Children's Socioemotional Development Research Articles

The effectiveness of the peer-delivered Thinking Healthy PLUS (THPP+) Program for maternal depression and child socioemotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

The effectiveness of the peer-delivered Thinking Healthy PLUS (THPP+) Program for maternal depression and child socioemotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

The effectiveness of the peer delivered Thinking Healthy Plus (THPP+) Programme for maternal depression and child socio-emotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThe negative effects of perinatal depression on the mother and child start early and persist throughout the lifecourse (Lancet 369(9556):145–57, 2007; Am J Psychiatry 159(1):43-7, 2002; Arch Dis Child 77(2):99–101, 1997; J Pak Med Assoc 60(4):329; J Psychosoma Res 49(3):207–16, 2000; Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 14(1):1–27, 2011). Given that 10–35 % of children worldwide are exposed to perinatal depression in their first year of life (Int Rev Psychiatry 8(1):37–54, 1996), mitigating this intergenerational risk is a global public health priority (Perspect Public Health 129(5):221–7, 2009; Trop Med Int Health 13(4):579–83, 2008; Br Med Bull 101(1):57–79, 2012). However, it is not clear whether intervention with depressed women can have long-term benefits for the mother and/or her child. We describe a study of the effectiveness of a peer-delivered depression intervention delivered through 36 postnatal months, the Thinking Healthy Program Peer-delivered PLUS (THPP+) for women and their children in rural Pakistan.Methods/designThe THPP+ study aims are: (1) to evaluate the effects of an extended 36-month perinatal depression intervention on maternal and index child outcomes using a cluster randomized controlled trial (c-RCT) and (2) to determine whether outcomes among index children of perinatally depressed women in the intervention arm converge with those of index children born to perinatally nondepressed women. The trial is designed to recruit 560 pregnant women who screened positive for perinatal depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) from 40 village clusters, of which 20 receive the THPP+ intervention. An additional reference group consists of 560 perinatally nondepressed women from the same 40 clusters as the THPP+ trial. The women in the nondepressed group are not targeted to receive the THPP+ intervention; but, by recruiting pregnant women from both intervention and control clusters, we are able to evaluate any carryover effects of the THPP+ intervention on the women and their children. Perinatally depressed women in the THPP+ intervention arm receive bimonthly group-based sessions. Primary outcomes are 3-year maternal depression and 3-year child development indicators. Analyses are intention-to-treat and account for the clustered design.DiscussionThis trial, together with the reference group, has the potential to further our understanding of the early developmental lifecourse of children of both perinatally depressed and perinatally nondepressed women in rural Pakistan and to determine whether intervening with women’s depression in the perinatal period can mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on 36-month child development.Trial registrationTHPP-P ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02111915 (registered on 9 April 2014).THPP+ ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02658994 (registered on 21 January 2016).Sponsor: Human Development Research Foundation (HDRF).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1530-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The effectiveness of the peer delivered Thinking Healthy Plus (THPP+) Programme for maternal depression and child socio-emotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial

The effectiveness of the peer delivered Thinking Healthy Plus (THPP+) Programme for maternal depression and child socio-emotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial

생애 초기 보육경험과 만 4세 유아의 사회정서발달 간 관계

The present study aimed at investigating the relations between the amount of child care experienced in the first three years of life and socioemotional development of children at age 4 indicated by problem behaviors and peer competence. Using the longitudinal data of the Panel Study of Korean Children(PSKC), the information of 1,699 children were analyzed. The results indicated that any child care experience, hours in child care, full-time child care and early entry to child care were significantly related to children's externalizing behavior problem and play disruption at age 4. Some significant relations were detected between child care experience and better peer competence as well. Interestingly, the patterns of relations were different for boys and girls. Being in child care, a greater amount of child care and early entry to child care tended to be related to externalizing problem behaviors of boys and whereas they were more related to peer competence of girls indicated by play interaction, play disruption and play disconnection. Child care hours at age 3 were relative stronger predictors of children's development compared to those at age 1 or at age 2. The findings imply that the amount of child care during the first 3 years of life does not have strong harmful effects on preschoolers' socioemotional development and that there are differences in the effects of child care on boys and girls.

