Una psicoterapia centrada en la parentalidad para tratar la psicopatología perinatal, sostener el vínculo madre-bebé y prevenir los trastornos en el niño / A psychotherapy focused on parenting to treat perinatal psychopathology, to support the mother-baby bond and to prevent disorders in the child

El embarazo y el año que sigue al parto son los períodos de la vida más propiciospara la emergencia de trastornos psicológicos en la mujer. Las consecuencias pueden convertirse en dramáticas paraella, para el vínculo con su hijo y para el desarrollo somático, social y psíquico de este último. Este artículo muestrapor qué es importante cuidar la dimensión psíquica de la parentalidad para un tratamiento eficaz de estos trastornos,a fin de que los efectos terapéuticos beneficien a la vez a la mujer, al vínculo madre-bebé y al niño. Se propone unmodelo de psicoterapia breve centrada en la parentalidad que permite intervenir desde el embarazo y luego incluir elniño en el posparto.(AU)

The pregnancy and first year following childbirth are the most conduciveperiods of life for the emergence of psychological disorders in women. The consequences can be dramatic forthem, for the bond with their child and for the child’s somatic, social and psychological development. This articleshows why it is important to take care of the psychic dimension of parenthood for an effective treatment ofthese disorders, so that the therapeutic effects benefit at the same time the woman, the mother-baby bondand the child. A model of brief psychotherapy focused on parentality is proposed, which allows to intervenefrom pregnancy and then to include the child in the postpartum period.(AU)

L’embaràs i l’any que segueix al part són els períodes de la vida més propicisper a l’emergència de trastorns psicològics en la dona. Les conseqüències poden esdevenir dramàtiques per aella, per al vincle amb el seu fill i per al desenvolupament somàtic, social i psíquic d’aquest. Aquest article mostraper què és important tenir cura de la dimensió psíquica de la parentalitat per a un tractament eficaç d’aqueststrastorns, per tal que els efectes terapèutics beneficiïn al mateix temps la dona, el vincle mare-nadó i el nen. Esproposa un model de psicoteràpia breu centrada en la parentalitat que permet intervenir des de l’embaràs idesprés incloure el nen al postpart.(AU)

Estimation and linkage between behavioral problems and social emotional competence among Pakistani young school children.

Behavioral problems are commonly occurring concerns in school children and if left unidentified can result in worse outcomes in any society. The research aims to explore the prevalence of behavioral problems and its association with social emotional competence in young school children from a community sample of Islamabad, Pakistan. The cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2021 in four public primary schools in Islamabad, Pakistan. Two stage cluster sampling was used to select study sites. The sample comprised 426 school children (males = 182, females = 195) aged 4-8 years (Mean age = 6.5, SD = 1.09), from three different grades kindergarten, 1, and 2, respectively. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Social Emotional Development Assessment (SEDA) were used to screen behavioral problems and social emotional competences of children. Data were analyzed using Stata 17. Prevalence for overall behavioral problems accounted for 65.4% (4-6 years) and 36.2% (6-8 years) in the abnormal (borderline and clinical) ranges of total problems. Social emotional competence scores were found significantly negatively associated with behavioral problems of children. The high prevalence necessitates the provision of mental health care to school-aged children. The findings should be taken as a call to Pakistan's policymakers, clinicians, and researchers to develop proper screening and management protocols for early intervention.

Mejorando la efectividad de la Terapia de Interacción Padres-Hijos (PCIT) con terapias contextuales: un estudio de caso único / Enhancing the Effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) With Contextual Therapies: A Single Case Study

La Terapia de Interacción Padres-Hijos (PCIT) es una terapia bien establecida y de elección para trabajar los problemas de conducta en la infancia. En este trabajo se presenta el caso de un niño de siete años con conductas disruptivas. El tratamiento de elección fue PCIT en combinación con otras terapias contextuales como la Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT) y la Psicoterapia Analítica Funcional (FAP). Se utilizó un diseño de caso único AB con medidas repetidas de seguimiento. La intervención se llevó a cabo a lo largo de diez sesiones con dos medidas de seguimiento posteriores, al mes y al año de finalizar el tratamiento. Los resultados muestran que el tratamiento fue efectivo para reducir los problemas de conducta del niño, incrementar las conductas pro-sociales y mejorar el clima familiar, y se mantienen en el seguimiento a los 12 meses. Este trabajo aporta evidencia sobre la eficacia de PCIT para trabajar con los problemas de conducta en la infancia y destaca la importancia de la conceptualización contextual del caso y de la combinación de dichas terapias contextuales para mejorar los resultados de la intervención (AU)

