Emotional impacts of racial discrimination on caregiver-child dyads: Can mentalizing-focused parenting groups buffer against racism-related stress?

Black and Latinx caregivers face high risk for parenting stress and racism-related stress due to experiences of racial discrimination (RD). This study aimed to explore the associations between RD, parenting stress, and psychological distress in caregiver-child dyads, as well as the impact of a mentalizing-focused group intervention on caregivers' experiences of RD distress. Ethnoracially minoritized caregivers of children aged 5-17 years old participated in a non-randomized clinical trial (N = 70). They received either a 12-session mentalizing-focused group parenting intervention or treatment-as-usual in outpatient psychiatry. We assessed self-reported frequency and distress related to RD, parenting stress, and psychological distress at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Caregiver- and self-reported child psychological distress were also measured. The results showed that greater RD frequency and greater RD distress separately predicted higher overall parenting stress and parental role-related distress. Greater RD distress was linked to increased psychological distress in caregivers. Similarly, greater RD frequency and distress among caregivers were associated with higher caregiver-reported, but not self-reported, child psychological distress. No significant changes in RD distress were observed between T1 and T2 for either of the treatment groups. These findings highlight the exacerbating role of RD on parenting stress and psychological distress among ethnoracially minoritized caregivers and their children.

Frustration Response and Regulation Among Irritable Children: Contributions of Chronic Irritability, Internalizing, and Externalizing Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The need to understand and treat childhood chronic irritability (CI; i.e. frequent temper loss and angry/irritable mood) is imperative. CI predicts impairment across development and complex comorbidities with both internalizing and externalizing disorders. Research has emphasized frustration reactivity as a key mechanism of CI. However, there are understudied components of frustrative non-reward, particularly regulation-oriented frustration recovery, frustration tolerance, and cognitive control, that may further explain impairments specific to CI beyond comorbid symptoms. METHOD: Sixty-three community children (N = 25 CI/38 non-CI) and a parent completed surveys and the computerized Frustration Go/No-Go (FGNG) and Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT). Analyses compared task performance and self-rated affect across youth with or without CI, with further comparison based on negative/positive screen for ADHD (N = 45-/18+). RESULTS: In mixed effects models assessing change across task, the CI group did not demonstrate more intense frustration on the MTPT or rigged FGNG block but exhibited persisting frustration and inhibitory control difficulties into the FGNG recovery period; the CI+ADHD subgroup drove recovery effects. In GEE and logistic regression models including dimensional symptom clusters, only internalizing symptoms predicted child frustration intolerance and reactivity across tasks. ADHD severity was also associated with higher MTPT frustration reactivity, while oppositional behavior predicted lower frustration. Better frustration recovery was associated with lower irritability, but higher internalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Co-occurring symptoms may better explain some frustration-related difficulties among youth with CI. Difficulties with postfrustration affect and inhibitory control recovery suggest the importance of characterizing CI by self-regulation impairments.

Safe haven in adolescence: Improving parental reflective functioning and youth attachment and mental health with the Connecting and Reflecting Experience.

Attachment security provides a well-documented protective developmental function for children exposed to individual- and community-level trauma, yet the effectiveness of prevention and intervention efforts targeting attachment during adolescence has been relatively underexplored. The Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE) program is a transdiagnostic, bi-generational, group-based, mentalizing-focused parenting intervention developed to dismantle the intergenerational transmission of trauma and support secure attachment relationships across the developmental spectrum within an under-resourced community. This exploratory study evaluated outcomes among caregiver-adolescent dyads (N = 32) in the CARE condition of a nonrandomized clinical trial at an outpatient mental health clinic within a diverse, urban U.S. community with disproportionate trauma exposure exacerbated by COVID-19. Caregivers predominantly identified as Black/African/African American (47%), Hispanic/Latina (38%), and/or White (19%). At pre- and post-intervention, caregivers completed questionnaires regarding parental mentalizing and their adolescents' psychosocial functioning. Adolescents completed scales regarding attachment and psychosocial functioning. Results showed a significant decrease in caregivers' prementalizing on the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, improvement in adolescent psychosocial functioning on the Youth Outcomes Questionnaire, and an increase in adolescents' reports of attachment security on the Security Scale. These preliminary findings suggest that mentalizing-focused parenting interventions may be effective in fostering improved attachment security and psychosocial functioning during adolescence.

