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People with intellectual disability experience a high risk of being neglected and family members are often identified as the perpetrators. Analysing the media provides insight into public narratives about social problems. A search of Australian newspapers published between 2016 and 2021 identified 27 articles that predominately reported on a single case of familial neglect of an individual with intellectual disability. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, 4 discourses and 3 subject positions were identified. The discourses include Criminal justice and law enforcement (perpetrator responsibility), Political (government responsibility), Medical (physical outcomes of neglect), and Graphic (gruesome details). The subject positions construct people with intellectual disability as different, vulnerable, and present limited consideration of suffering. This study centres on a single case providing an example of the harmful narratives presented by the Australian news media. The lack of news coverage hinders opportunities for people with intellectual disability to participate equally in society. People with intellectual disability are more likely to be maltreated that people without and maltreatment within the family can be particularly difficult to identify. The findings of this study centre on a single case demonstrating that neglect of people with intellectual disability is rarely reported in the Australian news media. This study found that Australian news media can shift responsibility away from parents who neglect their children with intellectual disability. The physical and gruesome outcomes of neglect can be used to make stories more newsworthy. In the Australian news media, people with intellectual disability can be described as being different to the rest of society. This is harmful because it can restrict how people with intellectual disability can participate in society. This study suggests that social attitudes (presented through the media) about people with intellectual disability within the context of family neglect demonstrate social inequality and require change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we outline a new way of thinking about the purpose and practice of mediation. We propose that mentalizing-inspired mediation can be an effective tool for understanding the interpersonal conflict behaviours that often perpetuate disputes, inhibit their resolution, and promote the likelihood of new disputes emerging in the future. By adapting the theory of mentalizing and the mentalization-based treatment (MBT) model, we introduce a scientifically grounded approach, which we call MBT-M, to inform and elevate mediation education and practice. MBT-M offers a neat and modern reframe on the purpose and practice of mediation as a process that can assist parties to identify, and recover from, impaired mentalizing in order to understand, or ‘mentalize’, the conflict behaviours that are preventing the meaningful resolution of their dispute. Future work will outline how the MBT-M model can offer a robust, evidence-based platform from which to guide mediation interventions, research and scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of cause of death and the presence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) on eliciting public stigma toward the bereaved. Participants (N = 328, 76% female; Mage = 27.55 years) were randomly assigned to read one of four vignettes describing a bereaved man. Each vignette differed by his PGD status (PGD diagnosis or no PGD diagnosis) and his wife's cause of death (COVID-19 or brain hemorrhage). Participants completed public stigma measures assessing negative attributions, desired social distance, and emotional reactions. Bereavement with PGD (versus without PGD) elicited large and significantly stronger responses across all stigma measures. Both causes of death elicited public stigma. There was no interaction between cause of death and PGD on stigma. With increased PGD rates expected during the pandemic, the potential for public stigma and reduced social support for people bereaved via traumatic deaths and people with PGD requires mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues addressed: Fathers remain less likely to participate in parenting interventions which can limit their ability to receive support and build their parenting capacity. The advent of social media has engendered novel opportunities for fathers to connect with, and support, one another in the form of online peer support. Growth of these online communities exemplifies the demand from fathers to relate to other fathers who are navigating parenthood. However, the benefits of membership to these communities remain unclear. This study evaluated the perceived benefits of members of an online father‐to‐father, community‐created and moderated Facebook group designed for Australian fathers in both rural and metropolitan regions. Methods: One‐hundred and forty‐five Australian fathers (aged 23–72 years) who were members of the same online fathering community completed an online survey where they qualitatively described their experiences as members of this community. Results: Content analysis of open‐ended survey questions revealed that fathers identified a series of unique and important personal and familial benefits, which were largely attributed to their ability to connect with fellow fathers. Specifically, the opportunity to have convenient access to a safe space for fathers to connect was highly valued, providing fathers with opportunities to support, discuss and normalise parenting experiences. Conclusions: Online father‐to‐father connection is a highly valued resource for fathers who are navigating parenthood. So what?: Online, community‐led groups for fathers contribute to perceptions of genuineness and ownership by its members and provide a unique opportunity to connect and seek support for parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers play a crucial role in supporting the development of their children's emotion regulation. This study validated the Parental Assistance with Child Emotion Regulation (PACER) Questionnaire in a sample of 491 caregivers (M = 32.89 years) of young children ≤ 5 years. Exploratory structural equation modeling provided evidence of the instrument's ability to assess parental support for 10 distinct emotion regulation strategies that match the intended design of the instrument. Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct caregiver profiles characterized by above-average support for strategies that previously have been shown to be predictive of adaptive outcomes, maladaptive outcomes, or mixed-outcomes, respectively. Results add to existing literature that suggests the PACER is a valid and reliable assessment of caregiver-implemented support of emotion regulation strategies for children ≤ 5 years old. Evidence of distinct caregiver profiles highlights opportunities for prevention and intervention efforts to bolster extrinsic support for adaptive emotion regulation strategies. This instrument may be well-suited to capturing changes throughout the early developmental period, in addition to monitoring caregiver-facing interventions promoting optimal emotion regulation in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of cause of death (COVID-19 with an underlying medical condition vs. without) and prolonged grief disorder status (PGD present or absent) on participants’ reported public stigma towards the bereaved. Participants (N = 304, 66% women; Mage = 39.39 years) were randomly assigned to read one of four vignettes describing a bereaved man. Participants completed stigma measures assessing negative attributions, desired social distance, and emotional reactions. Participants reported significantly stronger stigmatizing responses towards an individual with PGD (vs. without PGD) across all stigma measures. There was no significant difference in stigma based on cause of death; however, stigma was reported regardless of cause of death. There was no significant interaction between cause of death and PGD on stigma. This study supports the robust finding of public stigma being reported toward an individual with PGD, suggesting these individuals are at risk of public stigma and not receiving adequate bereavement support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting motor skill acquisition and competence. While previous studies have identified adverse psychosocial outcomes in DCD, they are limited by small or population-screened, community-based samples. To understand the psychosocial difficulties, parental concerns, and familial impacts of childhood DCD in a large population-based sample. Parents of 310 children aged 4 – 18 years with a diagnosis of DCD (or synonymous term) completed the Impact for DCD survey. Parent-rated measures of emotional problems, peer problems, and prosocial behaviour were compared to normative data. Parental concerns for the impact of DCD on participation, interaction, emotional well-being, and the family system were examined. Compared to typically developing children, children with DCD were rated significantly higher for emotional and peer problems, and significantly lower for prosocial behaviours. Parents most commonly reported concerns for their child's future and withdrawal from physical activity. The presence of one or more co-occurring disorders did not significantly influence outcomes. Findings highlight the poor psychosocial outcomes for children with DCD. Crucially, poor psychosocial outcomes were just as likely in those with a single diagnosis of DCD as those with DCD and multiple co-occurring diagnoses. Parents reported concerns for their child (i.e., non-participation and social withdrawal) that are not targeted in existing DCD intervention modalities and emphasised the impact of DCD on the whole family unit. This paper presents data from the largest parent-reported survey of children with a known diagnosis of DCD (or synonymous labels). It highlights the significant impact of DCD on psychosocial outcomes in children across age groups. The children in this study were rated by their parents to have significantly higher levels of emotional and peer problems, and lower prosocial behaviours, than similarly aged Australian children without DCD. It also challenges the misconception that poor psychosocial outcomes in DCD are the result of co-occurring disorders, with outcomes observed to be as poor in children with a sole diagnosis of DCD in this sample. Furthermore, findings highlighted the significant worry and concern that parents with DCD face, particularly around their child's participation and their emotional health. Finally, parents reported on the considerable impact that DCD had on their family unit, regularly causing worry and concern, influencing their choice of activities, and causing financial strain. These concerns and impacts are not addressed in current intervention models for DCD and highlight the need for support mechanisms moving forward. • Children with DCD face a heightened risk of poor psychosocial outcomes. • Psychosocial difficulties persist across males and females of all ages. • Psychosocial difficulties in DCD are not the result of co-occurring conditions. • DCD significantly increases parental care load and causes financial strain. • Half of the parents in the study 'always' worry about their child's future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with significant social changes due to legislative and public health requirements, has changed the way in which people experience grief. We examined whether dysfunctional grief symptoms, disrupted meaning, risk factors, and functional impairment differed between people bereaved from COVID-19 and from other natural or violent causes in this same period. A sample of 409 participants (67.73% male; M = 37.54 years) completed an online survey in June 2021. There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups on any of the outcome variables; all three groups manifested clinical levels of functional impairment equal to or greater than bereaved groups diagnosed with complicated or prolonged grief disorder prior to the pandemic. Disrupted meaning partially mediated the relationship between risk factors on the one hand and functional impairment and dysfunctional grief symptoms on the other. Findings indicate that deaths during COVID-19, rather than deaths from COVID-19, may precipitate symptoms of significant clinical concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There were no differences in perceptions of neglect of children with and without intellectual disabilities. • Women tended to rate neglect as more severe than men. • Lack of supervision was rated the most severe form of neglect. • Inability to provide or poverty-related neglect was considered the least severe form of neglect. • The public consider contextual information such as the family's financial situation important when making judgements about neglect scenarios. More than 1 in 5 children experience neglect, exposing them to several adverse consequences. Children with intellectual disability experience additional neglect related challenges. Public perceptions significantly influence the identification, intervention, and prevention of child neglect. This study applied a mixed methods approach exploring public perceptions of four subtypes of child neglect (lack of supervision, failure to provide, emotional, and educational neglect), associations