J Child Psychol Psychiatry [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Away from violence: A latent transition analysis on support for violent and non-violent radicalization among adolescents.
Miconi D, Zambelli M, Mounchingam AN … +1 more , Rousseau C
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Mar · PMID 41773998 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Support for violent and non-violent radicalization co-exists in some, but not all, adolescents. Yet, little is known about how adolescents transition towards or away from violent and/or non-violent radicaliza...
BACKGROUND: Support for violent and non-violent radicalization co-exists in some, but not all, adolescents. Yet, little is known about how adolescents transition towards or away from violent and/or non-violent radicalization over time. Within a socio-ecological framework, this study investigates how Canadian adolescents move from profiles that support violent radicalization to non-violent profiles and vice-versa and whether profile belonging is associated with social-, school- and family-related factors, psychological distress and specific ideologies. METHODS: High school students (N = 574; M = 15.1; SD = 0.76; 47.7% girls) completed an online survey in 2023 and 2024. A latent transition analysis on scores of support for violent and non-violent radicalization was conducted. Multinomial regression was used to explore the associations between profiles and variables of interest. RESULTS: Adolescents moved significantly across the six identified profiles over time. School unsafety was associated with an increased probability of being in more violent profiles, whereas depressive symptoms were lower in disengaged and violent profiles. Glorification of violence was higher in the more violent and less activist profile. Adolescents reporting more distress related to international conflicts and pro-environmental ideologies were more likely to belong to more activist profiles, including those supportive of violence. CONCLUSIONS: Exploration of activism and violence as idioms of protest is common during adolescence and youth's attitudes in this regard are very dynamic, influenced by local and global grievances. Primary prevention efforts should accompany youth in their exploration in order to support non-violent avenues as responses to global conflicts, as well as daily injustices.
Changes in idiographic coping in youth treated for an anxiety disorder.
Meyer M, Olino TM, Albano AM … +4 more , Piacentini JC, Compton SN, Gosch EA, Kendall PC
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Mar · PMID 41773906 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Youth anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and associated with adverse outcomes. Prior research demonstrated improvement in anxiety symptoms following evidence-based treatment; however, not all youth experi...
BACKGROUND: Youth anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and associated with adverse outcomes. Prior research demonstrated improvement in anxiety symptoms following evidence-based treatment; however, not all youth experience symptom remission, nor do they consistently maintain gains. We examined idiographic changes in youths' perceived ability to cope with individualized anxiety-provoking situations from pretreatment to six-month follow-up in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study. METHODS: Youth diagnosed with a principal anxiety disorder (N = 488; ages 7-17; 50.4% male) were randomized to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy (SRT), combination of CBT and SRT, or pill placebo. Youth's perceived ability to cope (i.e., perceived coping efficacy) was assessed independently using youth self-reports and caregiver-reports on the Coping Questionnaire, an idiographic measure with anxiety-provoking situations individualized to each youth. Changes in perceived coping efficacy were examined across treatment conditions using multilevel models, assessed across six timepoints. Models estimating the quadratic effect of time fit better than models estimating the linear effect. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction between the quadratic effect of time and treatment condition, indicating perceptions of youth coping efficacy increase from pretreatment to six-month follow-up, yet at different times across treatment based on treatment condition; this finding was observed per both youth- and caregiver-reports. Perceptions of coping efficacy did not differ based on treatment condition for either informant at pretreatment or six-month follow-up; however, post hoc analyses revealed significant differences in perceptions of youth coping efficacy at all interim assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that effective treatments for youth anxiety disorders improved youth- and caregiver-reports of perceived coping with youths' individualized anxiety-provoking situations. Future efforts could prioritize idiographic assessments to facilitate effective treatments.
Editorial: 'Have you seen me lately' - Revisiting our understanding of significant mental health disorders for children and adolescents.
Shaw DS
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 41761351 · Publisher ↗
This editorial introduces the Journal's 2026 Annual Research Review (ARR). Three themes emerged in this year's ARR. The first revisits and expands our understanding of four longstanding mental health disorders - non-fata...
