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Tag: Developmental Psychology

  • Adolescents framed cyberbullying resilience as endurance and meaning-making

    What the study found

    The study found that adolescents in post-conflict Ambon, Indonesia described resilience to cyberbullying as an ongoing process rather than a single path to recovery. Their narratives centered on emotional wounding, silence, spirituality, moral restraint, and tentative efforts to reclaim self-worth.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that nursing practice should use narrative-sensitive and culturally responsive approaches. They say this means attending to adolescents' silence, spiritual expressions, and moral frameworks while creating safe spaces for meaning-making and psychosocial care.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers used a qualitative narrative inquiry design. They recruited 12 adolescents aged 16-19 years through senior high schools, universities, and youth community networks in urban and semi-urban Ambon, and conducted in-depth narrative interviews in 2021.

    What worked and what didn't

    Five narrative threads were identified through which resilience was articulated: emotional wounding, silence as ambivalent endurance, spiritually mediated meaning-making, moral restraint as identity negotiation, and tentative compassion and reframing. Silence and spirituality sometimes offered moral coherence or protection, but they also reflected despair, constraint, and limited perceived options in morally regulated and digitally surveilled environments.

    What to keep in mind

    The study involved only 12 adolescents from Ambon, so its findings are limited to that setting and group. The abstract does not describe other limitations beyond the specific cultural and historical context of the participants.

    • The study focused on adolescents in post-conflict Ambon, Indonesia who had experienced cyberbullying.
    • Resilience was described as endurance and meaning-making, not simply recovery or empowerment.
    • Five narrative threads organized the adolescents' accounts, including silence, spirituality, and moral restraint.
    • Silence and spirituality could provide protection or coherence, but they also revealed constraint and despair.
    • The authors call for narrative-sensitive, culturally responsive nursing practice.

  • Parental eco-anxiety was linked to child depression and anxiety

    What the study found

    The study found that parental eco-anxiety was associated with children's depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Child hopelessness appeared to mediate the link between parental eco-anxiety and both child depression and child anxiety.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that parental eco-anxiety and child hopelessness are relevant targets for preventive approaches to youth internalizing symptoms in the context of the climate crisis. They suggest the findings point to a pathway through which parental distress may relate to children's mental health.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 175 parent-adolescent pairs recruited from a general pediatrics outpatient clinic. Parents completed a measure of eco-anxiety, and children completed measures of hopelessness, depression, and anxiety. The team used correlational analyses and structural equation modeling with bootstrapping to test direct and indirect pathways.

    What worked and what didn't

    After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, parental eco-anxiety was significantly associated with child depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, with all reported p-values below .001. Child hopelessness significantly mediated the associations between parental eco-anxiety and child depression and between parental eco-anxiety and child anxiety. In subdimension analyses, the behavioral symptoms component of eco-anxiety was significantly associated with child hopelessness and with indirect associations to both child depression and child anxiety.

    What to keep in mind

    This was a cross-sectional study, so the abstract does not describe whether the associations reflect changes over time. The sample came from one general pediatrics outpatient clinic, and the authors describe the results as preliminary.

    • Parental eco-anxiety was associated with child depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.
    • Child hopelessness mediated the associations between parental eco-anxiety and both child depression and child anxiety.
    • The behavioral symptoms component of eco-anxiety showed significant links with child hopelessness and indirect links to child depression and anxiety.
    • The study used 175 parent-adolescent dyads from a general pediatrics outpatient clinic.
    • The authors describe the findings as preliminary and relevant to preventive approaches.

  • Pediatric primary care training improved mental health readiness

    What the study found

    The study found that a continuing medical education program for primary care clinicians was linked to better knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions for pediatric mental health care. Gains were sustained at 6 months for primary care-common disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicidality.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that this model produced durable improvements in primary care clinicians' readiness to deliver pediatric mental health care. They also suggest that the measurement tool may provide a practical, domain-specific way to evaluate multidisorder pediatric mental health training initiatives in primary care.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers evaluated a theory-based measurement tool for assessing primary care clinicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions across key pediatric mental health conditions. They studied the Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care mini-fellowship, which included a 3-day interactive workshop and 12 follow-up coaching calls, using a 68-item assessment at baseline, after the workshop, and at 6 months.

