Parenting self-efficacy in relation to the family check-up's effect on elementary school children's behavior.

Prior research points to the promotion of parenting self-efficacy (PSE) as an important component of parenting interventions; however, few studies have tested PSE as a mediator or moderator of the effects of parenting programs on child behavior. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of the family check-up (FCU), a brief, strengths-based parenting intervention adapted for kindergarten school entry. We tested the FCU's effects on reducing growth in parent-reported child conduct problems (CP) from kindergarten to fifth grade and whether PSE functioned as a mediator or moderator of intervention effects, using a latent growth curve model and intent-to-treat approach. Participants were parents of 321 children from five elementary schools in a northwestern U.S. city. Although we did not find a main effect of the FCU in reducing growth in CP from kindergarten through fifth grade, we found a significant indirect effect of the FCU on reducing CP growth via improving PSE in second grade and that the indirect effect was moderated by baseline levels of PSE. Together, our findings suggest that the FCU is effective in promoting PSE, which is subsequently associated with reduced CP growth, particularly for parents with initially low PSE. Our findings bolster existing work on the relationship between PSE and child CP in the context of a preventive parenting intervention and emphasize the importance of PSE as an agent of change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of recreational marijuana legalization on rates of use and behavior: A 10-year comparison of two cohorts from high school to young adulthood.

Although many states' policies and laws concerning marijuana use have recently become more permissive, little is known about the impact of recreational marijuana legalization (RML) on rates of use, risk factors associated with use, and patterns of use over time. We compared samples from 2 longitudinal studies focused on understanding risk and protective factors related to substance use from adolescence to young adulthood (N = 1,468). The samples were collected 10 years apart from the same neighborhoods in an urban area, and the same measures, research design, and data collection procedures were used in each study. As such, the samples are matched on many demographic variables and provide a unique opportunity to compare rates of use and other associated risk factors before and after RML in Oregon. Our results suggest increased marijuana use in a 30-day time frame among Sample 2 during the young adult years, the time at which RML went into effect in Oregon. In Sample 2, young adults had 2.12 times the odds in Sample 1 of using marijuana at age 24, and they were more likely than those in Sample 1 to report use over multiple time points in young adulthood. Overall, our results suggest that young adults after RML are more likely to use marijuana than young adults were before RML 10 years earlier. Implications for prevention and education are discussed in light of rising rates of daily and 30-day use patterns among this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating the efficacy of the Family Check-Up Online: A school-based, eHealth model for the prevention of problem behavior during the middle school years.

This study evaluated the efficacy of a family-centered preventive intervention, the Family Check-Up (FCU), delivered as an online, eHealth model to middle school families. To increase accessibility of family-centered prevention in schools, we adapted the evidence-based FCU to an online format, with the goal of providing a model of service delivery that is feasible, given limited staffing and resources in many schools. Building on prior research, we randomly assigned participants to waitlist control (n = 105), FCU Online as a web-based intervention (n = 109), and FCU Online with coaching support (n = 108). We tested the effects of the intervention on multiple outcomes, including parental self-efficacy, child self-regulation, and child behavior, in this registered clinical trial (NCT03060291). Families engaged in the intervention at a high rate (72% completed the FCU assessment) and completed 3-month posttest assessments with good retention (94% retained). Random assignment to the FCU Online with coaching support was associated with reduced emotional problems for children (p = .003, d = -0.32) and improved parental confidence and self-efficacy (p = .018, d = 0.25) when compared with waitlist controls. Risk moderated effects: at-risk youth showed stronger effects than did those with minimal risk. The results have implications for online delivery of family-centered interventions in schools.

The impact of substance use during middle school and young adulthood on parent-young adult relationships.

