ABSTRACT Objective Breathing exercises have been proposed as an effective intervention to improve subjective well-being and manage anxiety symptoms. As they are comparatively easy to learn and to implement, breathing exercises may be particularly beneficial for children. Although breathing exercises are ultimately supposed to provide salutary effects in individuals’ everyday lives, immediate effects

OBJECTIVE Breathing exercises have been proposed as an effective intervention to improve subjective well-being and manage anxiety symptoms. As they are comparatively easy to learn and to implement, breathing exercises may be particularly beneficial for children. Although breathing exercises are ultimately supposed to provide salutary effects in individuals' everyday lives, immediate effects of breathing

ABSTRACT The premise of experimental therapeutics is that one can (a) target a process, or mechanism, underlying psychopathology and (b) that change in said mechanism can cause clinical improvement. Targeting specific mechanisms may permit more effective and personalized medicine. The experimental therapeutics approach holds promise for improving the potency and efficiency of treatments for childhood

ABSTRACT Objective This study used a randomized clinical trial design to evaluate the success with which The Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills intervention (BaSICS) engaged the proximal mechanisms of poverty-related stress’s impact on the psychosocial functioning and mental health of young adolescents living in high poverty contexts. Method 129 youth from very low-income families were randomized

ABSTRACT Objective Emotion-Focused Skills Training (EFST) is a 12-week parental program based on Emotion-Focused Therapy, developed to improve children and adolescents’ mental health problems. Methods In a randomized clinical dismantling study, including parents of 236 children and adolescents (ages 6–13, Mage 8.9, 60.6% boys, 95.8% Caucasian) with externalizing and/or internalizing problems within

ABSTRACT Objective This study evaluates iKinnect, a linked caregiver-teen mobile app system designed to address serious adolescent conduct problems through a focus on key targets of evidence-based treatments for juvenile offending, such as parent expectation setting, monitoring, consistency, and positive reinforcement. Additional gamification and autonomy-supporting features are designed to maximize

ABSTRACT Objective The current study examined whether children with a social anxiety disorder (SAD) demonstrate divergent facial emotion processing and a disorder-specific negative interpretation bias in the processing of facial emotional expressions. This study aimed to overcome previous study limitations by including both a nonsocially anxious control group and a healthy control group to examine

ABSTRACT The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a high-intensity (HI) versus a low-intensity (LI) skills-based summer intervention delivered to adolescents with ADHD by school staff in improving depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, social problems, and self-esteem. Participants were 325 ethnically diverse rising sixth and ninth graders with ADHD randomized to an HI versus an LI intervention

The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a high-intensity (HI) versus a low-intensity (LI) skills-based summer intervention delivered to adolescents with ADHD by school staff in improving depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, social problems, and self-esteem. Participants were 325 ethnically diverse rising sixth and ninth graders with ADHD randomized to an HI versus an LI intervention

OBJECTIVE The current study examined whether children with a social anxiety disorder (SAD) demonstrate divergent facial emotion processing and a disorder-specific negative interpretation bias in the processing of facial emotional expressions. This study aimed to overcome previous study limitations by including both a nonsocially anxious control group and a healthy control group to examine whether childhood

ABSTRACT Black and Latinx youth are more likely to be placed into foster care compared to non-Latinx white youth. Foster care placement can facilitate mental health service use, yet youth from marginalized and oppressed racial and ethnic groups in foster care are still less likely to receive mental health services compared to non-Latinx white youth. This study aims to examine this discrepancy Black

ABSTRACT One of the four major goals outlined in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) strategic plan (2021) is to develop and test new treatments and prevention strategies. The aim of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the R61/R33 grant mechanism has been to support the efficient pilot testing of exploratory clinical trials of novel interventions for mental disorders in adults

ABSTRACT Objective Advancing understanding of how early adversity arises, manifests, and contributes to health difficulties depends on accurate measurement of children’s experiences. In early life, exposure to adversity is often intertwined with that of one’s caregivers. We present preliminary psychometric properties of a novel measure of adversity, the Assessment of Parent and Child Adversity (APCA)

ABSTRACT Objective Adolescents who have been sexually abused commonly experience trauma symptoms, and many are referred for trauma-based treatment. However, they sometimes spend considerable time on waitlists before beginning treatment. This study examines the course of trauma symptoms among adolescents who have been sexually abused and are waiting for treatment, and the extent to which self-blame

