Peer Relationship Trajectories in Very Preterm and Term Individuals from Childhood to Early Adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: To identify trajectories of peer relationships in very preterm and term-born individuals from 6 to 26 years of age and test early-life predictors of these trajectories. METHOD: As part of the Bavarian Longitudinal Study, 218 very preterm/very low birth weight (VP/VLBW; <32 weeks' gestation/<1500 grams) and 220 healthy term-born (37-42 weeks' gestation) individuals were followed prospectively from birth to adulthood. Parent and self-reports at 6, 8, 13, and 26 years were combined into comprehensive developmentally appropriate scores across 3 domains: peer acceptance, friendships, and peer problems. Latent profile analyses were used to identify trajectories across these 3 domains. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were used to test the following potential predictors of trajectories: VP/VLBW status, sex, socioeconomic status, neonatal medical risk, parent-infant relationship at 5 months, child inhibitory control at 20 months, and child cognitive abilities at 20 months. RESULTS: Three trajectories were identified for peer acceptance and friendships, and 2 trajectories were identified for peer problems. Higher cognitive abilities predicted more optimal trajectories in peer acceptance (odds ratio: 1.03 [95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.05]), friendships (1.03 [1.00-1.05]), and peer problems (1.06 [1.04-1.09]). In addition, good parent-infant relationships predicted lower peer problem trajectories (1.61 [1.03-2.50]). CONCLUSION: Early cognitive deficits may underlie persistent peer relationship difficulties in VP/VLBW samples. Positive parent-infant relationships may help reduce preterm children's risk for long-term peer problems.

Prenatal Opioid Exposure and ADHD Childhood Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis.

To systematically investigate the association between prenatal opioid exposure (POE) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children 2-18 years old, studies were searched using PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from January of 1950 to October of 2019. Inclusion criteria were observational studies reporting ADHD symptoms of children with POE compared with non-exposed children or normative data. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42018115967. Two independent reviewers extracted data on hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention symptoms, ADHD combined subscale symptoms, and sample characteristics. Of 223 articles screened, seven met the inclusion criteria. Data represent 319 children with POE and 1308 non-exposed children from 4.3 to 11.2 mean years from five countries. POE was positively associated with childhood hyperactivity/impulsivity (d = 1.40; 95% CI, 0.49-2.31; p = 0.003), inattention (d = 1.35; 95% CI, 0.69-2.01; p < 0.0001), and combined ADHD symptoms scores (d = 1.27; 95% CI = 0.79-1.75; p < 0.0001). POE was positively associated with ADHD combined symptom scores at preschool (d = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.57, 1.09; p < 0.0001) and school age (d = 1.45, 95% CI, 0.85 to 2.04; p < 0.0001). Results suggest increased risk of ADHD symptoms during school age. Future research is needed to clarify the relationship between biological, social, and environmental risk and ADHD symptoms for children who experienced POE.

Consensus and relationship distress before and after a brief couples' intervention.

Understanding how partners' perceptions of their relationships predict couple distress and treatment outcomes can inform relationship interventions, because consensus on pretreatment relationship concerns has previously been related to better treatment outcomes. However, whether consensus specifically about relationship concerns is beneficial, or whether consensus more generally (e.g., about couples' strengths) is also related to distress and treatment outcomes, is unknown. Therefore, to replicate and extend previous findings, the present study examined how 740 couples' consensus regarding their relationship strengths and concerns was associated with their relationship distress and satisfaction from pre- to postintervention after completing the Relationship Checkup (an adaptation of the Marriage Checkup). Couples who presented with greater initial consensus on relationship concerns were less likely to be clinically distressed pre- and postintervention. Broadly, there were similar significant gains in relationship satisfaction from pre- to postintervention regardless of couples' initial level of consensus on concerns. However, when distress was modeled categorically, couples with lower initial consensus on concerns showed greater improvement in distress levels than did those with higher consensus. There were no associations between partners' consensus on strengths and their distress or satisfaction pre- or postintervention. Results indicate that a brief integrative relationship intervention can decrease relationship distress, even for couples that present with very different opinions about their relationship concerns. Implications of brief and acceptance-based models in couple education and therapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).