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Young people who grow up in care and then exit care around the age of 18 (care-leavers) are a particularly vulnerable group, at increased risk for mental health problems even relative to other care-experienced groups. Yet, little is understood about the factors underpinning this association. We used scoping review methods to synthesize the quantitative and qualitative literature on factors that are associated with mental health problems for care-leavers. Following rigorous methods, we systematically searched three scientific databases spanning psychology and social care and identified 23 peer-reviewed studies for inclusion. This review highlights the heterogeneity of this research, in terms of methodology and topics investigated. Topics included are as follows: pre-care maltreatment, care-related experiences, psychological factors (emotion regulation), social support, education, and adult functioning (e.g., housing, finances, employment). We found mixed and inconsistent findings across research studies. The strongest evidence-base is around the influence of social support upon the mental health of recent care-leavers, though methodological problems are discussed. The field benefits from several large-scale observational and longitudinal research studies. However, there is an over-reliance upon retrospective reporting, and the use of unvalidated measures is common. It is apparent that there are significant gaps in our current understanding of the mental health of care-leavers, in particular around modifiable factors. We discuss potential directions for future empirical research, both in terms of methodology and factors investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been proposed that children and young people living in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are not only exposed more frequently to trauma but also have a higher likelihood of encountering traumas of greater severity than those living in high‐income countries (HICs). This may lead to higher rates of post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). However, developmental pathways to risk or resilience after trauma exposure in LMICs are underresearched. Methods: We examined early parenting and attachment as potentially important formative factors for later stress reactivity in a longitudinal cohort of South African children (N = 449). Parenting and attachment were assessed at child age 18 months, and interpersonal trauma exposure, PTSS and parenting stress were measured at 13 years (N = 333; core sample with data on all measures: N = 213). Following a vulnerability‐stress approach, separate regression models were run to investigate whether parent–child attachment at 18 months, parental sensitivity and intrusiveness during play at 12 months, and current parenting stress at 13 years, interacted with adolescents' extent of interpersonal trauma exposure to predict their PTSS levels at 13 years. Results: We found no predictive effects of either early attachment or current parenting stress in relation to child PTSS. There was some evidence for predictive influences of parental early intrusiveness and sensitivity on adolescent outcomes, though associations were unexpectedly positive for the latter. No interaction effects supporting a vulnerability‐stress model were found. Conclusions: Overall, we found limited evidence that elements of the early parent–child environment predict child risk/resilience to trauma in LMIC children. Future studies should include more frequent assessments of relevant constructs to capture changes over time and consider further what comprises adaptive parenting in high‐risk contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deficits-based approach to adolescent chronic pain currently dominates the literature, to the exclusion of positive approaches, such as flourishing. Addressing this knowledge gap, this study examined the relationships between flourishing and pain-related outcomes in adolescent chronic pain. Seventy-nine adolescents aged 11–24 years were asked to complete self-report measures of three domains of flourishing and four pain-related outcomes. Correlation coefficients and four hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted, controlling for age and gender. Flourishing mental health was associated with, and significantly contributed to explaining, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and social and family functioning impairment. Benefit finding and posttraumatic growth were each associated with social and family functioning impairment, while posttraumatic growth was also associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Additionally, benefit finding significantly contributed to explaining pain intensity. Study findings underscore the importance of assessing the relationships between flourishing and pain-related outcomes in adolescents with chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Adolescents with a history of language difficulties are at risk for increased social and emotional difficulties; however, the pathways involved are unclear. We examine the contribution of poor emotion regulation by comparing longitudinal data from children at risk of developmental language disorder (rDLD) and the general population. Method: Data from the Millennium Cohort Study were analyzed at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years. The rDLD group (children with parent-reported difficulties and/or a score of -1.5 SDs on the Naming Vocabulary subtest at age 5 years) was compared to a general population group on parent reports of emotion regulation, peer problems, and emotional problems. Results: In line with the established literature, increased socioemotional problems in individuals with language difficulties were reported. Poor emotion regulation consistently predicted subsequent peer and emotional problems throughout development in both groups. Stronger cross-lag effects were found in the rDLD group for poor emotion regulation at age 3 years predicting age 5 years emotional problems and age 5 years emotional problems predicting age 7 years emotion regulation difficulties. Stronger reciprocal cross-lag effects were also observed in the rDLD group between peer and emotional problems at ages 3 and 5 years. No significant group differences were found in adolescence. Conclusions: Poor emotion regulation makes a small but significant contribution to later peer and emotional difficulties, and this relationship is stronger in children at rDLD. Early reciprocal peer and emotional difficulties are also stronger in the rDLD group, but these effects dissipate in midchildhood. Nevertheless, the consistent relationship between early emotion regulation difficulties and socioemotional problems throughout development warrants further investigation in individuals with lower language skills.

