The role of early intervention for adolescent mental health and polydrug use: Cascading mediation through childhood growth in the general psychopathology (p) factor.

This study is a secondary data analysis that extends knowledge about the effects of the early childhood Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention to trajectories of general psychopathology problems (p factor) across early and middle childhood, and effects on adolescent psychopathology and polydrug use. The Early Steps Multisite study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00538252) is a randomized controlled trial of the FCU and consists of a large, racially and ethnically diverse sample of children who grew up in low-income households in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Eugene, Oregon; and Charlottesville, Virginia (n = 731; 49% female; 27.6% African American, 46.7% European American, 13.3% Hispanic/Latinx). To represent a comorbid presentation of internalizing and externalizing problems, we fit a bifactor model that included a general psychopathology (p) factor at eight ages in early childhood (ages 2-4), middle childhood (ages 7.5-10.5), and adolescence (age 14). Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine trajectories of the p factor across ages within the developmental periods of early and middle childhood. The effects of FCU on the reductions in growth in the childhood p factor had cascading effects on adolescent p factor (i.e., within-domain effect) and polydrug use (i.e., across-domain effect). Findings underscore the utility of the early FCU in preventing a host of maladaptive adolescent outcomes across diverse settings and populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Validity of the 15-item five-facet mindfulness questionnaire among an ethnically diverse sample of university students.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the psychometrics of the 15-item version of the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-15). PARTICIPANTS: An ethnically diverse sample of 538 college students participated in this study. METHODS: The factor structure was evaluated through confirmatory factor analyses fitting 64 alternative models with and without method factors. Model fit as well as valid interpretations of the model parameters were considered in selecting the final model. Utilizing the final selected model, the relationship between mindfulness and the mindfulness facets with two related constructs, psychological inflexibility and emotional distress tolerance was examined. RESULTS: The five-facet second-order model with a single-method factor best fitted to the data and provided sound, interpretable estimates. After accounting for the single-method effect, overall mindfulness was positively correlated with emotional distress tolerance and negatively correlated with psychological inflexibility. CONCLUSIONS: The FFMQ-15 was a valid measure of mindfulness among university students when accounting for the method factor.

A Health Inequity: Associations Between Cigarette Smoking Status and Mammogram Screening Among Women of Color.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated differences in yearly mammogram screening by smoking status in a sample of US women. We also examined differences in mammogram screening by race/ethnicity, age, and health care coverage. METHODS: Data were from 1884 women participants in the 2018 Health of Houston Survey study. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between smoking status (current/former/non-smokers) and mammograms within 12 months. Moderators included race/ethnicity (Hispanic, Black, Asian, Other, White), age, and health care coverage. RESULTS: In comparison to women who were non-smokers, current and former smokers showed lower odds to get a yearly mammogram (OR = 0.720; 95% CI = 0.709, .730 and OR = 0.702; 95% CI = 0.693, 0.710, respectively). Current smokers who identified as Hispanic or Black women and former smokers who identified as Hispanic, Asian, and other women showed lower odds of getting a mammogram (OR = 0.635, 95% CI = 0.611, 0.659; OR = 0.951, 95% CI = 0.919, 0.985) and (OR = 0.663, 95% CI = 0.642, 0.684; OR = 0.282, 95% CI = 0.263, 0.302; OR = 0.548, 95% CI = 0.496, 0.606) compared to White women. There were significant interactions by age and health care coverage. CONCLUSIONS: Women of color who are current and former smokers showed lower odds to engage in mammogram screening, thus increasing their risk of undiagnosed breast cancer when compared to non-smokers. Ethnically diverse women already experience increased health disparities and smoking puts them at exacerbated risk of health complications and death. IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest that smoking status is a modifiable behavioral risk factor that requires further attention in the prevention of breast cancer in ethnic minority women. Health care institutions and policymakers need to increase their awareness of and outreach efforts to women of color who smoke. These outreach efforts should focus on increasing access to smoking interventions and cancer screenings.

Longitudinal Factorial Invariance of a Brief Measure of Affect and Calm Focus.