in childhood. In this paper we present a 7-year-old boy case with disruptive behaviors. The treatment of choice was PCIT in combination with other contextual therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). A single case AB design with repeated measures follow-up was used. The intervention was conducted over 10 sessions with 2 subsequent follow-up measures, at 1 month and 1 year after the end of treatment. The results show that the treatment was effective in reducing the child’s behavioral problems, increasing pro-social behaviors, and improving the family climate. Also, the results are maintained at 12-month follow-up. This paper provides evidence for the efficacy of PCIT in working with childhood behavior problems and it designates the importance of contextual case conceptualization and the combination of such contextual therapies in improving intervention outcomes (AU)

Predicting Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes Across Cultures: A Machine Learning Approach.

Adolescent mental health problems are rising rapidly around the world. To combat this rise, clinicians and policymakers need to know which risk factors matter most in predicting poor adolescent mental health. Theory-driven research has identified numerous risk factors that predict adolescent mental health problems but has difficulty distilling and replicating these findings. Data-driven machine learning methods can distill risk factors and replicate findings but have difficulty interpreting findings because these methods are atheoretical. This study demonstrates how data- and theory-driven methods can be integrated to identify the most important preadolescent risk factors in predicting adolescent mental health. Machine learning models examined which of 79 variables assessed at age 10 were the most important predictors of adolescent mental health at ages 13 and 17. These models were examined in a sample of 1176 families with adolescents from nine nations. Machine learning models accurately classified 78% of adolescents who were above-median in age 13 internalizing behavior, 77.3% who were above-median in age 13 externalizing behavior, 73.2% who were above-median in age 17 externalizing behavior, and 60.6% who were above-median in age 17 internalizing behavior. Age 10 measures of youth externalizing and internalizing behavior were the most important predictors of age 13 and 17 externalizing/internalizing behavior, followed by family context variables, parenting behaviors, individual child characteristics, and finally neighborhood and cultural variables. The combination of theoretical and machine-learning models strengthens both approaches and accurately predicts which adolescents demonstrate above average mental health difficulties in approximately 7 of 10 adolescents 3-7 years after the data used in machine learning models were collected.

The longitudinal association between potential stressful life events and the risk of psychosocial problems in 3-year-old children.

Background: Experiencing certain potentially stressful life events can impact psychosocial well-being among school-aged children and adolescents. This study aims to evaluate the association between life events occurring before age 2 and risk of psychosocial problems at 3 years of age. Methods: All parents invited for the regular well-child visit when their child was 2 years of age by the preventive Youth Health Care in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area, the Netherlands, were invited to participate in this study. In total 2,305 parents completed the baseline questionnaire at child age 2-years; 1,540 parents completed the questionnaire at child age 3-years. The baseline questionnaire included a life events assessment (12 items), and tension caused by the event (range 0-3). At child age 3-years the questionnaire included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess risk of psychosocial problems. Logistic regression models were applied. Results: In the current study 48.5% of families experienced ≥1 life event before child age 2 years. Divorce and problems in the relationship between the parents received the highest perceived severity score [respectively 2.1 (SD = 0.8) and 2.0 (SD = 0.7)]. Children experiencing ≥1 event before the age of 2 years were at higher risk of psychosocial problems at 3 years of age, compared to children that had experienced no life event (1-2 events OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.09; 2.06, and >2 events OR = 2.55, 95%CI 1.64; 4.00, respectively). When life events caused high perceived levels of tension, there was also an association with an increased risk of psychosocial problems at age 3-years (OR = 2.03, 95%CI 1.43; 2.88). Conclusions: Approximately half of children in our study experienced a potential stressful life event before the age of 2 years. Results suggest an association between experiencing a life event and risk of psychosocial problems at child age 3-years. These findings emphasize the need for child health care professionals to pay attention to life events taking place in the life of young children in order to provide appropriate support.

Behavioral and emotional problems and related risk factors of primary school children aged 6-11 in Guangdong, China.

