The interplay between mothers’ and children behavioral and psychological factors during COVID-19: an Italian study

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - Italy has been the first nation outside of Asia to face the COVID-19 outbreak. To limit viral transmission of infection, by March 10th, 2020, the...     

Determinants of self-reported emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish immigrant adolescents aged 11–18

Abstract.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine how adolescent, parent, family and stress factors and parental psychopathology are associated with self-reported emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish immigrant adolescents.Methods: Multiple logistic models were fitted to determine the associations between problems, assessed by the Youth Self-Report (n = 363), and determinants, derived from the Turkish Immigrant Assessment Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire-28 filled in by parents.Results: Repeating a grade,not living with both parents, remarriage and death or serious health problems in the family were associated with higher YSR scores. Support from the mothers family was of major importance. The strongest predictive power was found for family-related factors in boys and for parent-related factors in girls.Conclusions: Cultural aspects and post-immigration issues play an important underlying role in explaining problem behavior in Turkish immigrant adolescents. Future research should include additional immigrant-specific factors, e. g., acculturation-related issues, preferably in a longitudinal study design to gain more insight into the complex relationship between immigrant status and psychopathology.     

The relationship between parents’ first concerns and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders

Objective: To examine the relationship between parents’ first concerns and early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms.

Methods: Symptoms of ASD were compared in 1393 toddlers with and without a diagnosis of an ASD, based on the area of parents’ first concerns. Communication and behaviour problems were examined in the current study, as they are the most frequently reported first concerns in the literature. A series of one-way, between-subjects ANOVAs were conducted on each sub-scale of the BISCUIT Part-1.

Results: Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) significant differences were found between most groups on all sub-scales. On the Socialization/Non-verbal Communication and Repetitive Behaviour/Restricted Interest sub-scales, those with ASD and behaviour concerns had the highest scores. On the Communication sub-scale, those with ASD and communication concerns had the highest scores.

Conclusions: A significant relationship exists between early ASD symptoms and area of first concern. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Locus of control,perceived parenting style,and symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with Tourette’s syndrome

AIM: This study explored the contribution of two psychosocial factors, locus of control (LOC) and perceived parenting style, to symptoms of internalizing disorders in children with Tourette syndrome (TS). This contribution was further evaluated in relation to TS severity. METHODS: Sixty-five children (53 boys, 12 girls) ages 9.0-16.9 years, of normal intelligence, completed questionnaires evaluating their depression and anxiety symptoms, LOC, and maternal parenting style. Their mothers rated TS severity, determined by tic severity, symptoms of attention-deficit hypreactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS). RESULTS: Higher rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression were associated with a more external LOC and a more rejecting and controlling parenting style. Additionally, depression correlated significantly with tic severity, ADHD and OCS, whereas anxiety correlated only with ADHD symptoms and OCS, but not with tics. Regression analyses showed that LOC, OCS and ADHD symptoms each significantly contributed to predicting anxiety level, whereas LOC and ADHD symptoms significantly contributed to predicting depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with TS are markedly influenced by psychosocial factors, extending beyond the influence of ADHD and OCD, both common comorbid disorders in TS. An internal LOC, which is associated with an accepting and autonomy-granting parenting style, appears to be a protective factor against anxiety and depression.     

The interplay of parental support,parental pressure and test anxiety – Gender differences in adolescents

This study examined gender-specific relationships between adolescents' perceptions of school-related support/pressure from their parents and test anxiety. A sample of German students (N = 845; M_age = 15.32; SD = .49) completed questionnaires that measured their perceived parental support/pressure (for mother and father separately) as well as the four main components of test anxiety (worry, interference, lack of confidence, and emotionality). Gender-specific relations were identified using multigroup structural equation modeling: For girls, perceived maternal pressure was positively associated with emotionality and interference; for boys, perceived father pressure and father support were positively associated with interference and worry, respectively. For both genders, perceived mother pressure and support were related to lack of confidence. Our findings suggest that adolescents' perceptions of maternal attitudes are associated with students' self-confidence irrespective of the child's gender, whereas the remaining facets of test anxiety follow same-sex trajectories between perceived parental attitudes and adolescents' test anxiety.     

The influence of scale structure and sex on parental reports of children’s social (pragmatic) communication symptoms

The addition of social (pragmatic) communication disorder [S(P)CD] to the DSM-5 taxonomy has left clinicians and researchers searching for appropriate diagnostic measures. Factor analysis procedures examined the extent to which S(P)CD symptoms presented within the Children’s Communication Checklist-Second Edition (CCC-2) represented a unique construct and whether these factors were influenced by children’s sex. Parents of 208 children (males = 125 and females = 83) from a community-based sample completed the CCC-2. Two pragmatic scores from the CCC-2 were analysed as follows: the social interaction difference index (SIDI) and a pragmatic composite from the original CCC (PC-5). Factor analysis failed to find a unique factor structure for either pragmatic composite. Analyses uncovered different factor structures for the CCC-2 SIDI and PC-5 composites and for boys and girls. S(P)CD represents a complex combination of symptoms that are poorly differentiated from other language and socioemotional behavioural difficulties.     

