Addressing the Complex Links between Psychopathy and Childhood Maltreatment, Emotion Regulation, and Aggression-A Network Analysis in Adults.

Childhood maltreatment is the strongest predictor of psychopathology and personality disorders across the lifespan and is strongly associated with a variety of psychological problems, namely, mood and anxiety disorders, behavioral and personality disorders, substance abuse, aggression, and self-harm. In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive picture of the interplay between different traits of psychopathy and distinct dimensions of childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation, and aggression. Using a cross-sectional design, we employed correlational network analysis to explore the nomological network of psychopathy and provide a sample-based estimate of the population parameters reflecting the direction, strength, and patterns of relationships between variables. The sample consisted of 846 adults (71% females) who completed questionnaires measuring psychopathy, childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation, and aggression. The results highlight that disinhibition traits of psychopathy are the closest attributes of early experiences of abuse (but not neglect) in childhood and correlate with all dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties, being specifically associated with reactive aggression. Neglect was a unique attribute in the nomological network of meanness, with widespread correlations with emotion regulation difficulties but also an increased ability to engage in goal-directed behavior. Physical abuse was the only dimension of childhood adversity that was found to be intercorrelated with boldness and increased emotional regulation was found in this psychopathic trait. No significant associations were found between boldness, meanness, and aggression once shared variance with disinhibition was controlled. These results are discussed in terms of their implication for research and clinical practice.

Mother-child reporting discrepancies of child physical abuse: Associations with internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Mother-child discrepancies frequently occur in reports of child physical abuse. Such report discrepancies raise important challenges for interpreting and integrating data from multiple informants in forensic and clinical settings. OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study was to identify patterns of mother-child discrepancies in reporting CPA using latent profile analysis. We then tested differences between profiles on mothers' mental health problems and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were 159 mother-child dyads with police-documented exposure to intimate partner violence. METHOD: Participants were recruited from Child Protective Services and shelter residences from all regions of Portugal. After obtaining informed consent, assessment protocols were administered separately to mothers and children. RESULTS: We identified two convergent profiles (mother-child agreement on reports of both high and low exposure to CPA) and one divergent profile (the child reported significantly higher exposure to CPA than the mother). Mothers from the divergent profile reported more depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms than mothers from the convergent profiles. Children of the divergent profile and one of the convergent profiles (mother-child agreement on high exposure to CPA) showed the highest internalizing and externalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These results illustrate how examining informant discrepancies in the assessment of abusive parenting practices increases our understanding of children's psychological adjustment in high-risk contexts.

The effect of parenting behaviours on adolescents' rumination: a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

Rumination is an emotional regulation mechanism strongly associated with the development and maintenance of internalising psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood. Parenting behaviours (PBs) play a pivotal role in the development of rumination in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, the specific PBs that can either protect against or increase the risk of rumination development remain poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to explore the (1) temporal associations between PBs and adolescents' rumination and (2) potential moderators influencing these associations. We conducted a comprehensive search across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Academic Search Complete and Eric databases, adhering to PRISMA reporting guidelines. Out of 1,868 abstracts screened, 182 articles underwent full-text examination, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Overall, the studies indicated that PBs characterised by criticism, rejection and control were positively associated with the development of rumination in adolescents, whilst PBs marked by authoritative practises exhibited a negative association with rumination. Gender, temperament, environmental sensitivity and pubertal timing emerged as significant moderators in the effects of PBs on rumination. However, conclusions were limited due to the studies' methodological heterogeneity. Future studies on PBs and rumination should address various dimensions of PBs and different moderators to identify factors that can modify the development of rumination across adolescence. Findings may inform family-based prevention programmes to promote emotion regulation in adolescents as a protective factor against internalising psychopathology across adulthood.

Discrepancies in Mother-Child Reports of Child's Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence: Associations With Externalizing Symptoms.

