Longitudinal associations between parents' prosocial behavior and media use and young children's prosocial development: The mediating role of children's media use

Research has found that media is associated with children's prosocial behavior (PB) from an early age, and that parents play a key role in children's media use and behavior. However, few studies explore these relations as early as infancy while also controlling for well-established predictors of PB (e.g., empathic concern). Thus, the present study examined longitudinal associations between parents' PB and media use, and prosocial development during early childhood, mediated by children's own media use. Participants were 519 children (M age at Time 1 = 17.77 months) and parents who participated in three timepoints of an ongoing, longitudinal study. A longitudinal path model suggested that children's media use was still significantly associated with PB 1 year later after accounting for factors such as parents' PB, media use, and empathy. These findings have important implications for the early development of behaviors that serve as a foundation for social and moral development.

Silencing screaming with screens: The longitudinal relationship between media emotion regulation processes and children's emotional reactivity, emotional knowledge, and empathy

Many parents use screens to regulate their young children's emotions. We know very little, however, about how this parenting practice is related to the development of emotional competencies (i.e., emotional reactivity, emotion knowledge, and empathy) over time. The current longitudinal study examined bidirectional associations between media emotion regulation and various emotional competencies across a 1-year period during early childhood (between ages 3.5 and 4.5 on average). Participants included 269 child/parent dyads who completed a number of in-home tasks and questionnaires. Results revealed that higher levels of media emotion regulation were associated with worse emotional knowledge and empathy and higher emotional reactivity at the cross-sectional level. However, early media emotion regulation was associated with higher levels of child empathy 1 year later. We discuss these results in the context of general parenting practices and encourage future research on the topic with a focus on how these processes develop over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

"I'll Walk with You": LGBTQ+ Individuals and Religious Belonging

Research on LGBTQ+ individuals, belonging, and religiosity has been mixed. Some studies have illustrated the ways religion can harm LGBTQ+ individuals while others suggest religion has positive impacts. In the current study, we sought to understand this complexity by examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who have been or currently are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e. Mormon, LDS). A thematic analysis of 100 interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals currently or previously affiliated with the Church revealed various ways they feel belonging or the lack thereof in Latter-day Saint congregations and communities. These include sharing physical space, being invited to and included at events, receiving gifts or acts of service, seeing others' safety signals, hearing accepting and character-affirming language, and having others listen to them and give them voice. With the intent of fostering belonging, we discuss implications of this research for church communities and propose the belonging in practice: LGBTQ+ and religion model.

Media in the Moment: An Observational Assessment of the Digital Media Context in Early Childhood

The majority of research on media use in the digital age during early childhood has consisted of parental reports or experimental lab research, however, little research has captured media use in the home. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to capture early childhood media use in the moment it occurs. Participants included 231 parent-child dyads (M child age = 41.17 months) who completed a one-week study. Parents were contacted multiple times per day via text. If children happened to be using media (or be in a room where media was present) when parents received the notification, parents were asked to take a 10-15 second video of their child. Most families submitted at least one video over the course of the week. These videos were coded in the current study using a coding scheme to capture the context around media use in early childhood (including the environment, child behavior, and media characteristics). Results revealed that children were most likely to view media on a television or tablet. Although most children were paying attention to media, about half were also physically active while consuming media. Another person was present in the majority of videos with children, most frequently siblings or peers. Most children showed a very flat and calm affect while viewing media. These findings were generally consistent across gender and family income. Overall, this study adds to the literature on children and media that uses other methods, but provides additional insight into the importance of the specific context during early childhood media use in the digital age.

Analysis of Social Media Use, Mental Health, and Gender Identity Among US Youths

Importance

Mental health among children and adolescents is a critical public health issue, and transgender and gender nonbinary youths are at an even greater risk. Social media has been consistently associated with youth mental health, but little is known about how gender identity interacts with this association.

Objective

To use a risk and resilience approach to examine the association between social media use and mental health among transgender, gender nonbinary, and cisgender youths.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study analyzed data collected from an online survey between May and August 2021. Participants included a random sample of US youths; eligibility requirements included being aged 10 to 17 years and residing in the US. Statistical analysis was performed from February to April 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Social media use (time, type of use, favorite site, social comparisons, mindfulness, taking intentional breaks, cleaning and curating feeds, problematic use, and media literacy programs at their school) and mental health (depression, emotional problems, conduct problems, and body image) as main outcomes.

