Effect of Caregivers’ Parenting Styles on the Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Left-Behind Children: The Parallel Mediating Role of Self-Control

Childhood is an important period of individual psychological development, and parents’ company and parenting styles are highly significant to children’s personality cultivation and mental health. With the advancement of China’s modernization and urbanization, left-behind children without their parents’ company have become a growing concern. Compared with children raised by their parents, left-behind children are more likely to show social maladaptation and mental health problems. This study explored the mediating effects of left-behind children’s dual mode of self-control between caregivers’ parenting styles and emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs). In this study, 469 left-behind children in senior classes of primary schools were investigated by adopting the caregivers’ parenting styles questionnaire of left-behind children, the dual-mode of self-control scale and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. This study found that (1) the protective and risk factors for caregivers’ parenting styles not only directly affected EBP, but also affected it through the mediating effect of the dual-mode of self-control, and (2) the mediating effect of the impulsive system was significantly greater than that of the control system. This study confirmed that caregivers’ parenting styles had an important impact on left-behind children’s psychological growth: positive parenting styles not only directly reduced the risk of EBP, but also indirectly improved left-behind children’s mental health by promoting their level of self-control; negative parenting styles directly increased the risk of EBP and indirectly affected left-behind children’s mental problems by enhancing their level of impulsiveness. These findings provide an important basis for reducing the risk of mental health problems and cultivating good personality qualities of left-behind children.

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Mental Health and Functional Outcomes in Young Adulthood of Children With Psychotic Symptoms: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbz069 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Antonella Trotta ◽

Louise Arseneault ◽

Avshalom Caspi ◽

Terrie E Moffitt ◽

Andrea Danese ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Transition To Adulthood ◽

Young Adulthood ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Psychotic Symptoms ◽

Poor Outcomes

Abstract Background Childhood psychotic symptoms have been associated with various psychiatric disorders in adulthood but their role as early markers of poor outcomes during the crucial transition to adulthood is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated associations between age-12 psychotic symptoms and a range of mental health problems and functional outcomes at age 18. Methods Data were used from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of 2232 twins born in 1994–1995 in England and Wales, followed to age 18 with 93% retention. Childhood psychotic symptoms were assessed in structured interviews at age 12. At age 18, study members’ mental health problems, functional outcomes, risky behaviors, and offending were measured using self-reports and official records. Results Children with psychotic symptoms (N = 125, 5.9%) were more likely to experience a range of mental health problems in young adulthood than children without such symptoms. They were also more likely to be obese, smoke cigarettes, be lonely, be parents, and report a lower quality of life, but not more likely to commit crimes. Childhood psychotic symptoms predicted these poor outcomes over and above other emotional and behavioral problems during childhood. Nevertheless, twin analyses indicated that these associations were largely accounted for by shared family factors. Conclusions Psychotic symptoms in childhood signal risk for pervasive mental health and functional difficulties in young adulthood and thus may provide a useful screen for an array of later problems. However, early psychotic symptoms and poor outcomes may be manifestations of shared environmental and genetic risks.

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Charting the trajectories of adopted children's emotional and behavioral problems: The impact of early adversity and postadoptive parental warmth

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579420000231 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amy L. Paine ◽

Oliver Perra ◽

Rebecca Anthony ◽

Katherine H. Shelton

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Externalizing Problems ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Parental Warmth ◽

Internalizing And Externalizing Problems ◽

Prospective Longitudinal ◽

Internalizing And Externalizing

Abstract Children who are adopted from care are more likely to experience enduring emotional and behavioral problems across development; however, adoptees’ trajectories of mental health problems and factors that impact their trajectories are poorly understood. Therefore, we used multilevel growth analyses to chart adoptees’ internalizing and externalizing problems across childhood, and examined the associations between preadoptive risk and postadoptive protective factors on their trajectories. This was investigated in a prospective longitudinal study of case file records (N = 374) and questionnaire-based follow-ups (N = 96) at approximately 5, 21, and 36 months postadoptive placement. Preadoptive adversity (indexed by age at placement, days in care, and number of adverse childhood experiences) was associated with higher internalizing and externalizing scores; the decrease in internalizing scores over childhood was accelerated for those exposed to lower levels of preadoptive risk. Warm adoptive parenting was associated with a marked reduction in children's internalizing and externalizing problems over time. Although potentially limited by shared methods variance and lack of variability in parental warmth scores, these findings demonstrate the deleterious impact of preadoptive risk and the positive role of exceptionally warm adoptive parenting on children's trajectories of mental health problems and have relevance for prevention and intervention strategies.