The type and frequency of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) are considered as key variables in understanding children's heightened risk of externalizing symptoms. Notably, children's exposure to IPV has been primarily measured using mothers' reports of their own victimization. However, mothers and children might differently perceive children's exposure to physical IPV. To date, no research has investigated multi-rater reporting discrepancies in child's exposure to physical IPV and whether such discrepancies would be linked to externalizing symptoms. This study aimed to identify patterns of mother-child discrepancies in child's exposure to physical IPV and examine whether those patterns would be associated with children's externalizing symptoms. Participants were mothers who have experienced police-reported male-perpetrated IPV and their children (n = 153; 4-10 years). Latent profile analysis identified three profiles of mother-child discrepancies: a concordant group reporting high IPV exposure; a discordant group with mothers and children reporting high and low child's IPV exposure, respectively; a second discordant group with mothers and children reporting low and moderate IPV exposure, respectively. Profiles of mother-child discrepancies were differentially associated with children's externalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that discrepancies among informants' ratings of children's IPV exposure might have important implications for measurement, assessment, and treatment.

The influence of maternal reflective functioning and parenting behavior on infant development in the context of perinatal intimate partner violence: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 25% of children under the age of five worldwide, yet the impact of perinatal IPV and its underlying mechanisms on infant development remains poorly understood. IPV indirectly affects infant development through the mother's parenting behavior, but research on maternal neuro and cognitive processes, such as parental reflective functioning (PRF), is scarce, despite its potential as an unfolding mechanism. The objective of our study, Peri_IPV, is to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking perinatal IPV and infant development. We will analyze the direct impact of perinatal IPV on mothers' neuro and cognitive parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, the direct impact of perinatal IPV on infant development, and whether maternal PRF mediates the link between perinatal IPV and parenting behavior. We will also explore the mediation role of parenting behavior in the association between perinatal IPV and infant development and whether the impact of perinatal IPV on infant development occurs through the links between maternal PRF and parenting behavior. Finally, we will examine the moderation role of mother's adult attachment in the impact of perinatal IPV on maternal neuro and cognitive PRF and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, as well as on infant development. METHODS: Our study will use a multi-method, prospective design to capture different levels of PRF, parenting behavior, and infant development. Three-hundred and forty pregnant women will participate in a 4-wave longitudinal study from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. In the 3rd trimester and 2 months postpartum, women will report on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. In all assessment waves, mothers will complete self-reported measures of IPV, cognitive PRF, and adult attachment. At 2 months postpartum, women's neuro PRF will be monitored, and at 5 months postpartum, their parenting behavior will be assessed. The infant-mother attachment will be assessed at 12 months postpartum. DISCUSSION: Our study's innovative focus on maternal neuro and cognitive processes and their impact on infant development will inform evidence-based early intervention and clinical practices for vulnerable infants exposed to IPV.

Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and mother-infant neurophysiological and behavioral co-regulation during dyadic interaction: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Mother's childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have a negative impact on mother and infant's behaviors during dyadic interactions which may increase mother-infant neurophysiological and behavioral co-regulation difficulties, leading to dysregulated mother-infant interactions. This study was specifically designed to analyze: (1) the sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms; (2) mother-infant neurophysiological functioning and behavioral co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (3) the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother-infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (4) the moderator role of previous trauma on the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother-infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; and (5) the moderator role of comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression on the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother-infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction. METHODS: At least 250 mothers will be contacted in order to account for refusals and dropouts and guarantee at least 100 participating mother-infant dyads with all the assessment waves completed. The study has a longitudinal design with three assessment waves: (1) 1-3 days postpartum, (2) 8 weeks postpartum, and (3) 22 weeks postpartum. Between 1 and 3 days postpartum, mothers will report on-site on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. At 8 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of birth trauma, previous trauma, childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. At 22 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Mothers and infants will then be home-visited to observe and record their neurophysiological, neuroimaging and behavioral data during dyadic interactions using the Still-face Paradigm. Activation patterns in the prefrontal cortices of mother and infant will be recorded simultaneously using hyperscanning acquisition devices. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel linear regression models will be performed to analyze objectives 1 to 3. Moderation models will be performed to analyze objectives 4 and 5. DISCUSSION: Data from this study will inform psychological interventions targeting mother-infant interaction, co-regulation, and infant development. Moreover, these results can contribute to designing effective screenings to identify mothers at risk of perinatal mental health problems and those who may need specialized perinatal mental health care.

The mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms on somatization in adolescents: A two-wave longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma as well as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with increased rates of later somatization symptoms. Some evidence has proposed that posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can mediate this relationship. However, most data come from adult samples. This two-wave longitudinal study aimed to investigate the relationship between cumulative adversity (total amount of adverse and traumatic experiences), PTSS and somatization symptoms in adolescents. METHOD: The sample included 150 adolescents, mean age of 16 years old (M = 15.99, SD = 1.25) with 67 (44.7%) males and 83 (55.3%) females. All were exposed to at least one traumatic event or one childhood adversity. The interval time between the two assessments was about 1 year. RESULTS: The results showed that the PTSS Cluster E, alterations in arousal and reactivity, partially mediated the relationship between cumulative adversity and somatization symptoms (B = .09, BSE = .03, CI [.01, .15]). However, the effect size of the mediation was medium, while the direct effect was large (B = .34, BSE = .08, CI [.18, .50]). CONCLUSIONS: While arousal and reactivity symptoms seem to play a key role in adolescents suffering from somatization symptoms, cumulative adversity have their own direct and strong contribution. Clinicians should consider assessing PTSS and cumulative adversity when caring for adolescents suffering with somatic symptoms to better deliver intervention plans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Stressful Events During Last Year, Violence and Anxiety and Depression: A Moderated Mediation Model by Sex.

The literature suggests that being subject to a stressful life and victimization may negatively affect mental health, and that women and men seem to differ in these variables. Nevertheless, neither the mediating role of victimization experiences in the relationship between stress and mental health, nor the moderated role of sex have been explored. A sample of 826 adults, aged from 18 to 77 years old, completed a set of self-reported questionnaires (69.4% women). Results revealed significant mediation effects of psychological violence on the relationship between stress, depression and anxiety. Participants who reported more stressful life events in the previous year, also reported higher psychological abuse, which in turn predicted higher depression and anxiety. Furthermore, the moderating effects of sex were found to be statistically significant. Results suggest that interventions should be tailored to individual needs in order to prevent secondary victimization derived from biased beliefs related to stress, violence and gender in professional practice.

The Impact of Psychopathology Associated With Childhood Trauma on Quality of Life in Portuguese Adolescents: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the mediating effect of psychopathology between childhood adversity and trauma and quality of life (QOL) in adolescents. The second aim of the study was testing the moderation by social support of this mediation effect. Methods: Self-reports of childhood adversity and trauma, QOL, social support, and psychopathology were collected from 150 Portuguese adolescents' who had been exposed to at least one traumatic event or one childhood adversity (M age = 16.89, SD = 1.32). The surveys were administered at two time points with an approximate time interval of 1 year. Results: Indirect effects were observed for depression (B = -0.33, CI [-0.62, -0.11]), somatization (B = -0.52, CI [-0.82, -0.23]), and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) (B = -0.23, CI [-0.45, -0.01]), but not for anxiety (B = 0.20, CI [-0.08, 0.50]). A moderated mediation was found between social support and depression (B = -0.10, CI [-16, -0.04]), and PTSS (B = 0.03, CI [-0.1, -0.05]), but not for somatization (B = -0.02, CI [-0.8, 0.05]). Conclusions: We found that depression and somatization were strong mediators of the relationship between adversity/trauma and QOL, whereas PTSS was moderately mediated this relationship. Anxiety did not mediate this relationship. The moderated-mediation effect of social support was only found for depression and PTSS. The improvement of QOL in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity and trauma should include the assessment of psychopathology symptoms and social support, with the aim of identifying risk and protective factors.

Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies.

The global COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused an unprecedented impact on most areas of people's lives. Thus, framed within the scope of Existential Positive Psychology (PP2.0), this study aimed at assessing the psychological distress of adults living in Portugal during the first national lockdown, how they are coping with stress, as well to contribute to a deeper understanding about the role that positivity, experiential avoidance, and coping strategies have in psychological distress and well-being. For this purpose, 586 Portuguese adults (73% females) ranging between 18 and 78 years old (M = 38.96, SD = 12.20) completed an online survey during the initial phase of the pandemic crisis in Portugal. Findings suggest that experiential avoidance was the strongest predictor of a negative response (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and negative emotions), whereas positivity was a better predictor of psychological well-being and lower levels of depression. Additionally, self-blame, behavioral disengagement, and emotional venting were strong risk factors for psychological distress, whereas positive reframing, planning, and acceptance were associated with more positive outcomes. These findings highlight the critical role of experiential avoidance on individuals' psychological distress and the essential contribution of positive life orientation in promoting flourishing. By offering a better understanding of the complex navigation through the dialectics between positive and negative life features, this study provides important and useful cues for psychological interventions directed at promoting a more positive and adaptive human functioning even through such potential adverse and painful life events.

