This study explored the role of fathers in adolescents behavioral and emotional functioning. Results revealed gender differences in adolescent ratings of their parents. Compared to girls, boys endorsed significantly lower negative affect toward mothers and fathers. Girls reported higher levels of maternal versus paternal involvement, monitoring and acceptance, and higher positive and lower negative affect toward mothers than fathers. Few gender differences were found in associations between maternal and paternal variables and adolescent outcomes. Results supported the unique contribution of fathers in explaining adolescent emotional and behavioral functioning. When considering boys and girls separately, fathers added unique variance in explaining self-reported internalizing problems for boys only. Results are discussed within the context of family-based research.

The Internet has become an accessible place for teens to seek help, support and information if they are experiencing mental illness. The feeling of being anonymous can be an important reason to why teens are using internet and social media for this purpose. However, it appears through earlier studies that there may be risks involving social media as utilities for these matters. In this study we therefore examine both the risk- and protective factors that impacts on teen’s mental illnesses in relation to their use of social media as a tool for help, support and information, but also how professional social workers can increase their use of social media as a tool in their work with these teens. To be able to do this we conducted a literature review of the current available research in this field. The results presented have been analyzed with the developmental psychopathology perspective and with the theory of digital social capital. The results indicates that there are both negative and positive outcomes with the use of social media as a tool when teens are experiencing mental illness, and that there is a lack of professional social workers in social media even though they are both needed and desired.

