Behavioral/Emotional Problems of Preschoolers: Caregiver/Teacher Reports From 15 Societies

Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of tobacco use disorder identifies 461 potential risk genes and reveals associations with multiple health outcomes

Tobacco use disorder (TUD) is the most prevalent substance use disorder in the world. Genetic factors influence smoking behaviours and although strides have been made using genome-wide association studies to identify risk variants, most variants identified have been for nicotine consumption, rather than TUD. Here we leveraged four US biobanks to perform a multi-ancestral meta-analysis of TUD (derived via electronic health records) in 653,790 individuals (495,005 European, 114,420 African American and 44,365 Latin American) and data from UK Biobank (ncombined = 898,680). We identified 88 independent risk loci; integration with functional genomic tools uncovered 461 potential risk genes, primarily expressed in the brain. TUD was genetically correlated with smoking and psychiatric traits from traditionally ascertained cohorts, externalizing behaviours in children and hundreds of medical outcomes, including HIV infection, heart disease and pain. This work furthers our biological understanding of TUD and establishes electronic health records as a source of phenotypic information for studying the genetics of TUD.

The Diagnostic Period for Autism: Risk and Protective Factors for Family Quality of Life in Early Childhood

During the diagnostic evaluation period for autism or intellectual disability (ID), families of young children are at risk for poor adjustment. The present study aimed to document family quality of life (FQOL), along with associated risk and protective factors, during this critical step of families' services trajectory. FQOL was measured in a large sample of families of children recently diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder and examined in relation to the type of services received, children's clinical profile, and family variables. FQOL was related to types of services, children's challenging behavior, parenting stress, and several aspects of family composition and status. These findings highlight a need for mental health support for parents, coaching interventions for challenging behaviors, and family-centered supports.

Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of tobacco use disorder prioritizes novel candidate risk genes and reveals associations with numerous health outcomes

Tobacco use disorder (TUD) is the most prevalent substance use disorder in the world. Genetic factors influence smoking behaviors, and although strides have been made using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify risk variants, the majority of variants identified have been for nicotine consumption, rather than TUD. We leveraged five biobanks to perform a multi-ancestral meta-analysis of TUD (derived via electronic health records, EHR) in 898,680 individuals (739,895 European, 114,420 African American, 44,365 Latin American). We identified 88 independent risk loci; integration with functional genomic tools uncovered 461 potential risk genes, primarily expressed in the brain. TUD was genetically correlated with smoking and psychiatric traits from traditionally ascertained cohorts, externalizing behaviors in children, and hundreds of medical outcomes, including HIV infection, heart disease, and pain. This work furthers our biological understanding of TUD and establishes EHR as a source of phenotypic information for studying the genetics of TUD.

Teacher-child one-on-one playtime: Teachers' non-intrusiveness predicts developmental outcomes of children with developmental delay

The contribution of dyadic teacher-child interactions to the development of children with special needs has received little research attention. This study examined whether teachers' non-intrusiveness during one-on-one playtime predicts developmental outcomes of children with developmental delay. Participants were 47 teachers and one of their kindergarteners diagnosed with developmental delay. At Time 1, teachers' non-intrusiveness during teacher-child play interactions was assessed. At Time 1 and 12 months later, kindergarten therapists reported on children's adaptive behavior, school performance, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Teachers' non-intrusiveness predicted children's increased adaptive behavior, improved school performance, and decreased externalizing problems across the year. Findings highlight the importance of supporting teachers' non-intrusiveness and including one-on-one teacher-child play as an integral part of special education kindergartens' curriculum.

Effect of General Practitioner Training in a Collaborative Child Mental Health Care Program on Children's Mental Health Outcomes in a Low-Resource Setting: A Cluster Randomized Trial

IMPORTANCE

Integrated care for children is rarely studied, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where generalists often provide mental health care.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effect of adding a child and youth component to an existing adult collaborative care program on mental health outcomes and receipt of care.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cluster randomized trial was conducted within an adult collaborative care program in Tehran, Iran. General practitioners (GPs), their 5- to 15-year-old patients, and patients' parents were included. Children and youths coming for routine medical visits who scored greater than the cutoff on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were followed up for 6 months. The study was conducted from May 2018 to October 2019, and analysis was conducted from March 2020 to August 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

GPs were randomized to either a 2.5-day training on managing common child mental health problems (intervention) or refresher training on identification and referral (control).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary outcome was change in SDQ total problems score; secondary outcomes included discussion of psychosocial issues by the GPs and receipt of mental health care during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

Overall, 49 GPs cared for 389 children who scored greater than the cutoff on the SDQ (216 children in intervention group, 173 in control group). Patients' mean (SD) age was 8.9 (2.9) years (range, 5 to 15 years), and 182 (47%) were female patients. At 6 months, children in the intervention group had greater odds of receiving mental health care during the study (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 7.7), parents were more likely to report that intervention GPs had discussed parent (OR, 2.1; 95% Cl, 1.1 to 3.8) and child (OR, 2.0; 95% Cl, 0.9 to 4.8) psychosocial issues, and intervention GPs were more likely to say they had provided counseling (OR, 1.8; 95% Cl, 1.02 to 3.3). However, there was no greater improvement in SDQ scores among children seen by intervention vs control GPs. Adjusted for clustering within GP, the variables used for balanced allocation (practice size, practice ownership, and study wave), and the other variables associated with change in SDQ scores over time, there was not a significant time-treatment interaction at either the 3- or 6-month follow-up points (linear combination of coefficients for intervention, 0.57 [95% CI, -1.07 to 2.22] and -0.08 [95%CI, -1.76 to 1.56], respectively). In a subgroup of GPs with practices composed of 50% or more children, children seen by intervention GPs improved to a significantly greater extent (-3.6 points; 95% CI, -6.7 to -0.46 points; effect size d = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.30 to 1.01) compared with those seen by control GPs.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cluster randomized trial, GP training on managing common child mental health problems did not demonstrate greater improvement in child SDQ scores. Child mental health training for GPs in collaborative care can improve children's access to mental health care, but prior experience working with children and their families may be required for GPs to use a brief training in a way that improves child outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03144739.

Parent and Teacher Assessments of Social-Emotional Competence in Three-Year-Old Children: Does Sibling Status Matter?

