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Felt JM, Chimed-Ochir U, Shores KA, Olson AE, Li Y, Fisher ZF, Ram N, Shenk CE. Contamination bias in the estimation of child maltreatment causal effects on adolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38634466 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When unaddressed, contamination in child maltreatment research, in which some proportion of children recruited for a nonmaltreated comparison group are exposed to maltreatment, downwardly biases the significance and magnitude of effect size estimates. This study extends previous contamination research by investigating how a dual-measurement strategy of detecting and controlling contamination impacts causal effect size estimates of child behavior problems. METHODS This study included 634 children from the LONGSCAN study with 63 cases of confirmed child maltreatment after age 8 and 571 cases without confirmed child maltreatment. Confirmed child maltreatment and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were recorded every 2 years between ages 4 and 16. Contamination in the nonmaltreated comparison group was identified and controlled by either a prospective self-report assessment at ages 12, 14, and 16 or by a one-time retrospective self-report assessment at age 18. Synthetic control methods were used to establish causal effects and quantify the impact of contamination when it was not controlled, when it was controlled for by prospective self-reports, and when it was controlled for by retrospective self-reports. RESULTS Rates of contamination ranged from 62% to 67%. Without controlling for contamination, causal effect size estimates for internalizing behaviors were not statistically significant. Causal effects only became statistically significant after controlling contamination identified from either prospective or retrospective reports and effect sizes increased by between 17% and 54%. Controlling contamination had a smaller impact on effect size increases for externalizing behaviors but did produce a statistically significant overall effect, relative to the model ignoring contamination, when prospective methods were used. CONCLUSIONS The presence of contamination in a nonmaltreated comparison group can underestimate the magnitude and statistical significance of causal effect size estimates, especially when investigating internalizing behavior problems. Addressing contamination can facilitate the replication of results across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Felt
- Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ulziimaa Chimed-Ochir
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Yanling Li
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Zachary F Fisher
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nilam Ram
- Department of Communications, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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2
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Wolf SE, Hastings WJ, Ye Q, Etzel L, Apsley AT, Chiaro C, Heim CC, Heller T, Noll JG, Schreier HMC, Shenk CE, Shalev I. Cross-tissue comparison of telomere length and quality metrics of DNA among individuals aged 8 to 70 years. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290918. [PMID: 38386656 PMCID: PMC10883573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is an important biomarker of cellular aging, yet its links with health outcomes may be complicated by use of different tissues. We evaluated within- and between-individual variability in TL and quality metrics of DNA across five tissues using a cross-sectional dataset ranging from 8 to 70 years (N = 197). DNA was extracted from all tissue cells using the Gentra Puregene DNA Extraction Kit. Absolute TL (aTL) in kilobase pairs was measured in buccal epithelial cells, saliva, dried blood spots (DBS), buffy coat, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using qPCR. aTL significantly shortened with age for all tissues except saliva and buffy coat, although buffy coat was available for a restricted age range (8 to 15 years). aTL did not significantly differ across blood-based tissues (DBS, buffy coat, PBMC), which had significantly longer aTL than buccal cells and saliva. Additionally, aTL was significantly correlated for the majority of tissue pairs, with partial Spearman's correlations controlling for age and sex ranging from ⍴ = 0.18 to 0.51. We also measured quality metrics of DNA including integrity, purity, and quantity of extracted DNA from all tissues and explored whether controlling for DNA metrics improved predictions of aTL. We found significant tissue variation: DNA from blood-based tissues had high DNA integrity, more acceptable A260/280 and A260/230 values, and greater extracted DNA concentrations compared to buccal cells and saliva. Longer aTL was associated with lower DNA integrity, higher extracted DNA concentrations, and higher A260/230, particularly for saliva. Model comparisons suggested that incorporation of quality DNA metrics improves models of TL, although relevant metrics vary by tissue. These findings highlight the merits of using blood-based tissues and suggest that incorporation of quality DNA metrics as control variables in population-based studies can improve TL predictions, especially for more variable tissues like buccal and saliva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Wolf
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Waylon J. Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Qiaofeng Ye
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Abner T. Apsley
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher Chiaro
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christine C. Heim
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Heller
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Hannah M. C. Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Shenk CE, Shores KA, Ram N, Felt JM, Chimed-Ochir U, Olson AE, Fisher ZF. Contamination in Observational Research on Child Maltreatment: A Conceptual and Empirical Review With Implications for Future Research. Child Maltreat 2023:10775595231224472. [PMID: 38146950 DOI: 10.1177/10775595231224472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Contamination is a methodological phenomenon occurring in child maltreatment research when individuals in an established comparison condition have, in reality, been exposed to maltreatment during childhood. The current paper: (1) provides a conceptual and methodological introduction to contamination in child maltreatment research, (2) reviews the empirical literature demonstrating that the presence of contamination biases causal estimates in both prospective and retrospective cohort studies of child maltreatment effects, (3) outlines a dual measurement strategy for how child maltreatment researchers can address contamination, and (4) describes modern statistical methods for generating causal estimates in child maltreatment research after contamination is controlled. Our goal is to introduce the issue of contamination to researchers examining the effects of child maltreatment in an effort to improve the precision and replication of causal estimates that ultimately inform scientific and clinical decision-making as well as public policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Kenneth A Shores
- School of Education, The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Nilam Ram
- Department of Communications, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John M Felt
- The Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ulziimaa Chimed-Ochir
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Zachary F Fisher
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Felt JM, Yusupov N, Harrington KD, Fietz J, Zhang Z“Z, Sliwinski MJ, Ram N, O'Donnell KJ, Meaney MJ, Putnam FW, Noll JG, Binder EB, Shenk CE. Epigenetic age acceleration as a biomarker for impaired cognitive abilities in adulthood following early life adversity and psychiatric disorders. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 27:100577. [PMID: 37885906 PMCID: PMC10597797 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Early life adversity and psychiatric disorders are associated with earlier declines in neurocognitive abilities during adulthood. These declines may be preceded by changes in biological aging, specifically epigenetic age acceleration, providing an opportunity to uncover genome-wide biomarkers that identify individuals most likely to benefit from early screening and prevention. Methods Five unique epigenetic age acceleration clocks derived from peripheral blood were examined in relation to latent variables of general and speeded cognitive abilities across two independent cohorts: 1) the Female Growth and Development Study (FGDS; n = 86), a 30-year prospective cohort study of substantiated child sexual abuse and non-abused controls, and 2) the Biological Classification of Mental Disorders study (BeCOME; n = 313), an adult community cohort established based on psychiatric disorders. Results A faster pace of biological aging (DunedinPoAm) was associated with lower general cognitive abilities in both cohorts and slower speeded abilities in the BeCOME cohort. Acceleration in the Horvath clock was significantly associated with slower speeded abilities in the BeCOME cohort but not the FGDS. Acceleration in the Hannum clock and the GrimAge clock were not significantly associated with either cognitive ability. Accelerated PhenoAge was associated with slower speeded abilities in the FGDS but not the BeCOME cohort. Conclusions The present results suggest that epigenetic age acceleration has the potential to serve as a biomarker for neurocognitive decline in adults with a history of early life adversity or psychiatric disorders. Estimates of epigenetic aging may identify adults at risk of cognitive decline that could benefit from early neurocognitive screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Felt
- Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Natan Yusupov
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry - Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Germany
| | | | - Julia Fietz
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry - Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Germany
| | | | - Martin J. Sliwinski
- Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Nilam Ram
- Department of Communications, Stanford University, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States
| | - Kieran J. O'Donnell
- Child Study Center, Yale University, United States
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, United States
- The Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Canada
| | - BeCOME Working Group
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry - Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- The Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Canada
- Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences, Singapore
| | - Frank W. Putnam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, United States
| | - Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Elisabeth B. Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry - Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, United States
