Mental health, coping, and protective factors in mothers of children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Compared to the large body of maternal mental health research for other pediatric disorders, we know far less about the experience of mothers of children with 22q11DS. This study investigates the coping methods, protective factors, and mental health of this population. These findings might lead to better support for 22q11DS maternal mental health. An international sample of 71 mothers (M = 40.5 years) of children with 22q11DS (M = 9.2 years) was recruited and completed an online survey assessing maternal mental health (symptoms of depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, general stress, and alcohol consumption), coping methods, and mental health protective factors (social support, dyadic adjustment, parenting competence). Maternal ratings of child mental health symptoms were also obtained. Mothers' self-report revealed a high percentage who screened positive for elevated levels of general stress (69%), hazardous alcohol consumption (30.9%), traumatic stress (33.8%), anxiety (26.8%), and depression (26.8%). After controlling for demographic variables and child mental health symptoms, maternal self-reported maladaptive coping methods were positively associated with maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and traumatic stress. Reducing maladaptive coping methods may be a promising intervention for improving mental health in mothers of children with 22q11DS.

Understanding ADHD in AAPI College Students: Prevalence, Comorbidities, Impairments, and Treatment Utilization.

OBJECTIVE: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students with ADHD may face increased risk for college maladjustment due to cultural factors and a tendency to delay treatment. This is the first study to examine ADHD prevalence, ADHD-related impairments and comorbidities, and ADHD treatment utilization in AAPI college students. METHOD: AAPI, White, Hispanic, and Black undergraduates (n = 258,005) from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II survey were included in the study. RESULTS: AAPI students had lower ADHD prevalence rates than White and Black students, and similar prevalence to Hispanic students. AAPI students with ADHD had significantly higher risk for comorbidities and social and academic impairments, compared to White students with ADHD. Approximately half of AAPI students with ADHD did not utilize treatment despite experiencing psychiatric comorbidities and functional impairments. CONCLUSION: AAPI college students with ADHD are underutilizing treatment despite elevated psychiatric comorbidities and functional impairment.

Asian Indian American Parental Help-Seeking Intentions for ADHD.

Minoritized ethnic groups experience both delay to treatment and low rate of treatment contact for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, Asian Indian Americans have been excluded completely from ADHD help-seeking research. To fill this void, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to investigate the influence of race/ethnicity on parents' help-seeking intentions for their child's elevated ADHD symptoms. Parents (n = 191, 53% Asian Indian American, 47% European American; 63.9% fathers) of treatment naïve children at high risk for ADHD completed an online survey to assess their recognition of ADHD, knowledge of ADHD etiology, attitudes towards ADHD treatment, subjective norms regarding ADHD treatment, perceived control over their ADHD help-seeking behavior, and intention to seek help for their child's elevated ADHD symptoms. Hierarchical linear regressions demonstrated that perceived behavioral control independently predicted intention to seek help in the total sample and may be more impactful for European American parents than Asian Indian American parents. In contrast, subjective norms were more influential for help-seeking intentions among Asian Indian American parents. However, attitudes towards ADHD were not significantly associated with the intention to seek help among both ethnicities. Asian Indian American parents endorsed lower levels of biopsychosocial etiology beliefs. Together, the results inform possible methods of increasing treatment engagement for both groups of parents who have children at high risk for ADHD.

Longitudinal Psychiatric and Developmental Outcomes in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a common genetic deletion syndrome associated with psychiatric disorders and developmental delays. A significant amount of 22q11DS research literature is published annually; here, we focus exclusively on longitudinal data that have been published in the past 5 years regarding psychiatric disorders and/or cognitive and social development. After a review, areas for future research consideration and clinical recommendations are presented. METHODS: Articles were reviewed and organized in adherence with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for conducting systematic reviews. The literature search identified 852 studies, and 22 studies met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Longitudinal study findings indicate that developmental considerations for youth with 22q11DS should focus on the primacy and enduring nature of social and executive functioning deficits, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and negative symptoms of psychosis. CONCLUSION: From the diathesis of physiological conditions and genetic variance, 22q11DS and its associated phenotype of persistent cognitive deficits, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and social impairments likely conspire to increase the risk for stress in adolescence. The diathesis-stress framework, along with chronic stress, increases psychosis risk in individuals with 22q11DS. The existing literature has a heavy focus on the impact of the deletion on individual skills and attributes, such as cognition, but lacks information on the impact of the environment. Future 22q11DS research should consider specific aspects of social functioning, including interactions with parenting styles and family communication, as well as high demands in educational settings, as possible risk factors for psychosis.