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Mental health problems, family functioning and social support among children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict

Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research ◽

10.1108/jacpr-08-2020-0535 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 61-72

Author(s):

Milgen Sánchez-Villegas ◽

Lizeth Reyes-Ruiz ◽

Laura K. Taylor ◽

Natalia Andrea Pérez-Ruíz ◽

Farid Alejandro Carmona-Alvarado

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Emotional Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Armed Conflicts ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Content Type

Purpose Colombia presents with one of the largest armed conflicts in the world. Children exposed directly or indirectly to armed conflicts live the emotional footprints left by war. This paper aims to identify mental health problems among children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict and associated factors. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study with (n = 80) children aged 7 to 11 years (M = 9.8 years; SD = 1.4) was conducted using the Child Behavior Checklist, Family APGAR and MOS social support survey adaptation to children. Linear regression analyses were also performed with emotional and behavioral problems as the outcomes and related factors as the predictors. Findings Clinical levels of emotional and behavioral problems were found in 56.3% of children. Internalizing problems (63.7%) were more common than externalizing problems (51.2%). Older children had greater emotional problems at the trend level, and those with higher functioning families had lower emotional problems. Children with higher perceived social support had lower behavior problems at the trend level. Research limitations/implications This study includes a sample facing multiple risks and uses a holistic approach to consider family and social resources that may support children who are survivors of the armed conflict in Colombia. These results provide a foundation for future promotion and prevention programs related to children’s mental health problems to support peacebuilding within the framework of the Colombian post-conflict process. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to collect empirical data on the mental health of children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict focused in the Atlantic Department.

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Associations among child abuse, mental health, and epigenetic modifications in the proopiomelanocortin gene (POMC): A study with children in Tanzania

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579415001248 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (4pt2) ◽

pp. 1401-1412 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Tobias Hecker ◽

Karl M. Radtke ◽

Katharin Hermenau ◽

Andreas Papassotiropoulos ◽

Thomas Elbert

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Epigenetic Modifications ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

High Exposure ◽

Low Exposure ◽

Altered Gene

AbstractChild abuse is associated with a number of emotional and behavioral problems. Nevertheless, it has been argued that these adverse consequences may not hold for societies in which many of the specific acts of abuse are culturally normed. Epigenetic modifications in the genes of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis may provide a potential mechanism translating abuse into altered gene expression, which subsequently results in behavioral changes. Our investigation took place in Tanzania, a society in which many forms of abuse are commonly employed as disciplinary methods. We included 35 children with high exposure and compared them to 25 children with low exposure. Extreme group comparisons revealed that children with high exposure reported more mental health problems. Child abuse was associated with differential methylation in the proopiomelanocortin gene (POMC), measured both in saliva and in blood. Hierarchical clustering based on the methylation of the POMC gene found two distinct clusters. These corresponded with children's self-reported abuse, with two-thirds of the children allocated into their respective group. Our results emphasize the consequences of child abuse based on both molecular and behavioral grounds, providing further evidence that acts of abuse affect children, even when culturally acceptable. Furthermore, on a molecular level, our findings strengthen the credibility of children's self-reports.

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Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking among Adolescents

Sibirskiy psikhologicheskiy zhurnal ◽

10.17223/17267080/79/11 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 189-202

Author(s):

E.V. Rezun ◽

◽

H.R. Slobodskaya ◽

N.B. Semenova ◽

T.O. Rippinen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Self Report ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Seeking Help

