Developmental Considerations Research Articles

The Impaired Sustained Attention in Children with ADHD: Relevant Factors and Clinical Implications

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that profoundly disrupts a child's capacity to maintain focus, impacting various aspects of their daily existence. This article delves into the intricate realm of compromised sustained attention in children diagnosed with ADHD, offering an exhaustive examination of the contributing factors and their clinical implications. Employing extensive research, this research delves into the multifaceted facets of attention deficits associated with ADHD, encompassing distinct attentional components, susceptibility to distractions, attention patterns, processing speed, autonomic regulation, and developmental considerations. By unraveling these discoveries, the exploration acquires valuable insights into the hurdles confronted by children grappling with ADHD when it comes to sustaining attention. Furthermore, emphasizing the significance of tailored interventions aimed at addressing specific attention-related elements. By shedding light on the complexity of impaired sustained attention in ADHD, this article advances researchers’ comprehension of this condition and lays the groundwork for more efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This review can help improve the lives of children affected by ADHD by fostering a more nuanced understanding of the challenges they face in their daily lives.

Perceived attachment history predicts psychedelic experiences: A naturalistic study

AbstractBackground and aimsEmerging research indicates that psychedelics may have therapeutic potential by fostering meaningful experiences that act as “inflection points” in people's narratives of personal development. However, psychedelic research has largely failed to address pertinent developmental considerations. We investigated whether attachment-related variables were associated with psychedelic experiences and whether psychedelic experiences moderated expected links between perceived attachment history and current adult attachment orientations.MethodsWe administered an online survey to an international Jewish sample (N = 185) with psychedelic experience. The survey included measures about recollection of attachment interactions with parents (perceived attachment history), adult attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance), and psychedelic phenomenology (mystical experiences, challenging experiences, emotional breakthrough, ego dissolution, sensed presence) associated with respondents' most memorable psychedelic experiences.ResultsPerceptions of an insecure attachment history were positively linked to all measures of psychedelic phenomenology (r's = 0.19–32, p's mostly < 0.01). In contrast, adult attachment orientations were unrelated to psychedelic phenomenology. Also, psychedelic phenomenology mostly did not moderate the links observed between perceptions of an insecure attachment history and adult attachment orientations.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that perceptions of early attachment experiences may be relevant to psychedelic phenomenology. However, subjective experiences associated with naturalistic psychedelic use do not typically attenuate links between a perceived insecure attachment history and attachment insecurity at present.

The human affectome: Cognitive, developmental, and atypicality considerations

The human affectome: Cognitive, developmental, and atypicality considerations

Reviving Hope: A Comprehensive Review of Post-resuscitation Care in Pediatric ICUs After Cardiac Arrest.

This comprehensive review thoroughly examines post-resuscitation care in pediatric ICUs (PICUs) following cardiac arrest. The analysis encompasses adherence to resuscitation guidelines, advances in therapeutic interventions, and the nuanced management of neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory considerations during the immediate post-resuscitation phase. Delving into the complexities of long-term outcomes, cognitive and developmental considerations, and rehabilitation strategies, the review emphasizes the importance of family-centered care for pediatric survivors. A call to action is presented, urging continuous education, research initiatives, and quality improvement efforts alongside strengthened multidisciplinary collaboration and advocacy for public awareness. Through implementing these principles, healthcare providers and systems can collectively contribute to ongoing advancements in pediatric post-resuscitation care, ultimately improving outcomes and fostering a culture of excellence in pediatric critical care.

Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is a neurobehavioral condition that can lead to functional impairment in multiple domains and decreased quality of life. We review the clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations, and common comorbidities of pediatric OCD. An overview of the biological and psychological models of OCD is provided along with a discussion of developmental considerations in youth. We also describe evidence-based treatments for OCD in childhood and adolescence, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP) and pharmacotherapy. Finally, research evaluating the delivery of CBT in different formats and modalities is discussed, and we conclude with suggestions for future research directions. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Volume 20 is May 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Preseason Measures of Cervical Spine Function, Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex, Dynamic Balance, and Divided Attention in Youth Ice Hockey Players.