Personal stigma, determinants of intention to use technology, and acceptance of internet-based psychological interventions for depression.

OBJECTIVE: Despite showing comparable levels of efficacy, internet-based psychological interventions (IPI) exhibited lower acceptance and intention of use as compared to psychological treatment delivered by face-to-face methods. Surprisingly, no research has inspected whether IPI acceptance is associated with variables linked with intentions of technology use and with barriers to seeking professional psychological help, such as personal depression stigma. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the current study tested the role of technology and mental health-related determinants as predictors of acceptance of IPI for depression. METHODS: Participants were 417 community Portuguese adults, who completed a pencil-and-paper survey. RESULTS: Our results indicated that performance expectancy, social influence, and personal stigma against depression were significantly associated with the acceptance of IPI for depression. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that barriers to seeking professional psychological help should be considered in the understanding of IPI acceptance.

Coparenting and Relationship Satisfaction in Mothers: The Moderating Role of Sociosexuality.

This study explored the moderating effect of sociosexual orientation on the association between coparenting alliance/coparenting conflict and relationship satisfaction in mothers in a romantic relationship. Sociosexuality is defined as a personality trait that reflects the individual difference in willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations. The study examined a community sample of 635 Portuguese mothers with a monogamous heterosexual relationship. Data on coparenting, relationship satisfaction, and sociosexual orientation were collected. The results revealed the moderating effect of sociosexuality on the significant associations between both coparenting alliance and coparenting conflict predicting relationship satisfaction. For the association between coparenting alliance and relationship satisfaction, mothers with a more restricted sociosexual orientation reported the highest levels of satisfaction when their coparenting alliance was high, but the lowest levels of satisfaction when coparenting alliance was low. For the association between coparenting conflict and relationship satisfaction, mothers with a more restricted sociosexual orientation reported the highest levels of satisfaction when their coparenting conflict was low, but the lowest levels when coparenting conflict was high. Together, the results suggest that especially for women with a more restricted sociosexual orientation, coparenting quality explains significant interindividual variability in relationship satisfaction.

Are measures of marital satisfaction valid for women with depressive symptoms? The examination of factor structure and measurement invariance of the Couple Satisfaction Index-4 across depression levels in Portuguese women.

Marital satisfaction (MS) is a key indicator of mental and physical health. Factor structure of MS measures in individuals with clinical levels of depression as well as their measurement invariance across groups with different levels of depressive symptoms were not yet explored. The lack of evidence of measurement invariance might compromise valid comparisons between individuals with elevated and minimal depressive symptoms in MS. This study examined the factor structure of the Couple Satisfaction Index-4 (CSI-4) among women with clinical levels of depression, tested the CSI-4 measurement invariance across depression levels groups, and investigated CSI-4 convergent and divergent validity. Participants were 891 heterosexual married/cohabiting women who were assigned into one of two groups based on assessment of their levels of depressive symptoms. Participants completed the CSI-4 and self-reported measures used to examine convergent and divergent validity. Support was found for the factor structure of the CSI-4 for the total sample and both elevated depressive symptoms and minimal depressive symptoms groups. Subsequent multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported the measurement invariance of the CSI-4 across depression levels groups. The CSI-4 revealed excellent values of internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. Our findings suggest that CSI-4 produces comparable response patterns across depression groups and thus meaningful comparisons between groups can be performed.

Alternative Models of DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Portuguese Adolescents Exposed to Trauma and Childhood Adversity.