ABSTRACT Objective This article delineates best practices in the application of the experimental therapeutics framework for evaluating interventions within the context of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), offering a methodological primer and guiding framework for this approach. We illustrate these practices using an ongoing clinical trial conducted within the framework of a National Institute of

ABSTRACT Objective In adults, low-weight restrictive eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa (AN), are marked by chronicity and diagnostic crossover from restricting to binge-eating/purging. Less is known about the naturalistic course of these eating disorders in adolescents, particularly atypical AN (atyp-AN) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). To inform nosology of low-weight

ABSTRACT Objective Despite decades of research, relatively little is known about short-term predictors of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Intensive longitudinal methods are increasingly applied to investigate near-term risk factors of suicidal thoughts in daily life. The aim of this study was to examine short-term predictors of daily-level suicidal thoughts in a high-risk adolescent sample using the

ABSTRACT Objective The present study sought to measure and internally validate neural markers of facial emotion recognition (FER) in adolescents and young adults with ASD to inform targeted intervention. Method We utilized fMRI to measure patterns of brain activity among individuals with ASD (N = 21) and matched controls (CON; N = 20) 2 s prior to judgments about the identity of six distinct facial

(2022). Correction. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT Objective To systematically review the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among Black children and adolescents compared to White, Latino and Asian children and adolescents. Method Peer-reviewed articles were identified in seven databases and included if they reported prevalence of ADHD among Black children and adolescents living in a minority context and compared

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the benefits of the Fast Track Friendship Group program implemented as a stand-alone school-based intervention on the social cognitions, social behavior, peer and teacher relationships of peer-rejected students. Method Over four successive years, 224 peer-rejected elementary students (57% White, 17% Black, 20% Latinx, 5% multiracial; 68% male; grades 1–4; Mage = 8.1 years

OBJECTIVE To systematically review the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among Black children and adolescents compared to White, Latino and Asian children and adolescents. METHOD Peer-reviewed articles were identified in seven databases and included if they reported prevalence of ADHD among Black children and adolescents living in a minority context and compared rates to

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the benefits of the Fast Track Friendship Group program implemented as a stand-alone school-based intervention on the social cognitions, social behavior, peer and teacher relationships of peer-rejected students. METHOD Over four successive years, 224 peer-rejected elementary students (57% White, 17% Black, 20% Latinx, 5% multiracial; 68% male; grades 1-4; Mage = 8.1 years old)

ABSTRACT Objective Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with chronic and severe antisocial behavior. Although previous research has found that parents play an important role in the etiology and maintenance of youth CU traits, little research has examined the extent that parents’ own CU traits impact the stability of their children’s CU traits. The present study investigated the moderating

OBJECTIVE Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with chronic and severe antisocial behavior. Although previous research has found that parents play an important role in the etiology and maintenance of youth CU traits, little research has examined the extent that parents' own CU traits impact the stability of their children's CU traits. The present study investigated the moderating role of

ABSTRACT Objective Pragmatic procedures for sustaining high-fidelity delivery of evidence-based interventions are needed to support implementation in usual care. This study tested an online therapist training system, featuring observational coder training and self-report fidelity feedback, to promote self-report acumen and routine use of family therapy (FT) techniques for adolescent behavior problems

ABSTRACT The recent rise in suicide rates among children and adolescents has made suicide prevention in youth a major focus of government agencies and mental health organizations. In 2012, Nock presented future directions in the study of self-injurious thoughts and behavior (SITBs), highlighting the need to better examine which risk factors are associated with “each part of the pathway” to suicidal

ABSTRACT Many youth with mental health needs cannot access treatment, with multiply-marginalized youth, such as sexual minority youth of Color (SMYoC), experiencing both structural and identity-related barriers to care. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to exacerbate multi-level treatment access barriers facing SMYoC youth nationwide. However, little large-scale research has examined access to mental

Many youth with mental health needs cannot access treatment, with multiply-marginalized youth, such as sexual minority youth of Color (SMYoC), experiencing both structural and identity-related barriers to care. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to exacerbate multi-level treatment access barriers facing SMYoC youth nationwide. However, little large-scale research has examined access to mental health care

ABSTRACT Objective Widespread concern exists about the impacts of COVID-19 and related public health safety measures (e.g., school closures) on adolescent mental health. Emerging research documents correlates and trajectories of adolescent distress, but further work is needed to identify additional vulnerability factors that explain increased psychopathology during the pandemic. The current study examined