OBJECTIVES: Report typical scores and examine preseason cervical spine, vestibulo-ocular reflex, dynamic balance, and divided attention measures in competitive youth ice hockey players aged 10 to 18 years with and without a previous concussion history. DESIGN: Cross-sectional secondary analysis. METHODS: The exposure of interest was self-reported history of concussion. The main outcomes were cervical spine measures (Cervical Flexor Endurance [CFE; seconds], Cervical Flexion-Rotation Test [normal/abnormal], Anterolateral Cervical Spine Strength [kilograms], Head Perturbation Test (/8), and Joint Position Error [JPE; centimeters]), vestibulo-ocular reflex (Dynamic Visual Acuity [logMAR], Head Thrust Test [Positive/Negative]), dynamic balance (Functional Gait Assessment [/30]) and divided attention (Walking While Talking Test [seconds]). Multivariable linear or logistic regression, adjusted for age-group, sex, level of play, and clustered by team, were used to assess potential differences by concussion history. RESULTS: We included data from 2311 participants in this study (87.2% male, 12.8% female, 39.0% reported a previous concussion). No differences by concussion history were found across any of the measures (P values range: 0.17-0.99). Measures of cervical spine function and divided attention differed by age group (eg, Median Left Anterolateral Cervical Spine Strength [kilograms] for males: U13 = 7.46, U15 = 9.10, U18 = 9.67). CONCLUSION: Clinical outcomes scores in youth ice hockey players did not differ by concussion history. Performance on cervical spine strength, CFE, and JPE test outcomes may improve with age, highlighting the importance of developmental considerations when interpreting test scores. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2024;54(3):1-11. Epub 30 November 2023. doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.11958.

Influence of Problem-Based Learning Courses in middle school on students’ Autonomous Learning Ability

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a transformative instructional approach, emphasizing active, student-centered learning through real-world problem-solving. This literature review delves into the potential of PBL to cultivate Autonomous Learning Ability (ALA) among middle school students—a critical yet often overlooked developmental phase. Drawing from diverse studies, the review highlights the synergy between PBL and adolescents' evolving cognitive capacities, such as self-directed inquiry, metacognition, and critical analysis. However, the efficacy of PBL is contingent upon its alignment with students' transitional developmental needs, achieved through adaptive project scaffolding, adept facilitation, and dynamic assessment. While PBL can harness adolescents' budding cognitive abilities, its success is intricately tied to responsive design, ensuring projects, scaffolding, facilitation, and assessment cater to students' unique developmental trajectories. Practical strategies, such as aligning with educational standards, providing incremental teacher training, and emphasizing knowledge application in assessments, can mitigate potential barriers to PBL adoption. Furthermore, the review suggests that while PBL holds promise in fostering autonomous learning skills, its long-term benefits remain a topic of debate. The need for rigorous mixed-methods research examining the enduring academic and career outcomes of PBL is emphasized. Additionally, the potential of emerging technologies to augment PBL's adaptability and inclusivity for a diverse student population is highlighted as a promising avenue for future exploration. In conclusion, this synthesis underscores that PBL, when implemented with developmental considerations at its core, stands out as a potent instructional model, primed to nurture engaged, self-motivated learners in middle school settings.

Developmental considerations in children’s song exposure: A commentary on Verosky (2022)

In this commentary, I discuss Verosky’s article, “Essen as a Corpus of Early Musical Experience” from my position as a developmental psychologist. I consider how Verosky’s findings connect to what is known about early cognitive development, discuss how the corpus fits into efforts to characterize early environments, and raise questions for future study.

Sorbets as Functional Food Products, Unexplored Food Matrices, Their Challenges, and Advancements

Functional foods and beverages are becoming one of the leading food products on the global market today. This is predominately due to the consumer, industry and research-related interests in the use of food-derived products for the management of several chronic conditions. The diversity of currently available functional food products also provides an opportunity for the use of fruit-based sorbets as a carrier of functional ingredients. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to explore the use of sorbets as a functional food product, which is one commercial method that can be utilized to provide health benefits, extend the shelf life of foods, and preserve nutrients and improve taste. Firstly, we provide an overview of sorbets as a functional food matrix, their development and implications for the absorption of functional ingredients in humans. We discuss the developmental considerations of functional foods, such as the technical conditions and physicochemical and organoleptic properties through which functional foods can provide beneficial health effects. These include product stability, metabolism of the functional food ingredient, its interactions with the food matrix and limitations related to its production. There is a paucity of clinical data that investigate the long-term health effects of products claiming additional functional benefits. Given the extensive potential benefits of functional bioactive food compounds and their heavy prevalence in the market, extensive research and further regulation is needed to ensure health recommendations for large populations in longitudinal clinical studies warranting any functional claim.

