% CI, -0.82 to 0.94]; P = .90). No significant differences in the externalizing symptom subscale score were found. In this nonrandomized clinical study, children with high exposure to adversity experienced equivalent, if not greater, benefits associated with parenting programs that include time-out compared with children with low exposure to adversity. Results suggest that time-out was an effective component of parenting programs for children exposed to adversity. anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12617001472369.

Video feedback parent-infant intervention for mothers experiencing enduring difficulties in managing emotions and relationships: A randomised controlled feasibility trial.

Parents experiencing mental health difficulties consistent with "personality disorder", often related to a history of complex trauma, may face increased challenges in parent-child relationships and child socioemotional development. There are no published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating perinatal parent-child interventions for this population. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of undertaking an RCT of the video feedback intervention for positive parenting adapted for perinatal mental health (VIPP-PMH). Feasibility study incorporating a pilot RCT. Mothers with enduring difficulties in managing emotions and relationships, consistent with a "personality disorder", and their 6- to 36-month old infants were randomly allocated to receive six sessions of VIPP-PMH (n=20) or usual care alone (n=14). 76% of eligible mothers consented to participate. Intervention uptake and completion rates were 95% (≥1 VIPP-PMH session) and 70% (6 sessions), respectively. Follow-up rates were 85% at month 5 and 65% at month 8 post-baseline. Blinded observer-ratings of maternal sensitivity in parent-child interaction favoured the intervention group at month 5 (RR=1.94, 95% CI 0.67-5.63) and month 8 (RR=1.91, 95% CI 0.68-5.33). Small changes over time in self-rated parenting confidence and stress favoured the intervention group. There were no clear intervention effects on maternal non-intrusiveness or mental health, or on child behaviour problems, emotional functioning, or self-regulation. An RCT of VIPP-PMH is feasible and acceptable to implement with mothers experiencing difficulties consistent with perinatal "personality disorder". A fully powered definitive RCT should be undertaken.

The Role of Parenting Behaviour and Social Support on The Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Behavioural Outcomes of Autistic Children

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging as the parents face many difficulties. In relation to this, parents with ASD children often experience more parenting stress than parents with typically developing children and other developmental disabilities. Studies have reported that parenting stress influences child behaviour problems; however, there is inconsistent research findings on the relationship. This is mainly due to the role of third variables (i.e., parenting behaviour and social support) that reveals variability in the research findings. Parenting behaviour in child rearing practices is closely linked with children behavioural outcomes. Research has suggested that negative parenting behaviour is associated with children behavioural problems and most parents act harshly towards their children when there are under stress. This implies that negative parenting behaviour mediates the relationship between parenting stress and children behavioural problems. However, there are also situations where parents with autistic children who experience stress do not practise negative parenting behaviour, in particular those who receive social support. This entails that social support could moderate the negative influence of parenting stress on parental behaviour. There is only a handful of studies that have been conducted on the role of third variables in the parent-autistic child relationship outside the Western context. Thus, there is a need to conduct more research on the role of third variables in non-Western populations, particularly in the Malaysian context. This paper aims to propose an empirical conceptual framework that investigates the role of parenting behaviour in mediating the relationship between parenting stress and autistic children’s behavioural problems and the moderating role of social support in mitigating the effect of parenting stress on parenting behaviour in the Malaysian context.

Parenting stress: Area wise comparison of mothers and fathers of disabled children in Haryana

Parenting is a challenging process. The crucial role of parents and family in caring, nurturing, protecting and socializing young children is well established across the cultures. Parenting stress may undermine the quality of parent-child interactions as well as the quality of relationships between parents; it also has been linked to behaviour problems in young children. The present study was conducted in Haryana state. Two districts were selected from Haryana state i.e. Hisar and Sirsa. The location was selected purposively due to availability of sample. 200 parents (mothers and father) were selected randomly from both the location for the sample. Parenting Stress Index-short form (PSI-SF) developed by Abidin in 1995 was used to assess the parenting stress among parents. Result revealed that highly significant difference was observed between Sirsa district and Hisar district on the aspect of parenting stress. The mean score showed that parents of Sirsa district have higher level of parenting stress than parents of Hisar district.

Bidirectional relationships between parenting stress and child behavior problems in multi-stressed, single-mother families: A cross-lagged panel model.

Investigations on the bidirectional relationships between parenting stress and child behavior problems are important to inform intervention strategies; however, prior research has provided inconsistent findings. Using a national sample of multi-stressed single-mother families from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, the present study examined the bidirectional relationships between maternal parenting stress and children's behavioral problems spanning from early childhood through adolescence at the child's ages 3, 5, 9, and 15. Reciprocal transactions were found between parenting stress and behavior problems in early childhood between the ages 3 and 5. From age 5 to age 15, our findings also suggest that children's behavior problems at an earlier time point predict mothers' parenting stress at a later time point. Unexpectedly, the lagged effects of parenting stress on child behavior problems in school ages were not significant in our sampled data. Early childhood interventions should address mitigating both parenting stress and their toddlers' behavior problems. During middle childhood and adolescence, interventions to directly address children's behavior problems are critical both to the well-being of mothers and to assist in the reduction in levels of behavior problems.

Long-term associations between early-life family functioning and preadolescent white matter microstructure.

