OBJECTIVE: The current mixed methods study builds on previous research on family resilience during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to better understand family risk and resilience across one ye...OBJECTIVE: The current mixed methods study builds on previous research on family resilience during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to better understand family risk and resilience across one year from ~3 months to ~15 months post-COVID-19-pandemic onset in a sample of well-resourced families, elucidating how the chronic nature of the pandemic impacted family functioning, using data from both summer 2020 and summer 2021. METHODS: Children of 265 U.S. parents (258 mothers) were 2.7-14.1 years old in 2020 (51.7% girls, 83.9% White; primarily middle-to-high income families). Parent surveys examined perceptions of the pandemic, predictors of parent and child psychological distress, and changes to work and family life from 2020 to 2021. RESULTS: We found that, qualitatively, families were continuing to exhibit resilience in 2021, with many adaptations in parent, family, and child lives including parental divorce, moving the child to homeschool, and family members finding alone time. Regression analyses showed that the best quantitative predictors of 2021 parent and child psychological distress were 2020 parent and child psychological distress, followed by 2020 COVID-19 daily impact for 2021 child psychological distress (controlling for social desirability, family income, parent education, race, and number of children in the home). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, findings indicate that even well-resourced families were continuing to experience social disruption in their daily lives in 2021, though to a lesser extent than in 2020, showing evidence of continued family resilience over a year into the pandemic.
Margolis AE, Law A, Knapp EA
… +28 more, Greenwood P, Algermissen M, Avalos LA, Birnhak Z, Blackwell C, Breton C, Bush NR, Duarte C, Frazier J, Ganiban J, Herbstman J, Hernandez I, Hofheimer JA, Karagas MR, Pagliaccio D, Ramphal B, Cohen JW, Roubinov D, Saxbe D, Schmidt R, Sherlock P, Velez-Vega C, Tang X, Rauh V, Lewis J, Hamra G, Bastain TM, Program Collaborators for Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol
· 2026 · PMID 41105920
·
Full text
OBJECTIVE: Traumatic stress symptoms increase the risk for mental health problems. We examine patterns of COVID-19-related changes in youth and family experiences (material hardships, behavior change, coping strategies),...OBJECTIVE: Traumatic stress symptoms increase the risk for mental health problems. We examine patterns of COVID-19-related changes in youth and family experiences (material hardships, behavior change, coping strategies), how these patterns vary with sociodemographic factors, and how COVID-19-related experiences associate with youth pandemic-related traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. METHOD: K-means clustering examined patterns of pandemic-related experiences in Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes data (April 2020-August 2021; = 9,139; 48% female), a demographically and regionally diverse sample. Clusters were characterized by sociodemographic factors measured pre-pandemic. Sparse partial least squares regression evaluated associations between cluster parameters and youth PTS symptoms in two samples (children [<13 years-old, = 1,293]; adolescents [≥13 years-old], = 1,272). RESULTS: Clustering replicated in the child and adolescent samples. One cluster reported more (HiChange) and one reported less (LoChange) pandemic-related change. The LoChange (versus HiChange) group included more Black individuals, single-parent households, and had lower income and education. PTS Scale scores were more associated with the youth's own versus the parent/caregiver's experiences. Nonetheless, across all youth, a report of "no change" in parent/caregiver behavior was associated with lower youth PTS Scale scores. For all children, lower PTS Scale scores are associated with the parent/caregiver being able to isolate. Use of coping strategies was not associated with lowered scores. Higher scores are associated with changes in youth health behaviors (e.g. eating, exercise, time outside), health care access, and increased media use. CONCLUSION: Results provide information for public health guidance, which can minimize youth PTS symptoms now and in future health disasters: stability in health behaviors, access to healthcare, and ability to isolate are paramount.
