Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Decoding and vocabulary improvements mediate sustained gains in reading comprehension: Evidence from a randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent reading intervention","authors":"Cameron Downing,&nbsp;Catherine Clark,&nbsp;Gwennant Evans,&nbsp;Rachel Cartin,&nbsp;Joseph Smith,&nbsp;Charles Hulme,&nbsp;Manon Jones","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70159","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70159","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Reading comprehension is critical for academic success, yet many children with persistent decoding difficulties struggle to achieve it. This study examined whether a multicomponent literacy intervention is effective in improving reading comprehension and whether any gains in comprehension are mediated by improvements in word reading and vocabulary knowledge.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In a randomised controlled trial (RCT), 285 English-speaking children aged 7–9 years with reading difficulties were assigned to a waitlist control group or the Research Informed Literacy with Language (RILL) intervention, a structured, multicomponent programme targeting decoding and language skills. Literacy outcomes were assessed at baseline (t1), postintervention (t2) and at 4-month follow-up (t3). The trial was preregistered; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN18940975.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Children receiving RILL showed significantly greater gains in word-level literacy (<i>d</i> = 0.19, <i>p</i> &lt; .001), taught vocabulary (<i>d</i> = 0.30, <i>p</i> = .017) and reading comprehension (<i>d</i> = 0.23, <i>p</i> = .011) immediately postintervention. Effects were sustained at follow-up (word-level literacy <i>d</i> = 0.17; taught vocabulary <i>d</i> = 0.30; comprehension <i>d</i> = 0.25). Mediation analyses, showed a significant indirect effect of the intervention on comprehension at delayed follow-up via word-level literacy at t2 (y-standardised indirect <i>β</i> = .10, 95% CI [0.06, 0.12]), with a negligible direct effect (y-standardised <i>β</i> = .01, 95% CI [−0.20, 0.20]). In an additional exploratory parallel-mediation model, both t2 word-level literacy and taught vocabulary showed unique indirect effects on t3 comprehension (word-level literacy indirect: <i>β</i> = .16, 95% CI 0.10, 0.21, and taught vocabulary indirect <i>β</i> = .11, 95% CI 0.02, 0.23).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our intervention produced immediate and sustained improvements in word-level literacy, taught vocabulary and reading comprehension in struggling readers. Persisting decoding weaknesses are common in later primary years, and our findings show that improving word reading can produce enduring benefits for comprehension.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 9","pages":"1562-1575"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.70159","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758432","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":"Editorial Perspective: Expanding the search for environmental exposures related to children's development","authors":"Mark Wade, Maya Mammon","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70212","url":null,"abstract":"In the fields of child psychology and psychiatry, countless environmental factors have been identified as correlates of children's health and development, yet each of these generally accounts for a small proportion of variance. The unaccounted‐for variation in a model may be due to measurement error, random variation, model misspecifications or unmeasured predictors. The search for predictors traditionally viewed as being quite distal in children's social ecology has rapidly expanded over the past decade. For example, concerns regarding the impact of climate change on planetary health have been accompanied by research directly assessing the impact of climate‐related environmental stressors on the health and well‐being of children and youth. In this space, factors such as ambient heat exposure and air pollution during sensitive windows of development have recently been incorporated into studies examining children's mental health and neurodevelopment. In this perspective paper, we discuss the results of two such papers published in the journal, one each focused on heat exposure (Cuartas et al., 2026) and air pollution (Oh &amp; Song, 2026) in relation to children's neurodevelopmental outcomes. Drawing on large international samples and using diverse methodologies, these studies show several small but consistent associations with a range of child outcomes, thus providing compelling initial evidence of the effects of these climate‐related environmental stressors on development. Still, many unanswered questions remain related to the generalizability and reliability of findings, the domains of development most impacted, and the specific factors that may either exacerbate or mitigate the effect of these stressors. With considerable practice and policy implications, we argue for continued work in this area using diverse samples, robust measurement tools, and integration of developmental theories that will move beyond simple associations to help capture the complex mechanisms underlying these associations.