Associations between diurnal preference, sleep quality and externalizing behaviours: a behavioural genetic analysis

Background - Certain aspects of sleep co-occur with externalizing behaviours in youth, yet little is known about these associations in adults. The present study: (1) examines the associations between diurnal preference (morningness versus eveningness), sleep quality and externalizing behaviours; (2) explores the extent to which genetic and environmental influences are shared between or are unique to these phenotypes; (3) examines the extent to which genetic and environmental influences account for these associations. Method - Questionnaires assessing diurnal preference, sleep quality and externalizing behaviours were completed by 1556 young adult twins and siblings. Results - A preference for eveningness and poor sleep quality were associated with greater externalizing symptoms [r=0.28 (95% CI 0.23–0.33) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.28–0.39), respectively]. A total of 18% of the genetic influences on externalizing behaviours were shared with diurnal preference and sleep quality and an additional 14% were shared with sleep quality alone. Non-shared environmental influences common to the phenotypes were small (2%). The association between diurnal preference and externalizing behaviours was mostly explained by genetic influences [additive genetic influence (A)=80% (95% CI 0.56–1.01)], as was the association between sleep quality and externalizing behaviours [A=81% (95% CI 0.62–0.99)]. Non-shared environmental (E) influences accounted for the remaining variance for both associations [E=20% (95% CI −0.01 to 0.44) and 19% (95% CI 0.01–0.38), respectively]. Conclusions - A preference for eveningness and poor sleep quality are moderately associated with externalizing behaviours in young adults. There is a moderate amount of shared genetic influences between the phenotypes and genetic influences account for a large proportion of the association between sleep and externalizing behaviours. Further research could focus on identifying specific genetic polymorphisms common to both sleep and externalizing behaviours

The association between interparental conflict and externalizing behaviour problems in adolescence: A systematic review

Dissertação de Mestrado realizada sob a orientação do Professor Doutor Miguel Basto-Pereira, apresentada no Ispa - Instituto Universitário para obtenção do grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica.O impacto do conflito interparental no desenvolvimento infantil tem um longo historial de investigação científica. No entanto, algumas questões sobre a consistência e longevidade desta associação ainda não têm uma resposta clara, particularmente sobre a associação com problemas comportamentais. Esta revisão sistemática de estudos longitudinais prospetivos tem como objetivo principal analisar a associação entre a exposição a conflito interparental na infância em comportamentos externalizantes durante a adolescência. Também visa esclarecer se diferentes formas de conflito têm um impacto diferencial nesta associação. Nesta revisão foram considerados conflitos interparentais ou conjugais, e como outcome, foram considerados comportamentos externalizantes, comportamentos antisociais, delinquência e ofensas criminais. Foram incluídos onze estudos. A nossa síntese de resultados sugere uma relação positiva entre o conflito interparental e comportamentos externalizantes durante a adolescência, contudo, não existem estudos suficientes para permitir conclusões mais aprofundadas acerca do impacto do tipo de conflito e do género da criança nesta associação. Estudos futuros devem ter como objetivo aprofundar estas questões de investigação.ABSTRACT: The impact of interparental conflict on children’s adjustment has long been researched. However, some questions are still left unanswered about the consistency and longevity of this association, specifically on behavioural problems. This systematic review of prospective longitudinal studies has, as a main goal, to analyse the association between the exposure to interparental conflict during childhood on adolescent externalizing behaviours. It also aims to clarify whether different forms of conflict have a different influence on this association. Interparental or marital conflict were considered, and, as outcome, externalizing behaviours, antisocial behaviour, delinquency, and offending were included in the search. The final dataset consisted in a pool of eleven studies. The results showed a positive association between IPC and externalizing behaviours, but there were not enough studies to draw conclusions about the impact of different forms of conflict and children’s gender on the association. Future research should aim to clarify these findings

Children's and adolescents' self-representations in the context of adverse family experiences: emotional, relational and cognitive processes, and implications for psychosocial functioning

