J Child Psychol Psychiatry [JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Mid-childhood developmental and behavioural outcomes in infants with a family history of autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Charman T, Bazelmans T, Pasco G … +4 more , Begum Ali J, Johnson MH, Jones EJH, BASIS/STAARS Team
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40923413 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Prospective studies of autism family history infants primarily report recurrence and predictors of autism at 3 years. Less is known about ADHD family history infants and later childhood outcomes. We character...
BACKGROUND: Prospective studies of autism family history infants primarily report recurrence and predictors of autism at 3 years. Less is known about ADHD family history infants and later childhood outcomes. We characterise profiles of mid-childhood developmental and behavioural outcomes in infants with a family history of autism and/or ADHD to identify potential support needs and patterns of co-occurrence across domains. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-three infants (51% male; N = 198 autism/ADHD family history; N = 65 no family history) were assessed at 6-12 years. A latent profile analysis (LPA) with indicator variables measuring developmental abilities (IQ, adaptive function) and behavioural traits (autism, ADHD, anxiety) identified dimensional, data-derived outcome classes. RESULTS: A seven-class solution was the most robust and clinically meaningful. Two classes (27% and 23%) had typical development; two classes had high autism, ADHD, and anxiety traits-one with low IQ and adaptive function (10%) and one with average IQ but low adaptive function (13%); one class had elevated autism and ADHD but not anxiety traits (10%); and the final two classes had elevated ADHD (9%) and anxiety (8%) traits in isolation. Sex distribution was balanced across all classes. Children with autism were found in all classes but predominantly in the classes with low IQ/adaptive functioning and high behavioural traits, as well as in the class with elevated autism and ADHD traits. We found only partial continuity between membership of similarly derived 3-year LPA classes and mid-childhood LPA classes. CONCLUSIONS: Many autism/ADHD family history infants develop typically. However, by mid-childhood, in addition to those with autism, others show elevated neurodevelopmental (autism, ADHD) and neuropsychiatric (anxiety) behavioural traits. Lower developmental abilities (IQ and adaptive function) are primarily seen in children with an autism diagnosis. Family history infants should be monitored through childhood, and support provided should challenges emerge.
Editorial: Supporting families in the first 1,000 days of life - a balancing act.
Luijk MPCM, Roseboom TJ
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2025 Oct · PMID 40916987 · Full text
From the moment of fertilization, human development takes a phenomenal pace. In no other period of life are more biological and developmental milestones met than in the first 1,000 days after conception. All organs and s...
From the moment of fertilization, human development takes a phenomenal pace. In no other period of life are more biological and developmental milestones met than in the first 1,000 days after conception. All organs and systems are formed, and children start to discover the world, learn whom to trust and where to find comfort in times of distress. Evidence from biological, psychological, social and economic research shows that the environment in the first 1,000 days significantly impacts a person's ability to reach their full potential. Children who grow up in unpredictable and unsafe environments often struggle with the consequences for the rest of their lives. Investments in this critical period of human development have proven to be the most cost-effective way to improve lifelong health and well-being. Therefore, this period has gained interest both in political debate and society at large. In this contribution, we demonstrate that while the focus on the first 1,000 days is scientifically sound and historically grounded, it is time to reflect on its societal impact. We focus on its unintended negative consequences for parental well-being. Evidence for the importance of the first 1,000 days should drive collective action rather than reinforce individual blame. Parenting is not just a private matter; governments have a duty to provide parents with the resources to give their children the best start in life.
How are children's perceptions of the home environment associated with a general psychopathology factor across childhood?
Nejand JK, Malanchini M, Voronin I … +2 more , Eley TC, Rimfeld K
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40916979 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Comorbidity and heterogeneity in psychiatric disorders may stem from a general psychopathology (p) factor influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Although the relative contributions of these inf...
BACKGROUND: Comorbidity and heterogeneity in psychiatric disorders may stem from a general psychopathology (p) factor influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Although the relative contributions of these influences on psychopathology are established, the longitudinal associations between the p-factor and specific environmental exposures and the aetiology of these associations across development are not well understood. Here, we examine whether twin-rated home environment contributes to changes in the p-factor over time or, conversely, whether the p-factor influences twin-rated home environment, reflecting potential evocative gene-environment processes. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). Cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted separately to ascertain the direction of associations between parent-rated p, twin-rated p, and twin-rated home environment (chaos at home and parental discipline) at ages 9, 12, and 16 (N = 6,213). Biometric autoregressive cross-lagged twin models were used to assess the aetiology of these associations, and MZ differences analyses were used to control for familial effects. RESULTS: Both parent-rated and twin-rated p-factor and twin-rated home environment were stable over time, although the twin-rated p-factor (r = .44 [0.42, 0.46]-.40 [0.37, 0.41]) was more variable than the parent-rated p-factor (r = .72 [0.71, 0.74]-.63 [0.61, 0.64]). Twin-rated home environment was more variable than p-factor in all cross-lagged models (phenotypic and MZ differences). Small, significant bidirectional associations were found between the p-factor and twin-rated home environment, with stronger cross-lagged paths from the p-factor to the twin-rated home environment than vice versa. These longitudinal associations persisted over time, though attenuated for parent-rated p-factor. Genetic analyses revealed that bidirectional cross-lagged paths were largely explained by shared environmental factors, with a smaller proportion explained by genetic factors. This pattern of results was confirmed in MZ difference analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a dynamic and bidirectional relationship between p-factor and twin-rated home environment across development, predominantly influenced by shared environmental factors. Changes in one can affect the other, highlighting the complexity of psychopathology's environmental influences. This underscores the need for further investigation into gene-environment interplay to inform prevention and intervention strategies for psychopathology.