This editorial introduces the Journal's 2026 Annual Research Review (ARR). Three themes emerged in this year's ARR. The first revisits and expands our understanding of four longstanding mental health disorders - non-fatal self-harm, early conduct problems, eating, disorders and developmental language disorders. A second theme focuses on intervention development and efficacy by reviewing research on modifying school climates and behavioural treatments to address young children's exposure to trauma. A final paper provides a systematic review of meta-analyses on the predictive validity of caregiver sensitivity. Cumulatively, this set of review papers provides important updates on a wide range of prevalent and meaningful disorders, expanding our understanding of aetiology, developmental course, and in many cases, success (or lack thereof) to assess and treat these conditions.
Time-dependent association between prenatal hair glucocorticoid levels and child behavior problems.
Künzel RG, Chen Y, Rondon MB … +9 more , Juvinao-Quintero D, Duncan LE, Sanchez SE, Nateros LG, Basu A, Ametaj A, Kirschbaum C, Levey EJ, Gelaye B
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41738374 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Child internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems are highly prevalent psychiatric symptoms worldwide, for which maternal prenatal stress is a known risk factor. However, underlying neuroendocrine mec...
BACKGROUND: Child internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems are highly prevalent psychiatric symptoms worldwide, for which maternal prenatal stress is a known risk factor. However, underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms remain largely unclear. We investigated whether maternal hair cortisol (HCC) and cortisone concentration (HCNC) are associated with offspring's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in a prospective pre-birth cohort study from Perú. METHODS: N = 271 mother-child dyads were included in this analysis. Recruitment and data collection took place at the Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal in Lima, Perú. HCC and HCHC were obtained from hair segments representing up to 3 months pre-pregnancy and first trimester, respectively, and were quantified via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems of children (mean age at follow-up = 6.98 years (SD = 1.05)). Marginal structural models estimated population average associations between HCC, HCNC, and internalizing and externalizing problems, adjusting for established covariates. RESULTS: At pre-pregnancy, logHCNC was positively associated with offspring internalizing (β = 2.21, 95% CI: 0.46; 3.96, p = .013) and externalizing problems (β = 1.87, 95% CI: 0.34; 3.40, p = .016). At the first trimester, logHCNC was negatively associated with internalizing (β = -2.51, 95%CI: -4.37; -0.64, p = .008), and externalizing problems (β = -2.73, 95% CI: -4.18; -1.28, p < .001). Associations were stronger for females and not apparent for logHCC. CONCLUSIONS: We found time-dependent associations between stress-related prenatal hair glucocorticoid concentration and offspring behavioral problems. Modeling biomarker data time-dependently may prove critical to identifying the underlying mechanisms of transgenerational stress transmission.
Where next for school climate? A commentary on Moore (2026).
Melendez-Torres GJ
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 41736663 · Publisher ↗
In a contribution to this year's Annual Research Review, Graham Moore (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2026) presents a thought-provoking consideration of school climate. Highlighting the contestations in thi...
In a contribution to this year's Annual Research Review, Graham Moore (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2026) presents a thought-provoking consideration of school climate. Highlighting the contestations in this concept, he describes how school climate might (or might not) impact child and adolescent mental health; how interventions to improve school climate might (or might not) improve child and adolescent mental health; and how school climate, and interventions to improve school climate, relate to health inequalities in young people. Moore's review generates several possibilities and opportunities, several of which are discussed below.
Practitioner Review: Clinical insights from attachment theory and research for professionals working with young children and their families.
Opie JE, Waters E, Duschinsky R … +44 more , Hammarlund M, Madigan S, Foster S, Forslund T, Thompson R, Steele H, Steele M, Roisman GI, Groh AM, Fonagy P, Dagan O, Talia A, Rossen L, Sroufe LA, Tronick E, Fearon RMP, Granqvist P, Sagi-Schwartz A, Lieberman A, Carlson E, Zimmermann P, Dozier M, Wazana A, Belsky J, Shaver PR, Cicchetti D, Bosmans G, Schuengel C, Grossmann K, Cyr C, Dubois-Comtois K, Verhage M, Tharner A, Oosterman M, Allen B, Crowell JA, Vrtička P, Woolgar M, Raby KL, Galbally M, Holmes J, Marvin RS, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 41736561 · Full text
Attachment theory, with its core concepts, perspectives, and insights developed over the past five decades, is influential for professionals working with young children. However, practitioners face challenges translating...