ABSTRACT Objective This study tested two opposing hypotheses on the continuity of psychopathology throughout adolescence and young adulthood; differentiation versus dynamic mutualism. Differentiation predicts that co-occurrence decreases, while dynamic mutualism predicts that co-occurrence increases due to causal interactions amongst mental health problems. Method Using data from the Dutch TRacking

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine the prediction of involvement in serious physical assault from risk factors collected during routine screening of juveniles admitted to secure custody with a focus on trauma and gang affiliation and an exploration of gender differences in risk. Methods We analyzed administrative data collected on 879 juvenile offenders (93% boys; M age = 17 years; 71% Black, 19% Hispanic

ABSTRACT Objective Developing an effective population-level system of evidence-based parenting support capable of shifting (at a population level) rates of child maltreatment and social, emotional, and behavioral problems in children requires an integrated theory of change. This paper presents a systems-contextual model of change and identifies modifiable mechanisms that can potentially explain population-level

ABSTRACT Objective To identify barriers to behavior therapy for adolescent ADHD (Supporting Teens’ Autonomy Daily; STAND) and understand the relationship between barriers and treatment engagement. Method A mixed-method design with qualitative coding of 822 audio-recorded therapy sessions attended by 121 adolescents with ADHD (ages 11–16; 72.7% male, 77.7% Latinx, 7.4% African-American, 11.6% White

ABSTRACT Objective The purpose of this study is to present a set of empirically derived effect size distributions to provide field-based benchmarks for interpreting the observed effects of interventions for young children on the autism spectrum, and for planning future studies. Method We generated effect size distributions and reported quartile values for each by outcome domain, and by boundedness

ABSTRACT Objective Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research has yet to examine what cognitive characteristics may influence treatment response. The current study investigated decision-making ability and social cognition as potential (a) predictors of differential treatment response to two versions of CBT

ABSTRACT Objective The goal of this study was to examine whether neural sensitivity to negative peer evaluation conveys risk for depression among youth with a history of anxiety. We hypothesized that brain activation in regions that process affective salience in response to rejection, relative to acceptance, from virtual peers would predict depressive symptoms 1 year later and would be associated with

ABSTRACT Objective Cognitive remediation approaches for early course schizophrenia are promising interventions for improving social adjustment. Premorbid sociality is a potentially important moderator of social adjustment response to cognitive remediation and may serve to personalize such interventions. Method Eighty-eight early course schizophrenia outpatients with premorbid sociality scores were

ABSTRACT Objective Disparities in child mental health service engagement suggest traditional evidence-based practices do not properly consider cultural and contextual factors relevant for marginalized families. We propose a person-centered approach to improve the cultural responsiveness of services. Preliminary research supports broadening standard assessments to include a person-centered evaluation

ABSTRACT Objective The literature on the association between sex, rumination, and depression indicates significant variability from childhood to adulthood. Although this variability indicates the need for a developmental lens, a surprising lack of research has been conducted on the association between these variables from middle to late adolescence. Method The present study seeks to bridge this gap

ABSTRACT Objective COVID-19 has presented threats to adolescents’ psychosocial well-being, especially for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This longitudinal study aimed to identify which social (i.e., family conflict, parental social support, peer social support), emotional (i.e., COVID-19 health-related stress), and physical (i.e., sleep quality, food security) factors influence

ABSTRACT Objective Theoretical and conceptual models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom progression in youth have identified social functioning as having a central influence. Yet a dearth of research has examined the bidirectional temporal associations between PTSD symptoms and social functioning. Method This study is the first to investigate these temporal dynamics in a sample of adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective The Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention for Youth (TranS-C) was developed to improve sleep and circadian functioning in adolescents. This study examined the 12-month effects for TranS-C compared with psychoeducation (PE). We also investigated whether a text messaging intervention can promote maintenance of treatment effects. Method At the baseline, adolescents (58% female

ABSTRACT Objective This study (NIMH RO1 MH095750; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02543359) evaluated the effectiveness of three training models to implement a well-established evidence-based treatment, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Method Fifty licensed outpatient clinics, including 100 clinicians, 50 supervisors, and 50 administrators were randomized to one of three training conditions:

ABSTRACT Peer victimization and dating violence victimization frequently co-occur, with 50.4% of adolescents reporting victimization in both social contexts. A possible explanation for the association between these two negative experiences is offered by interpersonal theories of depression. These theories stipulate that depression might not only be caused by relational stressors but may actually also

