Children's Moods,Fears and Worries Questionnaire: Validity with Young Children at Risk for Internalizing Problems

This study tested psychometric properties of the Children's Moods, Fears and Worries Questionnaire (CMFWQ) with a population sample of children at risk for developing internalizing problems. The CMFWQ was completed by 489 parents of 5‐year‐old children who had been screened for temperamental inhibition in preschools across eight government areas of Melbourne, Australia. Parents also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Anxiety Diagnostic Interview Schedule (ADIS‐P‐IV). In this inhibited sample of children, the CMFWQ showed high internal consistency of items (α = .95). The CMFWQ demonstrated convergent validity with the SDQ ‘emotional symptoms’ subscale and discriminant validity with the ‘conduct problems’ subscale. Supporting criterion validity, the CMFWQ significantly distinguished between groups of inhibited children with versus without ADIS anxiety disorders. Psychometric properties of the CMFWQ now extend to young inhibited children who are at risk for developing internalizing problems as they grow. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Good Partners,Good Parents: Parent Relationship Satisfaction Predicts Parenting Efficacy for Young Children

Both maternal and paternal parental involvement are critical for child development. What is unclear, nonetheless, is how parents’ own relationships contribute to the growth of children. Addressing the question, we predicted marital satisfaction strengthens parenting efficacy, making parental involvement more effective in increasing children’s functioning. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed a nationally representative large-sample survey of 3-year-olds (N = 2164), wherein their language, cognitive, social, and emotional development, maternal and paternal parental involvement, as well as the marital satisfaction of the parents were assessed. The results supported the predictions by showing the critical role of fathers—the mother parents through the father in a satisfying marriage, more than she does in a dissatisfying marriage, and their young children subsequently grow better when their parents are satisfying partners. Together, the findings reveal potential mechanisms through which well-being may be passed down from one generation to the next.

     

Moderators of Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

We conducted a 6 month, randomized trial of parent training (PT) versus a parent education program (PEP) in 180 young children (158 boys, 22 girls), ages 3–7 years, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PT was superior to PEP in decreasing disruptive and noncompliant behaviors. In the current study, we assess moderators of treatment response in this trial. Thirteen clinical and demographic variables were evaluated as potential moderators of three outcome variables: the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability subscale (ABC-I), Home Situations Questionnaire (HSQ), and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale (CGI-I). We used an intent-to-treat model and random effects regression. Neither IQ nor ASD severity moderated outcome on the selected outcome measures. Severity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anxiety moderated outcomes on the ABC-I and HSQ. For instance, there was a 6.6 point difference on the ABC-I between high and low ADHD groups (p?=?.05) and a 5.3 point difference between high and low Anxiety groups (p?=?.04). Oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and household income moderated outcomes on the HSQ. None of the baseline variables moderated outcome on the CGI-I. That IQ and ASD symptom severity did not moderate outcome suggests that PT is likely to benefit a wide range of children with ASD and disruptive behavior.     

The Effect of Rational-Emotive Parent Education on the Stress of Mothers of Young Children with Down Syndrome

Parents of children with disabilities are likely to experience more stress than parents of normal children. This study assessed the effectiveness of a Rational-Emotive Parent Education Program (REPE) in reducing parental stress. The REPE program focused only on core irrationalities to determine the efficacy of elegant disputation. Mothers of young children attending an early intervention centre for Down syndrome were randomly allocated to three groups, experimental, REPE, n = 21; a comparative-treatment control, Applied Behaviour Analysis, (ABA) n = 17; and a no-treatment control, n = 16. A pretest post-test design was used with there being eight seminars of both the REPE and ABA programs. On both the Profile of Mood States and the Parenting Stress Index (Parent Domain) totals the REPE group showed significant reductions in stress compared with both control groups. The results from some subscales and single items suggested that the early intervention centre program also reduced stress. The REPE program using elegant disputation reduced parental stress.     

Addressing the Developmental Needs of Urban,African-American Youth: A Preventive Intervention

This article describes the design and implementation of a multiservice, community-based intervention aimed at promoting the personal and career development of urban, African-American youth.     

Addressing the Needs of Adolescents and Adults with Autism: A Crisis on the Horizon

The cohort of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosed as part of the first wave of what is often referred to as the autism epidemic is rapidly approaching adulthood. This cohort represents only the proverbial tip of the iceberg with some reports noting that 70% of the currently identified individuals with ASD are less than 14-years old. These numbers represent a looming crisis of unprecedented magnitude for adults with autism, their families, and the ill-prepared and underfunded adult service system charged with meeting their needs. A review of the current literature on outcomes for adults with ASD indicates that, independent of current ability levels, the vast majority of adults on the spectrum are either unemployed or underemployed and, further, that large numbers of adults with autism remain without any appropriate services. Many have had inadequate transition programming including little attention to service coordination, minimal direct family involvement and/or absence of treatment based on evidence-based practices. Lastly, issues related to staff and provider recruitment and retention present significant, systemic challenges to the provision of effective services. As such there is a significant and growing need for greater attention to individual needs of adults with ASD if we are provide the opportunity for a positive quality-of-life.     