Attachment theory, with its core concepts, perspectives, and insights developed over the past five decades, is influential for professionals working with young children. However, practitioners face challenges translating attachment theory and research into practical applications. This manifests in attachment myths, theoretical misinterpretations, and inconsistency of application. This state-of-the-art review is authored by 47 attachment researchers and practitioners and examines key insights from attachment theory to facilitate attachment-aware practice for professionals working with children and their caregivers. Following the ongoing debate on practical relevance in attachment theory, we present both 'strict' and 'expansive' translational perspectives on applications for addressing preventative or clinical attachment concerns. We first review core attachment propositions, based on replicated research of attachment and caregiving. We next address common misconceptions that hinder adequate practical applications. We present measures of attachment and sensitive parenting that might be helpful for practitioners. We also review evidence-based and promising attachment interventions, discussing core components of (preventative) support for parents or caregivers and the children in their care. We emphasize that attachment theory's clinical value lies not in assigning attachment classifications, but rather in understanding crucial insights into caregiving and early socioemotional development (e.g., secure base phenomena; the value of safe, stable, and shared good-enough care), developed in attachment research over the past 50 years, that may inform policy and clinical reasoning and areas for prevention and intervention.
Parent-led CBT delivered via online and telephone support alongside usual school practice versus usual school practice only for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders through screening in schools: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Reardon T, Ukoumunne OC, Dodd H … +12 more , Halliday G, Hill C, Jasper B, Jones B, Lawrence PJ, Morgan F, Placzek A, Rapee RM, Violato M, Yu S, MYCATS Team, Creswell C
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41711297 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Providing accessible CBT for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders through screening in schools could reduce later problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of parent-led C...
BACKGROUND: Providing accessible CBT for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders through screening in schools could reduce later problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of parent-led CBT delivered via online and telephone call support alongside usual school provision, compared to usual school provision only for young children identified through screening as having at least one risk. METHODS: We conducted a pragmatic, parallel group, superiority cluster randomised controlled trial in 95 primary/infant schools in England. Parents of children (aged 4-7) in sampled classes completed screening, and children who screened positive for one or more risks (anxiety symptoms/inhibition/parent anxiety) were eligible for the trial. Schools (clusters) were randomised (1:1) to intervention or usual school practice, stratified by school-level deprivation. Schools in both arms continued with usual provision, and parents in intervention schools were offered parent-led CBT via online and telephone support. The primary outcome was the presence of an anxiety disorder diagnosis at 12 months, assessed via the ADIS-P administered by independent assessors. Secondary clinical outcomes included parent-reported child anxiety symptoms, related interference, externalising symptoms, additional risks and intervention targets at 12 weeks and 12 months. Primary analyses were conducted on the full intention-to-treat population. The trial was prospectively registered with ISRCTN 82398107. RESULTS: In total, 2,328 children were screened; 1,172 were eligible; 865 enrolled. Forty-eight schools (434 children) were assigned to intervention and 47 schools (431 children) to usual school practice. At 12 months, the overall frequency of anxiety disorders was low, 6.8% (21/310) of children in the intervention arm compared to 11.5% (36/312) in the usual school practice arm; this difference was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio 0.67 [0.37 to 1.21], p = .19). However, the intervention was superior to usual school practice across all secondary outcomes (standardised mean difference: 0.15 to 0.47 at 12 weeks; 0.19 to 0.41 at 12 months). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Although the intervention did not significantly reduce anxiety disorders at 12 months, improvements across all other assessed outcomes indicate this approach brings wider immediate benefits and reduces known risks for future anxiety disorders. Future research needs to consider longer-term preventative effects.
Increasing visibility of the neurobiology of eating disorders in youth - a commentary on Hagan et al. (2025).
Makowski C
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 41702705 · Full text
Eating disorders (EDs) are among the most severe psychiatric conditions emerging in adolescence, yet they remain markedly underrepresented within neuroscience and developmental psychopathology research. Building on the r...