Valid information on early social-emotional competence is essential to diagnose, treat, and prevent behavioral problems in children and adolescents. Particularly in young children, social-emotional competence is frequently measured using parent and teacher ratings that frequently exhibit low agreement. Therefore, the present study on n = 532 three-year-olds (47% girls) examined whether sibling status might explain discrepancies between the two informant groups. First, multi-trait multi-informant analyses explored the construct validity of a short measure of three facets of social-emotional competence. Then, group comparisons evaluated the size of the observed method effects for only children and children with siblings. Results showed low convergent validity between parent and teacher ratings for aggressive behavior, cooperative behavior, and emotional self-regulation. Sibling status in the family contributed little to the observed discrepancies between parents and teachers. Thus, a comprehensive assessment of social-emotional competence in children requires a multi-informant approach to capture the construct breadth.

Social Emotional Competence, Learning Outcomes, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties of Preschool Children: Parent and Teacher Evaluations

This paper addresses the role of social emotional competence in the emotional and behavioral problems and learning outcomes of preschool children based on their parents’ and teachers’ evaluations. In this study, we compared the perceptions of teachers and parents when evaluating the same child using the multi-informant assessment. First, the associations and differences between both the informant evaluations were investigated. Second, the correlation of the social emotional competence and emotional, and behavioral difficulties among preschool children was analyzed, separately addressing their parents’ and teachers’ evaluations. Third, the role of the preschool children’s social emotional competence in their emotional and behavioral problems, and learning outcomes was investigated building the regression and mediation models. The sample consisted of 507 preschool children (3–6 years, mean age 4.85 years, SD 0.82) and their parents and teachers. Both informants completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Social Skills Improvement System Social-Emotional Learning Brief Scales, and teachers reported on each child’s learning outcomes (by completing a three-item Learning outcomes measure). When comparing both informants’ evaluations, positive associations were found between teacher and parental evaluations of prosocial behavior and emotional, and behavioral difficulties of preschool children, as well as self-management. Parents evaluated their children higher than teachers in conduct problems, hyperactivity, prosocial behavior, and total difficulty, while teachers evaluated children higher than parents in social emotional competence. According to teachers, the social emotional competence of preschool children was negatively correlated to all difficulty scales, and positively related to the prosocial behavior scale. The demographic variables, as well as parental socioeconomic status and children’s belonging to a vulnerable group were not found to be significantly associated with the preschool children’s learning outcomes. However, social emotional competence remains a significant variable in teacher-rated learning outcomes of preschool children even if sociodemographic variables are controlled. Our findings indicate that a higher level of social emotional competence and lower levels of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties are related to a higher preschoolers’ academic learning in their teachers’ evaluation. This suggests the importance of early facilitation of social emotional competence as a key factor for academic success and more positive behavioral outcomes.

Salivary oxytocin after play with parents predicts behavioural problems in preschool children

BACKGROUND

Oxytocin (OXT) has attracted research interest for its potential involvement in many of the behavioural problems observed in childhood. Due to its logistical advantages, saliva is an attractive fluid to quantify neuropeptides in children. Salivary OXT has been suggested as a potential biomarker for psychopathology during childhood. However, several questions still remain about the extent to which, and under what conditions, concentrations of OXT in saliva can be reliably measured and are related to behavioural problems in preschool age children.

METHODS

Seven samples of saliva from 30 preschool children (17 girls) were collected in five different days at their homes. Three of the samples were collected by the children's parents at baseline daily routine conditions, and four of the samples were collected by researchers during two home-visits: before and after two 15-minute dyadic play sessions (one with mothers and one fathers) between each individual parent and the child. Oxytocin concentrations were quantified by Radioimmunoassay with prior extraction. Children's behavioural problems were assessed by the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) questionnaire, completed by the child's' preschool teacher.

RESULTS

Salivary OXT measured in baseline samples could not predict any of the behavioural problems measured by the C-TRF. However, when measured after playing with parents salivary OXT showed a stronger pattern of negative correlations, specially with the depression and opposition scales of the C-TRF. Furthermore, salivary OXT was unlikely to be reliably measured using single sampling, but acceptable reliabilities were achieved when averaging several samples. Finally, the single measures of salivary OXT evoked after an episode of play with parents showed better reliabilities than collected at baseline.

CONCLUSION

Measurements of OXT evoked after positive affect interactions with parents seem to capture aspects of the OXT system in young children that might be relevant for understanding the role of this system in children's social behaviour.

Family Functioning Assessment and Child Psychosocial Symptoms in Family Medicine

PURPOSE

Children and young adults underutilize behavioral health services, in part due to the challenges with identifying and providing services for child behavioral health in primary care. The objective of this study was to determine if a brief assessment of family functioning captures specific child psychosocial symptoms in a Family Medicine practice.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Eighty-three parent child dyads, in which the parent or child was a patient at the Family Medicine practice, participated in a cross-sectional study, including assessments of demographics, family functioning, child behavioral health symptoms, and health related pediatric quality of life (HRQOL). Bivariate correlations, independent samples t-test, and linear and logistic regression tested associations of parent and child reported family functioning with child behavioral health symptoms and HRQOL.

RESULTS

Parent and child reports of family functioning were significantly associated. Child, but not parent reports of family functioning were significantly associated with parent and child reports of behavioral health symptoms. Parent's reports of increased family functioning impairment were only significantly associated with parent's reports of decreased HRQOL. Family functioning impairment was associated with parent and child reports of increased behavioral health symptoms and decreased HRQOL.

CONCLUSION

Future work should determine if screening for family functioning impairment, may serve as a means of identifying and treating child behavioral health symptoms in Family Medicine.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Identifying impaired family functioning may serve to engage children and their parents in services, who may otherwise not be identified as having symptoms.

Bottom-Up and Top-Down Paradigms for Psychopathology: A Half-Century Odyssey

Bottom-up paradigms prioritize empirical data from which to derive conceptualizations of psychopathology. These paradigms use multivariate statistics to identify syndromes of problems that tend to co-occur plus higher-order groupings such as those designated as internalizing and externalizing. Bottom-up assessment instruments obtain self-ratings and collateral ratings of behavioral, emotional, social, and thought problems and strengths for ages 1½-90+. Ratings of population samples provide norms for syndrome and higher-order scales for each gender, at different ages, rated by different informants, in relation to multicultural norms. The normed assessment instruments operationalize the empirically derived syndromes and higher-order groupings for applications to clinical services, research, and training. Because cross-informant agreement is modest and no single informant provides comprehensive assessment data, software compares ratings by different informants. Top-down paradigms prioritize conceptual representations of the nature and structure of psychopathology, as exemplified by psychodynamic, DSM/ICD, and HiTOP paradigms. Although these paradigms originated with observations, they tend to prioritize conceptual representations over empirical data.

