Comparing trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy to commonly used treatments in usual care for children with posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment; however, few studies have examined the use of TF-CBT as part of routine clinical care, outside of research trials. This study used administrative data from a statewide system of care to examine differences in pretreatment characteristics and outcomes between children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who received TF-CBT and those who received non-TF-CBT treatments. METHOD: The sample consisted of 1,861 children (59% female, 43% Hispanic, 35% White, and 14% Black) ages 3-17 with a primary diagnosis of PTSD who received outpatient psychotherapy at 25 clinics in Connecticut. Data were collected as part of routine care, including child demographic characteristics, diagnosis, treatment type, and problem severity and functioning using the Ohio Scales. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of children received TF-CBT. There were some differences at intake between children who received TF-CBT and those who received another type of usual care treatment; children who experienced sexual victimization and more types of trauma as well as non-Hispanic White children were more likely to receive TF-CBT. Propensity score matching was used to balance intake differences between treatment groups, and results indicated that children who received TF-CBT had significantly greater improvements in problem severity and functioning than children who received other types of usual care treatments (effect size = 0.21-0.24), including generic cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CONCLUSIONS: These findings reinforce the evidence for providing TF-CBT to children with PTSD in outpatient settings and suggest that supporting clinicians in implementing TF-CBT can result in greater improvements than usual care treatments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Do mixed-species groups of capuchin (Sapajus apella) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) synchronize their behaviour?

In the wild, coordinated behaviour across group members is essential for maintaining spatial coherence, with potential implications for individual fitness. Such coordination often leads to behavioural synchrony (performing the same behaviour at the same time). Tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) are known to form mixed-species groups (MSGs), travelling and foraging together. Yet, it is unclear if it is necessary to synchronize behaviours in captivity when ecological pressures are minimal compared to the wild. We investigated the extent to which two MSGs of capuchins (N = 35) and squirrel monkeys (N = 26) synchronized their behaviour with conspecifics and heterospecifics at the Living Links to Human Evolution Research Centre, RZSS, Edinburgh Zoo, UK. Group activities were sampled by instantaneous scans of all visible individuals. Scans (n = 180) were analysed for five most frequently observed behaviours. Intraspecies synchrony was calculated using Simpson's Diversity Index, and interspecies synchrony was measured using cross-correlations. Intraspecific synchrony was significantly greater compared to randomly aggregated data, while cross-correlations indicated interspecific asynchrony. Living together did not lead to interspecific synchrony as may be expected given the coordination and behaviour described in the wild, and shared husbandry in captivity. Overall, our findings highlight differences in the behavioural structure of single- versus MSGs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.

Simulated poaching affects global connectivity and efficiency in social networks of African savanna elephants-An exemplar of how human disturbance impacts group-living species.

Selective harvest, such as poaching, impacts group-living animals directly through mortality of individuals with desirable traits, and indirectly by altering the structure of their social networks. Understanding the relationship between disturbance-induced, structural network changes and group performance in wild animals remains an outstanding problem. To address this problem, we evaluated the immediate effect of disturbance on group sociality in African savanna elephants-an example, group-living species threatened by poaching. Drawing on static association data from ten free-ranging groups, we constructed one empirically based, population-wide network and 100 virtual networks; performed a series of experiments 'poaching' the oldest, socially central or random individuals; and quantified the immediate change in the theoretical indices of network connectivity and efficiency of social diffusion. Although the social networks never broke down, targeted elimination of the socially central conspecifics, regardless of age, decreased network connectivity and efficiency. These findings hint at the need to further study resilience by modeling network reorganization and interaction-mediated socioecological learning, empirical data permitting. The main contribution of our work is in quantifying connectivity together with global efficiency in multiple social networks that feature the sociodemographic diversity likely found in wild elephant populations. The basic design of our simulation makes it adaptable for hypothesis testing about the consequences of anthropogenic disturbance or lethal management on social interactions in a variety of group-living species with limited, real-world data.

Evidence-Based Treatments in Community Mental Health Settings: Use and Congruence With Children's Primary Diagnosis and Comorbidity.