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682123","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":"Executive function challenges persist into young adulthood and predict mental health outcomes in autism","authors":"Lauren Kenworthy,&nbsp;Lauren Baczewski,&nbsp;Alan H. Gerber,&nbsp;Cara E. Pugliese,&nbsp;A. Chelsea Armour,&nbsp;Kelsey D. Csumitta,&nbsp;Gabrielle E. Reimann,&nbsp;Caroline Candy,&nbsp;Gregory L. Wallace,&nbsp;Matthew S. Fritz","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70149","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70149","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Executive functioning (EF) challenges are common among autistic youth and persist throughout childhood and adolescence; they have been linked to important outcomes, including poorer mental health, adaptive skills, and overall quality of life. Despite the significance of EF in autism, few studies have examined the trajectory of EF challenges longitudinally, and those that have are constrained by small sample sizes, limited age ranges, and a focus on global EF at the expense of specific EF subdomains.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examines the trajectory of parent-reported EF flexibility, working memory, and inhibition challenges in autistic youth from early childhood to young adulthood and their relationship to parent-reported aggression, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Leveraging a longitudinal sample of 313 participants (age range = 2–25, 79 females, mean age at first visit = 9.5 ± 4.6 years, age range at first visit 2.6–23.1 years; mean FSIQ = 103.3, FSIQ range 52–159; mean number of visits per participant = 2.3, range 2–9) across 941 observations, multilevel growth curve modeling was used to examine the trajectory of EF challenges and their relationship to mental health across time.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found that EF challenges persist in autistic people from 2 to 25 years old, regardless of cognitive ability and parent education level. Although symptoms of aggression decline with age, depression symptoms increase with age in this sample of autistic people. Notably, autistic females are at unique risk for increasing anxiety in adolescence. Flexibility challenges in particular predict mental health outcomes across anxiety, depression, and aggression symptoms.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These data demonstrate the enduring nature of EF challenges among autistic people during childhood and into young adulthood, as well as their influence on mental health. EF and flexibility, in particular, are potent and persistent yet malleable predictors of key outcomes, making them important targets for intervention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 9","pages":"1488-1499"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147648954","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":"Well-being decline during adolescence: school transition as a predominant driver beyond age progression","authors":"Mi Zhou,&nbsp;Carol Maher,&nbsp;Sally Brinkman,&nbsp;Juliette Cools,&nbsp;Dorothea Dumuid","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70154","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70154","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The transition from primary-to-secondary school significantly impacts students' well-being. However, existing research provides limited insight into the long-term impact of school transition on well-being, and no studies have disentangled age-related changes from transition-specific effects. This study leverages a natural experiment, where an educational reform resulted in two different age cohorts transitioning simultaneously, to disentangle age effects from transition effects on student well-being.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study analyzed longitudinal data from the Well-being and Engagement Collection census (2019–2025) in South Australia. Participants were two cohorts of students who simultaneously started secondary school in 2022: one transitioning at Year 7 and the other at Year 8. Well-being was measured across eight domains. Linear mixed-effects regression models examined transition effects and tested interactions with sociodemographic factors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 20,910 participants (Male: 52.1%, Age in 2019: 9.7 ± 0.6) contributing 104,800 observations (5.0 responses/participant) across the 7 years were included. In the first 2 years post-transition, well-being experienced adverse changes across all domains (marginal effects for positively-worded measures: −0.44 to −0.18; negatively-worded measures: 0.08 to 0.13). The largest declines were observed in cognitive engagement (−0.44) and perseverance (−0.31). Younger and older cohorts experienced similar adverse changes; however, the younger cohort showed a larger well-being decline in the second-year post-transition. Females experienced more pronounced declines than males. The well-being decline among students residing in remote and very remote areas persisted until the third year after the transition.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>School transitions negatively affect students' well-being, with impacts that persist for more than 2 years. This decline was largely attributable to the school transition rather than age-related progression. Females and students residing in remote areas experienced greater declines in well-being than their counterparts. These findings highlight the need for transition-specific support strategies for vulnerable groups that extend beyond the first year of secondary schooling.