Risk For Behavioral Problems Research Articles

Stratification of Gut Microbiota Profiling Based on Autism Neuropsychological Assessments

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Investigations of gut microbiota (GM) play an important role in deciphering disease severity and symptoms. Overall, we stratified 70 ASD patients by neuropsychological assessment, based on Calibrated Severity Scores (CSSs) of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second edition (ADOS-2), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and intelligent quotient/developmental quotient (IQ/DQ) parameters. Hence, metataxonomy and PICRUSt-based KEGG predictions of fecal GM were assessed for each clinical subset. Here, 60% of ASD patients showed mild to moderate autism, while the remaining 40% showed severe symptoms; 23% showed no clinical symptoms, 21% had a risk of behavior problems and 56% had clinical symptoms based on the CBCL, which assesses internalizing problems; further, 52% had no clinical symptoms, 21% showed risk, and 26% had clinical symptoms classified by CBCL externalizing problems. Considering the total CBCL index, 34% showed no clinical symptoms, 13% showed risk, and 52% had clinical symptoms. Here, 70% of ASD patients showed cognitive impairment/developmental delay (CI/DD). The GM of ASDs with severe autism was characterized by an increase in Veillonella, a decrease in Monoglobus pectinilyticus and a higher microbial dysbiosis index (MDI) when compared to mild-moderate ASDs. Patients at risk for behavior problems and showing clinical symptoms were characterized by a GM with an increase of Clostridium, Eggerthella, Blautia, Intestinibacter, Coprococcus, Ruminococcus, Onthenecus and Bariatricus, respectively. Peptidoglycan biosynthesis and biofilm formation KEGGs characterized patients with clinical symptoms, while potential microbiota-activated PPAR-γ-signaling was seen in CI/DD patients. This evidence derived from GM profiling may be used to further improve ASD understanding, leasing to a better comprehension of the neurological phenotype.

Smart parenting program on parenting behavior and the risk of behavioral problems among a dyad of school children and their parents

The study examines the impact of smart parenting program on parenting behavior and the risk of behavioral problems among schoolchildren. Behavioral problems are certain disruptive actions that may be seen in various patterns in all age groups of children. This study sought to evaluate the effect of a researcher-designed SMART parenting program on parenting behavior and the risk of behavioral problems among schoolchildren and their parents in selected corporation schools in Coimbatore City, Tamil Nadu. A quantitative research approach with a pre- and post-test with a Control Group Design was adopted. Totally, 1202 schoolchildren between 8-13 years old were screened, and 129 children were identified as being at risk. The SMART Parenting program was administered to the parents in experimental group. The results of the study revealed a significant increase in parenting behavior and a decrease in the risk of behavioral problems after intervention among the children in the experimental group. An analysis of the impact of the SMART parenting programme on both groups revealed a noteworthy enhancement in parenting behaviour and a decrease in the risk of behavioural problems among parents and children in the experimental group. The SMART parenting program was highly effective in promoting parenting behavior and reducing the risk of behavioral problems among school children. Therefore, it can be widely used by school authorities, by community health nurses, and also by pediatric nurses in hospital settings.

Investigating Trajectories of Negative Emotionality in Early Childhood and First-Grade Outcomes

This study investigated Korean children’s negative emotionality trajectories from infancy to age 4 and their learning (i.e., executive functioning), behavioral, and self-esteem outcomes in first grade. Using nationally representative data from the Panel Study on Korean Children, negative emotionality trajectories were explored to determine whether patterns emerged over time (N = 2,149, boys = 50.7%) and whether different negative emotionality patterns were associated with specific first-grade outcomes (i.e., teacher-reported executive function difficulties, parent-reported behavioral problems, and child-reported self-esteem). According to latent class growth analysis, Korean children developed one of three negative emotionality patterns from infancy to age 4: Low stable (28.0%), moderate (57.9%), and intense and increasing (14.1%). First-grade outcomes, including executive functioning and behavior problems, were associated with negative emotionality trajectories. No association was found between the negative emotionality trajectories and child-reported self-esteem. First graders who developed and maintained intense negative emotionality until age 4 were regarded as the most vulnerable group in executive functioning difficulties and risk of behavioral problems. Impact Statement Negative emotionality in early childhood is an important predictor of future difficulties, and more research is needed in terms of patterns of emotionality, stability over time, and associated outcomes for different patterns. In this study, children developed one of three negative emotionality patterns from infancy to age 4: Low stable (28.0%), moderate (57/9%), and intense and increasing (14.1%). First graders who developed intense negative emotionality until age 4 were the most vulnerable group for executive function difficulties and risk of behavioral problems.

