Neuropsychological Characterization of Aggressive Behavior in Children and Adolescents with CD/ODD and Effects of Single Doses of Medications: The Protocol of the Matrics_WP6-1 Study

Aggressive behaviors and disruptive/conduct disorders are some of the commonest reasons for referral to youth mental health services; nevertheless, the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in real-world clinical practice remains unclear. In order to define more appropriate targets for innovative pharmacological therapies for disruptive/conduct disorders, the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funded the MATRICS project (Multidisciplinary Approaches to Translational Research in Conduct Syndromes) to identify neural, genetic, and molecular factors underpinning the pathogenesis of aggression/antisocial behavior in preclinical models and clinical samples. Within the program, a multicentre case-control study, followed by a single-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, randomized acute single-dose medication challenge, was conducted at two Italian sites. Aggressive children and adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) were compared to the same age (10–17 y) typically developing controls (TDC) on a neuropsychological tasks battery that included both “cold” (e.g., inhibitory control, decision making) and “hot” executive functions (e.g., moral judgment, emotion processing, risk assessment). Selected autonomic measures (heart rate variability, skin conductance, salivary cortisol) were recorded before/during/after neuropsychological testing sessions. The acute response to different drugs (methylphenidate/atomoxetine, risperidone/aripiprazole, or placebo) was also examined in the ODD/CD cohort in order to identify potential neuropsychological/physiological mechanisms underlying aggression. The paper describes the protocol of the clinical MATRICS WP6-1 study, its rationale, the specific outcome measures, and their implications for a precision medicine approach.

Do Distinct Groups of Reactively and Proactively Aggressive Children Exist? A Confirmatory Latent Profile Approach

The present study examined whether there are distinct groups of children with reactive versus proactive motives for their aggressive behavior. We extended previous research by using a person-based analytical approach on data from a questionnaire assessing children’s motives independently from the severity of their aggression. Two competing hypotheses were tested. The both subtypes hypothesis holds that both reactive and proactive subtypes exist, as well as a mixed subtype. The reactive only hypothesis holds that only reactive and mixed subtypes exist. Hypotheses were tested on existing data from a community sample of children displaying aggression (Study 1: n = 228, ages 10–13, 54% boys), and two clinical samples of children with aggressive behavior problems (Study 2: n = 115, ages 8–13, 100% boys; Study 3: n = 123, ages 6–8, 78% boys). Teachers reported on children’s reactive and proactive motives. We selected measures available from peers, parents, teachers, and children themselves to compare the supported subtypes on variables that previous literature suggests uniquely correlate with reactive versus proactive aggression. Confirmatory latent profile analyses revealed that the both subtypes hypothesis best fit the data of all three samples. Most children were classified as reactive (55.7–61.8% across samples), with smaller percentages classified as proactive (10.4–24.1%) and mixed (18.0–33.9%). However, these subtypes only differed in expected directions on 7 out of 34 measures. Overall, results support the existence of both reactive and proactive subtypes of aggressive children, but the distinctiveness of these subtypes in terms of social-emotional characteristics warrants further study.

PSYCHOTHERAPICAL WORK WITH THE TALE AS AN ELEMENT OF EFFECTS ON THE FORMATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Fairytale therapy is one of the effective methods of working with preschool children who are experiencing various emotional and behavioral difficulties. The essence of this method is to create a special fabulous atmosphere that makes the child’s dreams come true, allows the child to fight their fears and complexes. Fairytale therapy well overcomes the high level of anxiety in children, various fears, aggression, adapts to different children’s groups. Fairytale therapy can be used to deal with aggressive children, insecure, shy, susceptible to deception, as well as in cases of all kinds of psychosomatic illnesses. The process of fairytale therapy allows the child to understand and analyze their problems, to see ways to solve them. The basic principle of fairytale therapy is the holistic development of the individual, the care of the soul, the healing of the fairy tale. According to the results of theoretical and empirical study of fairytale therapy as an element of corrective influence on the formation of psychological health of preschool children, it is determined that the use of fairy tales in daily lessons with them gives an effective result in overcoming children’s anxiety, fears and complexes, stabilizes their emotional state, overcomes excessive aggressiveness in interaction with peers. The main task of fairy tales: to offer alternative behaviors, other exits from problematic situations through fairy-tale events and fairy-tale characters. At the same time performing various functions – diagnostic, prognostic, educational, corrective. At the choice of objects or audience, fairy tales can be individual and group, author and folk. We can choose them arbitrarily for the purpose of direct psychological and pedagogical influence on the problem, depending on the set goals. By freeing children from gaming addiction, the fairy-tale atmosphere allows toddlers to work out certain behavioral and role-playing stories, shaping adaptive and sparing, constructive and creative approaches to addressing urgent children’s problems. Listening, illustrating, playing fairy tales, supplementing and ending a fairy tale allows you to form adequate self-esteem and criticality today, and most importantly – independence and autonomy in the future. However, the results also gave us the opportunity to analyze that the immediate results of the lessons provided do not always give a lasting effect, and often children need reminders, re-discussing, playing the same fairy tale with the use of other activities, consolidating the acquired knowledge and skills in the form of play. Fairy tale as a cultural-philosophical and psychological-educational phenomenon significantly influences the mental health of the younger generation.