Eating disorders (EDs) are among the most severe psychiatric conditions emerging in adolescence, yet they remain markedly underrepresented within neuroscience and developmental psychopathology research. Building on the review by Hagan et al., this commentary proposes four key expansions to advance neurobiological research in youth with EDs: adoption of transdiagnostic approaches, inclusion of broader developmental and longitudinal time frames, implementation of more rigorous and replicable methodological frameworks, and deeper interdisciplinary integration. Together, these directions aim to more fully capture neurobiological mechanisms underlying ED onset, maintenance, and recovery across development, with the goal of anchoring this research more firmly within child and adolescent psychiatry. Taken together, the work by Hagan et al. serves as both a synthesis of the field and a call to action toward a more integrated and developmentally informed understanding of eating disorders.
Developmental language disorder and the ubiquity of language in the world - a commentary on Iverson & Williams (2026).
Archibald LMD
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 41702665 · Full text
In their review article, Developmental Language Disorders: A Hidden Condition with Lifelong Impact, Iverson and Williams (2026) cover all the ground from the importance of language and its infusion across daily tasks to...
In their review article, Developmental Language Disorders: A Hidden Condition with Lifelong Impact, Iverson and Williams (2026) cover all the ground from the importance of language and its infusion across daily tasks to the characteristics, assessment and management of a neurodevelopmental condition known as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). The former is an important inclusion to understanding the impact of the latter, and so my commentary discusses both components. The article concludes with major challenges to investigations and support of DLD, which I add to and join in the call to raise awareness of this hidden and lifelong condition.
Indirect genetic effects of siblings.
Valstad M, Eilertsen EM, Ayorech Z … +5 more , Cheesman R, Demange P, Haahjem Eftedal N, Havdahl A, Ystrom E
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41684214 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Within-family designs are increasingly used to decompose genotype-trait associations into direct and indirect genetic effects. Many such designs, including trio designs or within-sibship designs, assume an ab...
BACKGROUND: Within-family designs are increasingly used to decompose genotype-trait associations into direct and indirect genetic effects. Many such designs, including trio designs or within-sibship designs, assume an absence of sibling indirect genetic effects. METHODS: We expand two well-known molecular genetic within-family designs, one variance component (genome-based restricted maximum likelihood) and one trait-based (structural equation modeling with polygenic indices), to estimate sibling indirect genetic effects, along with direct genetic effects. We link the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) to Norway's national education database to model genetic effects on national standardized testing results at ages 10, 13, and 14, and on parent-rated attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at ages 3 and 8 in up to 15,971 genotyped and phenotyped siblings. RESULTS: Estimates of direct and indirect genetic effects from the genome-based restricted maximum likelihood and the structural equation modeling with polygenic indices approaches converge, albeit with the variance component estimates typically an order of magnitude greater than the trait-based estimates. We observe no indirect genetic effects of siblings on educational performance at any age, and only slightly negative indirect genetic effects of siblings on ADHD symptoms at age 3. We argue that the latter effect might reflect parental contrasting ratings. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that within-family models of educational performance are unlikely to be drastically biased by an assumption of absent sibling indirect genetic effects. Combining trait-based analyses with variance component analyses can benefit understanding of indirect genetic effects, especially when the effects are not specific to a particular mechanism.
The randomized controlled trial Fast Track multilevel intervention for children with early-emerging conduct problems breaks intergenerational transmission of violence across three generations.
Gorla L, Rothenberg WA, Godwin J … +1 more , Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41670608 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Domestic violence mechanisms are frequently transmitted across generations, representing a global issue demanding particular attention. This study investigates the intergenerational transmission of intimate p...
BACKGROUND: Domestic violence mechanisms are frequently transmitted across generations, representing a global issue demanding particular attention. This study investigates the intergenerational transmission of intimate partner violence (IPV) and parent-to-child violence (PCV) and whether participating in a multilevel preventive intervention (Fast Track) breaks this transmission. METHODS: In high-risk elementary schools located in the United States, children considered at high risk for aggressive behavior based on teachers' and parents' screen scores were assigned to either a 10-year intervention or a control group based on their school. The Fast Track trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01653535) and was focused on parenting practices and children's intrapersonal, interpersonal, and academic skills. From the original 891 children, 374 participants with children aged less than 18 years (n = 191 intervention group, n = 183 control group) reported at age 34 their experience with domestic violence and their children's psychological adjustment. RESULTS: The intergenerational mediating pathway from high IPV in the first generation to high PCV in the second generation to greater total mental health difficulties in the third generation was statistically significant in the control group but not in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: IPV was intergenerationally transmitted by influencing PCV, with a negative effect on the third generation's mental health. Nevertheless, participation in the Fast Track intervention disrupted this cycle. These findings suggest the importance of policies to support preventive childhood interventions.