with key demographic factors (age, gender, parental status, and contact with people with intellectual disability), and victim-survivor intellectual disability. The final sample of 399 Australian participants (48.87% female, M = 38.93 years, SD = 12.72 years) completed an online questionnaire and were recruited via Prolific. Participants rated 10 potential neglect scenarios on the degree of neglect severity, perpetrator and victim-survivor responsibility, likelihood of victim-survivor mental and physical health outcomes, and perpetrator intention. Five-short answer questions allowed for elaboration of participant perspectives. Multiple Factorial Analysis of Variance found that the child's intellectual disability had no bearing on perceptions of neglect, but participant gender was influential with women rating neglect as more severe than men. Lack of supervision was rated the most severe subtype of neglect and lack of providing as the least. Qualitative responses described the context of neglect as important. The public may understand neglect as abhorrent irrespective of whether the child has intellectual disability and may be less recognizable to men than women. The public tends to consider the families financial situation when evaluating neglectful situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with attention‐deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to experience peer problems compared to their non‐ADHD peers, though ADHD‐specific symptoms only partially explain this association. This study examined whether sleep difficulties and motor coordination problems are additional predictors of peer problems in an ADHD population. An ADHD sample of 72 participants aged 6–14 years (M = 9.86 years, SD = 1.79 years) was evaluated for an association of peer problems with measures of motor coordination, sleep difficulties as well as ADHD and comorbidity symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (HMRA) was used to test the current study aims. Motor coordination, but not sleep difficulties, predicted additional variance in peer problems after controlling for inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, internalizing problems, oppositionality, and conduct problems. Poor motor coordination predicts peer problems beyond ADHD symptoms. Clinicians seeking to improve peer functioning in children with ADHD should also consider motor coordination difficulties in addition to existing treatment strategies. Statement of contributionWhat is already knownChildren with attention‐deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience greater peer problems (i.e., making friends, being victimized, participating in play) than their typically developing peers.Previous studies have attributed this association between ADHD and peer problems to the symptoms of ADHD (i.e., inattention and/or hyperactivity) disrupting the typical trajectory of social development.However, quantitative studies have identified that symptoms of ADHD predict only portion of the variance in a child's peer problems – highlighting that there may be other unique factors that contribute to the higher incidence of peer problems typically observed in this population.What this study addsThis study tested whether additional theoretically relevant factors could predict levels of peer problems in children with ADHD beyond the primary symptoms of the disorder.Internalizing symptomatology, conduct problems, oppositionality, motor coordination, and sleep difficulties were added to a regression model already including inattention and hyperactivity symptoms. These factors explained 51% of the variability in peer problems.In this sample of 72 ADHD children, the results of the final model highlighted that only motor coordination and conduct problems remained significant predictors of peer problems – highlighting two potentially important target areas for screening and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The elaborated environmental stress hypothesis (EESH) provides a framework that describes how motor skills may indirectly cause internalizing problems through various mediating psychosocial factors. While there is evidence to support this framework, little is known about how the proposed relationships may vary across different stages of development. Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether peer problems and perceived self‐competence mediated the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems in pre‐primary children, and at 18‐month follow up. Sample: A community sample of 197 pre‐primary school children (M = 5.40 years, SD = 0.30 years; 102 males, 95 females) participated at Time 1, with 107 completing the Time 2 follow‐up. Methods: Standardized instruments were used to measure motor skills and verbal IQ. Perceived self‐competence was measured using a self‐report measure. Participant peer problems and internalizing problems were measured using teacher report. Age, gender, and verbal IQ were included as covariates. Results: Mediation analysis using PROCESS showed that the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems was mediated by peer problems at Time 1. At Time 2, the relationship was mediated by peer problems and perceived physical competence. Conclusions: The current results indicate the EESH may function differently across different periods of development. The transition from pre‐primary to Grade 1 represents a time of important cognitive and psychosocial development, which has implications for how the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems can be understood. These findings highlight potential age‐appropriate targets for psychomotor interventions aiming to improve the emotional well‐being of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental assistance with children's emotion regulation (ER) is a form of emotion socialization behavior that has recently been operationalized with the development of the Parent Assistance with Child Emotion Regulation (PACER) questionnaire. In line with Eisenberg et al.'s heuristic model of the socialization of emotion , this study sought to test the links between mothers' ER difficulties, their use of ER strategies with their child, and child irritability – a salient dimension of child regulatory difficulties. Cross-sectional data was collected online with mothers (N = 371) of children aged one month to 5 years (M = 2.07 years, S D = 1.25) and data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. After controlling for child age and gender, maternal distress, and household income, we found small but significant associations between maternal ER difficulties and child irritability. However, maternal use of ER strategies did not account for further variance in child irritability. These findings suggest