Meta-Analysis on Parent-Teacher Agreement on Preschoolers' Emotional and Behavioural Problems

Based on a meta-analysis, this study aimed to examine cross-informant agreement between parents and teachers about Internalizing, Externalizing and Total Problems in preschool children using community and clinical samples and to test the effects of the type of sample, the measure used for assessments, and child sex on agreement between informants. The meta-analysis involved 23 studies assessing cross-informant agreement for preschool children. Informants were parents and teachers. The level of cross-informant agreement tended to be low. Meta-regression analyses showed that the child's sex, the type of sample, and the measure used for assessments did not predict the level of cross-informant agreement on emotional and behavioural problems. The findings were in line with previous research results. Furthermore, the studied variables did not contribute to the prediction of agreement, suggesting the development of further studies that focus on other variables that may interfere with agreement in informants' reports and will contribute to explaining different ratings of internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool-aged children.

Teacher Nominations of Preschool Children at Risk for Mental Health Problems: how False Is a False Positive Nomination and What Make Teachers Concerned?

Identification attempts in populations with a low prevalence of problems usually result in a considerable number of false positives. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the false positive rate following nomination of developmental concerns by preschool teachers and the reasons for which teachers raise developmental concerns about children who display non-clinical levels of mental health problems.A total of 1430 children aged 1 to 6 years in Norwegian childcare centers were classified as true positive, false positive, true negative, or false negative by comparing preschool teachers’ nomination with their ratings on the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form, resulting in 127 (9%) false positives and 1142 (80%) true negatives.Compared to the true negative group, the false positive group received significantly higher scores on internalizing problems, externalizing problems than true negatives, conflict and significantly lower scores on closeness. Children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and age were the main factors that increased the likelihood of teachers raising concerns, while increased closeness in the teacher-child relationship reduced the likelihood of being nominated. Children’s gender and conflict level were not significant when adjusting for other factors.These findings suggest that preschool teachers’ concerns about children’s development should not be discarded as the false positive group did show elevated levels of problem behavior and poorer teacher-child relationship compared to the true negative group. Scrutinizing concerns in collaboration with parents and other mental health professionals may be beneficial to ensure healthy development for children with elevated problem levels.

Prevalence of Exposure to Complex Trauma and Community Violence and Their Associations With Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Studies about trauma often tend to focus on abuse and neglect. However important, these studies may neglect the importance of the broader community context that is often associated with trauma, and complex trauma (CT) in particular. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CT (defined in terms of experiencing abuse and/or neglect occurring in the context of relationships with caregivers), and of broader environmental adversity (i.e., exposure to community violence), in a sample of adolescents (N = 218) from a severely disadvantaged district of Lima, Peru. The study had two aims: (a) to assess the prevalence of CT and its associations with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in these adolescents and (b) to investigate the associations between community violence and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms over and above the effects of CT. In total, 39.4% of the adolescents reported at least one type of moderate to severe trauma. There was a clear association between CT and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Ordinal logistic regressions showed that children who were exposed to one or more traumatic experiences were more likely to score within a higher range of internalizing and externalizing symptoms than children with no history of trauma. Finally, exposure to community violence was an important predictor of symptomatology beyond the effects of CT.

Locus of Control, Self-Control, and Gender as Predictors of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Children and Adolescents in Northern Chile

BACKGROUND

Both the control that people attribute to themselves over a situation (locus of control) and the control they attribute to themselves (self-control) have been proposed as aspects that can have an effect on internalizing problems in young people. There is little evidence of this relationship in the infantile-juvenile population in Latin America.

OBJECTIVE

To establish whether there is a significant predictive relationship of locus of control and self-control over internalizing and externalizing problems in the infantile-juvenile population, both at a general level and dimension-specific. These include depression, anxiety, social anxiety, somatic complaints, and post-traumatic stress.

METHODS

A cross-sectional-correlational study was carried out to establish if there was a possible predictive relationship in 3,664 schoolchildren of both primary (4th-6th grade) and secondary (7th-12th grade) in northern Chile, using the short version of the Nowicki-Strickland scale to measure locus of control, the Tangney scale to measure self-control, and the Child and Adolescent Evaluation System (SENA) to measure the dimensions of internalized problems.

HYPOTHESES

(1) Greater self-control is associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. (2) Higher external locus of control is associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. (3) Self-control, locus of control, and gender can together significantly predict each of the internalizing and externalizing problems.

RESULTS

Evidence is found to support the first two hypotheses fully and partially support the third, since gender did not function as a predictor in all models.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm previous international research in that both locus of control and self-control appear to have a significant influence on internalizing and externalizing problems. Implications for mental health promotion in this population are discussed.

Moderators of treatment effects in a child maltreatment prevention programme in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Previous research has found mixed results on whether the most disadvantaged families benefit as much as less disadvantaged families from parenting interventions designed to reduce child maltreatment, and little in known in low-income settings.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we test the effects of child, caregiver, household, and community characteristics as treatment moderators of intervention outcomes - child maltreatment and parenting practices. We test characteristics previously examined elsewhere as well as factors relevant to the South African context.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This analysis includes adolescents (ages 10-18) and their caregivers (N = 552 pairs) who participated in a randomised trial of a parenting programme in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

METHODS

Data from the caregiver and adolescent standardised questionnaires collected at baseline, post-test (1-month post-intervention), and follow-up (5-9 months) were analysed using longitudinal multilevel analyses. We tested seven hypothesised moderators for each of the primary outcomes through interactions of treatment effect with baseline moderators.

RESULTS

No moderator effects were statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons testing. Hence, in line with several recent studies examining moderation effects in parenting programmes, our study suggests that parenting interventions aiming to reduce child maltreatment and promote parenting skills in low- and middle-income countries may be similarly effective for families facing various levels of economic, social, and health risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

It may be useful to explicitly power trials for testing moderator effects, study different types of moderators and use person-centred analyses to further understand variations in treatment effects.

