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Limited prosocial emotions (LPE) are characterized by a lack of remorse or guilt, callousness/lack of empathy, being unconcerned about performance, and shallow/deficient affect. While previous research has largely focused on the presence or absence of LPE in youth, there is considerable evidence that symptom presence/absence and symptom impairment are separable dimensions, where impairment often is found to play a significant, unique role in assessing child psychopathology. The current study utilized a newly developed questionnaire with the purpose of exploring its psychometric properties and better understand the dual and potentially differential role LPE symptom presence and LPE-related impairment have in youth. Mothers (n = 265) of children (Mage = 8.04, SD = 2.07) completed questionnaires assessing LPE impairment, LPE symptoms, externalizing disorder symptoms, and functional impairment. Results demonstrated strong support for the psychometric properties of the newly developed measure of LPE impairment. Importantly, LPE-related impairment uniquely predicted all impairment domains above-and-beyond the effects of LPE symptoms, oppositional defiant disorder, and CD symptoms (as well as child age and sex covariates). Moreover, youth in the top 25th percentile on both LPE symptoms and LPE-related impairment (compared to youth only in the top 25th percentile in LPE symptoms) had greater mean externalizing symptoms and functional impairment. The preliminary evidence provided suggests researchers and clinicians may benefit from assessing both LPE symptoms and LPE-related impairment when attempting to identify youth with high levels of conduct problem symptoms and/or psychosocial impairment. Future research should aim to replicate and expand our findings to other clinical populations.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are implicated in the development of severe and persistent antisocial behavior, and appear to arise from distinct behavioral, temperament, physiological, and neural risk factors to other types of externalizing psychopathology. Although existing etiological models have attempted to characterize specific mechanisms underlying the emergence of CU traits, prior empirical work is plagued by a host of inconsistent results. This inconsistency is particularly apparent in research that has investigated variation in physiological functioning, arousal, and reactivity. In this review, we summarize and evaluate studies that have examined the role of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) functioning in child psychopathology, including studies of CU traits. We argue that the inclusion of measures of PNS activity can significantly enhance our understanding of the etiology of CU traits, provide clarity to the inconsistent findings of prior studies, and advance mechanistically-targeted interventions and treatments. We conclude the review by providing foundational and testable hypotheses about the role that disrupted PNS functioning could play in multiple pathways to CU traits beginning in infancy and across development.

Objective At least half of youths with mental disorders are unrecognized and untreated. Rapid, accurate assessment of child mental disorders could facilitate identification and referral and potentially reduce the occurrence of functional disability that stems from early-onset mental disorders. Method Computerized adaptive tests (CATs) based on multidimensional item response theory were developed for depression, anxiety, mania/hypomania, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and suicidality, based on parent and child ratings of 1,060 items each. In phase 1, CATs were developed from 801 participants. In phase 2, predictive, discriminant, and convergent validity were tested against semi-structured research interviews for diagnoses and suicidality in 497 patients and 104 healthy controls. Overall strength of association was determined by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results The child and parent independently completed the Kiddie−Computerized Adaptive Tests (K-CATs) in a median time of 7.56 and 5.03 minutes, respectively, with an average of 7 items per domain. The K-CATs accurately captured the presence of diagnoses (AUCs from 0.83 for generalized anxiety disorder to 0.92 for major depressive disorder) and suicidal ideation (AUC = 0.996). Strong correlations with extant measures were found (r ≥ 0.60). Test−retest reliability averaged r = 0.80. Conclusion These K-CATs provide a new approach to child psychopathology screening and measurement. Testing can be completed by child and parent in less than 8 minutes and yields results that are highly convergent with much more time-consuming structured clinical interviews and dimensional severity assessment and measurement. Testing of the implementation of the K-CAT is now indicated.

Background Increasing attention has been paid to maternal prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms (depression thereafter), but little is known about the prevalence of paternal prenatal and postpartum depression. To fill this gap, the current study meta-analyzed the worldwide prevalence of prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers. Methods Studies that reported paternal depression occurring between the first trimester and the first postpartum year were identified by searching both international (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and EMBASE) and Chinese (WanFang and CNKI) databases between their inception date and July 1, 2018. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals. Results Forty-seven studies with 20,728 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of prenatal depression in fathers was 9.76% in all three trimesters, 13.59% in the first, 11.31% in the second and 10.12% in the third trimester. The prevalence of postpartum depression was 8.75% within a whole year, 8.98% within one-month, 7.82% between one- and three months, 9.23% between three months and six months and 8.40% between six months to twelve months after child-birth. The prevalence of paternal postpartum depression was moderated by year of publication, study area, age of fathers of ≥18 years, quality assessment score and mean age (all P Conclusions This meta-analysis found that the prevalence of prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers was relatively common. Regular screening, effective prevention and appropriate treatment need to be implemented in this population.

Objective Childhood anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are defined by fear, worry, and uncertainty, but there is also evidence that affected children possess exteroceptive sensory abnormalities. These sensory features may often instigate symptoms and cause significant distress and functional impairment. In addition, a purported class of conditions known as “sensory processing disorders” may significantly overlap with childhood anxiety and OCD, which provides further support for a connection between abnormal sensation and fear-based psychopathology. Method The current review was conducted to synthesize and to critically evaluate the existing research on exteroceptive sensory abnormalities in childhood anxiety and OCD. Because of the paucity of research in this area, studies with adult populations were also briefly reviewed. Results The review found significant support for the notion that sensory abnormalities are common in children with anxiety disorders and OCD, but there are significant limitations to research in this area that prevent firm conclusions. Conclusion Potential avenues for future research on sensory features of pediatric anxiety and OCD are discussed.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is a severe personality disorder with robust associations with crime and violence, but its precise etiology is unknown. Drawing on near-population of federal correctional clients in the Midwestern United States, the current study examined antecedent background factors spanning adverse childhood experiences and childhood psychopathology. Greater adverse childhood experiences were associated with ASPD diagnosis with physical abuse showing associations with ASPD symptoms and sexual abuse with lifetime diagnosis for ASPD. Conduct Disorder was strongly linked to ASPD; however, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD had null associations. Given the role of environmental factors in the development of ASPD, greater criminological attention should be devoted to understanding how assorted forms of abuse and neglect coupled with childhood psychopathology contribute to ASPD especially given its linkages to severe criminal offending. Keywords: Antisocial personality disorder, adverse childhood experiences, psychopathology, offending, criminal career

