Maja Deković

Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Problem Behavior during Adolescence.

Based on the results of previous research, multiple factors in several domains (individual attributes of the adolescent, family attributes, and extrafamilial factors) were identified as possible risk and protective factors for development of problem behavior during adolescence. The first aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of these factors for the development of externalizing and internalizing problems. In addition to examining the role of particular risk and protective factors, we also tested the hypothesis that risk and protection have a cumulative effect. The results show that the individual attributes of the adolescent play an important role, both as a risk and as a protection, for the development of internalizing problems, but they appear to be of less importance for the development of externalizing problems. The family attributes (support, monitoring, and attachment) seem to be important for both types of problem behavior. Finally, the relationship with peers (especially the association with deviant peers) has both a risk and a protective effect for the development of problem behavior. When index of the number of risk and protective factor is used, it appears that the amount of risk has a stronger relation to variation in problem behavior than protection. Finally, in this sample, no evidence was found for the moderating effect of the protective factors.

The relations between parents’ big five personality factors and parenting: a meta-analytic review

To investigate the association between Big Five personality factors and three dimensions of parenting-warmth, behavioral control, and autonomy support-the authors conducted meta-analyses using 5,853 parent-child dyads that were included in 30 studies. Effect sizes were significant and robust across mother and father reports and across assessment methods of parenting (self-report versus observations) but were generally small in magnitude. Higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more warmth and behavioral control, whereas higher levels of Agreeableness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more autonomy support. Several factors moderated the relationship between specific personality dimensions and parenting: child and parental age, reliability of observational assessment of parenting behavior, and study design. Taken together, these results indicate that personality can be seen as an inner resource that affects parenting.

Conceptual Analysis and Measurement of Adolescent Autonomy

The aim of the present study was to examine the concept of adolescent autonomy. A conceptual analysis of different theoretical perspectives has resulted in an integrative model of attitudinal, emotional, and functional autonomy. Attitudinal autonomy refers to the cognitive process of choosing and defining a goal. Emotional autonomy refers to the affective process of feeling confident about ones own choices and goals. Functional autonomy refers to the regulatory process of developing a strategy to achieve these goals. The empirical value of this model was tested by developing a questionnaire assessing adolescent autonomy. Subjects were 400 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Confirmatory factor analyses (LISREL 8) provided evidence for the 3 hypothesized dimensions.

Parenting, Coparenting, and Effortful Control in Preschoolers

This study investigated the relations among parenting, coparenting, and effortful control in preschoolers. The sample included 89 families with 2 parents and their firstborn 36-month-old children. Information was obtained by means of observation and parent-report questionnaires. In general, maternal parenting, paternal parenting, and coparenting were related to effortful control. Effortful control was more strongly predicted from parenting and coparenting when the same measurement method (observation or parent reports) was used. For both observation and parent reports, coparenting contributed to effortful control over and above maternal and paternal parenting. The results indicate the importance of adding indicators of triadic family processes to the study of parenting and young childrens effortful control.

Executive function deficits in preschool children with ADHD and DBD.

BACKGROUND  Impairments in executive functions (EF) are consistently associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to a lesser extent, with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), that is, oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, in school-aged children. Recently, larger numbers of children with these disorders are diagnosed earlier in development, yet knowledge about impairments in clinically diagnosed preschool children and the role of comorbidity is limited. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine EF in clinically referred preschool children with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, DBD and ADHD + DBD. METHOD Participants were 202 children aged 3.5-5.5 years, 61 with ADHD only, 33 with DBD only, 52 with comorbid ADHD + DBD and 56 typically developing children. Five EF tasks were administered. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two-factor model (inhibition and working memory) fit the data better than a one-factor model in this clinical sample. Preschoolers with ADHD displayed inhibition deficits, also after controlling for IQ. Likewise, preschoolers with DBD displayed impaired inhibition, but when IQ was controlled differences were carried mostly by the effect on the task where motivational demands were high (i.e. when tangible rewards were used). This pattern was also found in the interaction between ADHD and DBD; impaired inhibition in the comorbid group, however, was more severe than in the DBD group. Regarding working memory, few group differences were found. CONCLUSIONS Clinically diagnosed preschool children with ADHD showed robust inhibition deficits, whereas preschool children with DBD showed impaired inhibition especially where motivational incentives were prominent. Severity of inhibition impairment in the comorbid group was similar to the ADHD group.

Stability and Changes in Problem Behavior during Adolescence: Latent Growth Analysis.

The aim of this study was to examine growth trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems during adolescence. In addition, we also examined factors that might account for individual differences in the level of problem behavior and in the rate of change: Adolescent gender and the quality of the relationships with parents and peers. The sample consisted of 212 adolescents (mean age 13.4 years at the initial assessment) who were assessed at 3 measurement waves with approximately 1-year intervals. The results showed substantial absolute and relative stability in both types of problem behavior, but also significant individual differences in both initial levels of problem behavior and in the rate of change across the 3 measurement occasions. Adolescent gender and the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship predicted the initial level of both externalizing and internalizing problems. The protective effect of the positive quality of the relationship with peers was found for internalizing but not for externalizing problems. No differences appeared between boys and girls in the effect of the quality of interpersonal relations on the level and on the rate of change in problem behavior, suggesting that the etiology of problem behavior might be similar for boys and girls in spite of gender differences in the prevalence of problem behaviors.