Maternal Anxiety, Parenting Stress, and Preschoolers' Behavior Problems: The Role of Child Self-Regulation

OBJECTIVE

Maternal anxiety is a well-known risk factor for early childhood behavior problems. In this study, we explore (1) whether parenting stress mediates this relation and also (2) whether child factors, namely self-regulation, modify the influence of maternal well-being on child externalizing and internalizing problems at 4 years of age.

METHOD

Mothers taking part in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes cohort completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory when their children were 24 months of age. At 42 months of age, children performed a self-regulation task (n = 391), and mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index. When children were 48 months old, both parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS

As predicted, parenting stress mediated the relation between maternal trait anxiety and child externalizing and internalizing problems. This mediating effect was further moderated by child self-regulation. The indirect effect of maternal trait anxiety through parenting stress on child externalizing problems was stronger among children with low self-regulation.

CONCLUSION

Parenting stress is an additional pathway connecting maternal trait anxiety and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The risk for child externalizing problems conveyed by elevated maternal trait anxiety and parenting stress may be buffered by better self-regulation in 4-year-olds. These results suggest that interventions that include decreasing parenting stress and enhancing child self-regulation may be important to limiting the transgenerational impact of maternal trait anxiety.

Emotional and behavioral problems, social competence and risk factors in 6-16-year-old students in Beijing, China

Introduction

Child emotional or behavioral problems and insufficient social development has been a heavy burden on family and society. However, currently large-scale studies on emotional and behavioral problems as well as social competence among school children in China are still lacking. This cross-sectional study analyzed the current status and risk factors of behavioral problems and social competences in Beijing students.

Method

A total of 9,295 students, with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years old, were enrolled in the study. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to screen emotional and behavioral problems, social competences of students. We then assessed significant predictors factors associated with children behavioral problems and social competences.

Results

The total detection rate of behavioral problems of this cohort was 16.7%. All kinds of social competence scores of boys were lower than girls (P <0.05). The scores of social and learning ability in children with behavioral problems were significantly lower than those without behavior problems (P <0.05). Gender, developmental delay, recent life events, negative relationships and negative child-rearing styles were the shared influencing factors for behavioral problems and social competence. In addition, age, macrosomia, threatened abortion, hospitalization for physical illness, physical illness, poor sleep were independent risk factors for children's emotional and behavioral problems, and non-breastfeeding was an independent risk factor for abnormal social competence.

Conclusion

The social competence, emotional and behavioral problems are serious among students in Beijing. More attention should be paid to mental health and effective intervention measures should be provided.

The Mediation of Maternal Occupational Skillfulness on Maternal Education and Chinese Preschoolers' Behavior

There is growing evidence supporting the individual associations of maternal occupation and maternal education with children's behavioral outcomes. However, few studies have linked these factors together in a mediation model. The current study is the first to examine the mediating effect of maternal occupational skillfulness on the relationship between the length of maternal education and preschool children's behavioral outcomes in the Chinese context. To assess children's behavior, parents and teachers of 286 preschoolers from the China Jintan Cohort Study completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), respectively. Sociodemographic information, such as maternal occupational skillfulness and education level, was also collected. Using PROCESS and kappa statistics, maternal occupational skillfulness was found to mediate the effect of length of maternal education on both internalizing and externalizing behaviors of preschoolers, as rated by parents but not on behaviors as rated by teachers. Such findings can provide insight for counseling psychologists or family therapists in providing mothers, particularly those in low-skill jobs, appropriate advice and strategies for handling job-related stress. Mother-child relationships would consequently improve, which could then minimize the development of children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, teachers could identify at-risk children and provide early intervention. Our findings also offer insight for policy makers to consider legislation providing financial assistance from the government to low-income mothers. Future replication studies should be conducted in other countries so as to determine whether similar results can be obtained.

Does gender affect Bayley-III scores and test-taking behavior?

The developmental test Bayley-III is widely used in clinical and research settings, but there are no published gender-specific norms. The purpose of the present study was to investigate gender differences in Bayley-III scores in a sample of 55 typically developing children assessed repeatedly at ages 4, 7, 10, 13, 24 and 36 months, and to investigate gender differences in the test-taking behavior of the children as measured with the BRS at 36 months. The results of the study demonstrated gender differences at 24 and 36 months for the Cognitive Scale, at 10, 13, 24 and 36 months for the Language Scale and at 36 months for the Motor Scale. On a subtest level, gender differences were found for the Receptive Communication subtest at 13, 24 and 36 months and for the Fine Motor subtest at 7 and 36 months. In all cases where significant gender differences were found, girls achieved higher mean scores than boys. No gender differences were found in the children's test-taking behavior at 36 months on any of the BRS scales, but independently of gender, higher Bayley-III Cognitive and Motor Scale scores were associated with more compliant test-taking behavior.

International comparisons of autism spectrum disorder behaviors in preschoolers rated by parents and caregivers/teachers

This study tested international similarities and differences in scores on a scale comprising 12 items identified by international mental health experts as being very consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) category of autism spectrum disorder. Participants were 19,850 preschoolers in 24 societies rated by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5; 10,521 preschoolers from 15 societies rated by caregivers/teachers on the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form, and 7380 children from 13 societies rated by both types of informant. Rank ordering of the items with respect to base rates and mean ratings was more similar across societies for parent ratings than caregiver/teacher ratings, especially with respect to the items tapping restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Items 80. Strange behavior; 63. Repeatedly rocks head or body; 67. Seems unresponsive to affection; and 98. Withdrawn, doesn't get involved with others had low base rates in these population samples across societies and types of informants, suggesting that they may be particularly discriminating for identifying autism spectrum disorder in young children. Cross-informant agreement was stronger for the items tapping social communication and interaction problems than restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. The findings support the feasibility of international use of the scale for autism spectrum disorder screening in population samples.

Spotting Signs of Autism in 3-Year-Olds: Comparing Information from Parents and Preschool Staff

Preschool informants may provide valuable information about symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in young children. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of ratings by preschool staff with those by parents of 3-year-old children using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment Preschool Forms. The sample consisted of 32 children at familial risk for ASD without diagnosis, 10 children at risk for ASD with diagnosis, and 14 low-risk typically developing controls. Preschool staff ratings were more accurate than parent ratings at differentiating children with and without ASD, and more closely associated with clinician-rated symptoms. These results point to the value of information from preschool informants in early detection and diagnostic assessments.