Background: There is considerable evidence for an association between antenatal maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety and an increased risk for child mental health problems. One possible major factor that has not been given significant attention is the genomic risk for psychiatric disorders, which may confound (e.g., vertical transmission of genetic risk factors from mother to child) or modify the impact of prenatal exposures on symptom development. Using recent advances in polygenic risk scores, we tested the hypothesis that child genomic risk is a confounder or effect modifier of antenatal maternal symptoms of depression or anxiety on child psychopathology. Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a large prospective cohort from the United Kingdom with measures of antenatal maternal mood and child mental health data from 4–16 years. We quantified child genomic risk for ADHD, schizophrenia, and depression using established polygenic risk scores. Outcomes were internalising, externalising, and total emotional/behavioural difficulties from childhood to mid-adolescence. We analysed the data longitudinally with generalized estimating equations (n=5,237) with secondary analyses in an independent prospective cohort of children from the Finnish PREDO study (n=514). Findings: Maternal mood and child genomic risk additively predicted mental health symptoms across childhood and into mid-adolescence. There was a robust prediction of child and adolescent mental health from both antenatal maternal depression (Estimate=0·024, 95% CI: 0·019–0·029, p

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and its end product, the glucocorticoid cortisol, has been shown to be associated with psychopathology. Determining cortisol concentrations in hair (HCC) allows the investigation of long-term HPAA-activity. There is a significant scarcity of studies investigating the link between HCC and psychopathology and quality of life in child and adolescent samples. In addition, as the HPAA constitutes a feedback system enabling adaption to environmental demands, it is important to consider the socio-environmental context that the children grow up in. We therefore investigated the associations between child HCC and psychopathology/quality of life and compared these links in two groups of five to 12-year-olds: children living with mothers who report experiences of early life maltreatment (ELM) (high-risk group) and children whose mothers did not report any ELM (low-risk group). We expected that, under conditions of a high-risk environment, elevated HPAA-functioning would be associated with low levels of psychopathology and high levels of quality of life in children. Under low-risk conditions, elevated HPAA-functioning would be associated with high levels of psychopathology and low levels of quality of life in children. For the complete sample of N = 130 children, three-months HCC did not significantly predict child psychopathology or quality of life. However, there was a significant moderating effect of group membership: In the high-risk group, high levels of HCC were significantly associated with high levels of self-reported quality of life. In the low-risk group, there was no association between HCC and self-reported quality of life. For child psychopathology, in the low-risk group, high levels of HCC were significantly associated with high levels of teacher reported behavior problems, whereas in the high-risk group, the association did not reach significance. Our results underline the importance of accounting for the social environment children grow up in when investigating the link between HCC and child psychopathology and quality of life.

Objectives: Mindful parenting (MP) can be defined as the process of intentional, kind, moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience, including parenting. MP can increase the parents’ capacity for parenting calmly with more consistency, and in accordance with their goals and values, while fostering a warm and nurturing parent-child relationship that can result in less parenting stress, more effective parenting strategies, and increased well-being in their children. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in parent and child stress has led to increased risk for, and prevalence of, parent and child psychopathology. Telehealth offers a unique and effective way to reach families in need and to deliver parenting interventions to reduce parenting stress and improve parent-child functioning. Telehealth MP interventions remain effective in decreasing parenting stress and improving the parent and child’s well-being. This presentation will provide an overview of core MP skills and the evidence for MP interventions delivered via telehealth. Modifications for telehealth with its benefits and challenges will be discussed. Methods: Presenters will review the key MP skills and current empirical evidence on online MP interventions and their impact on caregiver stress and well-being and improved treatment outcomes. Adaptations for MP interventions delivered in a telehealth format will be discussed, including the benefits and challenges. Case examples will be used to enhance learning. Results: Participants will learn the core aspects of MP and how it can decrease caregiver stress and improve treatment outcomes for children, as well as online MP adaptations. Participants will also learn the benefits and challenges of online MP. Conclusions: Given the current climate of COVID-19, including the rise in family mental health needs and enhanced opportunities for telehealth services, supporting caregiver well-being and the treatment of young children is critical. Improving clinicians’ understanding of MP interventions and best practices when delivering via telehealth will support the growing need for these services. PSC, PAT, TVM

In recent years, there appears to be a rise in the diagnosis and treatment of child mental health disorders in many countries, including Singapore. While this increase may be alarming, it could possibly be attributed to factors such as changes in diagnostic criteria, improved screening in schools and primary health settings, changes in clinical practices, and an increase in help-seeking behaviour. Hence, an examination of community-level trends in mental health symptoms can elucidate how child psychopathology has changed over the years. This study aimed to investigate differences in symptoms of mental health between two cohorts of young Asian children aged six to eight living in Singapore. Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) scores from a sample in 2003 (Cohort 1; n = 524) were compared to another sample taken in 2017 (Cohort 2; n = 655). Cohort 2 had lower externalizing scale scores as compared to Cohort 1, but there were no significant differences in total problem scores or internalizing scale scores. Among the CBCL subscales, Cohort 2 had comparatively lower levels of aggressive behaviour and withdrawn/depressed symptoms, but higher levels of thought problems and somatic complaints as compared to Cohort 1. Our findings suggest that children in Singapore are progressing as well as, or even better than, children 14 years ago on most aspects of mental well-being.

Ongoing parental conflict after divorce is particularly difficult on school aged children. Consistent research has demonstrated that high conflict divorce can induce adjustment problems and increase risk of child psychopathology. For these children, school represents a safe space to thrive and develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that can serve as a buffer and reduce the risk of adjustment difficulties and mental health problems. Trained in child development, teachers have the knowledge base and play a critical role in identifying behavioral warning signs of children ‘at risk’. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of teachers working with children exposed to high parental conflict before, during and after divorce/separation. Using semi-structured interviews, five primary school teachers shared their every-day experiences of teaching and caring for primary school aged students struggling to cope with the emotional distress related to high levels of parent stress and parent conflict associated with family breakdown and the process of high conflict divorce. The data was analyzed using an Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis framework by Jonathan Smith. The findings revealed that ‘caring’ for and about studentswas a key feature of being sensitively responsive to these children. However, as highlighted by these teachers, this work is emotionally exhausting and professionally challenging, placing teachers at risk of burnout. The findings contribute to the knowledgebase of how-to best support teachers who teach vulnerable school populations. Implications for teacher training and support at different levels within the school system are discussed.