In this project, three issues, still little explored, about children’s and adolescents’ selfrepresentations were analysed: 1) their association with experiences of exposure to interparental destructive conflict; 2) their construction in the context of child and adolescent maltreatment; and, 3) their associations with children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning in the context of these adverse family experiences. Two cross-sectional studies were carried out. In the first one, based on the emotional security theory, the mediating role of children’s and adolescents’ emotional insecurity in the interparental relationship and of their perception about their relationship with both parents in associations between interparental conflict and their domain-specific self-representations was analysed. Both mediational pathways were supported. The second study focused on testing the "LookingGlass Self Hypothesis" (LGSH), that is, the mediating role of reflected appraisals in associations between significant others’ actual appraisals and self-representations, in the context of child/adolescent maltreatment, considering the moderating role of parent-child communication in this process. Findings supported the LGSH in all dimensions evaluated. In each study, the mediating role of self-representations in associations between these adverse family experiences and children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning was also analysed. Findings emphasized the specific and differentiated role of several selfrepresentation dimensions as intervening mechanisms in those associations. These studies thus reinforce the importance of relational experiences with significant others, namely parents/caregivers, on children’s and adolescents’ self-representations, and highlight the specific and differentiated role of different self-representation dimensions in their psychosocial functioning, bearing important implications for both research and practice.Neste projeto foram analisados três aspetos, ainda pouco explorados, acerca das autorepresentações de crianças e adolescentes: 1) a sua relação com a exposição ao conflito interparental destrutivo; 2) a sua construção no contexto do mau trato/negligência parental; e, 3) as suas associações com o funcionamento psicossocial das crianças/adolescentes no contexto destas experiências familiares. Para tal, foram realizados dois estudos transversais. No primeiro, com base na teoria da segurança emocional, analisou-se o papel mediador da insegurança emocional das crianças/adolescentes na relação interparental, e da sua percepção acerca da relação com ambos os pais, na relação entre o conflito interparental e as suas autorepresentações. Os resultados suportaram o papel mediador destes dois processos nessa relação. No segundo estudo, testou-se a “Looking-Glass Self Hypothesis” (LGSH), isto é, a relação entre as hetero-representações de outros significativos e as auto-representações através das meta-representações, no contexto do mau trato/negligência, tendo-se em conta o papel moderador da comunicação pais-filhos nesse processo. A LGSH foi suportada em todas as dimensões avaliadas. Em cada estudo foi ainda analisado o papel mediador das autorepresentações na relação entre estas experiências familiares adversas e o funcionamento psicossocial das crianças/adolescentes. Os resultados salientaram o papel específico e diferenciado de várias dimensões de auto-representações como mecanismos intervenientes nessa relação. Estes estudos reforçam assim a importância das experiências relacionais com outros significativos, nomeadamente com os pais/cuidadores, nas auto-representações das crianças e adolescentes, bem como a especificidade do papel de diferentes dimensões das auto-representações no seu funcionamento psicossocial, com importantes implicações para a investigação e intervençã

Maltreatment experiences and psychopathology in children and adolescents: the intervening role of domain-specific self-representations moderated by age

Background: Associations between maltreatment experiences and psychopathology symptoms in children and adolescents are well established. However, the role of domain-specific self-representations (SR) in those associations remains unexplored. Objective: This multi-informant study aimed to explore the indirect associations between maltreatment experiences and children's and adolescents’ psychopathology symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems), through domain-specific self-representations, and the moderating role of age in those indirect associations. Participants and setting: Participants were 203 children/adolescents (52.7 % boys), aged 8–16 years old (M = 12.64; SD = 2.47), referred to child/youth protection commissions, their parents, and case workers. Method: Case workers reported on child/adolescent maltreatment, children/adolescents reported on SR, and parents reported on psychopathology symptoms. Results: Controlling for chronicity of maltreatment and child/adolescent sex effects, multiple mediation path analysis revealed that: 1) higher levels of physical and psychological abuse were associated with less externalizing problems through more negative social SR; 2) higher levels of physical neglect were associated with more externalizing problems through more positive opposition SR; 3) higher levels of psychological neglect were associated with less externalizing problems through more negative physical appearance SR, and 4) associated with more externalizing problems through more negative opposition SR. Moreover, the indirect effects of physical and psychological abuse on internalizing and externalizing problems through instrumental SR were conditional on child/adolescent age. Conclusion: Findings signal the relevance of preventing child/adolescent maltreatment and promoting the construction of positive and, foremost, realistic and adaptive self-representations as protection against maladjustment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Child Health and Family Income: Physical and Psychosocial Health

