COVID-19 unmasked global collaboration protocol:Longitudinal cohort study examining mental health of young children and caregivers during the pandemic

Background: Early empirical data shows that school-aged children, adolescents and adults are experiencing elevated levels of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there is very little research on mental health outcomes for young children. Objectives: To describe the formation of a global collaboration entitled, 'COVID-19 Unmasked'. The collaborating researchers aim to (1) describe and compare the COVID-19 related experiences within and across countries; (2) examine mental health outcomes for young children (1 to 5 years) and caregivers over a 12-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) explore the trajectories/time course of psychological outcomes of the children and parents over this period and (4) identify the risk and protective factors for different mental health trajectories. Data will be combined from all participating countries into one large open access cross-cultural dataset to facilitate further international collaborations and joint publications. Methods: COVID-19 Unmasked is an online prospective longitudinal cohort study. An international steering committee was formed with the aim of starting a global collaboration. Currently, partnerships have been formed with 9 countries (Australia, Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the United States of America). Research partners have started to start data collection with caregivers of young children aged 1-5 years old at baseline, 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months. Caregivers are invited to complete an online survey about COVID-19 related exposure and experiences, child's wellbeing, their own mental health, and parenting. Data analysis: Primary study outcomes will be child mental health as assessed by scales from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - Early Childhood (PROMIS-EC) and caregiver mental health as assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The trajectories/time course of mental health difficulties and the impact of risk and protective factors will be analysed using hierarchical linear models, accounting for nested effects (e.g. country) and repeated measures

Verbal, Facial and Autonomic Responses to Empathy-Eliciting Film Clips by Disruptive Male Adolescents with High Versus Low Callous-Unemotional Traits

This study examined empathy-related responding in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), high or low on callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Facial electromyographic (EMG) and heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during exposure to empathy-inducing film clips portraying sadness, anger or happiness. Self-reports were assessed afterward. In agreement with expectations, DBD adolescents with high CU traits showed significantly lower levels of empathic sadness than healthy controls across all response systems. Between DBD subgroups significant differences emerged at the level of autonomic (not verbal or facial) reactions to sadness, with high CU respondents showing less HR change from baseline than low CU respondents. The study also examined basal patterns of autonomic function. Resting HR was not different between groups, but resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was significantly lower in DBD adolescents with high CU traits compared to controls. Results support the notion that CU traits designate a distinct subgroup of DBD individuals

Can children's heart rate be used as a marker of differential responsiveness to others' varying emotional states?

This meeting discussed: can children's heart rate be used as a marker of differential responsiveness to others' varying emotional states? It was presented at the XXIX International congress of psychology

Disinhibited behaviors in young children: Relations with impulsivity and autonomic psychophysiology

Cardiac activity has long been considered as a psychophysiological marker of adaptive psychological adjustment. Irregularities in autonomic nervous system activity have long been implicated in both externalizing and disinhibitory behaviors. The present study used a battery of assessments in children ages 4.5–5.5 years to examine the relation among disinhibitory measures. Additionally, cardiovascular activity and reactivity was examined. Mothers rated impulsivity and internalizing/externalizing behaviors. Reward-dominance and passive-avoidance response inhibition (i.e., via errors of commission) tasks were included. Results showed that behaviorally uninhibited children began with an attenuated sympathetic response (i.e., lengthened pre-ejection period) to an interview with a novel experimenter, while inhibited children began with a high level of sympathetic activity. Further, behavioral impulsivity was related to low sympathetic activity at rest. Consistent with theories of disinhibition, externalizing behaviors and measures of behavioral impulsivity were related to a reward-dominant response style. Findings are discussed with regard to motivational theories of behavior

Physiologically-indexed and self-perceived affective empathy in conduct-disordered children high and low on callous-unemotional traits

