Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Autism care: reimagining the spectrum.","authors":"Steven Merahn","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1825292","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1825292","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autism care policy is at a critical inflection point. Applied behavior analysis (ABA), long established as the \"gold standard\" through state insurance mandates in the US, has functioned as the default reimbursable intervention for autistic children. However, advances in genomics, neuroscience, developmental psychology, and scholarship on autistic lived experience have expanded understanding of autism as a heterogeneous neurotype characterized by meaningful differences in neural organization rather than a unitary disorder. Contemporary models emphasize neurodiversity, strengths-based perspectives, and the interaction between developmental processes and environmental contexts in shaping functional outcomes. Many autistic children also meet criteria for complex care needs, requiring coordinated, interdisciplinary services across health, educational, and community systems. This manuscript proposes reframing the \"autism spectrum\" from a hierarchy of symptom severity to a prevention-oriented \"spectrum of care.\" Adapting a public health taxonomy, interventions are organized into universal, selective, and indicated levels, targeting the prevention of avoidable disability, distress, and participation barriers. This model aligns autism services with whole-child, neurodiversity-affirming, and developmentally informed care, emphasizing relational health, autonomy, and life-course participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1825292"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13538426/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The gut microbiome as a modifiable contributor to autism spectrum disorder: a precision gut-immune-brain perspective.","authors":"Eva Sclabassi, Jun Hur, Jiying Ling, Yuen Gao","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1900538","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1900538","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1900538"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13533910/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of receptive arts and culture to improve anxiety, depression and psychological distress in young people: a realist review.","authors":"Daniel Hayes, Joely Wright, Louise Chandler, Kayleigh Albaya de Gago, Summi Ng, Joe Langley, Daisy Fancourt, Kamaldeep Bhui, Roisin Mooney, Rebecca Syed Sheriff","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1869450","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1869450","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Arts and culture are increasingly recognised as potential supports for mental health, yet little distinction has been made between receptive engagement (e.g., visiting museums, watching performances, listening to music) and active participation (e.g., creating art or attending classes). There is limited understanding of how, for whom, and under what circumstances receptive engagement may influence anxiety, depression, and psychological distress in young people.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We conducted a realist review of evidence up to February 2026 to examine how receptive arts and cultural engagement may affect mental health in young people aged 16-24 years. An initial programme theory, developed through the Online Active Community Engagement programme, stakeholder consultation, and peer research, informed the search and guided analysis. We searched five academic databases and relevant grey literature. Eligible documents were screened against predefined criteria. Context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMOCs) were developed iteratively with peer researchers and the research team to refine the programme theory.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven documents were included. Evidence supported CMOCs indicating that receptive engagement may support mental health through: (i) short-term affective relief via attentional shift and escapism; (ii) reflection and perspective-taking through exposure to diverse viewpoints; (iii) increased belonging through perceived human connection; (iv) identity safety through representation and inclusive content; and (v) support for emotion regulation when engagement is regular and accessible. Effects were most consistent for proximal outcomes during or shortly after engagement, with limited evidence for sustained reductions in anxiety, depression, or psychological distress beyond the engagement period.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Receptive arts engagement may provide an acceptable, low-stigma form of support that complements, rather than replaces, clinical care. Benefits may occur across the continuum of need and contribute to prevention, particularly when engagement is relevant, inclusive, and sustained. Evidence for longer-term symptom reduction remains limited and warrants further investigation.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023476421, PROSPERO 275 (CRD42023476421).</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1869450"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506279/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological risk profiles are associated with severity and motivational-volitional mechanisms of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents and young adults.","authors":"Elisa Schmied-Weggler, Zrinka Sosic-Vasic, Bernhard Connemann, Julia Kroener","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1878269","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1878269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a prevalent behavior among adolescents and young adults. According to the Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) model, pre-motivational vulnerabilities such as depression, anxiety, and low self-efficacy underlie self-harming behavior. It remains unclear how these factors combine into distinct clinical profiles and how such profiles differ regarding intrusive prospective mental imagery, emotion regulation, and NSSI frequency. Therefore, this study aimed to identify psychological subgroups based on distress and self-efficacy using a person-centered cluster approach, and to examine how these profiles, together with NSSI age of onset, relate to imagery intrusiveness, emotion regulation strategies, and NSSI frequency.