Results

Participants included 1231 youths aged 10 to 17 years from a national quota sample from the United States; 675 (54.8%) identified as cisgender female, 479 (38.9%) as cisgender male, and 77 (6.3%) as transgender, gender nonbinary, or other; 4 (0.3%) identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, 111 (9.0%) as Asian, 185 (15.0%) as Black, 186 (15.1%) as Hispanic or Latinx, 1 (0.1%) as Pacific Islander, 703 (57.1%) as White, and 41 (3.3%) as mixed and/or another race or ethnicity. Gender identity moderated both the strength and the direction of multiple associations between social media practices and mental health: active social media use (eg, emotional problems: B = 1.82; 95% CI, 0.16 to 3.49; P = .03), cleaning and/or curating social media feeds (eg, depression: B = -0.91; 95% CI, -1.98 to -0.09; P = .03), and taking intentional breaks (eg, depression: B = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.14 to 1.92; P = .02).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of gender identity, social media, and mental health, gender identity was associated with youths' experiences of social media in ways that may have distinct implications for mental health. These results suggest that research about social media effects on youths should attend to gender identity; directing children and adolescents to spend less time on social media may backfire for those transgender and gender nonbinary youths who are intentional about creating safe spaces on social media that may not exist in their offline world.

An evidence-based approach to provide essential and desirable components to develop surveys on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) for doctors: A focused review

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major concern for people with epilepsy, their families, their care givers, and medical professionals. There is inconsistency in the SUDEP counselling doctors provide, compared to what is recommended in clinical guidelines. Numerous national and international surveys have highlighted how epilepsy professionals, usually doctors, deliver SUDEP risk counselling, particularly, when they deliver it and to whom. These surveys help understand the unmet need, develop suitable strategies, and raise awareness among clinicians with the eventual goal to reduce SUDEPs. However, there is no standardised survey or essential set of questions identified that can be used to evaluate SUDEP counselling practice globally. This focused review analyses the content of all published SUDEP counselling surveys for medical professionals (n=16) to date covering over 4000 doctors across over 30 countries and five continents. It identifies 36 question themes across three topics. The questions are then reviewed by an expert focus group of SUDEP communication experts including three doctors, an expert statistician and SUDEP Action, an UK based charity specialising in epilepsy deaths with a pre-set criterion. The review and focus group provide ten essential questions that should be included in all future surveys inquiring on SUDEP counselling. They could be used to evaluate current practice and compare findings over time, between services, across countries and between professional groups. They are provided as a template to download and use. The review also explores if there is a continued need in future for similar surveys to justify this activity.

ABCs or Attack-Boom-Crash? A longitudinal analysis of associations between media content and the development of problematic media use in early childhood

Researchers have begun to extensively examine pathological (or addictive-like) media use during adolescence and adulthood. However, few studies have examined precursors to these types of behavior (termed problematic media use) in early childhood, with even fewer examining predictors of this behavior over time. The current longitudinal study examined bi-directional associations between television content (educational, prosocial, and violence) and problematic media use over a 1-year period during early childhood. Participants included 443 children (M age at Wave 1 = 29.68 months) and their parents. Results revealed that early educational media was protective against developing problematic media use over time. However, early problematic media use was not predictive of future media content choices longitudinally. Additionally, problematic media use was moderately stable over time. Implications for parents and policy makers regarding the importance of early media content for later outcomes and consideration of media use trajectories are discussed.

The impact of COVID-19 on epilepsy care: Perspectives from UK healthcare workers

•

We surveyed UK healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in the care of people with epilepsy.

•

During the pandemic, 70% of respondents held most consultations remotely.

•

HCWs experienced increased mental strain and concern for colleagues/family members.

•

HCWs reported being less confident in diagnosing epilepsy remotely.