Early childhood multiple or persistent regulatory problems and diurnal salivary cortisol in young adulthood

BackgroundEarly childhood multiple or persistent regulatory problems (RPs; crying, sleeping, or feeding problems) have been associated with a risk of behavioural problems in young adulthood. It has been suggested that this may be due to the possible influence of early RPs on the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, associations between early RPs and HPA-axis activity in young adulthood remain unexplored. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether early childhood multiple or persistent RPs are associated with diurnal salivary cortisol in young adulthood. MethodsAt the ages of 5, 20 and 56 months, RPs of 308 children from the Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study were assessed via standardized parental interviews and neurological assessments. Multiple RPs were defined as two or three RPs at the age of 5 months and persistent RPs as at least one RP at 5, 20 and 56 months. At the mean age of 25.4 years (SD= 0.6), the participants donated saliva samples for cortisol at awakening, 15 and 30 min thereafter, 10:30 am, at noon, 5:30 pm, and at bedtime during one day. We used mixed model regressions, and generalized linear models for testing the associations, controlling for important covariates. ResultsOf the 308 children, 61 (19.8%) had multiple or persistent RPs in early childhood: 38 had multiple, and 27 had persistent RPs. Persistent RPs were associated with significantly higher cortisol peak and output in the waking period, and cortisol awakening response. On the other hand, multiple RPs were not associated with salivary cortisol. ConclusionChildren displaying persistent RPs throughout early childhood show, over two decades later, increased HPA axis activity in response to awakening stress. This may be one physiological mechanism linking early childhood RPs to adulthood behavioural outcomes.

Excessive Crying, Behavior Problems, and Amygdala Volume: A Study From Infancy to Adolescence

Excessive crying in infancy has been associated with increased risk of later behavioral problems. To identify individuals at risk for behavioral problems and to understand the mechanisms underlying excessive crying and irritability in infancy, research into the neurobiology of excessive crying is needed. We examined whether excessive crying and irritability in infancy are associated with behavioral problems and amygdala volume among children and adolescents. This study included 4,751 singleton children from the prospective population-based Generation R Study cohort, born in the Netherlands in 2002 to 2006. Excessive crying (>3 hours on at least 1 day/wk) and irritability (Mother and Baby Scales questionnaire) were parent-rated at 3 months. Amygdala volume was measured at 10 years using magnetic resonance imaging, and internalizing and externalizing were parent-rated at 1.5, 3, 6, 10, and 14 years and self-rated at 14 years. Covariates included child age, sex, national origin, gestational age, and maternal age, psychopathology score, parity, education, relationship status, and family income. Children who cried excessively in infancy had higher parent-rated internalizing (effect estimate= 0.20 SD-units, 95% CI= 0.14, 0.27) and externalizing (0.17 SD-units, 95% CI= 0.10, 0.24) throughout childhood (linear mixed models), and smaller amygdala volume at 10 years (-0.19 SD-units, 95% CI=-0.32,-0.06) (linear regression model). The pattern of associations for both behavioral problems and amygdala volume was similar for irritability. Excessive crying and irritability in infancy may reflect an early vulnerability to behavioral problems and may be linked with neurobiological differences in the development of the amygdala.

Does screen exposure necessarily relate to behavior problems? The buffering roles of emotion regulation and caregiver companionship

This study aimed to examine putative mechanisms underpinning associations between active use of screen media and behavior problems in a socially diverse sample of 897 Chinese caregivers of 2- to 6-year-olds. A series of analyses using a latent variable modeling framework showed that caregivers' reports of children's emotion regulation partially accounted for negative influences of screen time on behavior problems, and this indirect path varied as a function of caregiver companionship. Specifically, in the context of high levels of caregiver companionship, a significant link between prolonged screen time and behavior problems was suppressed through enhanced emotion regulation, while such suppression effect diminished in the context of low levels of caregiver companionship. In support of the value of parental presence in media use, our study suggests that promoting companionship from caregivers and emotion regulatory skills may serve as protective factors for young children who are highly exposed to screen time and thus at risk for behavior problems. The implications of these findings for guidelines on appropriate screen usage and family media planning are discussed.