The mental health problems among adolescents have long-lasting effects throughout life. However, research evidence indicates that only 10–30% of adolescents who needed mental health care had received specialized help. The present study reports the prevalence of mental health problems and help-seeking among adolescents, taking into account gender and age differences. The sample included 1752 adolescents (47 % boys,) aged 12-17 years. Data were collected on in two Siberian cities (Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk) using an international self-report questionnaire developed for the school-based Eurasian Child Mental Health Study. Participants were recruited from 18 schools, students completed questionnaires anonymously during school lessons. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple regression analysis, and crosstabs using a chi-squared test. The level of emotional and behavioral problems in Siberian adolescents was slightly higher than that found in European and Asian countries. Twenty three percent of adolescents reported frequent headaches (at least once a week), 11 % reported frequent abdominal pain and 14% suffered from frequent sleep disturbances (3–5 times a week or more). Girls reported a significantly higher level of problems than boys, with the largest gender differences for emotional problems, recurrent pains and sleep disturbances. Weekly consumption of alcohol and daily use of nicotine among boys was more common than among girls (3 % and 6 %, respectively), whereas less frequent use of alcohol and nicotine was commoner in girls (16 %) than in boys (10 %); 7 % of boys and girls had tried drugs at least once. Suicidal thoughts were reported by 22 % of adolescents, 6 % reported suicide attempts and 6 % reported repeated self-harm. One third of adolescents considered seeking outside help and 9 % had actually done so. Girls reported more help-seeking than boys; older girls sought help more often than younger and middle-aged ones. Around one third of adolescents sought help from their relatives; 26 % from friends, the Internet or other non-professional sources; 5 % reported seeking help from a doctor or nurse, and 3 % from a psychologist. The most important independent predictors of seeking help were emotional symptoms, suicidal ideation and hyperactivity/inattention. The results suggest a need for future investigation of the factors associated with help-seeking behavior among adolescents. It is also necessary to develop mental health promotion programs for adolescents, interventions to improve mental health literacy and access to mental health care.

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Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638379 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Gökmen Arslan ◽

Murat Yıldırım ◽

Mega M. Leung

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Personal Meaning ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Health And Well Being

Research Problem: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a multi-faceted crisis worldwide. Researchers and health authorities in various parts of the world echoed the dire condition of the public's mental health. This study sought to examine the mediating effect of personal meaning on the association between coronavirus (COVID-19)-related suffering, mental health problems, and life satisfaction. Participants included 231 adults (mean age = 46.65 ± 13.98; 68% female) and completed measures of suffering related to COVID-19, meaning, life satisfaction, and mental health problems online.Results: Findings from mediation analysis showed that suffering had significant associations with personal meaning, mental health, and well-being. Furthermore, personal meaning was significantly associated with adults' mental health and well-being and mediated the negative effect of suffering on mental health and well-being.Discussion: Overall, results from this study indicate that personal meaning is an important promotive factor that may help to understand the negative effect of coronavirus-related suffering on mental health and well-being amid the public health crisis.

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Relationships Among the Internal Health Locus of Control, Mental Health Problems, and Subjective Well-Being of Adults in South Korea

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9111588 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1588

Author(s):

Sunhwa Shin ◽

Eunhye Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Locus Of Control ◽

South Korea ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Locus Of Control ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

The Relationship

The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationship between internal health locus of control, mental health problems, and subjective well-being in adults during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the mediating effect of mental health problems on the relationship between internal health locus of control and subjective well-being was examined. A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted via online survey. The participants were 600 adults over 20 years of age living in South Korea. The collected data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis and SPSS Process Macro (Model 4). As a result of the study, the internal health locus of control had a significant negative effect on mental health problems. In addition, in the process of the internal health locus of control affecting subjective well-being, the mediating effect of mental health problems was significantly shown. In the period of an infectious disease pandemic such as COVID-19, it is necessary to establish a strong internal health locus of control of individuals and to promote monitoring and treatment introduction for those with a low internal health locus of control. In addition, it was discussed that controlling mental health problems can improve subjective well-being, which is life satisfaction and happiness.

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Use of the Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment Program to Decrease Mental Health Problems in Ugandan Children Surviving Severe Malaria: A Randomized Controlled Trial

10.21203/rs.3.rs-75439/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Paul Bangirana ◽

Annet Birabwa ◽

Mary Nyakato ◽

Ann J. Nakitende ◽

Maria Kroupina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Severe Malaria ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Health Problems ◽