Mindfulness-based practices for school-aged children are increasingly common in the United States. Positive and negative affect are theoretically and empirically associated with school outcomes, and these constructs are likely to be impacted by school-based mindfulness practices. Furthermore, mindful states, such as being calm and focused, targeted by mindfulness-based practices are a potential causal mechanism to improve learning and behavior. This study describes a test of longitudinal factorial invariance for a brief measure of affect states plus a state of calm focus that is appropriate for use in mindfulness intervention studies with elementary school-aged children. Data were collected from 97 fourth-grade students in an urban elementary school that was about 46% Hispanic and 44% White. Students listened to one of six different conditions each day for 24 school days: There were four individual mindfulness modules (cross-connect, pause buttons, belly breathing, and mindful minute), one condition that included all four of the modules together, and one condition that was a control activity (a grade-appropriate story presented via audiorecording). Students provided self-report of positive and negative emotions plus calm focus immediately before and after the presentation of the audio. Results showed high levels of internal consistency for the scales, low correlations between scales, and factorial invariance in the pre- and post-test design for five of the six conditions. These findings support the use of this measure in studies with older elementary school students. Future studies should further document construct validity through external validation of the scales.

Effects of genetic risk for alcohol dependence and onset of regular drinking on the progression to alcohol dependence: A polygenic risk score approach.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have established the importance of genetic contributions to the etiology of alcohol dependence (AD), and suggested an early onset of alcohol use represents an initial marker of this genetic risk, which is associated with a more rapid progression to AD and increased risk for AD itself. Building on prior work, the current study examined whether the additive effects of AD risk variants predicted the rate of progression to AD from the onset of regular drinking, a drinking milestone with high clinical relevance to AD prevention. METHODS: Data from 1501 European-ancestry adults from the University of California - San Francisco Family Alcoholism Study were used to examine whether polygenic risk scores for AD (PRSAD) and age-at-onset of regular drinking contributed uniquely to the likelihood of having a lifetime AD diagnosis and the rate of progression from regular drinking to AD. Mixed effects logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were employed. RESULTS: Increases in PRSAD were associated with a faster progression from regular drinking to AD independent of age-at-onset of regular drinking. An independent effect of age-at-onset of regular drinking was also observed indicating that a one-year delay in regular drinking was associated with a 7% decrease in the hazard of progression to AD among drinkers with an early onset (≤ 18), but a 3% increase among drinkers with a late onset (> 18) of regular drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These results broaden our understanding of the contributions of measured genotypes underlying AD-risk on the etiology and clinical course of AD.

Comparing Fathers' and Mothers' Perspectives About Their Child's Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Mothers are often the primary parent participants in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research. As a result, little is known about fathers' perceptions regarding their children's ASD and whether these perceptions differ from mothers'. Given the limited information available regarding fathers' perceptions about their children's ASD, this study aimed to investigate father variables (stress, coping, support, and perception of disability) and how they compare to mothers'. Participants were 361 biological parents (294 mothers and 67 fathers) of children on the autism spectrum who participated in a larger study. Results revealed significant differences between mothers' and fathers' self-reported stress and coping. Understanding differences between parents' perspectives has both research and clinical implications for working with families raising children on the autism spectrum.

Hispanics/Latinos' Cigarette and E-cigarette Use: Behavioral and Self-rated Health.

Objectives: In this paper, we examine if serious psychological distress (SPD), binge drinking, and self-rated health predict dual-use of tobacco cigarette and e-cigarette compared with no use or the use of only one product among Hispanics/Latinos (H/L). By increasing our understanding of determinants of dual-use, we can identify the most vulnerable groups and intervention targets. Methods: We used data from H/L who were current tobacco/nicotine users in the Houston Health Survey 2018 (N = 188; representing 158,369 individuals). We conducted descriptive, bi-variate, and multinomial logistic regression analyses, and moderation by age and sex. Results: H/L with SPD were more likely to be dual-users than non-users (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.97), cigarette users (OR = 1.12), or e-cigarette users (OR = 2.44). Individuals who binge drank were more likely to be dual-users than non-users (OR = 2.66) or e-cigarette users (OR = 9.30), but more likely to be cigarette users compared to dual-users (OR = 2.05). Poorer self-rated health predicted an increased likelihood of being a non-user (OR = 1.19), cigarette user (OR = 1.36), and e-cigarette user compared to a dual-user (OR = 1.04). Conclusions: Behavioral health and self-rated health are important predictors of tobacco cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual-use among H/L. These relationships differ by age and sex.