Heart rate (HR) was employed to compare vicarious affective arousal across three groups of children (aged 7.6 - 11, N = 95): Conduct Disordered (CD) elevated on Callous-Unemotional traits (CD/CU), CD low on CU traits (CD-only), and 'typically-developing' controls, matched in age, gender and socioeconomic background. While watching an emotion evocative film, participants-HR was monitored. Immediately after viewing, self-reported vicarious responses were obtained. Participants also completed the Bryant Empathy Index. CD/CU children displayed lower magnitude of HR change than both CD-only and controls. Both CD groups reported fewer vicarious responses and scored lower than controls on the empathy index. These results support distinct deficits across CD subsets, suggestive of distinct mechanisms underlying their antisocial conduct

Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in Cypriot children and adolescents

The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) is a 41-item self-report questionnaire that measures symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety disorders (panic/somatic, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social phobia) and school phobia in children and adolescents. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Greek translation of SCARED in a large community sample of children and adolescents (N = 1,072), aged 12 to 17 years, in the nonoccupied territory of Cyprus. A subsample of these participants (N = 108) was retested an average of 8 weeks after the initial assessment. The SCARED demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .92) and test-retest reliability (r = .84, over 8 weeks). The SCARED total scores correlated significantly with the internalizing factor of the Youth Self-Report, the Columbia Impairment Scale, and with the emotional subscale of the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the same five-factor structure as the original SCARED. The SCARED proved to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety symptoms in the Cypriot context

Innovative Strategies and Challenges for the Prevention of Pathological Anxiety in Children and Adolescents

The effects of pathological anxiety on public health have led to the realization that anxious children might experience significant limitations in their lives. Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral (CB) interventions are now being implemented in schools at a group level to combat anxiety.Childhood emotional health should be considered a national and global priority for an effective strategy promoting the prevention of mental health. The aim of this study is the description of novel data on the effectiveness of preventive interventions for anxious children, as well as the study of selective parameters that appear to affect treatment outcome.Furthermore, a brief review is cited regarding two empirically supported interventions, which include the Friends and Pyramid Club program and the Super Skills for Life program. Schools are considered suitable places for all types of prevention programs; they provide a familiar environment to a child, and by providing access to the prevention programs to many children, school programs could be the ideal way for anxious young individuals to practice and generalize their skills. Schools also offer an ideal space for collaboration between teachers and mental health professionals. Most programs have been effective in reducing anxiety, especially those based on the principles of CB, where the effects appear to be independent of the professional status of the leader (trained teacher or mental health professional). Friends and Pyramid Club interventions are well-established, multifaceted, and cost-effective programs, which include combinations of techniques (mostly behavioral activation, cognitive preparation, teaching social skills, and relaxation techniques). Super Skills for Life is a promising program, which also uses video feedback as a part of treatment. Prevention programs have been established as a vital part of the treatment options for specialists. Research related to childhood anxiety is increasing, while the perspectives for finding novel data seem promising for the upcoming years.In this context, several studies reveal the need for early, selective, intensive, persistent, multifaceted, and participatory interventions. © 2021 by the author

Types of Relational Aggression in Girls Are Differentiated by Callous-Unemotional Traits, Peers and Parental Overcontrol

Adolescent girls often perpetrate aggression by gossiping and spreading rumours about others, by attempting to ruin relationships and by manipulating and excluding others. Further, males and females engage in reactive and proactive relational aggression differently. In this study, we examined the individual, peer and parental contextual factors that best explained the use of reactive and proactive relational aggression in girls. Female participants (n = 614; ages 11–18 years) completed questionnaires on aggression, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, delinquency, peer delinquency, gender composition of their peer group, resistance to peer influence and perceived parental overcontrol. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effects of individual, peer- and parent-related variables on the likelihood of being classified as a low aggressor, reactive aggressor or proactive/reactive aggressor. Girls in the combined reactive/proactive aggression group were younger, had greater CU traits, a lower proportion of male peers and greater perception of parental control than both the reactive and low aggressive groups. Both highly aggressive groups were more delinquent and had greater peer delinquency than the low aggressive group. This study suggests those girls who show relational aggression for the purpose of gaining status and revenge feel restrained by their parents and may gravitate toward relationships that support their behaviour