Sharp increases in substance use and other risk behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood threaten the quality of the parent-child relationship, a critical context for positive adjustment and well-being. There is a dearth of research, however, on the influence of adolescent and young adult substance use on the parent-young adult relationship. Study aims were to examine longitudinally the associations between classes of adolescent and young adult alcohol and marijuana use, and the impact of alcohol and marijuana use on parent-young adult relationship dynamics and quality. We analyzed longitudinal data collected with a socioeconomically and racially diverse urban community sample of 593 parents and their children over 6 years to identify latent classes of growth in adolescent alcohol and marijuana use, and test for differences in young adult alcohol and marijuana use and parent-young adult relationship quality by latent classes. Structural equation modeling results showed that (a) alcohol and marijuana use during the middle school years predicted adult alcohol and marijuana use during young adulthood; (b) high-risk alcohol and marijuana use, specifically, was associated with poorer parent-young adult relationship quality; (c) initiation of marijuana use during young adulthood was also associated with poorer parent-young adult relationship quality; and (d) for minority youth in all alcohol risk classes, parent-young adult relationship quality was lower. Results show that growth in alcohol and marijuana use during adolescence, and initiation of marijuana use later in young adulthood, exert unique, detrimental effects on parent-young adult relationship quality. Implications for future research and prevention and intervention development for young adults are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The Family Check-Up Online Program for Parents of Middle School Students: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Research has established that skillful family management during adolescence protects youth from a variety of mental health and behavioral problems. Interventions associated with this research have focused on parenting skills as the mediator that links early risk factors with a profile of later behavioral risk, including problem behavior, substance use, and school failure. Fortunately, positive changes in family management skills have been linked to meaningful improvements in adolescent behavior, and these improvements have been significant across a variety of cultural groups. OBJECTIVE: We describe the background, research design, and intervention components of an electronic health version of the Family Check-Up program that is targeting middle school children and is being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial for its usability, feasibility, and efficacy. METHODS: We used an iterative formative research process to develop an electronic health version of the Family Check-Up program. In our ongoing randomized controlled trial, eligible families are randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: Family Check-Up Online-only (n≈100), Family Check-Up Online + Coach (n≈100), and a waitlist control condition (middle school as usual; n≈100). We are conducting assessments at baseline, 3 months following randomization (posttest), and at follow-ups scheduled for 6 months and 12 months. RESULTS: This randomized controlled trial project was funded in 2015. Participant recruitment was completed in spring 2018 and enrollment is ongoing. Follow-up assessments will be completed in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The innovative Family Check-Up Online program has the potential to help address many of the barriers that more traditional school-based behavioral mental health implementation strategies have yet to solve, including staffing and resources to implement family-centered support within schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03060291; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03060291 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70f8keeN4). TRIAL REGISTRATION: RR1-10.2196/11106.

Preventing high-risk sexual behavior in early adulthood with family interventions in adolescence: outcomes and developmental processes.

Adolescent study participants who engaged in a brief, family-centered intervention (the Family Check-Up, FCU) were later assessed for the intervention's effects on high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) in early adulthood (age 22). Participants (N = 998 adolescents and their families) were randomly assigned to a family-centered intervention in sixth grade and were offered a gated, multilevel intervention that included (a) a school-based family resource center, (b) the FCU, and (c) more intensive, family-based treatment. All services were voluntary, but high-risk families were actively recruited into the FCU. Approximately 23% of the intervention families engaged in the FCU and approximately 18% engaged in more intensive treatment. Using an intent-to-treat design, we found that the direct effect of the FCU on HRSB was not significant; however, an analysis of the developmental processes indicated that intervention families demonstrated improved family relationship quality when compared to control families, which in turn resulted in lower levels of HRSB in early adulthood. Furthermore, the significant effect of family relationship quality on HRSB was mediated by differences in parental monitoring and early sexual activity, and these effects varied as a function of gender and ethnicity. Indirect effects of the FCU on HRSB were significant via multiple different pathways. The implications of these findings for enhancing the impact of family-centered interventions are discussed.

A six-year predictive test of adolescent family relationship quality and effortful control pathways to emerging adult social and emotional health.

This longitudinal study examined how a multimethod (youth report, parent report, direct observation) assessment of family relationship quality (cohesion and conflict) in adolescence (age 16-17) predicted growth and maintenance of effortful control across ages 17, 22, and 23 years old, and, ultimately, subjective well-being, emotional distress, and aggressive behavior in emerging adulthood (23). A diverse sample of 792 youth at age 17 and their families, and youth at ages 22 and 23, were studied to examine family cohesion and conflict and the growth and maintenance of effortful control as predictors of emerging adult social and emotional health. Results indicated that family cohesion and conflict during late adolescence and mean-level effortful control at age 22 each served as unique pathways to emerging adult adjustment. These findings underscore the importance of family functioning during adolescence and the maintenance of effortful control into emerging adulthood for understanding adjustment during the emerging adulthood period.

An ecological approach to promoting early adolescent mental health and social adaptation: family-centered intervention in public middle schools.

This study examined the impact of the Family Check-Up (FCU) and linked intervention services on reducing health-risk behaviors and promoting social adaptation among middle school youth. A total of 593 students and their families were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or middle school services as usual. Forty-two percent of intervention families engaged in the service and received the FCU. Using complier average causal effect analyses, engagement in the intervention moderated intervention outcomes. Families who engaged in the intervention had youth who reported lower rates of antisocial behavior and substance use over time than did a matched control sample. Results extend previous research indicating that a family-centered approach to supporting youth in the public school setting reduced the growth of antisocial behavior, alcohol use, tobacco use, and marijuana use throughout the middle school years.

Cycles of shame: menstrual shame, body shame, and sexual decision-making.

Although numerous factors have been implicated in women's sexual decision-making, less attention has been focused on how their feelings about their bodies and reproductive functions affect these processes. Recent findings link menstrual shame to lower levels of sexual activity and higher levels of sexual risk; however the mechanisms behind these relations remain unexplored. Accordingly, this study investigates the contributions of menstrual shame and global body shame to sexual decision-making among 199 undergraduate women. Using structural equation modeling, we evaluated a mediated model, whereby menstrual shame is indirectly associated with sexual decision-making via body shame. As expected, women who reported feeling more comfort about menstruation also reported more body comfort and, in turn, more sexual assertiveness, more sexual experience, and less sexual risk.