Cultural contributions to adults' self-rated mental health problems and strengths: 7 culture clusters, 28 societies, 16 906 adults.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown how much variation in adult mental health problems is associated with differences between societal/cultural groups, over and above differences between individuals. METHODS: To test these relative contributions, a consortium of indigenous researchers collected Adult Self-Report (ASR) ratings from 16 906 18- to 59-year-olds in 28 societies that represented seven culture clusters identified in the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavioral Effectiveness study (e.g. Confucian, Anglo). The ASR is scored on 17 problem scales, plus a personal strengths scale. Hierarchical linear modeling estimated variance accounted for by individual differences (including measurement error), society, and culture cluster. Multi-level analyses of covariance tested age and gender effects. RESULTS: Across the 17 problem scales, the variance accounted for by individual differences ranged from 80.3% for DSM-oriented anxiety problems to 95.2% for DSM-oriented avoidant personality (mean = 90.7%); by society: 3.2% for DSM-oriented somatic problems to 8.0% for DSM-oriented anxiety problems (mean = 6.3%); and by culture cluster: 0.0% for DSM-oriented avoidant personality to 11.6% for DSM-oriented anxiety problems (mean = 3.0%). For strengths, individual differences accounted for 80.8% of variance, societal differences 10.5%, and cultural differences 8.7%. Age and gender had very small effects. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, adults' self-ratings of mental health problems and strengths were associated much more with individual differences than societal/cultural differences, although this varied across scales. These findings support cross-cultural use of standardized measures to assess mental health problems, but urge caution in assessment of personal strengths.

Relations between bedtime parenting behaviors and temperament across 14 cultures.

Objectives: The present study examined parental sleep-supporting practices during toddlerhood in relation to temperament across 14 cultures. We hypothesized that passive sleep-supporting techniques (e.g., talking, cuddling), but not active techniques (e.g., walking, doing an activity together), would be associated with less challenging temperament profiles: higher Surgency (SUR) and Effortful Control (EC) and lower Negative Emotionality (NE), with fine-grained dimensions exhibiting relationships consistent with their overarching factors (e.g., parallel passive sleep-supporting approach effects for dimensions of NE). Methods: Caregivers (N = 841) across 14 cultures (M = 61 families per site) reported toddler (between 17 and 40 months of age; 52% male) temperament and sleep-supporting activities. Utilizing linear multilevel regression models and group-mean centering procedures, we assessed the role of between- and within-cultural variance in sleep-supporting practices in relation to temperament. Results: Both within-and between-culture differences in passive sleep-supporting techniques were associated with temperament attributes, (e.g., lower NE at the between-culture level; higher within-culture EC). For active techniques only within-culture effects were significant (e.g., demonstrating a positive association with NE). Adding sleep-supporting behaviors to the regression models accounted for significantly more between-culture temperament variance than child age and gender alone. Conclusion: Hypotheses were largely supported. Findings suggest parental sleep practices could be potential targets for interventions to mitigate risk posed by challenging temperament profiles (e.g., reducing active techniques that are associated with greater distress proneness and NE).

Links between television exposure and toddler dysregulation: Does culture matter?

Television exposure in early childhood has increased, with concerns raised regarding adverse effects on social-emotional development, and emerging self-regulation in particular. The present study addressed television exposure (i.e., amount of time watching TV) and its associations with toddler behavioral/emotional dysregulation, examining potential differences across 14 cultures. The sample consisted of an average of 60 toddlers from each of the 14 countries from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC; Gartstein & Putnam, 2018). Analyses were conducted relying on the multi-level modeling framework (MLM), accounting for between- and within-culture variability, and examining the extent to which TV exposure contributions were universal vs. variable across sites. Effects of time watching TV were evaluated in relation to temperament reactivity and regulation, as well as measures of emotional reactivity, attention difficulties, and aggression. Results indicated that more time spent watching TV was associated with higher ratings on Negative Emotionality, emotional reactivity, aggression, and attention problems, as well as lower levels of soothability. However, links between TV exposure and both attention problems and soothability varied significantly between cultures. Taken together, results demonstrate that increased time spent watching television was generally associated with dysregulation, although effects were not consistently uniform, but rather varied as a function of culturally-dependent contextual factors.

