State Insurance Mandates and the Workforce for Children With Autism.

BACKGROUND: State mandates have required insurance companies to provide coverage for autism-related child health care services; however, it has not been determined if insurance mandates have improved the supply of child health care providers. We investigate the effect of state insurance mandates on the supply of child psychiatrists, pediatricians, and board-certified behavioral analysts (BCBAs). METHODS: We used data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and Health Resources and Services Administration's Area Health Resource Files to examine child psychiatrists, pediatricians, and BCBAs in all 50 states from 2003 to 2017. Fixed-effects regression models compared change in workforce density before versus one year after mandate implementation and the effect of mandate generosity across 44 US states implementing mandates between 2003 and 2017. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2017, child psychiatrists increased from 7.40 to 10.03 per 100 000 children, pediatricians from 62.35 to 68.86, and BCBAs from 1.34 to 29.88. Mandate introduction was associated with an additional increase of 0.77 BCBAs per 100 000 children (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18 to 1.42) one year after mandate enactment. Mandate introduction was also associated with a more modest increase among child psychiatrists (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.91) and was not associated with the prevalence of pediatricians (95% CI: -0.76 to 1.13). We also found evidence that more generous mandate benefits were associated with larger effects on workforce supply. CONCLUSIONS: State insurance mandates were associated with an ∼16% increase in BCBAs from 2003 to 2017, but the association with child psychiatrists was smaller and nonsignificant among pediatricians. In these findings, it is suggested that policies are needed that specifically address workforce constraints in the provision of services for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Multisensory Gains in Simple Detection Predict Global Cognition in Schoolchildren.

The capacity to integrate information from different senses is central for coherent perception across the lifespan from infancy onwards. Later in life, multisensory processes are related to cognitive functions, such as speech or social communication. During learning, multisensory processes can in fact enhance subsequent recognition memory for unisensory objects. These benefits can even be predicted; adults' recognition memory performance is shaped by earlier responses in the same task to multisensory - but not unisensory - information. Everyday environments where learning occurs, such as classrooms, are inherently multisensory in nature. Multisensory processes may therefore scaffold healthy cognitive development. Here, we provide the first evidence of a predictive relationship between multisensory benefits in simple detection and higher-level cognition that is present already in schoolchildren. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the extent to which a child (N = 68; aged 4.5-15years) exhibited multisensory benefits on a simple detection task not only predicted benefits on a continuous recognition task involving naturalistic objects (p = 0.009), even when controlling for age, but also the same relative multisensory benefit also predicted working memory scores (p = 0.023) and fluid intelligence scores (p = 0.033) as measured using age-standardised test batteries. By contrast, gains in unisensory detection did not show significant prediction of any of the above global cognition measures. Our findings show that low-level multisensory processes predict higher-order memory and cognition already during childhood, even if still subject to ongoing maturation. These results call for revision of traditional models of cognitive development (and likely also education) to account for the role of multisensory processing, while also opening exciting opportunities to facilitate early learning through multisensory programs. More generally, these data suggest that a simple detection task could provide direct insights into the integrity of global cognition in schoolchildren and could be further developed as a readily-implemented and cost-effective screening tool for neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in cases when standard neuropsychological tests are infeasible or unavailable.

Immigrant Mothers' Perspectives of Barriers and Facilitators in Accessing Mental Health Care for Their Children.

Introduction: Data on immigrant and refugees' access to services in Canada typically focus on adult populations generally but not children specifically. To fill this gap, this study explored immigrant and refugee mothers' perceptions of barriers and facilitators for mental health care for their children in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Method: In this qualitative descriptive study, researchers conducted 18 semistructured interviews with immigrant and refugee mothers who live in Edmonton, self-identify as women, and have children living in Canada. Results: Barriers included financial strain, lack of information, racism/discrimination, language barriers, stigma, feeling isolated, and feeling unheard by service providers. Facilitators included schools offering services, personal levels of higher education, and free services. Discussion: Nurses can improve access to mental health services by addressing issues related to racism within the health system, by creating awareness related to mental health, and by providing trained interpreters to help bridge barriers in communications.