Background/Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate neuropsychological functioning of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without comorbidities of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and/or conduct disorder (CD) and the mediation effects of the neuropsychological functions in the relationship between ADHD and ODD/CD symptoms to increase our understanding about these frequently co-occurring disorders. Methods: Adolescents aged 11â18Â years were interviewed by the Kiddie epidemiologic version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia to confirm their previous and current ADHD status and other psychiatric diagnoses. The performance of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery was compared among four groups: (1) ADHD with CD (ADHD+CD), regardless of ODD; (2) ADHD with ODD (ADHD+ODD) without CD; (3) ADHD without ODD/CD (ADHD-only); and (4) typically developing controls. Mediation effects of neuropsychological functioning were tested. Results: All three ADHD groups had impaired spatial working memory and short-term memory. Deficits in verbal memory and response inhibition were found in ADHD+ODD, but not in ADHD-only. ADHD+CD did not differ from typically developing controls in verbal working memory, signal detectability, and response inhibition. Spatial working memory partially mediated the association between ADHD and CD symptoms and alerting/signal detectability of arousal partially mediated the association between ADHD and ODD symptoms. Conclusion: There were both common and distinct neuropsychological deficits between adolescents with ADHD who developed ODD only and who developed CD. ADHD comorbid with CD may be a different disease entity and needs different treatment strategies in addition to treating ADHD, while ADHD+ODD may be a severe form of ADHD and warrants intensive treatment for ADHD symptoms. Keywords: arousal, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, mediator, oppositional defiant disorder, spatial working memory

The last few years have seen a steady increase in research addressing the potential influence of fathers on their children’s development. There has also been a clearer acknowledgement of the need to study families as a complex system, rather than just focussing on individual aspects of functioning in one or other parent. Increased father involvement and more engaged styles of father - infant interactions are associated with more positive outcomes for children. Studies of paternal depression and other psychopathology have begun to elucidate some of the key mechanisms by which fathers can influence their children’s development. These lessons are now being incorporated into thinking about engaging both mothers and fathers in effective interventions to optimise their children’s health and development.

Background Previous research on individual differences in the course of maternal depressive symptoms has yielded inconsistent findings, with significant variation in the number and pattern of trajectories identified. In addition, missing from the literature is a comprehensive examination of predictors and longitudinal consequences of particular depression trajectories. Method Participants in this study included a community cohort of 501 women assessed for depression using the Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale at infant age 2, 18, 36, and 54 months. A multi-informant approach was used to examine predictors and outcomes of trajectory membership. Results Using growth mixture modeling, three distinct trajectories emerged: 84% of the sample demonstrated low-stable levels of depressive symptoms, 9.5% had high-decreasing scores, and 6.5% had moderate-increasing scores. While socioeconomic status and marital conflict differentiated the low-stable group from the high-decreasing and moderate-increasing group, neighborhood collective efficacy differentiated the latter two groups. At 54 months, a clustering of family risks was prevalent for the moderate-increasing depression group, including higher marital conflict and household chaos, lower parental positivity, and heightened levels of child psychopathology. Limitations Limitations include reliance on self-reports to assess maternal depression and the relatively small sample size of certain trajectory classes. Conclusions The onset and course of maternal depression in the early childrearing period is heterogeneous, with distinct subgroups in the population. Comprehensive assessment of individual, family, and neighborhood stressors augments our understanding of the predictors and consequences of trajectory membership over this critical period of child and family adaptation.

In preparation for the World Health Organization's development of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) chapter on Mental and Behavioral Disorders, this article reviews the literature pertaining to severe irritability in child and adolescent psychopathology. First, research on severe mood dysregulation suggests that youth with irritability and temper outbursts, among other features of hyperactivity and arousal, demonstrate cross-sectional correlates and developmental outcomes that distinguish them from youth with bipolar disorder. Second, other evidence points to an irritable dimension of Oppositional Defiant Disorder symptomatology, which is uniquely associated with concurrent and subsequent internalizing problems. In contrast to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' (5th ed.) Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, our review of the literature supports a different solution: a subtype, Oppositional Defiant Disorder with chronic irritability/anger (proposal included in Appendix). This solution is more consistent with the available evidence and is a better fit with global public health considerations such as harm/benefit potential, clinical utility, and cross-cultural applicability. Implications for assessment, treatment, and research are discussed.

There is little extant empirical literature examining the associations between life history strategies and symptoms of psychopathology. The current study (N = 138) investigated the associations between life history strategies, symptoms of psychopathology, aggression, incidence of self-harm behaviour, and attachment (perceived parental support) in sample drawn from the general population and community mental health service providers. The results from the study indicate those with a faster life strategy report greater levels of aggression and symptoms of psychopathology. Further, perceptions of poorer parental support were associated with a faster life history strategy. Implications for life history theory, conceptualising psychopathology, and future research directions are discussed. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Background Child maltreatment poses substantial risk for compromised mental health in children. Further, child abuse and neglect are potentiated within a cascade of intergenerational and current familial risk processes that require clarification to inform understanding of adverse outcomes and direct prevention and intervention efforts. Objective Using a multi-informant design, the current study applied an intergenerational cascades approach to examine the interconnected pathways among several familial risk factors associated with child maltreatment and its consequences. Participants Participants were 378 children (aged 10−12) and their mothers from economically disadvantaged, ethnically diverse backgrounds. The sample included maltreated children recruited via CPS records and demographically comparable non-maltreated children. Methods Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test sequential mediation pathways examining the independent and cascading effects of maternal history of childhood maltreatment, maternal adolescent childbearing, current maternal depression, and the child’s lifetime history of maltreatment on the child’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results Multigenerational developmental cascades were identified. Maternal history of maltreatment predicted chronic maltreatment for offspring, which in turn predicted greater internalizing (β = .167, p = .03) and externalizing symptoms (β = .236, p = .005) in late childhood. Similarly, children born to mothers who began childbearing in adolescence were more likely to experience chronic maltreatment during childhood and develop subsequent symptoms. Effects were found over and above a parallel cascade from maternal maltreatment to offspring psychopathology via a maternal depression pathway. Conclusion Findings reveal targets to prevent or ameliorate progressions of intergenerational risk pathways.