Depressed and Anxious COPD Patients: Predictors of Psychotherapy Engagement from a Clinical Trial

This study examined patient-level factors associated with engagement in mental health treatment in a sample of medically ill patients with clinically significant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. A total of 248 patients was enlisted from a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Logistic regression analysis was used to predict mental health engagement, defined as attending at least one intervention session. Results indicated that patient-perceived mastery over COPD was negatively related to mental health engagement. Further, mastery was the only significant predictor of mental health engagement after controlling for patient demographic characteristics, severity of COPD, depression, and anxiety. To improve engagement for medically ill patients with comorbid mental health difficulties, clinicians should explore patients’ attitudes about their mental health within the context of their perceived ability to cope with their medical disease.     

Evaluating a Comprehensive Strategy to Improve Engagement to Group-based Behavioral Parent Training for High-risk Families of Children with ADHD

Behavioral parent training (BPT) is an evidence-based intervention for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related disruptive behavioral disorders of childhood. Despite convincing data on effectiveness, engagement to BPT, particularly for high-risk families, has been a long standing, yet understudied, issue. Data from a clinical trial of a comprehensive BPT approach to enhance engagement and outcomes (the Strategies to Enhance Positive Parenting [STEPP] program) are presented herein. The STEPP program was compared to a traditional group-based BPT program on propensity to attend treatment, propensity to complete homework over the course of treatment, and dropout from BPT. Additionally, factors empirically related to engagement to treatment and targeted by the STEPP program were analyzed to determine whether these factors were enhanced by participation in the STEPP program. In a randomized cohort of 80 single-mothers of school-age children with ADHD, analyses demonstrated that the STEPP program lead to greater propensity to attend treatment over time and a greater propensity to complete homework over the course of treatment. Furthermore, participation in the STEPP Program was associated with a lower rate of dropout. Finally, data suggested that parents assigned to the STEPP program reported significant improvements in factors empirically related to engagement that were targeted within the STEPP program (i.e., amount and quality of social support from their group members, expectations for treatment, and perceived barriers to treatment participation). Results of the study have implications for targeting engagement throughout the process of BPT, particularly for high-risk families.     

Co-Sleeping among School-Aged Anxious and Non-Anxious Children: Associations with Sleep Variability and Timing

Little is known about the co-sleeping behaviors of school-aged children, particularly among anxious youth who commonly present for the treatment of sleep problems. The current study examined the occurrence of co-sleeping in both healthy and clinically anxious children and its associated sleep patterns. A total of 113 children (ages 6–12), 75 with primary generalized anxiety disorder and 38 healthy controls, participated along with their primary caregiver. Families completed structured diagnostic assessments, and parents reported on their child’s co-sleeping behaviors and anxiety severity. Children provided reports of anxiety severity and completed one week of wrist-based actigraphy to assess objective sleep patterns. A significantly greater proportion of anxious youth compared to healthy children co-slept, and greater anxiety severity was related to more frequent co-sleeping. Co-sleeping in anxious youth was associated with a delay in sleep timing and with greater sleep variability (i.e., more variable nightly sleep duration). All analyses controlled for child age, race/ethnicity, family income, and parental marital status. Co-sleeping is highly common in anxious school-aged children, with more than 1 in 3 found to co-sleep at least sometimes (2–4 times a week). Co-sleeping was even more common for youth with greater anxiety severity. Increased dependence on others to initiate and maintain sleep may contribute to poorer sleep in this population via shifted schedules and more variable sleep patterns.     

The Daily Motivators: Positive Work Events,Psychological Needs Satisfaction,and Work Engagement

This study examines the motivational effects of daily positive work events. Drawing on self-determination theory, we investigated the motivational mechanism of two clusters of commonly encountered positive work events—achievement and recognition events—from a within-person perspective. Specifically, we argue that achievement events and recognition events influence subsequent work engagement through satisfying different psychological needs. We tested our model using experience-sampling data from 200 full-time employees over eight workdays. As hypothesised, after controlling for positive affect as an additional mediator, both achievement and recognition events had positive effects on work engagement through psychological needs satisfaction. The results also revealed that achievement and recognition work events had differentiated effects in satisfying different psychological needs. These results shed light on the motivational function of positive work events above and beyond the affective mechanism and explicate the processes through which different types of positive work events relate to work engagement.     

Engagement in Behavioral Parent Training: Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

Engagement in behavioral parent training (BPT), including enrollment, attrition, attendance, within-session engagement, and homework completion, has long been a critical issue in the literature. Several estimates of various aspects of engagement have been suggested in the literature, but a systematic review of the available literature has never been accomplished. This review examines engagement data across 262 studies of BPT. Recruitment attrition, program attrition, attendance, and within-session engagement are examined across studies, with particular emphasis on the impact that SES, study purpose (efficacy vs. effectiveness), treatment format (individual vs. group), and age of child may have on those rates. Results of this review suggest that the significant amount of attrition occurs prior to enrollment in BPT, with at least 25 % of those identified as appropriate for BPT not enrolling in such programs. An additional 26 % begin, but drop out before completing treatment. Still the combined dropout rate of at least 51 % leaves at best half of identified parents completing treatment. While SES status had a small effect on attrition, other variables were not found to meaningfully impact engagement. Information on within-session engagement (homework and ratings of participation) was not often reported in studies. Key issues in this literature (e.g., varying definitions of engagement, limited attention to reporting key aspects of engagement) are discussed, and recommendations are made to further improve this important area of research and clinical practice.     