Many evidence-based treatments (EBTs) have been identified for specific child mental health disorders, but there is limited research on the use of EBTs in community-based settings. This study used administrative data from a statewide system of care to examine 1) the extent to which EBTs were provided congruent with the child's primary diagnosis, 2) whether there were differences in effectiveness of EBTs that were congruent or incongruent with the child's primary diagnosis, and 3) whether comorbidity moderated the effectiveness of EBTs for children based on congruence with their primary diagnosis. The sample consisted of 23,895 children ages 3-17 with at least one of the most common diagnoses (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct problems, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder) who received outpatient psychotherapy. Data were collected as part of routine care, including child demographic characteristics, diagnosis, treatment type, and problem severity. Forty-two percent of children received an EBT congruent with their diagnosis, and these children showed greater improvement than the 35% of children who received no EBT (ES = 0.14-0.16) or the 23% who received an EBT incongruent with their diagnosis (ES = 0.06-0.15). For children with comorbid diagnoses, the use of EBTs congruent with the primary diagnosis was also associated with the greatest improvement, especially when compared to no EBT (ES = 0.22-0.24). Results of the current study support the use of EBTs in community-based settings, and suggest that clinicians should select EBTs that match the child's primary diagnosis to optimize treatment outcomes, especially for children with comorbidity.

Studying animal innovation at the individual level: A ratings-based assessment in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] sp.).

Large-scale studies of individual differences in innovative behavior among nonhuman animals are rare because of logistical difficulties associated with obtaining observational data on a large number of innovative individuals across multiple locations. Here, we take a different approach, using observer ratings to study individual differences in innovative behavior in 127 brown capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] sp.) from 15 social groups and 7 facilities. Capuchins were reliably rated by 1 to 7 raters (mean 3.2 ± 1.6 raters/monkey) on a 7-point Likert scale for levels of innovative behavior, task motivation, sociality, and dominance. In a subsample, we demonstrate these ratings are valid: Rated innovation predicted performance on a learning task, rated motivation predicted participation in the task, rated dominance predicted social rank based on win/loss aggressive outcomes, and rated sociality predicted the time that monkeys spent in proximity to others. Across all 127 capuchins, individuals that were rated as being more innovative were significantly younger, more social, and more motivated to engage in tasks. Age, sociality, and task motivation all had independent effects on innovativeness, whereas sex, dominance, and group size were nonsignificant. Our findings are consistent with long-term behavioral observations of innovation in wild white-faced capuchins. Observer ratings may, therefore, be a valid tool for studies of animal innovation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The multidimensionality of female mandrill sociality-A dynamic multiplex network approach.

The structure and dynamics of primate social groups are shaped by the social relationships of its members. These relationships are based on different types of interactions and vary in relation to the identity of the interactants and over time. Social network analysis tools represent a powerful and comprehensive method to characterise social interactions and recent methodological advances now allow the study of the multidimensionality of sociality via multilayer networks that incorporate multiple types of interactions. Here, we use a multidimensional network approach to investigate the multidimensionality of sociality of females in a captive group of mandrills. We constructed two multiplex networks based on agonistic, proximity and grooming interactions of 6-7 mature females to analyse the multidimensionality of relationships within two independent observation periods; and three multiplex networks (one for each interaction type) to examine how relationships changed between periods. Within each period, different individuals were the most central in each layer and at the multiplex level, and different layers (i.e., interaction types) contributed non-redundant information to the multilayer structure. Across periods, relationships based on the same interaction type also contained non-redundant information. These results indicate that female mandrills engage in multidimensional and dynamic relationships, suggesting that in order to represent the full complexity of relationships, networks need to be constructed from more than a single type of interaction and across time. Our results provide evidence for the potential value of the multilayer network approach to characterise the multidimensionality of primate sociality.

Play in Elephants: Wellbeing, Welfare or Distraction?