    What worked and what didn't

    Principal-components analysis identified 10 stable domains aligned with clinical priorities and separated primary care-common disorders from specialty-level disorders such as bipolar disorder, severe aggression, and conduct disorders. All domains showed strong internal consistency, and mixed-effects regression models found significant postworkshop improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions, with sustained gains at 6 months for primary care-common disorders. Improvements in knowledge of and comfort with specialty-level disorders predicted stronger behavioral intentions across both common and specialty conditions.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe detailed clinical outcomes beyond knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions. Of the 898 clinicians who completed baseline assessment, 416 completed the 6-month follow-up; the abstract says there were no baseline differences between those who completed follow-up and those who did not. It also notes that clinicians trained after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had slightly larger and more persistent improvements.

    • The training program was associated with improved knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions in primary care clinicians.
    • Sustained 6-month gains were reported for primary care-common disorders, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
    • A 68-item tool identified 10 stable domains and showed strong internal consistency.
    • Knowledge of and comfort with specialty-level disorders predicted stronger behavioral intentions.
    • No baseline differences were found between clinicians who did and did not complete the 6-month follow-up.
  • Adverse childhood experiences were linked to treatment-resistant depression

    Adverse childhood experiences were linked to treatment-resistant depression

    What the study found

    The study found that adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, were associated with a higher risk of treatment-resistant depression, or depression that does not improve after multiple adequate antidepressant trials. This association remained even in analyses designed to account for shared genetic and family factors.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that preventing ACEs and asking about ACE history in clinical assessment may help identify people with major depressive disorder who are at elevated risk for treatment resistance.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers used a cohort study with a co-twin control design in two Swedish Twin Registry cohorts, linking survey data with national patient and prescription registers. They studied twins born from 1959 to 1992 and followed them until the end of 2016.

    What worked and what didn't

    In the main analysis, each additional ACE was associated with higher odds of treatment-resistant depression. The association also appeared in monozygotic and dizygotic twin analyses, and physical neglect and sexual abuse showed the largest associations with treatment-resistant depression.

    What to keep in mind

    ACEs were measured with seven self-reported yes-or-no items, and treatment-resistant depression was defined using clinical diagnosis or self-reported major depressive disorder plus antidepressant switching criteria. The abstract does not describe other limitations beyond the study's focus on the available twin cohorts and registers.

    • The study linked adverse childhood experiences with increased odds of treatment-resistant depression.
    • The association remained in co-twin analyses, including monozygotic twins.
    • Physical neglect and sexual abuse had the strongest reported associations with treatment-resistant depression.
    • The sample included 17,814 twins in the main analysis, with 1.3% meeting the study definition of treatment-resistant depression.
    • The authors suggest ACE history may be useful in clinical assessment for depression.

  • Cyberbullying coping scale shows six-factor structure

    What the study found

    The study found that the Cyberbullying Coping Scale is supported by a six-factor structure for adolescents and young adults. The authors conclude that coping with cyberbullying involves cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, and digital dimensions.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors say the findings indicate that cyberbullying coping is multidimensional, and that the scale offers a psychometrically supported tool for assessing coping strategies in adolescents and young adults. They also suggest the results show a complex relationship between coping responses and well-being in digital contexts.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers developed and validated a multidimensional Cyberbullying Coping Scale using a two-stage design with independent samples. They used exploratory factor analysis in 789 participants and confirmatory factor analysis in 1,153 participants, then examined internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha and associations with flourishing and digital well-being using Pearson correlations.

    What worked and what didn't

    The six-factor model showed acceptable to good fit, and the overall scale had high internal consistency. The six factors were seeking social support, reactive/risky behaviours, preventive digital awareness, social and moral engagement, cognitive reappraisal, and emotional regulation. Adaptive coping strategies were positively associated with flourishing and digital well-being, while reactive/risky coping was negatively associated with digital well-being but positively associated with flourishing; the abstract says this positive link with flourishing should be interpreted cautiously.

    What to keep in mind

    Subscale reliability varied from moderate to high, with alpha values ranging from .54 to .82. The abstract also notes that the positive association between reactive/risky coping and flourishing may reflect short-term or role-dependent perceptions of empowerment rather than a consistently adaptive outcome.