This paper contributes to the important policy related literature on income and health by providing a detailed investigation of the family income/child health relationship using matched parent–child survey data from the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions (ULF). This study differs from previous work in the field in a number of respects. First, we focus on both physical as well as on the psychosocial health of the child. Second, we focus on the parent’s socioeconomic background as well as on the liquidity constraint problems the household faces. We find little evidence of an income gradient or effect on children’s physical and psychosocial health. However, our study suggests that the occurrence of liquidity constraints in the household increases the likelihood of the child having a lower psychosocial health status.child health; income gradient; liquidity constraint; psychosocial health

The association between dietary patterns and mental health in early adolescence

Objective: To investigate the associations between dietary patterns and mental health in early adolescence. Method: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study is a prospective study of 2900 pregnancies recruited from 1989-1992. At 14 years of age (2003-2006; n = 1324), the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess behaviour (characterising mental health status), with higher scores representing poorer behaviour. Two dietary patterns (Western and Healthy) were identified using factor analysis and food group intakes estimated by a 212-item food frequency questionnaire. Relationships between dietary patterns, food group intakes and behaviour were examined using general linear modelling following adjustment for potential confounding factors at age 14: total energy intake, body mass index, physical activity, screen use, family structure, income and functioning, gender and maternal education at pregnancy. Results: Higher total (b = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.06, 3.35), internalizing (withdrawn/depressed) (b = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.15, 2.35) and externalizing (delinquent/aggressive) (b = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.51, 3.68) CBCL scores were significantly associated with the Western dietary pattern, with increased intakes of takeaway foods, confectionary and red meat. Improved behavioural scores were significantly associated with higher intakes of leafy green vegetables and fresh fruit (components of the Healthy pattern). Conclusion: These findings implicate a Western dietary pattern in poorer behavioural outcomes for adolescents. Better behavioural outcomes were associated with a higher intake of fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables

Efectos longitudinales de las prácticas parentales mediados por los iguales desviados sobre el comportamiento antisocial violento y no violento y el consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia

The current work aimed to analyse the prospective effects of parenting practices on adolescent problematic behaviour taking into account the mediation effects of deviant affiliations in normative Spanish adolescents. For this purpose, a sample of 663 adolescents aged 12 to 15 (M = 12.49, SD = 0.68) and gender-balanced (54.3% male) were recruited from 13 state secondary schools in Galicia (NW Spain). Two structural equation models were tested separately on violent behaviour, nonviolent antisocial behaviour, and substance use: the parenting model analysed parental knowledge and parental support through deviant peers, and the sources model analysed adolescent disclosure, parental control, and parental solicitation through deviant peer affiliations. The results of the parenting model indicated that the effects of parental knowledge on all the types of problematic behaviour were significantly mediated by deviant peer affiliations. In addition, the direct effect of parental knowledge was significant on substance use for males. Regarding the sources model, the results indicated that the effects of adolescent disclosure were significantly mediated by deviant peer affiliations on all the types of problematic behaviour only for females. No significant effects of parental support, parental control, and parental solicitation were found. Methodological and practical implications of these findings are discussed.El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar los posibles efectos de las prácticas parentales sobre el comportamiento problemático en adolescentes españoles normativos, teniendo en cuenta los efectos de mediación de la afiliación con iguales desviados. Para ello, se utilizó una muestra de 663 adolescentes de 12 a 15 años (M = 12.49, DT = 0.68) equilibrada por género (54.3% varones) de 13 centros públicos de secundaria de Galicia (NO de España). Se analizaron dos modelos de ecuaciones estructurales por separado para conducta violenta, comportamiento antisocial no violento y consumo de sustancias: el modelo de crianza que analiza el conocimiento parental y el apoyo parental a través de los iguales desviados y el modelo de fuentes que analiza la autorrevelación adolescente, control parental y solicitud parental a través de la afiliación con iguales desviados. Los resultados del modelo de crianza indicaron que los efectos del conocimiento parental sobre todos los tipos de comportamiento problemático estuvieron significativamente mediados por la afiliación con iguales desviados. Además, el efecto directo del conocimiento parental fue significativo sobre el consumo de sustancias para los varones. Con respecto al modelo de fuentes, los resultados indicaron que solo para las mujeres los efectos de la autorrevelación adolescente estuvieron significativamente mediados por la afiliación con iguales desviados sobre todos los tipos de comportamiento problemático. No se encontraron efectos significativos del apoyo, el control y la solicitud parentales. Se discuten las implicaciones metodológicas y prácticas de estos hallazgosThis study was supported by the Programa de Axudas á etapa predoutoral da Xunta de Galicia (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria)S