Bérgamo, L. P. D. (2011). Trajetória dos maus-tratos infantis: um estudo na perspectiva da Psicopatologia do Desenvolvimento. Tese de Doutorado, Departamento de Psicologia e Educação, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto - SP. Esta pesquisa teve por objeto de estudo o fenômeno dos maus-tratos contra crianças, norteando-se pela hipótese da existência de uma trajetória dessa problemática, caracterizada por sua continuidade no tempo, baseando-se numa articulação entre fase desenvolvimental - tipo de maltrato - tipo de consequência para a criança. Adotou-se como referencial a Psicopatologia Desenvolvimental, onde fenômeno ocorreria por problemas no sistema cuidador(es)-criançaambiente, associados a fatores de risco nos contextos \"desenvolvimental\" (características do cuidador e da criança), \"interacional\" (características da relação cuidador-criança e na família) e o \"mais amplo\" (características do entorno e percepção do apoio social). O objetivo geral foi verificar a existência de uma trajetória dos maus-tratos, buscando compreender sua constituição e manutenção no tempo. Especificamente, objetivou-se conhecer como os maustratos se manifestam em diferentes fases do desenvolvimento infantil e identificar as variáveis associadas, funcionando como risco ou proteção, nos três contextos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, com delineamento transversal. Três grupos de participantes/mães foram constituídos, cujos casos foram notificados aos Conselhos Tutelares de Ribeirão Preto/SP, considerando as seguintes faixas etárias: 0-3, 4-6 ou 7-11 anos. Realizou-se um levantamento nos prontuários dos Conselhos, seguindo o critério de amostragem utilizado em estudos de casos múltiplos. Na coleta de dados, utilizou-se: (a) Questionário de Caracterização Sócio-Demográfica, visando caracterizar o cuidador, a criança, a família e o contexto em que se encontram; (b) Roteiros de Entrevista sobre o Desenvolvimento Infantil e da Interação Cuidador-Criança, visando informações sobre o desenvolvimento infantil, a interação mãe-criança e as práticas parentais adotadas, assim como sobre as situações de maus-tratos; (c) Child Behavior Checklist - CBCL, visando a obtenção de dados sobre o comportamento da criança. Referente à análise dos dados, o conjunto de informações concernente a cada caso foi estudado e analisado, observandose padrões de repetição no interior de cada um, de modo a compreender sua dinâmica e, dentro disso, os maus-tratos. Numa segunda etapa, procedeu-se à comparação dos \"casos\", visualizandose convergências e divergências, possibilitando a constituição de três agrupamentos, por meio dos quais chegou-se a diferentes categorias analíticas sobre o fenômeno. Uma das categorias descreve uma Trajetória persistente de dificuldades no sistema mãe-criança-ambiente - maustratos recorrentes, refletindo a continuidade dos maus-tratos no tempo e dos elementos associados à sua manutenção. Nesse sentido, encontrou-se fatores de risco estáveis nos três contextos analisados, além das crianças apresentarem problemas comportamentais significativos. A outra categoria a que se chegou é Dificuldades no sistema mãe-criança-ambiente condicionadas a determinadas circunstâncias / circunscritas no tempo - maus-tratos ocasionais, na qual os maus-tratos se manifestam devido a fatores no contexto interacional, além das crianças apresentarem alguns problemas comportamentais, geralmente internalizantes. A última categoria - Ausência de dificuldades significativas no sistema mãe-criançaambiente - ausência de maus-tratos - sintetiza as características de um grupo no qual não se identificou fatores de risco específicos, mas sim, diversos fatores de proteção. Assim, podese dizer que a hipótese estabelecida para o estudo foi comprovada. Os resultados, entretanto, trouxeram informações adicionais, indicando haver situações de maus-tratos que parecem mais circunscritas no tempo. Ainda, apresenta-se um modelo descritivo envolvendo os elementos associados à manutenção do fenômeno no tempo, bem como das características mais proeminentes em cada faixa etária, dando pistas sobre as variáveis que estão atreladas à origem dos maus-tratos e das que podem mantê-lo no tempo. / Bérgamo, L. P. D. (2011). Trajectory of child abuse: a study on Development Psychopathology perspective. Tese de Doutorado, Departamento de Psicologia e Educação, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto - SP. This research had as object of study the occurrence of child abuse, guided by the hypothesis of the existence of a trajectory to this problem, characterized by its continuity in time, based on an articulation between the development phase - type of abuse - type of consequence to the child. Developmental psychopathology was adopted as referential , in which the phenomena would occur due to problems in the system caregiver - child - environment, associated to risk factors in the context of \"development\" (characteristics of the caregiver and the child), \"interaction\" (characteristics of the relation caregiver - child and in family) and the \"broader\" (characteristics of the surrounding and perception of social support). The general goal was to verify the existence of a trajectory of the abuse, seeking to understand its constitution and maintenance in time. Specifically, the goal was to know how the abuse manifests in different phases of child development and identify the variables associated to them, working as risk or protection, in the three contexts. It is a research with a qualitative approach, and transversal delineation. Three groups of participants/mothers were formed, whose cases were notified to the child protection service of Ribeirão Preto/SP, considering the following ages: 0-3, 4-6 or 7-11 years old. A study of the child protection´s Record books was performed, following the sample criteria used in multiple case studies. It was used for data collection: (a) Social-demographic characterization questionnaire, to characterize the caregiver, the child, the family and the context they are in; (b) Interview routines about child development and caregiver - child interaction, to obtain information about child development, mother - child interaction and parental practices adopted, as well as abuse situations; (c) Child Behavior Checklist - CBCL, to obtain data about child behavior. Concerning data analysis, the information referring to each case was studied and analyzed, observing repetition patterns in each one, in order to understand their dynamics and the abuse in them. In a second phase a case comparison was carried out, observing divergences and convergences, enabling the constitution of three groups, by which three different analytical categories of the event were found. One of the categories describes a persistent trajectory of difficulties in the mother-child-environment - recurrent abuse, reflecting the continuity of the abuse in time and the elements associated to its maintenance. In that sense, stable risk factors were found in the three analyzed contexts, in addition, the children presented significant behavior problems. The other category found is difficulties in the mother-child-environment system conditioned to certain circumstances / limited in time - occasional abuse, in which the abuse manifests due to factors in the interactional context, in addition, the children presented some behavior problems, generally internalizing ones. The last category - Absence of significant difficulties in the mother-child-environment system - absence of abuse - summarizes the characteristics of a group in which no specific risk factors were found, but protection factors were. Therefore one may say that the hypothesis established for the study was proved. The results, however, brought additional information, indicating the existence of abuse situations that seem to be limited in time. Also, it presents a descriptive model involving the elements associated to the maintenance of the occurrence in time, as well as the most prominent characteristics of each age range, giving clues about the variables that are connected to the origin of the abuse and the ones that may sustain it in time.