Effectiveness of Intervention Based Art Therapy (AT) Module on Aggressive Behaviour Among Delinquent Adolescents

For youngsters, verbal communication is tough, and for aggressive children, it is even more challenging. Art therapy was used as a successful intervention in this study to reduce aggressive behaviour among delinquent adolescents aged 13 to 18 years. The current study used a Qusai experimental (pretest-posttest) research design. Adolescents (n=30) were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group. For ten weeks, the management was carried out once a week. The Nelson and Finch (2000) children inventory of anger was used to assess anger at the start and conclusion of a 10-week period. When linked to the control group, the art therapy group exhibited a substantial reduction in anger (p.001). These findings suggest that art therapy can help aggressive children to minimize their anger and expand their behaviour. Art therapy, which combines natural elements of art with notions of mental methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy, could be a significant involvement, particularly for adolescents.

Are Emotion Regulation Strategies Different among 3–6–Year– Old Aggressive Children? Evidence from China

Background: During the long–time home quarantine due to COVID–19, preschool-age children can be easily stricken by negative emotions, which give rise to aggressive behaviors. Aggressive behaviors are of different types at the preschool stage. We aimed to investigate the differences of emotion regulation strategies among children age 3–6 yr old with different aggression types and explore the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and aggressive behaviors. Methods: The aggressive behaviors of 1,187 children sampled (event sampling method) from 5 kindergartens in five cities in Henan Province of China were observed on the spot in 2020. Three aggression types (i.e., physical, verbal, and indirect) were selected to conduct a questionnaire survey on emotion regulation strategies and discuss the differences among aggressive children in emotion regulation strategies. Results: Children of different genders are significantly different in aggressive behaviors and problem solving, as well as children at different age levels in self–comfort, passive reaction, and negative regulation strategies. Significant interaction exists between gender and aggression but not in negative regulation strategy; significant interaction also exists between age and aggression but not in cognitive reconstruction, substitutive activity, and aggressive behavior. Significant differences exist among children of different aggression types in positive and negative regulation strategies. The discrimination accuracy of emotion regulation strategies for aggression types is 66.5%. Conclusion: Significant differences exist among 3-6-yr-old aggressive children in emotion regulation strategies, and emotion regulation strategies can effectively distinguish aggressive children of different types.

Co-occurring Trajectories of Direct Aggression and Prosocial Behaviors in Childhood: Longitudinal Associations With Peer Acceptance

This study examined the longitudinal associations among children’s direct (physical and verbal) aggression, prosocial behaviors, and peer group acceptance in middle childhood (Grades 1 to 4). Children’s co-occurring aggressive and prosocial behaviors were assessed in order to identify distinct trajectory subgroups. Subsequently, variations in the development (i.e., continuity and changes) in peer acceptance were examined for each of the identified subgroups. The sample consisted of 784 children who were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse (47% girls, 37.4% Latino or Hispanic, 34.1% European American, and 23.2% African American; about 65% low SES) who were followed longitudinally from Grades 1 to 4 (Mage = 6.57 years old in Grade 1). Results revealed several distinct trajectory subgroups, including children who were primarily aggressive or prosocial, as well as children who exhibited co-occurring aggression and prosocial behaviors. Comparing these subgroups, the use of co-occurring prosocial behaviors appeared to have some protective effect on aggressive children’s peer acceptance. However, aggression was nonetheless associated with lower peer acceptance. The findings provide insights pertaining to the heterogeneity among aggressive children, the protective effects of prosocial behaviors on peer acceptance, and the differential effects of moderate versus high aggression.