Background Psychologists routinely use the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½–5 (CBCL) to assess challenging behaviors of preschoolers with developmental disabilities. However, the CBCL has not been thoroughly validated in neurogenetic syndromes (NGS). Aim We investigated the structural validity of the CBCL in NGS. Methods Based on 152 preschoolers with Angelman, fragile X, Prader-Willi, and Williams syndromes, we employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the goodness-of-fit of CBCL narrowband, broadband, and DSM-oriented scales. Results CFA models largely supported the unidimensionality of most narrowband scales and the two-factor structure of internalizing and externalizing broadband scales. However, there was limited evidence for the unidimensionality of most DSM-oriented scales. Conclusions Psychologists may consider using the CBCL as a psychometrically sound narrowband and broadband measure of challenging behaviors but should exercise caution when interpreting DSM-oriented scales for preschoolers with NGS. Our findings underscore a continued need to enhance assessment measures for identifying early precursors of child psychopathology in pediatric populations with atypical developmental trajectories.

This longitudinal investigation tested a theoretically-specified model of the etiology and developmental consequences of parent-child role confusion, wherein there is a deterioration of generational boundaries such that the parent looks to their child to meet the parent's own needs for comfort or support. Employing a diverse sample of 250 female caregiver-child dyads (50% female and 46% Latinx children), this study tested a fully-latent structural equation model to evaluate serial mediation from parents' reported history of their own maltreatment to children's psychopathology in late childhood via role confusion during the preschool years and children's negative representations of the parent in middle childhood. As hypothesized, the severity of parents' own history of child maltreatment was associated with higher role confusion in their relationship with their preschooler, and this role confusion contributed to children's negative representations of the parent during middle childhood, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of child psychopathology. This study informs developmental science and clinical practice by elucidating modifiable mechanisms by which a parent's prior experience of child maltreatment may impact their child's adaptation in the next generation. Interventions that support the stability of vertical parent-child boundaries may buffer children from negative intergenerational child maltreatment effects.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and related health problems (ICD) integrate the diagnostic criteria commonly used in psychiatric practice, but the DSM-IV-TR was insufficient for current clinical work. The DSM-5 was first made public in May at the Congress of the American Psychiatric Association, and it includes changes to some aspects of Child Psychiatry, as many of the conditions that were at the beginning in chapter of infancy, childhood and adolescence disorders have been transferred to other chapters and there are new diagnostic criteria or new terms are added. It is therefore important to provide it to Psychiatrists who attend children in order to assess the changes they will be facing in the nomenclature and classification in pursuit of a better classification of the childhood psychopathology.

Stress is related to symptom severity among youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis, although this relation may be influenced by protective factors. We explored whether the association of CHR diagnosis with social stress is moderated by the quality of parent-child relationships in a sample of 96 (36 CHR; 60 help-seeking controls) adolescents and young adults receiving mental health services. We examined self-reported social stress and parent-child relationships as measured by the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), and determined CHR status from the clinician-administered Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndrome (SIPS). The social stress subscale, part of the clinical domain of the BASC-2, assesses feelings of stress and tension in personal relationships and the relations with parents subscale, part of the adaptive domain of the BASC-2, assesses perceptions of importance in family and quality of parent-child relationship. There was a modest direct relation between risk diagnosis and social stress. Among those at CHR, however, there was a significant relation between parent-child relationships and social stress (b=-0.73, t[92]=-3.77, p

Commonly used paradigms for studying child psychopathology emphasize individual-level factors and often neglect the role of context in shaping risk and protective factors among children, families, and communities. To address this gap, we evaluated influences of ecocultural contextual factors on definitions, development of, and responses to child behavior problems and examined how contextual knowledge can inform culturally responsive interventions. We drew on Super and Harkness' "developmental niche" framework to evaluate the influences of physical and social settings, childcare customs and practices, and parental ethnotheories on the definitions, development of, and responses to child behavior problems in a community in rural Nepal. Data were collected between February and October 2014 through in-depth interviews with a purposive sampling strategy targeting parents (N = 10), teachers (N = 6), and community leaders (N = 8) familiar with child-rearing. Results were supplemented by focus group discussions with children (N = 9) and teachers (N = 8), pile-sort interviews with mothers (N = 8) of school-aged children, and direct observations in homes, schools, and community spaces. Behavior problems were largely defined in light of parents' socialization goals and role expectations for children. Certain physical settings and times were seen to carry greater risk for problematic behavior when children were unsupervised. Parents and other adults attempted to mitigate behavior problems by supervising them and their social interactions, providing for their physical needs, educating them, and through a shared verbal reminding strategy (samjhaune). The findings of our study illustrate the transactional nature of behavior problem development that involves context-specific goals, roles, and concerns that are likely to affect adults' interpretations and responses to children's behavior. Ultimately, employing a developmental niche framework will elucidate setting-specific risk and protective factors for culturally compelling intervention strategies.

Controversy surrounds the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in youth. This meta-analysis summarised evidence regarding the aetiological and psychopathological validity of youth BPD (the extent to which youth and adult BPD share common risk factors and psychopathology). We identified 61 studies satisfying predetermined inclusion criteria. Statistically significant pooled associations with youth (19 years of age and under) BPD were observed for sexual abuse (all youth: odds ratio=4.88; 95% confidence interval=3.30, 7.21; children: OR=3.97; 95% CI=1.51, 10.41; adolescents: OR=5.41; 95% CI=3.43, 8.53); physical abuse (all youth: 2.79 [2.03, 3.84]; children: 2.86 [1.98, 4.13]; adolescents: 2.60 [1.38, 4.90]); maternal hostility/verbal abuse (all youth: 3.28 [2.67, 4.03]; children: 3.15 [2.55, 3.88]; adolescents: 4.71 [1.77, 12.53]); and neglect (all youth: 3.40 [2.27, 5.11]; children: 2.87 [1.73, 4.73]; adolescents: 4.87 [2.24, 10.59]). Several psychopathological features were also associated with youth BPD, including comorbid mood (3.21 [2.13, 4.83]), anxiety (2.30 [1.44, 3.70]) and substance use (2.92 [1.60, 5.31]) disorders; self-harm (2.81 [1.61, 4.90]); suicide ideation (all youth: 2.02 [1.23, 3.32]; children: 6.00 [1.81, 19.84]; adolescents: 1.75 [1.20; 2.54]) and suicide attempt (2.10 [1.21, 3.66]). Results demonstrate that adult and youth BPD share common aetiological and psychopathological correlates. This offers some support for the diagnostic validity of youth BPD and indicates the need for clinical recognition in this age group.