BACKGROUND: China has seen rapid urbanization and industrialization in recent decades and children behavioral and emotional problems accompanied have been a heavy burden on family and society. We therefore aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of behavioral and emotional problems in primary school children aged 6-11 in an urbanized area of China. METHODS: Primary school children aged 6-11 from 15 primary schools were enrolled from Shunde District, Guangdong. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess behavioral and emotional problems and then determined risk factors associated with the behavioral and emotional problems. RESULTS: In total, 12 868 were included in the present analysis. The prevalence of total behavioral and emotional problems was 8.4% (95% CI, 7.9%-8.9%), which was gradually increased with age in both boys and girls. The prevalence was higher in boys than girls (9.8% vs. 6.8%, p < .001) and in children without siblings than those with siblings (9.9% vs. 8.1%, p = .006). In boys, age was positively associated with delinquent behavior, depression, poor contact, compulsive activity, social withdrawal, attention problems and aggressive behavior and was negatively associated with schizoid (p < .05). While in girls, age was positively associated with delinquent behavior, somatic complaints, social withdrawal and schizoid/compulsive activity but was negatively associated with aggressive behavior and sexual problems (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Behavioral and emotional problems are common in primary school children in the urbanized area of China and are associated with sex and siblings. These findings suggest that close attention should be given to these primary school children.

The efficacy of online parenting interventions in addressing emotional problems in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Parenting interventions offer opportunities for reducing emotional problems in children and adolescents, based on addressing parental risk and protective factors. Online parenting interventions were developed more recently to increase access to interventions for parents, and the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to investigate their efficacy. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis pooling studies that tested online parenting interventions having as outcome emotional problems in children/adolescents. We considered as secondary outcome parent mental health and moderation effects for the type of population, intervention characteristics, and risk of bias. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. For child/adolescent emotional problems, at post-intervention, 13 studies were pooled, yielding an ES of g = -0.26 (95% CI [-0.41, -0.11]; p < .001) favoring the online parental interventions over wait-list, while at follow-up five RCTs were pooled, yielding an ES of g = -0.14 (95% CI [-0.25, -0.02]; p = .015) favoring the parental online interventions over wait-list. Moderation analyses suggest that longer online parenting programs are more effective in improving child emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Online parent programs have positive effects on reducing emotional symptoms in children and adolescents. Future research will need to develop and investigate the efficacy of the programs that can personalize their contents and delivery methods.

Population heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of internalising and externalising mental health symptoms in childhood: differential effects of parenting styles.

AIMS: Multiple studies have connected parenting styles to children's internalising and externalising mental health symptoms (MHS). However, it is not clear how different parenting styles are jointly influencing the development of children's MHS over the course of childhood. Hence, the differential effects of parenting style on population heterogeneity in the joint developmental trajectories of children's internalising and externalising MHS were examined. METHOD: A community sample of 7507 young children (ages 3, 5 and 9) from the Growing Up in Ireland cohort study was derived for further analyses. Parallel-process linear growth curve and latent growth mixture modelling were deployed. RESULTS: The results indicated that the linear growth model was a good approximation of children's MHS development (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03). The growth mixture modelling revealed three classes of joint internalising and externalising MHS trajectories (VLMR = 92.51, p < 0.01; LMR = 682.19, p < 0.01; E = 0.86). The majority of the children (83.49%) belonged to a low-risk class best described by a decreasing trajectory of externalising symptoms and a flat low trajectory of internalising MHS. In total, 10.07% of the children belonged to a high-risk class described by high internalising and externalising MHS trajectories, whereas 6.43% of the children were probable members of a mild-risk class with slightly improving yet still elevated trajectories of MHS. Adjusting for socio-demographics, child and parental health, multinomial logistic regressions indicated that hostile parenting was a risk factor for membership in the high-risk (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.18-1.85) and mild-risk (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.21-2.04) classes. Consistent (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.90) parenting style was a protective factor only against membership in the mild-risk class. CONCLUSIONS: In short, the findings suggest that a non-negligible proportion of the child population is susceptible to being at high risk for developing MHS. Moreover, a smaller proportion of children was improving but still displayed high symptoms of MHS (mild-risk). Furthermore, hostile parenting style is a substantial risk factor for increments in child MHS, whereas consistent parenting can serve as a protective factor in cases of mild-risk. Evidence-based parent training/management programmes may be needed to reduce the risk of developing MHS.

An examination of behavioural and emotional problems in children exposed prenatally to the 27F Chilean earthquake: findings from the ELPI cohort.

