Extant research suggests a link between child temperamental negativity and parental anxiety and depression. However, most studies focus on temperamental negativity generally, and over fairly short longitudinal time spans. The present study extended the time span well beyond immediate postnatal infancy and explored associations between specific child temperament dimensions, both positive and negative, and parental psychopathology. We expected positive relationships between temperamental negative affectivity and parental mental health problems, but an inverse relation involving temperamental effortful control. Data were collected on child temperament, and parental anxiety and depression, using a cross-sectional design and anonymous survey methodology across five child age groups: infancy (INF; 3 - 13 months, N ≅ 83), toddler (TOD; 14 - 36 months, N ≅ 94), early childhood (EC; 3 - 7 years, N ≅ 81), middle/late childhood (MLC; 8 - 10 years, N ≅ 31), and early adolescence (EA; 10 - 15 years, N ≅ 38). REDCap survey links were published on several dozen social media outlets and relevant listservs. Across all datasets, parental respondents primarily identified as white and female. Child gender distribution was approximately equal between girls and boys. We used the Rothbart family of instruments to assess temperamental negative affectivity and effortful control in each sample (i.e., IBQ-R Short Form, ECBQ Short Form, CBQ Short Form, TMCQ Standard Form, and EATQ-R Short Form, respectively). Parental anxiety was measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and parental depression was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Associations involving child negative affectivity were generally consistent with expectations. Results indicated positive correlations between parental anxiety and child negative affectivity in 4 out of 5 groups (INF: r(83) = .25, p = .02; TOD: r(94) = .27, p = .01; EC: r(81) = .37, p < .001; EA: r(39) = .57, p < .001), and between parental depression and child negative affectivity in all age groups (INF: r(81) = .26, p = .02; TOD: r(91) = .22, p = .03; EAC: r(80) = .26, p = .02; MLC: r(30) = .42, p = .02; EAA: r(37) = .42, p = .01). Effortful control was negatively, but less robustly, correlated with parental anxiety (TOD: r(94) = -.22, p = .03; EAA: r(39) = -.44, p = .02) and depression (TOD: r(91) = -.29, p = .01; MLC: r(30) = .45, p = .01). Although we make no assumptions regarding directions of effect between child temperament and parental mental health, bidirectional influences seem likely. For example, parental mental health problems probably exacerbate temperamental negative affectivity, and temperamental negative affectivity probably exacerbates parental mental health problems. This study provides an important expansion of the timeframes of associations between parental mental health and child temperament.

This research investigates the relationship between temperament and sociometric status utilizing a sociometric picture technique and the Parent Temperament Questionnaire for CHildren o3-7 Years of Age, a measurement instrument from the New York Longitudinal Study. The study population consists of sixty-one preschool age children. In the final stage a discriminant function analysis was employed to determine if there was a relationship between the measures of temperament and sociometric status. Although no significant functions emerged, two functions approached significance. The results indicate that popular and amiable children score higher on adaptability and approachability than isolated and rejected children. Also, distractibility appeared to discriminate amiable and rejected children from popular and isolated peers. Collectively, these data suggest temperamental factors may discriminate children according to sociometric status.

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

L’objectif de cette recherche est d’étudier, chez l’adolescent, les mécanismes psychopathologiques et psychologiques impliqués dans la co-occurrence de comportements antisociaux et de conduites de consommation et responsables de la « pathologisation » de la consommation de substances psychoactives, par l’adoption conjointe d’une approche centrée sur la personne et centrée sur les variables et la mise en place d’un dispositif d’étude multi-échantillons. Ainsi, cette recherche comporte trois volets : 1) une étude en milieu scolaire menée auprès de 1025 collégiens âgés de 12 ans à 16 ans, 2) une étude en milieu psychiatrique menée auprès de 168 adolescents suivis ou hospitalisés pour un trouble externalisé ou internalisé, âgés de 12 ans à 18 ans, et 3) une étude en addictologie menée auprès de 43 adolescents abuseurs/dépendants à une substance psychoactive, âgés de 12 ans à 18 ans. Un protocole d’évaluation pluri-source (adolescents, parents, enseignants) a permis d’évaluer les comportements antisociaux, les conduites de consommation, les conduites à risques, les troubles et symptômes externalisés et internalisés (et les antécédents de troubles), la personnalité, le stress perçu et les stratégies de coping de ces adolescents. Ce dispositif a permis de montrer que les adolescents les plus susceptibles d’associer ces deux comportements et d’adopter des conduites de consommation à risques présentent des difficultés à la fois relationnelles (faible coopération, trouble oppositionnel avec provocation, faible transcendance), émotionnelles (symptômes dépressifs, troubles internalisés, intolérance à la frustration, stress perçu dans le domaine scolaire ou dans la relation aux parents, stratégies d’adaptation dysfonctionnelles) et comportementales (forte recherche de nouveauté, comorbidité TDAH/TOP). La pathologisation des conduites de consommation relèvent d’enjeux similaires à l’adoption de conduites de consommation à risques. Néanmoins, le risque de pathologisation serait d’autant plus important que les enjeux émotionnels et relationnels relèvent de manifestations tempéramentales (faible dépendance à la récompense sociale). En termes de prévention des conduites de consommation à l’adolescence et de leur pathologisation, il paraît primordial de bien distinguer ces différents niveaux de vulnérabilité (psychopathologique, psychologique, tempéramentaux, adaptatif). / This work aims to study, among adolescents, the psychopathological and psychological mechanisms involved in the co-occurrence of antisocial behaviors and psychoactive substance use and in the “pathologizing” of psychoactive substance use through a person-centered and a variable-centered approach and based on a multi-sample plan. This research focus on: 1) 1 025 middle and high school students aged between 12 to 16 years old, 2) 168 inpatients and outpatients adolescents aged between 12 to 18 years old, and 3) 43 psychoactive substance abusers/dependent adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. A multi-source assessment (adolescents, parents, teachers) was used to collect information about adolescents’ antisocial behaviors, psychoactive substance use, risk-taking behaviors, past and present externalized and internalized disorders and symptoms, personality, perceived stress and coping strategies. The results show that adolescents are most likely to associate antisocial behaviors and psychoactive substances use and to have a risky psychoactive substance use when they present both relational problems (low cooperation, oppositional defiant disorder, low transcendence), emotional difficulties (depressive symptoms, internalizing disorder, intolerance to frustration, perceived stress in school and in relationships with parents, dysfunctional coping strategies) and behavioral dysregulation (high novelty seeking, ADHD/ODD comorbidity). Mechanisms involved in the pathologizing of psychoactive substance use are similar to the adoption of risky psychoactive substance use. Nevertheless, the risk of pathologizing is all the more important when emotional and relational problems are temperamental expression (low social reward dependence). In terms of prevention of risky psychoactive substance use in adolescence and of its pathologizing, it seems important to distinguish between these different levels of vulnerability (psychopathological, psychological, temperamental, adaptative).