J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol [JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Face-To-Face Vs. Online Behavioral Parent Training for Young Children with ADHD: Child and Parent Outcomes.
DuPaul GJ, Kern L, Dever BV … +11 more , Ariol M, Morse S, Chunta A, Rosenthal E, Ahn JH, Chen R, Franklin-Gillette S, Jung HJ, Lam JTY, Nelson A, Shi C
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42330190 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Behavioral parent training is a first-line psychosocial intervention for young children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Traditional face-to-face delivery is limited by access to therapists, feas...
OBJECTIVE: Behavioral parent training is a first-line psychosocial intervention for young children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Traditional face-to-face delivery is limited by access to therapists, feasibility, and/or affordability, which may be addressed by online Behavioral parent training. This study (a) evaluated outcomes for face-to-face vs. asynchronous online Behavioral parent training relative to a wait-list control condition in a large sample of young children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and (b) extended outcome measurement beyond parent ratings to masked assessment of child behavior self-regulation and home observation of parent-child interactions. METHOD: Participants were 196 young children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (65% male, age = 50.08 months; = 8.55) and primary caregivers randomly assigned to face-to-face Behavioral parent training ( = 66), online Behavioral parent training ( = 65), or WLC ( = 65). BPT comprised 10 sessions of behavior management and optimism training (cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce pessimistic parenting attributions) that were equivalent across Behavioral parent training delivery modes. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses found no significant differences in session attendance, outcomes, or treatment acceptability for face-to-face and online Behavioral parent training with both conditions yielding significant medium magnitude reductions (s range from 0.41 to 0.74) in child Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and defiant/aggressive behavior and parent pessimism, along with increases in observed positive parenting behavior relative to wait-list control. No significant differences were found for child self-regulation skills or observed parent or child negative behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Asynchronous online Behavioral parent training may be a viable option for families who have limited access to clinic-based treatment due to feasibility or affordability challenges.
Transactional Associations Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Pre-Adolescent Children's ADHD Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Park JL, Plamondon A, Neville RD … +4 more , McArthur BA, Hewitt J, Tough S, Madigan S
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42330186 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Maternal depression has been consistently linked to child ADHD symptoms, though much of this research is cross-sectional, single informant, and focused on prenatal or early postnatal depression. Consequently,...
OBJECTIVE: Maternal depression has been consistently linked to child ADHD symptoms, though much of this research is cross-sectional, single informant, and focused on prenatal or early postnatal depression. Consequently, the direction and temporality of this association is poorly understood. We used Random-Intercepts, Cross-Lagged Panel models (RI-CLPM) to examine bidirectional and transactional associations between maternal depression and child ADHD across pre-adolescence. METHOD: Mothers and children ( = 1,806; 52% male, 77% White) participated across four waves during the COVID-19 pandemic (ages 10-13). At each timepoint, mothers self-reported depressive symptoms and children self-reported hyperactivity and inattention symptoms. Mothers also reported children's symptoms at the latter three waves. Parallel RI-CLPMs were estimated separately by informant and symptom dimension. RESULTS: Across both informants, maternal depression was associated with child hyperactivity and inattention at the between-dyad level (correlations ranging from .27 to .39). The clearest evidence of within-dyad association emerged for child-reported hyperactivity: higher child-reported hyperactivity at age 10 predicted higher maternal depressive symptoms at age 11, which in turn predicted higher child hyperactivity at age 12. Indirect effect analyses supported this transactional pathway. Maternal-reported models provided more limited but broadly convergent evidence for within-dyad effects on hyperactivity. Within-dyad effects were not observed for maternal- or child-reported inattention. Sociodemographic factors did not moderate cross-lagged parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support transactional models of child development, with reciprocal associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child ADHD symptoms appearing most evident for hyperactivity. However, substantial overlap across ADHD symptom dimensions warrants caution in drawing strong conclusions about symptom-specific differences.
Parent Profiles as Predictors of Emotion Dysregulation in Adolescence: Comparing Youth With and Without ADHD.
Pham SN, Breaux R, Langberg JM … +1 more , Becker SP
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42314032 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Parents and caregivers substantially contribute to youth emotional development. Emotion dysregulation is a significant, pervasive concern for youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, with adolescen...
OBJECTIVE: Parents and caregivers substantially contribute to youth emotional development. Emotion dysregulation is a significant, pervasive concern for youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, with adolescence being a salient but understudied developmental period. Several parent-related factors have shown to independently predict youth Emotion dysregulation. However, it is unclear whether there are underlying patterns of co-occurring parent-related factors that relate to emotion dysregulation in adolescents. This study examined potential latent profiles of parent factors and whether parent profiles (1) differed among parents of adolescents are diagnosed with or without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and (2) were associated with adolescent emotion dysregulation outcomes. METHOD: The study sample included 266 adolescents (54.1% male; 81.6% White; 51.1% comprehensively diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). RESULTS: Three distinct parent profiles emerged: Low Internalizing/Emotion dysregulation and High Authoritative Parenting (62.5% of sample), Moderate Internalizing/Emotion dysregulation and Permissive Parenting (10.9% of sample), and High Internalizing/Emotion dysregulation and Moderate Authoritative Parenting (26.6% of sample). Results indicated that parents of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are more likely to be in the High Internalizing/Emotion dysregulation and Moderate Authoritative Parenting profile. Profiles characterized by authoritative parenting practices were generally associated with less emotion dysregulation, though no significant differences in self-reported adolescent emotion dysregulation were observed across profiles. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the potential for parent psychopathology, emotion dysregulation, and parenting practices to serve as targets for interventions aimed at reducing emotion dysregulation, particularly in neurodiverse populations.
Probing Relations of Attachment with PTSD in Latinx Asylum-Seeking Youth Released from Federal Custody.
Venta A, Cuervo M, Frederick R … +1 more , Mercado A
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42246233 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: There has been tremendous growth in Latinx families seeking asylum at the U.S./Mexico border and a health disparity associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing concern. The aim of this st...
OBJECTIVE: There has been tremendous growth in Latinx families seeking asylum at the U.S./Mexico border and a health disparity associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing concern. The aim of this study was to examine how attachment to mothers, fathers, and peers relates to PTSD symptoms among Latinx asylum seeking children to provide first data on putative protective interpersonal factors in this high-risk group. METHOD: We interviewed = 57 ( = 9, = 46%) young Latinx children and their caregivers who had been released from Customs and Border Patrol custody within the last 24 hours. Attachment was measured utilizing the Inventory for Peer and Parent Attachment and PTSD symptoms were assessed using the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index total score via both parent and child report. Questionnaires were completed in Spanish, via one-on-one interview. RESULTS: Linear regression models in which attachment variables (i.e. trust, communication, and alienation) served as independent variables and PTSD symptoms served as the dependent variable, controlling for child sex and age, indicated that maternal communication was significantly, negatively related to PTSD symptoms ( = -2.08, = .037) and peer alienation was significantly, positively related to PTSD symptoms ( = 3.189, = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the unique and important roles that interpersonal relationships play in PTSD symptomatology in asylum seeking Latinx children and inform targets for intervention development. While findings are preliminary, they are timely given changes in immigration policy and research funding rendering asylum-seeking families more vulnerable.
Parents' Fatalism Beliefs Moderate the Association Between COVID-19 Stressors and Internalizing Symptoms in Mexican-Heritage Children.
Uribe M, Wilson M, Ananickal D … +3 more , Patron B, Garcia B, Cruz RA
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42224466 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic disparately affected Hispanic/Latino families and influenced child mental health. To understand risk in cultural context, we examined whether parental fatalistic beliefs, i.e. to what de...
OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic disparately affected Hispanic/Latino families and influenced child mental health. To understand risk in cultural context, we examined whether parental fatalistic beliefs, i.e. to what degree the future is predetermined or controllable, interacted with family pandemic stress to influence child internalizing problems. METHODS: Mexican-heritage parents ( = 301; n = 228, n = 72, n = 1; 61% US born) with a target child between ages 5-17 (M = 11.45, SD = 3.69) were recruited via Qualtrics Panels. Participants completed an online survey on family pandemic experiences, parent fatalistic beliefs, and child internalizing problems. Linear regression models tested unique (i.e. main) and joint (i.e. interactive) effects of pandemic stress and fatalism on child internalizing. RESULTS: Parents' fatalistic beliefs and pandemic stress jointly influenced parents' ratings of child internalizing (b = 2.31, 95% CI = [0.98, 3.64]). The harmful effect of pandemic stress on children's internalizing was amplified at higher endorsement of fatalistic beliefs. We also explored five fatalism subscales (luck, helplessness, divine control, internality, and core fatalism), and found significant interactions with pandemic stress for luck (b = 2.51, 95% CI = [1.08, 3.64]), helplessness (b = 2.42, 95% CI = [0.93, 3.91]), and core fatalism (b = 1.75, 95% CI = [0.39, 3.10]). These interactions operated similarly to the fatalism composite model. Parents' divine control and internality beliefs (more control and self-efficacy) were not individually or jointly associated with child internalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' fatalistic beliefs may amplify the noxious effects of stress on children's internalizing. Enhancing parent self-control and self-efficacy beliefs may reduce the effects of stress on children's internalizing, though targeting social inequities should also be a priority.
Evidence Base Update: Six Decades of Research on Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.
Becker KD, Yarrington JS, Higa-McMillan CK … +2 more , Francis SE, Chorpita BF
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 42148705 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent and impairing youth mental health problems, underscoring the need for effective treatments. This review synthesized 290 trials of psychosocial interventions for...
OBJECTIVES: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent and impairing youth mental health problems, underscoring the need for effective treatments. This review synthesized 290 trials of psychosocial interventions for youth with anxiety or avoidance problems. Published between 1966 and mid-2024, these trials encompassed 697 study groups across 66 treatment families. METHOD: Studies were drawn from the PracticeWise Evidence-Based Services database and evaluated using a five-level strength-of-evidence framework. We identified efficacious treatments, examined contexts of effectiveness, and assessed impact and durability on symptoms and functioning. We also analyzed practice element profiles to compare the procedures most often used in CBT, Exposure, and other approaches. RESULTS: Of the 66 treatment families, 43 reached Level 4 support or better: 8 at Level 1 (Best), 26 at Level 2 (Good), 5 at Level 3 (Moderate), and 4 at Level 4 (Minimal). The remaining 23 families were at Level 5 (No Support). CBT and Exposure continued to have the strongest support. Notably, 30 (69.8%) effective families did not involve CBT, reflecting a theoretical diversity of approaches. Additional findings highlight persistent gaps related to generalizability, limited assessment of functioning, and practice element distinctions across treatment types. CONCLUSIONS: Disseminating CBT- and Exposure-based treatments is indicated, and continued investigation of a diversity of approaches is needed to support innovation, access, and contextual fit. Beyond cataloging treatments, this review raises critical questions about methodologies best suited to the ongoing stewardship of decades of research and its equitable translation into actionable knowledge to guide treatment design, training, practice, and policy.
Initial Evaluation of a Brief, Transdiagnostic Intervention for Youth in School Mental Health Care.
Dryburgh NSJ, Weisz JR, Duong L … +9 more , Miller R, Jamieson K, Rodriguez C, Weaver T, Venturo-Conerly KE, Fitzpatrick OM, Fortier A, Short KH, Georgiades K
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 May · PMID 42096489 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Brief Digital Intervention Program, developed in response to pandemic-era disruptions in school mental health care and the need for flexible and scalable interventions with integrated measureme...
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Brief Digital Intervention Program, developed in response to pandemic-era disruptions in school mental health care and the need for flexible and scalable interventions with integrated measurement for students with mild-to-moderate difficulties. The program comprises four brief, digital interventions that teach transdiagnostic, evidence-based skills (relaxation, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, and practicing the opposite of unhelpful behavior), and includes an embedded progress monitoring tool for routinely measuring students' internalizing and externalizing difficulties and "top problems" session-by-session. Study goals were to: 1) examine the acceptability of the intervention; 2) describe barriers and facilitators to its use; and 3) examine pre-post changes in student-reported difficulties. METHOD: Data were examined from 53 school mental health professionals who implemented the intervention with 213 students (M = 13.41 years; 63.3% cisgender girls, 27.1% cisgender boys, 9.5% another gender) presenting for mild to moderate mental health concerns from 2021-2024. RESULTS: Professionals and students reported high satisfaction with the intervention. Commonly reported barriers included difficulties with technical navigation and time for training; facilitators included ease of use/accessibility of the technical features and student engagement. Results indicated significant reductions in internalizing difficulties, β = -0.42, < .001 [small-to-medium effect], externalizing difficulties, β = -0.15, = -.04 [small effect], and top problem severity, β = -1.01, < .001 [large effect], from pre- to post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary support for the acceptability and potential benefits of the Brief Digital Intervention Program for school mental health care. Next steps include evaluation using a controlled, randomized design and testing sustainability.
The Role of Perceived Hyper-Surveillance in Adolescent Suicide Risk.
Castro-Ramirez F, McGuire TC, Al-Suwaidi M … +7 more , Ricard JR, Ricard JA, Herrmann F, Chambers KQ, Shang M, Jones G, Nock MK
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 42085386 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Adolescent suicide is a worsening public health crisis. Amid rising authoritarian policies that disproportionately target minoritized youth, the psychological costs of hyper-surveillance (targeted, punitive mo...
OBJECTIVE: Adolescent suicide is a worsening public health crisis. Amid rising authoritarian policies that disproportionately target minoritized youth, the psychological costs of hyper-surveillance (targeted, punitive monitoring) remain unexamined. This study provides an initial operationalization of perceived hyper-surveillance to examine its relationship with suicide ideation (SI) severity, suicide attempts, and antisocial behavior, beyond the effects of discrimination and violence exposure. METHOD: In a cross-sectional study of 476 adolescents (13-17 years; 63% Black; 55% male-identifying) recruited online and in community settings. Hyper-surveillance was operationalized using items from validated measures that captured experiences across community and school settings. Multivariable regression models tested associations between traumatic-stress symptoms, hyper-surveillance, SI severity, suicide attempts, and antisocial behavior. Thematic analysis explored how adolescents believed hyper-surveillance contributed to suicide risk. RESULTS: Traumatic-stress symptoms and hyper-surveillance were independently associated with increased SI severity and suicide attempts (ps < .001). Hyper-surveillance moderated associations between traumatic-stress symptoms and both SI severity and antisocial behavior. Those with darker skin tones experienced disproportionately more hyper-surveillance independent of antisocial behavior. Over half (58.3%) of adolescents with SI reported that hyper-surveillance contributed to their desire to die; qualitative themes reflected negative affect and beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. CONCLUSION: Amid expanding surveillance infrastructure in schools and communities (with known disparities in how these systems operate), these findings provide initial evidence that perceived hyper-surveillance functions as a modifiable risk factor for youth suicide. Clinical assessment of punitive surveillance experiences should be integrated into suicide risk evaluation for adolescents.
Quality and Contents of Self-Guided Adolescent Suicide Safety Plans.
Pinder JB, Labouliere CD, Wang SB … +3 more , Hunt RA, Leone G, Fox KR
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 May · PMID 42085377 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Safety planning interventions (SPIs) may prevent suicidal behavior among adolescents, but many adolescents in need do not receive an SPI. Self-guided digital SPIs could reach many vulnerable youth, but the qua...
OBJECTIVE: Safety planning interventions (SPIs) may prevent suicidal behavior among adolescents, but many adolescents in need do not receive an SPI. Self-guided digital SPIs could reach many vulnerable youth, but the quality of adolescents' self-produced digital safety plans is unknown. METHOD: In this longitudinal study, we analyzed 180 safety plans created using a novel SPI web-application by adolescents aged 13-18 (53% non-Hispanic white, 61% women) with past-year suicidal thoughts or behaviors. We rated safety plan quality and completeness using a validated scoring system, and participants reported safety plan usage at one-month follow-up. RESULTS: Of all safety plans, 78% were rated as at least "Satisfactory." Adolescents' safety plans were mostly complete, with an average completeness score of 15.32 out of 19 (SD = 2.85). Safety plan quality was moderate, with an average quality score of 10.47 out of 18 (SD = 2.02). Safety plan scores did not differ significantly by participant age. At one-month follow-up, 33% of participants reported having used their safety plan. Adolescents whose safety plans were more complete were more likely to use their plan (OR = 1.26, < .01), but quality and global impression did not predict use. Of those who used their safety plan, 93% said it was at least "somewhat" helpful. Safety plan scores did not predict adolescent-rated plan helpfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents can use self-guided SPIs to create satisfactory safety plans without clinician guidance. Larger-scale testing of such tools is warranted, including to better understand associations between safety plan characteristics and suicide-relevant outcomes.
Are Social Problems in Children with ADHD Due to Knowledge Gaps or Performance Difficulties? An Examination of Competing Model Predictions.
Cho S, Tatsuki MO, Obi J … +3 more , Gaye F, Harvey K, Kofler MJ
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 May · PMID 42085350 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that social skills difficulties in children with ADHD are not due to difficulty learning/acquiring age-expected social skills, but instead to difficulty performing known social skill...
OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that social skills difficulties in children with ADHD are not due to difficulty learning/acquiring age-expected social skills, but instead to difficulty performing known social skills in the moment. The current study reflects the largest investigation to date to disentangle social knowledge vs. performance difficulties in children with and without ADHD, while also probing the extent to which children with ADHD exhibit strengths in specific social domains. METHOD: A clinically evaluated and carefully phenotyped sample of children ages 8-13 with and without ADHD ( = 277; 42.6% girls; 66.8% White Non-Hispanic) was assessed using the well-validated social behavioral analysis framework to quantify social skills acquisition difficulties, performance difficulties, and strengths across settings (home, school). RESULTS: Acquisition difficulties were rare and idiosyncratic for both groups; parents and teachers perceived fewer than 15% of children with ADHD as missing any specific social skill. In contrast, performance difficulties were predominant in the ADHD group and occurred at significantly higher rates across informants relative to the non-ADHD group in the domains of communication, cooperation, empathy, responsibility, and self-control (all < .001), but not assertion or engagement (both > .56). Interestingly, children with ADHD were also perceived across informants as having strengths in specific communication and engagement skills, despite exhibiting significantly fewer social strengths overall vs. the non-ADHD group ( < .001). CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with updated conceptualizations suggesting social skills difficulties in children with ADHD are not primarily due to a lack of social knowledge but rather from the inconsistent execution of known social skills.
Threat Vigilance in Early Childhood: Angry Face Attention Precedes CU Traits and Later Behavior Problems.
Cao VT, Zhang C, Patel MD … +2 more , Davies PT, Gibb B
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 May · PMID 42065868 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: This study examined children's attention biases to angry, sad, and happy displays as antecedents to callous-unemotional (CU) traits and subsequent internalizing and externalizing difficulties. The goal was to...
OBJECTIVE: This study examined children's attention biases to angry, sad, and happy displays as antecedents to callous-unemotional (CU) traits and subsequent internalizing and externalizing difficulties. The goal was to identify early risk processes that contribute to the developmental cascade of CU traits during the transition from preschool to early elementary school. METHOD: Participants included 238 mothers and their preschool-aged children ( = 4.38 years, 52% female) assessed across three annual measurement occasions. The sample was racially and ethnically diverse (68% White, 18% Black, 14% Multiracial or another race; 16% Latinx). A multi-method, multi-informant design was used, including eye-tracking indices of children's fixation duration to angry, sad, and happy facial expressions, maternal reports of CU traits, and both maternal and paternal reports of children's psychological symptoms. Path analyses tested a prospective cascade from children's attention biases to later CU traits and adjustment difficulties, controlling for autoregressive effects and demographic covariates. RESULTS: Children's greater fixation duration on angry faces at Wave 1 predicted residualized increases in CU traits at Wave 2 ( = .35, < .05). Wave 2 CU traits, in turn, predicted residualized increases in externalizing ( = .31, < .001) and internalizing ( = .32, < .001) symptoms at Wave 3. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight heightened attention to anger in early childhood as a precursor to CU traits, which later shaped emotional and behavioral maladjustment. Early assessment of affective attention may aid prevention efforts targeting socioemotional risk mechanisms in children.
Future Directions in Mental Health Interventions for Black Families with Young Children: A Scoping Review.
Farrise Beauvoir K, Ison JM, Coates EE … +1 more , Barnett ML
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 42054054 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: Recent research highlights increasing and disproportionate rates of mental health challenges for Black children. Early intervention and family-centered interventions have the strongest evidence-base for succe...
OBJECTIVES: Recent research highlights increasing and disproportionate rates of mental health challenges for Black children. Early intervention and family-centered interventions have the strongest evidence-base for successful treatment with young children. However, Black families may experience different levels of retention and efficacy. Thus, the current study sought to examine the literature covering interventions and prevention programs with Black families with young children and outline future directions for research and practice. METHOD: PRISMA guidelines were used to examine peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1993 and April 2023, covering prevention, intervention, or treatment programs for Black families with young children. Selected studies included: 1) at least 50% Black/African-American participants, 2) a caregiver component, 3) a mean child age between 2 and 7 years, and 4) at least one mental health or child behavior outcome. 21 articles were included for data extraction. RESULTS: 11 intervention and prevention programs were represented, with most studies focused on externalizing behaviors. Studies utilized a variety of adaptations and strategies for engagement and retention. Study samples frequently did not disaggregate data and were concentrated in low-income, urban populations. Few studies focused on culturally adapting treatment exclusively for Black families. CONCLUSIONS: Results stress the need for critical examination of "evidence-based" interventions for Black families with young children. Consideration of adaptations to remove participation and retention barriers should be incorporated into treatment frameworks to address implementation challenges. Recommendations for future directions in research and clinical practice are presented focusing on representation, culturally specific care needs, navigation of racism, and innovation of traditional mental health models.
Update on The Evidence-Based Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Youth.
Bunford N, Koppány D, Ágrez K … +2 more , Hámori G, Evans SW
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Apr · PMID 42013385 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this review is to provide an updated evaluation of the reliability and validity of ADHD assessment measures since the last comprehensive review. METHOD: Using an empirical rationale for measure sel...
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this review is to provide an updated evaluation of the reliability and validity of ADHD assessment measures since the last comprehensive review. METHOD: Using an empirical rationale for measure selection, we evaluated measures with a revised version of the . RESULTS: The ADHD-RS, Conners, SNAP, and Vanderbilt scales had at least adequate descriptive information and excellent sensitivity to treatment, with most also showing adequate internal reliability and construct validity. Few studies examined clinical interviews and information was insufficient on most indices; only the DISC and K-SADS demonstrated adequate construct validity. Neuropsychological tests generally had adequate descriptive information, reliability, and construct validity, but discriminative validity and treatment sensitivity varied, with BRIEF values possibly inflated. Findings on impairment rating scales were mixed, though the AAPC, COSS, and IRS showed excellent sensitivity to treatment, and the IRS demonstrated broader reliability and validity. Strikingly little work addressed interrater or retest reliability, content validity, or generalization of reliability or validity. Reporting of ethnicity/race, SES, and medication status was inconsistent. Although concerns about reporting design constraints were raised a decade ago, we found no improvement in this regard: internal reliability was reported in only 18% of studies and assumptions were rarely tested. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend more rigorous empirical research and further revisions to the rubric to advance reproducible science.
Triarchic Psychopathy Traits as Predictors of Antisocial Behavior, Socioemotional Functioning, and Academic Performance in Adolescence.
Sica C, Caudek C, Bottesi G … +5 more , Colpizzi I, Malerba A, Baroncelli A, Iannattone S, Patrick CJ
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Apr · PMID 41996593 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Research has often overlooked the distinct contributions of psychopathy core traits in adolescence. This longitudinal study examined how meanness, disinhibition, and boldness predict several outcomes over thre...
OBJECTIVE: Research has often overlooked the distinct contributions of psychopathy core traits in adolescence. This longitudinal study examined how meanness, disinhibition, and boldness predict several outcomes over three waves in a diverse sample of adolescents. METHOD: Using Bayesian multilevel modeling, we analyzed data from 698 adolescents of White ethnic background and Italian nationality ( = 16.5 years, SD = 1.1), evenly divided by gender, who completed self-report measures of psychopathy, antisocial behavior, conduct problems, peer difficulties, pathological narcissism, and school performance across three time points (4.5 months apart). RESULTS: Meanness predicted antisocial behavior (βs = .07-.29), conduct problems (β = .27), and reduced prosociality (β = -.43), and Disinhibition was strongly linked to all externalizing symptoms and behaviors, emotional symptoms (β = .14), and lower school performance (β = -.18). Boldness was associated modestly with aggression (β = .04) and grandiose narcissism (β = .04), and moderately with lower internalizing problems (β = -.37). These predictive patterns were largely consistent across males and females, with the few differences consistent with research linking gender-role socialization and biological factors to sex-specific phenotypic expressions of psychopathic traits. Interactions between psychopathy dimensions suggested that boldness functioned as a modest protective factor, but only when disaffiliative or dysregulated tendencies were low. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the longitudinal validity of the triarchic model of psychopathy in adolescence, showing distinct predictive patterns for meanness, disinhibition, and boldness. These findings suggest tailored interventions: emotion-focused strategies for meanness, self-regulation training for disinhibition, and interpersonal modulation for maladaptive expressions of boldness.
Leaders in the History of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Past Presidents Series: Marc S. Atkins (2013).
Bosco C, Munson M, Hagler M
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Apr · PMID 41961963 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Social Media Experiences and Mood Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: A Double-Edged Sword.
Bitran AM, Dalack MN, Hamilton JL
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Mar · PMID 41891711 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Adolescents who identify as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) are at sharply elevated risk for negative mental health outcomes, in part due to experiences of online victimization. However, little research...
OBJECTIVE: Adolescents who identify as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) are at sharply elevated risk for negative mental health outcomes, in part due to experiences of online victimization. However, little research has examined potential protective effects of positive social media experiences on SGM youth mental health alongside the known risk posed by negative experiences. METHOD: The current study included 109 adolescents ( = 15.9; 51% sexual minority, 31% gender minority) who participated in an 8-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol assessing emotional experiences on social media and affect. Multilevel modeling examined within-person relationships between daily emotional responses to social media and affect, with SGM identity included as a moderator. RESULTS: SGM adolescents showed increased sensitivity to both positive and negative social media experiences relative to their non-SGM peers. Specifically, negative social media experiences predicted within-person elevations in negative affect and depression, with stronger associations in SGM participants. Conversely, positive social media experiences predicted stronger within-person elevations in positive affect (and reductions in depression and negative affect) for SGM youth, relative to non-SGM youth. These associations persisted even when controlling for baseline depression severity and emotion dysregulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that social media experiences may serve as a double-edged sword for SGM youth, affording the potential for both heightened risk and protection for mental health. The protective effects of positive emotional experiences on social media indicate their potential importance in fostering resilience toward minority stressors faced by SGM youth.
Future Directions in the Science and Practice of Parental Monitoring.
Pelham WE, Chitty TC, Dontha M … +4 more , Aks IR, Racz SJ, Schulze EM, Kemp EC
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 41875398 · Publisher ↗
The science of parental monitoring has fractured into two opposing schools of thought. One school sees the importance of monitoring as thoroughly demonstrated; the other school sees it as thoroughly debunked. This paper...
The science of parental monitoring has fractured into two opposing schools of thought. One school sees the importance of monitoring as thoroughly demonstrated; the other school sees it as thoroughly debunked. This paper argues that both schools are wrong and in truth the science of parental monitoring remains a largely unmapped frontier with many open questions worthy of investigation. We begin by explaining how the field reached this peculiar status quo and why it can no longer be abided. Next, we discuss the most important open questions - (1) does monitoring matter? (importance), (2) how does monitoring work? (mechanisms), (3) when does monitoring happen? (timescale), and (4) what does monitoring look like in an online world? (era). Finally, we recommend several lines of attack that could break the field's stalemate, heal the fracture, and deliver clinically meaningful advances. The time is now for fresh looks at parental monitoring.
Future Directions in Racial Trauma Research Among Ethnoracially Minoritized Youth.
Bernard DL, Galán CA
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 41849654 · Publisher ↗
Racial discrimination is one of the most disruptive and psychologically damaging experiences that ethnoracially minoritized youth encounter. Research resoundly indicates that such discriminatory experiences can evoke tra...
Racial discrimination is one of the most disruptive and psychologically damaging experiences that ethnoracially minoritized youth encounter. Research resoundly indicates that such discriminatory experiences can evoke trauma-like responses that can endure across development. However, literature documenting the traumatic implications of racial discrimination among youth remains limited by significant gaps that constrain understanding of the developmental significance and impact of this association. To this end, the current article aims to provide perspectives on avenues of future research needed to address these gaps and advance the developmental science of racial trauma. We first review recent developments and innovations that clarify the connection between racial discrimination and traumatic stress symptoms. We then provide six recommendations spanning conceptual and methodological domains to guide the next generation of research, including: (a) grounding racial trauma within more inclusive trauma frameworks; (b) distinguishing racism-related stress from racism-based traumatic stress; (c) differentiating racism-based traumatic stress symptoms from posttraumatic stress symptoms; (d) developing youth-centered measures of racism-based traumatic stress; (e) employing prospective and developmentally situated research paradigms; and (f) conducting family systems-level examinations of racial trauma. By highlighting these directions, we aim to support the development of a more robust evidence base needed to accurately conceptualize, assess, and intervene on the traumatic impact of racism-related experiences among ethnoracially minoritized youth.
Cognitive Transformation and Valence in Adolescents' Turning Point Narratives: Prospective Effects on Depressive Symptoms.
Johnson JA, Carroll S, Hoffman AJ … +1 more , Schacter HL
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 Mar · PMID 41849653 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Although adolescence represents a high-risk period for the onset or escalation of depressive symptoms, little is known about cognitive protective factors that may buffer against such increases. Guided by cogni...
OBJECTIVE: Although adolescence represents a high-risk period for the onset or escalation of depressive symptoms, little is known about cognitive protective factors that may buffer against such increases. Guided by cognitive theories of depression and posttraumatic growth literature, the current study examined adolescents' turning point narratives to determine whether cognitive transformation - an adaptive cognitive shift that fosters a newfound perspective following a life-altering event - protected against increases in depressive symptoms from ninth to 10th grade. Additionally, the study investigated whether cognitive transformation is particularly protective in the context of adverse, compared to neutral or positive, turning point experiences. METHOD: Participants were 388 ninth graders (M = 14.05; 46.6% White, 19.2.% Black, 16.8% Asian, and 17.4% other races/ethnicities) who completed surveys assessing depressive symptoms in both ninth and 10th grade, as well as a turning point narrative at the beginning of 10th grade. Turning point narratives were coded for themes, the presence of cognitive transformation, and valence. Regression analyses estimated the association between cognitive transformation and subsequent depressive symptoms, and whether the association was moderated by turning point event valence. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that adolescents who showed greater cognitive transformation in their turning point narratives experienced fewer depressive symptoms three months later, and that this association was stronger when turning point events were negative compared to neutral or positive. CONCLUSIONS: These findings signify the power of a positive mind-set in the face of life-altering experiences and its prospective effects on high school adolescents' mental health.
Body Mapping as a Tool to Capture Children's Expressions of Their Suicide Ideation or Attempts.
Ortin-Peralta A, Gulbas LE, Espinosa-Polanco M … +2 more , Baroni A, Miranda R
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol · 2026 · PMID 41849649 · Full text
OBJECTIVE: Assessing suicide risk among children is complex, in part due to their developmental differences in identifying, recalling, and verbally describing internal states, alongside cultural differences in how distre...
OBJECTIVE: Assessing suicide risk among children is complex, in part due to their developmental differences in identifying, recalling, and verbally describing internal states, alongside cultural differences in how distress is experienced. This study aimed to identify expressions of distress around suicide ideation or attempts through body mapping, a qualitative technique that facilitates both visual and verbal expressions. METHOD: Twenty-three children, ages 8-12 years (26% Black, 22% White, and 30% other races; 57% Hispanic/Latine), were recruited from an inpatient unit and interviewed within 14 days of their admission for a suicide attempt ( = 7) or suicide ideation ( = 16). Children completed the Childhood Suicide Ideation Interview, which included semi-structured questions about their suicide ideation and/or attempt and a body mapping activity, where children illustrated and described their thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and social connections surrounding their suicidal crisis on a printed body silhouette. RESULTS: Analyses conducted with Anthropac yielded 94 expressions of distress. The congruence in overall experiences across children was low (24%), yet specific somatic experiences like "shaking" (70%), "pain" (43%), and "dizziness" (39%) were prevalent. Other frequent experiences included "sad" (48%), "passive suicide ideation" (43%), and "thoughts about family" (39%). CONCLUSIONS: Body mapping was a valuable tool for uncovering unique expressions of distress among ethnoracially diverse children. Somatic expressions, often overlooked in risk assessments, were prominent. Ours and similar studies have the potential to inform the design of culturally and developmentally responsive risk assessment tools and safety planning protocols.
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