The association between role model presence and self-regulation in early adolescence: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Self-regulation is the capacity to regulate attention, emotion, and behaviour to pursue long-term goals. The current study examined the associations between role model presence and self-regulation during early adolescence, controlling for hopefulness, using a large population-based data set from the Tokyo Teen Cohort study. METHODS: Adolescents, aged 12 years, identified a role model using a single item on a paper questionnaire: 'Who is the person you most look up to?' Level of hopefulness was also assessed using a single question: 'To what extent do you feel hopeful about the future of your life?' Trained investigators evaluated self-regulation. RESULTS: Of 2550 adolescents, 2279 (89.4%) identified a role model. After adjusting for level of hopefulness, identifying a role model was associated with higher levels of self-regulation in comparison to indications of no role model. Hopeful future expectations were also associated with higher self-regulation; however, the beta coefficient was smaller than role model presence in the multivariate linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Role model presence was significantly associated with higher self-regulation among early adolescents. Educational environments should focus on support for adolescents with no role models.

The Association Between Parental Depression and Child Psychosocial Intervention Outcomes: Directions for Future Research.

Recent studies suggest that parental depressive symptoms may affect a child's ability to benefit from interventions for anxiety and depression. This article reviews the current literature, suggesting that, when parents experience current depressive symptoms, children are less likely to benefit from psychosocial interventions for anxiety and depression. Opportunities for future research are discussed, including moderators and mechanisms of the association between parental depressive symptoms and child intervention outcomes.

Salud mental en niños desplazados por conflicto armado - Encuesta Nacional de Salud Mental Colombia 2015 / Mental health in displaced children by armed conflict - National Mental Health Survey Colombia 2015

Introducción. El conflicto armado en Colombia es considerado uno de los más violentos de América Latina. Los niños como población vulnerable son los más afectados, aumentándoles el riesgo de desarrollar problemas mentales como trastorno de ansiedad y estrés postraumático. Objetivos. Determinar la prevalencia de los problemas mentales más frecuentes en la población infantil colombiana afectada por el conflicto armado. Metodología. Estudio transversal, con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Mental 2015. Con niños entre 7 y 11 años, a quienes se les aplicó RQC, PCL, DICS-IV-P (3.0.1). Resultados. Se describió información de 100 niños desplazados ente 7 y 11 años por conflicto armado siendo una muestra representativa a nivel nacional. Se encontró que el 98,7% de esta población se encuentra escolarizada, y el 17,8% en estado de pobreza. Para enfermedades mentales en los últimos 12 meses, se obtuvo: trastorno de ansiedad 6,5% (IC 95% 2,7-14,7) en población desplazada, respecto 1,8% (IC 95% 1,1-3,1) en no desplazados; puntaje alto para estrés post traumático 13,2% (IC 95% 3,9-36,4) en desplazados y 6,6% (IC 95% 4,0-10,7) en no desplazados. Conclusiones: La población infantil afectada por conflicto armado presenta aparentemente mayor riesgo de presentar algunas enfermedades mentales como trastorno de ansiedad y estrés postraumático, evidenciando la situación de vulnerabilidad en la que se encuentran

Introduction. The armed conflict in Colombia is considered one of the most violent in Latin America. Children as a vulnerable population are most affected, increasing their risk of developing mental problems such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Objectives. To determine the prevalence of the most frequent mental problems in the Colombian children affected by armed conflict. Methodology. A cross-sectional study, using data from the National Mental Health Survey 2015. With children aged 7 to 11 years, in whom the RQC, PCL and DISC-IV-P (3.0.1) were applied. Results. We described information on 100 displaced children between 7 and 11 years old due to armed conflict, being a representative sample at national level. It was found that 98.7% of this population is at school, as well as 17.8% in poverty. Mental illnesses were asked according to their appearance in the last 12 months, these were: anxiety disorder 6.5% (CI 95% 2.7-14.7) in displaced population, compared to 1.8% (CI 95% 1.1-3.1) in non-displaced; High score for post-traumatic stress was 13.2% (CI 95% 3.9-36.4) in displaced persons and 6.6% (CI 95% 4.0-10.7) in nondisplaced persons. Conclusions. Children affected by armed conflict have greater risk of presenting some mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress, evidencing the situation of vulnerability in which they are