Subclinical hypomania, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diagnoses: phenotypic and aetiological overlap.
Hosang GM, Martini MI, Ronald A … +4 more , Larsson H, Lundström S, Lichtenstein P, Taylor MJ
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40913366 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypomanic symptoms are fairly common in the general population but are linked to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. However, the genetic and environmental origins of these associations...
BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypomanic symptoms are fairly common in the general population but are linked to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. However, the genetic and environmental origins of these associations are unclear. This twin study examined the phenotypic and aetiological associations between subclinical hypomania and psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diagnoses. METHODS: Participants were 4,932 twin pairs from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden. Hypomanic symptoms were assessed using the parent-rated Mood Disorders Questionnaire when the twins were aged 18. Specialist diagnoses of 14 conditions and symptoms were ascertained from Swedish population registries. Phenotypic associations between hypomania and these conditions/symptoms were investigated, and their aetiological overlap was examined using the twin method. RESULTS: Subclinical hypomania was significantly associated with all 14 diagnoses. The highest odds were for psychotic disorders (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.33-1.64, p < .001). The genetic correlations between subclinical hypomania and these diagnoses ranged from 0.12 (95% CI: 0.04-0.33) for eating disorders (other than anorexia) to 0.58 (95% CI: 0.28-1.00) for drug misuse disorders. The nonshared environmental correlations were highest for psychotic disorders (0.52, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.92) and lowest for body dissatisfaction (0.04, 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.08). For bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, genetic, and nonshared environmental correlations with subclinical hypomania were of a similar magnitude. CONCLUSIONS: The association between subclinical hypomania and the diagnosis of multiple psychiatric phenotypes highlights its important role in the developmental pathway to clinical disorders, its complex origins, and that it may represent a quantitative trait for various psychiatric phenotypes.
Sex-specific pathways from early irritability trajectories to later suicidal ideations and behaviors: Findings from the ABCD study®.
Bellaert N, Simeone A, Zhang L … +4 more , Zhuo H, Orri M, Liew Z, Tseng WL
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40908153 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that children with high irritability are at increased risk for suicidal ideations and behaviors. However, they have mostly relied on teacher reports and shown mixed findings...
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that children with high irritability are at increased risk for suicidal ideations and behaviors. However, they have mostly relied on teacher reports and shown mixed findings regarding sex differences. We aimed to identify developmental trajectories of childhood irritability, test their direct and indirect (through psychopathology) associations with adolescent suicidal ideations and behaviors, and examine whether these associations differed by sex. METHODS: This study used five waves of data from the adolescent brain cognitive development (ABCD) Study (N = 4,583). Parents rated their children's irritability yearly from ages 9-10 to ages 11-12, internalizing (e.g. depression) and externalizing (e.g. aggression) symptoms at ages 12-13, and suicidal ideations and behaviors (SIBs) at ages 13-14 using the child behavior checklist. Subgroups of irritability trajectories were derived using growth mixture modeling. Path analysis was conducted to test the total, direct, and indirect pathways from irritability trajectories to SIBs through internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and sex differences in those paths. RESULTS: Four irritability trajectories were identified: low-stable (73.01%), rising (12.04%), declining (10.28%), and high-stable (4.67%). Compared with the other trajectories, children on the high-stable irritability trajectory were at higher risk for suicidal ideations (β = .13, p < .001), directly (β = .03, p = .04) and indirectly through internalizing and externalizing (β = .04 and 0.05, respectively, p's < .001) symptoms. Sex differences emerged for the rising and declining trajectories: pathways to suicidal ideations were mainly mediated by internalizing symptoms in females and externalizing symptoms in males. Pathways from all irritability trajectories to suicidal behaviors were mediated by internalizing and externalizing symptoms and were stronger in females than males. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct trajectories of parent-reported irritability in childhood are differentially associated with suicidal ideation and behavior in adolescence, with the high-stable trajectory conferring the greatest risk. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms play key mediating roles, with notable sex differences in children following rising and declining irritability trajectories. Females with high irritability at any time point in preadolescence were at particular risk for suicidal behaviors.
