Psychopathology in Young Children With Developmental Disabilities

Children and adults with developmental disorders have significantly higher rates of psychopathology than those without developmental disabilities In this report young children presenting to a developmental assessment center were evaluated for psychopathology High rates of psychiatric disorder were found There was a clustering of the more severe psychiatric conditions of childhood in the more cognitively delayed children Recommendations for mental health intervention were made for 70% of children seen at the center.     

Measuring Giftedness in Young Children: A Comparative Study in Malaysia

Almost all measures used to identify intellectually gifted children are developed in the USA and the UK, therefore, there is a need for them to be translated into other non-English languages, such as Malay. Thus, the stability and to some extent the validity of the Malay version of these measures are presented in this paper. Since the criterion of intellectual giftedness is a high IQ an individual intelligence test was administered. This limited the number and the representativeness of the sample. However, having found that the conventional procedure was not effective, multiple regression and discriminant function analyses were conducted to ascertain the predictors of giftednesss.     

Psychopathology in Young People Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review

Understanding mental health issues faced by young homeless persons is instrumental to the development of successful targeted interventions. No systematic review of recent published literature on psychopathology in this group has been completed.We conducted a systematic review of published research examining the prevalence of psychiatric problems among young homeless people. We examined the temporal relationship between homelessness and psychopathology. We collated 46 articles according to the PRISMA Statement.All studies that used a full psychiatric assessment consistently reported a prevalence of any psychiatric disorder from 48% to 98%. Although there was a lack of longitudinal studies of the temporal relationship between psychiatric disorders and homelessness, findings suggested a reciprocal link. Supporting young people at risk for homelessness could reduce homelessness incidence and improve mental health.PREVIOUS ESTIMATES INDICATE that 1% of Americans have experienced homelessness in any single year and as many as 1.35 million of those people are young people or children.1 Exploring mental health difficulties that are found to be highly prevalent among young people with experiences of homelessness is central to understanding the relationship between psychopathology and youth homelessness. Youth homelessness and the characteristics associated with these phenomena have not been well documented. This is partly because of the transient or sometimes hidden nature of homelessness alongside the often chaotic lifestyles of young people living in temporary accommodation or on the streets. Understanding the role of psychopathology in this area may lead to the development of interventions that could reduce the incidence of debilitating psychiatric disorders. It is important that interventions tailored to the needs of young people could also have an impact on the occurrence of homelessness and improve housing outcomes for those who do become homeless.The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among homeless persons has been shown to be high.2,3 However, research has not always distinguished between psychopathology among young people experiencing homelessness and that of older people. This is important because the causes of homelessness and the type and duration of support required by young people in this situation differ from that among adults. For example, family relationship breakdown, a reliance on insecure forms of accommodation, leaving care, and living with a step-parent have each been shown to be related to youth homelessness.4 By contrast, some of the strongest risk factors for adult homelessness are eviction, loss of employment, and breakdown of relationship with a partner.5 We performed a review to address the gap in the literature and distinguish the psychopathology found among young people with experiences of homelessness. This will aid the development of services for young people, enabling more focused targeting of resources to combat issues particular to young homeless people.The concept of “youth” has been defined by the United Nations as a person aged between 15 and 24 years.6 “Youth” is a period often temporally linked to the age at which a person ceases to be the responsibility of his or her legal guardians, becoming more psychologically and economically autonomous. For some, this period is accompanied by experiences of homelessness.7,8 Periods of homelessness at a young age have been linked to homelessness later in life.9 Mental health difficulties may be central to explaining this link. Mental health can have an impact on the problem-solving skills necessary for coping when homeless, with implications for the ability to move out of homelessness successfully.10Only a very limited number of systematic reviews examining psychopathology among young homeless people have been completed. These have focused on research from 1 country,11 did not specifically focus on mental health,12 have examined the homeless population in general rather than young people in particular,2 or have been completed more than 10 years ago.13Furthermore, researchers studying the etiology of youth homelessness have published their findings across a range of disciplines including public health, psychology, psychiatry, social policy, and human geography. Indeed, because research has been published in a range of journals it is difficult for service providers to gain a clear impression of the extent of the association between experiences of homelessness and psychopathology. This systematic review collates findings providing an overview of recent international research focused on psychiatric disorders prevalent among this group. A second aim was to consider evidence in relation to the direction of effects linking experiences of homelessness and psychopathology. Mental health issues may precede homelessness or, alternatively, symptoms may be exacerbated or elicited by homelessness.     