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Zhang ZZ, Moeckel C, Mustafa M, Pham H, Olson AE, Mehta D, Dorn LD, Engeland CG, Shenk CE. The association of epigenetic age acceleration and depressive and anxiety symptom severity among children recently exposed to substantiated maltreatment. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 165:7-13. [PMID: 37441927 PMCID: PMC10529086 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment is a major risk factor for both depressive and anxiety disorders. However, many children exposed to maltreatment never meet diagnostic threshold for either disorder while experiencing only transitory symptoms post-exposure. Recent research suggests DNA methylation adds predictive value in explaining variation in the onset and course of multiple psychiatric disorders following exposure to child maltreatment. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), the biological aging of cells not attributable to chronological aging, is a stress-sensitive biomarker capturing genome-wide variation in DNA methylation with the potential to identify children who have been maltreated at greatest risk for depressive and anxiety disorders. The current study examined two EAA clocks appropriate for the pediatric population, the Horvath and Pediatric Buccal Epigenetic (PedBE) clocks, and their associations with depressive and anxiety symptom severity following child maltreatment. Children (N = 71) 8-15 years of age, all of whom were exposed to substantiated child maltreatment in the 12 months prior to study entry, were enrolled. Risk modeling adjusting for several confounders revealed that EAA estimated via the Horvath clock was significantly associated with more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms. The PedBE clock was not associated with either depressive or anxiety symptom severity. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that EAA via the Horvath clock robustly predicted depressive and anxiety symptom severity across multiple modeling scenarios. Our findings advance existing research suggesting EAA, as estimated with the Horvath clock, may be a promising biomarker for identifying children at greatest risk for more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms following maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Z Zhang
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Camille Moeckel
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Manal Mustafa
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Hung Pham
- The Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Lorah D Dorn
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher G Engeland
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Chad E Shenk
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Haag AC, Cha CB, Noll JG, Gee DG, Shenk CE, Schreier HMC, Heim CM, Shalev I, Rose EJ, Jorgensen A, Bonanno GA. The Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression Scale for Youth (FREE-Y): Adaptation and Validation Across a Varied Sample of Children and Adolescents. Assessment 2023; 30:1265-1284. [PMID: 35510578 PMCID: PMC9636062 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221090465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Flexible self-regulation has been shown to be an adaptive ability. This study adapted and validated the adult Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale for use with youth (FREE-Y) in community and maltreatment samples. The FREE-Y measures the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotion expression across an array of hypothetical social scenarios. Participants (N = 654, 8-19 years) were included from three studies. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a theoretically appropriate higher order factor structure. Using multiple-group CFAs, measurement invariance was achieved across maltreatment status, age, and gender. Reliabilities were adequate and construct validity was demonstrated through associations with measures of emotion regulation, psychopathology, IQ, and executive functioning. Group comparisons indicated lower Suppression and Flexibility scores for maltreated versus comparison participants. Findings suggest that the FREE-Y is a valid measure of expressive regulation ability in youth that can be applied across a range of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jennie G. Noll
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Chad E. Shenk
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, USA
| | | | - Christine M. Heim
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Idan Shalev
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Emma J. Rose
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
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7
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Rubens M, Bruenig D, Adams JAM, Suresh SM, Sathyanarayanan A, Haslam D, Shenk CE, Mathews B, Mehta D. Childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105079. [PMID: 36764637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment (CM) encompasses sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic and family violence. Epigenetic research investigating CM has focused on differential DNA methylation (DNAm) in genes associated with the stress response, but there has been limited evaluation of the specific effects of subtypes of CM. This systematic review of literature investigating DNAm associated with CM in non-clinical populations aimed to summarise the approaches currently used in research, how the type of maltreatment and age of exposure were encoded via methylation, and which genes have consistently been associated with CM. A total of fifty-four papers were eligible for review, including forty-one candidate gene studies, eight epigenome-wide association studies, and five studies with a mixed design. The ways in which the various forms of CM were conceptualised and measured varied between papers. Future studies would benefit from assessments that employ conceptually robust definitions of CM, and that capture important contextual information such as age of exposure and subtype of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie Rubens
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Dagmar Bruenig
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Jessica A M Adams
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Shruthi M Suresh
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Anita Sathyanarayanan
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Divna Haslam
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA
| | - Ben Mathews
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia.
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Apsley AT, Etzel L, Hastings WJ, Heim CC, Noll JG, O'Donnell KJ, Schreier HMC, Shenk CE, Ye Q, Shalev I. Investigating the effects of maltreatment and acute stress on the concordance of blood and DNA methylation methods of estimating immune cell proportions. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:33. [PMID: 36855187 PMCID: PMC9976543 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01437-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune cell proportions can be used to detect pathophysiological states and are also critical covariates in genomic analyses. The complete blood count (CBC) is the most common method of immune cell proportion estimation, but immune cell proportions can also be estimated using whole-genome DNA methylation (DNAm). Although the concordance of CBC and DNAm estimations has been validated in various adult and clinical populations, less is known about the concordance of existing estimators among stress-exposed individuals. As early life adversity and acute psychosocial stress have both been associated with unique DNAm alterations, the concordance of CBC and DNAm immune cell proportion needs to be validated in various states of stress. RESULTS We report the correlation and concordance between CBC and DNAm estimates of immune cell proportions using the Illumina EPIC DNAm array within two unique studies: Study 1, a high-risk pediatric cohort of children oversampled for exposure to maltreatment (N = 365, age 8 to 14 years), and Study 2, a sample of young adults who have participated in an acute laboratory stressor with four pre- and post-stress measurements (N = 28, number of observations = 100). Comparing CBC and DNAm proportions across both studies, estimates of neutrophils (r = 0.948, p < 0.001), lymphocytes (r = 0.916, p < 0.001), and eosinophils (r = 0.933, p < 0.001) were highly correlated, while monocyte estimates were moderately correlated (r = 0.766, p < 0.001) and basophil estimates were weakly correlated (r = 0.189, p < 0.001). In Study 1, we observed significant deviations in raw values between the two approaches for some immune cell subtypes; however, the observed differences were not significantly predicted by exposure to child maltreatment. In Study 2, while significant changes in immune cell proportions were observed in response to acute psychosocial stress for both CBC and DNAm estimates, the observed changes were similar for both approaches. CONCLUSIONS Although significant differences in immune cell proportion estimates between CBC and DNAm exist, as well as stress-induced changes in immune cell proportions, neither child maltreatment nor acute psychosocial stress alters the concordance of CBC and DNAm estimation methods. These results suggest that the agreement between CBC and DNAm estimators of immune cell proportions is robust to exposure to child maltreatment and acute psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abner T Apsley
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrated Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Waylon J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Christine C Heim
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Qiaofeng Ye
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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9
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Olson AE, Chow SM, Jones DE, Shenk CE. Child maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality, and parental monitoring in relation to adolescent behavior problems: Disaggregating between and within person effects. Child Abuse Negl 2023; 136:106003. [PMID: 36638637 PMCID: PMC10296585 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.106003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parent-child relationship quality (PCRQ) and parental monitoring (PM) are associated with adolescent behavior problems following child maltreatment (CM). Whether these associations are best characterized as between (trait) or within-person (state) differences is unknown. OBJECTIVE Disaggregate between and within-person effects for PCRQ and PM on adolescent behavior problems and test whether these effects vary as a function of prior CM. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants (n = 941) are from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). METHODS Multi-level modeling was employed using PCRQ, PM, and adolescent behaviors assessed at ages 12, 14, and 16 and confirmed CM prior to age 12. RESULTS At the between-person level, adolescents with higher average levels of PCRQ and PM had significantly lower initial levels of externalizing (b = -9.47 and -5.54, respectively, p's < 0.05; possible range 0-66) and internalizing behaviors (b = -4.45 and -6.41, respectively, p's < 0.001; possible range 0-62). At the within-person level, greater declines in externalizing and internalizing behaviors were found when individuals reported higher-than-usual levels of PCRQ (b = -4.99 and -2.59, respectively, for externalizing and internalizing, p's < 0.001) and PM (b = -3.58 and -1.69, respectively, for externalizing and internalizing, p's < 0.001). There was an interaction between PM and CM on internalizing behaviors over time (b = -1.15, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS There are between and within-person effects of PCRQ and PM on adolescent behavior problems. Adolescents with CM histories and low levels of PM may be at risk for sustained internalizing behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke E Olson
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, United States of America.