Loci of stuttering of English- and Korean-speaking children who stutter: Preliminary findings.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine whether differences exist between young English- and Korean-speaking children who stutter (CWS) in the loci of stuttering. METHOD: Participants were 10 Korean-speaking and 11 English-speaking CWS between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Participants produced narratives while viewing various picture scenes and a wordless picture book. RESULTS: Findings indicated that Korean-speaking CWS stuttered more on content than function words whereas English-speaking CWS stuttered more on function than content words. Furthermore, both Korean- and English-speaking CWS tended to stutter more on utterance-initial words. These findings appear to be related to the differences in linguistic/syntactic structures between Korean and English. Specifically, in the Korean-speaking CWS's narratives, most utterance-initial words (73.60 %) were content words whereas in the English-speaking CWS's narratives, most utterance-initial words (83.57 %) were function words. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings, although in need of replication with a larger sample size, seem to suggest that the word class (i.e., content/function words) contributions to stuttering loci are more language-specific whereas the word position (i.e., utterance-initial position) contributions to stuttering loci are more language-nonspecific. Given that the true characteristics of stuttering may be rather language-nonspecific than language-specific, further research may need to focus more on stuttering loci related to word position than word class.

Propensity Score Analysis in Non-Randomized Experimental Designs: An Overview and a Tutorial Using R Software.

Propensity score analysis is a statistical method that balances pre-existing differences across treatment conditions achieving a similar condition as randomization and thus, allowing the estimation of causal effects in non-randomized experimental designs. The four stages in propensity score analysis are (1) propensity score estimation, (2) equating or balancing procedures, (3) balance checking, and (4) outcome analysis. Each stage is explained followed by a step-by-step tutorial of applying propensity score analysis to an empirical dataset using R software. Project Achieve concerns grade retention data where the retained and promoted groups were balanced based on 64 baseline covariates. In discussion, some caveats of the propensity score analysis applied to the dataset are discussed with suggestions. A comparison between propensity score analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is made and the advantage of using propensity score analysis over ANCOVA is explained. At last, some considerations utilizing propensity score methods in developmental research is discussed.

When conflict escalates into intimate partner violence: The delicate nature of observed coercion in adolescent romantic relationships.

We investigated how initial conflicts in adolescent romantic relationships escalate into serious forms of conflict, including intimate partner violence (IPV). We focused on whether adolescents' micro-level interaction patterns, i.e., coercion and positive engagement, mediated between conflict and future IPV. The sample consisted of 91 heterosexual couples, aged 13 to 18 years (M = 16.5, SD = 0.99) from a diverse background (42% Hispanic/Latino, 42% White). Participants completed surveys about conflict at Time 1, and they participated in videotaped conflict and jealousy discussions. At Time 2, participants completed surveys about conflict and IPV, and an average daily conflict score was calculated from ecological momentary assessments. Multilevel hazard models revealed that we did not find support for dyadic coercion as a risk process leading to escalations in conflict. However, a higher likelihood of ending dyadic positive behaviors mediated between earlier levels of conflict and a latent construct of female conflict and IPV. Classic coercive dynamics may not apply to adolescent romantic relationships. Instead, not being able to reinforce levels of positivity during conflict predicted conflict and IPV as reported by females. The implications of these findings for understanding coercion in the escalation from conflict to IPV in adolescent romantic relationships are discussed.

Three perspectives on mental health problems of young adults and their parents at a 15-year follow-up of the family bereavement program.

OBJECTIVE: Effects are reported of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP) on the mental health of bereaved youth and their surviving parent 15 years following the program. METHOD: On-hundred and 56 families (244 children ages 8-16; 54% male; 67% Non-Hispanic White) were randomly assigned to receive either the FBP (N = 90) or a literature control condition (N = 66). At the 15-year follow-up 80% of the youth and 76% of the bereaved parents were reinterviewed. Mental health problems and service use were self-reported by young adults and their parents. Key informants reported on mental health problems of young adults. RESULTS: Young adults in the FBP reported significantly less use of mental health services and of psychiatric medication than controls. Key informants reported significantly lower mental health problems for young adults who were in FBP as compared with controls and for those who were younger lower internalizing and externalizing problems for those in the FBP as compared with controls. Bereaved parents reported a significantly lower rate of alcoholism and less use of support groups than controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results provided evidence that FBP led to lower mental health problems and less service use by bereaved young adults and their parents as compared with controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Multigroup Propensity Score Approach to Evaluating an Effectiveness Trial of the New Beginnings Program.

We used a multigroup propensity score approach to evaluate a randomized effectiveness trial of the New Beginnings Program (NBP), an intervention targeting divorced or separated families. Two features of effectiveness trials, high nonattendance rates and inclusion of an active control, make program effects harder to detect. To estimate program effects based on actual intervention participation, we created a synthetic inactive control comprised of nonattenders and assessed the impact of attending the NBP or active control relative to no intervention (inactive control). We estimated propensity scores using generalized boosted models and applied inverse probability of treatment weighting for the comparisons. Relative to the inactive control, NBP strengthened parenting quality as well as reduced child exposure to interparental conflict, parent psychological distress, and child internalizing problems. Some effects were moderated by parent gender, parent ethnicity, or child age. On the other hand, the effects of active versus inactive control were minimal for parenting and in the unexpected direction for child internalizing problems. Findings from the propensity score approach complement and enhance the interpretation of findings from the intention-to-treat approach.