Developmental prediction modeling based on diffusion tensor imaging uncovering age-dependent heterogeneity in early childhood autistic brain

ObjectiveThere has been increasing evidence for atypical white matter (WM) microstructure in autistic people, but findings have been divergent. The development of autistic people in early childhood is clouded by the concurrently rapid brain growth, which might lead to the inconsistent findings of atypical WM microstructure in autism. Here, we aimed to reveal the developmental nature of autistic children and delineate atypical WM microstructure throughout early childhood while taking developmental considerations into account.MethodIn this study, diffusion tensor imaging was acquired from two independent cohorts, containing 91 autistic children and 100 typically developing children (TDC), aged 4–7 years. Developmental prediction modeling using support vector regression based on TDC participants was conducted to estimate the WM atypical development index of autistic children. Then, subgroups of autistic children were identified by using the k-means clustering method and were compared to each other on the basis of demographic information, WM atypical development index, and autistic trait by using two-sample t-test. Relationship of the WM atypical development index with age was estimated by using partial correlation. Furthermore, we performed threshold-free cluster enhancement-based two-sample t-test for the group comparison in WM microstructures of each subgroup of autistic children with the rematched subsets of TDC.ResultsWe clustered autistic children into two subgroups according to WM atypical development index. The two subgroups exhibited distinct developmental stages and age-dependent diversity. WM atypical development index was found negatively associated with age. Moreover, an inverse pattern of atypical WM microstructures and different clinical manifestations in the two stages, with subgroup 1 showing overgrowth with low level of autistic traits and subgroup 2 exhibiting delayed maturation with high level of autistic traits, were revealed.ConclusionThis study illustrated age-dependent heterogeneity in early childhood autistic children and delineated developmental stage-specific difference that ranged from an overgrowth pattern to a delayed pattern.Trial registration This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02807766) on June 21, 2016 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02807766).

Palliative Care in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer.

Palliative care (PC) aims to improve quality of life (QOL) for patients with serious illness and their families by recognizing and alleviating the physical, emotional, social, existential, and spiritual suffering of patients and their communities. Because adolescents and young adults (AYAs, age 15-39 years) with cancer commonly report distress across all these domains and because that distress translates to their QOL during and after their cancers, PC is particularly relevant for this population. Here, we review the evidence for PC among AYAs with cancer, including its rationale, gaps, opportunities, and implications for care delivery. For example, nearly 90% of AYAs with cancer report distressing symptoms during their treatment, those who survive report ongoing unmet psychosocial and physical health needs, and those who die from their cancers are highly likely to receive medically intense care that is discordant with their goals and values. AYA communication and decision making can be challenging because of ethical and developmental considerations regarding the patient's autonomy and competing priorities of patients and caregivers. PC interventions (including primary PC delivered by oncologists, routine PC subspecialty care, symptom tracking, advance care planning, and psychosocial programs promoting AYA resilience) are all associated with improved patient-centered outcomes. However, PC is inconsistently integrated into AYA oncology care, and access to PC programs is not equitable; marginalized groups continue to experience poorer outcomes. Ongoing and future research and clinical initiatives must continue to bridge these gaps. Improving the QOL of AYAs with cancer is a shared goal of the larger clinical oncology community, and including PC in AYA cancer care delivery can help attain that goal.

Specialty Palliative Care for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer—Developmental Considerations and an Agenda for Future Research

Specialty Palliative Care for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer—Developmental Considerations and an Agenda for Future Research

59.2 Developmental Considerations for Individuals With ASD, Intellectual Disability, and Diverse Gender and Sexual Identities

59.2 Developmental Considerations for Individuals With ASD, Intellectual Disability, and Diverse Gender and Sexual Identities

Cross-Cultural Mobility and Agency in Assessing the Appropriateness of Child Supervision in the Context of Cultural Diversity and Migration in Quebec

Confusion over what constitutes appropriate childrearing practices in culturally diverse settings may result in the stigmatization of ethnic minority families and over-reporting to child welfare services. This study explored stakeholders’ views on (in)adequate supervision across cultural and socioeconomic groups and how they assess the risk of harm in cases of lack of supervision. Focus group discussions were held with (a) adult caregivers (n = 39) and adolescents (n = 63) in family-based care from French-speaking Quebecers and migrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia; and (b) professionals (n = 67) in the education, health, child welfare, and security sectors in Quebec. The main criteria used to assess the appropriateness of supervision were the maturity, level of ability, age, and sex of the child, as well as contextual factors, such as proximity of other people, location, and type and duration of the activity. Mobility and immobility notions are used to explore the developmental considerations of competence and readiness within the home and in other social environments where adults’ and children’s perceptions of safety and maturity may differ, as well as the need to move away from rigid policy implementation. This paper advocates for careful consideration of the capacity and agency of children affected by migration in the provision of childcare support and their meaningful participation in research and decision making in matters that affect them.