The factor structure of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been extensively debated, with evidence supporting the recently proposed seven-factor hybrid model. However, few studies examining PTSD symptom structure have assessed the implications of these proposed models on diagnostic criteria and PTSD prevalence. In the present study, we examined seven alternative DSM-5 PTSD models within a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using the Child PTSD Symptom Scale-Self-Report for DSM-5 (CPSS-5). Additionally, we generated prevalence rates for each of the seven models by using a symptom-based diagnostic algorithm and assessed whether substance abuse, depression, anxiety symptoms, and daily functioning were differentially associated with PTSD depending on the model used to derive the diagnosis. Participants were 317 adolescents aged 13-17 years (M = 15.93, SD = 1.23) who had experienced a DSM-5 Criterion A trauma and/or childhood adversity. The CFA results showed good fit indices for all models, with the seven-factor hybrid model presenting the best fit. The rates of PTSD diagnosis varied according to each model. The four-factor DSM-5 model presented the highest rate (30.6%), and the seven-factor hybrid model presented the lowest rate (17.4%). Similar to the CFA analysis, the inclusion criteria for the diagnosis based on the hybrid model also presented the strongest associations with daily functional impairment, odds ratio (OR) = 1.48, 95% CI [1.25, 1.75]; and adverse childhood experiences, OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.16, 1.82]. Research and clinical implications of these results are discussed, and suggestions for future investigation are presented.

Psychological Distress and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: The Role of Maternal Satisfaction, Parenting Stress, and Social Support Among Mothers and Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence.

Studies of the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on parenting have usually not examined the role of the maternal perceptions, either its stress or maternal satisfaction, on the mothers' and children's mental health functioning. The present study aimed to assess whether maternal satisfaction, parenting stress, and social support are significantly associated with women's psychological functioning. The study also assessed whether maternal perceptions of the role of parenting were significantly associated with children's emotional well-being and social behavior. The sample included 160 mothers, 79 (49.4%) who were living with the aggressors and 81 (50.6%) in shelters, and their children (n = 61). The findings suggested that high levels of maternal satisfaction and perception of social support were significantly negatively associated with women's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological distress, whereas parenting stress was significantly positively associated with these outcomes. Maternal satisfaction was the only parenting variable that predicted both maternal mental health and children's emotional and behavioral problems, suggesting that it is a protective factor for both mothers and children. This study suggests that increasing maternal satisfaction with parenting and reducing parenting stress might promote better adjustment for both women and children victims of IPV.

Typologies of intimate partner violence-maternal parenting and children's externalizing problems: The moderating effect of the exposure to other forms of family violence.

Typologies of IPV and parenting practices in mothers who experienced police-reported IPV remain surprisingly unexplored, in addition to how those typologies are linked with children's externalizing problems. Using data from 162 Portuguese mother-child dyads with a police or child protection services referral of IPV, this study aimed to: (a) identify IPV-parenting typologies; (b) test the associations between typologies and children's externalizing problems, and (c) examine the moderating effect of children's exposure to other forms of family violence in those associations. Using a person-centered approach, two IPV-parenting typologies were found: a spillover typology, with high levels of physical, psychological, and sexual violence and high levels of harsh and inconsistent parenting practices; and a compartmentalized typology, with high levels of physical, psychological, and sexual violence and lower ineffective parenting practices. Results also showed that externalizing symptoms (reported by mothers and teachers) were significantly lower in children of mothers in the compartmentalized typology compared to those in the spillover typology. Children's direct exposure to other forms of family violence moderated this association. Findings suggested that children with a high exposure to other forms of family violence showed the highest levels of externalizing problems when their mothers were classified into the spillover typology, and they exhibited the lowest levels of externalizing problems when their mothers were classified in the compartmentalized typology.

Efficacy indicators of four methods in outpatient addiction treatment

Abstract Background In Portugal, as far as we know, there are no recent studies that evaluated the comparative efficacy of therapeutic modalities in addiction problems by reference to a holistic and psychosocial model of effectiveness. Objectives Using a sample of Portuguese patients in outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, this study aimed to examine if a combined treatment modality (group therapy with individual intervention) had greater overall efficacy when compared to other three types of treatment without group therapy. Methods This is a correlational and cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of patients (N = 254) from an outpatient treatment in the Intervention Service on Addictive Behaviors and Substance Dependence. At the time of data collection, the patients were attending four types of treatment, such as receiving intervention based on individual psychological counseling (n = 66); receiving individual psychiatric counseling (n = 68); receiving both individual psychological and psychiatric counseling (n = 102); and receiving not only individual counseling (i.e., psychology or psychiatry), but also attending group therapy (n = 18). Results Using MANOVA and Wilks's multivariate test criterion, there was a significant effect of treatment modality on the global efficacy, Λ = 0.88, F(9, 603) = 3.75, p < 0.0001. Examination of mean estimates indicated that patients in a combined therapeutic modality revealed more treatment involvement compared to patients in other therapeutic modalities without group therapy. Discussion The results obtained in this study highlight the importance of integrating interventions in a collaborative way. A combined therapeutic modality, adding group therapy, was associated with positive effects, such as more levels of peer support and involvement in treatment, and increasing the individual's probability to remain abstinent.

