Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Editorial Perspective: The developmental exposome: timing, hierarchy, and the architecture of psychiatric risk","authors":"Andrea Raballo, Michele Poletti, Antonio Preti","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70253","url":null,"abstract":"The psychiatric exposome offers a powerful framework for understanding how environmental conditions shape mental health across the life course, yet existing applications often reduce exposures to static, cumulative risk inventories. The exposome construct may be advanced emphasizing two interdependent dimensions: the timing of exposures within neurodevelopment and their hierarchical weight in terms of severity, chronicity, recurrence, and ecological impact. Environmental influences are neither equivalent nor context‐independent, but operate through dynamic, nonlinear interactions across biological, relational, social, and cultural systems. Sensitive developmental periods, including prenatal life, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, may amplify or transform the impact of specific exposures, while protective contexts such as responsive caregiving, enriched learning environments, and prosocial peer relations can buffer risk and promote resilience. A developmentally sensitive exposome also supports transdiagnostic and preclinical approaches by identifying latent environmental dimensions that cut across categorical diagnoses. Methodological advances, including digital phenotyping, relational biomarkers, network analysis, and artificial intelligence, may enable real‐time modelling of exposure trajectories. Finally, developmental exposomic clocks could be considered as clinically actionable tools to estimate environmentally driven deviations in maturation, supporting early detection, precision prevention, and individualized intervention in psychiatry across diverse clinical and community mental health settings globally.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149172556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Parental and early child skills outweigh home numeracy environment in predicting maths development","authors":"Tonje Amland, Germán Grande, Elsje van Bergen, Monica Melby‐Lervåg, Arne Lervåg","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70247","url":null,"abstract":"Background Studies on the home numeracy environment (HNE) show mixed evidence of its link with children's mathematical skills. A rarely considered aspect is parents' dual role as providers of the home environment and transmitters of genetic predispositions relevant for learning. Parents' maths abilities may serve as a proxy for the genetic transmission that confounds the home–child association, as proposed in the Familial Control Method. We examined whether numeracy activities at home predict children's maths development, while accounting for parents' maths ability and children's initial skill level. Methods We analysed data from 244 Norwegian school children, 201 mothers and 146 fathers. Children's maths fluency was assessed in Grades 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Parents completed an HNE questionnaire and a maths assessment when children were in Grade 2. Relations among HNE, parental maths and children's maths development were tested using structural equation modelling. Results Both formal and informal HNE predicted Grade 3 maths. After controlling for parental maths, only mothers' informal HNE remained associated with Grade 3 performance. When Grade 1 maths was included, only fathers' formal activities were related to Grade 3 skills, while both parents' maths still predicted Grade 3 performance. Only Grade 1 maths predicted Grade 3 as well as subsequent growth. Conclusions The finding that parental maths predicted children's maths beyond family activities underscores the importance of addressing familial confounding in research on the home environment. To better understand the role of the HNE in maths development, research should consider parents' skills, children's early skills and HNE as a dynamic process.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149172555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ADHD symptoms and learning difficulties: co‐occurrence and directionality from Grades 1 to 9","authors":"Maria Psyridou, Minna Torppa, Kati Vasalampi, Anna‐Maija Poikkeus, Marja‐Kristiina Lerkkanen, Elsje van Bergen","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70244","url":null,"abstract":"Background Children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of learning difficulties. This association may reflect shared risk factors, ADHD symptoms hindering learning, or learning difficulties increasing ADHD symptoms. We aimed to map rates of co‐occurrence among ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and reading comprehension difficulties and to investigate directional influences between ADHD symptoms and reading fluency, arithmetic, and reading comprehension. Methods Reading fluency, arithmetic, and reading comprehension were assessed longitudinally in approximately 2,000 Finnish children across Grades 1–9 (ages 7–16). Attention/hyperactivity symptoms were measured with teacher ratings (Grades 1–4) and self‐reports (Grades 6–9). ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and reading comprehension difficulties were based on a 10th percentile cut‐off. Directionality between ADHD symptoms and academic skills was examined using random intercept cross‐lagged panel models (RI‐CLPMs) to separate stable traits from time‐specific states. Results Children with a learning difficulty were 1.14–1.76 times more likely to have ADHD, whereas children with one learning difficulty were 4.32–4.62 times more likely to have another. The RI‐CLPMs showed consistent autoregressive effects across all domains, indicating stable within‐person variation over time. At the between‐person level (i.e. trait), academic skills were negatively related to ADHD symptoms, especially those reported by teachers. At the within‐person level (i.e. state), ADHD symptoms were unrelated to reading fluency and arithmetic. However, at multiple time points, cross‐lagged effects emerged from ADHD symptoms to subsequent reading comprehension, indicating that elevated ADHD symptoms predicted subsequent declines in reading comprehension. Conclusions Learning difficulties co‐occurred more frequently with each other (homotypic) than with ADHD (heterotypic co‐occurrence). Both ADHD symptoms and learning difficulties showed trait‐like stability. After accounting for these, ADHD symptoms were no longer linked to reading fluency or arithmetic. However, more ADHD symptoms predicted later declines in reading comprehension, likely because comprehension requires sustained attention – often impaired in children with hyperactivity and inattention.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149151798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The emotion regulation and recognition account of empathy‐related processes in autism: a multimodal, multilevel case–control study","authors":"Jeffrey J. Wood, Stian Orm, Karen S. Wood, Jolie Straus, Samara Wolpe, Ashley Morrissey, Maria Cornejo Guevara, Sheila E. Crowell","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70249","url":null,"abstract":"Background Recent evidence suggests that many autistic individuals exhibit heightened emotional responsiveness to others' affect despite greater difficulty recognizing others' emotions and accurately inferring their perspectives. This study introduces and preliminarily evaluates the Emotion Regulation and Recognition Account (ERRA), a model proposing that susceptibility to emotion dysregulation and challenges with emotion cue interpretation jointly shape empathy‐related processing in autism. Methods Children aged 6–13 years ( <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> <jats:sub>autistic</jats:sub> = 103; <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> <jats:sub>non‐autistic</jats:sub> = 40) participated; groups were matched demographically. Children watched five videos of youth exhibiting strong affect (e.g. sad and angry) and answered questions about their reactions to and understanding of the videos. These responses were coded for empathy‐related processes such as emotional contagion and perspective taking. Electrodermal reactivity to and eye gaze towards the videos were also measured. Multilevel models were employed to test hypothesized pathways in the ERRA. Results Autistic children experienced greater affective intensity but exhibited less accurate emotion recognition than non‐autistic children when observing youth exhibiting strong affect. Greater physiological and affective intensity were associated with greater attention shifting, and more frequent attention shifting among autistic children was associated with less accurate emotion recognition. Less accurate emotion recognition was, in turn, associated with less emotional synchrony and perspective taking, which were linked with less prosocial motivation. Conclusions The findings provide initial support for the ERRA by suggesting that, rather than experiencing indifference, many autistic individuals have strong affective reactions when observing others in distress. These reactions may lead to attention shifting, which can reduce awareness of others' emotional cues, potentially interrupting the unfolding of empathic understanding and responding. Empathy‐supporting interventions can build upon the affective responsiveness to others experienced by many autistic individuals.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and acceptability of digital safety planning therapy for self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors in adolescents with depressive episodes: a randomized controlled trial","authors":"Yi‐Hui Liu, Jia‐Rong Liang, Cheng‐Jia Yang, Xin‐Cheng‐Cheng Huang, Qin‐Jing Li, Dong‐Ni Wen, Fu‐Jun Jia, Cai‐Lan Hou","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70246","url":null,"abstract":"Background Self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) represent a significant mental health issue among Chinese adolescents. Research on smartphone‐based safety planning as digital therapeutics for SITB in China remains limited. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of a safety planning mobile application (LIFES) for reducing SITB in adolescents with depressive episodes. Methods Among 189 adolescents with depressive episodes screened, 122 were randomized to either the intervention group (LIFES app plus treatment as usual [TAU], <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 61) or the control group (TAU only, <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 61). Follow‐up assessments at 1, 3, and 6 months measured SITB, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. This trial is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300075663; <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" xlink:href=\"https://www.chictr.org.cn/\">https://www.chictr.org.cn/</jats:ext-link> ). Results Generalized linear mixed models showed significant time‐by‐group interaction effects for non‐suicidal self‐injury frequency ( <jats:italic>F</jats:italic> = 3.39, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .018), suicide planning seriousness ( <jats:italic>F</jats:italic> = 2.93, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .034), confidence in suicide completion during preparation ( <jats:italic>F</jats:italic> = 3.10, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .027), suicide threat/gesture frequency ( <jats:italic>F</jats:italic> = 3.64, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .013), and total suicidal behavior frequency ( <jats:italic>F</jats:italic> = 3.31, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .020) after adjusting for depression and anxiety symptom severity, sleep quality, and years of education. The intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in SITB characteristics compared to the control group. User experience surveys indicated good satisfaction with the application. Conclusions This study demonstrates that safety planning‐based digital therapeutics are an effective adjunctive intervention for SITB in adolescents with depressive episodes. Future research should examine the applicability of this intervention to broader populations.