Patterns of attachment in early infancy in normative samples, alternative caregiving systems, and high risk infants. / Patrones de apego en la infancia temprana en muestras normativas, contextos de cuidado alternativo, e infancia de alto riesgo.

INTRODUCTION: Scientific evidence gathered over the last decades has demonstrated that early attachment is a vital process for the understanding, prevention, and intervention of people's mental and physical health. However, information about the attachment system functioning in Chile is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To des cribe attachment styles distribution in populations of children under different types of care. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Through a retrospective descriptive method, 714 mother-child pairs (1 to 36 months- old) selected at random and purposefully, were assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure, Atta chment during Stress Scale (ADS), and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. The samples were collec ted from randomly selected normative families, infants attending JUNJI nurseries and kindergartens, and infants from CONIN centers and who live in prison with their mothers. RESULTS: The samples from six studies show the spectrum of the attachment system functioning in diverse conditions: 70% secure and 30% insecure, and 51.1% secure and 48.9% insecure in normative samples; 48.5% secure and 51.5% in secure in alternative care; 39.6% secure and 60.4% insecure, and 25% secure and 75% in secure styles in high-risk samples. CONCLUSION: the study presents interesting evidence on the atta chment distributions in childhood, which allow reflecting on the uneven Chilean reality with regard to early social and emotional development.

Patrones de apego en la infancia temprana en muestras normativas, contextos de cuidado alternativo, e infancia de alto riesgo / Patterns of attachment in early infancy in normative samples, alternative caregiving systems, and high risk infants

INTRODUCCIÓN: La evidencia de las últimas décadas ha demostrado que el apego temprano es un proceso vital para la comprensión, prevención e intervención de la salud mental y física de las personas. Sin embar go, es escasa la información sobre el comportamiento del sistema de apego en la realidad chilena. OBJETIVO: Describir la distribución de los estilos de apego en poblaciones de niños bajo diferentes tipos de cuidado. SUJETOS Y MÉTODO: A través de un método descriptivo retrospectivo, se evaluaron 714 díadas madre-bebé (de 1 a 36 meses) seleccionadas al azar y de modo intencionado, a través de los procedimientos de la Situación Extraña, Escala de Apego durante Stress (ADS), y la Escala de Relación Profesor-Alumno. Las muestras provinieron de familias normativas seleccionadas al azar, infantes de salas de cuna y jardines infantiles JUNJI, e infantes de los centros CONIN y en condiciones de privación de libertad junto a sus madres. RESULTADOS: Las 6 muestras provenien tes de 6 estudios demuestran el espectro del comportamiento de los estilos de apego en diversas condiciones: un 70% seguro y 30% inseguro, y un 51,1% seguro y 48.9% inseguro en muestras normativas; un 48,5% de seguridad y un 51,5% de inseguridad en cuidado alternativo y; un 39,6% de seguridad y 60,4% inseguridad, y 25% de estilos seguros y 75% inseguros en muestras de alto riesgo. CONCLUSIÓN: El estudio presenta interesantes evidencias sobre las distribuciones de apego en la infancia, que permiten reflexionar sobre la dispar realidad de la situación chilena en lo que a desarrollo socio-afectivo temprano.

INTRODUCTION: Scientific evidence gathered over the last decades has demonstrated that early attachment is a vital process for the understanding, prevention, and intervention of people's mental and physical health. However, information about the attachment system functioning in Chile is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To des cribe attachment styles distribution in populations of children under different types of care. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Through a retrospective descriptive method, 714 mother-child pairs (1 to 36 months- old) selected at random and purposefully, were assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure, Atta chment during Stress Scale (ADS), and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. The samples were collec ted from randomly selected normative families, infants attending JUNJI nurseries and kindergartens, and infants from CONIN centers and who live in prison with their mothers. RESULTS: The samples from six studies show the spectrum of the attachment system functioning in diverse conditions: 70% secure and 30% insecure, and 51.1% secure and 48.9% insecure in normative samples; 48.5% secure and 51.5% in secure in alternative care; 39.6% secure and 60.4% insecure, and 25% secure and 75% in secure styles in high-risk samples. CONCLUSION: the study presents interesting evidence on the atta chment distributions in childhood, which allow reflecting on the uneven Chilean reality with regard to early social and emotional development.