The dynamics of adolescents’ pornography use and psychological well-being: a six-wave latent growth and latent class modeling approach

Despite increasing concerns that pornography decreases adolescents’ well-being, existing empirical support for this position is largely limited to cross-sectional studies. To explore possible links between adolescent pornography use and psychological well-being more systematically, this study focused on parallel dynamics in pornography use, self-esteem and symptoms of depression and anxiety. A sample of 775 female and 514 male Croatian high school students (M_{age at baseline} 15.9 years, SD 0.52) from 14 larger secondary schools, who were surveyed 6 times at approximately 5-month intervals, was used for the analyses. The longitudinal data were analyzed using latent growth curve and latent class growth modeling. We observed no significant correspondence between growth in pornography use and changes in the two indicators of psychological well-being over time in either female or male participants. However, a significant negative association was found between female adolescents’ pornography use and psychological well-being at baseline. Controlling for group-specific trajectories of pornography use (i.e., latent classes) confirmed the robustness of findings in the both female and male samples. This study’s findings do not corroborate the notion that pornography use in middle to late adolescence contributes to adverse psychological well-being, but do not rule out such a link during an earlier developmental phase—particularly in female adolescents. The findings have ramifications for educational and adolescent health specialists, but also for concerned parents.

     

The association between symptoms of sexual dysfunction and age at onset in Parkinson’s disease

Objective

Age at onset in Parkinson’s disease (PD) seems to be related nonmotor symptoms. In this study we investigated the effect of the age at onset on symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SSD) in patients with PD.

Methods

This prospective study comprised 22 consecutive outpatients with early onset PD (EOPD—onset of the disease before 55 years), and 66 outpatients with late onset PD (LOPD—onset of PD over 55 years). They were all recruited from the Department of Movement Disorders, Clinic of Neurology. The diagnosis was established according to the UK PD Brain Bank Criteria by a movement disorders specialist. The Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor was used to assess motor disability and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage was used to establish disease severity. The sexual functions of the patients were rated by applying the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX).

Results

Thirteen EOPD patients (59.09 %) and 53 of the LOPD patients (80.3 %) (p 0.047) reported dissatisfaction with at least one item of ASEX. There were no differences between H&Y stages (p 0.205) UPDRS total (p 0.267) and motor scores (p 0.100) between groups. LOPD patients had significantly higher ASEX scores than EOPD patients (p 0.001).

Interpretation

Sexual dysfunciton occurs more frequently and more severely in LOPD than EOPD patients. PD patients with different ages at onset clinically present differently in terms of SSD.

     

What makes old people perceive symptoms of illness? The impact of psychological and social factors

Feeling ill is by definition a subjective experience. Independent of biological background, people differ in their inclination to perceive and report feelings of illness. Three factors were assumed to affect the way symptoms of illness are perceived and reported: the sense of coherence (SOC), the social network and the degree of depression. Fifty-eight elderly individuals reported symptoms according to a symptom checklist. They also reported social network structures/functions and degrees of depression according to standardized questionnaires. SOC showed to be strongest bivariately correlated to the number of reported symptoms, followed by the degree of depression and social network. Multiple regression analyses showed that SOC alone was related to symptoms of depression and tension. In addition, SOC in combination with social network was related to the total symptom report, and depressive mood in combination with social network was related to symptoms from muscles and skeleton. The main finding of this study is the strong connection between SOC and the perception and reporting of symptoms of illness.The results support the idea that SOC serves as a buffer against the experience of stress, but also that SOC interacts with social context variables to define the sickness behavior.     

Parent–child hostility and child and adolescent depression symptoms: the direction of effects,role of genetic factors and gender

Identifying environmental risk factors in the pathway to depression is an important research goal. To extend prior research, designs that rule out alternative explanatory factors; genetic effects and reverse causation, and permit tests of both parent and child gender are required. The present study used two different samples to address these issues. A longitudinal community sample of 316 families (157 boys, 159 girls) aged 11–12 years (mean 11.7) at Time 1 and 12–13 years at Time 2 (mean 12.7) was used to test the direction of effects between parent hostility and child and adolescent depression symptoms. A genetically sensitive sample of 1,075 twin pairs; 653 dizygotic (135 male, 183 female, 335 opposite sex) and 422 monozygotic (180 male and 242 female) aged 12–20 years (mean 16.12) was used to test whether parent hostility had environmental effects. Analyses were conducted separately by parent and child gender. Using cross-lagged panel analyses, the association between mother–daughter hostility and depression symptoms was found to be longitudinal and bidirectional with reciprocal effects between mothers and daughters. Behavioural genetic analyses in the twin sample revealed a significant environmental link between mother hostility and symptoms of daughter depression independent of genetic factors. A significant pathway was found between daughter depressive symptoms and father hostility but not vice versa. This association was accounted for by genetic factors in behavioural genetic analyses. Findings provide evidence of an environmental risk pathway to depression symptoms and identify patterns of variation according to parent and child gender. Results are discussed in relation to underlying explanatory processes and clinical implications.     