Improving Interpretability of Subjective Assessments About Psychological Phenomena: A Review and Cross-Cultural Meta-Analysis

Attempts to understand subjectivity have historically involved distinguishing the strengths of subjective methods (e.g., survey ratings from informants) from those of alternative methods (e.g., observational/performance-based tasks). Yet a movement is underway in Psychology that considers the merits of intersubjectivity: Understanding the space between two or more informant’s subjective impressions of a common person or phenomenon. In mental health research, understanding differences between subjective impressions have less to do with informants’ characteristics and more to do with the social environments or contexts germane to the people or phenomena examined. Our article focuses on one relatively understudied social environment: the cultural context. We draw from seminal work on psychological universals, as well as emerging work on cultural norms (i.e., cultural tightness) to understand intersubjectivity effects through a cross-cultural lens. We report a meta-analysis of 314 studies of intersubjectivity effects in mental health, revealing that (a) this work involves independent research teams in more than 30 countries, (b) informants rating a target person’s mental health (e.g., parent and teacher ratings of a child’s behavior) commonly provide diverging estimates of that person’s mental health, and (c) greater convergence between subjective reports relates to a “tighter” or more norms-bound culture. Our article illustrates strategies for understanding divergence between subjective reports. In particular, we highlight theoretical and methodological frameworks for examining patterns of divergence between subjective reports in relation to data from nonsubjective methods. We also describe how research on intersubjectivity informs efforts to improve the interpretability of subjective assessments in multiple subdisciplines in Psychology.

Screening for mental health problems in a Norwegian preschool population. A validation of the ages and stages questionnaire: Social-emotional (ASQ:SE)

BACKGROUND

Early detection of mental health problems in childhood is important. However, studies on screening instruments for preschool children are rare. The aim of this study was to validate the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) with teacher reports and examine its screening accuracy in a preschool population.

METHODS

A total of 1428 children, aged 18 months - 5 years, attending child-care centers were recruited in Norway. Their teachers completed a survey including the ASQ:SE and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF). The Spearman's correlation was calculated for the convergence between the ASQ:SE and the C-TRF and the screening accuracy of the ASQ:SE was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with the criterion of a score at or above the 90th percentile for the C-TRF total problem score.

RESULTS

The Spearman's correlation between the total scores for the ASQ:SE and the C-TRF were from .49 to .72. The ROC analyses demonstrated that the ASQ:SE had a promising ability to classify children at risk based on the C-TRF criterion with AUC ranging from .87 to .96 for the different forms. The ASQ:SE generally demonstrated high specificity across all forms and some forms (from age 30 months upwards) produced both high sensitivity and high specificity using the selected cutoff values.

CONCLUSIONS

The ASQ:SE could serve as a good starting point for screening for social-emotional problems among children in child-care centers. The 30- to 60-month ASQ:SE forms exhibit promising psychometric properties and may prove useful for early detection. The 18- to 24-month ASQ:SE forms demonstrate more limited efficacy in detecting children at risk.

Collaborative youth mental health service users, immigration, poverty, and family environment

BACKGROUND

This article examines the association between immigration, poverty and family environment, and the emotional and behavioral problems reported by youth and their family receiving mental health (MH) services within a collaborative care model in a multiethnic neighborhood.

METHOD

Participants in this study were 140 parent-child dyads that are part of an ongoing longitudinal project looking at the association between individual, familial, social and organizational factors, and outcomes of youth receiving MH services in local health and social service organizations in the Montreal area. Measures included in this study were collected at the initial phase of the longitudinal project (Time 0). Parents completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Family Environment Scale (FES), and both parents and children completed the Strength and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ).

RESULTS

Results suggest that the family environment, especially family conflicts, has a significant role in the MH problems of children seeking help in collaborative MH services. In this specific population, results also show a trend, but not a statistically significant association, between poverty or immigration and emotional and behavioral problems. They suggest as well that boys show more MH problems, although this could be a contamination effect (parents' perspective).

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the importance of interventions that not only target the child symptomatology but also address family dynamics, especially conflicts. Collaborative care models may be particularly well suited to allow for a coherent consideration of family environmental factors in youth mental health and to support primary care settings in addressing these issues.

Multi-Informant and Multicultural Advances in Evidence-Based Assessment of Students’ Behavioral/Emotional/Social Difficulties

Abstract. This article presents practical tools for evidence-based assessment of students’ behavioral/emotional/social difficulties and strengths in culturally sensitive ways. The assessment instruments obtain teacher, parent, and student ratings, plus observations in classrooms and other group settings, in interviews, and in testing sessions. To document differences in students’ functioning in school and other contexts, plus differences between teacher, parent, and student perspectives, users can display cross-informant comparisons of ratings of specific difficulties items. Users can also display cross-informant comparisons between bar graphs of scores on empirically derived syndromes, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems. Scale scores are standardized according to norms for students’ gender and age, type of informant (teacher, parent, student), and multicultural norms. Multicultural norms are based on teacher, parent, and student ratings of population samples of students in many societies. The ratings were used to construct gender-, age-, and informant-specific norms for societies having relatively low difficulties scores, medium scores, or high scores. The assessment instruments can be used to identify students who need help and to tailor interventions to students’ needs. The same instruments can be used to measure changes by comparing pre- versus post-intervention scores. Brief instruments assess progress over short periods.

Measurement Properties of the SEAM Questionnaire Using Rasch Analysis on Data From a Representative Danish Sample of 0- to 6-Year-Olds

In the current study, the strength-based questionnaire Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM)–Research Edition was for the first time applied in a nationally representative sample of 0- to 6-year-old children. The focus of this study was the measurement properties of a Danish adaptation of SEAM. Rasch analysis was used to examine the criterion-related construct validity as well as accuracy and reliability of the measurement. The primary goal was to determine whether the 10 SEAM benchmarks could be combined into one total score or into a limited number of subscores. Data were collected by child-care providers in nonparental child-care facilities, and the response rate was high (95%; N = 9,827). The 10 benchmarks were successfully combined into two overall indexes: Empathy and Self-regulation & Cooperation. The reliability coefficients ranged from adequate (0.79) to excellent (0.94). However, standard errors of measurements were relatively large for the two indexes.

Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology for ages 1½-90+ years: Developmental, multi-informant, and multicultural findings

BACKGROUND

Originating in the 1960s, the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) comprises a family of instruments for assessing problems and strengths for ages 1½-90+ years.