We explore elephant play behaviour since (a) play has been proposed to represent a potential welfare indicator; and (b) play has been associated with long-term survival in the wild. We categorised play into four types, and investigate both social (gentle, escalated-contact) and non-social (lone-locomotor, exploratory-object) play from observations made on wild (Asian N = 101; African N = 130) and captive (Asian N = 8; African N = 7) elephant calves ranging in age from birth to five years. Social play was the most frequent type of play among immature elephants, accounting for an average of 3%-9% of active time. Non-social play accounted for an additional 1%-11% of time. The most time spent in play was seen in captive Asian calves, particularly at the ages of 1-6 months, while wild African calves spent the least time in play overall, even though they had the greatest number and most diverse range of play partners available. We assessed calf energetics using time spent suckling, resting, moving and independent feeding. Time spent playing was unrelated to time spent suckling but negatively associated with time spent independently feeding. There were no associations with time spent moving or resting. Maternal energy via lactation was unrelated to play early in life, but energy acquired independently may constrain or enable play. Play, while a potential indicator of compromised welfare for many species when absent, can act as a highly stimulating activity for captive elephants in the absence of other forms of arousal.

Mood and suicidality outcomes 3-11 years following pediatric anxiety disorder treatment.

BACKGROUND: Youth anxiety interventions have potential to reduce risk for depression and suicidality. METHODS: This naturalistic follow-up of the multi-site, comparative treatment trial, inking and behavior, and depressive symptoms 3-11 years (mean 6.25 years) following 12-week evidence-based youth anxiety treatment. Participants (N = 319; 10-26 years, mean 17 years) completed semiannual questionnaires and annual diagnostic interviews for 4 years. RESULTS: One-fifth (20.4%) of the sample met DSM-IV criteria for a mood disorder, 32.1% endorsed suicidal ideation, and 8.2% reported suicidal behavior. Latent class growth analysis yielded two linear trajectories of depressive symptoms, and 85% of the sample demonstrated a persistent low-symptom course over seven assessments. Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS) 12-week treatment outcome (positive response, remission) and treatment condition (cognitive behavior therapy [CBT], medication, CBT + medication, pill placebo) were not associated with subsequent mood disorder or suicidal thinking. CAMS remission predicted absence of suicidal behavior, and treatment response and remission predicted low depressive symptom trajectory. Greater baseline self-reported depressive symptoms predicted all long-term mood outcomes, and more negative life events predicted subsequent mood disorder, depressive symptom trajectory, and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Effective early treatment of youth anxiety, including CBT, medication, or CBT + medication, reduces risk for subsequent chronic depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior. Attention to (sub)clinical depressive symptoms and management of negative life events may reduce odds of developing a mood disorder, chronic depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Findings contribute to evidence that early intervention for a primary disorder can serve as secondary prevention.

The dynamics of grooming interactions: maintenance of partner choice and the consequences of demographic variation for female mandrills.

A large body of evidence suggests that female Old World monkeys maintain selective long-term grooming interactions with fitness benefits. The last two decades have produced evidence that the regulation of social interactions among primates can be, in part, explained by the Biological Markets theory, with grooming behaviour as the focus of these studies. Grooming facilitates bonding between individuals, constituting an essential part of the regulation of social relationships among female cercopithecids. In contrast to the well-studied baboons (Papio spp), knowledge about the nature of grooming interactions and their regulation is generally lacking for the large, terrestrial species of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). We used a combination of social network analysis tools and well-established methods for assessing partner diversity and reciprocity to characterise grooming networks, partner choice and patterns of trade (be groomed, give grooming) among females in a captive group of mandrills, both within and across two separate observation periods. Our results suggest that, even though the relatively stable conditions of captivity allowed the studied females to maintain selective grooming interactions across time, small scale demographic changes affected the grooming dynamics of the group in accordance with the expectations of the Biological Markets theory. In particular, the maturation and consequent integration of a high ranking female into the group's grooming network from one period to the next resulted in a more pronounced effect of rank on the regulation of grooming interactions. In addition, the influence of the maturation of a dependent infant on the grooming interactions of his mother were evident between periods. Our results also demonstrate that grooming networks are dynamic and that high ranking individuals are not necessarily the most central in grooming networks. Finally, we discuss the potential of social network analysis to identify cases of social exclusion and its consequences for captive management.