Objective Most research on irritability and child psychopathology has focused on depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Less is known about relationships between child anxiety and irritability and moderators of such associations. Method Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine associations between anxiety severity and irritability in a large sample of treatment-seeking youth with anxiety disorders (N = 663, aged 7–19 years, mean = 12.25 years), after accounting for comorbid depressive disorders and ODD. Additional analyses examined whether associations were moderated by child gender, age, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) status. Results There was a direct link between child anxiety and irritability even after accounting for comorbid depressive disorders and ODD. Links between child anxiety and irritability were robust across child gender and age. Furthermore, relationships between child anxiety and irritability were comparable across youth with and without GAD, suggesting that the anxiety–irritability link is relevant across child anxiety disorders and not confined to youth with GAD. Conclusion Findings add to an increasing body of evidence linking child irritability to a range of internalizing and externalizing psychopathologies, and suggest that child anxiety assessment should systematically incorporate irritability evaluations. Moreover, youth in clinical settings displaying irritability should be assessed for the presence of anxiety. Treatments for childhood anxiety may do well to incorporate new treatment modules as needed that specifically target problems of irritability.

The role of disgust in anxiety and related disorders has been extensively studied in adults, however its role in childhood psychopathology is in need of further investigation. The adult literature has suggested that two distinct sub-constructs within "disgust proneness" may differentially predict anxiety-related disorders. Namely, disgust propensity (DP) has been defined as the likelihood an individual will experience a disgust reaction, and disgust sensitivity (DS) as the degree to which an individual is distressed by their experience of disgust. The current study aimed to validate the Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised (DPSS-R) in a sample of youth receiving intensive services for OCD and anxiety, examine the relationship between disgust sub-constructs and obsessional content in a sample of youth with OCD, and examine the relationship between disgust change and symptom severity at discharge. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure of the DPSS-R. DP was found to be uniquely predictive of contamination obsessions, and DS was found to be uniquely predictive of moral obsessions. Lastly, change in DP, but not DS, predicted overall change in OCD symptom severity. The present study provides a valid measure of DS and DP in youth with anxiety and related disorders, and suggests that subconstructs of disgust may serve as distinct risk factors for obsessional content in youth with OCD. Future research should examine the predictive validity of DP and DS longitudinally, as well as examine effective ways to more effectively target DP with exposure therapy.

Background and objectives Difficulties in emotion regulation (ER) have been associated with several psychiatric disorders, emphasizing a need for a greater understanding of the concept and its associations with disruptive behavior. We aimed to study the ER strategy of cognitive reappraisal with an experimental test to increase our knowledge of emotional processes in child psychopathology. Methods In the present study, we examined emotional reactivity and cognitive reappraisal with a computer task in 160 medication-naive children aged 8–12 comprising four groups: Fifty-eight children with Tourette syndrome (TS), 26 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 19 children with TS and ADHD, and 57 typically developing controls. Results The use of cognitive reappraisal reduced negative affect across all participants and the ability to reappraise was positively correlated with age, whereas reactivity was not. Overall, groups did not differ in reactivity or regulation success. Looking at specific differences within groups, however, only the ADHD group did not significantly decrease negative affect when reappraising. Finally, the use of strategies considered to be efficacious was correlated with regulation success, whereas the use of a less adaptive strategy related to suppression was associated with reactivity, but not regulation of emotions. Limitations The study was limited by small, clinical contrast groups and a lack of blinding to diagnostic status in the coding of verbal strategies employed during the task. Conclusions Cognitive reappraisal appears to be a beneficial ER strategy for children regardless of diagnostic status. Our findings indicate that children can learn and employ an adaptive ER strategy when instructed in the technique, even in the presence of attention problems, which is highly relevant to therapeutic approaches to dysregulated behavior.

This study identified profiles of parental responses to children's positive and negative emotion expression using latent profile analysis and examined socio-cultural, family, parent, and child correlates of these profiles. Parents (N = 870) of children aged 8–12 completed self-report measures of their responses to children's positive and negative emotion expression, ethnicity, income, family expressivity, parent and child emotion regulation and psychopathology. Four profiles of parental emotion socialization emerged: the teach and problem-focused parent, supportive parent, balanced parent, and hyper-engaged parent. These profiles significantly differed by income, ethnicity, family expressivity, parent and child emotion dysregulation and psychopathology symtoms. Parents in the supportive and teach and problem-focused profiles reported enhanced child emotion regulation and fewer child psychopathology symptoms compared to the balanced and hyper-engaged parents. Findings highlight the importance of considering constellations of parent responses to children's broad range of emotions, and socio-cultural, family, parent, and child correlates of these patterns.

The evidence on the effects of maternal eating disorders (ED) on child development is growing and has provided insights on a series of psychopathology, eating and behavioral outcomes (Micali et al., 2014a; 2014b, Easter et al., 2013, 2014). I will firstly present data form my lab highlighting the effects of maternal eating disorders on child psychopathology and development in population-based samples (Micali et al., 2013; Micali et al., 2014). Secondly, I will focus on our work on children of mothers with ED in pregnancy and prior to pregnancy both in clinical samples and in population-based samples. Few studies have focused on the cognitive development of children born to women with ED (active and past). Our group was the first to study cognitive development in infancy and childhood in children born to women with ED as part of a large population-based study of ∼12,000 women (Kothari et al., 2013; 2014, 2015), and a longitudinal clinical sample (Barona et al., 2016). I will then touch upon weight outcomes in children of mothers with active ED behaviors in pregnancy. Altogether these studies highlight an important impact of maternal ED (both active and past) on cognitive and emotional development and weight outcomes. These findings might point to biomarkers of ED or specific effects of pregnancy ED. A summary and conclusion will summarize existing evidence, draw parallels with the literature available in other psychiatric disorders and highlight future research avenues.