East-West, Collectivist-Individualist: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Temperament in Toddlers from Chile, Poland, South Korea, and the U.S.

The present study examined toddler temperament across Chilean, South Korean, Polish, and US samples, providing an opportunity to examine both collectivist-individualist and East-West contrasts. The effect of culture on the three factor and 18 dimension scores provided by the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire were investigated. Results provide evidence of cross-cultural differences between the four samples. Chilean toddlers scored significantly higher than US, Polish, and South Korean children on the overall factor of Negative Affectivity, as well as higher than the Polish and South Korean samples on the Surgency factor. South Korean toddlers scored significantly higher on the factor of Effortful Control, and two related dimensions, than US, Polish, or Chilean samples. Results are discussed in terms of the apparent roles of individualism/collectivism and East-West distinctions in shaping temperament development.

Validación del Inventario de Conductas Infantiles para niños de entre 1½-5 años (CBCL 1½-5) en la Ciudad de Santiago de Chile / Validation of Child Behavior Inventory for children ages 1½ to 5 years (CBCL 1½-5) at the Santiago de Chile City

Los estudios de prevalencia en salud mental en edades tempranas (primeros 5 años de vida) han sido insuficientes y escasos. Dado que la evidencia neurobiológica, económica, psicológica y social ha demostrado que intervenir durante los primeros años de vida es altamente efectivo para disminuir los problemas psicosociales, es que es urgente obtener datos nacionales sobre problemas afectivos y conductuales en la temprana infancia y edad preescolar. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo validar un instrumento de reporte parental denominado Inventario de Conductas Infantiles para niños de entre 1½-5 años (CBCL 1½-5). El test fue validado a través de un proceso de jueces expertos, para posteriormente obtener indicadores de confiabilidad y validez en una muestra de 418 niños pertenecientes a la Región Metropolitana. Los resultados obtenidos en la muestra chilena son coherentes con el modelo bifactorial propuesto por los autores del instrumento, la dimensión Internalización da cuenta de los problemas ansioso-depresivos, quejas somáticas y retraimiento en los niños/as y la Externalización, de los aspectos atencionales y la conducta agresiva. Se concluye que el CBCL 1½-5 es un instrumento válido y confiable para ser aplicado a la realidad nacional, permitiendo ser utilizado para obtener indicadores de diversos trastornos de salud mental en la temprana infancia y edad preescolar.

Prevalence studies in infant and preschool mental health have been scarce and insufficient. Considering the ample neurobiological, psychological, economical and social evidence that has demonstrated that intervening in early years may be a highly effective strategy for lowering the rates of mental health problems, is urgent to find prevalence data about early emotional and behavioral problems. To validate an instrument called Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5-5 (CBCL 1-5-5). The study was made through a process with expert judges, and subsequently, reliability and validation results were obtained in a sample of 418 children from Region Metropolitana. Data from a Chilean sample confirmed the bi-factorial model originally proposed by the authors who create the instrument. Internalizing dimension account for anxious-depression symptoms', somatic complaints, and withdrawal in children, and Externalizing dimension account for atentional and behavioral problems. The CBCL 1.5-5 is a valid and reliable instrument and can be apply to Chilean reality, obtaining good signs of emotional and behavioral problems in infancy and preschool ages.

Effects of an intervention to promote socioemotional development in terms of attachment security: a study in early institutionalization in Chile.

The Chilean government commissioned a quasi-experimental study with a pre-/postintervention design that had two general aims: (a) to assess infants' psychoaffective developmental levels (pre-intervention phase) and (b) to evaluate whether an intervention based on the promotion of socioemotional development modifies the infant's psychoaffective development. Sixty-two institutionalized infants and their alternative caregivers were evaluated at a pre-intervention stage. An intervention then took place, with the caregivers trained according to an "attachment sensitivity manual." Results showed normal ranges of psychomotor development (64% normal, 9% delayed) and a very high frequency of attachment insecurity, as compared to the normative population (53%).The intervention significantly improved social orientation and object orientation as well as activity and reactivity levels. We conclude that although institutionalized infants in Chile do not exhibit high levels of atypical attachment, socioemotional deterioration may lead to vulnerability in present and future development. Finally, the scope of this study affected public policies regarding children, initiating a change to a foster family system and a variety of modifications in the strategies for adopting institutionalized infants.

