BACKGROUND Emotional problems co-occur with difficulties in verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability, yet the pathways underlying their association remain poorly understood: It is unclear whether effects may be causal, and to what extent they may run from cognition to emotion, or vice versa. METHODS Our preregistered analyses included 5,124 twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS)

BACKGROUND Children born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk of mental health problems, and their mental health outcomes have not improved in the past decades. This study aims to (1) determine the degree of mental health resilience in preterm-born children; (2) identify modifiable factors at individual, parent-child, family, peer group, and neighbourhood levels associated with resilience;

BackgroundEvidence that mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) causes psychiatric problems in children has been mixed. Investigating this issue has been difficult due to the lack of representative longitudinal data that includes adequate measures of mTBI, subsequent mental health symptoms and service use.MethodsWe used data from the ABCD longitudinal cohort study to examine the association between mTBI

BackgroundBorderline personality disorder (BPD) typically emerges during adolescence and early adulthood and has severe personal, social and economic consequences. Despite significant research efforts on early intervention over the past two decades, delays in diagnosis and treatment are still common, and exclusion of individuals with BPD from mental health services is prevalent.MethodsIn order to bridge

BACKGROUND There is a pressing need for research on neurodevelopmental conditions to focus on predictors of resilient or positive outcomes, rather than core symptoms and impairment. One promising avenue is to consider whether child-parent similarity contributes to a protective family environment. For instance, investigations of the similarity-fit hypothesis have shown that parent-child attention-

BackgroundThe endocannabinoid (eCB) system, the primary target of cannabis, has gained significant attention as a potential novel therapeutic approach for treating a range of psychiatric disorders characterized by dysregulation of stress, emotion, and social behavior. The use of cannabis itself as a pharmacotherapeutic in children and adolescents is limited due to various constraints, including legal

Background: Sleep may facilitate preferential selection and reactivation of emotional information for memory consolidation, contributing to negative overgeneralization (i.e., an increased tendency to generalize negative information) in anxious individuals. We examined two aspects of emotional memory—recognition and generalization—in peri‐adolescents across a spectrum of anxiety severity using a sleep–wake

BackgroundBoth genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing disordered eating, with twin studies demonstrating environmental factors moderate genetic susceptibility. To date, gene–environment interactions leveraging polygenic risk scores (PRS) have not been studied in disordered eating phenotypes beyond anorexia nervosa (AN). This study investigated if polygenic risk for AN

BackgroundRestricted and repetitive behaviour (RRB) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be assessed by different measures, which diverge in item quantity, dimensionality or source of information. However, change sensitivity has not been systematically investigated among commonly used measures, albeit its importance for clinical trials and longitudinal studies.MethodsLongitudinal data resulting from

BackgroundChildhood mental health conditions commonly cooccur, with potential treatment implications. Autistic children frequently experience anxiety and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We investigated the implications of this cooccurrence for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a front‐line treatment for anxiety in autistic children. We tested whether (1) ADHD predicts anxiety treatment

Sleep has historically been undervalued, with its significance in public health and child development often disregarded. More recently, there has been immense and growing public interest in sleep. Guidelines emphasise the amount and quality of sleep that we should obtain. However, some people, and notably parents and caregivers of children and youth, and particularly those with special needs, are not

BackgroundWe examined whether mother‐preschooler respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) synchrony and self‐regulation, as potential biological antecedents of developmental psychopathology, interacted to shape children's later behavior problems directly and indirectly via harsh parenting.MethodsMother‐preschooler dyads (N = 135; 53% female) were oversampled for familial risk. Mother‐rated harsh parenting

BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests that the use of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) during adolescence may be linked to an increased risk for depression. This review examines major inconsistencies that have been reported regarding this relationship, and in particular, how the common practice of combining ‘never users’ and ‘former users’ of HCs in analyses obscures patterns that are detectable when these

BackgroundLengthening waitlists, reduced outpatient care availability, and increased numbers of children experiencing mental health (MH) crises have strained emergency departments (EDs). EDs facilitate access to immediate intervention and triage to acute services but are often underresourced and undertrained to manage the unique needs of mental health crises. The combination of demand, complexity,