Longitudinal associations between violence exposure and adolescent conduct problems in a high-adversity, South African setting.
Swingler S, Han Q, Cullen AE … +4 more , du Toit S, Skeen S, Barlow J, Tomlinson M
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41669991 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Violence exposure is a well-established risk factor for adolescent conduct problems, yet longitudinal research in high-adversity, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited. This study investiga...
BACKGROUND: Violence exposure is a well-established risk factor for adolescent conduct problems, yet longitudinal research in high-adversity, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited. This study investigated whether early adolescent violence exposure predicts concurrent and longer-term conduct problems, and explored potential bidirectional associations and sex differences in a peri-urban South African community with high rates of poverty and violence. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Thula Sana birth cohort (n = 357; 51.5% female), a longitudinal intervention study in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Adolescents were assessed at early (ages 12-14) and late adolescence (ages 16-19). Violence exposure was measured using adolescent self-report. Conduct problems were measured using adolescent and caregiver report in early adolescence and adolescent self-report in late adolescence. Multiple linear regressions tested cross-sectional associations, and cross-lagged panel models examined longitudinal and bidirectional associations, adjusting for contextual adversity and intervention status. Missing data were addressed using multiple imputation, and findings were confirmed through sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Violence exposure was associated with higher concurrent conduct problems in early adolescence (β = .15-.19, p < .01) and predicted higher conduct problems in late adolescence (β = .12-.14, p < .05). The reverse pathway, from conduct problems to subsequent violence exposure, was not significant (β = .08-.11, p > .05). Interaction analyses did not provide evidence that associations differed by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Violence exposure in early adolescence represents a prospective risk factor for conduct problems in a high-adversity South African setting. Findings highlight the importance of early, contextually grounded violence prevention and the need for further research to test sex-specific pathways and inform the development of gender-responsive intervention strategies.
Effects of parent-child interaction therapy dosage on child and parent outcomes: differentiating child-directed interaction and parent-directed interaction session impacts in child welfare-involved families.
Liao X, Ruggiero JP, Bard DE … +2 more , Rosen AFG, Skowron EA
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 41635186 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) improves parenting and child behavior, yet little is known about how dosage of its two phases, warm relationship building focused child-directed interaction (CDI) sessi...
BACKGROUND: Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) improves parenting and child behavior, yet little is known about how dosage of its two phases, warm relationship building focused child-directed interaction (CDI) sessions and safe, effective discipline skills-focused parent-directed interaction (PDI) sessions, contributes to outcomes, particularly in child welfare-involved families. Understanding these dose-response patterns can clarify the pathways through which PCIT produces change. METHODS: In a sample of 204 child welfare families with young children, we examined the dose-response relationship between each PCIT phase and key intervention outcomes of positive and negative parenting skills and disruptive child behavior problems. We also used sequential mediation models to test time-ordered intervention dosage effects (i.e., number of CDI sessions completed and subsequent number of PDI sessions completed) on the parent and child outcomes. RESULTS: Sequential mediation models showed that the PCIT intervention exerted significant indirect effects on increased positive parenting skills and decreased negative parenting behaviors and child behavior problems through higher dosage of relationship-enhancing CDI sessions followed by higher dosage of safe discipline-focused PDI sessions. Further, CDI dosage interacted with PDI dosage to predict greater gains in positive parenting skills outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute new insights into the pathways through which PCIT shapes outcomes in a sample of child welfare-involved families. Findings also highlight the significant unique contribution that limit-setting-oriented PDI, a relatively understudied phase of PCIT, plays in enhancing positive parenting skills and mitigating child behavior problems.
Psycho-social factors associated with disagreement between prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment.
Coleman O, Baldwin JR, Arseneault L … +3 more , Fisher HL, Moffitt TE, Danese A
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jul · PMID 41618693 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment often identify different individuals and are differentially associated with psychopathology. This study examines psycho-social factors that may...
