Cognitive moderators of children's adjustment to stressful divorce events: the role of negative cognitive errors and positive illusions

Perceived parental depression, intrusive rumination, and internalizing problems: A three-wave longitudinal study in adolescents

Research suggests that perceiving parental depression elicits internalizing problems in adolescents, but certain studies have indicated that adolescents' internalizing problems also increase their perception of parental emotion. To further investigate the inconsistent findings about the nature of this relationship, the current study used longitudinal data to examine the causal association between adolescents' internalizing problems and the parental depression they perceived, as well as the role of intrusive rumination in the relationship. Method: In this longitudinal study, 392 adolescents who experienced the catastrophic Jiuzhaigou earthquake in 2017 were surveyed at three time points after the earthquake: 12 months (T1), 21 months (T2) and 27 months (T3). A cross-lagged panel model was used to carry out the data analysis. Results: Mutual cause-and-effect relationships were found between intrusive rumination and both perceived parental depression and internalizing problems, respectively; a unilateral causal relationship in which internalizing problems positively predicted perceived parental depression was also found. In addition, internalizing problems predicted perceived parental depression via the mediating role of intrusive rumination; similarly, intrusive rumination predicted perceived parental depression via internalizing problems. Conclusions: Internalizing problems were a risk factor for perceived parental depression, and intrusive rumination played an important role in the relationship between internalizing problems and perceived parental depression.

Self-perception of self-regulatory skills in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder aged 8-10 years

Several studies have reported a characteristic "positive illusory bias" in the self-evaluation of children with ADHD. However, results are controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether children with ADHD aged 8 to 10 years can rate their self-regulatory skills accurately when assessed with an age appropriate instrument. Twenty-seven children with ADHD and 27 matched normal control children completed the Self-rating Scale of Self-regulatory Function (SelfReg), a new rating scale that has been specifically designed for this age group. As expected, children with ADHD rated themselves significantly more dysfunctional than control children. In most domains, self-ratings of children with ADHD did not diverge from parent and teacher ratings to a greater extent than self-ratings of control children, although overall results indicated a moderate tendency toward a positive bias. When a cluster analysis based on discrepancies between children's and adults' evaluations was carried out, three groups with different self-rating patterns emerged: A "positive bias" group containing exclusively children with ADHD, a "negative bias" group containing both children with ADHD and control children, and the largest group of accurate self-raters which also included children from both diagnostic groups. It is concluded that overly positive self-judgments are not a ubiquitous finding in ADHD, but may be confined to a specific subgroup of children whose specific characteristics remain to be determined.

Within-family differences in internalizing behaviors: the role of children's perspectives of the mother-child relationship

The goal of this exploratory, within-family, longitudinal study was to examine whether children's perspectives of the mother-child relationship explained within-family differences in children's responses to a shared family stressor (maternal depressive symptoms) over time. Children (ages 8 to 15 years; N = 68) residing in 34 families were drawn from a general population study in the UK. Predictor variables were assessed at Time 1 and change in internalizing behavior from Time 1 to Time 2 (2 years later) was examined. As children were nested within families, data were analyzed using multilevel modeling, controlling for previous child behavior. Child perspective of the mother-child relationship, in interaction with maternal depressive symptoms, was found to explain within-family differences in internalizing over time. Children with a negative perspective (compared to mothers' perspectives) were the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of maternal depressive symptoms.

Subjective invulnerability, optimism bias and adjustment in emerging adulthood

The relationship between subjective invulnerability and optimism bias in risk appraisal, and their comparative association with indices of risk activity, substance use and college adjustment problems was assessed in a sample of 350 (M (age) = 20.17; 73% female; 93% White/European American) emerging adults. Subjective invulnerability was measured with the newly devised adolescent invulnerability scale (AIS). Optimism bias in decision-making was assessed with a standard comparative-conditional risk appraisal task. Results showed that the danger- and psychological invulnerability subscales of the AIS demonstrated strong internal consistency and evidence of predictive validity. Subjective invulnerability and optimism bias were also shown to be empirically distinct constructs with differential ability to predict risk and adjustment. Danger invulnerability and psychological invulnerability were more pervasively associated with risk behavior than was optimism bias; and psychological invulnerability counter-indicated depression, self-esteem and interpersonal problems. Results support recent claims regarding the "two faces" of adolescent invulnerability. Implications for future research are drawn.

Promoting resilience in youth from divorced families: lessons learned from experimental trials of the New Beginnings Program

This article focuses on the contributions that the program of research on the New Beginnings Program (NBP) has made to understanding pathways to resilience in youth who experience parental divorce. First, the research demonstrating that divorce increases risk for mental health, physical health, and social adaptation problems is reviewed. Next, theory and research linking social environmental-level and youth-level modifiable risk factors and resilience resources to youth's postdivorce adjustment are presented. The conceptual framework underlying the NBP and the risk factors and resilience resources targeted in this program are described next. The short-term and long-term results of two experimental, randomized efficacy trials of the NBP and moderators and mediators of its effects are then presented. Analyses that examine whether youth self-systems beliefs account for the links between program-induced changes in family-level resilience resources and positive long-term program on adaptation outcomes are presented and how experimental trials can be used to further theories of resilience for youth facing adversities is discussed. The final section describes directions for future research on the NBP.