•

Clinicians were more reluctant to withdraw seizure medications during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an immense pressure on healthcare providers, resulting in a shift to remote consultations and the redeployment of healthcare workers (HCWs). We present survey data from the United Kingdom (UK) HCWs to outline how changes in healthcare provision impact clinicians' wellbeing and ability to provide adequate care. We designed an online survey to gather the experiences of HCWs providing care to people with epilepsy. We received seventy-nine responses from UK-based HCWs, of whom 43% reported an impact on their mental health. Changes to service delivery have resulted in 71% of clinicians performing > 75% of their consultations remotely. Diagnosing and treating epilepsy has changed, with a fifth of respondents being significantly less confident in diagnosing epilepsy. Ultimately, these results show that COVID-19 has had an overall negative impact on HCWs and their ability to provide epilepsy care. These results must be considered when reorganizing health services to ensure optimal outcomes for people with epilepsy.

Decreasing the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: structured communication of risk factors for premature mortality in people with epilepsy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Good practice guidelines highlight the importance of making people with epilepsy aware of the risk of premature mortality in epilepsy particularly due to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist ('Checklist') is a structured risk communication tool used in UK clinics. It is not known if sharing structured information on risk factors allows individuals to reduce SUDEP and premature mortality risks. The aim of this study was to ascertain if the introduction of the Checklist in epilepsy clinics led to individual risk reduction.

METHODS

The Checklist was administered to 130 consecutive people with epilepsy attending a specialized epilepsy neurology clinic and 129 attending an epilepsy intellectual disability (ID) clinic within a 4-month period. At baseline, no attendees at the neurology clinic had received formal risk advice, whereas all those attending the ID clinic had received formal risk advice on multiple occasions for 6 years. The Checklist was readministered 1 year later to each group and scores were compared with baseline and between groups.

RESULTS

Of 12 risk factors considered, there was an overall reduction in mean risk score for the general (P = 0.0049) but not for the ID (P = 0.322) population. Subanalysis of the 25% of people at most risk in both populations showed that both sets had a significant reduction in risk scores (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Structured discussion results in behavioural change that reduces individual risk factors. This impact seems to be higher in those who are at current higher risk. It is important that clinicians share risk information with individuals as a matter of public health and health promotion.

Qualitative Analysis of Written Reflections during a Teaching Certificate Program

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the success of a teaching certificate program by qualitatively evaluating the content and extent of participants' reflections.

METHODS

Two investigators independently identified themes within midpoint and final reflection essays across six program years. Each essay was evaluated to determine the extent of reflection in prompted teaching-related topic areas (strengths, weaknesses, assessment, feedback).

RESULTS

Twenty-eight themes were identified within 132 essays. Common themes encompassed content delivery, student assessment, personal successes, and challenges encountered. Deep reflection was exhibited, with 48% of essays achieving the highest level of critical reflection. Extent of reflection trended higher from midpoint to final essays, with significant increases in the strengths and feedback areas.

CONCLUSION

The teaching certificate program fostered critical reflection and self-reported positive behavior change in teaching, thus providing a high-quality professional development opportunity. Such programs should strongly consider emphasizing critical reflection through required reflective exercises at multiple points within program curricula.

An effective manual deboning method to prepare intact mouse nasal tissue with preserved anatomical organization

The mammalian nose is a multi-functional organ with intricate internal structures. The nasal cavity is lined with various epithelia such as olfactory, respiratory, and squamous epithelia which differ markedly in anatomical locations, morphology, and functions. In adult mice, the nose is covered with various skull bones, limiting experimental access to internal structures, especially those in the posterior such as the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Here we describe an effective method for obtaining almost the entire and intact nasal tissues with preserved anatomical organization. Using surgical tools under a dissecting microscope, we sequentially remove the skull bones surrounding the nasal tissue. This procedure can be performed on both paraformaldehyde-fixed and freshly dissected, skinned mouse heads. The entire deboning procedure takes about 20-30 min, which is significantly shorter than the experimental time required for conventional chemical-based decalcification. In addition, we present an easy method to remove air bubbles trapped between turbinates, which is critical for obtaining intact thin horizontal or coronal or sagittal sections from the nasal tissue preparation. Nasal tissue prepared using our method can be used for whole mount observation of the entire epithelia, as well as morphological, immunocytochemical, RNA in situ hybridization, and physiological studies, especially in studies where region-specific examination and comparison are of interest.