Background: Maternal mental health during pregnancy and its effects on offspring outcomes have received increased attention as a public health concern. This thesis aimed to examine and evaluate current research into the long term effects of maternal antenatal anxiety on offspring’s psychological development and markers of developmental psychopathology. This thesis also aimed to identify protective factors to parental distress during pregnancy. Self-compassion and adult attachment security have been found to be protective psychological factors for ameliorating stress in general adult samples. Therefore the empirical paper aimed to investigate the effect of these factors during the antenatal period. Method: A systematic literature review of prospective studies examining the effects of maternal antenatal anxiety on child psychopathology and neurodevelopment literature identified 16 relevant prospective studies. The empirical study recruited a general population sample of women and their partners during their second trimester of pregnancy. They completed self-report assessments of self-compassion, adult attachment security, mood and antenatal attachment. Neonatal birth outcome data was collected as follow-up data. Results: The systematic literature review results indicate that maternal antenatal anxiety can be measured and does have a negative impact on offspring development. The results also identified a broad risk phenotype, suggesting that interventions should not necessarily only be targeted at women reaching clinical caseness. The review highlighted a lack of specificity regarding possible psychological mechanisms of the relationship between maternal antenatal anxiety and offspring outcomes. The results of the empirical paper indicated that higher levels of self-compassion and attachment security were related to fewer self-reported symptoms of distress in mothers and their partners. Self-compassion was found to mediate the relationship between attachment security and distress in mothers. Neither antenatal attachment nor neonatal birth outcomes were significantly related to attachment security, self-compassion or levels of distress. Conclusions: The results of the systematic review should broaden public health concern. A need for future research is identified in terms of understanding the process of maternal-foetal programming, protective mediating factors and effective interventions. The role of self-compassion as a protective mediating factor is discussed in relation to identification and treatment of distress during the antenatal period.

No description available.

Within the field of developmental psychopathology, research has repeatedly demonstrated that there are multiple complex and dynamic pathways originating in childhood that may lead to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems among adolescents. However, additional research is needed that examines the unique and concurrent contributions among child-, parent-, and family-level risk and resilience factors during childhood that may be associated with internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. To address this gap, the current study utilized a person-centered approach to identify profiles of risk and resilience factors among youth in middle childhood (ages 10-12) characterized by the quality and quantity of (a) child-level factors (i.e., temperamental features, executive functioning abilities); (b) parent-level factors (i.e., parental acceptance, control, disciplinary style); and (c) family-level factors (i.e., family cohesion, conflict, organization) among a sample of 775 participants (Aim 1). The study also examined internalizing and externalizing symptom profiles in adolescence (age 16) by identifying subgroups of youth characterized by the quality and quantity of internalizing and externalizing problems within each of the identified childhood risk profiles (Aim 2). Lastly, the study investigated transitions from childhood risk profiles to adolescent symptom profiles (Aim 3). Results demonstrated that a four-class model best fit the data in regard to childhood risk profiles, with classes of youth most saliently characterized by (a) accepting parents, (b) controlling parents, (c) disengaged parents, and (d) chaotic homes. With regard to adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptom profiles, results indicated a three-class model best fit the data and included classes distinguished by the presence of (a) low symptoms, (b) moderate symptoms, and (c) high internalizing and moderate externalizing symptoms. Most youth from the four childhood risk profiles transitioned to the low symptom profile at age 16; however, youth from the chaotic home profile were more likely to transition into one of the two higher-level symptom profiles. Findings enhance our understanding of risk and resilience by identifying distinct childhood risk profiles and corresponding adolescent symptom profiles. These findings will have implications for both prevention and treatment efforts that target specific risk factors within each risk profile. / Psychology