A Study of the Questions of Young Children Concerning Sex: A Phase of an Experimental Approach to Parent Education

Summary

Ninety-six male and female Ss were exposed to a Spanish E speaking Spanish, a Spanish E speaking English, or an Anglo E speaking English, who requested change for a dime. Sex and clothing (well dressed or sloppy) of E were also varied, creating a 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 design. Both helpfulness and language of S served as dependent measures. Spanish Es speaking Spanish were helped the most, and Anglo Es helped the least. Es were helped more when well dressed than when sloppily dressed. A strong modeling effect for language was found—viz., Ss were likely to respond in the language in which they were addressed; however the altruism and language of Ss were not related.     

Creative Problem Solving and Problem Finding in Young Adults: Interconnections with Stress,Hassles, and Coping Abilities

This study examined the relationship among creative problem solving (PS) and problem generation (PG) abilities, stress and daily hassles, and coping skills in a sample of college undergraduates. Heirarchical regression analyses indicated that separate sets of both PS and PS task scores were predictive of scores on certain coping scales even after the variance accounted for by indices of stress and hassles was removed. Specifically, PG and PS abilities were negatively related to such coping processes as confrontation, distancing, escape-avoidance tendencies, and excessive acceptance of responsibility, and positively associated with more general adaptive qualities. The findings strongly suggest that PS and PG abilities are important components of an individual's overall capacity to cope with both major and minor stresses of life.     

Behavioral and Socio-emotional Functioning in Children with Selective Mutism: A Comparison with Anxious and Typically Developing Children Across Multiple Informants

We examined differences among 158 children, 44 with selective mutism (SM; M = 8.2 years, SD = 3.4 years), 65 with mixed anxiety (MA; M = 8.9 years, SD = 3.2 years), and 49 community controls (M = 7.7 years, SD = 2.6 years) on primary caregiver, teacher, and child reports of behavioral and socio-emotional functioning. Children with SM were rated lower than controls on a range of social skills, but the SM and MA groups did not significantly differ on many of the social skills and anxiety measures. However, children with SM were rated higher than children with MA and controls on social anxiety. Findings suggest that SM may be conceptualized as an anxiety disorder, with primary deficits in social functioning and social anxiety. This interpretation supports a more specific classification of SM as an anxiety disorder for future diagnostic manuals than is currently described in the literature. The present findings also have implications for clinical practice, whereby social skills training merits inclusion in intervention for children with anxiety disorders as well as children with SM.     

Enhancing Initial Parental Engagement in Interventions for Parents of Young Children: A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies

Low rates of participation in parenting interventions may undermine their effectiveness. Although a wide range of strategies to engage parents in interventions are described in the literature, little is known about which engagement strategies are most effective in enhancing parental engagement. This systematic review explores effective engagement strategies to encourage initial parental engagement (recruitment, enrolment, and first attendance) in parenting interventions for parents of children aged 2–8 years old. This review was conducted based on the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Higgins and Green 2011) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Moher et al. 2009). Electronic systematic searches from January 1996 to August 2017 were conducted in PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest Social Sciences Journals, CINAHL, and PubMed databases. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria representing 1952 parents from four different countries. Of the engagement strategies tested in included studies (monetary incentive, setting, testimonial, advertisement, and engagement package), three strategies (advertisement, incentive, and engagement package) showed a significant effect on a stage of engagement, but none across stages. The low methodological quality of the selected studies limits their generalisability and thus provides limited evidence regarding effective engagement strategies to increase recruitment, enrolment, and first attendance rates in parenting interventions. There is a need for further, more methodologically rigorous, research evidence regarding how to engage parents more effectively in the early stages of parenting interventions.     

Parental Social Cognitions: Considerations in the Acceptability of and Engagement in Behavioral Parent Training

Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a widely used, evidence-based treatment for externalizing child behaviors. However, the ability of BPT programs to be maximally effective remains limited by relatively low rates of acceptance, attendance, and adherence to treatment. Previous reviews have focused on a variety of demographic and mental health characteristics of parents and children that are predictive of poor outcomes in BPT. This paper focuses instead on consideration of parental social cognitions, and how incorporation of these cognitions may, or may not, be useful in advancing the effectiveness of BPT. We first review evidence suggesting limited incremental effects to incorporating parental cognitions within the context of BPT programs. Then, we examine the role of two particular types of parental social cognitions, attributions and parenting efficacy, in relation to the initial stages of accepting and engaging in BPT. We conclude by noting limitations in available research on the links between parental social cognitions and BPT, and we outline a number of potentially useful directions that may clarify whether or not parental social cognitions should be accorded greater attention either in the initial stages or throughout BPT programs.