BACKGROUND: Prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment often identify different individuals and are differentially associated with psychopathology. This study examines psycho-social factors that may explain discrepancies between these measures. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of 2,232 children born in 1994-1995 across England and Wales and followed to age 18 (93% retention). Childhood maltreatment was assessed through: (a) prospective assessments from caregivers, researchers, and clinicians at ages 5-12, and (b) retrospective self-reports at age 18 using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (for maltreatment occurring up to age 12). For the analyses, we focused on participants identified as maltreated from either measure (n = 290) and an a-priori selected array of potential explanatory variables assessed between ages 5-18. We conducted two sets of analyses: comparing individuals with only prospectively identified maltreatment to those identified by both prospective and retrospective measures to understand why some participants did not retrospectively report or recall maltreatment; and comparing individuals with only retrospective self-reports to those identified by both prospective and retrospective measures to understand why maltreatment had not been detected prospectively. RESULTS: Participants in the prospective-only group reported greater social support over the life course and lower psychopathology at age 18 compared to those identified through both prospective and retrospective measures. Individuals in the retrospective-only group had higher socioeconomic status, higher self-reported adult involvement at age 12, and less exposure to domestic violence compared to those identified through both prospective and retrospective measures. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that perceptions of social support and better mental health may buffer retrospective recall of childhood maltreatment in those with prospective measures. Furthermore, more positive family functioning and socioeconomic factors may hamper prospective detection of childhood maltreatment in those who retrospectively report it.
Resource profiles and suicide attempts in youth with disabilities.
Cho M, Park CHK, Kayama M … +2 more , Seo S, Ihm J
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jun · PMID 41615051 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The issue of suicide among youth with disabilities transitioning into adulthood is a serious public health issue. In navigating this transition, youth with disabilities encounter unique obstacles that require...
BACKGROUND: The issue of suicide among youth with disabilities transitioning into adulthood is a serious public health issue. In navigating this transition, youth with disabilities encounter unique obstacles that require careful consideration and support. This study aims to identify resource profiles among youth with disabilities and their association with suicide attempts in early adulthood. METHODS: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study included 1,472 youth with disabilities. A Gaussian finite mixture model (GMM) was employed to identify underlying distinct groups of youth with disabilities based on their available resources. RESULTS: Four latent classes emerged: (1) Socioeconomically Advantaged and Socially Supportive (37%); (2) Socioeconomically Advantaged, but Socially Isolated (28%); (3) Socioeconomically Disadvantaged and Socially Isolated (20%); and (4) Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, but Socially Supportive (15%). Results from the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) considering a longer transition period into adulthood up to age 32 and relevant time-varying factors found that youth in Socioeconomically Advantaged, but Socially Isolated and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, but Socially Supportive had a significantly lower likelihood of suicide attempts compared to those in Socioeconomically Advantaged and Socially Supportive. The likelihood of suicide attempts for youth with learning disabilities was significantly lower than for those with physical disabilities, while a history of suicide attempts in adolescence and experience with a death by suicide of family members or friends increased the odds of suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the heterogeneity of youth with disabilities, demonstrating how demographic characteristics, disability-specific needs, family and school environments and social support systems intersect to influence suicide attempt prevention.
Analyzing transdiagnostic internalizing symptoms in a global sample of trauma-exposed children using pooled individual participant data: a latent transition analysis.
Sadeh Y, Graham L, Egberts MR … +2 more , Lenferink LIM, Kassam-Adams N
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jul · PMID 41608904 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Children often experience both posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression after potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Latent class analyses (LCAs) identify subgroups with different co-occurring symptoms, but li...