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 9","pages":"1513-1524"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.70154","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147731270","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":"Type and developmental timing of childhood adversity predicts psychopathology symptoms in a South African birth cohort","authors":"Sherief Y. Eldeeb,&nbsp;Brooke G. McKenna,&nbsp;Marilyn T. Lake,&nbsp;Nadia Hoffman,&nbsp;Alexandre A. Lussier,&nbsp;Esther Walton,&nbsp;Andrew J. Simpkin,&nbsp;Andrew D.A.C. Smith,&nbsp;Heather J. Zar,&nbsp;Dan J. Stein,&nbsp;Erin C. Dunn","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70148","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70148","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Childhood adversity is widespread globally and is one of the strongest predictors of later psychopathology. However, the differential effects of type and timing of childhood adversities on childhood psychopathology remain unclear, highlighting the need to explore which life-course hypotheses (sensitive periods, accumulation of exposure, and/or recency of exposure) best explain these associations. Of particular importance, there is a lack of research in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where children experience higher rates of adversity relative to children in high-income countries (HIC).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants included 787 children and their mothers from a South African birth cohort, the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Mothers reported child exposure to adversity from birth to 8 years of age across six adversity categories. We used the two-stage Structured Life-Course Modeling Approach (SLCMA) to examine life-course associations between childhood adversity exposures and internalizing/externalizing symptoms measured using the Child Behavior Checklist at age 8 years.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Maternal psychopathology, maternal adverse events, child food insecurity, and child exposure to community/domestic violence had the strongest associations with child psychopathology symptoms, with varying life-course models selected. The accumulation hypothesis best explained associations of maternal adverse events (partial <i>R</i>² = 2.3%) and child exposure to community/domestic violence (partial <i>R</i>² = 1.6%) with internalizing symptoms. The combined middle childhood sensitive period (age &gt; 5–8) and recency hypotheses model best explained associations between maternal psychopathology and internalizing (partial <i>R</i>² = 7.0%) or externalizing (partial <i>R</i>² = 5.1%) symptoms.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identified that different types and timing of childhood adversity confer differential risk for childhood psychopathology symptoms in this LMIC sample. Our work has implications for strategically-timed intervention and prevention strategies to improve mental health, which may need to be specifically designed for children in LMIC.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"67 9","pages":"1547-1561"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.70148","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758372","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":"Sexual and gender minority youth experience serious mental health risks, yet are not impacted by typically efficacious interventions: secondary mental health outcomes from randomized controlled trial (ATN 149).","authors":"Dallas Swendeman, Pragya Rimal, Kelsey Ishimoto, William Gertsch, W Scott Comulada, Mary Jane Rotheram","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70190","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jcpp.70190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) often experience discrimination and stigma related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. This increases their vulnerability to HIV, poor mental health outcomes, including suicide, and low uptake of HIV prevention through bidirectional causal relationships that suggest integrating mental health support with HIV prevention. This study evaluates the impact of three intervention strategies (automated text messages, online peer support, and coaching) on secondary mental health outcomes among SGMY.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From May 2017 to August 2019, 895 SGMY (40% Black, 29% Latino) ages 16-24 years were enrolled in Los Angeles and New Orleans via 13 community sites and social media. Participants were randomized to: (a) automated text-messaging and monitoring (AMM), (b) AMM plus online peer support (AMM + PS), (c) AMM plus strengths-based coaching by telehealth or in-person by near-peers (AMM + C), or (d) all three interventions (AMM + PS + C). The interventions targeted HIV risk reduction primary outcomes and mental health and substance secondary outcomes. Assessments occurred over 24 months (70%-90% retention). Multivariate regressions compared interventions' efficacy on depression, anxiety, and mental health services use using intent-to-treat models stratified by high risk mental health (HRMH; n = 342; 38% with history of suicide attempts or psychiatric hospitalization) and low risk mental health (LRMH; n = 553; 62%).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants reported mild anxiety and depression symptoms over time. At baseline, HRMH youth had more symptoms and greater service use than LRMH peers. Both outcomes significantly declined over time across groups. The two coaching arms were associated with an increased number of times receiving mental health specialist services among LRMH compared to HRMH youth.