Understanding the link between adolescent depression and precarious employment in adulthood: evidence from a sibling fixed effects analysis.
Kim J, Jang H, Kwon KY … +1 more , Park H
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40897673 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Adolescent depressive symptoms may mark the beginning of long-term trajectories of socioeconomic disadvantage, yet their role in shaping labor market outcomes remains understudied. This study investigates the...
BACKGROUND: Adolescent depressive symptoms may mark the beginning of long-term trajectories of socioeconomic disadvantage, yet their role in shaping labor market outcomes remains understudied. This study investigates the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms in adolescence and precarious employment in adulthood and explores the mediating roles of persistent depressive symptoms and educational attainment. METHODS: Using a sample of 3,703 individuals from full sibling pairs in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we employed sibling fixed effects models to control for unobserved family-level confounding. Precarious employment in adulthood was measured using a multidimensional index reflecting job instability, material insecurity, lack of benefits, and limited decision-making autonomy. RESULTS: Adolescent depressive symptoms were positively associated with precarious employment in adulthood (b = 0.0165, p < .01), even after adjusting for family-level confounders. No significant gender differences were observed. Mediation analyses revealed that subsequent depressive symptoms in young adulthood mediated approximately 23.0% of this association, while educational attainment accounted for an additional 18.9%, independent of later depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight adolescent depressive symptoms as a significant early risk factor for employment precarity in adulthood. The results underscore the importance of early mental health interventions and suggest that improving emotional well-being and educational outcomes during adolescence may reduce long-term socioeconomic disadvantage.
Associations between genetic predisposition to mental health problems and academic achievement: a developmental perspective using two population-based cohorts.
Larose MP, Schuurmans I, Barker ED … +4 more , Garcia Mondragon L, Tiemeier H, Waldman I, Cecil C
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40891662 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Children's cognitive abilities play an important role throughout their academic career, but recent studies highlight the negative impacts of aggression, inattention, and impulsivity on academic success. These...
BACKGROUND: Children's cognitive abilities play an important role throughout their academic career, but recent studies highlight the negative impacts of aggression, inattention, and impulsivity on academic success. These behaviors and traits are central to most externalizing (EXT) and neurodevelopmental (NDD) problems, which are substantially genetically influenced. We examined the mechanisms by which high levels of genetic predispositions to EXT and NDD problems associate with elevated mental health symptoms and subsequently lead to lower levels of academic achievement in two developmental periods (i.e., childhood and adolescence). METHODS: Analyses were performed on a subset of participants from the Generation R Study (N = 2,992) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (N = 5,099). Using structural equation modeling, we simultaneously tested for indirect pathways between polygenic scores for externalizing and neurodevelopmental problems (PGS-EXT and PGS-NDD) and academic achievement (age 12 in the Generation R Study and age 16 in ALSPAC) via children's symptomatology for conduct, attention, social, and oppositional defiant problems reported by mothers during early childhood (Generation R Study) and from childhood to adolescence (ALSPAC study). Our models were adjusted for children's sex, exposure to adversity, cognitive abilities, early school achievement (only in ALSPAC), and genetic predisposition to educational attainment. RESULTS: In both cohorts, we found that higher levels of PGS-NDD were associated with lower levels of academic achievement via higher attention problems. In adolescence only, we found that higher levels of PGS-NDD and PGS-EXT were associated with lower academic achievement via higher levels of conduct problems. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic predispositions to EXT and NDD were indirectly associated with academic achievement beyond the PGS for educational attainment, highlighting the need for sustained efforts to support children with attention problems in educational settings and to intervene on conduct problems, particularly during adolescence. PRE-REGISTRATION NUMBER: Doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/SQTJH.
Initial diagnosis patterns of coexisting mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in autistic children and youth: Evidence from a nationally representative sample in Canada.
Chen YJ, Lai MC, Georgiades S … +7 more , Duku E, Edwards J, Nolan E, Szatmari P, Miller R, Cost K, Georgiades K
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40889145 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Elevated prevalence of coexisting health conditions has been observed in autistic people, yet how the timing of their initial diagnoses varies by sex and age of autism diagnosis remains understudied. Using a...