| | - Sy-Miin Chow
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, United States of America
| | - Damon E Jones
- The Pennsylvania State University, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, United States of America
| | - Chad E Shenk
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, United States of America; The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, United States of America
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10
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Shenk CE, Rausch JR, Shores KA, Allen EK, Olson AE. Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:1287-1299. [PMID: 33719996 PMCID: PMC8440661 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420002242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Contamination, when members of a comparison or control condition are exposed to the event or intervention under scientific investigation, is a methodological phenomenon that downwardly biases the magnitude of effect size estimates. This study tested a novel approach for controlling contamination in observational child maltreatment research. Data from The Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N = 1354) were obtained to estimate the risk of confirmed child maltreatment on trajectories of internalizing and externalizing behaviors before and after controlling contamination. Baseline models, where contamination was uncontrolled, demonstrated a risk for greater internalizing (b = .29, p < .001, d = .40) and externalizing (b = .14, p = .040, d = .19) behavior trajectories. Final models, where contamination was controlled by separating the comparison condition into subgroups that did or did not self-report maltreatment, also demonstrated risks for greater internalizing (b = .37, p < .001, d = .51) and externalizing (b = .22, p = .028, d = .29) behavior trajectories. However, effect size estimates in final models were 27.5%-52.6% larger compared to baseline models. Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research can strengthen effect size estimates for child behavior problems, aiding future child maltreatment research design and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Joseph R Rausch
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth K Allen
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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11
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Shenk CE, O'Donnell KJ, Pokhvisneva I, Kobor MS, Meaney MJ, Bensman HE, Allen EK, Olson AE. Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder following Exposure to Substantiated Child Maltreatment. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 2022; 51:651-661. [PMID: 33471576 PMCID: PMC8289945 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1864738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Child maltreatment is among the strongest predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, less than 40% of children who have been maltreated are ever diagnosed with PTSD, suggesting that exposure to child maltreatment alone is insufficient to explain this risk. This study examined whether epigenetic age acceleration, a stress-sensitive biomarker derived from DNA methylation, explains variation in PTSD diagnostic status subsequent to child maltreatment. METHOD Children and adolescents (N = 70; 65.7% female), 8-15 years of age (M = 12.00, SD = 2.37) and exposed to substantiated child maltreatment within the 12 months prior to study entry, were enrolled. Participants provided epithelial cheek cells via buccal swab for genotyping and quantification of epigenetic age acceleration within a case-control design. PTSD diagnostic status was determined using the Child PTSD Symptoms Scale according to the DSM-IV-TR algorithm. RESULTS Epigenetic age acceleration predicted current PTSD status, revealing an effect size magnitude in the moderate range, OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.22- 4.51, after adjusting for sample demographics, polygenic risk for PTSD, and lifetime exposure to other childhood adversities. Supplemental analyses demonstrated that epigenetic age acceleration was related to a greater severity of PTSD arousal symptoms (r =.29, p =.015). There were no differential effects for child maltreatment subtype on epigenetic age acceleration or PTSD status. CONCLUSIONS The biological embedding of child maltreatment may explain variation in PTSD diagnostic status and serve as a novel approach for informing selective prevention or precision-based therapeutics for those at risk for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- The Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
- Child and Brain Developmental Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
| | - Irina Pokhvisneva
- The Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Child and Brain Developmental Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia
| | - Michael J Meaney
- The Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
- Child and Brain Developmental Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences
| | - Heather E Bensman
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Elizabeth K Allen
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
| | - Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
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12
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Allen B, Shenk CE, Dreschel NE, Wang M, Bucher AM, Desir MP, Chen MJ, Grabowski SR. Integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy Into TF-CBT for Abused Youth With PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial. Child Maltreat 2022; 27:466-477. [PMID: 33499659 PMCID: PMC9215110 DOI: 10.1177/1077559520988790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This clinical trial examined animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an adjunct to Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for abused youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Youth between the ages of 6 and 17 (M = 11.79, SD = 3.08) were randomized to receive standard TF-CBT or TF-CBT with adjunctive AAT (TF-CBT+AAT) employing retired service dogs. Feasibility metrics evaluating the addition of AAT were collected in addition to common clinical outcomes evaluated in TF-CBT trials. The inclusion of AAT increased the number of potential participants who declined participation and there were no noted benefits for treatment retention or satisfaction with services. Analyses showed that the inclusion of AAT did not enhance improvement of PTSD symptom severity (β = .90, t = .94, p = .351) or a number of other outcomes. On the contrary, there were indications from analyses and clinician feedback that AAT may have attenuated improvement in many cases. This study identified a number of important feasibility considerations in the design of studies testing AAT. However, the results examining clinical outcomes suggest that the inclusion of AAT with TF-CBT in the treatment of maltreated youth with PTSD is not warranted at this time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Allen
- Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Center for the Protection of Children, Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, 8082Penn State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Nancy E Dreschel
- Department of Animal Science, 8082Penn State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, 12310Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Ashley M Bucher
- Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Michelle P Desir
- Center for the Protection of Children, Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Michelle J Chen
- Department of Psychology, 14727University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Simonie R Grabowski
- Department of Psychology, 4052Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA
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13
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Olson AE, Shenk CE, Noll JG, Allen B. Child Maltreatment and Substance Use in Emerging Adulthood: Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors at the Transition to Adolescence as Indirect Pathways. Child Maltreat 2022; 27:490-500. [PMID: 33882711 PMCID: PMC8531155 DOI: 10.1177/10775595211010965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One well-established outcome of child maltreatment is an increased likelihood of substance use in emerging adulthood. However, research identifying the indirect pathways that explain this relation is lacking, thereby limiting substance use prevention efforts for the child maltreatment population. The present study helped address this gap by accessing data from The Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; n = 1,136), a prospective cohort study of child maltreatment from birth through age eighteen. Internalizing and externalizing problems at age twelve were examined as indirect effects of the relation between child maltreatment prior to age four and substance use at age eighteen. A multiple mediator model tested the total and specific indirect effects of internalizing and externalizing concerns while controlling for demographic risk factors. Results demonstrated that the total indirect effect for internalizing and externalizing behaviors was statistically significant, Standardized Point Estimate = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00-0.02. Examination of the specific indirect effects revealed that only externalizing behaviors constituted an indirect pathway, Standardized Point Estimate = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00-0.03. These results suggest that externalizing behaviors at the transition to adolescence are important intervention targets for reducing the risk for substance use in emerging adulthood in the child maltreatment population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneke E Olson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Brian Allen
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA
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14
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Etzel L, Hastings WJ, Hall MA, Heim CM, Meaney MJ, Noll JG, O'Donnell KJ, Pokhvisneva I, Rose EJ, Schreier HMC, Shenk CE, Shalev I. Obesity and accelerated epigenetic aging in a high-risk cohort of children. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8328. [PMID: 35585103 PMCID: PMC9117197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11562-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