Experiencing maltreatment during childhood has been implicated in numerous and diverse developmental impairments, including problematic alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. However, little research examines the processes by which childhood maltreatment confers risk for alcohol use problems, or potential risk or protective factors in the emergence of problematic alcohol use among individuals experiencing childhood maltreatment. To address this gap, the current study investigated executive cognitive functions and emotion regulation as probable risk or protective factors linking childhood maltreatment and subsequent problematic alcohol use, given that deficits in both executive cognitive functions and emotion regulation are associated with maltreatment and problematic alcohol use. Participants were drawn from a longitudinal sample of children at both high and low risk for substance dependence, based on their paternal history of psychiatric or substance use disorder (N = 475; 70% male; 74% Caucasian, 23% African American, 3% multiracial; M = 11.38±.93 years at Time 1). Analyses involved both person- and variable-centered approaches. The person-centered approach identified groups of individuals based on maltreatment experiences, executive cognitive functions, and emotion regulation, and then examined whether and to what extent these classes differed on concurrent and longitudinal problematic alcohol use. Findings suggested that there are distinct risk groups consisting of abuse/neglect, neglect only, executive control function deficits, and emotion regulation deficits. These groups did not differ on levels of alcohol use, counter to prediction. Variable-centered approaches involved a longitudinal examination of pathways from childhood maltreatment to alcohol use frequency and symptoms of alcohol use disorder that included executive cognitive functioning and emotion regulation. Results of these variable-centered structural equation modeling analyses indicated that maltreatment, executive control function, and emotion regulation concurrently predicted problematic alcohol use. Investigating the current models allows for a better understanding of pathways to alcohol use in both adolescence and adulthood, which has implications for prevention and intervention, particularly in identifying groups at highest risk for problematic alcohol use outcomes and in treatment selection or modification. / Psychology

Environmental factors, most significantly caregivers, substantially contribute to youth emotional development. Emotion regulation (ER) deficits and emotion dysregulation (ED) are a significant, pervasive concern for individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), especially during adolescence. Although there has been empirical support for how caregiver factors independently contribute to youth ER abilities, there is little known about whether there are any underlying patterns or permutations of caregiver-related variables that relate to ER and ED in adolescents. This master’s thesis was a secondary analysis of a multi-site longitudinal study of 266 adolescents (54.1% male; 81.6% White; 51.1% comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD). The primary aims were to explore potential latent profiles of caregiver-level factors in this sample and investigate whether caregiver profiles that emerge vary based on whether their adolescents are diagnosed with ADHD, and whether caregiver profiles relate to adolescent ER and ED outcomes. Three distinct caregiver profiles emerged: Low Internalizing/ED and High Authoritative Parenting, Moderate Internalizing/ED and Permissive Parenting, and High Internalizing/ED and Moderate Authoritative Parenting. Results indicated that caregivers of adolescents with ADHD are more likely to fall into the High Internalizing/ED and Moderate Authoritative Parenting profile. Profiles characterized by authoritative parenting practices were generally associated with better adolescent ER outcomes, though no significant differences in self-reported adolescent ED were observed across profiles. These findings highlight the potential for caregiver psychopathology, ED, and parenting practices to serve as targets for interventions aimed at improving adolescent ER and reducing ED, particularly in neurodiverse populations. / Master of Science / Caregivers play a crucial role in shaping children’s emotional development. For adolescents with ADHD, managing emotions can be especially challenging, often leading to difficulties with emotion regulation (ER) and emotion dysregulation (ED). While we know that individual caregiver factors, like parenting style or emotional health, influence adolescents’ emotional abilities, it’s less clear how combinations of these factors might work together. This study analyzed data from a large research project involving 266 adolescents, about half of whom had ADHD, and their caregivers. The goal was to identify patterns of caregiver traits and explore how these patterns relate to adolescents’ ER and ED. Three distinct caregiver profiles were found: low emotional difficulties and highly supportive parenting, moderate emotional difficulties and permissive parenting., high emotional difficulties and moderately supportive parenting. Caregivers of adolescents with ADHD were more likely to fall into the third profile, which included higher emotional challenges but also moderate levels of supportive parenting. Interestingly, adolescents with caregivers in profiles that emphasized supportive parenting generally had better emotional regulation, though their self-reported struggles with ED were similar across all groups. These findings suggest that a caregiver’s emotional health and parenting style can be important targets for interventions, especially for families of adolescents with ADHD. By addressing caregiver well-being and parenting practices, we may help improve emotional outcomes for adolescents in both neurodiverse and neurotypical populations.