BACKGROUND: Children often experience both posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression after potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Latent class analyses (LCAs) identify subgroups with different co-occurring symptoms, but little is known about what predicts transitions between these symptom classes over time. Analyzing these transitions could reveal factors that influence the shift to classes with fewer internalizing symptoms. METHODS: Using harmonized individual participant data (n = 787) from nine studies (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Switzerland) included in the Prospective studies of Acute Child Trauma and Recovery Data Archive (PACT/R), internalizing symptom classes (using PTS and depression items) were identified using LCAs for T1 (0-2 months posttrauma) and T2 (3-15 months posttrauma) separately. Latent transition analysis was used to examine predictors of transitions across symptom classes over time. Included predictors were age, gender, minority status, and trauma type. RESULTS: Five classes were identified at both time points: 'low internalizing' class (T1: 20%; T2: 40%), 'low PTS/moderate-high depression' class (T1: 20%; T2: 27%), 'moderate internalizing' class (T1: 25%; T2: 12%), 'moderate PTS/high depression' class (T1: 17%, T2: 14%), and 'high internalizing' class (T1: 16%, T2: 6%). 'Low internalizing' was the most common and stable response (87% stayed in this class). At both time points, 40% of all children were classified into either a 'low PTS/moderate-high depression' class or a 'moderate PTS/high depression' class. Children belonging to minority groups in their country of residence and children exposed to interpersonal PTEs were less likely to transition from the 'high internalizing' class to lower symptom classes. CONCLUSIONS: Most children show low PTS and depression symptoms after PTEs. When symptoms do develop, they usually involve both high depression and PTS, rather than high PTS with low depression. This underscores the importance of assessing both conditions and developing interventions that target multiple disorders. Minority children exposed to interpersonal trauma require special focus in research and treatment.
Relative strengths in daily living skills among autistic individuals and individuals with related developmental conditions who have co-occurring intellectual disability.
Clarke EB, Lord C, Bal VH
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jul · PMID 41603207 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Strong daily living skills (DLS) are associated with positive outcomes. Prior studies have documented intellectual quotient (IQ)-DLS discrepancies in autistic individuals with average or higher cognitive abil...
BACKGROUND: Strong daily living skills (DLS) are associated with positive outcomes. Prior studies have documented intellectual quotient (IQ)-DLS discrepancies in autistic individuals with average or higher cognitive abilities. Little work in this area includes individuals with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) or examines IQ-DLS discrepancies at the level of DLS subdomains (i.e., Personal, Domestic, and Community skills). This study examined trajectories of IQ-DLS discrepancies from ages 2-25 in autistic individuals with ID. METHODS: A total of 127 individuals from a well-characterized longitudinal cohort with verbal IQ < 70 at age 9 were included. IQ-DLS discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting DLS AEs from nonverbal mental age (NVMA) estimates. Group-based trajectory modeling identified IQ-DLS discrepancy trajectory groups for the DLS domain and Personal, Domestic, and Community subdomains. One-way ANOVA and chi-square analyses were used to compare trajectory groups on demographic and phenotypic characteristics. RESULTS: Two DLS domain discrepancy trajectory groups emerged: IQ > DLS (cognitive abilities exceeded DLS) and IQ < DLS (DLS exceeded cognitive abilities); most participants (78%) were in the IQ > DLS group. An additional group, IQ = DLS (cognitive abilities and DLS were commensurate), emerged in each of the DLS subdomains, for a total of three trajectory groups. Within DLS subdomains, approximately 80% of participants were in either the IQ = DLS or the IQ < DLS trajectory group. In other words, examining scores at the DLS domain-level indicated most participants had cognitive abilities that exceeded DLS, but subdomain scores indicated most participants had DLS that equaled or exceeded cognitive abilities. CONCLUSIONS: These results challenge the notion that autism is usually associated with weaknesses in DLS compared to IQ. At the subdomain level, 80% of participants had DLS commensurate with or stronger than their cognitive abilities, indicating domain-level scores may obscure important variability in daily functioning. This work highlights the importance of including autistic individuals with ID in research; patterns observed in samples without ID may not be generalizable.
Unequal educational outcomes for children with similar early childhood vocabulary but different socioeconomic circumstances.
Thornton E, Matthews D, Patalay P … +1 more , Bannard C
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jul · PMID 41586739 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: In a purely meritocratic society, educational outcomes would reflect ability and only ability. Vocabulary size is a common measure of cognitive ability that predicts educational outcomes but is confounded wit...