New insights into mechanisms linking obesity to poor health outcomes suggest a role for cellular aging pathways, casting obesity as a disease of accelerated biological aging. Although obesity has been linked to accelerated epigenetic aging in middle-aged adults, the impact during childhood remains unclear. We tested the association between body mass index (BMI) and accelerated epigenetic aging in a cohort of high-risk children. Participants were children (N = 273, aged 8 to 14 years, 82% investigated for maltreatment) recruited to the Child Health Study, an ongoing prospective study of youth investigated for maltreatment and a comparison youth. BMI was measured as a continuous variable. Accelerated epigenetic aging of blood leukocytes was defined as the age-adjusted residuals of several established epigenetic aging clocks (Horvath, Hannum, GrimAge, PhenoAge) along with a newer algorithm, the DunedinPoAm, developed to quantify the pace-of-aging. Hypotheses were tested with generalized linear models. Higher age-and sex- adjusted z-scored BMI was significantly correlated with household income, blood cell counts, and three of the accelerated epigenetic aging measures: GrimAge (r = 0.31, P < .0001), PhenoAge (r = 0.24, P < .0001), and DunedinPoAm (r = 0.38, P < .0001). In fully adjusted models, GrimAge (β = 0.07; P = .0009) and DunedinPoAm (β = 0.0017; P < .0001) remained significantly associated with higher age- and sex-adjusted z-scored BMI. Maltreatment-status was not associated with accelerated epigenetic aging. In a high-risk cohort of children, higher BMI predicted epigenetic aging as assessed by two epigenetic aging clocks. These results suggest the association between obesity and accelerated epigenetic aging begins in early life, with implications for future morbidity and mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Waylon J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Molly A Hall
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Christine M Heim
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Irina Pokhvisneva
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Emma J Rose
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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15
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Hastings WJ, Etzel L, Heim CM, Noll JG, Rose EJ, Schreier HMC, Shenk CE, Tang X, Shalev I. Comparing qPCR and DNA methylation-based measurements of telomere length in a high-risk pediatric cohort. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:660-677. [PMID: 35077392 PMCID: PMC8833135 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Various approaches exist to assess population differences in biological aging. Telomere length (TL) is one such measure, and is associated with disease, disability and early mortality. Yet, issues surrounding precision and reproducibility are a concern for TL measurement. An alternative method to estimate TL using DNA methylation (DNAmTL) was recently developed. Although DNAmTL has been characterized in adult and elderly cohorts, its utility in pediatric populations remains unknown. We examined the comparability of leukocyte TL measurements generated using qPCR (absolute TL; aTL) to those estimated using DNAmTL in a high-risk pediatric cohort (N = 269; age: 8–13 years, 83% investigated for maltreatment). aTL and DNAmTL measurements were correlated with one another (r = 0.20, p = 0.001), but exhibited poor measurement agreement and were significantly different in paired-sample t-tests (Cohen’s d = 0.77, p < 0.001). Shorter DNAmTL was associated with older age (r = −0.25, p < 0.001), male sex (β = −0.27, p = 0.029), and White race (β = −0.74, p = 0.008). By contrast, aTL was less strongly associated with age (r = −0.13, p = 0.040), was longer in males (β = 0.31, p = 0.012), and was not associated with race (p = 0.820). These findings highlight strengths and limitations of high-throughput measures of TL; although DNAmTL replicated hypothesized associations, aTL measurements were positively skewed and did not replicate associations with external validity measures. These results also extend previous research in adults and suggest that DNAmTL is a sensitive TL measure for use in pediatric populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waylon J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christine M Heim
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Emma J Rose
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Hannah M C Schreier
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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16
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Allen EK, Desir MP, Shenk CE. Child maltreatment and adolescent externalizing behavior: Examining the indirect and cross-lagged pathways of prosocial peer activities. Child Abuse Negl 2021; 111:104796. [PMID: 33189371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a well-established relation between child maltreatment and externalizing behaviors in adolescence. A gap in this scientific literature is the identification of pathways, particularly protective pathways, explaining this relation prior to the transition to adulthood. OBJECTIVE This study examined the indirect and cross-lagged pathways of peer engagement in prosocial activities to explain the relation between child maltreatment and adolescent externalizing behaviors. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS Children and their caregivers (N = 1354) participated in a multi-site, multi-wave, prospective cohort study of child maltreatment in the U.S. METHODS Child maltreatment, peer engagement in prosocial activities, and externalizing behaviors were assessed at ages twelve, fourteen, and sixteen. A cross-lagged path model evaluated whether peer engagement in prosocial activities was an indirect pathway of the relation between prior child maltreatment and subsequent externalizing behaviors. Cross-lagged relations were examined to determine directionality of risk among these variables during adolescence. RESULTS The path model did not support peer engagement in prosocial activities as an indirect or cross-lagged pathway to externalizing behaviors in adolescence. Instead, prior child maltreatment had a direct relation with greater externalizing behaviors, which had indirect and cross-lagged effects with less peer engagement in prosocial activities at multiple points later in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS The degree of peer engagement in prosocial activities may not be a risk or protective pathway to externalizing behaviors in adolescence for those exposed to child maltreatment. In fact, externalizing behaviors appear to limit subsequent engagement with peers in prosocial activities, providing an opportunity for future research and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Allen
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, United States
| | - Michelle P Desir
- The Pennsylvania State University Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, United States
| | - Chad E Shenk
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, United States; The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, United States.
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17
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Kugler KC, Guastaferro K, Shenk CE, Beal SJ, Zadzora KM, Noll JG. The effect of substantiated and unsubstantiated investigations of child maltreatment and subsequent adolescent health. Child Abuse Negl 2019; 87:112-119. [PMID: 29891176 PMCID: PMC6286700 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Children with substantiated child maltreatment (CM) experience adverse health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether substantiation vs. an investigation not resulting in substantiation has a greater impact on subsequent adolescent health. Propensity scores were used to examine the effect of investigated reports on the subsequent health of 503 adolescent females. CM was categorized into three levels: 1) investigated and substantiated, 2) investigated but unsubstantiated, and 3) no investigation. Models using inverse propensity score weights estimated the effect of an investigation on subsequent teen motherhood, HIV-risk behaviors, drug use, and depressive symptoms. Females with any investigation, regardless of substantiation status, were more likely to become teen mothers, engage in HIV-risk behaviors, and use drugs compared to females with no investigated report. Substantiated CM was associated with depressive symptoms. Findings underscore the importance of maintaining case records, regardless of substantiation, to better serve adolescents at risk for deleterious outcomes. Prospective methods and propensity scores bolster causal inference and highlight how interventions implemented following investigation are an important prevention opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari C Kugler
- The Methodology Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States; Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kate Guastaferro
- The Methodology Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sarah J Beal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Kathleen M Zadzora
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.
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18
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Kroner JW, Peugh J, Kashikar-Zuck SM, LeCates SL, Allen JR, Slater SK, Zafar M, Kabbouche MA, O'Brien HL, Shenk CE, Kroon Van Diest AM, Hershey AD, Powers SW. Trajectory of Improvement in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Migraine: Results From the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Amitriptyline Trial. J Pain 2017; 18:637-644. [PMID: 28108386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We compared headache frequency trajectories between clinical trial participants who received cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and amitriptyline (CBT+A) or headache education (HE) and amitriptyline (HE+A) to determine if there was a differential time course of treatment response between the groups. One hundred thirty-five patients (age 10-17 years) diagnosed with chronic migraine participated, attending 8 one-hour one-on-one CBT or HE sessions with a trained psychologist for 8 weekly sessions, 2 sessions at weeks 12 and 16, and a post-treatment visit at week 20. Participants kept daily headache diaries and completed take-home assignments between visits. Data from daily headache diaries are presented for each day and according to 28-day periods. Trajectories of improvement indicate initial decrease in headache days began during the first month of treatment, for both groups, and continued to decrease throughout treatment. The CBT+A group had greater daily improvement than the HE+A group. A significantly greater proportion of the CBT+A group had a ≥50% reduction in headache days each month, and a significantly greater proportion of the CBT+A group had ≤4 headache days per month in months 3 through 5. Results indicate the trajectory of decrease in headache days is significantly better for patients receiving CBT+A versus HE+A. PERSPECTIVE This article presents daily information about headache frequency over a 20-week clinical trial. Youth with chronic migraine who received CBT+A improved faster than those in the control group. Findings provide clinicians with evidence-based expectations for treatment response over time and ways of monitoring treatment success. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00389038.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Kroner
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - James Peugh
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Susmita M Kashikar-Zuck
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Susan L LeCates
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Janelle R Allen
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Shalonda K Slater
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marium Zafar
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marielle A Kabbouche
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Hope L O'Brien