that there are meaningful associations between maternal ER and child irritability, although maternal strategies to support child ER appear independent of their own ER capacity. Whilst not associated with child irritability, maternal support for children's ER may be associated with other indicators of mental health risk and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of grief and psychological distress in community samples. We examined unique pandemic grief risk factors, dysfunctional grief, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general psychiatric distress, disrupted meaning, and functional impairment in a treatment-seeking sample of people bereaved from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. A sample of 183 participants (91.80% female; M = 47.40 years) completed an online survey as part of an intake assessment for a grief support and referral service. Most reported clinically elevated PTSD symptoms (83.1%), psychiatric distress (64.0%), and functional impairment (56.8%). A smaller, but still concerning percentage (39.3%) reported clinically significant symptoms of dysfunctional grief. Disrupted meaning substantially mediated the relationship between risk factors and all four outcomes. Counsellors should address the breadth of psychological distress in those bereaved by COVID-19 and hone their skills in promoting meaning making in the wake of the trauma and loss generated by the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the mounting death toll of COVID-19 worldwide and the complicating circumstances that commonly accompany such losses, we studied the grief experiences of 209 adult mourners who lost a loved one to coronavirus with a focus on self-blaming emotions and unresolved issues with the deceased. We found universal endorsement of one or more forms of self-blame (guilt, regret, shame) or unfinished business (UB), with over one-third of mourners endorsing all four experiences. Those having a closer relationship to the deceased reported both greater distress over UB and more intense and dysfunctional grief symptomatology. Strikingly, unresolved conflict, a major dimension of UB, accounted for nearly 40% of the unique variance in problematic grief, which bore no relation to time since the loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irritability is a transdiagnostic indicator of child and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems that is measurable from early life. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the strength of the association between irritability measured from 0 to 5 years and later internalizing and externalizing problems, to identify mediators and moderators of these relationships, and to explore whether the strength of the association varied according to irritability operationalization. Relevant studies published in peer-reviewed, English-language journals between the years 2000 and 2021 were sought from EMBASE, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and ERIC. We synthesized studies that included a measure of irritability within the first 5 years of life and reported associations with later internalizing and/or externalizing problems. Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI-SUMARI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Of 29,818 identified studies, 98 met inclusion criteria, with a total number of 932,229 participants. Meta-analysis was conducted on 70 studies (n = 831,913). Small, pooled associations were observed between infant irritability (0-12 months) and later internalizing (r = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.09, 0.20) and externalizing symptoms (r = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.21) symptoms. For toddler/preschool irritability (13-60 months), small-to-moderate pooled associations were observed for internalizing (r = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.28) and externalizing (r = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.18, 0.29) symptoms. These associations were not moderated by the lag between irritability and outcome assessment, although the strength of the associations varied according to irritability operationalization. Early irritability is a consistent transdiagnostic predictor of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence. More work is required to understand how to accurately characterize irritability across this developmental period, and to understand mechanisms underlying the relationship between early irritability and later mental health problems. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as living with a disability. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. Early irritability as a transdiagnostic neurodevelopmental vulnerability to early onset mental health problems: A systematic review; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ ; CRD42020214658. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Learning analytics enable automated feedback to students through dashboards, reports and alerts. The underlying untested assumption is that providing analytics will be sufficient to improve self-regulated learning. Working within a feedback recipience framework, we begin to test this assumption by examining the impact of learning analytics messages on student affect and academic resilience. Three hundred and twenty undergraduate students completed an online survey and were exposed to three randomly assigned learning analytics alerts (High Distinction, Pass, and Fail grades). Multivariate analyses of variance indicated significant differences between grade levels (large effects), with higher positive affect and lower resilience in response to High Distinction alerts than Pass or Fail alerts. Within each hypothetical grade level, there were no differences in student affect and academic resilience. Based upon systematic changes in feedback sender, message style or whether comparative peer achievement was included or not. These findings indicate that grade level has the largest impact on both affect and academic resilience. The failure of message and sender characteristics to impact on activities that promote self-regulated learning suggests we need to look beyond these characteristics of individual messages to identify drivers of engaging students in self-regulated learning. Highlights • Learning analytics enable automated feedback to students through alerts. • Limited research has examined the impact of alerts on student affect and resilience. • We manipulated various features of hypothetical learning analytics alerts. • We found differences in student affect and resilience based on hypothetical grades. • Message content, style and sender did not impact on student affect and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]