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Five hundred fifty-seven adolescents and young adults with a history of NSSI completed an online survey. A TwoStep cluster analysis based on depression (BDI-II), anxiety (STAI-T), and self-efficacy (WIRKALL_r) identified psychological profiles. General Linear Models (GLMs) with bootstrapping (1,000 resamples) examined the independent and interactive effects of cluster membership and NSSI age of onset (early: <12 vs. late: ≥12 years) on intrusive imagery (IFES-S), emotion regulation strategies (ERQ), and NSSI behavior (SITBI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Two profiles emerged: a High-Risk cluster (high distress, low self-efficacy) and a Low-Risk cluster (low distress, high self-efficacy). The High-Risk cluster showed significantly higher NSSI frequency, greater intrusive imagery, increased suppression, and reduced cognitive reappraisal. Early NSSI age of onset was independently associated with higher lifelong NSSI frequency and greater imagery intrusiveness across both clusters. No significant cluster-by-onset interactions were found, supporting an additive risk model.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings support the pre-motivational phase of the IMV model and suggest that intrusive imagery and maladaptive emotion regulation align with the transition from distress to NSSI. The additive effects of psychological risk profile and early NSSI age of onset highlight the need for targeted interventions, including Imagery Rescripting and self-efficacy training.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1878269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13503592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-dependent vulnerability to early-life phthalates exposure and autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review.","authors":"Ivana Bucaro, Paola Palanza, Davide Ponzi","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1865057","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1865057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by restricted and repetitive behaviours (ICD-11) and severe and persistent difficulties in social interaction and communication. A marked male predominance has consistently been reported, with ASD being three times more common among boys than girls, although the biological mechanisms underlying this sex difference remain unknown. Physical and chemical stressors occurring during critical windows of development may alter foetal and infant physiology and interfere with neurodevelopmental trajectories. Among these stressors, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including phthalates, have been proposed as potential environmental contributors to neurodevelopmental vulnerability. In this systematic review, we examined whether early-life exposure to phthalates may be associated with sex-specific vulnerability to ASD and autistic traits.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and followed a PECO framework. The target population included human children of both sexes, ranging from early childhood to adolescence. Exposures of interest included prenatal and/or early-life exposure to phthalates, assessed through biological matrices during prenatal and/or postnatal periods. Eligible outcomes included ASD and autistic-like traits assessed using validated diagnostic or screening tools. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261438630).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 18 studies were included. Phthalates exposure was assessed across a broad developmental window, ranging from the preconception period to 8 years of age. Urinary biomarkers represented the primary method for assessing chemical exposure, while a smaller proportion of studies also relied on blood samples. Sample size ranged from 77 to 3,220, and the age at assessment of autistic traits or ASD-related outcomes ranged from 18 months to 15 years. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was the most frequently used instrument for assessing autistic traits, followed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prenatal exposure to phthalates, especially during early and mid-gestation, appears to be associated with subtle increases in autistic traits, with some evidence suggesting greater susceptibility among boys, particularly in relation to MBP, MEP, and DEHP-related metabolites. However, evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, and current findings require further confirmation.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/home, PROSPERO CRD420261438630.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1865057"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13503302/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating through trauma-informed care and behavioral treatment in young children with feeding problems.","authors":"Meeta R Patel, Ashley S Andersen-Weber","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1791744","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1791744","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children may experience pediatric medical traumatic stress as a consequence of exposure to medical procedures, illness, or injury that are perceived as distressing, threatening, or otherwise aversive. In order to address the traumatic stress, trauma-informed care practices are warranted. The application of trauma-informed care practices has been widely used in healthcare for over 25 years; however, its integration into behavior-analytic practice has emerged more recently. Although trauma-informed care principles have informed practice across multiple areas of behavior analysis, relatively few studies have addressed their application to the treatment of pediatric feeding problems. Rajaraman et al. proposed four tenets of trauma-informed care that complement behavior-analytic practice as a whole: (1) acknowledge trauma and its potential impact, (2) ensure safety and trust, (3) promote choice and shared governance, and (4) emphasize skill building. In this paper, we describe a novel framework of the application of these tenets into behavioral feeding treatment. Specifically, we examine a balanced progression in which trauma-informed care and evidence-based interventions are integrated and implemented in tandem.