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Ashley M Kroon Van Diest
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Andrew D Hershey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Scott W Powers
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Shenk CE, Noll JG, Griffin AM, Allen EK, Lee SE, Lewkovich KL, Allen B. Psychometric Evaluation of the Comprehensive Trauma Interview PTSD Symptoms Scale Following Exposure to Child Maltreatment. Child Maltreat 2016; 21:343-352. [PMID: 27659904 PMCID: PMC5362354 DOI: 10.1177/1077559516669253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Comprehensive Trauma Interview Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms Scale (CTI-PSS), a novel method of assessing PTSD symptoms following exposure to a range of child adversities in the child maltreatment population. A sample of female adolescents ( n = 343) exposed to substantiated child sexual abuse and a nonmaltreated comparison condition completed the CTI-PSS and other established measures to assess internal consistency, factor structure, test discriminability as well as convergent, discriminant, and incremental validities. Results demonstrated that the CTI-PSS is a reliable and valid measure of PTSD symptoms with good discriminability and a factor structure that fits existing conceptualizations of the PTSD construct. It also demonstrated strong convergence with an established measure of PTSD symptoms and explained unique variance in the prediction of child sexual abuse status. Overall, the CTI-PSS appears to be a useful instrument for assessing PTSD symptoms in the child maltreatment population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- 1 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jennie G Noll
- 1 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Shelby E Lee
- 1 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Brian Allen
- 2 The Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
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Kroner JW, Hershey AD, Kashikar-Zuck SM, LeCates SL, Allen JR, Slater SK, Zafar M, Kabbouche MA, O'Brien HL, Shenk CE, Rausch JR, Kroon Van Diest AM, Powers SW. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy plus Amitriptyline for Children and Adolescents with Chronic Migraine Reduces Headache Days to ≤4 Per Month. Headache 2016; 56:711-6. [PMID: 26992129 DOI: 10.1111/head.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this secondary analysis of results from a previously published trial (Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT00389038) in chronic migraine in children and adolescents was to examine if participants who received cognitive behavioral therapy and amitriptyline reached a greater level of reduction in headache frequency that no longer indicated a recommendation for preventive treatment as compared to those who received headache education and amitriptyline. BACKGROUND Chronic migraine negatively affects children's home, school, and social activities. Preventive medication therapy is suggested for 5 or more headaches per month. Reduction to one headache day per week or less may suggest that preventive treatment is no longer indicated and provide a clinically relevant outcome for treatment efficacy and patient care. METHODS Randomized study participants (N = 135) kept a daily record of their headache frequency during 20 weeks of treatment and during a 1 year follow-up period. Baseline headache frequency was determined at the end of a 28 day screening period. Post treatment frequency was determined at 20 weeks (N = 128 completed) and post treatment follow-up was measured 12 months later (N = 124 completed). A chi-square test of independence was conducted by treatment group and by time point to determine group differences in the proportion of headache days experienced. RESULTS At 20 weeks (post treatment), 47% of the cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline group had ≤4 headache days per month compared to 20% of the headache education plus amitriptyline group, (P = .0011), and 32% of the cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline group had ≤3 headache days per month at 20 weeks compared to 16% of the headache education plus amitriptyline group, (P = .0304). At the month 12 follow-up, 72% of the cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline group had ≤4 headache days per month compared to 52% of the headache education plus amitriptyline group, (P = .0249), and 61% of the cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline group had ≤3 headache days per month at their month 12 follow-up compared to 40% of the headache education plus amitriptyline group, (P = .0192). CONCLUSIONS Participants who received cognitive behavioral therapy and amitriptyline were more likely than participants who received headache education plus amitriptyline to reach the clinically meaningful outcome of less than or equal to 4 headache days per month at both time points. These results may help inform what treatment outcomes are possible for children and adolescents suffering from chronic migraine and provides further evidence for behavioral treatment to be considered as a key part of a first line treatment regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Kroner
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Andrew D Hershey
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Headache Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Susmita M Kashikar-Zuck
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Susan L LeCates
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Headache Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Janelle R Allen
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Headache Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Shalonda K Slater
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marium Zafar
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marielle A Kabbouche
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Headache Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Hope L O'Brien
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph R Rausch
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ashley M Kroon Van Diest
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Scott W Powers
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Headache Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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21
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Teeters AR, Ammerman RT, Shenk CE, Goyal NK, Folger AT, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB. Predictors of maternal depressive symptom trajectories over the first 18 months in home visiting. Am J Orthopsychiatry 2016; 86:415-424. [PMID: 26881983 DOI: 10.1037/ort0000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Maternal depression negatively impacts maternal functioning and parenting behaviors. Mothers participating in home visiting programs are at particularly elevated risk for depressive symptoms due to demographic and associated risk factors. Moreover, additional empirical evidence has demonstrated that mothers with depression do not benefit from home visiting interventions to the same extent as their peers without depression. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of depression course in mothers participating in home visiting over the first 18 months of service. Participants were 220 low income mothers participating in a home visiting program who completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at enrollment and 9 and 18 months later. Measures of childhood maltreatment history, social support, and locus of control were also collected at enrollment. Group-based trajectory modeling revealed 3 groups labeled as minimal (63.6%), mild (30.5%), and moderate-severe (5.9%). Although a slight decrease in depressive symptoms was observed over time in the minimal and mild groups, mothers in the moderate-severe group exhibited a large increase from enrollment to 9 months that persisted through 18 months. Membership in the mild and moderate-severe groups was predicted by history of childhood maltreatment, low levels of social support, and an external locus of control. Implications of these findings for home visiting programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert T Ammerman
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Neera K Goyal
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Alonzo T Folger
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Frank W Putnam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
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Shenk CE, Griffin AM, O’Donnell KJ. Symptoms of major depressive disorder subsequent to child maltreatment: Examining change across multiple levels of analysis to identify transdiagnostic risk pathways. Dev Psychopathol 2015; 27:1503-14. [PMID: 26535940 PMCID: PMC4774890 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579415000905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition in the child maltreatment population. However, not all children who have been maltreated will develop MDD or MDD symptoms, suggesting the presence of unique risk pathways that explain how certain children develop MDD symptoms when others do not. The current study tested several candidate risk pathways to MDD symptoms following child maltreatment: neuroendocrine, autonomic, affective, and emotion regulation. Female adolescents (N = 110; age range = 14-19) were recruited into a substantiated child maltreatment or comparison condition and completed a laboratory stressor, saliva samples, and measures of emotion regulation, negative affect, and MDD symptoms. MDD symptoms were reassessed 18 months later. Mediational modeling revealed that emotion regulation was the only significant indirect effect of the relationship between child maltreatment and subsequent MDD symptoms, demonstrating that children exposed to maltreatment had greater difficulties managing affective states that in turn led to more severe MDD symptoms. These results highlight the importance of emotion dysregulation as a central risk pathway to MDD following child maltreatment. Areas of future research and implications for optimizing prevention and clinical intervention through the direct targeting of transdiagnostic risk pathways are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
- Division of Child Abuse Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center
| | - Amanda M. Griffin
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