This study identifies developmental processes underlying the relationship between school bullying and physical aggression in emergent adulthood. The data are drawn from the �Life at School� project, a longitudinal study of schooling, socio-emotional functioning, and bullying in a sample of young people living in the Australian Capital Territory. This study consists of three waves of self-report data collected from 88 females and 63 males (N=151) during primary school (Time 1), high school (Time 2) and emerging adulthood (Time 3). The study extends earlier analyses to consider the relative significance of distal functioning and the proximal effects of heavy drinking and work/study roles during the transition to emerging adulthood in shaping pathways from school bullying to adult aggression. Results showed that bullying in either primary school or high school, and being male, increased the risk of adult aggression. Once bullying and sex were controlled, socio-emotional functioning (including emotion/behaviour regulation and school adjustment) did not make unique contributions to the prediction of adult aggression. To further investigate the effects of bullying, four bully trajectory groups were identified from children�s reports: a non-bully group, a child-limited group (bullying during primary school only), an adolescent-onset group (taking up bullying during high school), and a persistent group (bullying during both primary and high school). Moderated regression showed that a) frequent drinking at Time 3 significantly increased aggression only for the persistent bully group, and b) participation in university study, in comparison with being in the workforce, was significantly associated with lower levels of aggression only for persistent and adolescent-onset bullies. That is, both the past and present were important, but their effects only became apparent when considered in combination. Given the pivotal significance of drinking and university participation for continuity of aggression, the second analysis stage used path analyses were used to explore the chains of events leading to these adult variables, and subsequent aggression. First, adaptive emotion regulation during high school directly predicted less frequent adult drinking, while continuity in such adaptive regulation between primary and high school was mediated by continuity in positive school connectedness. Second, greater parental education increased the likelihood that young people would attend university, both directly, and indirectly by increasing academic functioning during high school. In contrast, childhood impulsivity was directly related to a decreased likelihood of university participation and, in turn, to more frequent adult aggression. The final issue examined was the extent to which these mediated pathways from childhood were the same or different across the four bully trajectory groups. Descriptive comparisons indicated that pathways to drinking and work/study role were consistent across the four groups, with the partial exception of the adolescent-onset bullies. The analyses show that the expression of bullying and adult physical aggression is flexible, open at each stage of development to influence from personal resources (e.g., capacity for adaptive shame management), social resources (e.g., parental education), and changing institutional settings, through for example the cultural and behavioural norms that characterise the university, workplace, and drinking environments and which constrain aggressive behaviour or promote a sense of future orientation. Patterns of adult aggressive behaviours are thus shaped not just by past bullying, but by the subtle interplay of emergent adult settings and experiences, socio-emotional functioning in school contexts, and family social capital.

Relations between preschool-aged children’s expressive language ability and externalizing behaviors remain poorly understood and may be moderated by other influences, including child sex, temperamental anger/frustration, receptive language, and adaptive communication skill (i.e., “real-world” usage of language). The present study used person- and variable-centered approaches to (a) identify meaningful classes of children based on these attributes, and (b) test for class-specific differences in the relation between expressive language and later externalizing behaviors. Participants were 144 preschool-aged children (M = 47.43 months; 51% male) who were recruited from semirural Head Start centers and assessed at two time points, approximately five months apart. Latent class analysis identified three classes of children: (a) the Typical Language/Higher Anger class (average language/communication abilities and higher anger/frustration), (b) the High Communication/Average Anger class (only female children with high adaptive communication and otherwise average attributes), and (c) the Verbally Competent/Lower Anger class (high language/communication abilities and lower anger/frustration). Expressive language negatively predicted Time 2 externalizing behaviors more strongly among the High Communication/Average Anger class, compared to the Typical Language/Higher Anger class. Across the entire sample, there was a negative predictive relation between expressive language and Time 2 externalizing behaviors, which was moderated by anger/frustration and adaptive communication. Overall, among children with competent skills in expressive language and at least one additional domain (e.g., higher adaptive communication, lower anger/frustration), higher expressive language more strongly predicted lower levels of Time 2 externalizing behaviors, relative to children with fewer concurrent competencies. Higher levels of expressive language were not related—or were less strongly related—to later externalizing behaviors among children with fewer concurrent competencies. Results underscore the proximal role of temperamental and adaptive communicative attributes in supporting expressive language usage and suggest different intervention strategies for children with different configurations of attributes. / Psychology