PURPOSE: Associations between prenatal earthquake exposure and children's mental health remain unclear. Moreover, there is a paucity of research using quasi-experimental statistical techniques to diminish potential selection bias. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of prenatal exposure to the Chilean earthquake of 2010 on children's behavioural and emotional problems between 1½ and 3 years old using propensity score matching. METHODS: Participants included 1549 families from the Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia cohort in Chile. Maternal reports using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) were used to assess behavioural and emotional problems between 1½ and 3 years old. Information on prenatal earthquake exposure was collected via maternal report. The Kernel matching estimator was used to compare the average treatment effects of children who were exposed to the earthquake compared to those who were not. RESULTS: Five of the seven CBCL outcomes were statistically significant after matching and adjustment for multiple testing, suggesting greater difficulties for exposed children which included emotional reactivity, anxious/depressed, sleep problems, attention problems, and aggression (mean difference of 0.69, 0.87, 0.73, 0.85, 3.51, respectively). The magnitude of the effect was small to medium. CONCLUSION: Findings contribute to the potential causal inferences between prenatal earthquake exposure and increased behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood. Results suggest that in utero experiences may have long-term consequences for infants' well-being, supporting the need for specific interventions in pregnancy after natural disasters.

Effectiveness of psychological interventions for child and adolescent specific anxiety disorders: A systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses / Eficacia de las intervenciones psicológicas para el tratamiento de los trastornos específicos de ansiedad en niños y adolescentes: una revisión derevisiones sistemáticas y meta-análisis

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in children and adolescents. The associated functional limitations and the negative psychological consequences have led to increased research into effective psychological interventions. What is missing, however, is a comprehensive review of the literatureaddressing the effectiveness of these treatments for specific disorders. A systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating theeffectiveness of psychological treatments for specific anxiety disorders in children and adolescents was performed. The study followed PRISMAguidelines. Four bibliographic databases were searched: MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycINFO, Web of Science (Core Collection), and The CochraneLibrary. Two authors independently screened the articles by title, abstract, and full-text, according to established inclusion and exclusion criteria.Two independent authors evaluated the methodological quality of the included reviews using AMSTAR-2. Five records were included in this systematic review. Four studies included children and adolescents with specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorderand one focused solely on nocturnal fears. Cognitive behavioral therapy-based interventions have been shown to be effective for the treatment ofthese diagnoses in both short and long term. The methodological quality of the included studies was classified as critically low. Cognitive behavioralinterventions are effective in treating specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder and nighttime fears in childrenand adolescents. The improvement of the methodological quality and the need for further studies focusing on the effectiveness of treatments forspecific disorders are discussed. (AU)

Los trastornos de ansiedad son muy comunes en la infancia y adolescencia y repercuten negativamente enla vida del niño y la familia. Pese al aumento en el número de investigaciones centradas en estudiar la eficacia de las intervenciones psicológicas,hasta la fecha no se ha llevado a cabo una síntesis que haya dado cuenta de la eficacia de estas intervenciones para cada uno de los trastornosde ansiedad de manera específica. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis. Se realizaron búsquedas en cuatrobases de datos: MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycINFO, Web of Science (colección principal) y The Cochrane Library. Dos autores examinaron de formaindependiente los artículos por título, resumen y texto completo, según unos criterios de inclusión y exclusión previamente establecidos. Dos autoresevaluaron de forma independiente la calidad metodológica de las revisiones incluidas mediante AMSTAR-2. Se incluyeron cinco estudios. Cuatroincluyeron participantes con fobias específicas, ansiedad generalizada y ansiedad por separación y uno se centró en miedos nocturnos. Las intervenciones basadas en la terapia cognitivo conductual demostraron ser efectivas para el tratamiento de estos trastornos a corto y a largo plazo. Lacalidad metodológica de los estudios incluidos se clasificó como críticamente baja. Las intervenciones basadas en la terapia cognitivo conductualson eficaces para los trastornos de ansiedad en niños y adolescentes. Se discute la necesidad de mejorar la calidad metodológica y de aumentarlos estudios centrados en la eficacia de los tratamientos para trastornos específicos. (AU)

Effectiveness of psychological treatments for depression in childhood and adolescence: A review of reviews / Eficacia de los tratamientos psicológicos para depresión en la infancia y la adolescencia: Una revisión de revisiones