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"407 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Commentary: Intervention research in a conflict setting – a commentary on Trani et al. (2026)","authors":"Katharina Galuschka","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70251","url":null,"abstract":"This commentary focuses on the cluster‐randomized controlled trial conducted by Trani et al. ( <jats:italic>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</jats:italic> , 2026, 67, 1127). Their study evaluated a psychosocial intervention in Afghanistan amidst the 2021 Taliban transition. The study's primary contribution lies in demonstrating how stable educational environments can serve as a critical protective buffer, shielding children from the most debilitating effects of systemic violence. I argue that the intervention provided a framework in which the classroom functioned as a site where cognitive development was facilitated through structured social exchange. Methodologically, the work serves as a model for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial that maintains high scientific standards while navigating extreme uncertainty. I examine how Trani et al. ( <jats:italic>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</jats:italic> , 2026, 67, 1127) establish real‐world feasibility as a scientific prerequisite for intervention research, achieved not through a compromise on rigorous scientific standards but through the deliberate application of core methodological standards that ensure the study remains scientifically sound.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149130397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial Perspective: Evolutionary psychiatry as a scientific framework for neurodiversity: implications for ADHD and ASD in children and young people","authors":"Annie Swanepoel","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70254","url":null,"abstract":"The neurodiversity movement has gained considerable momentum in recent years, asserting that conditions such as attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent natural variations in human neurodevelopment rather than pathological disorders (Baron‐Cohen, 2017). This perspective has found increasing resonance among people with lived experience, advocacy groups and a growing number of clinicians. Yet, it has also attracted criticism for lacking a rigorous scientific foundation, leaving it vulnerable to the charge that it is more ideological than evidence based (Sonuga‐Barke &amp; Thapar, 2021). We argue that evolutionary psychiatry provides precisely the scientific framework that the neurodiversity movement needs. By asking why ADHD and ASD have persisted across human history, and answering through the mechanisms of natural selection, evolutionary theory transforms neurodiversity from an advocacy position into a scientifically grounded account of human variation.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149130398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disentangling direct and indirect genetic pathways to neurodevelopmental risk: brain structure and behavior in a population-based parent–offspring trio study","authors":"Fin J. E. van Uum,&nbsp;Yllza Xerxa,&nbsp;Alexander Neumann,&nbsp;Jean-Baptiste Pingault,&nbsp;Charlotte A. M. Cecil,&nbsp;Mina Shahisavandi,&nbsp;Koen Bolhuis,&nbsp;Boglarka Kovacs,&nbsp;Henning Tiemeier,&nbsp;Ryan L. Muetzel,&nbsp;Neeltje E. M. van Haren","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70184","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70184","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are highly heritable, yet the pathways linking parental genetic liability to child outcomes remain poorly understood. Traditional designs cannot easily separate genes transmitted to the child from environmental influences shaped by parental genotypes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In 3,270 families from the Generation R Study, we applied a mother–father–offspring trio design to disentangle direct genetic effects from indirect parental influences (‘genetic nurture’). Polygenic scores (PGSs) included a transdiagnostic neurodevelopmental score (NDV) and disorder-specific scores for ADHD, ASD, and major depressive disorder (MDD). Offspring brain structure (cortical surface area, subcortical gray matter, cerebellar volume) at age 9 and behavioral problems at age 14 were assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test direct, indirect, and brain-mediated genetic pathways.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Transdiagnostic NDD genetic liability predicted multiple behavioral domains, primarily via direct genetic effects, with similar influence on internalizing and externalizing problems. ADHD PGS effects closely paralleled those of the NDV PGS, whereas ASD and MDD PGSs showed more domain-specific associations. Notably, maternal, but not paternal, MDD genetic liability was indirectly related to behavioral problems across domains, independent of the child's own genetic risk. This maternal pathway was partly reporter-specific but robust for attention problems across both parent and child reports. Global brain measures did not mediate any of the identified genetic pathways.