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

This study tested societal effects on caregiver/teacher ratings of behavioral/emotional problems for 10,521 preschoolers from 15 societies. Many societies had problem scale scores within a relatively narrow range, despite differences in language, culture, and other characteristics. The small age and gender effects were quite similar across societies. The rank orders of mean item ratings were similar across diverse societies. For 7,380 children from 13 societies, ratings were also obtained from a parent. In all 13 societies, mean Total Problems scores derived from parent ratings were significantly higher than mean Total Problems scores derived from caregiver/teacher ratings, although the size of the difference varied somewhat across societies. Mean cross-informant agreement for problem scale scores varied across societies. Societies were very similar with respect to which problem items, on average, received high versus low ratings from parents and caregivers/teachers. Within every society, cross-informant agreement for item ratings varied widely across children. In most respects, results were quite similar across 15 very diverse societies.

[A self administered survey to assess bullying in schools]. / Validación del Cuestionario de Maltrato entre Iguales por Abuso de Poder (MIAP) para escolares.

BACKGROUND: Bullying is common in schools and has negative consequences. It can be assessed using a self-reported instrument. AIM: To validate a Spanish self-reporting tool called "Survey of High School Bullying Abuse of Power" (MIAP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The instrument has 13 questions, of which 7 are multiple choice, rendering a total of 49 items. It was applied to 2.341 children of seventh and eighth grade attending private, subsidized and municipal schools in the city of Concepción, Chile. Expert judge analysis and estimated reliability using the Cronbach Alpha were used to validate the survey. RESULTS: The instrument obtained a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.8892, classified as good. This analysis generated four scales that explained 30.9% of the variance. They were called "Witness Bullying" with 18 items, accounting for 11.4% of the variance, "Bullying Victim" with 12 items, accounting for 7.5% of the variance, "Bullying Perpetrator and Severe bullying Victim", with 10 items explaining 6.4% of the variance and "Aggressor Bullying" with 6 items accounting for 5.7% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The MIAP can recognize four basic factors that facilitate the analysis and understanding of bullying, with good levels of reliability and validity. The remaining questions also deliver valuable information.

Apego & psicopatología: una revisión actualizada sobre los modelos etiológicos parentales del apego desorganizado / Attachment & psychopathology: an update review of parental etiological models of disorganized attachment

Una de las actuales tendencias dentro de la Teoría del Apego consiste en la comprensión de las trayectorias desviadas en el desarrollo del vínculo, a saber, lo que se conoce como apego desorganizado (apego D). Dos décadas de investigación sobre los antecedentes y consecuentes de este tipo de apego han generado un importante acopio de conocimiento empírico y teórico. Sin embargo, en relación a los modelos etiológicos parentales que buscan explicar los procesos y mecanismos que generan que los niños desarrollen el apego D, la evidencia es contradictoria e incompleta. Dada la enorme relevancia que tiene para la elaboración de estrategias de intervención infantil poseer un conocimiento específico y empíricamente validado sobre los procesos y mecanismos parentales predisponentes al desarrollo de la desorganización del vínculo, es que el presente artículo establece una revisión de los modelos disponibles con miras a aclarar el estado actual del conocimiento en esta temática.

One of the actual tendencies within Attachment Theory is about the understanding of atypical trajectories in development of attachment, specifically referred to Disorganized Attachment (D attachment). Two decades of research about antecedents and consequents of this pattern of attachment have spawned a huge amount of empirical and theoretical knowledge. However, parental etiological models who seek to explain processes and mechanisms of D attachment have shown contradictory and incomplete evidence. Due to the important contribution that this kind of models can have for infant and child interventions, this paper seek to review existing model in order to clarify the state of the art of this important research and clinical subject.

International comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: parents' reports from 24 societies.