BACKGROUND: Elevated prevalence of coexisting health conditions has been observed in autistic people, yet how the timing of their initial diagnoses varies by sex and age of autism diagnosis remains understudied. Using a person-centered approach, we examined the patterns of initial diagnosis for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions among autistic children and youth identified from the general population. METHODS: The sample was drawn from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY) cohort (N = 47,781), consisting of 776 5-17-year-olds (82% assigned-male-at-birth) with a caregiver-reported diagnosis of autism. Multigroup latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups based on ages of initial diagnoses of autism, anxiety, mood, learning, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders stratified by sex assigned at birth. Functional difficulties and multimorbidity status, including the number and types of coexisting conditions, were compared across the subgroups. RESULTS: Four latent subgroups were identified for each sex group, primarily differentiated by the age of autism diagnosis. The most prevalent class (46%) was characterized by an initial autism diagnosis at ages 3-5 years. The remaining subgroups, with autism diagnosed primarily before age 3, at 6-8, and at 9-17 years, each comprised ~20% of the sample. Subgroups with autism diagnosed after age 6 tended to have more coexisting conditions, with females showing heightened probabilities of mental health diagnoses across age windows from birth to age 17 years. The temporal order of coexisting diagnoses relative to autism diagnosis varied across subgroups, with sex differences more evident for anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. CONCLUSIONS: There were nuanced variations in the timing of initial diagnoses of coexisting conditions based on the age of autism diagnosis. The sex-varying patterns highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation of the neurodevelopmental and mental health needs of autistic children and youth, with supports tailored to sex and the timing of autism diagnosis.
Developing language in a developing body: genetic associations of infant gross motor behaviour and self-care/symbolic actions with emerging language abilities.
Verhoef E, de Hoyos L, Schlag F … +6 more , van der Ven J, Olislagers M, Dale PS, Kidd E, Fisher SE, St Pourcain B
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jan · PMID 40887631 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Mastering gross motor abilities in early infancy and culturally defined actions (e.g. self-care routines) in late infancy can initiate cascading developmental changes that affect language learning. Here, we a...
BACKGROUND: Mastering gross motor abilities in early infancy and culturally defined actions (e.g. self-care routines) in late infancy can initiate cascading developmental changes that affect language learning. Here, we adopt a genetic perspective to investigate underlying processes, implicating either shared or "gateway" mechanisms, where the latter enable children to interact with their environment. METHODS: Selecting heritable traits (h, heritability), we studied infant gross motor (6 months) and self-care/symbolic (15 months) skills as predictors of 10 language outcomes (15-38 months) in genotyped children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N ≤ 7,017). Language measures were combined into three interrelated language factors (LF) using structural equation modeling (SEM), corresponding to largely different age windows (LF, LF, LF, 51.3% total explained variance). Developmental genomic and non-genomic relationships across measures were dissected with Cholesky decompositions using genetic-relationship-matrix structural equation modeling (GRM-SEM) as part of a multivariate approach. RESULTS: Gross motor abilities at 6 months (h = 0.18 (SE = .06)) and self-care/symbolic actions at 15 months (h = 0.18 (SE = .06)) were modestly heritable, as well as the three derived language factor scores (LFS-h = 0.12 (SE = .05), LFS-h = 0.21 (SE = .06), LFS-h = 0.17 (SE = .05)), enabling genetic analyses. Developmental genetic models (GRM-SEM) showed that gross motor abilities (6 months) share genetic influences with self-care/symbolic actions (15 months, factor loading λ; λ = 0.22 (SE = .09)), but not with language performance (p ≥ .05). In contrast, genetic influences underlying self-care/symbolic actions, independent of early gross motor skills, were related to all three language factors (LFS-λ = 0.26 (SE = .09), LFS-λ = 0.28 (SE = .10), LFS-λ = 0.30 (SE = .10)). Multivariate models studying individual language outcomes provided consistent results, both for genomic and non-genomic influences. CONCLUSIONS: Genetically encoded processes linking gross motor behaviour in young infants to self-care/symbolic actions in older infants are different from those linking self-care/symbolic actions to emerging language abilities. These findings are consistent with a developmental cascade where motor control enables children to engage in novel social interactions, but children's social learning abilities foster language development.
Executive function predicts academic and social skills in autistic kindergartners based on a multimodal approach.
Choi B, Lee H, Kuhn L … +8 more , Kim J, Hong SJ, Di Martino A, Gozzi A, Lombardo MV, Morrison FJ, Lord C, Kim SH
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40865540 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EF) are cognitive processes that underlie goal-directed abilities and behaviors which have been found to be variable in autistic children. While EFs are well-established predictors of aca...
BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EF) are cognitive processes that underlie goal-directed abilities and behaviors which have been found to be variable in autistic children. While EFs are well-established predictors of academic and social outcomes in neurotypical children, it is unclear if these same associations are true for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the relation between EF and academic and social skills in cognitively able, verbal kindergarteners with ASD, while using a multimeasurement approach to EF skills. METHODS: Participants included 67 autistic children aged 4-6 years longitudinally followed from kindergarten entry to exit. Children's EF was measured using a multimodal assessment approach with a computerized EF battery, behavioral observation, and parent report. Academic achievement and social skills were evaluated through a standardized assessment and parent report, respectively. Multiple regression models were conducted to explore the associations of EF with academic and social outcomes, while controlling for key demographic factors (e.g. age, sex, nonverbal IQ). RESULTS: EF, measured through the computerized battery, was significantly associated with math achievement when controlling for age, sex, and nonverbal IQ, both concurrently and longitudinally. EF difficulties, as reported by parents, were closely linked to current and later parent-reported peer play challenges. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that EF may be critical foundational skills for school success in young autistic children at school transition. Therefore, targeted EF interventions could be a powerful way to optimize academic and social development in autistic kindergarteners. The results also highlight the importance of a multimeasurement approach to EF assessment, as it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the broader impact of EF on key developmental outcomes in ASD.
Research Review: On the (mis)use of puberty data in the ABCD Study® - a systematic review, problem illustration, and path forward.
Beltz AM, Pham H, Smith T … +6 more , Hidalgo-Lopez E, Becker H, Portengen CM, Heitzeg MM, Kaplan C, Berenbaum SA
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jan · PMID 40851543 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® has significant potential to reveal the nature, causes, context, and consequences of pubertal development in diverse American youth. Optimal use of the...
BACKGROUND: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® has significant potential to reveal the nature, causes, context, and consequences of pubertal development in diverse American youth. Optimal use of the data requires thoughtful consideration of puberty: how it is likely to affect psychological and neural development, and its measurement. We examined how ABCD puberty data have been used, and the relative advantages of two measures derived from the Pubertal Development Scale: the categorical measure provided in data releases and a continuous measure widely used outside ABCD. METHODS: First, we conducted a review of published studies using ABCD puberty data through December 2024, following PRISMA guidelines. Two independent raters coded the studies for key features. Second, we used data from ABCD baseline and the Year 1 follow-up to empirically compare the categorical and continuous measures in descriptives, reliability, sex differences, twin similarities, and examine correspondence. RESULTS: Systematic review results from 190 reports showed that more studies considered puberty as a covariate (72%) than a variable of interest (28%), with 44% using the categorical measure from data releases and another 28% providing insufficient information to determine measurement. When puberty was a focus, there was variability in the use of youth versus parent-report and approach to missing data, and little attention to sex differences. Results from the empirical comparison showed advantages of the continuous over the categorical measure in data availability, developmental distributions, and reliability; they also confirmed the limited utility of youth-report in early puberty. CONCLUSIONS: Results have crucial implications for the use of ABCD puberty data, especially early assessments. They highlight the complexity of studying pubertal influences on adolescent development and emphasize measurement. Attention to these issues will maximize the potential of ABCD to rigorously delineate the role of puberty in brain and behavioral development and to ultimately promote youth well-being.
Effects of a parent advocacy intervention on service access for transition-aged autistic youth: a multisite randomized controlled trial.
Taylor JL, DaWalt LS, Burke MM … +2 more , Xu M, Slaughter JC
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40820234 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Autistic youth in the United States face many challenges accessing services as they transition to adulthood. Improving parents' ability to advocate for services is a promising way to improve service access. T...
BACKGROUND: Autistic youth in the United States face many challenges accessing services as they transition to adulthood. Improving parents' ability to advocate for services is a promising way to improve service access. The current study tested whether participation in an intervention to improve parents' ability to advocate for adult services (called Advocating for Supports to Improve Service Transitions or ASSIST) led to increased service access for their transition-aged autistic youth. METHODS: Using a multisite, single-blind parallel-group design, we randomized 185 parents of transition-aged autistic youth to either a treatment condition that received the ASSIST intervention, or a control condition that received comprehensive written information about adult services. Primary outcomes for this report - number of government programs that fund services and direct services received by the youth - were collected via parental interview at baseline, six, and 12 months after intervention. RESULTS: Primary analyses found no significant treatment effects on service access. Subgroup analyses, however, detected treatment effects for families of youth who had exited high school prior to their families taking ASSIST. Among those families, youth from the treatment group were receiving more government programs that fund services at 6 months after intervention compared with youth from the control group. CONCLUSIONS: We cannot conclude from our findings that ASSIST improved access to services, though there was some evidence to suggest increased access to government programs that fund services for families of autistic youth who had exited high school. Future research should investigate which families can translate written information about adult services (i.e. the control condition) into improved service access, and which families need more individualized support beyond a group-based class to see improvements in service access.
Distinct cascades for secure and insecure infants from early anger dysregulation to mothers' and fathers' power-assertive control at toddler age to externalizing outcomes at preschool age: a replication.
Kim S, Kochanska G
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40817833 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Bowlby's concept of attachment as a biobehavioral proximity-regulating system providing infants with confidence in protection and support for exploration has been expanded to include early security's legacy f...