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1791744"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13500767/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148815034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cost-utility analysis of home treatment versus inpatient treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry: a decision analysis.","authors":"Karolina Foremnik, Gaby Sroczynski, Barbara Buchberger","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1923381","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1923381","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Health-economic evidence comparing home treatment (HT) and inpatient treatment (IT) in child and adolescent psychiatry is scarce. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of both interventions for children and adolescents in acute psychiatric crises using a decision analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a Markov state-transition model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HT compared to IT in children and adolescents with an acute psychiatric crisis, over a 3-year time horizon from a German healthcare provider perspective. Evaluated outcomes included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, total costs, and the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR; in Euro per QALY). Transition probabilities and utility values were obtained from the published literature. Direct medical and direct non-medical costs for IT were derived from German reference data published by the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK). Costs for HT were estimated using micro-costing based on the German ward-equivalent treatment model (Stationsäquivalente Behandlung, StäB). Costs and effects were discounted at 3% annually. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of the base-case analysis results. Results were reported in accordance with the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 checklist.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HT was associated with lower discounted costs (61,213 €) and slightly fewer discounted QALYs (1.801 QALYs) compared to IT (total costs: 93,737 € and 1.807 QALYs). Moving from HT to IT was associated with 0.006 QALYs gained and resulted in an ICUR of 5,417,376 €/QALY gained. Results were robust in sensitivity analyses over a wide range of parameter variation.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This cost-utility analysis suggests that HT may be a cost-effective alternative to IT in children and adolescents with acute psychiatric crises in Germany, primarily driven by substantial cost savings during the acute phase. However, due to limited and heterogeneous clinical data, results should be interpreted cautiously. Future randomized studies with longer follow-up and child and disease-specific quality-of-life measures are needed to validate these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1923381"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13500286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148814964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Youth post-discharge recovery and family adjustment after inpatient mental health treatment - study protocol for the longitudinal mixed-methods ReCoVer study.","authors":"Amos-Silvio Erik Friedrich, Martina Zemp","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1605414","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1605414","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High readmission rates after child and adolescent inpatient treatment point to underrecognized issues in the post-discharge period. With a shift towards early reintegration in youth mental health care, the family environment youth return to is of particular importance for post-discharge outcomes, but there is currently a knowledge gap on family-level risk and protective factors in this context. Caregiver burden may act as a crucial mechanism linking family context to youth recovery.</p><p><strong>Methods and design: </strong>The ReCoVer study investigates caregivers' perspectives on family care and youth mental health following inpatient psychiatric treatment (minimum 24-hour stay) of youth aged 7-21 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In a mixed-methods design, ReCoVer combines a longitudinal panel survey with semi-structured interviews. Caregivers of youth who received inpatient mental health treatment (target <i>N</i> = 70) will be recruited during discharge planning or follow-up sessions within one month after discharge. At baseline (T0) and after three (T1) and six (T2) months, participants will report on youth outcomes, caregiver well-being, and family processes. Primary outcomes (inpatient readmission, mental health problems) will be analyzed with regard to the contribution of caregiver burden and other family factors. Interview and survey data will be synthesized to identify burden, resources, and needs of families around their child's return to home care.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Results from this study are expected to provide insights into family challenges and their associations with youth mental health in the immediate and medium-term post-discharge period.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06865573, NCT06865573.