Callous-unemotional traits and developmental pathways to severe conduct problems.

One method for defining pathways through which children develop severe conduct problems is based on the presence or absence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. This study investigated potential differences between nonreferred children (mean age = 12.36 years; SD = 1.73) with and without CU traits (n=98). Children with conduct problems, irrespective of the presence of CU traits, tended to have significant problems in emotional and behavioral regulation. In contrast, CU traits, irrespective of the presence of conduct problems, were associated with a lack of behavioral inhibition. Hostile attributional biases were associated with conduct problems but only in boys and in the absence of CU traits. These findings suggest that the processes underlying deficits in emotional and behavioral regulation in children with conduct problems may be different for children with CU traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Control-related beliefs and depressive symptoms in clinic-referred children and adolscents: Developmental differences and model specificity.

The contingency–competence–control (CCC) model links contingency and competence beliefs to perceived control and, in turn, to depression. However, a developmental perspective suggests that noncontingency may be too abstract a concept to be directly tied to depression before adolescence. We tested the CCC model and this developmental notion, using structural equation modeling, with 360 clinic-referred 8- to 17-year-olds. The CCC model fit the data well for the full sample accounting for 46% of the variance in depression. Separate analyses by age group placed perceived contingency in the best-fit model for adolescents (ages 12–17 years) but not for children (8–11 years). This suggests that abstract cause–effect concepts may have more direct affective impact after the cognitive changes of adolescence (e.g., formal operations) than before. Finally, the CCC model accounted for much more variance in depression than conduct problems, suggesting diagnostic specificity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Minimal effects of severe depression on cognitive functioning.

Severe and psychotic depression which grossly disables the patient socially, could be expected to impair his cognitive-perceptual functioning significantly, and is generally considered to do so. To test this hypothesis, 55 depressives and 65 normals were matched for age, sex, education, vocabulary score, and nativity, and were tested on 33 cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor tests, yielding 82 test scores. The depressives performed more poorly (at the .01 level) on only 4% of the test scores which contrasted dramatically with their rating themselves significantly more negatively on 82% of 77 Clyde Mood Scale items. It is concluded that the actual ability and performance during severe depression is not consistent with the patient's unrealistically low image of himself. His experience of ego helplessness is more subjective than objective, more imaginary than real. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heterogeneity among peer-rejected boys across middle childhood: Developmental pathways of social behavior.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to identify subgroups of rejected boys with different developmental pathways of aggression and prosocial behavior across the elementary school years. Peer, teacher, and parent reports and behavior observations yielded composite scores for aggression and prosocial behavior at 3 measurement waves. A cluster analysis with these composites on 87 initially rejected boys identified 4 subgroups with different developmental pathways of prosocial behavior and aggression that were associated with different patterns of sociometric acceptance and rejection over time and with social emotional adjustment in the last measurement wave. Changes in acceptance and rejection tend to precede changes in aggression and prosocial behavior. Cluster differences on social emotional adjustment indicators converged into 1 moderately discriminating factor, Social Maladaptation in Peer-Oriented Behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The developmental trajectories of attention focusing, attentional and behavioral persistence, and externalizing problems during school-age years.

The developmental trajectories of attention focusing (by parents' and teachers' reports) and attentional and behavioral persistence (observed during a laboratory task)--2 indexes of effortful control--and externalizing problems from ages 5 to 10 years were examined for 356 children combined from a pair of 3-wave (2 years apart) longitudinal studies. The authors identified clusters of children with distinct trajectories for these variables and examined the links between the effortful control trajectories and the externalizing problem trajectories. Although attention focusing remained relatively stable, attentional and behavioral persistence continued to show mean-level changes (especially among the children with lower levels of persistence). Children with high and stable trajectories of effortful control tended to exhibit low and stable trajectories of externalizing problems, whereas those with lower and/or less stable trajectories of effortful control showed more elevated and/or fluctuating trajectories of externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal effects of adaptability on behavior problems and maternal depression in families of adolescents with autism.

Research on families of individuals with autism has tended to focus on child-driven effects utilizing models of stress and coping. The current study used a family systems perspective to examine whether family level adaptability promoted beneficial outcomes for mothers and their adolescents with autism over time. Participants were 149 families of children diagnosed with autism who were between the ages of 10 and 22 years during the 3-year period examined. Mothers reported on family adaptability, the mother–child relationship, their own depressive symptoms, and the behavior problems of their children at Wave 1, and these factors were used to predict maternal depression and child behavior problems 3 years later. Family level adaptability predicted change in both maternal depression and child behavior problems over the study period, above and beyond the contribution of the dyadic mother–child relationship. These associations did not appear to depend upon the intellectual disability status of the individual with autism. Implications for autism, parent mental health, family systems theory, and intervention with this population are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal depression and early positive parenting predict future conduct problems in young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for adverse outcomes such as substance abuse and criminality, particularly if they develop conduct problems. Little is known about early predictors of the developmental course of conduct problems among children with ADHD, however. Parental psychopathology and parenting were assessed in 108 children who first met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for ADHD at 4-7 years old. When demographic variables and baseline ADHD and conduct problems were controlled, maternal depression predicted conduct problems 2-8 years following the initial assessment, whereas positive parenting during the structured parent- child interaction task predicted fewer future conduct problems. These findings suggest that maternal depression is a risk factor, whereas early positive parenting is a protective factor, for the developmental course of conduct problems among children with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental trajectories of disruptive behavior problems among sons of alcoholics: Effects of parent psychopathology, family conflict, and child undercontrol.