BACKGROUND: Bowlby's concept of attachment as a biobehavioral proximity-regulating system providing infants with confidence in protection and support for exploration has been expanded to include early security's legacy for socialization processes. We report a continued programmatic effort to replicate our model of security as a potent catalyst moderating common maladaptive longitudinal cascades from early child difficulty to increased parental power assertion to externalizing developmental outcomes. We elucidate the multifinality of sequelae that can unfold from early child difficulty. Our moderated mediation model proposes that such cascades occur only in parent-child dyads with histories of insecure attachment in infancy; early security buffers those risks. METHODS: Children and Parents Study (CAPS) included 200 community mothers, fathers, and children from the U.S. Midwest. At 16 months (N = 194, 93 girls), we observed children's early difficulty (anger dysregulation) and security with each parent in the Strange Situation Paradigm. At 38 months (age 3, N = 175, 86 girls), we observed parents' power-assertive control. At 52 months (age 4.5, N = 177, 86 girls), we observed children's poor self-regulation and violations of conduct rules and obtained parents' reports of children's disruptive behavior. RESULTS: For mothers and children, the indirect effects of early anger dysregulation at 16 months on all three outcomes at age 4.5, mediated via increased power assertion at age 3, were present only in insecure dyads, as reflected in significant moderated mediation. Comprehensive analysis that integrated all three outcomes further supported the robust moderating effect of early security for the entire developmental path from anger dysregulation to power assertion to child outcomes, and for each segment of that path. There were no findings for fathers. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the critical importance - and challenges - of replicating models of complex longitudinal cascades when elucidating multifinality throughthe lens unique to developmental psychology and psychopathology.
Annual Research Review: Early conduct problems - precursors, outcomes, and etiology.
Hyde LW, Trentacosta CJ, Bezek JL
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Apr · PMID 40814176 · Full text
During the toddler and preschool period, nearly all children engage in some level of aggression, defiance, stealing, and temper tantrums. While the frequency and intensity of these behaviors tends to decrease across earl...
During the toddler and preschool period, nearly all children engage in some level of aggression, defiance, stealing, and temper tantrums. While the frequency and intensity of these behaviors tends to decrease across early childhood, a subset of children engage in these conduct problem behaviors at a higher intensity early in life and/or do not desist from these behaviors. Instead, these behaviors escalate across childhood and adolescence into serious forms of antisocial behavior (e.g., aggression, rule breaking). Given the negative impacts of these behaviors on children engaging in them, victims, and society, childhood conduct problems are a major public health concern. Here, we provide an updated review of the research identifying the trajectory of conduct problems; risk factors for their emergence, persistence, and escalation; and mechanisms through which risk impacts behavior, using a biopsychosocial and ecological lens. We describe how child and parent attributes contribute to a coercive dyadic cycle that leads to escalating problem behaviors, and how the broader context undermines these proximal relationships to increase risk for conduct problems. Next, we consider the role that genetics plays in these processes and describe how gene-environment interplay shapes early conduct problems. Further, we describe the ways in which these environmental and genetic risk processes impact brain development to increase risk for conduct problems. Finally, we discuss recent approaches to prevent and treat conduct problems and discuss research needs to better support our understanding of the development, prevention, and treatment of early conduct problems.
Maternal expressions of warmth and negativity and adolescent mental health: using longitudinal monozygotic twin-difference analyses to approach causal inference.
Wickersham A, Caspi A, Arseneault L … +8 more , Moffitt TE, Downs J, Ambler A, Latham RM, Cummins N, Firth Z, Wertz J, Fisher HL
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Jan · PMID 40803683 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Emotions that mothers express about their offspring are associated with offspring mental health during childhood, but little research has explored whether this extends into adolescence. We investigated associ...
BACKGROUND: Emotions that mothers express about their offspring are associated with offspring mental health during childhood, but little research has explored whether this extends into adolescence. We investigated associations between maternal warmth and negativity towards twin offspring at age 10, and subsequent mental health outcomes in early and late adolescence. METHODS: The Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study is a population-based cohort of 2,232 same-sex twins born in 1994-1995 across England and Wales. Maternal warmth and negativity were assessed from Five-Minute Speech Samples obtained when twins were aged 10. Continuous mental health outcomes were assessed in interviews with twins at ages 12 (depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder) and 18 (general psychopathology, internalising, externalising and thought disorder). Linear regressions were conducted on 1906 participants with available data and adjusted for sex, family socioeconomic status, and age-5 emotional and behavioural problems. We then conducted a monozygotic twin-difference analysis to control for unmeasured shared environmental and genetic factors. RESULTS: Lower maternal warmth and higher maternal negativity were associated with worse mental health outcomes at ages 12 and 18. For example, when comparing differences in mothers' expressed emotions and mental health outcomes within monozygotic twin pairs, higher negativity remained associated with externalising symptoms (b = 1.77, 95% CI = 0.68 to 2.86, β = .14) and poorer general psychopathology (b = 1.82, 95% CI = 0.63 to 3.01, β = .13), and lower warmth with externalising symptoms (b = -1.96, 95% CI = -3.54 to -0.37, β = -.11). These associations remained after adjusting for twin-differences in age-5 emotional and behavioural problems and birth weight. Null findings were more frequently observed for maternal warmth and internalising outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Using a genetically sensitive design to approach causal inference, we found evidence for associations between maternal warmth/negativity and adolescent mental health outcomes. Maternal expressed emotion ratings might provide an early opportunity to identify families who would benefit from interventions and mental health disorder prevention programmes.
