Antipoverty programs mitigate socioeconomic disparities in brain structure and psychopathology among U.S. youths

Low socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood is associated with altered neural development and elevated risk for psychopathology. Can public policies that increase financial resources for families with low income—including cash assistance programs and the presence of Medicaid expansion—reduce these socioeconomic disparities in brain development and mental health? Addressing this question has not been previously possible, because neuroimaging studies are typically conducted in a single community. We leverage a unique opportunity provided by the Adolescent Behavior and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which provided harmonized neuroimaging data from 11,534 youth across 21 sites (in 17 states) that differed in cost of living and anti-poverty policy climates. Lower SES was associated with smaller hippocampal volume, higher internalizing psychopathology, and greater exposure to stressful life events, but the magnitude of these associations varied significantly across states. The association of SES with hippocampal volume was about 37% smaller in states where cost of living was high but that provided more generous cash benefits for lower SES families as compared to states with less generous benefits. In high cost of living states where antipoverty programs were more generous, the association between SES and hippocampal volume resembled that of low cost of living states. Similar patterns were observed for internalizing psychopathology and stressful life events. These findings demonstrate that macroeconomic conditions moderate the degree to which family income influences children’s neurodevelopment and mental health and that anti-poverty policies exert a buffering effect against the negative impacts of low SES.

Parental Internalizing Psychopathology and PTSD in Offspring after the 2012 Earthquake in Italy

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in youths after earthquakes, with parental psychopathology among the most significant predictors. This study investigated the contribution and the interactional effects of parental internalizing psychopathology, the severity of exposure to the earthquake, and past traumatic events to predict PTSD in offspring, also testing the reverse pattern. Two years after the 2012 earthquake in Italy, 843 children and adolescents (9–15 years) living in two differently affected areas were administered a questionnaire on traumatic exposure and the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index. Anxiety, depression, and somatization were assessed in 1162 parents through the SCL-90-R. General linear model showed that, for offspring in the high-impact area, predictors of PTSD were earthquake exposure, past trauma, and parental internalizing symptoms, taken individually. An interaction between earthquake exposure and parental depression or anxiety (not somatization) was also found. In the low-impact area, youth PTSD was only predicted by earthquake exposure. The reverse pattern was significant, with parental psychopathology explained by offspring PTSD. Overall, findings support the association between parental and offspring psychopathology after natural disasters, emphasizing the importance of environmental factors in this relationship. Although further research is needed, these results should be carefully considered when developing mental health interventions.

Utility of the Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier in Preschoolers With Conduct Problems

This study examined the clinical utility of the “Limited Prosocial Emotions” (LPE) specifier (i.e., prevalence rates, group differences, and predictive utility) in a high-risk preschool sample ( N = 109, M age = 4.77) presenting with conduct problems (CPs; n = 59). First, LPE prevalence rates ranged from 7.7% to 89.8%. Next, few group differences were observed between with CP-only and CP+LPE; youth with CP+LPE differed from youth with CP-only on callous-unemotional (CU) traits and verbal ability, but not on externalizing or internalizing psychopathology, nor on parenting experiences. In the full sample, youth with LPE differed from youth without LPE on externalizing and internalizing psychopathology, parenting, and verbal ability. Finally, LPE predicted greater baseline CP but did not predict trajectories of CP. Findings highlight the clinical utility of the LPE specifier during early childhood and call for a refinement of the LPE specifier to improve its clinical value.

Trust Beliefs in Significant Others, Interpersonal Stress, and Internalizing Psychopathology of Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders

This study examined relations between trust beliefs in significant others (TBSO), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology for adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Two hundred and thirty-four adolescents from an acute inpatient unit (154 females, Mage = 14.72 years, SD = 1.39 years) completed standardized scales/interviews that assessed TBSO (mother, father, teacher, peers and TBSO as a total score), interpersonal stress, and internalizing psychopathology. It was found that adolescents’ TBSO and trust beliefs in each significant other were negatively associated with interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology. The findings confirmed that the relation between the adolescents’ interpersonal stress and internalizing psychopathology was moderated by TBSO, trust beliefs in mother, and trust beliefs in peers. The findings supported the conclusion that holding elevated TBSO (particularly trust beliefs in mother and peers) by adolescents with psychiatric disorders promotes their psychosocial adjustment including their resilience to the effects of interpersonal stress on internalizing psychopathology.