International comparisons were conducted of preschool children's behavioral and emotional problems as reported on the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 by parents in 24 societies (N = 19,850). Item ratings were aggregated into scores on syndromes; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-oriented scales; a Stress Problems scale; and Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Effect sizes for scale score differences among the 24 societies ranged from small to medium (3-12%). Although societies differed greatly in language, culture, and other characteristics, Total Problems scores for 18 of the 24 societies were within 7.1 points of the omnicultural mean of 33.3 (on a scale of 0-198). Gender and age differences, as well as gender and age interactions with society, were all very small (effect sizes < 1%). Across all pairs of societies, correlations between mean item ratings averaged .78, and correlations between internal consistency alphas for the scales averaged .92, indicating that the rank orders of mean item ratings and internal consistencies of scales were very similar across diverse societies.

Validación del Cuestionario de Maltrato entre Iguales por Abuso de Poder (MIAP) para escolares / A self administered survey to assess bullying in schools

Background: Bullying is common in schools and has negative consequences. It can be assessed using a self-reported instrument. Aim: To validate a Spanish self-reporting tool called “Survey of High School Bullying Abuse of Power” (MIAP). Material and Methods: The instrument has 13 questions, of which 7 are multiple choice, rende-ring a total of 49 items. It was applied to 2.341 children of seventh and eighth grade attending private, subsidized and municipal schools in the city of Concepción, Chile. Expert judge analysis and estimated reliability using the Cronbach Alpha were used to validate the survey. Results: The instrument obtained a Cronbach Alpha coeffcient of 0.8892, classifed as good. This analysis generated four scales that explained 30.9 percent of the variance. They were called “Witness Bullying” with 18 items, accounting for 11.4 percent of the variance, “Bullying Victim” with 12 items, accounting for 7.5 percent of the variance, “Bullying Perpetrator and Severe bullying Victim”, with 10 items explaining 6.4 percent of the variance and “Aggressor Bullying” with 6 items accounting for 5.7 percent of the variance. Conclusions: The MIAP can recognize four basic factors that facilitate the analysis and understanding of bullying, with good levels of reliability and validity. The remaining questions also deliver valuable information.

Preschool psychopathology reported by parents in 23 societies: testing the seven-syndrome model of the child behavior checklist for ages 1.5-5.

OBJECTIVE: To test the fit of a seven-syndrome model to ratings of preschoolers' problems by parents in very diverse societies. METHOD: Parents of 19,106 children 18 to 71 months of age from 23 societies in Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America completed the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5-5 (CBCL/1.5-5). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the seven-syndrome model separately for each society. RESULTS: The primary model fit index, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), indicated acceptable to good fit for each society. Although a six-syndrome model combining the Emotionally Reactive and Anxious/Depressed syndromes also fit the data for nine societies, it fit less well than the seven-syndrome model for seven of the nine societies. Other fit indices yielded less consistent results than the RMSEA. CONCLUSIONS: The seven-syndrome model provides one way to capture patterns of children's problems that are manifested in ratings by parents from many societies. Clinicians working with preschoolers from these societies can thus assess and describe parents' ratings of behavioral, emotional, and social problems in terms of the seven syndromes. The results illustrate possibilities for culture-general taxonomic constructs of preschool psychopathology. Problems not captured by the CBCL/1.5-5 may form additional syndromes, and other syndrome models may also fit the data.

El legado de los vínculos tempranos: apego y autorregulación / The legacy of early bonds: attachment and self-regulation

En este trabajo sostengo que uno de los principales y más poderosos argumentos de la teoría del apego descansa en la teoría de la evolución y más específicamente en las bases de la evolución humana. En este sentido, la teoría del apego es en verdad una teoría sobre las raíces evolutivas del comportamiento humano. Tomando esto en cuenta puede asegurarse que una teoría más compleja y refinada de la evolución humana puede contribuir a superar algunas de las limitaciones existentes actualmente en este importante campo de la psicología. La noción de autorregulación como estrategia evolutiva puede ser un concepto importante que contribuya a reformular aspectos centrales del logro de los vínculos tempranos en el desarrollo humano. Los vínculos de apego son más importantes de lo que se consideró previamente; son el espacio de desarrollo de un modelo unificado de autorregulación de la experiencia