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Intergenerational NDD risk is predominantly driven by direct genetic transmission. However, maternal depression liability exerts additional influence through environmentally mediated pathways. The absence of brain-mediated effects suggests that the gross neural phenotypes examined here do not capture the mechanisms underlying these pathways. Our findings highlight the importance of maternal influences on child NDD outcomes and underscore the need for longitudinal, multimodal research designs that integrate genetic, caregiving, and fine-grained neural phenotyping data to inform targeted prevention and early intervention strategies for at-risk families.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 11","pages":"1831-1843"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.70184","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148215930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does later chronotype cause poorer adolescent mental health? An adolescent brain cognitive development study","authors":"Rachel Visontay, Hollie R. Byrne, Emma K. Devine, Mirim Shin, Emiliana Tonini, Gabrielle Hindmarsh, Joanne S. Carpenter, Ty Brumback, Lindsay M. Squeglia, Louise Mewton, Ian B. Hickie, Jacob J. Crouse","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70248","url":null,"abstract":"Background This study investigated whether chronotype (biobehavioral preference for sleep and wake timing) across early adolescence impacts mental health symptoms at age 13–14. This is a relationship with growing correlational evidence but limited causal exploration. Methods Participants were 7,489 adolescents (aged 9–10 at baseline; 13–14 at the fifth assessment wave) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD). Marginal structural models with machine learning‐based weight estimation were used to assess the causal impact of chronotype at ages 11–12 and 12–13, as measured by the youth‐reported Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, on several dimensions of mental health symptoms at age 13–14 (parent‐reported Child Behavioral Checklist internalizing and externalizing values, <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 2,668; child‐reported Prodromal Psychosis Scale, <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 2,698). Results There was no effect of chronotype at age 11–12 on any outcome. However, later chronotype at age 12–13 was associated with slightly more severe externalizing symptoms ( <jats:italic>b</jats:italic> = .29, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .04) and more psychotic‐like experiences at age 13–14 ( <jats:italic>b</jats:italic> = .05, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = .02), but not with more severe internalizing symptoms. Post hoc analyses indicated the lack of relationship with internalizing held for both anxiety and depression symptoms and in both sexes. Conclusions There are likely causal effects of adolescent chronotype on mental health symptoms, but these are dependent on the dimension of mental health and period of adolescence. The typically reported association between later chronotype and more severe internalizing symptoms may not manifest until later adolescence (such as with the common postpubertal shift in chronotype).","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149130399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood internalising symptoms at ages 3 and 6: a meta-analysis of epigenome-wide associations from cord and peripheral blood","authors":"Laura Schellhas,&nbsp;Mannan Luo,&nbsp;Janine F. Felix,&nbsp;Christian M. Page,&nbsp;Mona Bekkhus,&nbsp;Marcus R. Munafò,&nbsp;Luisa Zuccolo,&nbsp;Alexandra Havdahl,&nbsp;Charlotte A.M. Cecil,&nbsp;Gemma C. Sharp","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70186","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70186","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pre- and postpartum environments and genetic effects influence childhood internalising problems, which increase depression risk. DNA methylation (DNAm) may capture some of these effects. We therefore investigated associations between child blood DNAm and internalising problems.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We meta-analysed probe and region-level epigenome-wide association studies using data from 3 European birth cohorts (ALSPAC, MoBa, Generation R; analytic <i>N</i> = 1,121–3,011) from the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium. DNAm was assessed at birth (cord blood) and age 6 years (peripheral blood). Internalising problems (ages 3 and 6) were reported by mothers using the Child Behaviour Checklist or Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Models were adjusted for age at DNAm assessment, 20 surrogate variables, estimated cell proportions, maternal education, age, smoking and, in secondary analysis, maternal anxiety and depression. Public databases were searched for mental health associations with top CpG sites and regions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>No significant probe-level associations were found between cord- or peripheral-blood DNAm and internalising problems. In region-level analyses, two differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in cord blood were associated with internalising problems at age 3 (annotated to <i>STK32C</i>, <i>MIR886</i>) and one at age 6 (<i>PFKFB2</i>). At age 6, peripheral-blood analyses identified two DMRs (<i>C10orf26</i> (<i>WBP1L</i>), <i>FAM125A</i>). Several genes showed prior associations with psychiatric phenotypes, including depression.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The higher-powered regional-level analyses revealed more associations than probe-level. Among others, we identified a region annotated to <i>STK32C</i> that has previously been linked to adolescent depression. Larger samples and refined phenotyping are needed to clarify the role of DNAm in internalising problems.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 11","pages":"1868-1882"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.70186","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148262444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}