PURPOSE

To provide an overview of the ASEBA, related research, and future directions for empirically based assessment and taxonomy.

CONTENT

Standardized, multi-informant ratings of transdiagnostic dimensions of behavioral, emotional, social, and thought problems are hierarchically scored on narrow-spectrum syndrome scales, broad-spectrum internalizing and externalizing scales, and a total problems (general psychopathology) scale. DSM-oriented and strengths scales are also scored. The instruments and scales have been iteratively developed from assessments of clinical and population samples of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Items, instruments, scales, and norms are tailored to different kinds of informants for ages 1½-5, 6-18, 18-59, and 60-90+ years. To take account of differences between informants' ratings, parallel instruments are completed by parents, teachers, youths, adult probands, and adult collaterals. Syndromes and Internalizing/Externalizing scales derived from factor analyses of each instrument capture variations in patterns of problems that reflect different informants' perspectives. Confirmatory factor analyses have supported the syndrome structures in dozens of societies. Software displays scale scores in relation to user-selected multicultural norms for the age and gender of the person being assessed, according to ratings by each type of informant. Multicultural norms are derived from population samples in 57 societies on every inhabited continent. Ongoing and future research includes multicultural assessment of elders; advancing transdiagnostic progress and outcomes assessment; and testing higher order structures of psychopathology.

One-Year Language Outcomes in Toddlers With Language Delays: An RCT Follow-up

OBJECTIVES

The current study is a 1-year follow-up analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) for toddlers with language delays. Outcomes and predictors of child language and parent intervention implementation were examined 6 and 12 months after the end of the intervention.

METHODS

Toddlers with language delays were recruited from the community, and 97 toddlers and parents were randomly assigned to receive usual community treatments or a 3-month EMT intervention with parent training. Multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the differences between groups at the 6- and 12-month follow-up periods. A subgroup of participants with receptive and expressive language delays was used in a post hoc moderator analysis of treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

Children in the treatment arm did not differ from children in the control arm at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. However, post hoc analyses revealed that children with receptive-expressive language delays were persistently delayed relative to normative performance throughout the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

The immediate effects of the brief delivery of EMT were not sustained over the 1-year follow-up period. However, the short-term intervention may not have been sufficient for children with receptive-expressive delays to develop typical language abilities, suggesting they may need more intensive early intervention. Although this intervention may not be necessary for all children with primary language delays, future research should determine the extent to which children with receptive-expressive delays may benefit from more intensive intervention.

Agreement and Disagreement on Emotional and Behavioral Problems in a Sample of Preschool-Age Children

The present study aimed to identify predictors of agreement and disagreement concerning emotional and behavioral problems reported by the mothers and teachers of preschool-aged children. Participants included 172 (89 boys) children, their mothers, and their preschool teachers. Mothers were asked to complete the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 (CBCL 1½-5), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a sociodemographic questionnaire, and were observed engaging in an interactive task with their child. Preschool teachers completed the Caregiver Teacher Report Form for Ages 1½-5 (CTRF). The results show low cross-informant agreement. None of the studied variables predicted cross-informant agreement; however, maternal psychopathology and the presence of an assistant in the classroom were predictors of disagreement between mothers and teachers. Although these results highlight the influence of maternal and school context variables on the disagreement among informants’ reports on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool-aged children, additional research in this field is needed.

Relationship between parenting stress and informant discrepancies on symptoms of ADHD/ODD and internalizing behaviors in preschool children

Parent and teacher ratings of child behaviors are often discrepant, and these discrepancies may be correlated with parenting stress. The present study explored whether various parenting stress factors are associated with discrepancies between parent and teacher ratings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as well as internalizing symptoms in preschool children. We recruited 299 Taiwanese preschool children (aged 4-6 years) from the community or via clinical referrals. A structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships among three factors derived from the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and informant discrepancies on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, ODD, and internalizing behaviors. Scores reported by parents were higher for each of the symptoms examined than those reported by teachers, and the degree of agreement between informants ranged from low to moderate. The parental distress factor of parenting stress was associated only with parent ratings, whereas other factors of parenting stress-parent-child dysfunctional interaction and parents' stress resulted from their child's temperament-were correlated with both parent and teacher ratings. Only parental distress factor predicted informant discrepancies for all behavioral symptoms assessed. Our findings suggest that parental distress should be considered when parent rating scores show significant discrepancies from that of teacher rating scores.

Negative Affectivity and Effortful Control in Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder and in Their Young Children

Research has examined temperament in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but not in their offspring, despite offspring's risk of developing BPD and the importance of temperament in the etiology of BPD. We recruited a low-socioeconomic sample of 36 mothers with BPD and their children ages 4 through 7, and 34 normative comparisons. Replicating prior studies, mothers with BPD reported themselves as having more negative affectivity (frustration, fear) and less effortful control (inhibitory control, attentional control, activation control) than did comparisons. Mothers with BPD also reported that their offspring had more negative affectivity (anger/frustration, fear) and less effortful control (inhibitory control, attentional focusing) than did comparisons. We were concerned about potential bias and shared method variance. We therefore provided validity support for mothers' ratings of their children with teacher ratings of child behavior and child self-report via their story-stem completion narratives. We discuss children's temperamental vulnerability versus differential susceptibility to the environment.

A longitudinal study of emotion regulation among sexually abused preschoolers

The aim of the present study was to investigate the evolution of emotion regulation competencies in sexually abused preschoolers. Children's emotion regulation abilities and their emotional lability and negativity were assessed shortly after disclosure of sexual abuse and one year later, and compared to those of non-abused children. A sample of 47 sexually abused (37 girls, 10 boys) and 74 non-abused children (54 girls, 20 boys), aged 3-7 years (M=56.83months; SD=9.55), participated in the study. Parents and daycare educators or teachers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist (Shields & Cicchetti, 1997) and an adapted version of the History of Victimization Form (Parent & Hébert, 2006). Parents reported more emotional lability/negativity in sexually abused children, with an increase of difficulties and a larger difference between groups at follow-up assessment conducted one year later. Parents of sexually abused children, especially those of boys, also reported lower emotion regulation competencies in their child than parents from the comparison group. According to educators, victims of sexual abuse had lower emotion regulation abilities, but their lability/negativity tended to subside over time. Various hypotheses are proposed to explain the differences between sexually abused boys' and girls' emotion regulation competencies, and between the two informants. Clinical implications are also discussed. Emotion regulation seems to be an important dimension to consider in future interventions for this specific population.