ABSTRACT Objective The Family Affective Attitude Rating Scale (FAARS) uses an audio-recorded speech sample to measure parents’ affective attitudes toward their children. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of this scale for use with fathers, concurrent predictors of paternal affective attitudes (parental depressive symptoms, inter-parental relationship quality, observed paternal

ABSTRACT Nearly half of children meeting criteria for a mental health disorder in the United States (U.S.) do not receive the treatment they need. Unfortunately, lack of access to and engagement in mental health services can be seen at even higher rates for historically marginalized groups, including low-income, racial, and ethnic minority youth. Lay Health Workers (LHWs) represent a valuable workforce

(2021). Acknowledgments. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology: Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. I-III.

ABSTRACT Objective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was dismantled into four modules of three sessions each: cognitive restructuring (Think), behavioral activation (Act), problem solving (Solve) and relaxation (Relax). We investigated the modules’ relative effectiveness in indicated depression prevention for adolescents and examined variations in sequencing of these modules. Method We performed a

ABSTRACT For many years, scholars have sought to examine “for whom” psychotherapy is most likely to yield efficacious results. This special issue offers a review of research in several areas of child and adolescent psychopathology, and provides helpful points to guide future research in this area.

ABSTRACT Objective Traditional studies of treatment moderators have focused largely on psychological factors such as clinical severity. Racial and economic inequity exert large effects on youth mental health, on treatment efficacy, and on the likelihood of receiving treatment altogether. Yet, these factors are studied less often by clinical psychological scientists. Method We conducted a narrative

ABSTRACT Objective Although many studies have identified risk factors for adolescent pregnancy, much less is known about factors that support pregnant adolescents’ psychological wellbeing and offspring outcomes. This study drew on strength-based frameworks to investigate family and neighborhood factors linked to social connectedness that predict psychological wellbeing during adolescent pregnancy and

ABSTRACT For Black American youth and their families, the racial terror that claimed the life of George Floyd in May 2020 is nothing new, as stories of people who look just like them have been part and parcel of their lived experience in the United States. Beyond state-sanctioned murder, Black youth were also witnessing the disproportionate transmission, treatment, and travesty plaguing their community

ABSTRACT Objective Interpersonal negative life events (NLEs) have been linked to risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, little is known about how this risk is conferred over the short term and the mechanisms linking interpersonal NLEs to suicide risk, particularly in adolescents. This study used an intensive longitudinal design to examine thwarted belongingness with family and friends as

ABSTRACT Objective The processes facilitating resilience are likely to be influenced by individual, familial and contextual factors that are dynamic across the life-course. These factors have been less studied in relation to resilience profiles evident in the developmental period between early to middle childhood, relative to later periods of adolescence or adulthood. Method This study examined factors

ABSTRACT Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the direct and conditional effects of active coping and prior exposure to school-related stressors on cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to an academically salient, social stress task.Method: Participants included N= 758 adolescents (50% male; M age = 12.03 years, SD = .49) enrolled in the 7th grade in Title 1 middle schools. Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective The core elements of family therapy for adolescent mental health and substance use problems, originally distilled from high-fidelity sessions conducted by expert clinicians, were tested for validity generalization when delivered by community therapists in routine settings. Method The study sampled recorded sessions from 161 cases participating in one of three treatment pools: implementation

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether iron deficiency in infancy is associated with sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) or attention-deficit/hyperactive-impulsive (AD-HI) symptoms in childhood and adolescence, and whether such behaviors contribute concurrently and predictively to lower verbal and mathematical abilities. Method Chilean children (N = 959; 50% male, of Spanish or indigenous descent from

OBJECTIVE The core elements of family therapy for adolescent mental health and substance use problems, originally distilled from high-fidelity sessions conducted by expert clinicians, were tested for validity generalization when delivered by community therapists in routine settings. METHOD The study sampled recorded sessions from 161 cases participating in one of three treatment pools: implementation

OBJECTIVE To determine whether iron deficiency in infancy is associated with sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) or attention-deficit/hyperactive-impulsive (AD-HI) symptoms in childhood and adolescence, and whether such behaviors contribute concurrently and predictively to lower verbal and mathematical abilities. METHOD Chilean children (N = 959; 50% male, of Spanish or indigenous descent from working-class