How does locus of control and inflated sense of responsibility relate to obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Turkish adolescents?

This study aimed to examine the effects of responsibility attitudes, locus of control and their interactions on the general obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology and the dimensions of OC symptoms in a sample of Turkish adolescents (n=385), their ages varied from 16 to 20 with a mean of 17.23 (S.D.=.68). The results of the present study revealed a significantly positive relationship between responsibility attitudes and general OC symptomatology. However, locus of control did not appear as a significant predictor of general OC symptomatology. Furthermore, results revealed that there was a significant interaction effect of responsibility attitudes with locus of control on OC symptomatology. That is, an inflated sense of responsibility and the presence of an external locus of control produced the highest level of OC symptoms. Related to the dimensions of OC symptoms, responsibility was a weak predictor of obsessive thinking symptoms, and a moderate predictor of cleanliness and checking symptoms. Locus of control and its interaction with responsibility attitudes only significantly predicted obsessional thinking symptoms.     

Can helping others strengthen teens? Character strengths as mediators between prosocial behavior and adolescents’ internalizing symptoms

IntroductionIdentifying protective factors against internalizing behaviors during adolescence is a public health priority, as rates of depression and anxiety are rising. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine whether prosocial engagement toward strangers and family members is protective against depressive and anxiety symptoms, and whether this link is mediated by character strengths (i.e., hope, persistence, gratitude, and self-esteem).MethodThe sample consisted of 500 US adolescents (52% female; 66% European American; 33% from single-parent families). Data across three consecutive yearly waves were utilized in the current study (M_age Time 1 = 13.32).ResultsResults of a longitudinal structural equation model revealed prosocial behavior toward strangers and family members were differentially related to character strengths, and that prosocial behavior toward strangers was indirectly associated with depressive symptoms via self-esteem.ConclusionTaken together, findings extend the Developmental Cascades model and suggest that prosocial behavior and character strengths protect against depressive symptoms during the adolescent period. Findings are discussed in the context of relevant research and theory, and implications for future research and intervention programs are presented.     

The association between alterations of eye movement control and cerebral intrinsic functional connectivity in Parkinson’s disease

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) present with eye movement disturbances that accompany the cardinal motor symptoms. Previous studies have consistently found evidence that large-scale functional networks are critically involved in eye movement control. We challenged the hypothesis that altered eye movement control in patients with PD is closely related to alterations of whole-brain functional connectivity in association with the neurodegenerative process. Saccadic and pursuit eye movements by video-oculography and ‘resting-state’ functional MRI (3 Tesla) were recorded from 53 subjects, i.e. 31 patients with PD and 22 matched healthy controls. Video-oculographically, a broad spectrum of eye movement impairments was demonstrated in PD patients vs. controls, including interrupted smooth pursuit, hypometric saccades, and a high distractibility in anti-saccades. Significant correlations between altered oculomotor parameters and functional connectivity measures were observed, i.e. the worse the oculomotor performance was, the more the regional functional connectivity in cortical, limbic, thalamic, cerebellar, and brainstem areas was decreased. Remarkably, decreased connectivity between major nodes of the default mode network was tightly correlated with the prevalence of saccadic intrusions as a measure for distractability. In conclusion, dysfunctional eye movement control in PD seems to be primarily associated with (cortical) executive deficits, rather than being related to the ponto-cerebellar circuits or the oculomotor brainstem nuclei. Worsened eye movement performance together with the potential pathophysiological substrate of decreased intrinsic functional connectivity in predominantly oculomotor-associated cerebral functional networks may constitute a behavioral marker in PD.     

A qualitative study of adolescents with medically unexplained symptoms and their parents. Part 2: How is healthcare perceived?

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common among adolescents and an important cause of clinical visits. This study sought to understand the experiences with, and perceptions of, the healthcare of adolescents who have MUS and their parents. Using a qualitative approach, six focus groups and two individual interviews were conducted with a total of ten adolescents and sixteen parents. The participants were recruited in a university hospital in Switzerland. A thematic analysis was conducted in accordance with the Grounded Theory. Six main themes emerged: needing a label for the symptoms, seeking an etiology to explain the symptoms, negotiating the medical system, medication and treatments, interactions with doctors, and the inclusion of parents during consultations. Transcending these themes, however, was the need for good communication between the adolescents, their parents and the clinicians. When explaining the symptoms, clinicians should make sure to discuss the results, investigations and lack of organic origin.