Introduction: People who grew up under the care of children's social services are a highly vulnerable group, with 50% of this population meeting the criteria for a mental health problem at any one time. Emerging evidence suggests that there is a disparity between the number of people who require support, and those that receive it, and that they face several barriers to accessing timely and effective mental health support. We have a limited understanding of how to support the mental health of this group as they 'age out' of children's social services, and the transition to independence, which occurs around the age of 18. We aimed to explore how care‐leavers understand their experiences of help‐seeking from formal mental health services. Methods: We used qualitative interviews, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with 9 care‐experienced young people aged between 18 and 25 years old. This work was co‐produced by a team of care‐experienced adults, from the conception of the study to write‐up. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed several themes which centred around: (1) taking reluctant steps towards recovery, (2) challenges with being understood and the importance of gaining an understanding of yourself, (3) navigating trust and (4) the legacy of not having your mental health needs met. Conclusions: We identified several important implications for health and social care practice, across primary and secondary health care settings. This work highlights ways to better support this highly vulnerable group in accessing evidence‐based mental health support, and how to maintain engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) better reflects chronic inflammation than high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), but paediatric/life‐course data are sparse. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and UK Biobank, we compared short‐ (over weeks) and long‐term (over years) correlations of GlycA and hsCRP, cross‐sectional correlations between GlycA and hsCRP, and associations of pro‐inflammatory risk factors with GlycA and hsCRP across the life‐course. GlycA showed high short‐term (weeks) stability at 15 years (r = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.56, 0.94), 18 years (r = 0.74; 0.64, 0.85), 24 years (r = 0.74; 0.51, 0.98) and 48 years (r = 0.82 0.76, 0.86) and this was comparable to the short‐term stability of hsCRP at 24 years. GlycA stability was moderate over the long‐term, for example between 15 and 18 years r = 0.52; 0.47, 0.56 and between 15 and 24 years r = 0.37; 0.31, 0.44. These were larger than equivalent correlations of hsCRP. GlycA and concurrently measured hsCRP were moderately correlated at all ages, for example at 15 years (r = 0.44; 0.40, 0.48) and at 18 years (r = 0.55; 0.51, 0.59). We found similar associations of known proinflammatory factors and inflammatory diseases with GlycA and hsCRP. For example, BMI was positively associated with GlycA (mean difference in GlycA per standard deviation change in BMI = 0.08; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.10) and hsCRP (0.10; 0.08, 0.11). This study showed that GlycA has greater long‐term stability than hsCRP, however associations of proinflammatory factors with GlycA and hsCRP were broadly similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Adolescents with a history of language difficulties are at risk for increased social and emotional difficulties; however, the pathways involved are unclear. We examine the contribution of poor emotion regulation by comparing longitudinal data from children at risk of developmental language disorder (rDLD) and the general population. Method: Data from the Millennium Cohort Study were analyzed at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years. The rDLD group (children with parent-reported difficulties and/or a score of -1.5 SDs on the Naming Vocabulary subtest at age 5 years) was compared to a general population group on parent reports of emotion regulation, peer problems, and emotional problems. Results: In line with the established literature, increased socioemotional problems in individuals with language difficulties were reported. Poor emotion regulation consistently predicted subsequent peer and emotional problems throughout development in both groups. Stronger cross-lag effects were found in the rDLD group for poor emotion regulation at age 3 years predicting age 5 years emotional problems and age 5 years emotional problems predicting age 7 years emotion regulation difficulties. Stronger reciprocal cross-lag effects were also observed in the rDLD group between peer and emotional problems at ages 3 and 5 years. No significant group differences were found in adolescence. Conclusions: Poor emotion regulation makes a small but significant contribution to later peer and emotional difficulties, and this relationship is stronger in children at rDLD. Early reciprocal peer and emotional difficulties are also stronger in the rDLD group, but these effects dissipate in midchildhood. Nevertheless, the consistent relationship between early emotion regulation difficulties and socioemotional problems throughout development warrants further investigation in individuals with lower language skills. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha. 12142059, Developmental language disorder (DLD) (1) affects approximately 7% of the population and manifests as a difficulty with expressive and/or receptive language that cannot be accounted for by any hearing impairment, [...]

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