Measuring Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in Women with Young Children: A Systematic Review

Current evidence indicates that women with young children are less active than women without children. In this review the authors investigated the methods of measuring physical activity employed in studies of women with young children (aged 1–5 years) and the associated challenges in measurement. Articles from databases (MEDLINE, OVID, CINAHL, Google Scholar) and manual searches were limited to English peer-reviewed journals published from 1990 to 2010. Studies that included measurement of physical activity in samples of women with young children were selected. Measurement properties were extracted, and original reliability and validity articles were reviewed for physical activity measurement tools used by 15 samples. The evidence base was dominated by self-report measurement tools, many of which assessed leisure-time physical activity only. Use of motion sensors to assess physical activity in this population was limited. It is likely that much of the habitual physical activity performed by women with young children has not been captured by self-report measures. Further investigation should be undertaken using tools that capture adequately all health-enhancing physical activity among women with young children.     

Poverty in Books for Young Children: A Content Analysis

The study examined how poverty is depicted in books for young children. Ethical considerations warrant that we become aware of the messages found in books about poverty. These messages have the potential for influencing children's belief systems, and may or may not promote democratic values. Eighteen books were coded using a schema comprised of 9 categories (occupation, income, employment, unemployment, race, ethnicity, geographic locale, education, and family structure). Findings revealed that the nine categories appeared in the books. Some findings diverged from demographic trends (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994), others depicted poverty accurately. The discussion highlights the most meaningful patterns found in the data, and makes suggestions for future research.     

Measuring Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening among Young Adult African American Men: A Psychometric Study

The Male Role Norms, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening (MKAP-CRCS) survey was developed to assess the attitudes, knowledge, male role norms, perceived barriers, and perceived subjective norms associated with screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) among young adult African American men. There is a critical need for exploring the complex factors that may shape attitudes towards CRC screening among men who are younger (i.e., ages 19–45) than those traditionally assessed by clinicians and health promotion researchers (age 50 and older). Psychometrically sound measures are crucial for eliciting valid and reliable data on these factors. The current study, therefore, assessed the psychometric properties of the MKAP-CRCS instrument using an online sample of young adult African American men (N?=?157) across the United States. Exploratory principal component factor analyses revealed that the MKAP-CRCS measure yielded construct valid and reliable scores, suggesting that the scale holds promise as an appropriate tool for assessing factors associated with CRC screening among younger African American men. Strengths and limitations of this study, along with directions for future research are discussed, including the need for more research examining the relationship between masculinity and CRC screening among African American men.     

Psychometric Properties of a Primary Care Mental Health Screening Tool for Young Children

Temperament theory is offered as a framework for systematically individualizing the psychosocial care of hospitalized children Empirical research on temperament is cited An application of the theory is illustrated through a presentation of three case studies of children who have cystic fibrosis as their primary diagnosis The discussion of the children demonstrates how their psychosocial responses to hospitalization were related to their temperaments The case studies also show how the hospital environment was adapted to meet the individual child's needs and also how children impact on their caretakers.     

The iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire: A Standardized Instrument for Measuring and Valuing Health-Related Productivity Losses

BackgroundProductivity losses often contribute significantly to the total costs in economic evaluations adopting a societal perspective. Currently, no consensus exists on the measurement and valuation of productivity losses.ObjectiveWe aimed to develop a standardized instrument for measuring and valuing productivity losses.MethodsA group of researchers with extensive experience in measuring and valuing productivity losses designed an instrument suitable for self-completion, building on preknowledge and evidence on validity. The instrument was designed to cover all domains of productivity losses, thus allowing quantification and valuation of all productivity losses. A feasibility study was performed to check the questionnaire’s consistency and intelligibility.ResultsThe iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ) includes three modules measuring productivity losses of paid work due to 1) absenteeism and 2) presenteeism and productivity losses related to 3) unpaid work. Questions for measuring absenteeism and presenteeism were derived from existing validated questionnaires. Because validated measures of losses of unpaid work are scarce, the questions of this module were newly developed. To enhance the instrument’s feasibility, simple language was used. The feasibility study included 195 respondents (response rate 80%) older than 18 years. Seven percent (n = 13) identified problems while filling in the iPCQ, including problems with the questionnaire’s instructions and routing (n = 6) and wording (n = 2). Five respondents experienced difficulties in estimating the time that would be needed for other people to make up for lost unpaid work.ConclusionsMost modules of the iPCQ are based on validated questions derived from previously available instruments. The instrument is understandable for most of the general public.     