Background The CAPICE project aims to 1) identify genetic variants associated with the occurrence and course of common childhood psychopathology including depression, anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder related traits, and establish the genetic overlap within childhood psychiatric disorders and with adult psychiatric disorders, 2) unravel the mechanisms underlying the associations between early lifestyle factors and childhood psychiatric disorders, 3) identify new drug targets, and 4) build a risk prediction model that identifies groups of children that are at highest risk to have persistent symptoms. This poster provides an overview of the plan to achieve these goals. Methods CAPICE is an international training network, funded by an EU Marie Curie grant, in which 12 PhD students will be trained in psychiatric genomics. This network will elaborate on the EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortium. EAGLE is a well-established collaboration of many birth and adolescent population based (twin and family) cohorts, with unique longitudinal information on lifestyle, family environment, health, and emotional and behavioral problems. Phenotypic and genome-wide data are available for over 60,000 children, in addition to genome-wide data for over 20,000 mothers and epigenome-wide data for over 6,000 children. Analyses will include (but will not be limited to) twin analyses, genome-wide association meta-analyses, polygenic analyses, Mendelian randomization, and biological pathway analyses. Results We expect that the results will provide insight into the etiology of mental health symptoms in children and adolescents and shed light on possible targets for prevention and intervention (e.g. by drug target validation or by tailoring treatment based on the risk for persisting symptoms). Discussion It is well known that psychiatric symptoms in childhood be the precursor of many psychiatric disorders during adulthood. Longitudinal population based cohorts provide a good opportunity to show how genetic factors influence development over the ages. Since these disorders are the extreme end of the continuum, collaborations with case-control samples may strengthen the results.

Children living in post-conflict settings are not only at high risk of developing war-related psychopathology but also of experiencing maltreatment within their families. However, little is known about the mechanisms of the relationship between war and family violence. In order to investigate the variables associated with the experience and perpetration of child maltreatment, we conducted a two-generational study with Tamil families in the North of Sri Lanka, a region affected by war and Tsunami. We interviewed children and the corresponding family dyads and triads with 359 children, 122 mothers, and 88 fathers on the basis of standardized questionnaires to assess their exposure to adverse life experiences and mental health symptoms. Using multivariate regression. analyses, we found that the strongest predictors for children's report of victimization were children's exposure to mass trauma and child psychopathology. Mothers' experiences of mass trauma, family violence and partner violence were each significantly related to mother-reported maternal perpetration as well as child-reported victimization. Likewise, all types of traumatic events reported by fathers were significantly related to child-reported victimization and father-reported perpetration. Fathers' alcohol use was the strongest predictor of father-reported paternal perpetration. These findings provide further support for the transmission of mass trauma into family violence, and emphasize the role of child psychopathology as well as alcohol consumption in this relationship. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Child and adolescent brain development are typically accompanied by marked improvements in a wide range of cognitive abilities. However, limited information is available surrounding the role of white matter in shaping cognitive abilities in children. The current study examined associations between white matter microstructure and cognitive performance in a large sample (n = 778) of 6- to 10-year-old children. Results show white matter microstructure is related to non-verbal intelligence and to visuospatial ability, independent of age. Specificity was demonstrated, as white matter associations with visuospatial ability were independent of general intellectual ability. Associations between white matter integrity and cognition were similar in boys and girls. In summary, results demonstrate white matter structure–function associations are present in children, independent of age and broader cognitive abilities. The presence of such associations in the general population is informative for studies examining child psychopathology

ObjectiveBinge-eating disorder (BED) is associated with elevated rates of mood and substance use disorders, but the significance of such comorbidity is ambiguous. We compared personality disorder and eating disorder psychopathology in four subgroups of BED patients: those with mood disorders, those with substance use disorders, those with both, and those with neither.MethodSubjects were 347 patients who met DSM-IV research criteria for BED. Semistructured interviews evaluated lifetime DSM-IV axis I disorders, DSM-IV personality disorder features, and eating disorder psychopathology.ResultsAmong these patients, 129 had co-occurring mood disorder, 34 had substance use disorder, 60 had both, and 124 had neither. Groups differed on personality disorder features, with those having mood disorder and both mood and substance use disorders showing the highest frequencies. Although groups did not differ in body mass index or binge eating frequency, they did differ on eating disorder psychopathology-with the groups having mood disorder and both comorbidities demonstrating higher eating, weight, and shape concerns. No differences were observed between groups with respect to ages of onset for specific eating behaviors, but some differences were observed for ages of disorder onset.ConclusionMood and substance use disorders co-occur frequently among patients with BED. Compared with a previous work, the additional comparison group (those with both mood and substance use disorders) and the control group (those with neither) afforded better discrimination regarding the significance of these comorbidities. Our findings suggest approaches to subtyping BED based on psychiatric comorbidity, and may also have implications for treatment.