    • The scale was supported as a six-factor measure for cyberbullying coping.
    • The six factors included social support, risky reactions, digital awareness, moral engagement, cognitive reappraisal, and emotional regulation.
    • The overall scale showed high internal consistency, while subscales ranged from moderate to high reliability.
    • Adaptive coping was positively associated with flourishing and digital well-being.
    • Reactive/risky coping was negatively associated with digital well-being but positively associated with flourishing, cautiously interpreted by the authors.

  • Classroom SEL course improved social skills in young children

    What the study found

    The study found that a classroom-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Basic Course was associated with better social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten children. Children in the intervention group had higher assertiveness, self-control, and cooperation scores, and fewer behavioral problems, than the comparison group.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that classroom-based SEL may be effective in early childhood. They also suggest the findings highlight the effectiveness and importance of a universal classroom-based program that promotes social-emotional skills among all children, regardless of individual risk.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers studied 200 children in the middle class of a Japanese kindergarten, with 129 in the intervention group and 71 in the control group. In 2023, the SEL Basic Course was delivered class by class in 15 weekly one-hour lessons, and teachers and parents rated children's social skills and behaviors using the Social Skills Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

    What worked and what didn't

    After the program, the intervention group showed significantly higher assertiveness, self-control, and cooperation than the control group. They also had significantly lower behavioral problem scores after the program than before it and than the control group.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond noting that preventive interventions for school maladjustment in young children are scarce and inadequately validated in Japan. The summary also does not provide information about long-term follow-up or outcomes beyond the kindergarten setting.

    • The SEL Basic Course was delivered in kindergarten classes over 15 weekly one-hour lessons.
    • Children in the intervention group scored higher in assertiveness, self-control, and cooperation after the program.
    • Behavioral problem scores were lower after the program in the intervention group and lower than in the control group.
    • Teachers and parents both contributed ratings of children's skills and behaviors.
    • The authors describe classroom-based SEL as potentially effective in early childhood.

  • Emotion regulation group improved outcomes in NHS adults

    What the study found

    The study found that people who attended the emotional resources group, a brief emotion regulation group intervention, showed improvements in emotion regulation, self-efficacy, well-being, and functioning. The abstract reports that these improvements were statistically significant in both those who completed the programme and a conservative intent-to-treat sample.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that this extended real-world evaluation adds to the evidence for the intervention's effectiveness in a secondary care adult mental health setting in NHS Scotland. They also state that it establishes the credibility and acceptability of the intervention in secondary care outpatient adult mental health service settings.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers carried out a service evaluation of the emotional resources group, which is a brief emotion regulation group intervention routinely delivered in secondary care adult mental health services. They used a within-subjects repeated measures design to assess change in emotion regulation, self-efficacy, well-being, and functioning among people who attended the programme.

    What worked and what didn't

    Among programme completers, the analysis found highly statistically significant improvements on all measured outcomes. Large effect sizes were reported for all measures except functioning, which was moderate to large; in the intent-to-treat sample, the findings were similar, with highly significant improvements on all measures and moderate to large effect sizes, except functioning, which was moderate. Good rates of reliable and clinically significant change were also reported for the primary emotion regulation measure in both samples.

    What to keep in mind

    This is a service evaluation in a real-world clinical setting, not a randomized trial. The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the study design and does not provide details such as sample size, follow-up duration, or participant characteristics.

    • The emotional resources group was associated with improved emotion regulation, self-efficacy, well-being, and functioning.
    • Results were reported for both programme completers and a conservative intent-to-treat sample.
    • Effect sizes were large for most measures, while functioning was moderate to large or moderate.
    • Reliable and clinically significant change was reported for the main emotion regulation measure.
    • The authors say the evaluation supports the intervention's credibility and acceptability in secondary care outpatient adult mental health services.

  • School-based psychoeducational programs reduced bullying and improved self-esteem

    What the study found

    The review found that school-based psychoeducational programs generally helped reduce bullying and improve self-esteem in children. The authors also report that results varied across settings.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors suggest that these programs may be useful for addressing bullying in schools and supporting children's self-esteem. They also note that bullying victimization is linked to mental health problems, including depression and suicide, so prevention is presented as important.

    What the researchers tested

    This was a systematic review, meaning the authors searched for and summarized existing studies rather than running one new experiment. They searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Scielo following PRISMA guidelines and included evidence-based interventions such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, KiVa, Positive Behavioral Support systems, and standardized social-emotional learning programs.