Subjective invulnerability, optimism bias and adjustment in emerging adulthood

The relationship between subjective invulnerability and optimism bias in risk appraisal, and their comparative association with indices of risk activity, substance use and college adjustment problems was assessed in a sample of 350 (M (age) = 20.17; 73% female; 93% White/European American) emerging adults. Subjective invulnerability was measured with the newly devised adolescent invulnerability scale (AIS). Optimism bias in decision-making was assessed with a standard comparative-conditional risk appraisal task. Results showed that the danger- and psychological invulnerability subscales of the AIS demonstrated strong internal consistency and evidence of predictive validity. Subjective invulnerability and optimism bias were also shown to be empirically distinct constructs with differential ability to predict risk and adjustment. Danger invulnerability and psychological invulnerability were more pervasively associated with risk behavior than was optimism bias; and psychological invulnerability counter-indicated depression, self-esteem and interpersonal problems. Results support recent claims regarding the "two faces" of adolescent invulnerability. Implications for future research are drawn.

A prospective study of the cognitive-stress model of depressive symptoms in adolescents

This prospective study investigated a cognitive diathesis-stress model of depression in adolescents across the transition from 6th to 7th grade using individual, additive, weakest link, and keystone approaches to operationalizing the cognitive vulnerability. Participants were 240 young adolescents (mean age = 11.87 years, SD = 0.57) who differed in risk for mood disorders based on their mother's history of depression. Results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated some support for the individual, additive, weakest link, and keystone diatheses. In particular, the weakest link diathesis interacted with stress and gender to predict increases in depressive symptoms in 7th grade; the form of this interaction was consistent with the cognitive diathesis-stress model for boys, whereas for girls the pattern of relations reflected more of a dual-vulnerability model. That is, high levels of depressive symptoms were found for all girls except those with more positive cognitive styles and low stress levels. These findings highlight the utility of examining different approaches to combining measures of cognitive vulnerability in conjunction with stress in predicting depressive symptoms, and the importance of exploring gender differences with regard to the cognitive diathesis-stress model.

[Are positive illusions adaptive?: self- and other-rating]

The present study investigated the relationship between children's overly positive self-perceptions of their own social competence and mental health. Elementary school students (grades fourth to sixth, n=331) and their homeroom teachers (n=9) participated in the study. The positive illusion was measured by the difference between the self-rating and the other (homeroom teachers) -rating. And, the index of mental health was administered in both self-rating and other (homeroom teachers and same-sex classmates) -rating forms. Positive illusions about children's social competence were positively related to self-ratings of mental health. However, the present study also found detrimental effects of such positive illusions. Children with excessively positive views of their social competence were viewed by teachers and same-sex classmates as significantly more aggressive than those children who showed more evidence of self-devaluation. In addition, children with overly positive self-perceptions were not as accepted by same-sex classmates.

The mediating and moderating roles of the cognitive triad on adolescent suicidal ideation

BACKGROUND

Adolescent suicide has been a major concern in Taiwan and continues to be an important research issue for mental health workers. The cognitive triad, which refers to an adolescent's views of the self, the world, and the future, was found previously to be related to both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. However, researchers have paid less attention to exploring the roles of mediation and moderation which the cognitive triad plays in the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

OBJECTIVES

To test the mediating and moderating effects of the cognitive triad on the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in a sample of school-aged adolescents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional and correlational design was used in this study. Instruments were administered anonymously to a sample of 1,245 school-aged adolescents recruited from nine middle and high schools of Taipei City. Instruments used included the Children's Depression Inventory, the Cognitive Triad Inventory for Children, and the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation.

RESULTS

Regression analysis revealed that the cognitive triad significantly mediated and moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have implications for theoretical development and health policies related to suicide prevention programs in schools.

Mediators of control beliefs, stressful life events, and adaptive behavior in school age children: the role of appraisal and social support

The authors examine the role of appraisal and social support as mediators of the relation between control beliefs and adaptive behavioral outcome. Using the responses from 297 children, ages 8 to 12 years old, the results suggest two significant mediational pathways. Social support was a mediator of the relation between unknown control for negative events and adaptive behavior and the relation between unknown control for positive events and adaptive behavior. Negative appraisal demonstrated no mediation relations. The role of social support and negative appraisal in the display of adaptive behavior and the implications for further model testing are discussed.