Multi-Informant Ratings of Childhood Limited Prosocial Emotions: Mother, Father, and Teacher Perspectives

ABSTRACT Objective Modest agreement between mothers’, fathers’, and teachers’ reports of child psychopathology can cause diagnostic ambiguity. Despite this, there is little research on informant perspectives of youth’s limited prosocial emotions (LPEs). We examined the relationship between mother-, father-, and teacher-reported LPE in a clinical sample of elementary school-aged children. Method The sample included 207 primarily Caucasian (n = 175, 84.5%) children (136 boys; 65.7%) aged 6–13 years (M = 8.35, SD = 2.04) referred to an outpatient child diagnostic clinic focused on externalizing problems. We report the percentage of youth meeting LPE criteria as a function of informant perspective(s). Utilizing standard scores, we report distributions of informant dyads in agreement/disagreement regarding child LPE, followed up by polynomial regressions to further interrogate the relationship between mother-, father-, and teacher-reported LPE as it relates to conduct problems (CPs). Results The prevalence of child LPE was approximately twice as large when compared to those reported in community samples; mothers and fathers generally agreed on their child’s LPE symptoms (55% agreement). Higher-order nonlinear interactions between mothers and fathers, as well as parents and teachers, emerged; discrepancies between informants, characterized by low levels of LPE reported by the child’s mother, were predictive of youth at the highest risk for CPs. Conclusions Our findings emphasize the clinical utility of gathering multiple reports of LPE when serious CPs are suspected. It may be beneficial for clinicians to give significant consideration to teacher reported LPE when interpreting multiple-informant reports of LPE.

Factors Associated with Excessive Screen Time Usage among Preschool Children and Risk for Behavior Problems

Introduction: Children spend a significant amount of screen time despite recommendations by the relevant bodies. Increased screen time in young children has been linked to an increased risk for behaviour issues. This study aims to determine behaviour problems and factors associated with excessive screen time usage among preschool children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the parents of children aged 18-60 months in local parenting Facebook groups. Parents responded to an online questionnaire and Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC) was used to screen risk for behaviour problems. Results: Over two-thirds (77%) of children spent more than one hour of screen time daily. There were significant associations between more than 1 hour of screen time daily and age ≥ 2 years old (OR 1.045, 95% CI 1.021 to 1.070), lesser among females (OR 0.345, 95% CI 0.178 to 0.671) and without gadget ownership (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.010 to 0.565). Most children had PPSC total scores of less than 9 (75.8%) and there were no significant associations between excessive daily screen time usage with risks for behaviour problems among preschoolers in our study (p= 0.324). Conclusion: We report factors associated with excessive screen time to be; the age of more than 2 years old, the male gender, and children with gadget ownership. We found no significant association with risk for behaviour problems. Longitudinal studies are recommended to investigate the causal relationship between the effects of screen time on children's behaviour.

Developmental trajectories of challenging behaviors reported retrospectively by Japanese parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities

Introduction: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at heightened risk of behavioral problems. Methods: This study investigated differences in the severity of challenging behaviors (CBs) among individuals with IDs at varying life stages. Data were collected from parents’ retrospective interviews. Surveys were completed by 47 parents whose child with IDs was 19 years or older and had made use of welfare services for individuals who exhibit CBs. Results: The final study sample consisted of 28 parents. Findings showed that (a) parents gave the lowest total scores for severity of CBs for their adult children when at the pre-school stage compared to other stages (elementary school, junior high school, high school, and post-high school), (b) differences between life stages appear to depend on the type of CB, and (c) the most common CB recorded for children between 0 and 2 years old was extreme hyperactivity, followed by severe sleep disturbances. Conclusions: The results of the study show that domain ratings for stereotypic/restricted behaviors, sleep disturbance problems, feeding problems, and problems with elimination often remain stable throughout the life stages. Moreover, parents frequently reported that CBs often occurred in children aged 0–2 years.