Child and Adolescent Adherence With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety: Predictors and Associations With Outcomes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders is effective, but nonadherence with treatment may reduce the benefits of CBT. This study examined (a) four baseline domains (i.e., demographic, youth clinical characteristics, therapy related, family/parent factors) as predictors of youth adherence with treatment and (b) the associations between youth adherence and treatment outcomes. Data were from 279 youth (7-17 years of age, 51.6% female; 79.6% White, 9% African American), with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and/or social phobia, who participated in CBT in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study. Adherence was defined in three ways (session attendance, therapist-rated compliance, and homework completion). Multiple regressions revealed several significant predictors of youth adherence with CBT, but predictors varied according to the definition of adherence. The most robust predictors of greater adherence were living with both parents and fewer youth comorbid externalizing disorders. With respect to outcomes, therapist ratings of higher youth compliance with CBT predicted several indices of favorable outcome: lower anxiety severity, higher global functioning, and treatment responder status after 12 weeks of CBT. Number of sessions attended and homework completion did not predict treatment outcomes. Findings provide information about risks for youth nonadherence, which can inform treatment and highlight the importance of youth compliance with participating in therapy activities, rather than just attending sessions or completing homework assignments.

Enhancing the Relevance and Effectiveness of a Youth Gambling Prevention Program for Urban, Minority Youth: A Pilot Study of Maryland Smart Choices.

Youth with problem gambling behaviors are susceptible to serious academic, behavioral, and mental health consequences including school failure, criminal involvement, and depression. Coupled with increased exposure to gambling formats, issues related to youth gambling have been deemed a serious public health issue requiring increased prevention efforts. However, the literature is limited in terms of evidence-based gambling prevention programs warranting the development of The Maryland Smart Choices Program (MD-Smart Choices), a gambling prevention program for middle and high school youth. This 3-session, 45-min program was developed for implementation in Baltimore City Public Schools, an urban and predominately African American district with specific aims to engage students, encourage positive behavior, and facilitate learning related to gambling disorder. Pre-post program participation assessments were collected from 72 students across 5 different schools. Results yielded significant increases in student awareness and knowledge following participation in MD-Smart Choices. Focus group data collected from program facilitators suggested high student engagement and participation, program feasibility, and ease of implementation. Study implications and future directions are discussed.

Correction to: Enhancing the Relevance and Effectiveness of a Youth Gambling Prevention Program for Urban, Minority Youth: A Pilot Study of Maryland Smart Choices.

The article Enhancing the Relevance and Effectiveness of a Youth Gambling Prevention Program for Urban, Minority Youth: A Pilot Study of Maryland Smart Choices, written by Brittany R. Parham, Carl Robertson, Nancy Lever, Sharon Hoover, Tracy Palmer, Phyllis Lee, Kelly Willis and Joanna Prout, was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 18 August 2018 with open access. With the author(s)' decision to step back from Open Choice, the copyright of the article changed on 10 September 2018 to © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of copyright.The original article has been corrected.

Pharmacotherapy Adherence for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: Predictors and Relation to Child Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacotherapy is considered an evidenced-based treatment for anxious youth. There is a need to better understand the relation between medication adherence and child outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study prospectively examined:1) baseline predictors of adherence and 2) the relation between medication adherence and clinical outcomes in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. METHODS: Participants were 349 youth randomized to sertraline, pill placebo, or sertraline plus cognitive behavioral therapy in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS) and followed over 12 weeks. The measure of pharmacotherapy adherence used was pharmacotherapist (PT) ratings of adherence at each session. Four domains of baseline predictors were examined (demographics, child clinical variables, family/parent variables, and treatment variables). RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses revealed few significant predictors of adherence. The most robust predictors of greater adherence were living with two parents and parents' positive expectations that medication would lead to better outcomes. Pharmacotherapists' ratings of higher adherence predicted higher global functioning at post treatment and treatment responder status. CONCLUSIONS: In order to increase adherence, improving expectations and instilling hope for positive outcomes and problem solving ways to overcome pragmatic barriers associated with single parent families is recommended.