When social support is not enough: Trauma and PTSD symptoms in a risk-sample of adolescents.

Social support can mitigate the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adults following traumatic events. However, little is known about the role of social support in high-risk samples of adolescents from the community. The present study examined the relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms in adolescents exposed to traumatic events and childhood adversity, after adjusting for the effects of potential covariates, including sociodemographic factors, previous childhood adversity, level of exposure, comorbid anxiety, depression symptoms, and substance abuse, and coping strategies. METHOD: The participants of the study were 183 adolescents, mean age of 16 years old (M=15.71, SD=1.31), ranged between 13 and 17 years old, 89 (48.6%) males and 94 (51.4%) females. RESULTS: The results revealed that 26.2% of the sample met the criteria for probable PTSD. Our statistical model explained 64% of the variance in PTSD symptoms, but social support was not significant after adjusting for covariates. This study found that social support was not enough to reduce PTSD symptoms in adolescents exposed to trauma and adversity. Programs focused only on improving social support may not be effective in reducing mental health symptoms for adolescents, particularly when there has been severe and/or multiple forms of childhood adversity.

Cognitive-affective depression and somatic symptoms clusters are differentially associated with maternal parenting and coparenting.

BACKGROUND: Both depressive and somatic symptoms are significant predictors of parenting and coparenting problems. However, despite clear evidence of their co-occurrence, no study to date has examined the association between depressive-somatic symptoms clusters and parenting and coparenting. The current research sought to identify and cross-validate clusters of cognitive-affective depressive symptoms and nonspecific somatic symptoms, as well as to test whether clusters would differ on parenting and coparenting problems across three independent samples of mothers. METHOD: Participants in Studies 1 and 3 consisted of 409 and 652 community mothers, respectively. Participants in Study 2 consisted of 162 mothers exposed to intimate partner violence. All participants prospectively completed self-report measures of depressive and nonspecific somatic symptoms and parenting (Studies 1 and 2) or coparenting (Study 3). RESULTS: Across studies, three depression-somatic symptoms clusters were identified: no symptoms, high depression and low nonspecific somatic symptoms, and high depression and nonspecific somatic symptoms. The high depression-somatic symptoms cluster was associated with the highest levels of child physical maltreatment risk (Study 1) and overt-conflict coparenting (Study 3). No differences in perceived maternal competence (Study 2) and cooperative and undermining coparenting (Study 3) were found between the high depression and low somatic symptoms cluster and the high depression-somatic symptoms cluster. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide novel evidence for the strong associations between clusters of depression and nonspecific somatic symptoms and specific parenting and coparenting problems. Cluster stability across three independent samples suggest that they may be generalizable. The results inform preventive approaches and evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments.

Cortisol awakening response among women exposed to intimate partner violence.

The studies of the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the cortisol awakening response (CAR) are scarce and contradictory. While some of the studies suggested that female victims of IPV showed high CAR, other studies found low CAR. Mixed results may be related to differences in sample characteristics as well as other potential covariates associated with the cortisol, as femalés history of abuse, chronicity, severity and type of IPV, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social support. The study examined individual differences in CAR among 149 female victims of severe IPV reported to authorities, including 76 (51%) living in shelter and 73 (49%) living with the abusive partners. Results revealed several individual differences in CAR that may contribute to understanding the mixed results found in literature, including women with cortisol that decreased between the baseline and 30min later, women with no increase of cortisol, and women whose cortisol increased above baseline. Additionally, women without CAR experienced more chronic and severe violence, more psychological distress and PTSD symptoms. However, hierarchical multiple regression indicated that chronic severe violence was the only independent variable that significantly explained 13% of the variance in CAR, even after including all covariates in the model, and adjusting for sociodemographic variables. In conclusion, this study suggests that the HPA axis dysregulation is influenced by chronic severe violence among women victims of IPV.