Affect Recognition, Theory of Mind, and Empathy in Preschool Children with Externalizing Behavior Problems-A Group Comparison and Developmental Psychological Consideration.

Preschool mental disorders are often associated with significant interpersonal problems, related to impaired affect recognition, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy. To date, these skills have not been studied together in preschoolers with externalizing behavior problems (EBPs). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether and to what extent preschool children with EBPs show impairments in affect recognition, ToM, and empathy. Preschoolers with EBPs, defined by current psychiatric treatment and T-scores ≥ 60 on the externalizing problem scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1½-5 or 6-18R) were compared to non-clinical controls (HCs), defined by no past and no current psychiatric treatment and T-scores < 60 on all CBCL broad-band scales. Groups were compared on affect recognition (NEuroPSYchological Assessment-II), affective ToM (Test of Emotion Comprehension), cognitive ToM (Extended Theory-of-Mind Scale), parent-reported emotional contagion, attention to others' feelings, and prosocial action (Empathy Questionnaire), IQ and language (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III Matrices, Active and Passive Vocabulary test), controlling for age, sex, and language abilities. Compared to 28 HCs, 22 preschoolers with EBPs (total sample meanage = 5.5 years +/- 0.8 years, range= 4.2-6.9 years, males 66%) had significantly greater impairments in cognitive ToM (p = 0.0012, η2 = 0.266), attention to others' feelings (p = 0.0049, η2 = 0.222), and prosocial action (p = 0.0070, η2 = 0.210), each representing strong effect sizes. EBPs were significantly related to cognitive domains, like prosocial action (r = -0.501), cognitive ToM (r = -0.425), and attention to others' feelings (r = -0.332), but not to affective domains of social cognition. Social cognitive development may be impaired as early as preschool age and should be promoted before the child starts school.

Developmental Considerations in How Defense Attorneys Employ Child Sexual Abuse and Rape Myths When Questioning Alleged Victims of Child Sexual Abuse.

Myths and misconceptions surrounding the nature of sexual assault play a role in shaping the perceptions of victims as credible and perpetrators as culpable. Defense attorneys often capitalize on myths in court as an element of their defense strategies. Researchers have established that myths about both rape generally, and child sexual abuse (CSA) specifically, appear with regularity in criminal trials of children who have made an allegation of CSA. Yet no work has systematically and quantitatively examined the impact of a child's age on the probability that attorneys will ask a myth-consistent question in criminal trials of CSA. In the current study, we examine 6,384 lines of questioning across 134 criminal trials of CSA to assess whether defense attorneys employ developmentally sensitive strategies when asking children questions that draw upon myths about sexual violence (CSA myths: disclosure myths, extent of harm, a child's positive relationship with their perpetrator, and the presence of witnesses; Rape myths: force and resistance, motives to lie, victim precipitation, and character issues). We found that attorneys did not vary their use of CSA myths by the age of the child. However, the probability that a child would receive a rape myth-consistent line of questioning, increased with a child's age. This work suggests that attorneys are, at times, strategic in their use of myths and employ these adult rape myths in ways that are plausible, purposeful, and likely impactful. The strategic use of these questions may acknowledge young children's limited development but may place too great a demand on older children's developmental capacities. Prosecutors should be prepared to counterquestion these myths in redirect examination.

Specific Developmental and Clinical Considerations for Working with Adolescents and Young Adults in Kinship Adoption

This article provides background information about kinship care, including defining terms and explaining placement decision-making. The benefits and unintended consequences of kinship placements are explored. Clinical interventions to support adolescents and young adults in kinship care are discussed, using two case studies that are integrated throughout the article.