Children with Congenital Heart Disease Show Increased Behavioral Problems Compared to Healthy Peers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Millions of children and adults are living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Their risk for behavioral problems has not been the subject of a meta-analysis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of measures of behavioral problems in people born with CHD compared to peers without CHD. We searched Pubmed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane Library from January 1, 1986 to November 15, 2021. We included studies that reported a measure of behavioral problems in patients with CHD in children and adults older than 3years of age. We screened 26,343 search results, and 24 studies met inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was generally low. Subjects with CHD had a small increase in internalizing problems [standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.198, p = 0.02] and total behavior problems (SMD: 0.287, p = 0.013), but no difference in externalizing behavioral problems. There was significant heterogeneity in all three domains of behavior problems analyzed, and it could not be explained by variables such as age, severity, assessor, or assessment tool. There are small increases in parent- and self-reported overall behavioral problems and internalizing problems in patients with CHD compared to healthy controls. Wide confidence intervals in the meta-analyses leave open the possibility that certain factors may increase the risk of behavioral problems in this group, and future studies with important attention paid to potential confounders may help identify risk factors.

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.

Brief Strategy Family Therapy from Theory to Practice: Generating Evidence through Scientific Articles: العلاج الاستراتيجي الموجز للأسرة من حيز النظرية إلى التطبيق: توليد الأدلة عبر الدراسات العلمية

Brief Strategy Family Therapy (BSFT) is an award-winning, evidence-based program that has been listed by SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services since 2008. which is used to overcome some behavioral problems such as bullying; Take drugs; socially unacceptable behavior; school truancy. It is an intervention based on a program designed around the effective role of the family to reduce behavioral problems. The main aim of it, is the restructuring of the family and its relations with each other. It is a short-term, structured, and practical approach that addresses the behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Specifically targets children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 18, who are at risk for behavioral problems, including substance abuse. Its importance is that it is the only model that is strongly categorized into the three categories: mental health insurance; overcoming the problem of drug abuse; Strengthening pedagogical parenting skills at home. While the Arab studies did not address Brief Strategy Family Therapy as an evidence-based program and intervention, to the knowledge of the researcher. The researcher considered it important to review a summary of this intervention, its objectives, steps, and other studies that dealt with Brief Strategic Family Therapy. Noting the extent to which it can be applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while presenting a vision that puts theoretical information into practice. This is in addition to presenting suggestions that guide future Arab research for the application of Brief Strategic Family Therapy in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Arab countries.

Does Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Pregnant Women Increase The Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Their Children?

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased over the last three decades. Although genetic factors have a big contribution to ASD, environmental factors, prenatal, and postnatal factors were also found to be related. According to past literature, exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy raises the risk of behavioral problems in children, including ASD. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between maternal exposure to cigarettes during pregnancy and the risk of having a child with ASD in Indonesia. This is a case-control study that was conducted in Banyumas, Indonesia. The study consisted of 47 children with ASD as the case group and 195 healthy children as the control group. The Chi-Square test was used to evaluate the relationship between exposure to cigarettes and ASD. The findings showed that exposure to cigarette smoke from active or passive smokers during pregnancy was associated with the occurrence of ASD in children (p < 0.05). Exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy raises the risk of ASD in children. Therefore, nurses should provide adequate education to the community about the dangers of exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy and the risks for ASD in their children.

Govorno-jezički deficiti kod dece sa selektivnim mutizmom - uzrok, komorbiditet ili posledice?

Selective mutism (SM) is a disorder described from two aspects, psychological and language disorders. Researchers mainly focused on the psychological dimension of SM. However, there is an increasing number of studies indicating a significant speech and language (SL) impairment in children with SM and the possible connection between difficulties in language development and the occurrence of SM at school age. Objective. The aim of this paper was to review available research on SL deficits in children with SM, in order to clarify the cause-and-effect relationships between language and anxiety disorders in these children. Methods. Databases of the Library Consortium of Serbia and relevant Internet search engines were used for the literature search. Results. Nine research studies on SL abilities in children with SM are available in the literature. Mixed and expressive types of developmental language disorder, developmental phonological disorder, and language processing deficits are the most common SL impairments in children with SM. They occur significantly more frequently in children with SM than in children with anxiety disorders without SM and typically developing children. These deficits are often associated with learning disorders, social skills difficulties, and the risk of behavioral problems at school age. Conclusion. Existing studies have provided valuable insights into some aspects of the SL development in children with SM. However, the relationship between language deficits and anxiety symptoms is still not clear. Research on the early SL development in these children, which could shed light on the complex cause-and-effect dynamics of language and anxiety disorders seen in children with SM, is particularly scarce.