Depression in childhood and adolescence is a public health problem due to its high prevalence and the impact it has in the individual development. There is clear evidence of the efficacy of Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents; however, recent reviews and meta-analyses provide new perspectives for treatment. The purpose of this workis to synthesize the bibliography available through a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis that summarizes in a comprehensive way the evidence of the last two decades on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for infant-juvenile depression. A systematicreview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses was performed. A search was conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Eightrecords met the inclusion criteria, 2 were analysed in their entirety and from the remaining 6 the information needed for independent analysis wasextracted. Seven different psychotherapies were studied: CBT and IPT were the most studied (n=7; 87.5%), followed by family therapy (n=5;62.5%), psychodynamic therapy (n=3; 37.5%), behavioural therapy (n=3; 37.5%), computerised CBT (n=2; 25%), problem-solving therapy (n=1;12.5%) and supportive therapy (n=1; 12.5%). IPT and CBT were shown to be effective in the treatment of adolescent depression. Half of thereviews (n=4; 50%) had a low methodological quality and the other half (n=4; 50%) were classified as critically low. In general, psychologicalinterventions for child and adolescent depression produce significant, but modest effects. Specifically, IPT and CBT can be considered the maintreatment alternatives for adolescent depression. There is insufficient data of specific psychological treatment for children diagnosed with a depressive disorder. ... (AU)

La depresión infanto-juvenil es un problema de salud pública por su elevada prevalencia y el impacto que tiene en el desarrollo del individuo. Aunque existe una sólidaevidencia sobre la eficacia de la psicoterapia interpersonal y la terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) en el tratamiento de la depresión en niños yadolescentes, recientes revisiones y meta-análisis aportan nuevas perspectivas de tratamiento. La finalidad de este trabajo es sintetizar la bibliografía disponible mediante una revisión sistemática de revisiones sistemáticas y meta-análisis que resuma de manera integral la evidencia de lasúltimas dos décadas sobre la eficacia de las intervenciones psicológicas para la depresión infanto-juvenil. Se realizó una revisión sistemática derevisiones sistemáticas y meta-análisis. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda en las bases de datos Web of Science y Scopus. Ocho registros cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, 2 se analizaron en su totalidad y de los 6 restantes se extrajo la información necesaria para ser analizada independientemente. Se estudiaron siete psicoterapias distintas: la TCC y la terapia interpersonal fueron las más estudiadas (n=7; 87,5%), seguidas porla terapia familiar (n=5; 62,5%), la terapia psicodinámica (n=3; 37,5%), la terapia conductual (n=3; 37,5%), la TCC informatizada (n=2; 25%), laterapia de resolución de problemas (n=1; 12,5%) y la terapia de apoyo (n=1; 12,5%). La terapia interpersonal y la TCC demostraron ser efectivas en el tratamiento de la depresión adolescente. La mitad de las revisiones (n=4; 50%) presentaron una calidad metodológica baja y la otramitad (n=4; 50%) se clasificó como críticamente baja. Las intervenciones psicológicas para la depresión infanto-juvenil, en general, producenefectos significativos, pero modestos. De forma específica, la terapia interpersonal y la TCC pueden considerarse las principales alternativas detratamiento para la depresión adolescente. ...(AU)

Maternal postnatal bonding disorder and emotional/behavioral problems in preschool children: The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Although there is evidence that maternal perinatal mental disorders are associated with emotional/behavioral problems in children, the long-term impacts of postnatal bonding disorder remain unclear. We aimed to examine the associations between maternal postnatal bonding disorder and emotional/behavioral problems in preschool children. METHODS: We analyzed data from 7220 mother-child pairs who participated in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study. Maternal bonding disorder was defined as Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale score ≥5 at 1 month after delivery. The Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 was used to assess emotional/behavioral problems, and its subscales were used to assess internalizing and externalizing problems in children at 4 years of age. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of postnatal bonding disorder with emotional/behavioral, internalizing, and externalizing problems after adjustment for age, education, income, parity, prenatal psychological distress, postnatal depressive symptoms, child's sex, preterm birth, and birth defects. RESULTS: The prevalence of postnatal bonding disorder was 14.8 %. Postnatal bonding disorder was associated with an increased risk of emotional/behavioral problems in children: the odds ratio (OR) was 2.06 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.72-2.46). Postnatal bonding disorder was also associated with increased risks of internalizing problems and externalizing problems in children: the ORs were 1.69 (95 % CI, 1.42-2.02) and 1.90 (95 % CI, 1.59-2.26), respectively. LIMITATIONS: Bonding and problems were self-reported. CONCLUSIONS: Bonding disorder at 1 month after delivery was associated with an increased risk of emotional/behavioral problems in children at 4 years of age.