Diverse populations of intrinsic cholinergic interneurons in the mouse olfactory bulb

Cholinergic activities affect olfactory bulb (OB) information processing and associated learning and memory. However, the presence of intrinsic cholinergic interneurons in the OB remains controversial. As a result, morphological and functional properties of these cells are largely undetermined. We characterized cholinergic interneurons using transgenic mice that selectively mark choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-expressing cells and immunolabeling. We found a significant number of intrinsic cholinergic interneurons in the OB. These interneurons reside primarily in the glomerular layer (GL) and external plexiform layer (EPL) and exhibit diverse distribution patterns of nerve processes, indicating functional heterogeneity. Further, we found these neurons express ChAT and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), but do not immunoreact to glutamatergic, GABAergic or dopaminergic markers and are distinct from calretinin-expressing interneurons. Interestingly, the cholinergic population partially overlaps with the calbindin D28K-expressing interneuron population, revealing the neurotransmitter identity of this sub-population. Additionally, we quantitatively determined the density of VAChT labeled cholinergic nerve fibers in various layers of the OB, as well as the intensity of VAChT immunoreactivity within the GL, suggesting primary sites of cholinergic actions. Taken together, our results provide clear evidence showing the presence of a significant number of cholinergic interneurons and that these morphologically and distributionally diverse interneurons make up complex local cholinergic networks in the OB. Thus, our results suggest that olfactory information processing is modulated by dual cholinergic systems of local interneuron networks and centrifugal projections.

Present status of the infant of very low birth weight treated in a referral neonatal intensive care unit in 1974

In 1974, 250 infants with birth weights of 1500 g or less were referred to the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Sixty-six per cent survived. Prospective follow-up studies of the survivors have been completed over a minimum of two years. Infants at highest risk for handicapping defects (about 85%) are those who survived intracranial haemorrhage during the neonatal period. Neurological defects encountered in these children were severe--hydrocephalus, spastic quadriplegia, hemiplegia or microcephalus--and were usually associated with low psychometric scoring. The second highest risk group were small for gestational age infants. Of these, 53% were significantly handicapped at two years of age, and 43% had developmental quotients of less than 80. These defects could not be related to postnatal events. The third category at high risk were infants with birth weights of 1000 g or less. Among these, 30% had a significant handicap by two years of age. The outcome in the remainder of the sample was generally good. These results suggest that the decreased mortality of the very premature infant is associated with an increased number of relatively normal survivors and that the infants at highest risk for subsequent defects can be identified at or shortly after birth.

Pregnancy outcome and infant development following gestational cocaine use by social cocaine users in Toronto, Canada

To determine the effect of first trimester cocaine use on pregnancy outcome we conducted a prospective cohort study of 30 women admitting to social cocaine use (SCU) during early pregnancy, 20 users of cannabis during the first trimester and 30 matched recreational drug-free control subjects. The groups were of similar age, marital status, and obstetric history and were predominantly white. They were of similar socioeconomic status (SES), however the spouses of the cocaine users were of significantly lower SES than those of both control groups (p less than 0.005). The number of years of education of the cocaine users and the fathers of the SCU-exposed fetuses was significantly lower than that of the recreational drug-free control subjects (p = 0.004), however, female IQ was similar among the three groups (109.1 +/- 12.4 cocaine; 109.1 +/- 25.2 cannabis; 114.1 +/- 11.7 drug-free). Alcohol and cigarette use was greater among the cocaine users than among subjects of the recreational drug-free control group (p less than 0.025). Cocaine and the associated lifestyle were not associated with any adverse obstetric or neonatal endpoint (pregnancy weight gain, incidence of delivery complications, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, and rates of major and minor malformations). There were no differences between groups in attaining developmental milestones. Mental and motor scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were identical among the three groups, studied at a mean of 19.7 months of age. We conclude that outcome of pregnancy of social cocaine users and subsequent infant physical and cognitive development are within normal limits at 1.6 years of age.