Sleep disorder and behavior problems in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

To examine sleep and behavior problems in children with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) compared to nondiabetic controls in a bridging country between east and west and to evaluate the interaction of sleep on behavior problems, maternal sleep, and maternal depressive symptoms. The study included children with T1DM (4-12years old) and age/sex-matched healthy controls. Parents completed the Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Children Behavior Checklist/4-18 (CBCL/4-18), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and a study-specific sociodemographic questionnaire. Clinical parameters regarding T1DM were collated from medical records. Participants included 75 children with T1DM and 49 controls. Based on CSHQ results 65.3% of all participants in both groups had sleep problems. Children with T1DM slept less and had higher daytime sleepiness problems than controls (p=0.024, p=0.008, respectively). No association was found between CSHQ or sleep duration and mode of diabetes treatment (pump, multiple daily injections) or glycemic control. CSHQ correlated with maternal PSQI (r=0.336 p=0.004) and BDI (r=0.341 p=0.004) in children with T1DM, but there was no association amongst controls. Children with T1DM had higher internalizing problems compared to controls. CSHQ and BDI correlated with internalizing, externalizing, and the total scores of the CBCL/4-18 in children with T1DM (R2=0.260 p<0.001; R2=0.207 p<0.001, R2=0.381 p<0.001 respectively). In controls, only BDI was associated with internalizing, externalizing, and the total scores of the CBCL/4-18. Children with T1DM should be evaluated for sleep pattern and quality at follow-up, to identify those at risk for behavior problems and improve maternal life quality. Large longitudinal studies are necessary to assess the effect of new diabetes treatment modalities on sleep.

Perinatal maternal depressive symptoms and risk of behavioral problems at five years.

Evidence on the association between perinatal maternal depression and children's behavioral development is limited. We investigated the association between maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum and the risk of childhood behavioral problems using data from a birth cohort study. Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale during pregnancy and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 4 months postpartum. Children's behavioral development at 5 years of age was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Compared with children whose mothers did not experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy, those whose mothers did experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy had increased risk of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior. Maternal depressive symptoms at around 4 months postpartum were associated with increased risk of childhood emotional problems. Compared with children whose mothers did not experience depressive symptoms during the perinatal period, those whose mothers did experience depressive symptoms both during pregnancy and postpartum had a fivefold increased risk of childhood emotional symptoms and a threefold increased risk of peer problems. Our findings suggest that perinatal maternal depression is associated with behavioral problems in children. Several epidemiological studies in Western countries have examined the association between perinatal maternal depression and children's behavioral development, yet the results are conflicting and inconclusive. There is limited evidence on this topic in Asia. In our study using data from a prospective pregnancy birth cohort, maternal depressive symptoms around 4 months postpartum were associated with an increased risk of emotional symptoms in children aged 5 years. Children whose mothers had exhibited depressive symptoms both during pregnancy and postpartum had a fivefold increased risk of childhood emotional symptoms and a threefold increased risk of peer problems.

Making the best of app use: The impact of parent-child co-use of interactive media on children’s learning in the U.S