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Shenk CE, Noll JG, Peugh JL, Griffin AM, Bensman HE. Contamination in the Prospective Study of Child Maltreatment and Female Adolescent Health. J Pediatr Psychol 2015; 41:37-45. [PMID: 25797944 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsv017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of contamination, or the presence of child maltreatment in a comparison condition, when estimating the broad, longitudinal effects of child maltreatment on female health at the transition to adulthood. METHODS The Female Adolescent Development Study (N = 514; age range: 14-19 years) used a prospective cohort design to examine the effects of substantiated child maltreatment on teenage births, obesity, major depression, and past-month cigarette use. Contamination was controlled via a multimethod strategy that used both adolescent self-report and Child Protective Services records to remove cases of child maltreatment from the comparison condition. RESULTS Substantiated child maltreatment significantly predicted each outcome, relative risks = 1.47-2.95, 95% confidence intervals: 1.03-7.06, with increases in corresponding effect size magnitudes, only when contamination was controlled using the multimethod strategy. CONCLUSIONS Contamination truncates risk estimates of child maltreatment and controlling it can strengthen overall conclusions about the effects of child maltreatment on female health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, Division of Child Abuse Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center,
| | - Jennie G Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
| | - James L Peugh
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Amanda M Griffin
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
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Shenk CE, Dorn LD, Kolko DJ, Rausch JR, Insana SP. Prior exposure to interpersonal violence and long-term treatment response for boys with a disruptive behavior disorder. J Trauma Stress 2014; 27:585-92. [PMID: 25270151 PMCID: PMC4943457 DOI: 10.1002/jts.21962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Interpersonal violence (IPV) is common in children with a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and increases the risk for greater DBD symptom severity, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and neuroendocrine disruption. Thus, IPV may make it difficult to change symptom trajectories for families receiving DBD interventions given these relationships. The current study examined whether IPV prior to receiving treatment for a DBD predicted trajectories of a variety of associated outcomes, specifically DBD symptoms, CU traits, and cortisol concentrations. Boys with a DBD diagnosis (N = 66; age range = 6-11 years; 54.5% of whom experienced IPV prior to treatment) of either oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder participated in a randomized clinical trial and were assessed 3 years following treatment. Multilevel modeling demonstrated that prior IPV predicted smaller rates of change in DBD symptoms, CU traits, and cortisol trajectories, indicating less benefit from intervention. The effect size magnitudes of IPV were large for each outcome (d = 0.88-1.07). These results suggest that IPV is a predictor of the long-term treatment response for boys with a DBD. Including trauma-focused components into existing DBD interventions may be worth testing to improve treatment effectiveness for boys with a prior history of IPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, U.S.A
| | - Lorah D. Dorn
- College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, U.S.A
| | - David J. Kolko
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Joseph R. Rausch
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A
| | - Salvatore P. Insana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
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25
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Powers SW, Kashikar-Zuck SM, Allen JR, LeCates SL, Slater SK, Zafar M, Kabbouche MA, O'Brien HL, Shenk CE, Rausch JR, Hershey AD. Cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline for chronic migraine in children and adolescents: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2013; 310:2622-30. [PMID: 24368463 PMCID: PMC4865682 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.282533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Early, safe, effective, and durable evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with chronic migraine do not exist. OBJECTIVE To determine the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when combined with amitriptyline vs headache education plus amitriptyline. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A randomized clinical trial of 135 youth (79% female) aged 10 to 17 years diagnosed with chronic migraine (≥15 days with headache/month) and a Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Score (PedMIDAS) greater than 20 points were assigned to the CBT plus amitriptyline group (n = 64) or the headache education plus amitriptyline group (n = 71). The study was conducted in the Headache Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital between October 2006 and September 2012; 129 completed 20-week follow-up and 124 completed 12-month follow-up. INTERVENTIONS Ten CBT vs 10 headache education sessions involving equivalent time and therapist attention. Each group received 1 mg/kg/d of amitriptyline and a 20-week end point visit. In addition, follow-up visits were conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was days with headache and the secondary end point was PedMIDAS (disability score range: 0-240 points; 0-10 for little to none, 11-30 for mild, 31-50 for moderate, >50 for severe); both end points were determined at 20 weeks. Durability was examined over the 12-month follow-up period. Clinical significance was measured by a 50% or greater reduction in days with headache and a disability score in the mild to none range (<20 points). RESULTS At baseline, there were a mean (SD) of 21 (5) days with headache per 28 days and the mean (SD) PedMIDAS was 68 (32) points. At the 20-week end point, days with headache were reduced by 11.5 for the CBT plus amitriptyline group vs 6.8 for the headache education plus amitriptyline group (difference, 4.7 [95% CI, 1.7-7.7] days; P = .002). The PedMIDAS decreased by 52.7 points for the CBT group vs 38.6 points for the headache education group (difference, 14.1 [95% CI, 3.3-24.9] points; P = .01). In the CBT group, 66% had a 50% or greater reduction in headache days vs 36% in the headache education group (odds ratio, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.7-7.2]; P < .001). At 12-month follow-up, 86% of the CBT group had a 50% or greater reduction in headache days vs 69% of the headache education group; 88% of the CBT group had a PedMIDAS of less than 20 points vs 76% of the headache education group. Measured treatment credibility and integrity was high for both groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among young persons with chronic migraine, the use of CBT plus amitriptyline resulted in greater reductions in days with headache and migraine-related disability compared with use of headache education plus amitriptyline. These findings support the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of chronic migraine in children and adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00389038.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Powers
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Susmita M Kashikar-Zuck
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Janelle R Allen
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Susan L LeCates
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
| | - Shalonda K Slater
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marium Zafar
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marielle A Kabbouche
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Hope L O'Brien
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Joseph R Rausch
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Andrew D Hershey
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center3Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center4Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prospectively track teen childbirths in maltreated and nonmaltreated females and test the hypothesis that child maltreatment is an independent predictor of subsequent teen childbirth over and above demographic characteristics and other risk factors. METHODS Nulliparous adolescent females (N = 435) aged 14 to 17 years were assessed annually through age 19 years. Maltreated females were referred by Child Protective Services agencies for having experienced substantiated sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neglect within the preceding 12 months. Comparison females were matched on race, family income, age and family constellation. Teen childbirth was assessed via self-report during annual interviews. Births were confirmed using hospital delivery records. RESULTS Seventy participants gave birth during the study, 54 in the maltreated group and 16 in the comparison group. Maltreated females were twice as likely to experience teen childbirth after controlling for demographic confounds and known risk factors (odds ratio = 2.17, P = 0.01). Birth rates were highest for sexually abused and neglected females. Sexual abuse and neglect were both independent predictors of teen childbirth after controlling for demographic confounds, other risk factors and alternative forms of maltreatment occurring earlier in development. CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence that sexual abuse and neglect are unique predictors of subsequent teen childbirth. Partnerships between protective service providers and teen childbirth prevention strategists hold the best promise for further reducing the US teen birth rate. Additional research illuminating the pathways to teen childbirth for differing forms of maltreatment is needed so that tailored interventions can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio
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27
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Ammerman RT, Shenk CE, Teeters AR, Noll JG, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB. Multiple Mediation of Trauma and Parenting Stress in Mothers in Home Visiting. Infant Ment Health J 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert T. Ammerman
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Angelique R. Teeters
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Jennie G. Noll
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Frank W. Putnam
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Judith B. Van Ginkel
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE High-risk Internet behaviors, including viewing sexually explicit content, provocative social networking profiles, and entertaining online sexual solicitations, were examined in a sample of maltreated and nonmaltreated adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years. The impact of Internet behaviors on subsequent offline meetings was observed over 12 to 16 months. This study tested 2 main hypotheses: (1) maltreatment would be a unique contributor to high-risk Internet behaviors and (2) high-quality parenting would dampen adolescents' propensity to engage in high-risk Internet behaviors and to participate in offline meetings. METHODS Online and offline behaviors and parenting quality were gleaned from 251 adolescent girls, 130 of whom experienced substantiated maltreatment and 121 of whom were demographically matched comparison girls. Parents reported on adolescent behaviors and on the level of Internet monitoring in the home. Social networking profiles were objectively coded for provocative self-presentations. Offline meetings with persons first met online were assessed 12 to 16 months later. RESULTS Thirty percent of adolescents reported having offline meetings. Maltreatment, adolescent behavioral problems, and low cognitive ability were uniquely associated with high-risk Internet behaviors. Exposure to sexual content, creating high-risk social networking profiles, and receiving online sexual solicitations were independent predictors of subsequent offline meetings. High-quality parenting and parental monitoring moderated the associations between adolescent risk factors and Internet behaviors, whereas use of parental control software did not. CONCLUSIONS Treatment modalities for maltreated adolescents should be enhanced to include Internet safety literacy. Adolescents and parents should be aware of how online self-presentations and other Internet behaviors can increase vulnerability for Internet-initiated victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Pediatrics and,Divisions of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and,Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Pediatrics and,Divisions of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and