    What worked and what didn't

    Most of the included interventions showed a positive effect on bullying reduction and self-esteem improvement. The review says effectiveness differed depending on educational stage, school climate, cultural setting, family involvement, and how well each program was adapted to a school’s specific needs.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not give details on the number of studies, study quality, or effect sizes. It also indicates that outcomes are not uniform across all schools or contexts, and that the available summary does not describe any specific limitations beyond these differences.

    • The review found overall effectiveness for reducing bullying behaviors.
    • The review also found improvement in children's self-esteem in most interventions.
    • Results varied by educational stage, school climate, cultural setting, and family involvement.
    • The included programs featured OBPP, KiVa, Positive Behavioral Support, and social-emotional learning interventions.
    • The authors frame bullying prevention as relevant to children's mental health.

  • Chinese Psychological Control Scale was invariant across informants and time

    What the study found

    The study found that an indigenous Chinese Psychological Control Scale (CPPCS) with three dimensions—relational induction, social comparison shame, and harsh psychological control—worked similarly across fathers, mothers, adolescents, and over time. The findings also indicate that the different dimensions were linked differently to adolescent developmental outcomes.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that the validated CPPCS offers a more comprehensive and differentiated way to assess parental psychological control in Chinese settings. They suggest this is useful for multi-informant and longitudinal designs, meaning studies that combine reports from more than one person and follow families over time.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers examined measurement invariance, which means whether a scale measures the same thing in the same way, across informants and over time. They collected data from more than 1,400 adolescents in Grades 7–10 and their parents in two waves separated by 6 months.

    What worked and what didn't

    Tests showed that the three-dimensional structure of the CPPCS was invariant among fathers, mothers, and adolescents, as well as across the two time points. The abstract also says analyses revealed different predictive effects of the separate psychological control dimensions on adolescent developmental outcomes, and differences between adolescent and parent reports, but it does not give the detailed pattern of those effects.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not provide detailed effect sizes, specific outcome measures, or the full pattern of differences among the three dimensions. It also does not describe limitations beyond the scope of the available summary.

    • The CPPCS has three dimensions: relational induction, social comparison shame, and harsh psychological control.
    • The scale showed measurement invariance across fathers, mothers, adolescents, and over a 6-month period.
    • More than 1,400 adolescents in Grades 7–10 and their parents were studied in two waves.
    • Different psychological control dimensions had different predictive effects on adolescent developmental outcomes.
    • Adolescent and parent reports differed in the analyses.

  • Family-of-origin invalidation linked to lower child prosocial behavior

    What the study found

    The study found that parents’ family-of-origin invalidation experiences were grouped into three profiles: effective parents’ family-of-origin, father-invalidating family, and both-invalidating family. The father-invalidating and both-invalidating profiles were associated with lower children’s prosocial behavior in certain emotion-coping contexts.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that the findings highlight distinct pathways linking invalidating family-of-origin dynamics to children’s prosocial development. They also say the results support the tripartite model of family influence and offer culturally relevant insights for fostering prosocial behavior in children.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers conducted a six-month longitudinal study with 837 families in Shanghai, China. They examined children aged 31–83 months and analyzed how parents’ family-of-origin experiences related to children’s prosocial behavior through parental emotion coping styles.

    What worked and what didn't

    Compared with the effective parents’ family-of-origin profile, both the father-invalidating family profile and the both-invalidating family profile were associated with lower levels of children’s prosocial behavior when the spouse showed higher non-supportive and lower supportive emotion coping styles. The both-invalidating family profile was also associated with lower prosocial behavior when parents themselves showed lower supportive coping styles, and this association appeared stronger than for the father-invalidating family profile.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe limitations in detail. The study was conducted in Shanghai, China, with young children aged 31–83 months, so the summary is limited to that sample and context.

    • Parents’ family-of-origin invalidation experiences fell into three profiles.
    • Father-invalidating and both-invalidating profiles were linked to lower child prosocial behavior in some coping contexts.
    • Spouses’ higher non-supportive and lower supportive coping styles were part of the associations.
    • The both-invalidating profile was also linked to lower prosocial behavior when parents themselves showed lower supportive coping.
    • The study used a six-month longitudinal design with 837 families in Shanghai.