Correlatos electrofisiológicos de la lectura en niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad / Electrophysiological correlates of reading in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objetivos. Investigar si los déficits en las funciones ejecutivas en el trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH) afectan a su compresión lectora e identificar un potencial marcador biológico de este endofenotipo neuropsicológico a través de potenciales relacionados con eventos. Específicamente, hipotetizar si las diferencias en memoria de trabajo e inhibición mantienen una asociación fenotípica con la comprensión lectora en el TDAH. Sujetos y métodos. La muestra estuvo constituida por 52 niños con TDAH (8-13 años) divididos en dos grupos según la presencia (TDAH-; n = 27; percentil < 30) o ausencia (TDAH+; n = 25; percentil > 50) de déficit en compresión lectora y un grupo control (n = 27). Se evaluaron las funciones ejecutivas y se realizó un experimento de potenciales relacionados con eventos en el que se presentaron oraciones anafóricas de diferentes longitudes, y se registraron los potenciales relacionados con eventos en el último adjetivo de la oración que requiere acuerdo de género. Resultados. Se encontró una relación entre memoria de trabajo e inhibición con el rendimiento en compresión lectora. Mientras que los grupos de TDAH+ y control mostraron signos de detección de no concordancia sintáctica a los 100 ms, el grupo de TDAH no activó la memoria de trabajo hasta los 250 ms. Conclusiones. La lentitud en la puesta en marcha de los mecanismos de memoria de trabajo nos ayuda a entender los déficits en comprensión lectora del grupo de TDAH (AU)

Aims. To investigate whether or not the deficits in executive functions in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect reading comprehension and identify a potential biological marker of this neuropsychological endophenotype through event-related potentials (ERP). The phenotypic association between reading comprehension and the specific functions of inhibition and working memory is studied. Subjects and methods. The sample consisted of 52 children with ADHD (8-13 years) divided in two groups according to the presence (TDAH-; n = 27; percentile < 30) or the absence (TDAH+; n = 25; percentile > 50) of reading comprehension deficits and a control group (n = 27). The executive functions were evaluated. The ERPs were assessed during a task in which anaphoric sentences of different lengths were presented, recording the ERP in the last adjective of the sentence that required a gender agreement. Results. Working memory and inhibition were associated to reading comprehension performance. The ADHD+ group and the control group seem to detect the disagreement at 100 ms, while the ADHD - group does not activate its working memory until 250 ms. Conclusions. The delay in the implementation of the working memory mechanisms helps us to understand the deficits in reading comprehension of the ADHD - group (AU)

Tooth Fairy guilty of favouritism!

OBJECTIVES: To determine the proportion of children visited by the Tooth Fairy, the child-related factors that influence the likelihood of her visit, and the parent-related variables that affect the amount of money the Tooth Fairy leaves. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire study. SETTING: Zürich, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: 3617 parents of children (mean age of children, 6.8 years; 51.9% girls) who had lost at least one deciduous tooth received a self-developed questionnaire; 1274 questionnaires were returned (35.2%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome variables were the Tooth Fairy's visit after tooth loss and the amount of money given in case of a visit. Child- and parent-related variables were assessed as predictors of the main outcomes. RESULTS: Most parents (71.0%) reported that the Tooth Fairy visited their child. She usually exchanged the lost tooth for money (55.8% of visits) or placed money next to the tooth (40.7%); rarely did she take the tooth without pecuniary substitution. The Tooth Fairy left an average of 7.20 Swiss francs (approximately AU$9.45). The Tooth Fairy favoured visiting for the teeth of older children (odds ratio [OR], per year, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.09-3.21), of boys (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.09-6.42), and of children who believed in her (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.77-9.64). The amount of money was influenced by maternal, but not paternal socio-demographic factors, including level of education (OR, per level, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.92) and country of origin (OR, Western countries v non-Western countries, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.20-4.62). CONCLUSIONS: The Tooth Fairy does not visit all children after tooth loss, displaying clear preferences in her choice of business partners. The odds of a visit are dramatically increased if she is believed in, and the value of a deciduous tooth is influenced by socio-demographic factors.

Optimizing clinical thresholds for PTSD: Extending the DSM-5 preschool criteria to school-age children / Optimizando el umbral clínico para el TEPT: extendiendo criterios del DSM-5 de preescolares a niños de edad escolar

Background/Objective: To examine the effect of using the DSM-5 preschool criteria to diagnose posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in school-age children (ages 7-11). Method: Children exposed to Hurricane Ike (N=327) were assessed for symptoms of PTSD and other trauma-related factors eight months post-disaster. Results: About twice as many children were identified as having PTSD using the DSM-5 preschool criteria compared to the DSM-5 adult criteria. The preschool criteria identified all children diagnosed by the adult criteria and many additional children. Although children who met both the adult and the preschool criteria reported the most functional impairment, children identified by the preschool criteria only reported greater impairment than children not diagnosed. The effect of including impairment in the diagnostic criteria was more marked for the preschool criteria than for the adult criteria. Additionally, PTSD defined by the preschool criteria was significantly associated with more PTSD risk factors than PTSD as defined by the adult criteria. Model fit was similar for both sets of criteria. Conclusions: The preschool criteria may be advantageous for screening for PTSD risk in school-age children. Further research is needed to optimize developmentally-appropriate PTSD criteria for school-age children (AU)