“When an Elephant Has Its Foot on the Tail of a Mouse…” Trauma-Focused Court Preparation Interventions for Sexually Abused Child Witnesses

Background: This paper addresses the issue of court preparation in a lower middle-income country with recently enacted child sexual abuse (CSA) legislation and almost no precedence of standard child witness training packages or protocols. Aims &amp; methods: Taking into consideration the potential impact of the adversarial system on children and the legal system’s concerns regarding the risk of contamination of evidence and based on assessment and analysis of children’s mental health concerns and consequent capacities for testimony, it describes a set of court preparation interventions designed for a group of vulnerable, sexually abused children from a childcare institution. Results: In recognition of the heightened challenges to their competency to testify in court, the paper highlights the importance of developmental and trauma-focused considerations, particularly in the context of children with adverse childhood experiences, and consequently the role of child mental health service providers in the practice of child forensic psychiatry in the context of CSA. Conclusions: It concludes by challenging established assumptions that tend to underlie court preparation programs for child witnesses and by making recommendations for additional considerations to be incorporated into child witness training in order to enhance child witness competency and child mental health and well-being and to augment victim-oriented procedural justice aspects for vulnerable witnesses in the adversarial justice system.

Intersections of Racial/Ethnic and Religious Identities on Bodily Well-Being for Black College-Attending Emerging Adults.

Black undergraduates face threats to healthy weight and body image (i.e., bodily well-being). Having a strong racial/ethnic identity can promote health during emerging adulthood. However, less is known about the intersections of racial/ethnic and religious identities on the bodily well-being of Black college-attending emerging adults, despite evidence to indicate that aspects of religiosity are also associated with health. We use quantitative data from 767 Black college-attending emerging adults in the Multi-University Study of Identity and Culture to examine the independent contributions of racial/ethnic and religious identity for bodily health, and test a potential interaction between racial/ethnic and religious identity on bodily health outcomes. Results from a multivariate linear regression model indicate that Black college-attending emerging adults with both high religious identity and high racial/ethnic identity exploration had higher body mass index and less positive body image. Findings suggest ways to strengthen the development of culturally appropriate public health prevention and intervention efforts that target body image and weight for Black college-attending emerging adults. IMPACT STATEMENT: Black college-attending emerging adults face challenges to their health, particularly threats to healthy weight and body image during this period of psychosocial transitions. The developmental process of navigating racial/ethnic and religious identities during this time raises challenges and opportunities for health promotion for this population. Yet, research that explores the role of these identities remains scarce. We found that Black college-attending emerging adults had higher body mass index and more negative body image when they reported more racial/ethnic identity exploration coupled with higher religious identities. Results shed light on the complex ways that navigating both racial/ethnic and religious identities may put some Black college-attending emerging adults at greater health risk. Health education and promotion practice focused on improving Black emerging adult health in college contexts should ensure that behavioral interventions are appropriately nuanced and situated in these populations' developmental and cultural considerations.

Protective factors in the prediction of criminal outcomes for youth with sexual offenses using tools developed for adults and adolescents: Tests of direct effects and moderation of risk.

Interest in protective factors in risk assessment work with adjudicated populations is increasing and evidence suggests that protective factors in structured professional judgment (SPJ) tools predict the absence of one or more types of recidivism with some evidence also of incremental validity in recidivism-desistance prediction models with risk scales. But, there is little evidence of interactions, demonstrated using formal tests of moderation, between scores on risk- and protective factor-focused applied assessment tools, despite the documentation of interactive protective effects with nonadjudicated populations. In this study, with 273 justice-involved male youth and a fixed 3-year follow-up, direct effects of medium size were found for sexual recidivism, violent (including sexual) recidivism, and any new offense with totals for tools developed for adult offending populations (modified versions of the actuarial risk-focused Static-99 and the SPJ protective factor-focused Structured Assessment of PROtective Factor [SAPROF]) and tools developed for adolescent offending populations (the actuarial risk-focused Juvenile Sexual Offense Recidivism Risk Assessment Tool-II [JSORRAT-II] and the SPJ protective factor-focused DASH-13). As well, incremental validity and interactive protective effects, in the small-to-medium size range, were found for the prediction of violent (including sexual) recidivism using various combinations of these tools. The value-added information provided by strengths-focused tools indicated by these findings suggest their inclusion in comprehensive risk assessments in applied practice has promise for improving prediction and also intervention and management planning with justice-involved youth. The findings also highlight the need for further research on developmental considerations and practical questions about how to integrate strengths with risks to inform such work empirically. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).