Relations of Parenting and Negative Life Events to Cognitive Diatheses for Depression in Children

In a sample of 299 children (grades 2, 4, and 6), we examined parenting and negative life events as predictors of depressive cognitions, specifically low self-perceived competence, depressive cognitive schemas, and depressogenic attributional style. We also examined developmental trends in these relations. Children completed measures of parenting, negative life events, and depressive cognitions. Parents also completed measures of parenting and negative life events. Consistent with our hypotheses, negative parenting and negative life events corresponded with higher levels of depressive cognitions, whereas positive parenting corresponded with lower levels of depressive cognitions. The relations between negative parenting and negative automatic thoughts were stronger for older children. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Bias in Self-Perceptions and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Adjustment During Early Adolescence: A Prospective Investigation

We investigated bias in self-perceptions of competence (relative to parent ratings) for family, school, and peer domains as predictors of adjustment problems among 139 young adolescents over a 1-year period using a prospective design. Regressions examined measures of bias at Time 1 (T1) as predictors of ratings of internalizing and externalizing problems at Time 2 (T2), controlling for T1 adjustment ratings. For the family domain, curvilinear trends were found. Follow-up analyses revealed that for this domain both negative bias (self-perceptions less favorable than parent ratings) and positive bias (self-perceptions more favorable than parent ratings) predicted greater internalizing and externalizing problems as rated by youth, parents, and teachers. For the peer domain, higher scores on the measure of bias predicted greater internalizing and externalizing problems as rated by teachers. These findings are consistent with the view that accuracy in self-perceptions of competence can have important implications across multiple domains of development.

Children's appraisal of Major Life Events

Two hundred nine 9-12-year-olds completed items assessing their appraisal of the most stressful event in the past 5 months. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 6 appraisal dimensions (Self- Blame, External Blame, Degree of Threat, Significance, Gain, and Predictability) and 2 expectancy dimensions (Positive Outcome and Duration Expectancies). Situational variations were found for the appraisal dimensions, with the exception of Gain, Outcome, and Duration Expectancies. Implications for models of developmental psychopathology are considered.

Helping children and families deal with divorce and separation

More than 1 million children each year experience their parents' divorce. For these children and their parents, this process can be emotionally traumatic from the beginning of parental disagreement and rancor, through the divorce, and often for many years thereafter. Pediatricians are encouraged to be aware of behavioral changes in their patients that might be signals of family dysfunction so they can help parents and children understand and deal more positively with the issue. Age-appropriate explanation and counseling is important so children realize that they are not the cause of, and cannot be the cure for, the divorce. Pediatricians can offer families guidance in dealing with their children through the troubled time as well as appropriate lists of reading material and, if indicated, can refer them to professionals with expertise in the emotional, social, and legal aspects of divorce and its aftermath.

Children's adjustment to their divorced parents' new relationships

With new relationships common after divorce, researchers have tried to determine the factors that predict how well children adjust to their stepfamily. The many potential factors are often grouped into the categories of family process, individual risk and vulnerability, and ecological variables. Family process is concentrated on the impact of disrupted family relationships; positive outcomes are associated with low conflict and authoritative parenting. Individual risk and vulnerability includes attributes of the child and the adults; positive outcomes are associated with children who have an easy temperament. Adolescents and girls may have particular difficulty adjusting. Ecological perspectives include the larger social environment such as peers and school.

Die Entwicklung eines stabilen Selbstkonzepts als Beitrag zur Zunahme der Depression im späten Kindesalter und Jugendalter

Zusammenfassung. Depressionen sind im Kindesalter selten und werden erst in der Adoleszenz so häufig wie im Erwachsenenalter. Die Zunahme wird häufig mit der sozialkognitiven Entwicklung eines stabileren Selbstkonzepts und der Verinnerlichung von Bewertungsprozessen erklärt. Die Befunde zur Entwicklung eines stabileren Selbstkonzepts, zur Verinnerlichung der Selbstbewertung sowie zu Zusammenhängen dieser beiden mit Depressivität und Depression werden kritisch gesichtet. Forschungslücken werden identifiziert und Untersuchungsstrategien vorgeschlagen. Der Überblick plädiert für eine in der Entwicklungspsychologie begründete Entwicklungspsychopathologie.

Supporting children with serious health care needs. Analyzing the costs and benefits

Effective and efficient service delivery to children who rely on medical technology or ongoing medical care will become increasingly critical as technology and medical know-how grow more sophisticated. Presently, technology's development and application threaten to outpace systems of service delivery. This article explores the present state of affairs by considering the challenges involved in planning and evaluating programs for children with special health care needs and their families. A cost-benefit model is suggested as a meaningful framework for considering challenges related to providing service in this arena and evaluating its effectiveness.

Quality and ecology of adversity as common mechanisms of risk and resilience

This paper proposes common mechanisms to explain the effects of adversities and of resources that promote resilience. Adversities threaten the satisfaction of basic human needs and the acquisitions of competencies to carry out valued social roles. Adversities can also be characterized in terms of their ecological properties of occurrence in time, and place. Resilience resources at the individual, microsystem and macro levels reduce the negative effects of adversities through their effects on satisfaction of basic human needs and their effects on the occurrence of adversities. The effects of resilience resources are described as preventive, protective and promotive. Implications are presented for the development of interventions to promote resilience.