Control Groups ◽

Caregiver Depression ◽

Randomized Controlled

Abstract Background: Severe malaria is associated with long-term mental health problems in Ugandan children. This study investigated the effect of a behavioral intervention for caregivers of children admitted with severe malaria, on the children’s mental health outcomes six months after discharge.Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Naguru Hospital in Kampala, Uganda from January 2018 to July 2019. Caregiver and child dyads were randomly assigned to either a psychoeducation arm providing information about hospital procedures during admission (control group) or a behavioral arm providing information about the child’s possible emotions and behavior during and after admission and providing age appropriate games for the caregiver and child (intervention group). Pre- and post-intervention assessments for caregiver anxiety and depression (Hopkins Symptom Checklist) and child mental health problems (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Child Behavioral Checklist) were done during admission and six months after discharge respectively. T-tests, analysis of covariance and Chi-Square were used to compare outcomes between the two treatment arms.Results: There were 120 caregiver-child dyads recruited at baseline with children aged 1.45 years to 4.89 years (mean age 2.85 years, SD = 1.01). The intervention and control groups had similar sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics at baseline. Caregiver depression at baseline, mother’s education and female sex of the child were associated with behavioral problems in the child at baseline (p<0.05). At six months follow-up, there was no difference in the frequency of behavioral problems between the groups (6.8% vs 10% in intervention vs. control groups, respectively, p = 0.72). Caregiver depression and anxiety scores between the treatment arms did not differ at six months follow-up. Conclusion: This behavioral intervention for caregivers and their children admitted with severe malaria had no effect on the child’s mental health outcomes at six months. Further studies need to develop interventions for mental health problems after severe malaria in children with longer follow-up time.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03432039

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The emotional and behavioral problems of children exposed to poverty and/or collective violence in communities at the Mexico-United States border: A comparative study

Salud Mental ◽

10.17711/sm.0185-3325.2015.013 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 95-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Marie Leiner ◽

◽

María Theresa Villanos ◽

Héctor Puertas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Health Risks ◽

Organized Crime ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Behavioral Problem ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Collective Violence

Abstract Background. Collective violence attributed to organized crime has shown to be responsible for a considerable burden of physical and mental health morbidity among youth. Objective. To compare the emotional and behavioral problems of children exposed to early childhood poverty and/or collective violence in communities at the Mexico-United States border to children exposed to other social and health risks. Method. A cross-sectional study was carried out with individuals living in poverty at two sites at the Mexico-United States border. Individuals who responded once to the Pictorial Child Behavior Checklist (P+CBCL) in Spanish were selected randomly from clinics in a metropolitan area of El Paso, Texas, United States (poverty alone group), and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (poverty plus collective violence group). In addition, emotional and behavioral problems present in these groups were compared with available published emotional and behavioral CBCL scales of children exposed to other social and health risks. Results. Children exposed to both poverty and collective violence had higher emotional and behavioral problem scores as measured by the P+CBCL than those exposed to poverty alone. In addition, compared with children who were brain-injured, hearing impaired, or whose parents were exposed to drugs or alcohol, the poverty and collective violence group had higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems. Discussion and Conclusion. Systematic detection and treatment of children as young as 18 months exposed to trauma are necessary to diminish the mental health problems caused by the collective violence attributed to organized crime.

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Adolescent Victimization and Early-Adult Psychopathology: Approaching Causal Inference Using a Longitudinal Twin Study to Rule Out Noncausal Explanations

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702617741381 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 352-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Jonathan D. Schaefer ◽

Terrie E. Moffitt ◽

Louise Arseneault ◽

Andrea Danese ◽

Helen L. Fisher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Causal Inference ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Twin Study ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Thought Disorders ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Psychiatric Conditions ◽

Longitudinal Twin Study

Adolescence is the peak age for both victimization and mental disorder onset. Previous research has reported associations between victimization exposure and many psychiatric conditions. However, causality remains controversial. Within the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, we tested whether seven types of adolescent victimization increased risk of multiple psychiatric conditions and approached causal inference by systematically ruling out noncausal explanations. Longitudinal within-individual analyses showed that victimization was followed by increased mental health problems over a childhood baseline of emotional/behavioral problems. Discordant-twin analyses showed that victimization increased risk of mental health problems independent of family background and genetic risk. Both childhood and adolescent victimization made unique contributions to risk. Victimization predicted heightened generalized liability (the “p factor”) to multiple psychiatric spectra, including internalizing, externalizing, and thought disorders. Results recommend violence reduction and identification and treatment of adolescent victims to reduce psychiatric burden.

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