The Role of Early Environmental Factors in Predicting Adolescent Psychopathology: A Secondary Data Analysis of NICHD SECCYD Data using Machine Learning

Background: Emotional and behavioural problems in adolescence often persist into adulthood. The early identification of those at risk of developing these problems is crucial for successful prevention efforts. A myriad of child, parent and contextual characteristics have been examined in relation to these outcomes, mostly using traditional statistical techniques. Aims: The aim of the current study is to extend previous research by using a less conventional analytic approach called Machine Learning for the prediction of two response (outcome) variables, namely externalizing and internalizing problems at 15 years of age. The examined features (predictors) encompassed variables representing characteristics of the child and his/her early infancy/childhood caregiving/interpersonal environment as well as various contextual risk factors. Methods: A secondary analysis of the data (N = 1364) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD) was conducted. A set of supervised Machine Learning algorithms were used to train several predictive models and select the one with the best performance. The 5-fold cross-validation scheme was used to train and then test the model’s performance making sure that different partitions of the data are used for the training and testing phases. Embedded feature selection using Automatic Relevance Determination (ARD) was implemented to identify the features which are most relevant to the prediction of the response variables. Results: Gaussian Process Regression (exponential GPR) models had the best performance with the lowest RMSE and highest R-Squared values with respect to the prediction of both response variables. Eighteen and 11% of the variance in externalizing and internalizing problems were explained by the obtained models, respectively. The most influential features for the prediction of externalizing problems were 36-month attachment (ambivalent and insecure-controlling/insecure-other or disorganized classifications) and gender. The most influential features for the prediction of internalizing problems were 36-month attachment (ambivalent and avoidance-insecure classifications), non-family childcare hours, and ethnicity. Conclusions: The current findings are to some extent consistent with previous research. The low amount of variance explained in externalizing and internalizing problems indicate that there are other important predictors that were not included in the models. Moreover, further research is needed to test the models obtained on previously unseen data to be able to determine their clinical utility

Does surgency moderate the relationship betweenparenting and children's aggression in middlechildhood?

Parenting and child temperament have both been linked to aggression among children. This study explores the moderating effects of children's surgency and sex and paternal/maternal parenting practices on aggressive behaviour in middle childhood. We analyse whether the moderating effects observed fit a Diathesis-Stress, Differential Susceptibility or Vantage Sensitivity model. Participants were 203 school children aged 7–8 years (M = 92.42 months, SD = 3.52) from southern Spain. Maternal inconsistency and coercion and paternal hostility and indulgence, had a direct effect on children's aggressive behaviour. The effects of maternal hostility and anticipatory problem solving on children's aggression were moderated by surgency (Diathesis-Stress), as was the effect of paternal coercion on aggression (Vantage Sensitivity). Children's sex was not found to moderate any effect. It therefore seems that not all children are equally sensitive to the influence of parenting on their aggression levels, and that this influence depends on their temperament

Adverse childhood experiences: Pathways to internalising and externalising problems in young adulthood

Although adverse childhood experiences have been closely linked to a variety of adjustment difficulties in adulthood, less is known about which specific adverse experience or combinations of experiences are differentially predictive of internalising and externalising problems. This would undoubtedly enhance early adverse childhood experiences prevention and intervention programmes. Therefore, this research aims to explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences (abuse and neglect) on deviant behaviour, as well as depressive, anxious and stress symptoms in a community sample of Spanish young adults aged 18–20 years old (N = 270). All participants were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling methods as part of the International Study SOCIALDEVIANCE1820. All answered self-report questionnaires about sociodemographic issues, adverse childhood experiences as well as current deviant behaviour and current internalising symptoms. Regression and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis showed that experiencing either physical abuse or a combination of emotional abuse and emotional neglect may lead to externalising problems in men. Internalising problems, however, were linked to the cumulative effect of multiple adverse experiences and were more frequent in women. These pathways to both externalising and internalising problems suggest a differential impact of adverse experiences.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume