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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with attachment insecurity and psychopathology. However, some individuals remain securely attached and resilient following ACEs. Researchers have examined polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), particularly rs53576, as a source of resilience, though examination of the biological mechanism by which rs53576 buffers the relation that would otherwise exist between ACEs and attachment insecurity is absent. The aim of the current study was to examine how ACEs interact with individual genetic and immune vulnerability to shape attachment security in older adolescents and young adults (n = 201). Moderated mediational models were tested in which ACEs acted as independent variables, attachment security acted as a dependent variable, inflammation (i.e., IL-6) was tested as a mediator, and rs53576 (i.e., AA, AG, GG genotypes) was tested as a moderator. Results indicated that physical abuse was significantly associated with decreased attachment security, with moderation by rs53576. A significant main effect of rs53576 on IL-6 was also noted. A similar pattern of results was evident across other ACEs and suggests that the effects of ACEs on attachment are buffered by the GG genotype. Association between GG and lower IL-6 suggests inflammation plays some role, though more research is needed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The Child Attachment Interview (CAI) has demonstrated promise in youth, yet widespread use is thwarted by the need for interview transcription, face-to-face training, and reliability certification. The present study sought to examine the empirical basis for these barriers. Thirty-five archival CAIs were re-coded by: (1) expert coders (i.e., trained and reliable) without access to transcripts, (2) trained coders who had not completed reliability training, and (3) novice coders who had no formal training. Agreement with consensus classifications was computed with the expectation of moderate agreement. Results supported coding by experts without transcription of the interview. Near-moderate agreement preliminarily supported the use of trained coders who have not attempted reliability certification with appropriate caveats. While moderate agreement was not achieved for novice raters, findings suggest that self-paced training options for the CAI may hold future promise. These contributions erode a number of significant barriers to the current use of the CAI., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This study examined relations between trust beliefs in significant others (TBSO), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology for adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Two hundred and thirty-four adolescents from an acute inpatient unit (154 females, M age  = 14.72 years, SD = 1.39 years) completed standardized scales/interviews that assessed TBSO (mother, father, teacher, peers and TBSO as a total score), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology. It was found that adolescents' TBSO and trust beliefs in each significant other were negatively associated with interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology. The findings confirmed that the relation between the adolescents' interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology was moderated by TBSO, trust beliefs in mother, and trust beliefs in peers. The findings supported the conclusion that holding elevated TBSO (particularly trust beliefs in mother and peers) by adolescents with psychiatric disorders promotes their psychosocial adjustment including their resilience to the effects of interpersonal stress on internalizing psychopathology., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Rising rates of youth migration are occurring globally and, thus, the adaptation of immigrant youth to their host country's cultural norms is a pressing public health concern. Indeed, both acculturation and acculturative stress are associated with mental health for immigrant youth. The broad aim of this study was to examine how sleep duration would prospectively relate to acculturation (Short Acculturation Scale) and acculturative stress (Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale) following migration for N = 110 immigrant high school students across 1 year. We hypothesized that acculturation would increase, and acculturative stress would decrease over the course of 1 year of data collection. We found evidence of both anticipated longitudinal changes, with significant slope parameters that were of opposite direction (i.e., acculturation positive, acculturative stress negative). Longer sleep duration at baseline was predictive of both greater increase in acculturation and greater decrease in acculturative stress over 1 year., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Existing literature on posttraumatic growth following adverse experiences has questioned adolescent capacity to experience such growth given immature cognitive and affective development. The aim of this review was to conduct the first review of the literature regarding post-traumatic growth among adolescents (ages 12-18) to determine whether there is empirical evidence of adolescent post-traumatic growth. Results of the review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, are reported to (1) summarize existing support for adolescent post-traumatic growth within available empirical literature, (2) discuss potential moderators of adolescent post-traumatic growth occurrence, and (3) review existing measures of post-traumatic growth. Evidence of adolescent post-traumatic growth was found within three studies with correlational designs and two studies with longitudinal designs. The majority of the literature regarding adolescent post-traumatic growth provides initial support in the form of correlational evidence; however, such support is difficult to empirically establish given the lack of longitudinal studies in this area. Critiques of the extant research and areas for future research are discussed.

Migrant youth are at increased risk for mental health problems. Given increases in families migrating to the U.S. and family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border, understanding migrant youth home environments and impacts of family disruption are growing concerns. This study assessed caregiver arrangements and reports of youth emotional and behavioral symptoms from recently immigrated adolescents (N = 111) and respective caregivers (n = 64). 47.7% of youth indicated living with their mother, father, or both; 24.3% another relative, 2.7% a non-relative, and 25.2% reported no caregiver. 25% indicated caretaking responsibilities of their own. Caregiving arrangements were related to emotional and behavioral symptoms. Caregiver documentation status was related to caregiver-reported conduct problems, prosocial behavior, and total symptoms. The migration process is disruptive for youth and home environments. Many youth experience disrupted caregiving post-migration and caregiver features are significant to youth emotional and behavioral symptoms-which were elevated in this sample. The study provides novel insight into effects of family disruption on migrant youth post-migration.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed mothers to stress and social isolation during the pre- and post-natal periods. The deleterious effects of stress on both pregnant women and their infants are well documented, with research suggesting that effects are exacerbated by reduced social support. In this brief report, we summarize evidence linking stress and social isolation to negative outcomes for mothers and infants and present a conceptual model featuring inflammation as a driving mechanism. There is strong evidence that the coronavirus pandemic will affect mothers and infants through immune pathways that, in previous research, have been shown to link stress and social isolation during the pre- and post-natal periods with deficits in maternal mental health and infant well-being and development across developmental stages. We close with recommendations for novel research, policy changes, and integrated clinical care that can address these biological threats to infants and mothers while leveraging the anti-inflammatory effects of social support.

Acculturation has consequences for immigrant health, and provides a natural experimental context in which to test Fonagy and Allison's theory of epistemic trust. Their theory posits that secure attachment in the caregiver-youth dyad is a key mechanism for supporting, and exposure to childhood adversity and trauma is thought to block, the cultural learning process. The aim of this study was to validate the theory of epistemic trust by examining secure attachment as a predictor of acculturation across time and adverse childhood experiences as a moderator in 100 recently immigrated high school students followed for one year. Growth parameters were extracted and regressed on key study variables. Results indicated a significant main effect of maternal attachment on acculturation across time, as well an interaction in which the aforementioned link was blocked by adverse childhood experiences. In the context of acculturative learning, two tenets of the theory of epistemic trust were supported.

A substantial literature has investigated relations between intelligence and psychopathic traits. At the construct level, findings have been mixed, with a small negative relation found. At the facet level however, a positive relation between verbal intelligence and the interpersonal facet of psychopathy, and a negative relation between verbal intelligence and the lifestyle factor of psychopathy emerge. To date, this research has largely neglected adolescents and prior research has focused on clinical and incarcerated populations, while failing to control for psychopathology. The current study sought to address these limitations by examining the relation between intelligence and psychopathy at the construct, facet, and trait level in a sample of inpatient adolescents. At the bivariate level, verbal intelligence was related to dishonest charm, unemotionality, impulsiveness, and manipulation. In regression analyses, however, verbal intelligence lost significance as a predictor of all but impulsiveness. Gender and severity of psychopathology accounted for most significant relations.

High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and elevated levels of aggression are common among youth in inpatient psychiatric settings. Several models link trauma exposure to aggression through anomalous mental state reasoning. Some theoretical frameworks linking trauma to aggression specify that the over-attribution of hostile mental states contributes to the development of aggressive behavior whereas other theories suggest that an inhibition of mental state reasoning leads to aggressive behavior. Using a sample of inpatient adolescents, the current study examined relations between PTSD symptoms and four forms of aggression, exploring the role of both over- and under-mentalizing (i.e., hypo- and hypermentalizing) as mediators and gender as a moderator. The results suggest that hypermentalizing, but not hypomentalizing, mediates the relation between trauma and aggression, extending prior research related to inpatient adolescents for the first time. Evidence of moderated mediation was noted, such that this mediational relation was evident for females but not males. The current study offers support for differential underlying causes of aggression among males and females with PTSD symptoms.