Dimensional Assessment of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors: Development and Preliminary Validation of a New Measure.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide initial validation of the Dimensional Assessment of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (DARB), a new parent-report measure designed to capture the full range of key restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) subdomains. METHOD: Parents of 1,892 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (mean [SD] age = 10.81 [4.14] years) recruited from the SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge) research match completed the DARB, several existing RRB instruments, and measures of social and communication impairments and anxiety. A subsample of 450 parents completed the DARB after 2 weeks to evaluate the test-retest stability. RESULTS: Exploratory graph analysis conducted in the exploratory subsample identified 8 dimensions that were aligned with hypothesized RRB subdomains: repetitive sensory motor behaviors, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, unusual interests, sensory sensitivity, self-injurious behaviors, obsessions and compulsive behaviors, and repetitive language. The confirmatory application of the exploratory structural equation modeling conducted in the confirmatory subsample showed that the derived factor structure had a good fit to the data. Derived factors had excellent reliability, convergent and divergent validity, and very strong test-retest stability and showed a distinct pattern of associations with key demographic, cognitive and clinical correlates. CONCLUSION: The DARB will be useful in a variety of research and clinical contexts considering the prominence and clinical impact of RRB in autism spectrum disorder. Strong preliminary evidence indicates that the new scale is comprehensive and captures a wide range of distinct RRB subdomains not simultaneously captured by any of the existing instruments.

A Natural Helper Intervention to Address Disparities in Parent Child-Interaction Therapy: A Randomized Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is an effective intervention to address child externalizing behaviors. However, disparities in access and retention are pervasive, which relate to the availability of PCIT in low-income communities, inadequate workforces to provide culturally appropriate care, and distrust in services due to systemic discrimination. This study incorporated natural helpers who had been trained as community health workers into PCIT delivery to improve disparities in engagement and outcomes. METHOD: Families from three low-income, predominately Latino/a/x and Black neighborhoods in Miami qualified for services if they had a child aged 2-8 with clinically elevated externalizing behaviors. Families were randomly assigned into either Standard-PCIT group (N = 30 families; 80% boys, 57% Latino/a/x, 27% Black) or a PCIT plus Natural helper (PCIT+NH) group (N = 51 families; 66% boys, 76% Latino/a/x, 18% Black). Families in the PCIT+NH group received home visits and support addressing barriers to care from a natural helper. Path analyses within an intention-to-treat framework examined group-differences in treatment engagement, child behavior, and parenting skills and stress. RESULTS: Families in both groups demonstrated large improvements in child externalizing behavior, caregiver stress, and parenting skills from pre-to-post-treatment. Externalizing behavior improved significantly more in the PCIT+NH group compared to the Standard-PCIT group. There were no significant group differences in parenting skills or caregiver stress. Though differences in engagement were not significant, the PCIT+NH group had a small effect on treatment retention. CONCLUSIONS: Natural helpers may help to address structural barriers that systematically impact communities of color, apply treatment in naturalistic environments, and promote improved treatment outcomes.

The Development of Young Peoples' Internalising and Externalising Difficulties Over the First Three-Years in the Public Care System.

Although we know there are high rates of mental health difficulties amongst young people in out-of-home care (i.e. social welfare-involved children), there is limited evidence on the longitudinal development of these problems, particularly from when they enter the care system. Using the routinely collected carer-reported strengths and difficulties questionnaire, we explored internalising (emotional and peer) and externalising (conduct and hyperactivity) difficulties for 672 young people across their first 3 years in the UK care system (2-16 yrs, 51% boys, 76% Caucasian). In all cases stable profiles (resilient or chronic) were most common, while changing profiles (recovery or delayed) were less common. Findings showed that entry into the care system is not enough of an intervention to expect natural recovery from mental health difficulties. Number of placements and being separated from siblings were associated with greater difficulties. Implications for child welfare and mental health systems are discussed.

[What Works for Whom? Differential Effects of Predictive Validity of Parenting Behaviours: Externalizing Versus Internalizing Behaviour Problems]. / Was hilft bei wem? Unterschiedliche Auswirkungen der prädiktiven Validität von Erziehungsverhalten: Externalisierende versus internalisierende Verhaltensprobleme.