Summary Objective The aim was to analyze the prevalence of eating problems and specific associations between overweight, obesity, and eating behavior in children with incontinence. Subjects and methods Forty-three consecutively presented children with incontinence, diagnosed to International Children's Continence Society standards, and 44 matched continent controls were examined prospectively. All children received a physical examination, sonography, and a one-dimensional intelligence test. Child psychopathology was measured with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4–18). Eating problems were assessed with the German version of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C) and a 40-item-parental questionnaire referring to atypical eating problems. Results Of the 43 children with incontinence, 23.3% had nocturnal enuresis (NE) only, 37.2% had any form of daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) (isolated or combined with NE) and 39.5% had fecal incontinence (FI) (isolated or combined with NE and/or DUI). Incontinent children showed significantly more CBCL externalizing symptoms (35.7% vs. 6.8%) and total problems (46.3% vs. 6.8%) in the clinical range (>90th percentile), as well as significantly lower mean IQ (105.5 vs. 120.6) than continent controls. Of the children with incontinence, 16.9% were affected by obesity (≥95th body mass index [BMI] percentile) compared with none of the continent controls. Especially in children with FI, the rate of obesity was significantly increased (23.5%). In addition, 46.5% of incontinent children, but none of the controls, had constipation. Again, children with FI (82.4%) had the highest rate of constipation (>DUI: 25% > NE only: 20%). “Food refusal” (FR) and “intense fear of gaining weight” (GW), but not other eating problems, were significantly more common among incontinent children (FR mean score 7.3; GW mean score 1.4) than in controls (FR mean score 5.6; GW mean score 0.7). After controlling for BMI percentiles, FR still was significantly higher in incontinent children. Children with FI had the highest score of FR among all subgroups of incontinence (mean score 9.1). Conclusions This study shows that overweight, obesity, behavioral and eating problems are especially associated with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (FI and constipation), and only to a lesser degree with those of the urinary tract (DUI and NE). These problems should be addressed routinely in the clinical care of children with incontinence. Incontinent children Continent controls N (%) 43 (100) 44 (100) Boys: N (%) 25 (58.1) 24 (54.5) Age: mean (SD) 8.2 (2.1) 8.3 (1.9) IQ: mean (SD) 105 (16.2) 121 (17.5) Overweight + Obesity N: (%) 12 (38.6) 6 (14.0) CBCL Total score: mean T-values (SD) 61.0 (10.9) 49.4 (9.9) EDNOS-PQ Intense fear gaining weight: mean (SD) 1.4 (1.5) 0.7 (1.1) Food refusal: mean (SD) 7.3 (4.6) 5.6 (3.0)

Objective Although CBT has proven efficacious in the treatment of child social phobia (SP), most children do not present for treatment and child SP may be less responsive to treatment than other anxiety disorders. Intensive, group-based, SP-specific CBT may improve the efficacy of, and access to, treatment for child SP. The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary examination of such a program. Method Forty Australian children aged 7–12 years (15 male and 25 female) were allocated into treatment and waitlist groups. Clinical interviews to determine diagnostic status were conducted prior to treatment, following treatment and at 6-month follow-up. Parent and child questionnaire measures of child anxiety symptoms, internalizing symptoms, depression, social skills, social competence, and parental social anxiety were administered at the same time points. Treatment was delivered in 4 separate 3-hour sessions conducted over 3 consecutive weekends. Results At postassessment, 52.4% of children in the treatment group and 15.8% of children in the waitlist group were free of their SP diagnosis. At postassessment, compared to waitlist children, treatment group children demonstrated a greater drop in clinical severity, a greater increase in overall functioning, and held fewer clinical diagnoses. Treatment group children also reported a greater reduction in SP symptoms compared to waitlist children, and treatment group parents reported a greater reduction in child internalizing and anxiety symptoms, a greater increase in child social competence, and a greater decrease in parental SP symptoms, compared to parents of children in the waitlist group. By 6-month follow-up, 76.9% of the treatment group were free of their SP diagnosis and gains on all other measures were maintained. Conclusions The results of this study are encouraging, and suggest that brief, intensive, group CBT for children with social anxiety is beneficial for many youngsters.

Better and earlier predictive differentiation of bipolar (BD) vs. unipolar major depressive disorder (UD) diagnoses should improve long-term clinical planning.We reviewed randomly selected clinical records of 334 adults diagnosed with DSM-IV-TR BD-I (n=109), BD-II (n=106), and UD (n=119) and compared features preceding major affective episodes or diagnoses, using bivariate, multivariate, and Bayesian methods.We identified antecedents selectively associated with later BD vs. UD in 52.6% vs. 31.1% of subjects in childhood, starting at age 7.4 years, and 60.0% vs. 32.8% in adolescence, with far more features in BD than UD cases (10.3 vs. 4.64/100 person-years; p0.001). In multivariate modeling, BD-selective factors were: younger at first clinical eventmale sexfamily BD-historycyclothymic or hyperthymic temperamentantecedents/person-year. Nonaffective (anxiety, eating, or substance-use) disorders preceded BD vs. UD in 41.4% vs. 28.6% of subjects (p=0.02). By ROC analysis, differential prediction of BD vs. UD was optimal with any ≥ 3 factors/person.The validity and timing of antecedent events and factors identified retrospectively from clinical records could not be verified independently, but information was recorded systematically and consistently by a single mood-disorder expert prior to diagnosis, and extracted by two independent observers.Early clinical features distinguished later BD from UD, often by years. Such prediction should improve treatment-planning and limit risk of mood-switching.

Children with developmental delays (DD) are at heightened risk for developing clinically significant behavioral and emotional difficulties as compared to children with typical development (TD). However, nearly all studies comparing psychopathology in youth with DD employ TD control groups of the same chronological age (CA). It is unclear, then, whether the heightened symptomology found in age-matched children with DD is beyond what would be expected given their developmental level. The present study assessed rates of behavior problems and mental disorder in 35 children with DD at age 9 years. These were compared with rates from 35 children with TD matched for CA at age 9 and also earlier rates for these same children at age 6, when matched for mental age (MA). Children with DD had significantly more behavior problems in 7 of the 17 scales of the CBCL when compared to TD children matched for CA, and 6 of 17 scales when compared to the MA-matched group. Rates of meeting DSM-IV criteria for a psychiatric disorder were significantly higher in the DD group than both the CA- and MA-matched TD groups for three and four, respectively, of the seven diagnoses examined. Descriptively, the mean ratings for all variables assessed were higher for the DD group than both TD comparison groups, with the exception of the Anxious/Depressed scale of the CBCL. These findings validate the heightened risk for clinically significant behavior problems and mental disorders in youth with DD above and beyond their developmental functioning.

This review is based on an extensive literature search to determine the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and shows that case reports and clinic- and community-based studies are available with which to assess this prevalence. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders frequently present in children and adolescents with ASD. However, a valid and reliable prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with ASD has not been established as a result of the limited number and small sample sizes of the reported studies.