Antecedentes/Objetivo: Examinar el uso los criterios preescolares del DSM-5 para diagnosticar el trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) en niños de edad escolar (7-11 años). Método: Niños expuestos al huracán Ike (N=327) fueron evaluados respecto a los síntomas de TEPT, ocho meses después del desastre. Resultados: Aproximadamente el doble de niños fueron diagnosticados con TEPT usando los criterios preescolares del DSM-5 comparado a los de adultos. Los criterios preescolares identificaron todos los niños diagnosticados usando los criterios de adultos y muchos más. Aunque los niños que cumplieron ambos criterios reportaron el mayor deterioro funcional, los niños identificados solamente por los criterios preescolares reportaron más deterioro que los niños no diagnosticados. El efecto de incluir el deterioro en los criterios diagnósticos fue más intenso para los criterios preescolares. Además, el TEPT definido por los criterios preescolares fue asociado significativamente con más factores de riesgo que TEPT definido por los criterios de adultos. El ajuste del modelo fue similar en ambos conjuntos de criterios. Conclusión: Los criterios preescolares pueden ser útiles para detectar el riesgo de TEPT en niños de edad escolar. Se necesitan más investigaciones para optimizar los criterios de TEPT de acuerdo al nivel de desarrollo para los niños en edad escolar (AU)

Validation of the Eating Pattern Inventory for Children in a General Population Sample of 11- to 12-Year-Old Children.

Previous research suggests that the Eating Pattern Inventory for Children (EPI-C) is best conceptualized as comprising four factors: dietary restraint, emotional, external eating and parental pressure to eat. This study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the EPI-C and to test gender and weight group differences. The population-based study sample comprised 1,939 children aged 11 to 12 years from the Copenhagen Child Cohort (CCC2000). Psychometric properties were evaluated using multigroup categorical data in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and differential item functioning (DIF) tests. CFA supported the four-factor solution for the EPI-C. Reliability estimates were satisfactory for three of the four scales. DIF with regard to weight was found for an item on weight loss intention. Girls reported higher restrained and emotional eating; overweight children reported higher restrained, emotional and external eating, while underweight children reported higher parental pressure to eat. The results support the use of EPI-C for measuring eating behaviors in preadolescence.

El test de creatividad infantil (TCI): evaluando la creatividad mediante una tarea de encontrar problemas / The child creativity test (TCI): Assessing creativity through a problem finding task

Los tests de pensamiento divergente no atienden generalmente a la naturaleza compleja de la creatividad y se centran en el producto final o solución del problema, obviando fases previas del proceso creativo como la búsqueda y formulación del problema. El presente estudio adopta el modelo de problem-finding y plantea una nueva medida de la creatividad para niños de educación primaria (6-12 años). Se expone la fundamentación teórica así como el proceso de diseño, construcción y validación de la prueba a través de diferentes estudios. El Test de Creatividad Infantil (TCI) evalúa el proceso creativo a partir de una tarea estructurada en dos fases: formulación y solución del problema. El test considera no sólo el resultado final (un dibujo) sino las fases previas que llevan a alcanzarlo. Los resultados muestran una fiabilidad y validez satisfactorias de las puntuaciones de la prueba. Se concluye que el TCI tiene unas propiedades psicométricas robustas y puede ser una herramienta útil para predecir el comportamiento creativo de los niños en educación primaria

Divergent thinking tests do not generally address the complex nature of creativity but rather focus on the final product or solution of a problem, overlooking the previous stages of the creative process such as the discovery and formulation of a problem. The present study adopts the lrsquo;problem finding’ model and presents a new measure of creativity in children in primary education (6-12 years old). This paper presents the theoretical foundations as well as the process of designing, developing, and validating the test through different studies. The Child Creativity Test (TCI in Spanish) evaluates the creative process through a task structured in two stages: formulation and solution of a problem. The test considers not only the final output (a drawing), but also the previous phases that lead to it. Results show satisfactory validity and reliability of the test scores. It is concluded that the TCI has robust psychometric properties and can be a useful tool to predict creative behavior in primary school children

[Test Reviews in Child Psychology: Test Users Wish to Obtain Practical Information Relevant to their Respective Field of Work]. / Testrezensionen in der Kinderpsychologie: Testanwender wünschen sich praxisnahe und zielgruppenspezifische Informationen.