Causes of childhood behavior problems remain poorly understood. Enriched family environments and corresponding brain development may reduce the risk of their onset, but research investigating white matter neurodevelopmental pathways explaining associations between the family environment and behavior remains limited. We hypothesized that more positive prenatal and mid-childhood family functioning - a measure of a family's problem solving and supportive capacity - would be associated with two markers of preadolescent white matter neurodevelopment related to reduced behavior problems: higher global fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower global mean diffusivity (MD). Data are from 2727 families in the Generation R Study, the Netherlands. Mothers reported family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device, range 1-4, higher scores indicate healthier functioning) prenatally and in mid-childhood (mean age 6.1 years). In preadolescence (mean age 10.1), the study collected diffusion-weighted scans. We computed standardized global MD and FA values by averaging metrics from 27 white matter tracts, and we fit linear models adjusting for possible confounders to examine global and tract-specific outcomes. Prenatal and mid-childhood family functioning scores were moderately correlated, r = 0.38. However, only prenatal family functioning - and not mid-childhood functioning - was associated with higher global FA and lower global MD in preadolescence in fully adjusted models: βglobal FA = 0.11 (95% CI 0.00, 0.21) and βglobal MD = -0.15 (95% CI -0.28, -0.03) per one-unit increase in functioning score. Sensitivity and tract-specific analyses supported these global findings. These results suggest high-functioning prenatal or perinatal family environments may confer lasting white matter neurodevelopmental benefits into preadolescence.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Face-Emotion Recognition as Mediators in Conduct Problems of Children With ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with increased risk for conduct problems (CP), as well as with callous-unemotional traits (CUt) and lower accuracy in face emotional recognition (FER). It is unclear, however, whether CUt and low accuracy in FER contribute to the risk for CP in ADHD. The present study investigated the possibility of such contribution. This pilot study's participants included 31 children aged 7-17 years, diagnosed with ADHD, and treated in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. The parents rated their children on the ADHD Rating Scale, Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, and the Child Behavior Checklist-Conduct Problems scale. Participants completed the Hebrew version of the children's Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (cRMET)-a Theory of Mind measure. A bootstrapped multiple mediator model was used, adjusting for age and gender. ADHD symptoms were associated with CP. This association was not mediated by CUt or cRMET. CUt was associated with CP independent of ADHD symptom severity. ADHD symptoms and CUt both should be considered when assessing risk for CP and devising a treatment plan, in children with ADHD. Current results did not confirm the hypothesis that cRMET and CUt mediate between ADHD symptoms and CP. More studies employing larger samples, longitudinal design, and other emotion recognition measures are needed.

Maternal use of corporal punishment and behavior problems in early childhood: A sibling comparison analysis

BackgroundPrevious research demonstrates that there are environmental and genetic factors associated with the use of corporal punishment (CP) and children's behavior problems. Thus, it is difficult to disentangle whether CP has a causal effect on children's developmental outcomes. ObjectiveThis study explored the relationship between maternal use of CP at ages 3–4 years and symptoms of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems between the ages of 6 and 9 years using a sibling comparison design. In doing so, we were able to control for shared environmental factors and partially control for genetic factors that could explain the relationship between CP and behavior problems. MethodsThis study analyzed data from 11,506 children from the United States. We used generalized linear models to assess the relationship between the use of CP and behavior problems among biological siblings raised in the same home. ResultsAt the population level, CP was significantly associated with the development of internalizing behavior problems (β = 0.134, SE = 0.03, p < .001). When comparing siblings, this relationship was no longer significant. In contrast, CP was significantly associated with externalizing behavior problems at both the population (β = 0.233, SE = 0.02, p < .001) and sibling comparison level (β = 0.107, SE = 0.03, p < .001). ConclusionWe did not find evidence to suggest that the association between CP and externalizing behavior problems is due to environmental and genetic factors exclusively. Corroborating previous research, these results suggest that CP may increase the likelihood of externalizing behavior problems.

Parent report of child behaviour: Findings from the Flint Registry cohort.

BackgroundChildren in Flint, Michigan, have multiple risk factors for behavioural challenges, including exposure to lead during the Flint water crisis. However, their behavioural health status is largely unknown. Robust data from the Flint Registry can help understand the burden of behavioural outcomes and inform the allocation of resources.ObjectivesThis population‐level evaluation of Flint children's behavioural outcomes aims to answer the question: What is the burden of parent‐reported child behaviour problems in Flint Registry enrolled children?MethodsThis cross‐sectional study describes parent‐reported behavioural outcomes of children 2–17 years old who enrolled in the Flint Registry between December 2018 and December 2020. Parents/guardians completed behavioural assessments including the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC‐3) Parent Rating Scale and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF2) Screening Parent Form. Demographics of enrolees were compared with census data. Composite BASC‐3 T scores were compared with national norms. Distributions for clinically relevant categories of BASC‐3 and BRIEF2 scores were examined across age and sex groups.ResultsOf the 3579 children included in this study (mean age 9.73 ± 3.96 years), about half were female and 79.7% were eligible for free or reduced‐price lunch. Almost half of the children were reported to have clinically concerning scores on the BASC‐3 Parent Rating Scale (44.7%) and the BRIEF2 Screening Parent Form (46.7%). Across most age and sex groupings, the reported adaptive skills were relatively low and behaviour symptoms relatively high.ConclusionsResults reveal a substantial burden of parent‐reported behavioural problems in Flint Registry children. This is clinically significant and indicates that a large number of children may require comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation and potential medical and/or educational services. Recognising the potential for long‐term manifestations of childhood exposures to environmental hazards, longitudinal surveillance is critical to continue to identify and support participants.

Maternal depressive symptoms and infant temperament in the first year of life predict child behavior at 36 months of age

In a longitudinal study, mothers (N = 50) self-reported on their depressive symptoms (DS) and their child’s behavior during the first year and at 36 months postpartum. Maternal DS during infancy were associated with child conduct problems (CP), suggesting a long-term association between maternal mental health and the development of child behavior. Infant temperament was also associated with child behavior so that negative affect predicted child CP, while infant surgency was associated with later hyperactivity-inattention. This study contributes to the literature by jointly assessing the role of maternal DS and infant temperament and showing that these are independent predictors of childhood behavior.