Effect of Early Grade Retention on School Completion: A Prospective Study.

This 14 year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 256 retained students and the 478 students continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in grade 1. At the end of 14 years, 477 had earned a diploma, 21 had obtained a GED, 110 had dropped out, and 126 were missing school completion status. Using multinomial logistic regression with high school graduation as the reference outcome, retention led to a significant increase in the likelihood of dropping out of high school (odds ratio = 2.61), above students' propensity to be retained and additional covariates. The contrast between graduation and GED outcomes was not significant. A significant Retention X Ethnicity X Gender interaction was obtained: The negative effect of retention was strongest for African American and Hispanic girls. Even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, retention increases the odds that a student will drop out of school before obtaining a high school diploma.

The Validation of Macro and Micro Observations of Parent-Child Dynamics Using the Relationship Affect Coding System in Early Childhood.

This study examined the validity of micro social observations and macro ratings of parent-child interaction in early to middle childhood. Seven hundred and thirty-one families representing multiple ethnic groups were recruited and screened as at risk in the context of Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Supplement service settings. Families were randomly assigned to the Family Checkup (FCU) intervention or the control condition at age 2 and videotaped in structured interactions in the home at ages 2, 3, 4, and 5. Parent-child interaction videotapes were micro-coded using the Relationship Affect Coding System (RACS) that captures the duration of two mutual dyadic states: positive engagement and coercion. Macro ratings of parenting skills were collected after coding the videotapes to assess parent use of positive behavior support and limit setting skills (or lack thereof). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the measurement model of macro ratings of limit setting and positive behavior support was not supported by the data, and thus, were excluded from further analyses. However, there was moderate stability in the families' micro social dynamics across early childhood and it showed significant improvements as a function of random assignment to the FCU. Moreover, parent-child dynamics were predictive of chronic behavior problems as rated by parents in middle childhood, but not emotional problems. We conclude with a discussion of the validity of the RACS and on methodological advantages of micro social coding over the statistical limitations of macro rating observations. Future directions are discussed for observation research in prevention science.

Predicting sexual coercion in early adulthood: The transaction among maltreatment, gang affiliation, and adolescent socialization of coercive relationship norms.

This study tested a transactional hypothesis predicting early adult sexual coercion from family maltreatment, early adolescent gang affiliation, and socialization of adolescent friendships that support coercive relationship norms. The longitudinal study of a community sample of 998 11-year-olds was intensively assessed in early and middle adolescence and followed to 23-24 years of age. At age 16-17 youth were videotaped with a friend, and their interactions were coded for coercive relationship talk. Structural equation modeling revealed that maltreatment predicted gang affiliation during early adolescence. Both maltreatment and gang affiliation strongly predicted adolescent sexual promiscuity and coercive relationship norms with friends at age 16-17 years. Adolescent sexual promiscuity, however, did not predict sexual coercion in early adulthood. In contrast, higher levels of observed coercive relationship talk with a friend predicted sexual coercion in early adulthood for both males and females. These findings suggest that peers have a socialization function in the development of norms prognostic of sexual coercion, and the need to consider peers in the promotion of healthy relationships.

Developmental cascade models of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on mental health problems and substance use in emerging adulthood.

A developmental cascade model from functioning in adolescence to emerging adulthood was tested using data from a 15-year longitudinal follow-up of 240 emerging adults whose families participated in a randomized, experimental trial of a preventive program for divorced families. Families participated in the program or literature control condition when the offspring were ages 9-12. Short-term follow-ups were conducted 3 months and 6 months following completion of the program when the offspring were in late childhood/early adolescence. Long-term follow-ups were conducted 6 years and 15 years after program completion when the offspring were in middle to late adolescence and emerging adulthood, respectively. It was hypothesized that the impact of the program on mental health and substance use outcomes in emerging adulthood would be explained by developmental cascade effects of program effects in adolescence. The results provided support for a cascade effects model. Specifically, academic competence in adolescence had cross-domain effects on internalizing problems and externalizing problems in emerging adulthood. In addition, adaptive coping in adolescence was significantly, negatively related to binge drinking. It was unexpected that internalizing symptoms in adolescence were significantly negatively related to marijuana use and alcohol use. Gender differences occurred in the links between mental health problems and substance use in adolescence and mental health problems and substance use in emerging adulthood.