La seguridad de la afectividad provee una bien documentada función protectora del desarrollo para niños expuestos al trauma individual y comunitario; aun así, la efectividad de los esfuerzos de prevención e intervención enfocados en la afectividad en la adolescencia ha sido relativamente poco explorada. El programa Conexión y Reflexión de la Experiencia (CARE) es una intervención de crianza transdiagnóstica, bigeneracional, con base en el grupo, enfocada en la mentalización, desarrollada para desarmar la transmisión intergeneracional de trauma y apoyar las relaciones de afectividad segura a lo largo del espectro del desarrollo dentro de una comunidad menos equipada con recursos. Este estudio exploratorio evaluó resultados entre díadas cuidador-adolescente (N = 32) bajo la condición CARE de un ensayo clínico no al azar en una clínica de salud mental ambulatoria dentro de una comunidad diversa y urbana en Estados Unidos, expuesta al trauma desproporcionadamente, lo cual fue exacerbado por COVID-19. A los cuidadores predominantemente se les identificó como negros/africanos/afroamericanos (47%), hispanos/latinas (38%), y/o blancos (19%). Antes y después de la intervención, los cuidadores completaron cuestionarios acerca de mentalización del progenitor y el funcionamiento sicosocial de sus adolescentes. Los adolescentes completaron escalas sobre la afectividad y el funcionamiento sicosocial. Los resultados mostraron una significativa disminución de la pre-mentalización en el Cuestionario del Funcionamiento con Reflexión del Progenitor, mejoras en el funcionamiento sicosocial de los adolescentes en el Cuestionario de Resultados de la Juventud, y un aumento en los reportes de los adolescentes sobre la seguridad de la afectividad en la Escala de Seguridad. Estos preliminares resultados sugieren que las intervenciones de crianza enfocadas en la mentalización pudieran ser efectivas para fomentar la mejorada seguridad de la afectividad y el funcionamiento sicosocial durante la adolescencia.

La sécurité de l'attachement offre une fonction protectrice au développement qui est bien prouvée pour les enfants exposés à un trauma individuel et communautaire. Cependant l'efficacité de la prévention et des efforts d'intervention ciblant l'attachement durant l'adolescence a été relativement peu exploré. Le programme de Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE, soit Expérience de Lien et de Réflexion) est une intervention de parentage transdiagnostique, bi-générationnel, basée sur un groupe, et ciblé sur la mentalisation développé afin de démonter la transmission intergénérationnelle du trauma et de soutenir des relations d'attachement sécure au travers du spectre développemental au soin d'une communauté manquant de moyens. Cette étude exploratoire a évalué les résultats chez des dyades personne prenant soin de l'adolescent-adolescent (N = 32) dans la condition CARE d'un essai clinique non-randomisé dans une clinique de santé mentale en consultation externe au soin d'une communauté américaine urbaine et diverse avec une exposition au trauma disproportionnée exacerbée par le COVID-19. Les personnes prenant soin des adolescents se sont en grande partie identifiés comme étant Noirs/Africains/Noir Américains (47%), Hispaniques/Latina (38%), et/ou Blanches (19%). Avant et après l'intervention les personnes prenant soin des adolescents ont rempli des questionnaires concernant la mentalisation parentale et le fonctionnement psychosocial de leurs adolescents. Les adolescents ont rempli des échelles concernant l'attachement et le fonctionnement psychosocial. Les résultats montrent une baisse importante de la pré-mentalisation des personnes prenant soin des adolescents concernant le Questionnaire de Fonctionnement de Réflexion Parental, une amélioration du fonctionnement psychosocial de l'adolescent au travers du Questionnaire des Résultats de Jeunesse (Youth Outcomes Questionnaire en anglais) et une augmentation dans les rapports de sécurité d'attachement faits par les adolescents au travers de l'échelle Security Scale. Ces résultats préliminaires suggèrent que les interventions de parentage focalisées sur la mentalisation peuvent être efficaces pour favoriser une sécurité de l'attachement améliorée et le fonctionnement psychosocial durant l'adolescence.

Reciprocity in Undesirable Parent-Child Behavior? Verbal Aggression, Corporal Punishment, and Girls' Oppositional Defiant Symptoms.