Developmental Patterns in Adolescent Attachment to Mother, Father and Sibling

The aim of this study was to examine the development of quality of attachment of adolescents to their parents and siblings during adolescence and the role that gender differences play in this development, using latent growth curve analysis. In 288 families, adolescents reported on their attachment relationships with their parents and siblings. Quality of attachment changes during adolescence, and these changes are influenced by both gender of the adolescent and gender of the attachment figure. Results showed that change in mean level of quality of attachment to mother appeared to be nonlinear for boys, whereas mean level of attachment of adolescent girls to their mothers showed a linear decline. Results for attachment to father were opposite, with a linear decline in quality for boys, and a nonlinear development for girls. Quality of attachment to sibling showed differential development depending on gender composition of the sibling dyad.

Parenting Behavior, Quality of the Parent-Adolescent Relationship, and Adolescent Functioning in Four Ethnic Groups

The cross-ethnic similarity in the pattern of associations among parenting behavior (support and authoritative and restrictive control), the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship (disclosure and positive and negative quality), and several developmental outcomes (aggressive behavior, delinquent behavior, and global self-esteem) was tested. A sample of 541 Dutch, Moroccan, Turkish, and Surinamese adolescents living in the Netherlands (mean age 14.43) completed questionnaires at school. The results showed ethnic similarities in the mean levels of support, authoritative control, disclosure, positive quality of the parent-adolescent relationship, delinquent behavior, and self-esteem. The quality of the parent-adolescent relationship, especially a negative quality of the relationship, showed significant associations with each adolescent outcome in all ethnic groups. For both aggressive behavior and self-esteem, the same model was applicable to all ethnic groups. The links between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship and delinquent behavior were also similar. The links between parenting behavior and delinquent behavior, however, differed across groups.

Mental health in immigrant children in the Netherlands

BackgroundBackground In the past decades, the ethnic diversity of the population in the Netherlands has rapidly grown. At present, approximately 10% of all people in the Netherlands belong to immigrant families that originate from a very large variety of non-Western nations. Although it is often assumed that migration has a stress-inducing effect, leading to heightened levels of mental health problems in both immigrant children and their parents, research into this group of children is very scarce in Europe. In this paper, we want to report on the mental health of immigrant children originating from non-Western countries enrolled in a large cohort study in the Netherlands.MethodA large sample of 11-year-old children in the Netherlands (n=2230) participated in the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Approximately 10% of these children (n=230) belong to immigrant families originating from non-Western countries. Mental health problems were assessed using self-report measures (Youth Self-Report), using parent-report measures (Child Behaviour Check List) and using teacher report (Teacher Checklist for Psychopathology). In this paper, we report on the mental health problems of these children from all three perspectives (child, parent, teacher). In analysing the impact of immigrant status, the effect of gender and of socio-economic inequality was taken into account.ResultsAccording to self-report measures, mean level of mental health problems in immigrant children is comparable to that in non-immigrant children. Immigrant parents report higher problem rates for their daughters, in particular for internalising problem behaviours, social problems and attention problems, but not for their sons. In contrast, teachers perceive higher levels of externalising problem behaviour, but lower levels of anxious/depressed problems, social problems and thought problems in immigrant children. This last effect is most strongly found with respect to boys: teachers perceive less withdrawn/depressed problems, social problems, thought problems and attention problems in immigrant boys.ConclusionsChildren from immigrant families do not appear to experience more problems than their non-immigrant peers. However, parents from immigrant families do report more problems in their daughters than non-immigrant parents, in contrast to teachers who perceive lower levels of internalising, social and thought problems in particular in boys, and higher levels of externalising problems in both immigrant boys and girls. In describing problem behaviour in immigrant children, the effect of diverging social contexts for and multiple perspectives on immigrant youth has to be taken into account.

Sibling relationship quality and psychopathology of children and adolescents: A meta-analysis

In the current meta-analysis, we investigated the link between child and adolescent sibling relationship quality (warmth, conflict and differential treatment) and internalizing and externalizing problems, and potential moderators of these associations. From 34 studies, we obtained 85 effect sizes, based on 12,257 children and adolescents. Results showed that more sibling warmth, less sibling conflict and less differential treatment were all significantly associated with less internalizing and externalizing problems. Effect sizes for sibling conflict were stronger than for sibling warmth and differential treatment, and associations for internalizing and externalizing problems were similar in strength. Effect sizes were moderated by sibling gender combination (stronger effects for higher percentage brother pairs), age difference between siblings (stronger effects for smaller age differences), and developmental period (stronger effect sizes for children than for adolescents). These results indicate that the sibling context is important when considering psychopathology. In addition to the overwhelming evidence of the impact of parent-child and marital relationships on child and adolescent development, the present meta-analysis is a reminder that the sibling relationship warrants more attention in research as well as in clinical settings.