红细胞参数在婴幼儿铁缺乏筛查中的临床应用价值

目的：探讨红细胞参数RET-He、MCV、MCH、MCHC、RDW在筛查婴幼儿铁缺乏症中的临床应用价值。方法：采集115名婴幼儿静脉血标本,分别检测各标本的血清铁蛋白含量以及RET-He、MCV、MCH、MCHC、RDW值,并以血清铁蛋白结果为标准分为铁缺乏组和铁正常组。通过t检验比较两组间各参数的差异,绘制筛查铁缺乏的ROC曲线,经最大Youden指数确定最佳临界值,计算各参数临界值的特异度、敏感度。结果：铁缺乏组的RET-He、MCV、MCH、MCHC较铁正常组都明显降低,而RDW明显升高,在筛查铁缺乏中RET-He的结果比较理想,其曲线下面积最大为0.937,以29.6 pg为最佳临界值,其灵敏度为90.6%,特异度为83.5%。结论：RET-He可作为铁缺乏的一个简便有效的筛查指标,对预防婴幼儿铁缺乏具有较好的临床辅助诊断价值。     

The Caregiver Health Effects of Caring for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-analysis

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Mothers of school age and older children with developmental disabilities experience poorer health than mothers of typically developing children. This review...     

Measuring Cultural Socialization Attitudes and Behaviors of Mexican‐Origin Mothers with Young Children: A Longitudinal Investigation

We describe the development and psychometric testing of the Cultural Socialization Behaviors Measure (CSBM) and the Cultural Socialization Attitudes Measure (CSAM). The CSBM assesses cultural socialization behaviors that parents use with young children, and the CSAM assesses the attitudes that parents have regarding the importance of socializing their young children about their culture. Both measures demonstrated strong reliability, validity, and cross‐language equivalence (i.e., Spanish and English) among a sample of 204 Mexican‐origin young mothers (M_age = 20.94 years, SD = 1.01) with 4‐year‐old children. In addition, the measures demonstrated longitudinal equivalence when children were 4 and 5 years of age.     

Lifestyle Screening Tools for Children in the Community Setting: A Systematic Review

Screening of children’s lifestyle, including nutrition, may contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related conditions in childhood and later in life. Screening tools can evaluate a wide variety of lifestyle factors, resulting in different (risk) scores and prospects of action. This systematic review aimed to summarise the design, psychometric properties and implementation of lifestyle screening tools for children in community settings. We searched the electronic databases of Embase, Medline (PubMed) and CINAHL to identify articles published between 2004 and July 2020 addressing lifestyle screening tools for children aged 0–18 years in the community setting. Independent screening and selection by two reviewers was followed by data extraction and the qualitative analysis of findings. We identified 41 unique lifestyle screening tools, with the majority addressing dietary and/or lifestyle behaviours and habits related to overweight and obesity. The domains mostly covered were nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behaviour/screen time. Tool validation was limited, and deliberate implementation features, such as the availability of clear prospects of actions following tool outcomes, were lacking. Despite the multitude of existing lifestyle screening tools for children in the community setting, there is a need for a validated easy-to-administer tool that enables risk classification and offers specific prospects of action to prevent children from adverse health outcomes.     