Parent-Child Positive Touch: Gender, Age, and Task Differences.

This study examined gender, age, and task differences in positive touch and physical proximity during mother–child and father–child conversations. Sixty-five Spanish mothers and fathers and their 4- (M = 53.50 months, SD = 3.54) and 6-year-old (M = 77.07 months, SD = 3.94) children participated in this study. Positive touch was examined during a play-related storytelling task and a reminiscence task (conversation about past emotions). Fathers touched their children positively more frequently during the play-related storytelling task than did mothers. Both mothers and fathers were in closer proximity to their 6-year-olds than their 4-year-olds. Mothers and fathers touched their children positively more frequently when reminiscing than when playing. Finally, 6-year-olds remained closer to their parents than did 4-year-olds. Implications of these findings for future research on children’s socioemotional development are discussed.

Use of Praise and Reprimands as Critical Ingredients of Teacher Behavior Management: Effects on Children's Development in the Context of a Teacher-Mediated Classroom Intervention.

This intervention study examined teachers' use of verbal praise and reprimands as specific components of teacher behavior management that can promote children's development in schools. The impact of teacher praise and reprimands on children's development was examined in the context of a teacher-mediated, classroom intervention. The sample involved 570 children and 30 teachers from second grade classrooms in 15 primary schools. The Good Behavior Game was implemented in half of the classrooms based on random assignment within schools. Teacher behavior management (praise for appropriate behavior and reprimands for inappropriate behavior) was observed during regular classroom lessons. Hyperactive, disruptive, and withdrawn child behavior were assessed using teacher and peer reports, global self-concept and emotional engagement were assessed using child self-reports. All variables were assessed at the beginning (pre-test) and at the end (post-test) of the school year. Multilevel regression models accounted for the nested structure of the data. The results suggested positive effects of fewer reprimands and more praise on child outcomes (except emotional school engagement), although the results differed by informant. We also found indirect effects of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on child outcomes via teacher praise and reprimands. Overall, the study suggests that teachers' use of praise and reprimands is a malleable classroom factor that influences children's behavioral and socio-emotional development.

Enhancing the early home learning environment through a brief group parenting intervention: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundThe quality of the home learning environment has a significant influence on children’s language and communication skills during the early years with children from disadvantaged families disproportionately affected. This paper describes the protocol and participant baseline characteristics of a community-based effectiveness study. It evaluates the effects of ‘smalltalk’, a brief group parenting intervention (with or without home coaching) on the quality of the early childhood home learning environment.Methods/designThe study comprises two cluster randomised controlled superiority trials (one for infants and one for toddlers) designed and conducted in parallel. In 20 local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia, six locations (clusters) were randomised to one of three conditions: standard care (control); smalltalk group-only program; or smalltalk plus (group program plus home coaching). Programs were delivered to parents experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage through two existing age-based services, the maternal and child health service (infant program, ages 6–12 months), and facilitated playgroups (toddler program, ages 12–36 months). Outcomes were assessed by parent report and direct observation at baseline (0 weeks), post-intervention (12 weeks) and follow-up (32 weeks). Primary outcomes were parent verbal responsivity and home activities with child at 32 weeks. Secondary outcomes included parenting confidence, parent wellbeing and children’s communication, socio-emotional and general development skills. Analyses will use intention-to-treat random effects (“multilevel”) models to account for clustering.Recruitment and baseline dataAcross the 20 LGAs, 986 parents of infants and 1200 parents of toddlers enrolled and completed baseline measures. Eighty four percent of families demonstrated one or more of the targeted risk factors for poor child development (low income; receives government benefits; single, socially isolated or young parent; culturally or linguistically diverse background).DiscussionThis study will provide unique data on the effectiveness of a brief group parenting intervention for enhancing the early home learning environment of young children from disadvantaged families. It will also provide evidence of the extent to which additional one-on-one support is required to achieve change and whether there are greater benefits when delivered in the 1st year of life or later. The program has been designed for scale-up across existing early childhood services if proven effective.Trial registration8 September 2011; ACTRN12611000965909.