Test Reviews in Child Psychology: Test Users Wish to Obtain Practical Information Relevant to their Respective Field of Work This study investigated to what extent diagnosticians use reviews of psychometric tests for children and adolescents, how they evaluate their quality, and what they expect concerning content. Test users (n = 323) from different areas of work (notably social pediatrics, early intervention, special education, speech and language therapy) rated test reviews as one of the most important sources of information. Readers of test reviews value practically oriented descriptions and evaluations of tests that are relevant to their respective field of work. They expect independent reviews that critically discuss opportunities and limits of the tests under scrutiny. The results show that authors of test reviews should not only have a background in test theory but should also be familiar with the practical application of tests in various settings.

Motives Underlying Food Choice for Children and Perception of Nutritional Information Among Low-Income Mothers in a Latin American Country.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of nutritional information on how low-income mothers select food for their children. DESIGN: Five focus groups, each consisting of 5-10 participants, were conducted. PARTICIPANTS: Women, older than 18 years, mothers of young children who were beneficiaries of one of the national food stamps programs in Uruguay. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Focus group discussions were held around motives underlying food choices for children and perception of labeling systems. ANALYSIS: Transcripts of the focus group discussions were analyzed using inductive coding. RESULTS: Forty-two women, aged between 18 and 40 years, participated in 5 focus groups. Results showed that low-income mothers do not consider nutritional information when selecting food their children. Traditional nutritional labeling was perceived as complex, difficult to find, and difficult to understand. Participants stressed that they relied on the nutrition claims included on labels for assessing the healthfulness of food products. Semi-directive and directive front-of-pack labels were positively evaluated in terms of ease of interpretation. Participants preferred the traffic light system over other alternatives. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest the need to implement simplified nutritional labeling and to regulate the use of nutrition claims on products targeted at children.

[Chrono Physiological characteristics of children of primary school age - the natives of the Middle Ob].

Chronoreflexometric characteristics of the mental performance of children of primary school age - the natives of the Middle Ob were based on the statistical analysis of the latent period of time of a simple visual - motor responses. The results of a survey showed that the functional state of the nervous system of surveyed children ofprimary school age was at "reduced" and "greatly reduced" level of mental performance. This state is characterized by a weakening of attention, a sharp deterioration in time and accuracy parameters of activity and a significant decrease of efficiency on the whole.

Estadios tempranos del conflicto edípico / Early stages of teh oedipus conflict

A largo de este artículo, la autora trata de mostrar algunas de las conclusiones obtenidas en el análisis con niños de entre tres y seis años. Entre ellas se encuentran la constatación de la existencia del sentimiento de culpa asociado a las fijaciones pregenitales, que ella considera efecto directo del conflicto edípico y producto de la formación del superyó, y la existencia para ambos sexos de una fase femenina de vital importancia, consistente en una identificación con la madre muy precoz. Partiendo de los postulados freudianos, la autora considera que el punto esencial de sus consideraciones adicionales está en la ubicación de todos estos procesos en épocas más tempranas y en que las diferentes fases del desarrollo se fusionan más libremente entre sí de lo que hasta entonces se suponía. Desde su perspectiva, los estadios tempranos del conflicto edipídico e encuentran fuertemente dominados por las fases pregenitales del desarrollo, ocultando el inicio de la actividad de la fase genital, que comienza a hacerse más reconocible a la edad de entre tres y cinco años, momento en que el complejo de Edipo y la formación del superyó alcanzan su punto culminante (AU)

Throughout this article the author aims to present a number of conclusions obtained in analysis with children between the ages of three and six. These include the discovery of the existence of the sense of guilt associated with pregenital fixation, which she considers to be the direct effect of the Oedipus conflict and a product of the formation of the super-ego, and the existence for both sexes of a vitally important feminine phase consisting of a very early identification with the mother. Starting from Freudian premises, the author considers that the essential point in the additional considerations she advances is that she places all of these processes at earlier points in time and that the different phases of development merge more freely in one other than was hitherto supposed. In her view, the early phases of the Oedipus conflict are largely dominated by pregenital phases of development, concealing the beginning of activity of the genital phase which starts to become more recognizable in the third to the fifth year, an age at which the Oedipus complex and the formation of the super-ego reach their climax (AU)

Phone Consultation for Behavioral Health-Related Referrals in Integrated Primary Care.