Parental verbal aggression and corporal punishment are associated with children's conduct problems and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The strength of bidirectional relationships among specific disruptive behaviors has been inconsistent across gender, and the direction of influence between parental aggression and girls' ODD symptoms is particularly understudied. This study tested reciprocal effects between aggressive parent behaviors and girls' ODD dimensions of oppositionality, antagonism, and irritability. Data from the Pittsburgh Girls Study (N = 2,450) were used, including annual child and parent-reported aggressive discipline and girls' parent-reported ODD symptoms between ages 5 and 16. Separate clustered Poisson regression models examined change in parent or child behavior outcomes using predictors lagged by one time point. After controlling for demographic factors, behavior stability, and other disruptive behaviors, parent-reported corporal punishment predicted girls' increasing antagonism and irritability, whereas child-reported corporal punishment was unrelated to ODD symptom change. Both parent- and child-reported verbal aggression predicted increases across ODD dimensions. Girls' oppositionality and antagonism predicted increasing parent-reported verbal aggression over time, but only oppositionality was significantly related to child-reported verbal aggression. Although ODD symptoms were unrelated to change in corporal punishment, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) predicted increasing parental aggression of both types. Bidirectional associations emerged such that parental verbal aggression escalates reciprocally with girls' behavioral ODD symptoms. Verbal aggression contributed to increasing irritability, but irritability did not influence parenting behavior. "Child effects" may be most salient for behavioral ODD symptoms in transaction with verbal aggression and for ADHD symptoms in predicting worsening corporal punishment and verbal aggression.

CBT-Enhanced Emotion Regulation as a Mechanism of Improvement for Childhood Irritability.

Research supports the clinical importance of childhood irritability, as well as its developmental implications for later anxiety and depression. Appropriate treatment may prevent this progression; however, little evidence exists to guide clinician decision making regarding treatment for chronic irritability symptoms. Given the empirical support for irritability as a dimension of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), behavioral interventions that improve ODD symptoms, especially through emotion regulation training, are strong candidates for identifying effective treatment strategies for irritability. Data from a randomized controlled effectiveness trial were used to assess hypotheses regarding irritability. The Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Program was developed for preadolescent youths demonstrating clinically high rates of conduct problems. Participants (252 boys, ages 6-11) were assigned to participate in either SNAP or standard services; data were collected at 4 time points over 15 months. Although lower irritability scores over time were seen for the SNAP group compared to standard services, the main effect for treatment was small and did not reach statistical significance. However, a significant indirect effect of SNAP treatment on irritability via improved emotion regulation skills was found; improved emotion regulation skills were associated with significant and substantial reductions in irritability. Specific effects of SNAP for the improvement of emotion regulation skills function as a mechanism for subsequent reductions in irritability, supporting the distinction between emotion regulation and irritability symptoms. Enhancing increased emotion regulation skills within existing evidence-based interventions for children with ODD should provide a strong foundation for treatments to target irritability symptoms.

Therapeutic Alliance and Group Cohesion Across Telehealth Delivery of Mentalizing-focused Parenting Groups.

This study assessed changes in therapeutic alliance and group cohesion among parents/primary caregivers enrolled in Connecting and Reflecting Experience (CARE), a short-term, group-based, mentalizing-focused parenting program designed to support a diverse community facing socioeconomic and health disparities. Caregivers (N = 44) experiencing parenting stress or parent-child relational challenges were recruited from their children's outpatient psychiatry clinic to participate in one of nine 12-session telehealth CARE groups. Caregivers completed the Working Alliance Inventory-Short Revised and the Therapeutic Factors Inventory Cohesiveness subscale after CARE Sessions 1 and 12. Ratings of group cohesion and therapeutic bond with facilitators increased significantly across treatment. Findings indicate that caregivers from underserved families with high levels of parenting stress experienced an increase in group cohesion and therapeutic alliance throughout a telehealth adaptation of CARE.

Feasibility and acceptability of a brief cognitive-behavioral group intervention for chronic irritability in youth.

Chronic irritability is a core feature of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), but few irritability-specific interventions have been tested. Existing evidence-based treatments for disruptive behavior problems offer a strong template. This pilot study was conducted to develop and evaluate a brief irritability-specific module of a validated cognitive-behavioral group intervention for children (Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) Program). Stop now and plan for irritability (I-SNAP) retained core elements of SNAP in a shortened 6-week format. Community families with irritable children (M = 8.44 years, SD = 1.42) were recruited for parent and child emotion regulation skills groups. Of 18 children enrolled (72% male), 14 completed (78%). Half of children attended all six sessions, though homework compliance was lower. All parents reported favorable impressions and would recommend I-SNAP to others. Significant improvements were seen from pre- to post-treatment across parent-reported irritability, ODD symptoms, emotion regulation, and disciplinary effectiveness. This pilot study provides initial support suggesting I-SNAP may be feasible to implement and acceptable to parents. In addition, pilot analyses demonstrated that this brief group intervention was associated with positive outcomes consistent with treatment targets. This preliminary evidence supports the need for further research to assess I-SNAP's effects on irritability relative to control groups.