BackgroundAlthough more prone to psychopathology on average, refugee children differ in their response to adversity. Growing evidence attributes some of these individual differences to varying levels of Environmental Sensitivity – the extent to which children perceive and process contextual influences. However, there is limited knowledge of how Environmental Sensitivity is developmentally influenced

BackgroundCallous‐unemotional (CU) traits were recently added as a diagnostic specifier for disruptive behavior disorders, largely due to their prognostic utility. However, past longitudinal research has yielded mixed results when investigating associations between CU traits and long‐term outcomes, particularly when controlling for the individual's level of antisocial behavior.MethodsThe current study

BACKGROUND According to the network theory of mental disorders, psychopathology emerges from symptoms that causally influence one another and create interconnections and feedback loops that maintain atypical mental states. Analysis of symptom networks during and following psychotherapy may provide clues to some of the mechanisms through which change occurs. Youth with depression are an important population

BackgroundSome autistic children exhibit behavior that caregivers, clinicians, and researchers consider problematic. However, there is little consensus about the types of behaviors that should be treated as a problem and reduced via intervention. In autism intervention research, problem behaviors range from inherently harmful behaviors such as aggression and self‐injury to nonnormative but not harmful

BackgroundFacial emotion processing deficits and atypical eye gaze are often described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those with conduct disorder (CD) and high callous unemotional (CU) traits. Yet, the underlying neural mechanisms of these deficits are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate if eye gaze can partially account for the differences in brain activation

In recent years, the use of longitudinal studies in mental health research has grown, particularly in the United Kingdom. These studies provide numerous benefits and improvements in mental health research, such as facilitating the early detection of risk factors for mental health problems. Nevertheless, they also come with drawbacks, including their high financial costs and the complexity involved

Child and adolescent mental health problems stem from an interaction between biological and environmental factors. In the past decades, conceptualizations of genetic and neurobiological factors have become increasingly detailed. Development of our conceptualizations of environmental factors, in contrast, is lacking behind. Environmental adversity is usually conceptualized as one rather global factor

BackgroundChildhood trauma has been associated with increased risk of substance use and poor sleep, with these factors linked to subsequent poor cardiovascular health. However, there has been little longitudinal research exploring these associations in adolescence, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). To address this, we investigated longitudinal pathways from trauma to risk behaviours

When we think about which environmental influences affect children and young people's mental health, answers that are ‘close to home’ tend to come to mind, such as relationships, screen time, bullying, stressful life events and poverty. These same factors are also often prioritised in child and adolescent mental health research. More distal factors receive less attention, such as the air we breathe

BackgroundAlthough social anxiety runs in families, little is known about how parents and children contribute to the intergenerational transmission of social fears. We examined whether mothers transfer social fear beliefs to their children through verbal communication and how children's behavioral inhibition and social anxiety contribute to this transmission. The associations of children's social fear

In this research review, we present approaches and recommendations for assessing early‐life adversity and childhood trauma aligned with two leading conceptual models of adversity: cumulative risk and dimensional models. We summarize the measurement implications of each conceptual model and common approaches for assessing early‐life adversity in studies utilizing each of these models. We consider other

BackgroundChildren of maltreated mothers are at increased risk for adverse physical and psychological health. Both prenatal and postnatal alterations in offspring biological stress systems have been proposed as mechanisms contributing to such transmission. The aim of the current study was to assess whether maternal postnatal care of the infant moderated any effect of maternal childhood maltreatment

BackgroundSex differences have been identified in young adults along the psychosis continuum, but studies in children and adolescents are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate possible sex differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes in children and adolescents with clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR).MethodsA naturalistic longitudinal cohort study assessed sociodemographics, CHR symptoms

BackgroundNaturalistic developmental behavioural interventions (NDBI) may improve social communication in toddlers/pre‐school aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we study efficacy of the low‐intensity, complex NDBI ‘Frankfurt Early Intervention Program for ASD’ (A‐FFIP) over 1 year by a confirmatory phase‐III, prospective, randomised, controlled, parallel‐group study with two treatment