Sensory hyperacusis as a predictor of anxiety in adolescence.
Tseliou F, Collishaw S, Price A … +1 more , Sumner P
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40801358 · Full text
BACKGROUND: An increasing number of children report anxiety in early to mid-adolescence. Early identification of risk during the transition from primary to secondary schools (age 11) could enhance family- or school-based...
BACKGROUND: An increasing number of children report anxiety in early to mid-adolescence. Early identification of risk during the transition from primary to secondary schools (age 11) could enhance family- or school-based interventions. While known predictors of adolescent anxiety provide some insight, there is a need to identify and understand additional risk factors. Hyperacusis (aversive sensitivity to sound) is correlated with anxiety in children and adults and thus a candidate risk factor longitudinally. METHODS: We explored the predictive potential of auditory hyperacusis using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, n = 6,621). Hyperacusis at age 11 was assessed with a single question, while anxiety and related emotional problems were captured by the emotional subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-E) at ages 13, 16 and through longitudinal trajectories (4-16 years). RESULTS: Hyperacusis significantly predicted anxiety at ages 13 and 16. This predictive effect remained for age 13 even when accounting for pre-existing anxiety/emotional problems, autism traits and other neurodiversity characteristics (ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia). Similar, though less pronounced, patterns emerged at age 16. When testing the four previously identified childhood trajectories of emotional problems, hyperacusis predicted persistent versus decreasing trajectories (the two cases when preschool anxiety is already high) more reliably than increasing from low trajectories (the two cases when preschool anxiety is low). Additional exploratory analyses found that hyperacusis was most strongly associated with SDQ-E items related to fear, worry, and nervousness; still predicted SDQ-E scores at age 25, but not adult generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder or suicidal self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings suggest that assessing hyperacusis at age 11 can provide additional predictive insights into the exacerbation and maintenance of anxiety in adolescence.
The role of comorbid childhood mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in the persistence of ADHD symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis.
You Y, McAdams T, Ahmadzadeh YI … +3 more , Schoeler T, Marzecki F, Zavos HMS
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40801243 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Children diagnosed with ADHD and other comorbid mental health conditions often exhibit more severe functional impairments than those without comorbid conditions, including a tendency for their ADHD symptoms t...
BACKGROUND: Children diagnosed with ADHD and other comorbid mental health conditions often exhibit more severe functional impairments than those without comorbid conditions, including a tendency for their ADHD symptoms to persist into later developmental stages. We conducted a systematic review and quantitative analysis to investigate the extent to which specific childhood comorbidities (internalizing, externalizing and neurodevelopmental conditions) predict the persistence of childhood ADHD into later developmental stages. METHODS: We extracted data from 26 studies meeting the criteria for inclusion and applied multilevel random effects models to obtain pooled estimates of Cohen's d for selected predictors on ADHD persistence. RESULTS: Childhood comorbid internalizing and externalizing conditions (d = 0.19 and d = 0.31, respectively), but not neurodevelopmental disorders, were significantly associated with ADHD persistence. After adjusting for covariates (sex, age and other comorbidities), this association diminished for externalizing conditions (d = 0.24) and was no longer significant for internalizing conditions (d = 0.06). The association between comorbid externalizing behavior problems and ADHD persistence was found only in studies that used parent-reported data to measure childhood ADHD and externalizing conditions, but not in studies that included teacher-reported childhood symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood comorbid externalizing and, to a lesser extent, internalizing conditions were associated with the persistence of ADHD, but this association may be partially due to confounders. Childhood comorbidity of neurodevelopmental disorders does not appear to increase the likelihood of ADHD persistence.
Early manifestations of unexpected bilingualism in minimally verbal autism.
Gagnon D, Ostrolenk A, Mottron L
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40801086 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Unexpected bilingualism (UB) in autism, in which children speak languages not spoken in their social environment, has been sporadically reported. UB implies that autistic children can acquire languages in a n...