Emotional Diathesis, Emotional Stress, and Childhood Stuttering.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether emotional reactivity and emotional stress of children who stutter (CWS) are associated with their stuttering frequency, (b) when the relationship between emotional reactivity and stuttering frequency is more likely to exist, and (c) how these associations are mediated by a 3rd variable (e.g., sympathetic arousal). METHOD: Participants were 47 young CWS (M age = 50.69 months, SD = 10.34). Measurement of participants' emotional reactivity was based on parental report, and emotional stress was engendered by viewing baseline, positive, and negative emotion-inducing video clips, with stuttered disfluencies and sympathetic arousal (indexed by tonic skin conductance level) measured during a narrative after viewing each of the various video clips. RESULTS: CWS's positive emotional reactivity was positively associated with percentage of their stuttered disfluencies regardless of emotional stress condition. CWS's negative emotional reactivity was more positively correlated with percentage of stuttered disfluencies during a narrative after a positive, compared with baseline, emotional stress condition. CWS's sympathetic arousal did not appear to mediate the effect of emotional reactivity, emotional stress condition, and their interaction on percentage of stuttered disfluencies, at least during this experimental narrative task following emotion-inducing video clips. CONCLUSIONS: Results were taken to suggest an association between young CWS's positive emotional reactivity and stuttering, with negative reactivity seemingly more associated with these children's stuttering during positive emotional stress (a stress condition possibly associated with lesser degrees of emotion regulation). Such findings seem to support the notion that emotional processes warrant inclusion in any truly comprehensive account of childhood stuttering.

Affect, work-goal schemas, and work-goal striving among adults with chronic pain: a multilevel structural equation analysis.

For individuals with chronic pain, the within-person influence of affect and goal cognition on daily work-related goal striving is not yet well understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that anticipatory goal cognition in the form of a morning work goal schema mediates the relations between morning affect and later (afternoon and evening) work goal striving. Working adults with chronic pain (N = 131) completed a 21-day diary with morning, afternoon, and evening assessments analyzed via multi-level structural equation modeling. At the within-person level, morning positive and negative affect were positively associated with morning work goal schemas; and morning work goal schemas, in turn, positively predicted both afternoon and evening work goal striving. Our findings underscore the complex dynamics over time of the relationship between affect and self-regulatory processes and have implications for future studies and for interventions to assist working adults with chronic pain.

Pain-Contingent Interruption and Resumption of Work Goals: A Within-Day Diary Analysis.

UNLABELLED: Daily pain-related attributions for and negative affective reactions to the nonpursuit of work goals and individual differences in chronic pain severity and stress were used to predict work goal resumption in a sample of 131 adults with chronic pain. Variables were assessed via questionnaires and a 21-day diary. On days when participants reported nonpursuit of work goals in the afternoon, increases in pain-related attributions for goal interruption were positively associated with higher negative affective reactions which, in turn, were associated with an increased likelihood of same-day work goal resumption. Stress amplified the relation between pain-related attributions and negative affective reactions, and chronic pain severity was positively related to work goal resumption. PERSPECTIVE: Under certain circumstances, chronic pain and pain-related attributions can have positive motivational effects on work goal resumption. The findings of the present study may contribute to the development of interruption management techniques in vocational settings that leverage the roles of pain-related attributions, goal cognition, and emotionality.

The trajectory of fidelity in a multiyear trial of the family check-up predicts change in child problem behavior.

OBJECTIVE: Therapist fidelity to evidence-based family interventions has consistently been linked to child and family outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated the potential ebb and flow of fidelity of therapists over time. We examined therapist drift in fidelity over 4 years in the context of a Family Check-Up prevention services in early childhood (ages 2-5 years). METHOD: At age 2, families engaging in Women, Infants, and Children Nutritional Supplement Program services were randomized and offered annual Family Check-Ups. Seventy-nine families with a child in the clinical range of problem behaviors at age 2 years were included in this analysis. RESULTS: Latent growth modeling revealed a significant linear decline in fidelity over time (M = -0.35, SD = 0.35) and that steeper declines were related to less improvement in caregiver-reported problem behaviors assessed at ages 7.5/8.5 years (b = -.69, p = .003; ß = -.95, 95% CI [-2.11, -0.22]). CONCLUSION: These findings add to the literature concerning the need to continually monitor therapist fidelity to an evidence-based practice over time to optimize family benefits. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.