BackgroundPlacental malperfusion, categorised into maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) and foetal vascular malperfusion (FVM), is a main placental pathology known to affect placental functioning and offspring outcomes. The aim of this review is to evaluate the association between exposure to placental malperfusion and offspring neurodevelopment from birth to 18 years of age.MethodsFollowing the registered

BackgroundDespite the higher prevalence of childhood traumatic experiences and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in autistic adults, research on trauma‐related psychopathology and autistic traits in young people is lacking. This study examined if high autistic traits in childhood predispose individuals to traumatic experiences, the development of PTSD and general psychopathology, and greater functional

BackgroundChildren in impoverished families–especially those affected by violence–face risks to healthy development. In the years of strong economic recovery since the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, the Rwandan Government has invested in early child development, social and child protection and violence prevention, but few strategies for scaling evidence‐based interventions (EBIs) in these areas have

BackgroundHumans are inevitably exposed to multiple physical and social environmental risk factors, potentially contributing to psychiatric problems and cognitive deficits; however, the combined effects of prenatal air pollution and psychosocial environments on youth remain unclear. This longitudinal study aimed to examine how prenatal ozone exposure interacts with psychosocial environments at 9–10

BackgroundSexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are more susceptible to suicidal ideation and attempts compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Yet, it is unclear how interpersonal and online victimization experiences account for the elevated suicide risks in this population. This study investigates the extent of peer and cyber victimization among SGM youth and its contribution to their

BackgroundCriticism from parents is a risk factor for poor youth mental health, including self‐harm and limited response to psychosocial interventions. We identified trajectories of change in parent criticism across treatment for youth self‐harm (suicide attempts and non‐suicidal self‐injury) and compared these trajectories on treatment outcomes.MethodsThis is a preregistered secondary analysis of

BackgroundExposure to psychosocial stress is one of the strongest risk factors for major depressive disorder (MDD) in youth, but underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Previous studies on the neuroendocrine stress response in youth with MDD are scarce, limited to cortisol, and rarely considered sex differences. Due to puberty‐associated neuroendocrine transitions increasing the

BackgroundIt has been proposed that early risk constellations link differentially to later developmental outcomes. However, existing studies often use a limited set of risk indicators, excluding genetic and child‐based risks. It is also unclear if the protective effects of potential moderators, such as kindergarten experiences, differ across risk groups.MethodsUsing data from the Norwegian Mother,

BackgroundAlthough prior studies have established the relation between social interactions and behavioral adjustment, it remains unclear whether aspects of early social interactions are uniquely related to behavioral problems and the relative importance of each in predicting internalizing and externalizing problems. Using traditional theory‐driven and novel data‐driven perspectives, this longitudinal

BACKGROUND Sudden gains (rapid, large, stable improvements in symptoms) are common in psychological therapy and are associated with favourable outcomes, but no studies have investigated sudden gains in children and young people (CYP) with a chronic physical condition. METHODS Within-group study nested in the Mental Health Intervention for Children with Epilepsy (MICE) randomised trial of modular

BackgroundAnxiety symptoms among adolescents have been increasing globally. The present study aimed to better understand the role of parenting, which is believed to act as both a risk and protective factor for anxiety while also being impacted by adolescent anxiety. Specifically, this preregistered study examined the bidirectional associations between parental autonomy support, intrusiveness, and symptoms

BackgroundThe Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI‐R) is a caregiver interview that is widely used as part of the diagnostic assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Few large‐scale studies have reported the sensitivity and specificity of the ADI‐R algorithms, which are based on DSM‐IV Autistic Disorder criteria. Kim and Lord (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2012, 42, 82)

Although awareness of the role of environmental exposures in children's cognitive development is increasing, learning difficulties have not yet been a major focus of environmental health science. Learning difficulties disproportionately affect children living in economic disadvantage, yielding an ‘achievement gap.’ Studies examining the neurobiology of reading and math have mostly included economically