Attachment Representation and Sensitivity: The Moderating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Refugee Sample

It has been hypothesized that adult attachment representations guide caregiving behavior and influence parental sensitivity, and thus affect the child's socio-emotional development. Several studies have shown a link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and reduced parental sensitivity, so it is possible that PTSD moderates the relationship between insecure attachment representations and insensitivity. In this study symptoms of PTSD (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), parental sensitivity (Emotional Availability Scales), and attachment representations (Attachment Script Assessment) were assessed in 53 parents who were asylum seekers or refugees. Results showed that when parents were less able to draw on secure attachment representations, symptoms of PTSD increased the risk of insensitive parenting. These findings suggest that parental sensitivity is affected not just by attachment representations, but by a conjunction of risk factors including symptoms of PTSD and insecure attachment representations. These parents should therefore be supported to establish or confirm secure models of attachment experiences, to facilitate their ability interact sensitively and form a secure relationship with their children.

The power of early interventions in families with preterm born children.

The Tromsø Intervention Study on Preterms (TISP) started in 1999 and we may now present results on children's socio-emotional and behavioural development, parental wellbeing and perceptions of the children's quality of life until children's age of nine.

Depression Trajectories of Antenatally Depressed and Nondepressed Young Mothers: Implications for Child Socioemotional Development

ObjectivesThis study explores the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms in young mothers and investigate the consequences of maternal depression for children's birth outcomes and behavioral adjustment. HypothesisAntenatal depression puts children of young mothers at risk for adjustment difficulties by adversely impacting birth outcomes and maternal symptoms after birth. MethodsData were drawn from a three-wave randomized, controlled trial of a statewide home visiting program for young primiparous women. A subsample of women (n = 400) who were prenatal at intake was used in the analysis. Mothers were divided into an antenatally depressed group (ADG; 40%) and a healthy group (HG) based on their symptoms at intake. Mothers reported depressive symptoms at intake and 12- and 24-month follow-up, and filled out a checklist of child behavior problems at 24 months follow-up. Perinatal and birth outcomes were derived from the Electronic Birth Certificate collected by the State Department of Public Health at discharge from the hospital. ResultsADG and HG had similar pregnancy characteristics and birth outcomes, but ADG reported more child behavioral problems. Multigroup latent growth curve analysis provided evidence for distinct depression trajectories. A mediation hypothesis was not supported. In both groups, steeper increase in symptoms over time predicted more mother-reported child behavioral problems. ConclusionsFindings are consistent with studies linking antenatal depression with post-birth symptoms, underscoring the importance of prenatal screening for depression.

Factors Influencing Maternal Behavioral Adaptability: Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Child Negative Affect.

In early childhood, parents play an important role in children's socioemotional development. As such, parent training is a central component of many psychological interventions for young children (Reyno & McGrath, 2006). Maternal depressive symptoms have consistently been linked to maladaptive parenting behaviors (e.g., disengagement, intrusiveness), as well as to lower parent training efficacy in the context of child psychological intervention, suggesting that mothers with higher symptomatology may be less able to be adapt their behavior according to situational demands. The goal of the current study was to examine both maternal and child factors that may influence maternal behavioral adaptability. Ninety-one mothers and their toddlers (M =23.93 months, 59% male) participated in a laboratory visit during which children engaged in a variety of novelty episodes designed to elicit individual differences in fear/withdrawal behaviors. Mothers also completed a questionnaire battery. Maternal behavioral adaptability was operationalized as the difference in scores for maternal involvement, comforting, and protective behavior between episodes in which mothers were instructed to refrain from interaction and those in which they were instructed to act naturally. Results indicated that when children displayed high levels of negative affect in the restricted episodes, mothers with higher levels of depressive symptoms were less able to adapt their involved behavior because they exhibited low rates of involvement across episodes regardless of instruction given. The current study serves as an intermediary step in understanding how maternal depressive symptoms may influence daily interactions with their children as well as treatment implementation and outcomes, and provides initial evidence that maternal internalizing symptoms may contribute to lower behavioral adaptability in the context of certain child behaviors due to consistent low involvement.