OBJECTIVE: Substance use, violence, and HIV/AIDS (i.e. SAVA) are three adversities known to cluster and contribute to other poor health outcomes among marginalized communities due to structural factors including racism a...OBJECTIVE: Substance use, violence, and HIV/AIDS (i.e. SAVA) are three adversities known to cluster and contribute to other poor health outcomes among marginalized communities due to structural factors including racism and poverty. Most research on SAVA has focused on negative outcomes (e.g. psychopathology) among those directly affected. To address important gaps in the literature, the current study explored how child gender moderates the associations between maternal SAVA severity and child individual, relational, community, and cultural resilience. METHOD: Participants included 263 children (M = 12.11, SD = 2.77; 59% girls; 82% Black) and their maternal caregivers. SAVA severity was examined as a continuous latent variable and resilience levels were calculated via confirmatory factor analysis based on manifest variables. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, linear regression analyses indicated that, among girls but not boys, lower maternal SAVA severity was associated with higher individual (β = -0.22, = .04, d = 0.01) and community (β = -0.27, = .02, d = 0.02) level resilience. Further, across all children, lower maternal SAVA severity was associated with higher cultural resilience (β = -0.24, < .001, d = 0.04). The association between maternal SAVA and relational resilience was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal SAVA impacts child resilience, but this effect is not uniform, as findings illustrated differential effects of SAVA by child gender and resilience level. This work emphasizes the critical need to assess and understand unique drivers of child resilience in order to intervene effectively on co-occurring adversities.
Lindhiem O, Yu L, Vaughn-Coaxum RA
… +5 more, Toevs EK, Angus AR, Kolko DJ, Silk JS, Pilkonis PA
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol
· 2026 · PMID 40874810
·
Full text
OBJECTIVE: We developed an internalizing module for the Knowledge of Effective Parenting Test (KEPT) to assess parenting knowledge of skills and strategies relevant to helping children manage their internalizing symptoms...OBJECTIVE: We developed an internalizing module for the Knowledge of Effective Parenting Test (KEPT) to assess parenting knowledge of skills and strategies relevant to helping children manage their internalizing symptoms using an item response theory (IRT) framework. METHOD: An initial item pool (40 items) was drafted and administered online to a large national sample of parents/guardians of school-age children (5 to 12 years) selected to match the U.S. population on key demographic variables ( = 1,000). Weak and biased items were dropped from the final measure. RESULTS: The outcome is a 22-item internalizing module for the KEPT with strong indices of reliability and validity. A brief (10-item) version of the instrument was also developed to allow for efficient administration in the context of longitudinal and intervention research. We provide norms (raw scores, theta scores, and T-scores) for both the 22-item version (KEPT-I) and the 10-item version (Brief KEPT-I). CONCLUSIONS: The study resulted in a new assessment tool that measures parenting knowledge relevant to internalizing symptoms in children. The new tool has strong psychometric properties and potential use for developmental research and treatment outcome trials.
OBJECTIVE: Dual-process theory suggests that implicit identification with death more strongly predicts self-injurious thoughts and behaviors under certain conditions. As reliance on implicit heuristics to guide behavior...OBJECTIVE: Dual-process theory suggests that implicit identification with death more strongly predicts self-injurious thoughts and behaviors under certain conditions. As reliance on implicit heuristics to guide behavior may increase in the context of poor sleep, the current study evaluated whether implicit identification with death alone, or in combination with self-reported sleep quality, predicted future levels of suicidal ideation and self-harm. METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 adolescents ( = 16.62; = 1.83, 91.0% females; 26.0% racial minority; 25.0% Hispanic/Latino/a/x) with histories of suicidal episodes and repeat self-harm behavior. Implicit identification with death and sleep quality were assessed at baseline. Outcomes (i.e. suicidal ideation and self-harm levels) were assessed at baseline, 6-, and 12-months. Multilevel structural equations were used to assess relations among study variables. RESULTS: At high and/or moderate levels of poor sleep quality, greater implicit identification with death positively predicted suicidal ideation and self-harm levels. Importantly, similar results were found with suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury as separate outcomes. As main effects, implicit identification with death and poor sleep quality only positively predicted suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction between implicit identification with death and sleep quality may be an important predictor of future adolescent suicidal ideation and self-harm. Assessment of an adolescent's implicit identification with death and sleep quality may help identify those at greatest future risk.
OBJECTIVE: Aggression and depression are two intertwined major manifestations of psychosocial maladjustment among children and adolescents. The current study examined the temporal order of the intertwining of these two c...OBJECTIVE: Aggression and depression are two intertwined major manifestations of psychosocial maladjustment among children and adolescents. The current study examined the temporal order of the intertwining of these two constructs across late childhood to middle adolescence, with focus of testing the failure model and acting out model by testing their mediating pathways. METHOD: The sample was 2109 participants (1083 boys, 51.35%, mean age = 11.31 ± 0.49 years at time 1) who were followed from Grade 5 to Grade 9. Multi-informant approach of data collection (i.e. self, peer, school records) was employed. RESULTS: Random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) revealed that relational aggression at Grade 5 was associated with increases in depression at Grade 6, and academic problems mediated the longitudinal pathway from depression at grade 7 to physical and relational aggression at grade 9. The results were similar in boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence supported the transactional longitudinal associations between aggression and depression, and the mediating pathways of academic failures in late childhood to middle adolescence.
OBJECTIVE: Racially marginalized adolescents are exposed to online racism, yet little is known about assets and resources that may effectively resist the negative influence of online racism and with what effect. Based on...OBJECTIVE: Racially marginalized adolescents are exposed to online racism, yet little is known about assets and resources that may effectively resist the negative influence of online racism and with what effect. Based on risk and resilience theory, the current study examined the compensatory and protective roles of different parental mediation strategies in overcoming the risk of online racial discrimination for Black and Latino adolescents' psychosocial distress. METHODS: A total of 356 Black and Latino adolescents ( = 16.01 ± 1.60; 78.92% female) completed an online survey. Youth reported their perceived online racial discrimination, parental mediation, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. RESULTS: The findings revealed significant positive associations between individual online racial discrimination and adolescents' anxiety, as well as between vicarious online racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Four parental mediation strategies demonstrated distinct roles in this examination of online racial discrimination on adolescents' psychosocial distress. Significantly related to lower levels of adolescents' depressive symptoms, active mediation displayed a compensatory effect. Restrictive mediation and technical mediation also showed negative but nonsignificant associations with depressive symptoms. Neither of the above moderated the association between online racial discrimination and adolescents' psychosocial distress. Parents' monitoring of adolescents' online activities neither compensated nor protected adolescents' psychosocial well-being. On the contrary, frequent use of monitoring was related to higher levels of anxiety, and it amplified the association between individual online racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the varying utility of parental mediation strategies in promoting adolescents' psychosocial well-being against online racial discrimination.
OBJECTIVE: Youth who enter the legal system exhibit higher rates of mental illness than their peers. It remains unclear whether continued legal system contact exacerbates these issues, especially among Latino and Black y...OBJECTIVE: Youth who enter the legal system exhibit higher rates of mental illness than their peers. It remains unclear whether continued legal system contact exacerbates these issues, especially among Latino and Black youth who are disproportionately involved. This study examined the associations between various forms of legal system contact, anxiety, and depression among Latino, Black, and White justice-involved youth over three years following their first arrest. We hypothesized that system contact would predict increases in anxiety and depression symptoms across all youth, with a stronger effect among Latino and Black youth. METHOD: Data were used from 1,160 male youth (48.24% Latino, 36.77% Black, 14.99% White; Mage = 15.27) in the Crossroads Study. Youth were recruited post-first arrest and interviewed biannually for three years. Between-within models were estimated separately for each racial/ethnic group to assess whether continued system contact (police stop, re-arrest, probation, detention) was linked to higher anxiety and depression levels (between-person) and whether contact predicted individual-level increases in these symptoms (within-person). RESULTS: At the between-person level, Black youth stopped by police exhibited higher depression levels than those not stopped. Latino youth placed in detention exhibited higher anxiety levels than those not detained. At the within-person level, among Latino youth, probation was linked to increased anxiety and re-arrest to increased depression. Among Black youth, detention was linked to increased anxiety. System contact was not associated with internalizing symptoms among White youth. CONCLUSION: Legal system contact is associated with adverse mental health outcomes, particularly for Latino and Black youth.