Preschoolers' self-regulation moderates relations between mothers' representations and children's adjustment to school

Consistent with models of environmental sensitivity (Pluess, 2015), research suggests that the effects of parents' behaviors on child adjustment are stronger among children who struggle to regulate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors compared with children with better self-regulation. This study extended prior research by assessing maternal representations of the child, which presumably underlie mothers' parenting behaviors, to evaluate the moderating influence of preschoolers' self-regulation on relations between mothers' representations and changes in children's negative and positive developmental adjustment outcomes from preschool to first grade. Participants were 187 mothers and their preschoolers. Mothers' representations were assessed via the coherence of their verbal narratives regarding their preschooler and teachers reported on preschoolers' self-regulation. In preschool and first grade, examiners rated children's externalizing behavior problems and ego-resilience, and teachers rated children's externalizing behavior problems and peer acceptance. Consistent with the environmental sensitivity framework, the coherence of mothers' narratives predicted changes in adjustment among children with self-regulation difficulties, but not among children with better self-regulation. Preschoolers with self-regulation difficulties whose mothers produced incoherent narratives showed increased externalizing behavior problems, decreased ego-resilience, and lower peer acceptance across the transition to school. In contrast, preschoolers with better self-regulation did not evidence such effects when their mothers produced incoherent narratives. The implications of these findings for understanding and supporting children's adjustment during the early school years are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Emotion Regulation in Sexually Abused Preschoolers

Emotion regulation is closely related to mental health in children and adults. Low emotion regulation competencies have been found in school-aged sexually abused girls. The aim of the present study was to investigate emotion regulation competencies in sexually abused preschool girls and boys using a multi-informant approach. Emotion regulation was assessed in 62 sexually abused and 65 non-abused preschoolers using the Emotion Regulation Checklist and the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. Both parents and educators reported lower emotion regulation competencies in sexually abused preschoolers, especially boys, than in non-abused children. The narrative task completed by the children also revealed lower emotion regulation competencies in sexually abused boys. These findings could have an important impact on intervention programs offered to these at-risk children.

Assessment of preschool psychopathology in Serbia

The utility of the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5-5 (CBCL/1.5-5) and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) to the Serbian children is largely unknown and has not been studied. An aim of this study was to examine rates and distribution of emotional and behavioral problems among 4 to 6-year-old children in the Serbia. Country differences between our Serbian sample and the original U.S. sample, gender differences, and cross-informant agreement between teachers and parents were also to be examined. The CBCL/1.5-5 and the C-TRF was completed by parents and teachers respectively on 512 preschoolers in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. Internal consistency of the scales was analyzed using Cronbach alpha (α). The comparison of behavioral/emotional syndromes raw scores was performed by t test. CBCL/1.5-5 prevalence rate of the Total Problems score in the clinical range was 13.4%, while the C-TRF prevalence rate for girls was 9.8% and for boys 8.8%. Our findings revealed that parent reported more problems than teachers on almost all scales across gender with the mean cross-informant correlation of 0.24. This study documents gender differences, with boys scoring significantly higher than girls on all externalizing related problem scales on both questionnaires, but with no gender differences on internalizing problems on either questionnaire. Results support the applicability of the Serbian version of the CBCL/1.5-5 and C-TRF and can be recommended for use in clinical and research settings.

The discriminative capacity of CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 scales to identify disruptive and internalizing disorders in preschool children

This paper studies the discriminative capacity of CBCL/1½-5 (Manual for the ASEBA Preschool-Age Forms & Profiles, University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families, Burlington, 2000) DSM5 scales attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety and depressive problems for detecting the presence of DSM5 (DSM5 diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, APA, Arlington, 2013) disorders, ADHD, ODD, Anxiety and Mood disorders, assessed through diagnostic interview, in children aged 3-5. Additionally, we compare the clinical utility of the CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 scales with respect to analogous CBCL/1½-5 syndrome scales. A large community sample of 616 preschool children was longitudinally assessed for the stated age group. Statistical analysis was based on ROC procedures and binary logistic regressions. ADHD and ODD CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 scales achieved good discriminative ability to identify ADHD and ODD interview's diagnoses, at any age. CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 Anxiety scale discriminative capacity was fair for unspecific anxiety disorders in all age groups. CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 depressive problems' scale showed the poorest discriminative capacity for mood disorders (including depressive episode with insufficient symptoms), oscillating into the poor-to-fair range. As a whole, DSM5-oriented scales generally did not provide evidence better for discriminative capacity than syndrome scales in identifying DSM5 diagnoses. CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 scales discriminate externalizing disorders better than internalizing disorders for ages 3-5. Scores on the ADHD and ODD CBCL/1½-5-DSM5 scales can be used to screen for DSM5 ADHD and ODD disorders in general populations of preschool children.

Cohort Profile Update: The China Jintan Child Cohort Study

The China Jintan Child Cohort study began in 2004 with 1656 pre-school participants and a research focus on studying the impact of environmental exposures, such as lead, on children's neurobehavioural outcomes. This population cohort now includes around 1000 of the original participants, who have been assessed three times over a period of 10 years. Since the original IJE cohort profile publication in 2010, participants have experienced a critical developmental transition from pre-school to school age and then adolescence. The study has also witnessed an increase in breadth and depth of data collection from the original aim of risk assessment. This cohort has added new directions to investigate the mechanisms and protective factors for the relationship between early health factors and child physical and mental health outcomes, with an emphasis on neurobehavioural consequences. The study now encompasses 11 domains, composed of repeated measures of the original variables and new domains of biomarkers, sleep, psychophysiology, neurocognition, personality, peer relationship, mindfulness and family dynamics. Depth of evaluation has increased from parent/teacher report to self/peer report and intergenerational family report. Consequently, the cohort has additional directions to include: (i) classmates of the original cohort participants for peer relationship assessment; and (ii) parental and grandparental measures to assess personality and dynamics within families. We welcome interest in our study and ask investigators to contact the corresponding author for additional information on data acquisition.