BACKGROUND: Unexpected bilingualism (UB) in autism, in which children speak languages not spoken in their social environment, has been sporadically reported. UB implies that autistic children can acquire languages in a non-socially interactive way. The early minimally verbal period in autism could be critical for non-interactive language acquisition, given the predominance of non-social interests at that time. However, evidence of language acquisition outside social interaction during this period remains limited and restricted to small case studies. METHODS: Caregivers of 119 autistic, 102 non-autistic clinical, and 75 typically developing (TD) children aged 2-6 years completed a structured questionnaire about their children's language-related interests and use. They were also asked to estimate the relative proportion of each language their children were exposed to in their social environment. UB was operationalized as the use of at least one language not spoken in the child's social environment to name letters and/or numbers. RESULTS: Of the autistic group, 53% were considered minimally verbal. A total of 38.7% of autistic children displayed UB, with autistic children being 4.38 times more likely to show UB than TD children (p < .001). In contrast, the non-autistic clinical children did not differ significantly from TD children. The presence of UB was not associated with the children's expressive language level. Autistic children were 8.28 times more likely than TD children to use a non-dominant language (here English) (p < .001), after controlling for their proportion of social exposure to that language. Non-interactive media were the only sources caregivers reported to explain the presence of UB in autistic children. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic children, even those who are minimally verbal, are less dependent on their social environment for specific aspects of language development. Non-interactive pathways of language acquisition may have a prominent role in early language development in autism.
Intergenerational transmission of maternal childhood maltreatment, prenatal substance exposure, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early adolescence at age 12.
Min MO, Kim JY, Minnes S … +2 more , Kim R, Singer LT
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 Feb · PMID 40791072 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the intergenerational impact of maternal childhood maltreatment (MCM) in the context of prenatal substance exposure (PSE). This study investigates whether PSE is part of the pathway...
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the intergenerational impact of maternal childhood maltreatment (MCM) in the context of prenatal substance exposure (PSE). This study investigates whether PSE is part of the pathway of MCM or an independent risk factor affecting offspring psychopathology. METHODS: Participants were 284 birth mother-child (44% male) dyads, primarily Black, low-income, enrolled at birth. Exposure to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or cocaine in utero was assessed at 1 month postpartum. MCM was assessed at child age 4, and maternal psychological distress and offspring maltreatment at child age 10. Mother- and child-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed at child age 12 using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test sequential mediation pathways examining the direct and indirect associations of MCM with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms via PSE, maternal psychological distress, and offspring maltreatment, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: MCM was directly related to adolescent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms, whereas PSE was directly related to adolescent-reported externalizing symptoms. MCM and PSE were indirectly related to mother-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms via maternal psychological distress. Only PSE was related to offspring maltreatment at 10 years, and offspring maltreatment was related to both mother- and adolescent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: MCM and PSE may increase offspring vulnerability to psychopathology, highlighting the importance of evaluating historical risks that mothers may transmit from their own childhood maltreatment and prenatal substance use in assessing offspring psychopathology.
Neuroimaging biomarkers in school-aged children with autism: MRI-measured lipid content in the limbic system.
Deng YY, Zhou X, Yin BY … +6 more , Zou FY, Zhong SS, Luo XW, Shen LS, Fan Y, Guo RM
J Child Psychol Psychiatry · 2026 May · PMID 40791070 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Alterations in brain lipids may elucidate ASD's neurophysiological mechanisms, but evidence remains limited. This study aims to assess...
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Alterations in brain lipids may elucidate ASD's neurophysiological mechanisms, but evidence remains limited. This study aims to assess whether the MRI-measured lipid content in limbic brain regions could serve as novel biomarkers for neurophysiological changes in school-aged children with ASD. METHODS: This prospective study included 98 school-aged (7-16 years) children with ASD and 94 age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) children, an age window selected based on established milestones of structural brain maturation. Lipid content in limbic regions was quantified via MRI-based proton density fat fraction (PDFF). Between-group differences, blood lipid correlations, and clinical scale associations were analyzed. In vitro validation and histopathology in ASD mice confirmed lipid quantification accuracy and deposits. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses evaluated diagnostic utility. RESULTS: Children with ASD exhibited significantly elevated MRI-measured lipid content in the bilateral fusiform gyrus (FUS) (p < .01), with positive correlations observed between lipid content and total cholesterol (left hemisphere: r = .38, p < .01; right hemisphere r = .46, p < .01). Histopathological examination of BTBR mice brain sections stained with ammonium ferric sulfate revealed significant cholesterol deposits. Additionally, reduced lipid content in the bilateral caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC) (left hemisphere: p < .01, right hemisphere: p < .01) was found in children with ASD, and the lipid content of the right cACC was negatively correlated with impairments in social communication (r = -.32, p = .04). Results of ROC analyses demonstrated that multimodal integration of bilateral FUS and cACC lipid contents yielded the highest AUC (0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in the FUS and cACC underscore their roles in ASD neuropathology. These findings suggest that MRI-measured lipid levels of specific regions from the brain limbic system could serve as a biomarker for neurophysiological changes in school-aged children with ASD.
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