Longitudinal trends and year-to-year fluctuations in student-teacher conflict and closeness: Associations with aggressive behavior problems.

Longitudinal research suggests that student-teacher relationships characterized by elevated (or increasing) conflict and low (or decreasing) closeness promote heightened aggression in elementary school. However, prior research has not explored fluctuations in the quality of student-teacher relationships across school years, which may also impact students. This study applied a new methodology to determine whether year-to-year fluctuations in student-teacher conflict or closeness also predicted increased student aggression. 154 children were followed from Head Start preschools through elementary school. Early elementary teachers (kindergarten through third grade) rated the quality of conflict and closeness with students. Fifth grade teachers rated student aggression. Regression analyses revealed that year-to-year fluctuations in student-teacher conflict, along with mean levels of student-teacher conflict, each made unique contributions to fifth grade aggression, controlling for baseline aggression. In addition, for students with low aggression at kindergarten entry, year-to-year fluctuations in student-teacher closeness predicted increased aggression. Possible mechanisms accounting for the detrimental effects of fluctuations in student-teacher relationship quality are discussed, along with implications for practice.

Can We Sustainably Harvest Ivory?

Despite the 1989 ivory trade ban, elephants continue to be killed to harvest their tusks for ivory. Since 2008, this poaching has increased to unprecedented levels driven by consumer demand for ivory products. CITES is now considering the development of a legal ivory trade [1, 2]. The proposal relies on three assumptions: (1) harvest regulation will cease all illegal activities, (2) defined sustainable quotas can be enforced, and (3) we can define meaningful sustainable quotas that come close to the current demand. We know that regulation of harvest does not stop illegal takes. Despite whaling regulation after World War II, illegal whaling continued for decades [3]. The introduction of wolf culls in the US actually increased poaching activities [4], and one-off ivory sales in 1999 and 2008 did nothing to halt elephant poaching. Governance issues over the ivory supply chains, including stockpiling, make enforcing quotas challenging, if not impossible [5, 6]. We have not yet adequately assessed what could be a sustainable ivory yield. To do so, we develop a compartmental model composed of a two-sex age-structured demographic model and an ivory production and harvest model. We applied several offtake and quota strategies to define how much ivory could be sustainably harvested. We found that the sustainability space is very small. Only 100 to 150 kg of ivory could be removed from a reference population of 1,360 elephants, levels well below the current demand. Our study shows that lifting the ivory ban will not address the current poaching challenge. We should instead focus on reducing consumer demand.

The reproductive advantages of a long life: longevity and senescence in wild female African elephants.

Long-lived species such as elephants, whales and primates exhibit extended post-fertile survival compared to species with shorter lifespans but data on age-related fecundity and survival are limited to few species or populations. We assess relationships between longevity, reproductive onset, reproductive rate and age for 834 longitudinally monitored wild female African elephants in Amboseli, Kenya. The mean known age at first reproduction was 13.8 years; only 5 % commenced reproduction by 10 years. Early reproducers (<12.5 years) had higher age-specific fertility rates than did females who commenced reproduction late (15+ years) with no differences in survival between these groups. Age-specific reproductive rates of females dying before 40 years were reduced by comparison to same-aged survivors, illustrating a mortality filter and reproductive advantages of a long life. Overall, 95 % of fertility was completed before 50, and 95 % of mortality experienced by age 65, with a mean life expectancy of 41 years for females who survived to the minimum age at first birth (9 years). Elephant females have a relatively long period (c. 16 years) of viability after 95 % completed fertility, although reproduction does not entirely cease until they are over 65. We found no evidence of increased investment among females aged over 40 in terms of delay to next birth or calf mortality. The presence of a mother reproducing simultaneously with her daughter was associated with higher rates of daughter reproduction suggesting advantages from maternal (and grandmaternal) co-residence during reproduction.