ABSTRACT Few studies have examined the impact of co-use of educational apps on child learning. Co-use may be especially important for children at higher risk of poor outcomes, including children from economically disadvantaged families and those with behavior problems; however existing studies on co-use have not utilized at-risk samples. Thus, the current study examined whether parent co-use of interactive media facilitates learning in a sample of 40 low-income 4- and 5-year old children at risk for behavior problems. Using an experimental design, this study examined whether children’s performance improved on a coding app game (Coding Safari) either with or without a parent, compared to a control condition in which in which dyads played with a coloring app. Children in the parent-child condition performed significantly better on the task at posttest than children in the control condition, controlling for pretest scores, child age, child general cognitive ability, behavior problem severity, and parent education. Additionally, there was a significant linear trend, with children in the parent-child condition performing the best followed by children in the solo play and control conditions, respectively. Results provide some of the first experimental evidence that parent-child co-use of educational apps may be beneficial for children’s learning. IMPACT SUMMARY a. Prior State of Knowledge: Previous studies have demonstrated that parents play an important role in supporting young children’s learning from books and television. However, little direct evidence is available about the extent to which parent co-use may promote learning from educational app games. b. Novel Contributions: This study was the first to provide experimental evidence that co-use of educational apps with parents may be advantageous for young children’s learning from apps. c. Practical Implications: The findings support current guidelines that recommend that parents co-use media, including interactive media containing features intended to provide instructional support and feedback to children.

Sleep, Classroom Behavior, and Achievement Among Children of Color in Historically Disinvested Neighborhoods.

Children of color are more likely to have poor sleep health than White children, placing them at risk for behavioral problems in the classroom and lower academic performance. Few studies, however, have utilized standardized measures of both classroom behavior and achievement. This study examined whether children's sleep (parent and teacher report) in first grade concurrently related to independent observations of classroom behavior and longitudinally predicted achievement test scores in second grade in a sample of primarily Black (86%) children (n=572; age=6.8) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Higher teacher-reported child sleepiness was associated with lower adaptive behaviors and higher problem behaviors in the classroom, and predicted lower achievement. Parent-reported bedtime resistance and disordered breathing also predicted lower achievement.

Maternal depressive symptoms, poverty, and young motherhood increase the odds of early depressive and anxiety disorders for children born prematurely.

ABSTRACTChildren born preterm, compared to term, are at risk for behavioral problems. However, the prevalence and predictors of internalizing disorders among children born preterm are unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders at 2 years of age among children born preterm and determine the extent to which poverty, maternal depressive symptoms, or young motherhood increase the likelihood of these disorders. Mothers and their infants (N = 105) were recruited from two neonatal intensive care units affiliated with a major U.S. university. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition scale scores from the Preschool Child Behavior Checklist were used to measure primary variables. We examined mothers’ family satisfaction and quality of caregiving as well as children's degree of prematurity, morbidity, gender, cognitive functioning, and motor function as covariates. Fifteen percent of children met criteria for an anxiety disorder and another 15% for depression. Maternal depressive symptoms increased the odds of children developing both anxiety and depression, whereas young motherhood was associated with child anxiety and poverty with child depression. Results indicate the need for mental health assessment of children born preterm during their first 2 years of life and the importance of early therapeutic and tangible support to vulnerable mothers and children.

Efficacy of the social-emotional learning foundations curriculum for kindergarten and first grade students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders

Researchers have shown that children's social-emotional growth is inextricably connected to academic learning. We developed the Social-Emotional Learning Foundations (SELF) intervention, a Grade K-1 curriculum merging social-emotional learning (SEL) and literacy instruction, to promote language supported self-regulation, specifically for primary grade children at early risk for emotional or behavioral difficulties. We report findings from a pretest-posttest cluster randomized efficacy trial with one fixed between-subjects factor to test the effects of teacher-delivered SEL instruction against those of business as usual (BAU). We recruited 163 kindergarten (K) and 141 first grade teachers from 52 schools across 11 school districts within one southeastern state. Our student sample (n = 1154) consisted of 627 kindergarteners and 527 first graders identified by teachers as at risk for internalizing or externalizing emotional and behavioral problems using the Systematic Screening for Behavioral Disorders; 613 of these students participated in the SELF condition and 541 participated in the BAU condition. We randomly assigned schools to SELF or BAU and used a multilevel model with three levels (i.e., children, classrooms, schools) to analyze data on subscales of six (four teacher-report and two direct) assessments related to self-regulation, social-emotional learning, social-emotional vocabulary, and general behavioral functioning. We found positive main effects of SELF compared to BAU on all but one measure, with effect sizes (calculated using Hedges' g) ranging from 0.20 to 0.65. Findings provide evidence for guiding future SEL intervention research and informing practice to improve student outcomes, particularly for children at risk for behavior problems.