Psychosocial Stimulation: A Qualitative Study on Kenyan Mother’s Motives and Challenges to Promote Children’s Development

Interventions designed to enhance the mental and socio-emotional development of children in low and middle income countries through improving psychosocial stimulation are the subject of national and international organizations research and programs. Before new interventions can be designed and tested in low income countries, it is important to understand what psychosocial stimulation mothers are already providing, how beliefs influence the stimulation used, and what challenges are faced by mothers when trying to do this. We aimed to find out what types of stimulation are being commonly used by mothers in Kenya, alongside exploring the beliefs and associated challenges in providing psychosocial stimulation. This is a qualitative study using focus group discussions held in Kisumu, a regional urban centre in Western Kenya, with 35 mothers caring for at least one child under the age of 5 years. Mothers in this study identified four key themes of commonly employed stimulation: singing, play, dancing and story-telling. A range of challenges were raised such as ensuring their child’s basic physiological needs were met, managing marital conflict, and trusting non-familial caregivers, with mothers concerned that their child may be mistreated through accidental or purposeful harm. Findings indicate that mothers in a low income country are faced with multiple challenges when trying to provide psychosocial stimulation for their child’s development. It is important to consider these results when designing an intervention for this setting.

Annual Conference 2015 paper Social and emotional development in nurture groups: The narrative structure of learning through companionship

This paper provides insight into the intersubjective nature of the Nurture Group experience for children in the early stages of primary school. The study investigates the psychological processes involved in the socio-emotional development of children in Nurture Groups and considers how they participate and make meaning through the relationships they build in the groups. A theory of narrative meaning-making guides understanding of the ways in which children make sense of their Nurture Group experience and provides a methodological tool to explore this experience. Over one school year, the children’s interconnectedness with others was measured through their levels of involvement and participatory engagement with people and experiences in the Nurture Group. Patterns of embodied narrative engagement were studied to provide a ‘picture’ of the child’s lived experience, and its development over time.

Multiple attachment relationships and the impacts on children's socio-emotional development under the background of grandmother co-parenting

Multiple attachment relationships and the impacts on children's socio-emotional development under the background of grandmother co-parenting

Learning to Eat: Behavioral and Psychological Aspects.

Because infants are totally dependent upon parents (or other caregivers) for care and sustenance, parents' feeding practices are a key feature of the family environments in which infants and young children learn about food and eating. Feeding practices include not only what the child is fed, but also the how, when, why and how much of feeding. Extensive evidence indicates that parenting behavior influences a variety of child outcomes, including cognitive and socioemotional development, as well as the development of self-regulatory skills. The focus of this chapter is on what is known about how parenting, particularly feeding practices, influences the early development of several aspects of children's eating behavior, including the acquisition of food preferences, self-regulatory skills, children's reactivity to food cues, satiety responsiveness and 'picky eating'. It is argued that traditional feeding practices, which evolved to protect children from environmental threats and ensure adequate intake in the context of food scarcity, can be maladaptive in current environments. An evidence base is needed to inform public policy to reduce early obesity risk in current environments, where too much palatable food is a major threat to child health. Results of recent research provides evidence that promoting responsive feeding practices can alter the development of eating behavior, sleep patterns and early self-regulatory skills, as well as reduce early obesity risk.