A variety of instruments are available for assessing parental and child behaviour in the context of interaction observation. This study investigated whether the Laboratory Parenting Assessment Battery (Lab-PAB) can be used to make predictive statements about the therapeutic success of child psychiatric treatment. The success of therapy was measured through pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Parent-Infant Relationship Global Assessment Scale (PIR-GAS). A particular focus was placed on discriminating between externalizing and internalizing problems of the child. It was observed that positive items of the interaction offer a greater resource for the therapeutic success of children with externalizing problems than stopping negative behaviour of the parents. In the case of internalizing problems, the elimination of negative interaction items seems to be essential for a good therapy success.

Outcomes of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for families presenting with child maltreatment: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The developmental consequences of childhood trauma for young children are extensive and impact a diverse range of areas. Young children require treatments that consider their developmental stage and are inclusive of caregiver involvement. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), with its dyadic focus and developmental sensitivity, is uniquely positioned to offer therapeutic support to young children and their families. AIM: The current study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the current literature on PCIT and trauma and determine treatment outcomes for children and caregivers. METHOD: A systematic review of five electronic databases was undertaken. Studies that utilized PCIT to treat a population who had experienced trauma were included in the review regardless of study design. RESULTS: PCIT was used to treat a population who had experienced trauma in 40 studies. PCIT was an effective treatment in improving a variety of child and parent outcomes in this population including reduced parenting stress, child behavior problems, child trauma symptoms, parental mental health concerns, negative parenting strategies, and reducing potential risk of recidivism of abuse and neglect. These findings should be taken with caution given attrition rates and potential for bias in the study samples. DISCUSSION: Clinicians should consider PCIT as a potential treatment for children who have experienced trauma and their families. Future research should incorporate corroborative sources of information, assessment of caregiver and child trauma symptoms, examination of permanency outcomes, and consider standardization of PCIT modifications for child trauma to determine treatment in this population of children.

Problemas comportamentales en la infancia: conceptualización, evaluación e impacto / Behavioral Problems during Childhood: conceptualization, evaluation and impact

Los problemas comportamentales en la infancia suponen todos aquellos comportamientos persistentes en los que se repiten conductas que no respetan las normas o las reglas sociales propias de la edad. La detección temprana de estas dificultades permite controlar en cierto modo la gravedad del asunto ya que, de no trabajarse sobre la sintomatología del niño, las posibilidades de desarrollar un trastorno mental severo son mayores. Así, la identificación y el diagnóstico de los problemas conductuales se ha vuelto una meta de gran significación para la disciplina psicológica. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una revisión de la literatura reciente para sistematizar la información referida a las diferentes conceptualizaciones teóricas que existen sobre los problemas comportamentales desde diversas escuelas psicológicas y las respuestas terapéuticas que ofrecen, identificar los instrumentos de medición validados para su evaluación en Argentina, y describir la importancia de su detección temprana y posibles áreas de incidencia(AU)

Behavioral problems in childhood involve all those persistent actions in which activities that do not respect the norms or social rules of the age are repeated. Early detection of these problems makes it possible to control the severity of the problem to a certain extent. If the child's symptoms are not elaborated, the chances of developing a severe mental disorder are greater. Thus, the identification and diagnosis of behavioral problems has become a goal of great significance for the psychological discipline. The objective of this article was to carry out a review of the recent literature to systematize the information referring to the different theoretical conceptualizations that exist on behavioral problems from various psychological schools and the therapeutic responses they offer. Also,to identify the measurement instruments validated for their evaluation in Argentina and describe the importance of its early detection and possible areas of incidence(AU)

Predictors of Change in Stepping Stones Triple Interventions: The Relationship between Parental Adjustment, Parenting Behaviors and Child Outcomes.

The current study explored the process of change in Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) using a community-based sample of 891 families of children with developmental disabilities (DD) who participated in an SSTP intervention at a community level. A preliminary analysis of outcome data indicated that SSTP intervention was effective in reducing parental adjustment difficulties, coercive parenting, and children's behavioral and emotional difficulties immediately after the intervention. The effects were maintained at 12-month follow-up. The results also indicated that change in parental adjustment over the course of intervention was significantly associated with a change in parenting behaviors. However, change in parenting behaviors but not change in parental adjustment, predicted children's behavioral and emotional problems following the intervention. The results suggest that positive parenting skills are the most salient ingredient driving the change in child behaviors in SSTP interventions.