| | - Jaclyn E. Barnes
- Department of Pediatrics and,Divisions of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and
| | - Katherine J. Haralson
- Department of Pediatrics and,Divisions of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and
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Shenk CE, Putnam FW, Noll JG. Predicting the accuracy of facial affect recognition: the interaction of child maltreatment and intellectual functioning. J Exp Child Psychol 2013; 114:229-42. [PMID: 23036371 PMCID: PMC3576026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2012.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous research demonstrates that both child maltreatment and intellectual performance contribute uniquely to the accurate identification of facial affect by children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to extend this research by examining whether child maltreatment affects the accuracy of facial recognition differently at varying levels of intellectual functioning. A sample of maltreated (n=50) and nonmaltreated (n=56) adolescent females, 14 to 19 years of age, was recruited to participate in this study. Participants completed demographic and study-related questionnaires and interviews to control for potential psychological and psychiatric confounds such as symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, negative affect, and difficulties in emotion regulation. Participants also completed an experimental paradigm that recorded responses to facial affect displays starting in a neutral expression and changing into a full expression of one of six emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, or surprise. Hierarchical multiple regression assessed the incremental advantage of evaluating the interaction between child maltreatment and intellectual functioning. Results indicated that the interaction term accounted for a significant amount of additional variance in the accurate identification of facial affect after controlling for relevant covariates and main effects. Specifically, maltreated females with lower levels of intellectual functioning were least accurate in identifying facial affect displays, whereas those with higher levels of intellectual functioning performed as well as nonmaltreated females. These results suggest that maltreatment and intellectual functioning interact to predict the recognition of facial affect, with potential long-term consequences for the interpersonal functioning of maltreated females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E. Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Frank W. Putnam
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennie G. Noll
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Shenk CE, Dorn LD, Kolko DJ, Susman EJ, Noll JG, Bukstein OG. Predicting Treatment Response for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder Using Pre-treatment Adrenal and Gonadal Hormones. J Child Fam Stud 2012; 21:973-981. [PMID: 27429540 PMCID: PMC4943761 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-011-9557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Variations in adrenal and gonadal hormone profiles have been linked to increased rates of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). These relationships suggest that certain hormone profiles may be related to how well children respond to psychological treatments for ODD and CD. The current study assessed whether pre-treatment profiles of adrenal and gonadal hormones predicted response to psychological treatment of ODD and CD. One hundred five children, 6 - 11 years old, participating in a randomized, clinical trial provided samples for cortisol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione. Diagnostic interviews of ODD and CD were administered up to three years post-treatment to track treatment response. Group-based trajectory modeling identified two trajectories of treatment response: 1) a High-response trajectory where children demonstrated lower rates of an ODD or CD diagnosis throughout follow-up, and 2) a Low-response trajectory where children demonstrated higher rates of an ODD or CD diagnosis throughout follow-up. Hierarchical logistic regression predicting treatment response demonstrated that children with higher pre-treatment concentrations of testosterone were four times more likely to be in the Low-response trajectory. No other significant relationship existed between pre-treatment hormone profiles and treatment response. These results suggest that higher concentrations of testosterone are related to how well children diagnosed with ODD or CD respond to psychological treatment over the course of three years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E. Shenk
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Lorah D. Dorn
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - David J. Kolko
- Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Jennie G. Noll
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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Ammerman RT, Shenk CE, Teeters AR, Noll JG, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB. Impact of Depression and Childhood Trauma in Mothers Receiving Home Visitation. J Child Fam Stud 2012; 21:612-625. [PMID: 23710123 PMCID: PMC3660728 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-011-9513-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Research has documented the deleterious effects of maternal depression and childhood trauma on parenting and child development. There are high rates of both depression and childhood trauma in new mothers participating in home visitation programs, a prevention approach designed to optimize mother and child outcomes. Little is known about the impacts of maternal depression and childhood trauma on parenting in the context of home visitation. This study contrasted depressed and non-depressed mothers enrolled in the first year of a home visitation program on parenting stress, quality of home environment, social network, and psychiatric symptoms. Mothers were young, low income, and predominantly unmarried. Results indicated that depressed mothers displayed impairments in parenting, smaller and less robust social networks, and increased psychiatric symptoms relative to their non-depressed counterparts. Path analyses for the full sample revealed a path linking childhood trauma, depression, and parenting stress. Path analyses by group revealed several differential relationships between dimensions of social network and parenting. Number of embedded networks, namely the number of different domains in which the mother is actively interacting with others, was associated with lowered parenting stress among non-depressed mothers and increased parenting stress in their depressed counterparts with childhood trauma histories. In depressed mothers, social network size was associated with lower levels of parenting stress but decreased quality of the home environment, whereas number of embedded networks was positively related to quality of the home environment. Implications of findings for home visitation programs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Ammerman
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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Shenk CE, Putnam FW, Noll JG. Experiential avoidance and the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD symptoms: preliminary evidence. Child Abuse Negl 2012; 36:118-126. [PMID: 22398300 PMCID: PMC3345516 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/29/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Not every adolescent exposed to child maltreatment develops symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emphasizing the need to identify variables that explain how some maltreated children come to develop these symptoms. This study tested whether a set of variables, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cortisol reactivity as well as experiential avoidance, explained the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD symptoms. METHODS Adolescent females (N=110; n=51 maltreated) 14-19 years of age completed interviews, questionnaires, and a stressor paradigm. A multiple mediator model was used to assess the effect for the set of variables while identifying specific indirect effects for each variable. RESULTS Results indicated that the set of variables mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD symptoms. However, only experiential avoidance contributed significantly to this effect when simultaneously estimating all other variables. The indirect effect for experiential avoidance was also significantly stronger than the effects of RSA and cortisol reactivity. CONCLUSIONS Data support the examination of experiential avoidance in understanding how adolescents who have been maltreated develop PTSD symptoms with implications for prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Dorn LD, Kolko DJ, Shenk CE, Susman EJ, Bukstein O. Influence of treatment for disruptive behavior disorders on adrenal and gonadal hormones in youth. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 2011; 40:562-71. [PMID: 21722028 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2011.581614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The study examined whether psychosocial intervention for children diagnosed with a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD; n = 84) changed concentrations of cortisol and testosterone across a 3-year follow-up when compared to a matched, nonclinical, healthy comparison (HC; n = 69) group. Boys and girls (6-11 years) with a DBD were randomly assigned to one of two arms of a multimethod intervention. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that children undergoing psychosocial intervention for a DBD experienced a significant decline in diurnal cortisol change over time (p < .05) when compared to the HC condition. Boys with a DBD diagnosis had significantly lower mean cortisol concentrations prior to treatment (p < .05) and showed a significantly steeper increase in mean cortisol over time (p < .05) when compared to HC boys. Treatment effects for diurnal cortisol change were replicated in the boys-only analysis. No treatment effects were noted for testosterone in either analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorah D Dorn
- Division of Adolescent Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45229, USA.