The Effects of Parental Socioeconomic Status on Preschoolers’ Social Competence and Cognitive Development：The Role of Parental Warmth and Home Learning Environment

This study was aimed at examining the paths through which family socioeconomic status as indicated by family income and parental education influenced preschool-aged children's socioemotional and cognitive development through the mediating role of parental warmth and the home learning environment. The study made use of data from 1,080 families who participated in the 5th wave of the Panel Study on Korean Children, when their children were approximately 4 years of age. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that the models, including both parental warmth and the home learning environment did not fit the data well. The effects of warmth on social competence and cognitive development were not statistically significant. The modified models, using the home learning environment as a mediator between family SES and child's developmental outcomes showed that higher level of family income and parental education predicted a more cognitively stimulating home environment, which in turn, predicted a child's greater levels of social competence and positive cognitive development. The social competence of preschool-aged children again significantly predicted their cognitive development. The mediating effects of the home learning environment were statistically supported.

Emotion socialization practices in Italian and Hong Kong-Chinese mothers.

Background Parents’ emotion socialization practices are their ways of handling their children’s emotional experiences in light of cultural expectations surrounding emotions. Such practices are thought to significantly affect children’s social adjustment. We compared the parenting practices of Italian and Hong Kong Chinese samples in an ethnological validation study of the maternal responses to children’s emotion scale (MRCES). Participants were 71 Italian mothers (M = 39.45) and 71 Hong Kong-Chinese mothers (M = 37.75) with children aged 6–9 years.Findings The results confirmed the two-factor structure identified by the scale’s authors, namely coaching/emotion-encouraging and emotion dismissing approaches, respectively. Each of the two factors displayed satisfactory internal consistency. The Chinese mothers obtained higher scores than the Italian mothers on both subscales.ConclusionsOur findings suggested that parents’ emotion socialization practices for coping with children’s emotions received different degrees of emphasis and were underpinned by different meaning in the Hong Kong and Italian cultural groups. These cultural differences are discussed in relation to their effect on children’s socio-emotional development.

Individual variation in fathers' testosterone reactivity to infant distress predicts parenting behaviors with their 1-year-old infants.

Positive father involvement is associated with positive child outcomes. There is great variation in fathers' involvement and fathering behaviors, and men's testosterone (T) has been proposed as a potential biological contributor to paternal involvement. Previous studies investigating testosterone changes in response to father-infant interactions or exposure to infant cues were unclear as to whether individual variation in T is predictive of fathering behavior. We show that individual variation in fathers' T reactivity to their infants during a challenging laboratory paradigm (Strange Situation) uniquely predicted fathers' positive parenting behaviors during a subsequent father-infant interaction, in addition to other psychosocial determinants of paternal involvement, such as dispositional empathy and marital quality. The findings have implications for understanding fathering behaviors and how fathers can contribute to their children's socioemotional development.

Nonresident Fathers' Involvement with Young Black Children: A Replication and Extension of a Mediational Model

The study reported in this article used Fragile Families data to test a mediational model of the influences of nonresident black fathers' involvement with 492 low-income single mothers and their three-year-old children (time 3) on the mothers' psychological well-being and parenting adequacy and the children's socioemotional development at age 5 (time 5) as they prepared to enter elementary school. The findings generally replicated earlier research with a smaller sample. The results showed that nonresident biological fathers are important in the lives of young black children. The availability of social and instrumental support from fathers was associated with better psychological and parenting outcomes for mothers, which in turn predicted fewer child behavior problems at time 3. Fewer behavior problems at time 3 were associated with fewer such problems at time 5. The results provide significant support for interventions in programs aimed at reducing the adverse consequences of single parenting for young children in economically challenged black families.

Socio-Emotional Development in Latin America: Development of children and adolescents in adverse circumstances

A sizable portion of the current research on the socio-emotional development of children and adolescents focuses on negative outcomes of aversive circumstances. However, Lerner (2002) has highlighted the need to explore positive youth development. As such, this special issue aims to explore research on promoting positive socio-emotional development from underrepresented contexts. In doing so, we've invited articles on development in adverse circumstances using samples from Latin America, in addition to reports of intervention programs that have shown success and have the potential to be replicated in other settings. Creative programs to address these issues have been implemented at the local, regional and national levels, yet rarely are the results of these interventions disseminated to academic audiences in the U.S.