This study examined trajectories of disruptive behavior problems from preschool to early adolescence in 302 boys from a community-recruited sample of high-risk families. Growth modeling showed that paternal alcoholism was associated with elevated levels of sons' disruptive behavior problems. Family conflict predicted more disruptive behaviors at school entry and a slower rate of decline in such problems. Parent antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) exacerbated the effects of high preschool levels of sons' undercontrol on level of disruptive behaviors at school entry; this effect became progressively stronger across time. Low levels of undercontrol protected sons of ASPD parents from experiencing heightened levels of disruptive behaviors both at school entry and increasingly as sons grew older. Implications for subsequent maladjustment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analytic examination of comorbid hyperactive-impulsive-attention problems and conduct problems.

The author quantitatively reviewed prevalence rates, defining features, associated features, developmental trajectory, and etiology to examine 3 taxonomic questions about comorbid hyperactive-impulsive-attention problems (HIA) and conduct problems (CP): Do HIA and CP co-occur randomly? Does comorbid HLA-CP differ from HIA-only and CP-only? Do HIA and CP combine synergistically? Results showed that HIA and CP co-occur at a greater than random rate, that comorbid HIA-CP differs from HIA-only and CP-only in multiple ways, and that there is little evidence that HIA and CP combine synergistically. However, sample type, grouping definition, age, gender, and subtype of disruptive behavior often moderated these findings. Overall, the review suggests that HIA-CP is best conceptualized as an additive combination of HIA and CP rather than as a distinct category. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic self-concept and academic achievement: Developmental perspectives on their causal ordering.

This study tests theoretical and developmental models of the causal ordering between academic self-concept and academic achievement in a multicohort-multioccasion design (i.e., 3 age cohorts, each with 3 measurement waves). Participants were students in Grades 2, 3, and 4 from 10 elementary schools. The structural equation model for the total sample supported a reciprocal-effects model, indicating that achievement has an effect on self-concept (skill-development model) and that academic self-concept has an effect on achievement (self-enhancement model). This pattern was replicated in tests of invariance across the 3 age cohorts and did not support the developmental hypothesis that skill-development and self-enhancement models would vary with age. Discussion centers on the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reducing conduct problems among children exposed to intimate partner violence: A randomized clinical trial examining effects of Project Support.

This study was a randomized clinical trial of Project Support, an intervention designed to reduce conduct problems among children exposed to intimate partner violence. Participants were 66 families (mothers and children) with at least 1 child exhibiting clinical levels of conduct problems. Families were recruited from domestic violence shelters. The Project Support intervention involves (a) teaching mothers child management skills and (b) providing instrumental and emotional support to mothers. Families were randomly assigned to the Project Support intervention condition or to an existing services comparison condition. They were assessed on 6 occasions over 20 months, following their departure from the shelter. Children in families in the Project Support condition, compared with those in the comparison condition, exhibited greater reductions in conduct problems. Mothers in the Project Support condition, compared with those in the comparison condition, displayed greater reductions in inconsistent and harsh parenting behaviors and psychiatric symptoms. Changes in mothers’ parenting and psychiatric symptoms accounted for a sizable proportion of Project Support’s effects on child conduct problems at the end of treatment. Clinical and policy implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nicotine dependence, depression, and the moderating role of goal cognitions.

The authors examined the moderating role of goal cognitions in the process of nicotine dependence in young adult smokers. A college sample of 85 male and 78 female smokers completed measures of nicotine dependence and psychological distress. They also provided cognitive evaluations for goals related to smoking cessation on scales measuring self-efficacy, value, planning, self-reward, self-criticism, self-monitoring, social comparison, and positive and negative goal-based arousal. As has been previously established, depression had a direct and significant effect on nicotine dependence. Moreover, significant interactions between goal cognitions and depression provided evidence for the hypothesized moderating effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section: Parental depression and distress: Implications for development in infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Five years ago, a special section on "Developmental Psychopathology in Children of Depressed Mothers" was published in this journal (see Vol. 26, pp. 3-67). The present special section deals also with this topic and includes seven empirical articles. It is the product of several successful journal submissions that occurred in relatively close succession. The articles were not specifically targeted beforehand to be broadly representative of research in this domain. Work from some other excellent research programs is not included. Thus, although the content of this special section cannot be viewed as a comprehensive cross-section of current research directions, it does provide an occasion for readers to begin to assess continuities and changes in this research domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Randomized trial of a family-centered approach to the prevention of early conduct problems: 2-year effects of the family check-up in early childhood.