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Noll JG, Haralson KJ, Butler EM, Shenk CE. Childhood maltreatment, psychological dysregulation, and risky sexual behaviors in female adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol 2011; 36:743-52. [PMID: 21335615 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsr003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Maltreated female adolescents are at risk for engaging in sexual behaviors consistent with HIV infection and teen pregnancy. The current study applied a model positing the key role of psychological dysregulation in the development of adolescent females' sexual behavior. METHODS The sample consisted of adolescent females aged 14-17 years who had experienced substantiated childhood maltreatment (n = 275) and a demographically matched, non-maltreated comparison group (n = 210). RESULTS Multiple mediator analysis revealed that, when in company with a host of plausible mechanisms, sexual preoccupation mediated the relationship between psychological dysregulation and risky sexual behaviors. CONCLUSION Maltreated females may have difficulty regulating emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, which, when coupled with a propensity to entertain sexual thoughts and consume sexually explicit materials, may increase the likelihood that they act on sexual impulses and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G Noll
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
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Shenk CE, Noll JG, Putnam FW, Trickett PK. A prospective examination of the role of childhood sexual abuse and physiological asymmetry in the development of psychopathology. Child Abuse Negl 2010; 34:752-61. [PMID: 20850183 PMCID: PMC2962453 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2009] [Revised: 02/11/2010] [Accepted: 02/11/2010] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent literature has emphasized the simultaneous assessment of multiple physiological stress response systems in an effort to identify biobehavioral risk factors of psychopathology in maltreated populations. The current study assessed whether an asymmetrical stress response, marked by activation in one system and a blunted response in another system, predicted higher levels of psychopathology over time. METHODS Data were collected from an ongoing, prospective study of females with a substantiated history of childhood sexual abuse (n=52) and a non-abused comparison group (n=77). Childhood sexual abuse was determined at the initial study visit. Vagal tone and cortisol were measured 7 years later to assess physiological response to a laboratory stressor across these systems. Depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors were assessed 6 years after the completion of the laboratory stressor. RESULTS Structural equation modeling indicated that a prior history of childhood sexual abuse predicted an asymmetrical physiological response to stress in late adolescence. In turn, this asymmetrical response predicted both higher levels of depression and antisocial behaviors in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS Childhood sexual abuse may sensitize females to respond to moderate daily stressors in a manner that places them at higher risk for experiencing depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors over time. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The management of mild to moderate stress in the everyday lives of maltreated females may be a particularly useful point of intervention in order to protect against later psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to test whether the experience of childhood sexual abuse is associated with long-term receptive language acquisition and educational attainment deficits for females. METHODS Females with substantiated familial childhood sexual abuse (n=84) and a nonabused comparison group (n=102) were followed prospectively for 18 years. Receptive language ability was assessed at 6 time points across distinct stages of development, including childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Rates of high school graduation and total educational attainment were assessed during young adulthood. RESULTS Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that receptive language did not differ between the groups at the initial assessment point in childhood; however, a significant group by time interaction was observed across development with abused females (1) acquiring receptive language at a significantly slower rate throughout development and (2) achieving a lower overall maximum level of proficiency. Significant differences in receptive language scores emerged as early as midadolescence. In addition, abused females reported significantly lower rates of high school graduation and lower overall educational attainment when compared with their nonabused peers. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to childhood sexual abuse may be a significant risk factor for cognitive performance and achievement deficits for victims. These findings have particular public health relevance given the high prevalence of sexual abuse and that poor cognitive functioning and low levels of educational attainment can contribute to continued adversity throughout the life course. Early intervention may assist victims in improving cognitive functioning, altering deleterious trajectories, and promoting greater life successes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
,Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
,Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Michele T. Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Juye Ji
- College of Human Ecology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Frank W. Putnam
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
,Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Penelope K. Trickett
- School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Negriff S, Noll JG, Shenk CE, Putnam FW, Trickett PK. Associations between nonverbal behaviors and subsequent sexual attitudes and behaviors of sexually abused and comparison girls. Child Maltreat 2010; 15:180-189. [PMID: 20410025 PMCID: PMC4725307 DOI: 10.1177/1077559509356020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This prospective, longitudinal study examined a sample of sexually abused and comparison girls to determine (a) whether there were patterns of behavior that differed between the groups and (b) whether nonverbal behaviors assessed at the initial visit (n = 147; M = 11.11 years; SD = 3.02) might predict sexual attitudes and behaviors at a later point in development (n = 144; M = 18.52 years; SD = 3.52). At the initial assessment, nonverbal behaviors during an interaction with an unknown male interviewer were factor analyzed revealing 3 factors: wary (e.g., pouting), affiliative (e.g., chin resting on hand), and coy (e.g., tongue show). Abused girls scored higher on the coy factor that was related to earlier age at first voluntary intercourse later in development (approximately 7 years later). High scores on the affiliative factor were related to higher sexual permissiveness and less negative attitudes toward sex. Results indicate that sexually abused girls showed early maladaptive patterns in interpersonal interactions, which were subsequently related to risky sexual attitudes and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Negriff
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Shenk CE, Noll JG, Cassarly JA. A multiple mediational test of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury. J Youth Adolesc 2010; 39:335-42. [PMID: 19798560 PMCID: PMC2977983 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-009-9456-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Accepted: 09/19/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and psychological dysregulation have been shown to mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury. However, these proposed mediators often co-occur and previous research has not tested mediation when all variables are assessed simultaneously. The current study sought to advance the literature on maltreatment and self-injury by estimating the mediational effects of post-traumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and psychological dysregulation in the same multiple mediator model. Both maltreated (n = 129) and non-maltreated (n = 82) adolescent females, consisting of Caucasian (55%), African-American (37%), and Bi-racial (8%) backgrounds, participated in the study. Results indicated that only post-traumatic stress symptoms mediated the relationship between maltreatment and self-injury when all variables were included in the model. Overall, post-traumatic symptoms represented a unique pathway from maltreatment to self-injury and warrant special attention when assessing and treating such behavior with adolescent females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad E Shenk
- Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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Noll JG, Shenk CE. Introduction to the special issue: the physical health consequences of childhood maltreatment--implications for public health. J Pediatr Psychol 2010; 35:447-9. [PMID: 20231257 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsq013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G Noll
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
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De Bellis MD, Hooper SR, Woolley DP, Shenk CE. Demographic, maltreatment, and neurobiological correlates of PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol 2009; 35:570-7. [PMID: 20008084 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationships of demographic, maltreatment, neurostructural and neuropsychological measures with total posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. METHODS Participants included 216 children with maltreatment histories (N = 49), maltreatment and PTSD (N = 49), or no maltreatment (N = 118). Participants received diagnostic interviews, brain imaging, and neuropsychological evaluations. RESULTS We examined a hierarchical regression model comprised of independent variables including demographics, trauma and maltreatment-related variables, and hippocampal volumes and neuropsychological measures to model PTSD symptoms. Important independent contributors to this model were SES, and General Maltreatment and Sexual Abuse Factors. Although hippocampal volumes were not significant, Visual Memory was a significant contributor to this model. CONCLUSIONS Similar to adult PTSD, pediatric PTSD symptoms are associated with lower Visual Memory performance. It is an important correlate of PTSD beyond established predictors of PTSD symptoms. These results support models of developmental traumatology and suggest that treatments which enhance visual memory may decrease symptoms of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D De Bellis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Healthy Childhood Brain Development Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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Noll JG, Shenk CE, Barnes JE, Putnam FW. Childhood abuse, avatar choices, and other risk factors associated with internet-initiated victimization of adolescent girls. Pediatrics 2009; 123:e1078-83. [PMID: 19482741 PMCID: PMC2966308 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-2983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine the risk factors for Internet-initiated victimization of female adolescents. In particular, it was expected that girls who experienced childhood abuse would show higher vulnerability than their nonabused peers. In addition, the study examined how provocative self-presentations might be related to online sexual advances and offline encounters. PATIENTS AND METHODS Adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years who had experienced substantiated childhood abuse (N = 104) were demographically matched with nonabused girls (N = 69) and surveyed regarding Internet usage, maternal and paternal caregiver presence, substance use, high-risk sexual attitudes, and involvement with high-risk peers. To measure online self-presentation, participants each created avatars, which were quantified according to the degree of provocative physical features. RESULTS Forty percent of the sample reported experiencing online sexual advances, and 26% reported meeting someone offline who they first met online. Abused girls were significantly more likely to have experienced online sexual advances and to have met someone offline. Having been abused and choosing a provocative avatar were significantly and independently associated with online sexual advances, which were, in turn, associated with offline encounters. CONCLUSIONS A history of childhood abuse may increase Internet-initiated victimization vulnerability. Parents should be aware of the ways in which their adolescents are presenting themselves online. Making adolescent girls and their parents aware that provocative online self-presentations may have implications for sexual solicitation might help to ward off sexual advances and might help prevent Internet-initiated victimizations. Practitioners should consider standard inquiry into Internet and media usage an aspect of comprehensive care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Chad E. Shenk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jaclyn E. Barnes
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Frank W. Putnam
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Noll JG, Shenk CE, Putnam KT. Childhood sexual abuse and adolescent pregnancy: a meta-analytic update. J Pediatr Psychol 2009; 34:366-78. [PMID: 18794188 PMCID: PMC2722133 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsn098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2008] [Revised: 08/22/2008] [Accepted: 08/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent increases in adolescent pregnancies have sparked a renewed impetus to identify risk factors, such as childhood sexual abuse (CSA), associated with adolescent pregnancy. Given mixed evidence regarding the strength of the relationship between CSA and adolescent pregnancy (Blinn-Pike, Berger, Dixon, Kuschel, & Kaplan, 2002), our objective was to provide an estimate of the effect size of this relationship using updated literature and meta-analytic techniques. METHODS Meta-analyses of 21 studies were conducted using a random effects model of binary outcomes to determine aggregate effect-size estimates controlling for study heterogeneity. RESULTS CSA significantly increased the odds of experiencing an adolescent pregnancy by 2.21-fold (95% CI: 1.94-2.51). A supplemental analysis suggested that 4.5 out of 10 pregnant adolescents may have a prior history of CSA. CONCLUSIONS CSA places females at increased risk for subsequent adolescent pregnancy. Addressing conditions associated with CSA might impact the overall adolescent pregnancy rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie G Noll
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 3015, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
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