Behavioral health (BH) providers add value to primary care teams. This descriptive study illustrates one such role that the BH provider can serve. The on-site BH provider responded to patient phone inquiries regarding BH topics for pediatricians over the course of 15 months. The majority of these calls were for children 10 years and younger and related to externalizing problems. Phone calls were relatively brief (i.e., 11-15 minutes). More than half of these phone calls resulted in families scheduling an appointment with nearly 75% showing up for the initial session. Providing this type of adjunctive service may result in earlier access to care and efficiently assigning responsibilities to the appropriate team member.

Maternal posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories following Hurricane Katrina: An initial examination of the impact of maternal trajectories on the well-being of disaster-exposed youth.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in impoverished mothers impacted by Hurricane Katrina, as well as how predictive the maternal trajectories were for youth posttraumatic stress symptoms 2 years post-Katrina. METHODS: 360 mother participants displaced by Hurricane Katrina completed self-report measures across four time points related to Hurricane exposure, trauma history, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Additionally, the youth offspring completed a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress symptoms. RESULTS: Latent Class Growth Analysis demonstrated three primary trajectories emerged among females impacted by Katrina, namely, (1) chronic (4 %), (2) recovering (30 %), and (3) resilient (66 %), respectively. These trajectories were significantly impacted by prior trauma history, but not hurricane exposure. Additionally, data indicated that children whose parents fell into the chronic PTS trajectory also reported high levels of PTS symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified three main trajectories typical of female PTS symptoms following disaster and was the first known study to document associations between PTS outcomes among adults and their offspring impacted by a large natural disaster. Future research is warranted and should explore additional risk and protective factors that impact both the parental and child outcomes.

Predictors of specialist referral for developmental and behavioural problems in a Queensland urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of developmental and/or behavioural problems is greater among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts. We aimed to identify predictors of specialist paediatric referral for these problems that could enable primary health professionals to identify at-risk children and implement early interventions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-14 years having annual child health checks from September 2010 to February 2012 was undertaken. Predictors of paediatric referral were identified using univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Of the 183 eligible children, 30% were referred to a paediatrician. Parental/carer mental illness was self-reported in 36% of cases and these children were more likely to be referred (OR = 3.07; 95% CI: 1.44, 6.57). DISCUSSION: The strong association between paediatric referral for behavioural and/or developmental problems and self-reported parental/carer mental illness highlights the intergenerational nature of health and social disadvantage.

Associations between cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among Canadian schoolchildren.

PURPOSE: The negative effects of peer aggression on mental health are key issues for public health. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between cyberbullying and school bullying victimization with suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among middle and high school students, and to test whether these relationships were mediated by reports of depression. METHODS: Data for this study are from the 2011 Eastern Ontario Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, which is a cross-sectional regional school-based survey that was conducted among students in selected Grade 7 to 12 classes (1658 girls, 1341 boys; mean ± SD age: 14.3 ± 1.8 years). RESULTS: Victims of cyberbullying and school bullying incurred a significantly higher risk of suicidal ideation (cyberbullying: crude odds ratio, 95% confidence interval  = 3.31, 2.16-5.07; school bullying: 3.48, 2.48-4.89), plans (cyberbullying: 2.79, 1.63-4.77; school bullying: 2.76, 2.20-3.45) and attempts (cyberbullying: 1.73, 1.26-2.38; school bullying: 1.64, 1.18-2.27) compared to those who had not encountered such threats. Results were similar when adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, and sedentary activities. Mediation analyses indicated that depression fully mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and each of the outcomes of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. Depression also fully mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and suicide attempts, but partially mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and both suicidal ideation and plans. CONCLUSION: These findings support an association between both cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and risk of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. The mediating role of depression on these links justifies the need for addressing depression among victims of both forms of bullying to prevent the risk of subsequent suicidal behaviours.

The change and development of statistical methods used in research articles in child development 1930-2010.

The evolution of developmental psychology has been characterized by the use of different quantitative and qualitative methods and procedures. But how does the use of methods and procedures change over time? This study explores the change and development of statistical methods used in articles published in Child Development from 1930 to 2010. The methods used in every article in the first issue of every volume were categorized into four categories. Until 1980 relatively simple statistical methods were used. During the last 30 years there has been an explosive use of more advanced statistical methods employed. The absence of statistical methods or use of simple methods had been eliminated.