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1605414"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13493373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148802393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining autism in adulthood interventions <i>in</i> and <i>through</i> social virtual environments: an exploratory cross-cultural study.","authors":"Vivian Darlene Grillo, Gaia Tanini, Federica Ciuciulla Rana, Paola Venuti","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1770399","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1770399","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Autism intervention research has largely prioritized children and adolescents, with limited guidance for adults. Social virtual environments (SVEs; e.g., VRChat) are widely used by autistic adults for connection, yet their role as intervention settings remains under-examined. This study explores clinicians' perspectives on feasibility, risks, and essential design requirements for clinician-informed SVE-based socio-relational interventions for autistic young adults with low support needs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted nine semi-structured focus groups with Italian clinicians (<i>N</i> = 26) across three regions (Veneto, Trentino, Lazio) and five semi-structured international interviews (U.S. <i>n</i> = 4; Australia <i>n</i> = 1). Transcripts were analyzed via inductive, codebook-informed thematic analysis grounded in reflexive qualitative principles. Because the study involved four coders working across two linguistically distinct datasets, a shared coding framework was used as a pragmatic coordination tool to support transparency, interpretive consistency, and auditability across the research team (the intent was not to establish positivist inter-rater reliability or eliminate researcher subjectivity). Datasets were first coded separately and then integrated through matrix-based synthesis to identify contextually situated points of convergence and divergence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Italian clinicians emphasized neurodiversity-affirming aims, context-dependent social difficulty (including anxiety/overwhelm), structured scaffolding and mediation, ecological generalization, and SVEs as conditional tools requiring boundaries. International clinicians foregrounded autonomy and choice, emotional safety in relation to masking, neurotype composition as an ingredient for belonging, identity-affirming collaboration, and regulation/repair practices. Across datasets, clinicians emphasized safety-contingent participation, non-negotiable personalization/controllability of demands (i.e., sensory, social), and the protective value of supported pauses and exits. Contextual differences centered on the dominant logic of support (competence-building scaffolding vs. liberation/identity integration), mediator-led structure vs. neurotype-aligned spaces, intersectionality as primary vs. contextual framing, and distinct risk emphases (avoidance/overuse vs. relational ambiguity and rejection).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Clinicians conceptualize SVEs not as inherently therapeutic technologies but as conditional social infrastructures whose potential value depends on how safety, autonomy, and identity are supported. Clinician-informed SVE-based interventions for autistic adults may therefore require integrating structured mediation with explicit autonomy- and identity-affirming safeguards, offering a pathway beyond the traditional' skills vs. acceptance' divide in autism intervention research.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1770399"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13494933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148802357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between body mass index and body bulk with externalizing behavior: a longitudinal twin study.","authors":"Sofi Oskarsson, Adrian Raine, Anneli Andersson, Shichun Ling, Bridget Bertoldi, Laura A Baker, Catherine Tuvblad","doi":"10.3389/frcha.2026.1905375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2026.1905375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The current study examined longitudinal links between adolescent body mass index and body bulk with externalizing behaviors using data from the University of Southern California's Risk Factors for Antisocial Behavior twin project.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The sample included 1,260 individuals (51% females), with 603 twin pairs (254 monozygotic; 349 dizygotic). Body mass index and body bulk were derived from measures of height and weight obtained at age 13-14. Externalizing behavior was measured using the Youth Self-Report at age 13-14 and the Adult Self-Report at age 19-20.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher body mass index and greater body bulk were associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior both concurrently at age 13-14, and prospectively at age 19-20 (<i>B</i>'s = 0.11-0.42, <i>p</i>'s < .05). Twin modeling indicated high heritability for body mass index and body bulk (h² = 0.73-0.81) and moderate heritability for externalizing behavior (h² = 0.31-0.41). Bivariate models suggested that genetic factors contributed to the modest covariance between body size and externalizing behavior, although the genetic correlation estimates were imprecise.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings are consistent with the possibility that some genetic influences are shared between body size and externalizing behavior; however, the modest phenotypic associations and uncertainty surrounding the genetic correlation estimates warrant cautious interpretation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73074,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry","volume":"5 ","pages":"1905375"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13481729/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148802370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}