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While over a third of SGMY (38%) reported past mental health events, recent symptoms of anxiety and depression were mild. Interventions did not significantly reduce symptoms or stabilize mental health service use, though coaching promoted greater services utilization among LRMH youth.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148663011","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":"A latent class analysis of depressive symptoms in youth from the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN): Clinical and socio-ecological correlates.","authors":"Rachel Lee, Erika S Trent, Kevin M Wagner, Ace A Castillo, Abu Minhajuddin, Joseph Blader, Cesar A Soutullo, Denise Baughn, Hadeel Hamdan, Kirti Saxena, Rachel A Walker, Lynnel C Goodman, Sarah M Wakefield, Wayne K Goodman, Madhukar H Trivedi, Eric A Storch","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70211","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70211","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adolescent depression is heterogeneous, yet many studies rely on aggregate symptom scores that may obscure meaningful differences in symptom presentation. Latent class analysis (LCA) offers a person-centered approach for identifying symptom subgroups, but few studies have examined depressive symptom classes longitudinally with attention to social determinants of health (SDoH). This study identified depressive symptom classes among youth with depression and/or suicidality, examined demographic, clinical, and socio-ecological correlates of class membership, and evaluated changes in psychological outcomes over 6 months.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were 1,825 youth ages 8-20 years who screened positive for depression, endorsed suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or were receiving treatment for depression. Baseline Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A) item responses were used to identify latent classes of depressive symptoms. Associations between class membership and sociodemographic characteristics, trauma exposure, health-related social needs, treatment barriers, anxiety, suicidality and resilience were examined using chi-square tests and analyses of variance. Mixed-effect models evaluated changes in clinical symptoms and resilience across 6 months of follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A five-class solution was identified: Somatic Symptoms (15.6%), No Symptoms (12.4%), Mild Symptoms (20.5%), Moderate Symptoms (27.8%), and High Symptoms (23.5%). Classes differed significantly by sex, trauma exposure, interpersonal safety concerns, treatment barriers, anxiety severity, suicidality, and resilience. In contrast, household income and basic resource insecurities did not differ significantly across classes. Longitudinally, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidality showed significant time-by-class interactions; however, within- and between-class effect sizes were generally small. Resilience did not exhibit differential changes across classes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Depressive symptom classes among youth with depression or suicidality demonstrate distinct clinical and socio-ecological profiles, highlighting meaningful heterogeneity beyond symptom severity alone. Person-centered approaches may improve characterization of adolescent depression and inform more tailored assessment and intervention strategies. Future longitudinal research should examine the stability of these classes and predictors of transitions between symptom classes.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148648022","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":"Caregiver sensitivity moderates effects of gestational inflammation on child ADHD symptoms.","authors":"Elinor L Sullivan, Jessica M Tipsord, Elizabeth K Nousen, Julia Williams, Sara Shao, Diana Vazquez Duque, Jennifer M Loftis, Sarah L Karalunas, Joel T Nigg, Hanna C Gustafsson","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Increased inflammation during pregnancy may increase the risk for child psychopathology, though prospective data remain preliminary. Child symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are particularly important due to ADHD's role as an early precursor of many later forms of externalizing and internalizing problems. Despite strong theories surrounding the ways in which pre- and postnatal environmental factors may interact in the prediction of child risk, few studies have examined how the postnatal social environment moderates prenatal effects. This study examined whether gestational inflammation was prospectively related to ADHD symptoms and whether this association was moderated by postnatal caregiving behaviors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data came from a prospective cohort of pregnant individuals and their offspring (N = 302). Second trimester inflammation was assessed in maternal plasma using a comprehensive panel of cytokines. ADHD symptoms were assessed at 36 months of age using parent-report and clinician ratings. Observer ratings of maternal sensitive caregiving behaviors were assessed when infants were 6 months old.