The prognostic value of computed tomography of the brain in asphyxiated premature infants

Computed tomography brain scans were done during the first two weeks of life in 145 asphyxiated or apneic newborn infants with birth weights less than 1,500 gm. Sixty-two survived and were assessed neurodevelopmentally at 18 months from the term date. Follow-up CT scans were done at six months post term. There were major neurodevelopmental defects in 15 children, minor defects in 10, and no gross abnormalities in 37. The neonatal CT scans showed germinal layer hemorrhage in 45 (73%) of the survivors and was combined with ventricular bleeding in 29 cases (47%). Areas of hypodensity of brain tissue were present in all neonatal CT and were extensive in 84%. Ventricular dilatation occurred in 31%. There was a significant relationship between hydrocephalus and CT findings of IVH and dilated ventricles, but no relationship between outcome at 18 months and any other features of the neonatal CT. Only four of 56 CT scans done at six months post term were normal. Dilatation of the ventricles and subarachnoid spaces was common but was not related to subsequent neurodevelopmental status.

Is intensive care justified for infants weighing less than 801 gm at birth?

During 1974-1977, 158 infants of birth weights less than 801 gm were referred from outlying hospitals. The survival rate was 25% for the whole group and 35% for those weighing 700 to 800 gm. Many were in a poor condition on arrival. One hundred and nineteen died. The most common causes of death were intracranial hemorrhage (39), RDS (26), and infection (13). Thirty-seven of the 39 survivors were followed until 18 months postterm. Growth failure was common--57% were below the third percentile in weight, 37% in length, and 17% in head circumference. Three had retrolental fibroplasia. Five children (14%) had major neurologic sequelae. Eight were severely handicapped with a Bayley score of less than 70 and ten were moderately handicapped with a Bayley score between 70 and 84, resulting in a neurodevelopmental handicap rate of 49%. Significant factors correlating with survival and intact outcome were birth weight greater than or equal to 700 gm, gestation greater than or equal to 26 weeks, the absence of asphyxia, and good condition on arrival at the NICU. There was no intact survival below 700 gm birth weight. The handicap rate of survivors between 700 and 800 gm was only 39%. Although intensive care in a referral unit may not be justified for those less than 700 gm, every effort should be made in the care of those 700 to 800 gm.

The prognostic value of computed tomography as an adjunct to assessment of the term infant with postasphyxial encephalopathy

Prospective follow-up studies were done on 62 term infants who were treated as neonates for clinical evidence of postasphyxial encephalopathy. Computed tomographic studies were done during the first two weeks of life and repeated at six months of age. All children were followed a minimum of 18 months, at which time they underwent a psychometric and a neurologic evaluation. Major neurodevelopmental sequelae consisted of: hydrocephalus; spastic quadriplegia, hemiplegia, or diplegia; or a mean Bayley score less than 70. Major sequelae were present in 29 (47%) of the children: all were severely handicapped. Five other children scored between 70 and 85 on the Bayley test. Computed tomographic scans were highly predictive of status at 18 months. Eleven of the 15 with intraventricular or parenchymal hemorrhage were severely handicapped. Eighteen of 20 with extensive areas of hypodensity of the white and gray matter (neonatal CT) were abnormal at 18 months. All but two were severely handicapped. The results suggest that CT studies are very useful in the care of the asphyxiated term infant who has clinical signs of encephalopathy.

The status at two years of low-birth-weight infants born in 1974 with birth weights of less than 1,001 gm

A two-year follow-up study of 43 infants of birth weight less than or equal to 1,000 gm born during 1974 revealed the following: average height at two years was between the tenth and twenty-fifth percentiles; average weight between the third and tenth percentiles. Fifteen (35%) developed lower respiratory tract infections during the first two years. Seven (16%) had retrolental fibroplasia. Major neurologic defects occurred in four (9%); severe developmental delay (mean developmental quotient less than 80) was found in nine others (21%). Defects of the central nervous system were closely associated with a neonatal history of intracranial hemorrhage or seizures or both.

Mechanical ventilation of infants of less than 1,501 gm birth weight: Health, growth, and neurologic sequelae

A two-year follow-up study of 73 low-birth-weight ( less than 1,501 gm) infants treated with positive pressure ventilation as neonates revealed the following: 24% incidence of lower respiratory tract infections during the first year; weight and height at two years averaging between tenth and twenty-fifth percentiles; major neurologic defects diagnosed in 14 boys (39%) and seven girls (18%) with one-year Bayley scores of less than 80. Major neurologic sequelae were closely associated with a neonatal history of seizures and intracranial hemorrhage and were more common in boys, survivors weighing more than 1,000 gm and following high-risk pregnancies.