Agreement between parents and teachers on preschool children's behavior in a clinical sample with externalizing behavioral problems

An accurate interpretation of information obtained from multiple assessors is indispensible when complex diagnoses of behavioral problems in children need to be confirmed. The present study examined the similarity of parents and kindergarten teachers ratings on children's behavior in a sample of 160 preschool children (a clinical group including 80 children with externalizing behavioral problems and a matched control group including 80 children). Behavioral problems were assessed using the SDQ, and the DISYPS-II questionnaires for ADHD and conduct disorders. The results revealed low levels of parent-teacher agreement for their ratings on the children's behavior in both groups with the highest correlations in the non-clinical sample. Parent-teacher agreement did not differ significantly across the samples. Parent and teacher ratings correlated with the prevalence of externalizing disorders and were found to be almost independent of each other. The results highlight the importance of multiple informants and their independent influence within the diagnostic process.

Blood lead concentrations and children's behavioral and emotional problems: a cohort study

IMPORTANCE

The association between lead exposure and children's IQ has been well studied, but few studies have examined the effects of blood lead concentrations on children's behavior.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between blood lead concentrations and behavioral problems in a community sample of Chinese preschool children with a mean blood lead concentration of less than 10 µg/dL.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A prospective cohort study was conducted at 4 preschools in Jintan, Jiangsu province of China. Participants included 1341 children aged 3 to 5 years.

EXPOSURES

Lead.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Blood lead concentrations were measured in children aged 3 to 5 years. Behavioral problems were assessed using Chinese versions of the Child Behavior Checklist and Caregiver-Teacher Report Form when children were aged 6 years.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) blood lead concentration was 6.4 (2.6) µg/dL, with the 75th and 90th percentiles being 7.5 and 9.4 µg/dL, respectively. General linear modeling showed significant associations between blood lead concentrations and increased scores for teacher-reported behavioral problems. A 1-µg/dL increase in the blood lead concentration resulted in a 0.322 (95% CI, 0.058 to 0.587), 0.253 (95% CI, 0.016 to 0.500), and 0.303 (95% CI, 0.046 to 0.560) increase of teacher-reported behavior scores on emotional reactivity, anxiety problems, and pervasive developmental problems, respectively (P < .05), with adjustment for parental and child variables. Spline modeling showed that mean teacher-reported behavior scores increased with blood lead concentrations, particularly for older girls.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Blood lead concentrations, even at a mean concentration of 6.4 µg/dL, were associated with increased risk of behavioral problems in Chinese preschool children, including internalizing and pervasive developmental problems. This association showed different patterns depending on age and sex. As such, continued monitoring of blood lead concentrations, as well as clinical assessments of mental behavior during regular pediatric visits, may be warranted.

A cross-cultural investigation of inhibitory control, generative fluency, and anxiety symptoms in Romanian and Russian preschoolers

The current study focused on the early development of inhibitory control in 5- to 7-year-old children attending kindergarten in two Eastern-European countries, Romania and Russia. These two countries share many aspects of child-rearing and educational practices, previously documented to influence the development of inhibitory control. Using the Lurian-based developmental approach offered by the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment battery, the study aimed to contribute to cross-cultural developmental neuropsychology by exploring (a) early interrelationships between subcomponents of inhibitory control (response suppression and attention control) and generative fluency (verbal and figural) in these two cultures, as well as (b) the predictive value of external factors (culture and maternal education) and individual differences (age, gender, nonverbal intelligence, trait anxiety) on inhibitory control and fluency outcomes in children from both countries. First, findings in both culture samples suggest that even at this young age, the construct of inhibitory control cannot be considered a unitary entity. Second, differences in maternal education were not predictive of either inhibitory control or fluency scores. However, children's attention control performance varied as a function of culture, and the direction of these cultural effects differed by whether the target outcome involved performance accuracy versus efficiency as an output. Findings also confirmed the previously documented intensive developmental improvement in preschoolers' inhibitory control during this period, influencing measures of response suppression and particularly attention control. Finally, the results further stress the importance of individual differences effects in trait anxiety on attention control efficiency across cultures.

Die Erfassung von Verhaltensauffälligkeiten im Vorschulalter mit dem Elternfragebogen für Klein- und Vorschulkinder (CBCL/11/2 – 5)

Der Elternfragebogen für Klein- und Vorschulkinder CBCL/11/2 – 5, die Übersetzung des englischsprachigen Originals aus der Fragebogenfamilie von Thomas Achenbach, wird anhand von Daten aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum hinsichtlich seiner Anwendbarkeit überprüft. Diese umfasst die Überprüfung der faktoriellen Struktur, der internen Konsistenzen der Skalen und ihrer Korrelationen untereinander sowie Mittelwertvergleiche verschiedener Teilstichproben. Die Ergebnisse lassen die Anwendung des Fragebogens für gruppenstatistische Analysen im Rahmen verschiedener Forschungsfragestellungen gerechtfertigt scheinen. Die übergeordneten Dimensionen Externales Problem und Internales Problem sowie die Problemskalen Aufmerksamkeitsprobleme und Aggressives Verhalten können auch in der klinischen Einzelfalldiagnostik zuverlässig eingesetzt werden.

International epidemiology of child and adolescent psychopathology ii: integration and applications of dimensional findings from 44 societies

OBJECTIVE

To build on Achenbach, Rescorla, and Ivanova (2012) by (a) reporting new international findings for parent, teacher, and self-ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report, and Teacher's Report Form; (b) testing the fit of syndrome models to new data from 17 societies, including previously underrepresented regions; (c) testing effects of society, gender, and age in 44 societies by integrating new and previous data; (d) testing cross-society correlations between mean item ratings; (e) describing the construction of multisociety norms; (f) illustrating clinical applications.

METHOD

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of parent, teacher, and self-ratings, performed separately for each society; tests of societal, gender, and age effects on dimensional syndrome scales, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales; tests of agreement between low, medium, and high ratings of problem items across societies.

RESULTS

CFAs supported the tested syndrome models in all societies according to the primary fit index (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA]), but less consistently according to other indices; effect sizes were small-to-medium for societal differences in scale scores, but very small for gender, age, and interactions with society; items received similarly low, medium, or high ratings in different societies; problem scores from 44 societies fit three sets of multisociety norms.

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically derived syndrome models fit parent, teacher, and self-ratings when tested individually in all 44 societies according to RMSEAs (but less consistently according to other indices). Small to medium differences in scale scores among societies supported the use of low-, medium-, and high-scoring norms in clinical assessment of individual children.