The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary examination of a disorder-specific treatment program for children with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) that employed strategies targeting underlying cognitive factors. Forty-two children with a primary diagnosis of GAD, aged between 7 and 12 years, were randomly assigned to either a treatment (TX) or waitlist (WLC) condition. Clinical diagnostic interviews as well as parent and child questionnaires were completed at pre- and post-assessment for both conditions, and at 3-month follow-up for the TX group. For the completer analyses at post-treatment, 52.9 % of children in the TX group (0% in the WLC group) were free of their primary GAD diagnosis. By 3-month follow-up, 100% of children in the TX group were free of their GAD diagnosis, 50% were free of all diagnoses. Overall, there is preliminary evidence that a disorder-specific treatment program for children with GAD is effective in treating this chronic and disabling disorder.

In their Letter to the Editor, "Antenatal Depression, Epigenetic Gestational Age, Childhood Psychiatric Symptoms, and the Need to Consider the Possible Effects of Unaccounted Confounders," Ghosh et al.1 suggested that unaccounted confounders might explain the associations of child epigenetic gestational age at birth with maternal antenatal depression and child psychiatric problems reported in the article by Suarez et al., "The Epigenetic Clock at Birth: Associations With Maternal Antenatal Depression and Child Psychiatric Problems."2 Although the covariates mentioned in the letter, namely maternal substance use during pregnancy and socioeconomic circumstances, are indeed important factors possibly affecting both maternal and child psychopathology risk, we did not adjust for them in our analyses, as they were not associated with child epigenetic gestational age in our study sample.

Background It is estimated that more than half of children living in households where intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs are also exposed to animal cruelty (AC). Although prior research links bonds with pets with higher levels of socioemotional competence among school-age children, exposure to AC may negate the protective effects of pet ownership and/or exacerbate the potentially deleterious effect of IPV on children’s mental health. Objective The current study evaluates whether and to what extent the associations between exposure to IPV and several indicators of children’s mental health vary as a function of children’s positive engagement with pets and exposure to AC. Participants and Setting Participants included 204 children (aged 7–12 years; 47% female; 57% Latinx) and their maternal caregiver who were recruited from domestic violence agencies in a western U.S. state. Method Multiple moderation analysis evaluated whether the association between children’s exposure to IPV and internalizing and posttraumatic stress symptoms vary as a function of children’s positive engagement with pets and exposure to AC. Results Analyses revealed several moderation effects for positive engagement with pets (e.g., internalizing problems: [b = −.15, t(195) = −2.66, p = .008]; posttraumatic stress symptoms: [b = −.13, t(195) = −2.24, p = .026]), whereas exposure to AC only moderated the association between IPV and anxious/depressed symptoms (b = .32, t(195) = −2.41, p = .017). Conclusions These findings highlight the potential protective effects of positive engagement with pets and importance of screening for exposure to AC when engaging in trauma-informed work with children exposed to IPV.

ObjectiveThere is increasing scientific and clinical attention to chronic irritability in youth. However, little is known about the predictive validity and clinical significance of chronic irritability during early childhood. This prospective, longitudinal study examined associations of chronic irritability with psychiatric disorders and parental psychopathology in a large community sample of preschoolers.MethodFour hundred sixty-two preschool-age children were assessed at 3 and 6 years of age. Child psychopathology was assessed at baseline (3 years) and follow-up (6 years) using a diagnostic interview, the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment, with parents. Items from the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment were used to create a dimensional measurement of chronic irritability. Parental psychopathology was assessed with a diagnostic interview at baseline.ResultsChronic irritability was concurrently associated with a wide range of psychiatric disorders and functional impairment at 3 and 6 years of age. Irritability at 3 years predicted depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and functional impairment at 6 years after controlling for baseline disorders. Irritability also was associated with parental depression and anxiety.ConclusionsFindings underscore the central role of irritability in early-emerging mental health problems. They are consistent with longitudinal studies in older youth indicating that chronic irritability predicts later depression and anxiety and support the importance of early detection and interventions targeting preschool irritability.

The often-reported low informant agreement about child psychopathology between multiple informants has lead to various suggestions about how to address discrepant ratings. Among the factors that may lower agreement that have been discussed is informant credibility, reliability, or psychopathology, which is of interest in this paper. We tested three different models, namely, the accuracy, the distortion, and an integrated so-called combined model, that conceptualize parental ratings to assess child psychopathology. The data comprise ratings of child psychopathology from multiple informants (mother, therapist and kindergarten teacher) and ratings of maternal psychopathology. The children were patients in a preschool psychiatry unit (N=247). The results from structural equation modeling show that maternal ratings of child psychopathology were biased by maternal psychopathology (distortion model). Based on this statistical background, we suggest a method to adjust biased maternal ratings. We illustrate the maternal bias by comparing the ratings of mother to expert ratings (combined kindergarten teacher and therapist ratings) and show that the correction equation increases the agreement between maternal and expert ratings. We conclude that this approach may help to reduce misclassification of preschool children as 'clinical' on the basis of biased maternal ratings.

The factor structure, reliability and concurrent validity of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children (BPRS-C) was examined. The BPRS-C was designed to measure child psychopathology with seven scales consisting of three items each. Two large samples of intake assessments at admission to the public mental health system of state psychiatric hospitals ( n = 6712) and community mental health centers ( n = 21,459) for children aged 3–17 were examined. In both samples exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis found seven factors that generally supported the BPRS-C seven scale structure. Reliability as measured by internal consistency was acceptable with an average alpha of .72 (SD = .09). Mean scale scores across diagnoses and concurrent correlations with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were consistent with expectations.

Recent reviews indicate an underrepresentation of fathers in empirical investigations of child development and psychopathology ( Cassano et al., 2006 , Phares et al., 2005 ). The purpose of the current study was to examine the nature of parental involvement in research on children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Articles published over the last decade from journals with the highest impact factors in disciplines relevant to the study of ASD were reviewed, including areas of psychiatry, developmental psychopathology, and developmental disabilities. A total of 404 articles were included in the review and were coded to determine if parental inclusion and method of statistical analysis varied as a function of child age, journal type, year of publication, and parent gender. Results were consistent with findings from recent reviews and indicated that fathers are widely underrepresented in the literature on ASD, even more so than rates of inclusion in investigations of developmental and child clinical psychology. In contrast to findings from broad reviews of parental inclusion in studies of child psychopathology, fathers’ involvement was not higher in older versus younger age of child participant. Clinical implications and recommendations to improve inclusion rates of fathers in research on children with ASDs are discussed.