BACKGROUND: In a purely meritocratic society, educational outcomes would reflect ability and only ability. Vocabulary size is a common measure of cognitive ability that predicts educational outcomes but is confounded with socioeconomic circumstances (SEC). METHODS: In preregistered analyses of the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study data (N = 15,576), we used a series of multiple linear and logistic regression analyses to investigate the predictive value of age-5 vocabulary for age-16 educational outcomes and assess whether socioeconomic circumstance moderated this relation. RESULTS: We show that age-5 vocabulary strongly predicted age-16 educational attainment, even after adjusting for both SEC and caregiver vocabulary (OR = 1.62, 95% CIs = [1.52; 1.72]; β = .22, 95% CIs = [0.19; 0.24]). SEC also predicts educational attainment (OR = 2.05, 95% CIs = [1.92; 2.19]), and modifies the association between vocabulary and educational attainment, whereby a larger vocabulary was most advantageous for those in middle SEC groups (interaction term OR = 1.09 [1.03; 1.15]). CONCLUSIONS: Early child vocabulary is a strong predictor of children's educational outcomes - even when controlling for proxy measures of the home environment and genetics. Nonetheless, children who enter school with strong vocabulary skills but disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances still have only about a 50/50 chance of gaining gateway qualifications at age 16.
Improving child mental health and learning outcomes and reducing stigma and discrimination in conflict setting: findings from a cluster randomized controlled trial of a classroom-based psychosocial intervention in rural primary schools in Afghanistan.
Trani JF, Zhu Y, Bechara S … +10 more , Yin S, Bakhshi P, Kaplan I, Singh RK, Modaber MA, Rawab H, Yoo M, Seelinger KT, Babulal GM, Raghavan R
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jul · PMID 41582623 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Conflict and crises have long-lasting and dramatic consequences on the mental health of children. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention on child mental health in Afghanistan...
BACKGROUND: Conflict and crises have long-lasting and dramatic consequences on the mental health of children. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention on child mental health in Afghanistan. METHODS: A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 83 rural primary schools within three provinces of Afghanistan. Children in Grades 3-6, their teachers, and one adult family member were enrolled. Schools were randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups: a treatment group composed of entire classes receiving a week-long classroom-based teacher-and-child psychosocial training, a one-day family engagement component, and a community-based system dynamics workshop; and a control group. Primary outcomes were anxiety, depression, life skills, self-efficacy, and resilience of the child. Secondary outcomes included reading and mathematical literacy, mathematical problem-solving, and school-based discrimination and stigma. This trial is registered with the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials Number registry (ISRCTN83632872). RESULTS: In June 2021, 40 schools and n = 2,262 children were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 43 schools and n = 2,277 children to the control group. Preintervention survey started October 2, 2021 (first batch) and April 10, 2023 (second batch). After a minimum of 4-month intervention, a postintervention survey took place. No treatment effects were found on anxiety, depression, resilience, self-efficacy, life skills, or stigma. Effects were found for academic outcomes and school-based discrimination. Shorter interventions displayed reductions in depression, anxiety, stigma, and discrimination, and an increase in life skills. Additional analyses showed significant effects on several outcomes for boys, on a few outcomes for girls, and in areas where the governmental did not disrupt the process. CONCLUSIONS: Classroom-based interventions delivered by trained field-based educational staff can effectively promote child mental health, social-emotional skills, and academic outcomes, and reduce stigma and discrimination among subgroups of children in conflict and crisis settings and have viable potential for scalability.
Commentary: An impressive state-of-the-science account and an exciting springboard for new paths: the present and future of research on early conduct problems - a commentary on Hyde et al. (2025).
Kochanska G
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 41582613 · Full text
In this commentary on 'Annual Research Review: Early conduct problems - precursors, outcomes, and etiology' by Hyde and colleagues, I discuss the strengths of that review and its heuristic value in inspiring future resea...
In this commentary on 'Annual Research Review: Early conduct problems - precursors, outcomes, and etiology' by Hyde and colleagues, I discuss the strengths of that review and its heuristic value in inspiring future research directions. The review is an impressive, comprehensive, scholarly, and up-to-date broad summary of the current state of developmental science related to conduct problems. By embracing biopsychosocial/ecological perspective and reviewing constructs and processes across multiple levels, it has a cutting-edge quality and scope. But perhaps even more importantly, it is heuristically fertile: It inspires new compelling questions and can potentially forge new bridges with other perspectives and areas of research. I discuss two such new directions that can complement - without contradicting - the authors' ideas. One, I argue for expanding the focus to relational experiences and parents' and children's emerging representations in the first years of life to elucidate very early origins of maladaptive cascades leading to conduct problems. And two, I suggest complementing the current emphasis on adverse developmental factors - a natural focus in the study of conduct problems - with research on positive socialization forces that can act as powerful buffers against risks for antisocial behavior.
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