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The effect of gestational inflammation on child ADHD symptoms was moderated by maternal sensitive caregiving during infancy. Increased inflammation during pregnancy was associated with greater child ADHD symptoms only when children experienced lower levels of maternal sensitivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Early sensitive caregiving appears to buffer children against the negative effects of gestational inflammation. Interventions that decrease gestational inflammation and those that support early caregiver-child relationships may both be effective at reducing child ADHD risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148629014","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":"Mental disorder trajectories and quality of life among youth residential care leavers: a longitudinal study.","authors":"Milou Leiting, Katharina Beck, Süheyla Seker, David Bürgin, Delfine d'Huart, Jörg M Fegert, Nils Jenkel, Cyril Boonmann, Klaus Schmeck, Marc Schmid","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70210","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adults formerly placed out-of-home (care leavers) often accumulate multiple psychosocial adversities that can lead to poor quality of life (QoL) and place them at high risk for developing mental disorders persisting into adulthood. This study examines the development of mental disorders among care leavers and their QoL, differentiating by disorder groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The sample consisted of 119 young adults formerly placed out-of-home (M_{age at baseline} = 15.0 years; M_{age at follow-up} = 25.4 years). Mental disorders were assessed at baseline using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version and at a 10-year follow-up with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders-Clinician Version. Personality disorders were evaluated at both time points using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis II. QoL was measured at follow-up using the World Health Organization QoL-BREF questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four groups based on the presence or absence of mental disorders at baseline and follow-up were identified: resilient (n = 24, 20.2%), persistent (n = 56, 47.0%), remitted (n = 25, 21.0%), and newly occurring (n = 14, 11.8%). Regarding the mental disorder groups, internalizing disorders at baseline (β = -0.44, p < .05, 95% CI [-0.85, -0.04]) and internalizing (β = -0.78, p < .001, 95% CI [-1.14, -0.43]) and externalizing disorders (β = -0.50, p < .01, 95% CI [-0.86, -0.13]) at follow-up were negatively associated with QoL in young adulthood.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Mental disorder trajectories from childhood to young adulthood can negatively impact care leavers' QoL. Prevention and early intervention, as well as addressing mental health during out-of-home placement and transition into young adulthood, are important to reduce the risk of persistent psychopathology and lower QoL.</p>","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148617616","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":"Early‐life pathways to inequalities in child mental health: evidence from eight birth cohorts","authors":"Demetris Avraam, Gabriella Melis, Tim Cadman, Jennie Carson, Marie Aline Charles, Yu Wei Chua, Ahmed Elhakeem, Joaquín Escribano, Veit Grote, Dariusz Gruszfeld, Kathrin Guerlich, Rae‐Chi Huang, Jennifer R. Harris, Jesus Ibarluzea, Jordi Julvez, Berthold Koletzko, Ashleigh Lin, Unai Martin, Rosemary McEachan, Maria Melchior, Phillip Melton, Johanna Thorbjornsrud Nader, Angela Pinot de Moira, Maja Popovic, Simona Porru, Lorenzo Richiardi, Blanca Sarzo, Daniela Schlüter, Jordi Sunyer, Morris Swertz, Elvira Verduci, John Wright, Annick Xhonneux, Tiffany Yang, Daniela Zugna, Anne‐Marie Nybo Andersen, Katrine Strandberg‐Larsen, David Taylor‐Robinson","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70207","url":null,"abstract":"Background Socioeconomic inequalities in children's emotional and behavioural problems are already present at school entry. We examined associations between early‐life socioeconomic conditions and children's externalising and internalising problems and assessed whether early‐life risk factors mediated these associations. Methods We analysed harmonised individual participant data from eight birth cohorts within the EU Child Cohort Network. Maternal educational level during pregnancy was used as an indicator of early‐life socioeconomic conditions (SECs). Scores of children's externalising and internalising problems around school entry age were used as the outcome variables. Inequalities were quantified using the Slope Index of Inequality which captures the difference in prevalence of problems between children from highest and lowest SECs. Mediation analysis was used to assess the mediating role of five early‐life risk factors: maternal smoking during pregnancy, gestational age, small for gestational age, postpartum depression and breastfeeding. Results Inequalities in externalising and internalising problems by SECs were consistent across cohorts: Children of mothers with low educational level had on average a 12 and 11 percentage point increased prevalence of externalising and internalising problems respectively. Early‐life factors explained around 8% (DNBC, Denmark) to 54% (INMA, Spain) of the inequality in externalising problems and 7% (ELFE, France) to 25% (ALSPAC, UK) in internalising problems. Conclusions Children from lower SECs consistently had a higher prevalence of both externalising and internalising problems around school entry age. These inequalities were partly mediated by early‐life factors. Public health interventions in pregnancy and the preschool period are critical to address the early emergence of inequalities in children's mental health.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148596286","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}