As the incoming editor of JCPP's Annual Research Review (ARR), I first would like to extend my appreciation to the outgoing editor, Sara Jaffee, who for 6 years assembled consistently strong, cutting‐edge reviews for the ARR during a time of upheaval in the world in general and child psychology and psychiatry in particular. Personally, I am indebted to Sara for providing invaluable insights into the

BackgroundPrevious research studies have demonstrated cognitive deficits in adolescents with depression; however, the neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms underlying these deficits remain poorly understood. Utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) data collected during cognitive tasks, this study applies time–frequency analysis and functional connectivity (FC) techniques to explore the neuroelectrophysiological

BackgroundSocial motivation is posited as a key factor in the expression of the autism phenotype. However, lack of precision in both conceptualization and measurement has impeded a thorough understanding of its diverse presentation and associated outcomes. This study addresses this gap by identifying subgroups of autism characterized by deficits in distinct facets of social motivation, relative to

BackgroundDespite previous research demonstrating an independent association between cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS; previously termed sluggish cognitive tempo) and depressive symptoms, studies have yet to examine what factors may moderate this link. A negative interpretation bias (i.e., maladaptive information processing whereby emotionally aversive meaning is perceived in ambiguous situations)

BackgroundThe prevalence of mental health problems among college students has increased over the past decade. Even when mental health services are available, many students still struggle to access these services. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to identify the rates at which students actively seek or consider using formal help and to determine the main reasons for not seeking help.MethodsA

BackgroundPediatric anxiety disorders are prevalent, particularly among children with anxious parents. This trial evaluated a program for anxious parents aimed at preventing offspring anxiety disorders and symptoms over 12 months.MethodsThis parallel, randomized, controlled, open‐label trial was conducted at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Inclusion criteria comprised heightened parental

BackgroundOral language skills are a critical foundation for education and psychosocial development. Learning to read, in particular, depends heavily on oral language skills. The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) has been shown to improve the language of 4–5‐year‐old children entering school with language weaknesses in four robust trials. To date, however, there is limited evidence on the

BackgroundAvoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder characterized by extremely restricted dietary variety and/or quantity resulting in serious consequences for physical health and psychosocial functioning. ARFID often co‐occurs with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and psychiatric conditions, but previous data are mostly limited to small clinical samples

BackgroundError monitoring, a neurocognitive process reflecting self‐detection of errors, has been proposed as a marker of social anxiety. However, the way in which this marker relates to social anxiety is not consistent across age, as older children and adolescents with anxiety exhibit heightened error monitoring and younger children with anxiety exhibit diminished error monitoring. One way to contextualize

BackgroundEmpirical evidence supports the efficacy of behavioral online parent training. However, further large trials in school‐age children with externalizing behavior problems and analyses on the impact of additional therapist support are needed. This three‐arm randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of guided and unguided web‐assisted self‐help (WASH) for parents of children with externalizing

BackgroundPeople with early‐life experiences of deprivation are more likely to develop psychotic symptoms. While the mechanisms of this relationship are poorly understood, research suggests a role of cortical development.MethodsIn 6323 youth from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, we examined associations between total, material, interpersonal, cognitive and neighbourhood deprivation

BackgroundWhether, and how, infant characteristics and parenting quality interact is one of developmental psychology's key questions. However, whether specific interaction patterns replicate across cohorts or developmental outcomes is largely unknown. This study investigates whether infant characteristics and parenting quality are independent predictors (additive effects) of child outcomes or interact

BackgroundThe present study sought to extend the existing knowledge on the relationship between risky behavior and ADHD by studying transactions between these two variables within participants and across various time scales.MethodsParticipants were 281 adolescents (170 girls), age 13–18 years old (M = 14.8, SD = 1.3), and 1 of their parents. Risky behavior and ADHD symptoms measurements were taken

BackgroundExposure to trauma in childhood is associated with an increased risk for internalising symptoms. Alterations in pubertal development has been proposed as a potential mechanism underpinning this association. However, longitudinal studies, which are needed to examine pubertal development over time, are scarce. The goal of this pre‐registered study was to examine how trauma exposure shapes the