The Participation of Disabled Children and Young People: A Social Justice Perspective

There is an increasing expectation that children, young people and their parents should participate in decisions that affect them. This includes decisions about their health and social care and collective or public decisions about the way in which such services are designed, delivered and evaluated. Indeed this has become a policy priority across the United Kingdom. The participation of disabled children and young people, however, has been slow to develop in the United Kingdom and concerns have been expressed about progress in this area. Drawing on the results of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded, mixed-methods study, the aim of this article is to explore the participation of disabled children and young people through a social justice lens. Participants, recruited by purposeful sampling, included 18 disabled children and young people, 77 parents and 90 professionals from one health and social care trust in Northern Ireland. There were four phases of data collection: surveys to parents and professionals, parent interviews, interviews with children and young people using creative and participatory techniques, and a focus group with professionals. Results showed that for most disabled children and young people, decision-making was firmly grounded in a family-centred model. However, when children and young people were drawn into participatory processes by adults and recognised as partners in interactions with professionals, they wanted more say and were more confident about expressing their views. Choices, information and resources were at times limited and this had a key impact on participation and the lives of these children, young people and their parents. The article concludes by exploring implications for further research and practice. The need for a two-pronged, social justice approach is recommended as a mechanism to advance the participation agenda.     

Behavioral Feeding Disorders in Young Children:

Young children with behavioral feeding disorders are commonly seen in occupational therapy practice. This paper, based on clinical experience with these children, presents an expanded frame of reference which may be utilized in treatment. The combined use of food as play and treatment of choice is addressed and viewed from learning, developmental, psychodynamic and humanistic perspectives. Possible etiologies of these specific feeding behaviors are discussed.     

The Continuing Problem of Asthma in Very Young Children: A Community-Based Participatory Research Project

Background:  Asthma is a chronic health condition that has a disproportionate effect on low-income minority children who reside in large urban areas. AfricanAmerican children report significantly higher rates than the general population of children and have more-severe asthma and poorer outcomes. This article describes the prevalence of asthma in a particularly vulnerable group: children aged 2-5 participating in Detroit Head Start programs.
Methods:  Health screens were distributed to caretakers of all children attending 6 Head Start agencies. Caretakers of children identified with active asthma symptoms were asked to complete an in-depth phone interview regarding their child's asthma.
Results:  Data collected from 3,254 children (78% African American) revealed that 27% met criteria for probable asthma. Of those with persistent symptoms, 26% were undiagnosed, and 21% were untreated. Baseline data (n = 675) showed that 95% had a regular doctor, but 36% had had no health care visit for asthma in the previous year. Of children with a history of asthma episodes, more than half reported 3 or more episodes in the preceding year. Forty-three percent of caretakers had discussed their child's asthma with Head Start, and 31% had an asthma action plan on file with Head Start.
Conclusions:  Asthma remains a significant problem in this population, especially for African Americans, as evidenced by high levels of undiagnosed children with persistent symptoms and questions regarding the care they receive. Head Start is a way to reach young children with asthma, but may need help to develop the capacity to assist families.     

A Cognitive-Affective Approach to Child Life Programming for Young Children

A comprehensive model for child life programming for young children integrating cognitive and affective theories is described Continual assessment of the cognitive and affective states of children provides the basis for programming Degree of structure facilitated by the child life worker through his or her physical and/or verbal interaction and type of activities selected and implemented varies with children s cognitive-affective states.     

A Cognitive-Affective Approach to Child Life Programming for Young Children

A comprehensive model for child life programming for young children integrating cognitive and affective theories is described Continual assessment of the cognitive and affective states of children provides the basis for programming Degree of structure facilitated by the child life worker through his or her physical and/or verbal interaction and type of activities selected and implemented varies with children s cognitive-affective states.     

Previsit Multidomain Psychosocial Screening Tools for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Adolescence and young adulthood constitute a period when exploratory behaviors can evolve into risky behaviors. Most causes of adolescent ill health are preventable; therefore, it is a priority to detect them early before they turn into health problems. Previsit multidomain psychosocial screening tools are used by professionals to detect and prioritize potentially problematic issues. In conjunction with appropriate clinician training, these tools have improved clinician screening rates in several areas of adolescent health. This article reviews existing multidomain previsit psychosocial screening tools developed in the 21st century and describes their characteristics using a systematic methodology.We reviewed 10,623 records to identify 15 different tools in use since 2000 and described their characteristics. Results show that all tools were developed in high-income countries. The tools provide sufficient coverage of many psychosocial domains relevant to young people's health. However, some psychosocial domains such as screen use and strengths are seldomly addressed. Furthermore, the tools rarely focus on young adults as a target population. Future research should assess the effectiveness, acceptability, and psychometric properties of validated psychosocial screening tools and examine how to expand their use in low- and middle-income countries.