Hogue A, Porter NP, Henderson CE
… +4 more, Ozechowski TJ, Wenzel K, Fishman M, Becker SJ
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol
· 2026 · PMID 40758942
·
Full text
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review (1) updates the evidence base on outpatient behavioral treatments for adolescent substance use (ASU) since publication of the previous review completed for this journal by Hogue, Henders...OBJECTIVE: This systematic review (1) updates the evidence base on outpatient behavioral treatments for adolescent substance use (ASU) since publication of the previous review completed for this journal by Hogue, Henderson, Becker, and Knight (2018); and (2) addresses public health concerns related to youth marijuana and opioid use. METHOD: We first summarize the earlier updates, along with those from recent literature reviews and meta-analytic studies, of ASU treatments. We then present study design and methods criteria used to identify five comparative studies subjected to JCCAP level of support evaluation. We detail these five studies in terms of their sample characteristics, quality of evidence, and substance use outcomes. Cumulative level of support designations are then made for each identified treatment approach. RESULTS: These cumulative designations are identical to those of the previous review: ecological family-based treatment, individual cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group cognitive-behavioral therapy are Well-Established; behavioral family-based treatment and motivational interviewing are Probably Efficacious; drug counseling is Possibly Efficacious; and five multicomponent treatments (three of which include contingency management) are Well-Established or Probably Efficacious. CONCLUSIONS: To address pressing issues in ASU treatment, we discuss best practices and promising research on behavioral and medication interventions for marijuana use and opioid use. We conclude with opportunities for advancing ASU treatment science in the areas of technology-based intervention, co-occurring disorders, addiction recovery, and access to and delivery of evidence-based approaches.
Suicidal ideation as a potential precipitator for suicidal behavior is currently highly prevalent and persistent among youth populations. Preadolescent and adolescent populations undergo social development with increasin...Suicidal ideation as a potential precipitator for suicidal behavior is currently highly prevalent and persistent among youth populations. Preadolescent and adolescent populations undergo social development with increasing salience of self-awareness regarding other- and self-perceptions in sophisticating interpersonal relationships. Recent theory-driven intervention research shows that youth perceived burdensomeness, an interpersonal risk factor for suicidal ideation identified across multiple theories, can be mitigated through weighted emphasis on perceived social contribution. In this paper, we highlight the promise of emerging interventions designed to reduce perceived burdensomeness and delineate potential pathways for the integration of social contribution into evidence-based treatments of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth. The various future avenues through which social contribution could be effectively fostered across nonclinical settings are also discussed, including the use of digital technologies. Future research should explore optimal methods for incorporating social contribution into various therapeutic and community modalities and evaluate the long-term impact on interpersonal needs and suicidal ideation in vulnerable youth populations.
Miller M, Orme M, Piergies A
… +2 more, Iosif AM, Ozonoff S
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol
· 2025 Jul · PMID 40700722
·
Full text
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the stability of attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms from the toddler (24 months of age) to the preschool period (36-64 months of age) in a sample enriched for varied neurodevelopmenta...OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the stability of attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms from the toddler (24 months of age) to the preschool period (36-64 months of age) in a sample enriched for varied neurodevelopmental risk to ensure a range of ADHD symptoms. METHOD: Participants ( = 256) included infants with a family history of ADHD ( = 66), autism ( = 115), or neither ( = 75) who were prospectively followed over the first several years of life. At 24 and 36-64 months of age, parents completed the Preschool ADHD Rating Scale. At the preschool visit, children were classified into one of three mutually exclusive outcome groups: ADHD Concerns (i.e. elevated symptoms, clinician concern), Autism, or Comparison. ADHD symptom stability from the toddler to the preschool period was assessed, along with variability in early symptoms and change over time by preschool clinical presentation. RESULTS: Symptoms were moderately stable, with summary score correlations of 0.56-0.60. Total scores were significantly higher at 24 months among those with later concerns for ADHD or diagnoses of autism, and increased in these two groups over time, but decreased in the Comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Symptom measurement at age 2 may be useful for identifying toddlers at higher risk for later behavioral challenges, with implications for early screening. Future work in this area can help delineate boundaries of developmental typicality versus atypicality, evaluate the specificity of early symptom elevations to longer-term outcomes, and identify patterns of symptom stability from the toddler period over time that may aid in identifying children at greatest risk for persistent/increasing challenges.