Psychosocial deprivation and receptive language ability: a two-sample study

Background The quality of early caregiving experiences is a known contributor to the quality of the language experiences young children receive. What is unknown is whether, and if so, how psychosocial deprivation early in life is associated with long-lasting receptive language outcomes. Methods Two prospective longitudinal studies examining early psychosocial deprivation/neglect in different contexts (i.e., deprivation due to institutional care or deprivation experienced by children residing within US families) and receptive language as assessed via the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) were used to assess the magnitude of these associations. First, 129 participants from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care in Romania, completed a receptive language assessment at age 18 years. Second, from the USA, 3342 participants from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study were assessed from infancy until middle childhood. Results Children exposed to early institutional care, on average, had lower receptive language scores than their never institutionalized counterparts in late adolescence. While randomization to an early foster care intervention had no long-lasting association with PPVT scores, the duration of childhood exposure to institutional care was negatively associated with receptive language. Psychosocial deprivation in US families was also negatively associated with receptive language longitudinally, and this association remained statistically significant even after accounting for measures of socioeconomic status. Conclusion Experiences of psychosocial deprivation may have long-lasting consequences for receptive language ability, extending to age 18 years. Psychosocial deprivation is an important prospective predictor of poorer receptive language. Trial registration Bucharest Early Intervention Project ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00747396

How Early Experience Shapes Human Development: The Case of Psychosocial Deprivation

Experience plays an essential role in building brain architecture after birth. The question we address in this paper is what happens to brain and behavior when a young child is deprived of key experiences during critical periods of brain development. We focus in particular on the consequences of institutional rearing, with implication for the tens of millions of children around the world who from an early age experience profound psychosocial deprivation. Evidence is clear that deprivation can lead to a host of both short- and long-term consequences, including perturbations in brain structure and function, changes at cellular and molecular levels, and a plethora of psychological and behavioral impairments.

Early Psychosocial Deprivation: Longitudinal Studies (Romanian Orphans' Case)

The current digest touches upon the negative effect of institutionalization on child development and the role of early family care in the formation of attachment, prevention of psychopathology and developing the connections between the brain and social behavior (based on the studies of Romanian orphans). (Translated by Elena Mozhaeva).

Representações de mulheres encarceradas sobre gestar na prisão

RESUMOObjetivo: compreender as representações sociais de gestantes e puérperas encarceradas sobre o gestar enquanto vivendo em Colônias Penais. Método: trata-se de estudo qualitativo, embasado no referencial teórico-metodológico das Representações Sociais, com 19 mulheres encarceradas em Colônias Penais. Utilizaram-se, como instrumentos de coleta de dados, um formulário e entrevistas grupais em que se analisaram os dados pelos softwares SPSS e Iramuteq. Resultados: marcaram-se as representações da gestação durante o encarceramento pela ausência de serviços e infraestrutura, com pré-natal falho e dificuldades para a realização de exames, além da dicotomia entre querer estar com o filho, mas ter que criá-lo em tal ambiente. Caracteriza-se gestar na prisão pela não aceitação, gerando-se atitudes de negação, embora o afeto pelo filho acompanhe as presidiárias e acalente essa realidade. Conclusão: evidenciou-se a necessidade de repensar o atendimento de saúde na prisão contribuindo-se para a efetivação de políticas públicas e garantindo-se os direitos daqueles que se encontram atrás das grades, especialmente mulheres e crianças. Descritores: Representações Sociais; Gravidez; Prisões; Afeto; Carência Psicossocial; Família.ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the social representations of pregnant and puerperal women imprisoned about gestating while living in Colonial Penins. Method: this is a qualitative study, based on the theoretical and methodological reference of the Social Representations, with 19 women incarcerated in Colonial Penins. As a data collection instrument, a form and group interviews were used in which the data was analyzed by SPSS and Iramuteq software. Results: pregnancy representations were made during incarceration due to lack of services and infrastructure, with prenatal failure and difficulties to perform exams, besides the dichotomy between wanting to be with the child, but having to create it in such a way environment. It is characterized to gestate in the prison by the non acceptance, generating attitudes of negation, although the affection by the son accompanies the inmates and cherishes this reality. Conclusion: the need to rethink health care in prison was evidenced, contributing to the implementation of public policies and guaranteeing the rights of those behind bars, especially women and children. Descriptors: Social Representations; Pregnancy; Prisons; Affection; Psychosocial Deprivation; Family. RESUMEN Objetivo: comprender las representaciones sociales de gestantes y puérperas encarceladas sobre el gestar mientras vivía en Colonias Penales. Método: se trata de un estudio cualitativo, basado en el referencial teórico-metodológico de las Representaciones Sociales, con 19 mujeres encarceladas en Colonias Penales. Se utilizaron, como instrumentos de recolección de datos, un formulario y entrevistas grupales en que se analizaron los datos por los softwares SPSS e Iramuteq. Resultados: se marcaron las representaciones de la gestación durante el encarcelamiento por la ausencia de servicios e infraestructura, con prenatal fallido y dificultades para la realización de exámenes, además de la dicotomía entre querer estar con el hijo, pero tener que crearlo en tal medio ambiente. Se caracteriza por gestar en la cárcel por la no aceptación, generándose actitudes de negación, aunque el afecto por el hijo acompaña a las presidiarias y acalenta esa realidad. Conclusión: se evidenció la necesidad de repensar la atención de salud en la cárcel contribuyéndose a la efectivación de políticas públicas y garantizándose los derechos de aquellos que se encuentran detrás de las rejas, especialmente mujeres y niños. Descriptores: Representación Sociales; Embarazo; Prisiones; Afecto; Carencia Psicosocial; Familia.