Despite recent research indicating that 1 of the pivotal times for identifying pathways to early conduct problems is the toddler period, few family-based preventive interventions have been specifically designed to modify child disruptive behavior during this age period. This randomized trial tested the effectiveness of the Family Check-Up in sustaining maternal involvement and preventing the exacerbation of child conduct problems among 120 at-risk toddler-age boys, half of whom were randomly assigned to a treatment condition. The intervention was associated with reductions in disruptive behavior and greater maternal involvement and was particularly effective for children at greater risk for a persistent trajectory of conduct problems. The results are discussed in relation to other preventive interventions for young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to cognitive therapy in depression: The role of maladaptive beliefs and personality disorders.

This study examined whether personality disorder status and beliefs that characterize personality disorders affect response to cognitive therapy. In a naturalistic study, 162 depressed outpatients with and without a personality disorder were followed over the course of cognitive therapy. As would be hypothesized by cognitive theory (A. T. Beck & A. Freeman, 1990), it was not personality disorder status but rather maladaptive avoidant and paranoid beliefs that predicted variance in outcome. However, pre- to posttherapy comparisons suggested that although patients with or without comorbidity respond comparably to "real-world" cognitive therapy, they report more severe depressive symptomatology at intake and more residual symptoms at termination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pentecostal perspectives on causes and cures of depression.

Religious beliefs about mental illness represent one potential influence on the choice to utilize or avoid professional help. For example, believing that devout spirituality assures mental health and/or that mental illness indicates spiritual failure may discourage religious individuals from seeking help. Such beliefs have traditionally been attributed to Pentecostals, but no research has assessed this assumption. This study examined Pentecostal perspectives on depression's causes and treatments. Contrary to the Pentecostal theological literature, participants endorsed a variety of causal factors. Regarding cures, however, faith was endorsed as the most effective option. Implications are provided and recommendations are offered to practitioners working with Pentecostals, including consultation and collaboration with clergy and religiously sensitive psychoeducational programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interparental conflict, children's social cognitions, and child aggression: A test of a mediational model.

Although correlations between interparental conflict and child maladjustment are well-established, the processes connecting these 2 phenomena are less understood. The present study tested whether an aggressogenic cognitive style mediates the relationship between interparental conflict and child aggression. A multiethnic sample of 115 families with a child between the ages of 7 and 13 years participated. Questionnaires were used to assess parents' and children's perceptions of interparental conflict, children's social problem-solving strategies and beliefs about aggression, and parent and teacher reports of child aggression. Support was found for the mediating effect of aggressogenic cognitions on children's school aggression but not on children's aggression at home. Implications for understanding the associations among interparental conflict, children's social cognitions, and child aggression in different environmental contexts are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of child adrenocortical functioning in pathways between interparental conflict and child maladjustment.

This study examined the interplay between interparental conflict and child cortisol reactivity to interparental conflict in predicting child maladjustment in a sample of 178 families and their kindergarten children. Consistent with the allostatic load hypothesis (McEwen & Stellar, 1993), results indicated that interparental conflict was indirectly related to child maladjustment through its association with individual differences in child cortisol reactivity. Analyses indicated that the multimethod assessment of interparental conflict was associated with lower levels of child cortisol reactivity to a simulated phone conflict between parents. Diminished cortisol reactivity, in turn, predicted increases in parental reports of child externalizing symptoms over a 2-year period. Associations between interparental conflict, child cortisol reactivity, and child externalizing symptoms remained robust even after demographic factors and other family processes were taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

College drinking behaviors: Mediational links between parenting styles, parental bonds, depression, and alcohol problems.

Mediational links between parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive), parental bond (positive, negative), depression, alcohol use and abuse were tested. A 2-group, multiple-indicator, multiple-cause structural equation model with 441 (216 female, 225 male) college students was examined. In general, a poor parental bond with one's father was highly predictive of depression, a well-known predictor of alcohol abuse and related problems for both genders. In contrast, a positive parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the positive effects of authoritative fathering on depression, which then decreased alcohol use problems for both genders. For women, a negative parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the effect of having an authoritarian father on depression, which increased alcohol use problems. These findings suggest that parental influences on pathways to alcohol abuse through depression (primarily through fathers for both genders) are distinct from pathways stemming from poor impulse control (with influences primarily from the same-sex parents for both genders). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment at Early School Age and Developmental Risk: Examining Family Contexts and Behavior Problems of Controlling-Caregiving, Controlling-Punitive, and Behaviorally Disorganized Children.

Preschool to school-age trajectories of 242 children, including 37 with insecure-disorganized and 66 with insecure-organized attachment patterns, were examined. Child attachment and stressful life events (the latter retrospectively) were measured at ages 5-7, and mother-child interactive quality, parenting stress, marital satisfaction, and teacher-reported behavior problems were evaluated concurrently and 2 years earlier. Results indicated that all three disorganized subgroups had poorer mother-child interactive patterns and more difficult family climates than secure or insecure-organized children. The controlling-punitive group showed significant increases in maternal reports of child-related stress between preschool and school age. The controlling-caregiving group showed greater likelihood of loss of a close family member, and mothers of the insecure-other group reported lower marital satisfaction and greater likelihood of their own or a spouse's hospitalization. Controlling-punitive children had higher externalizing scores, and controlling-caregiving children higher internalizing scores, than secure children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)