Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has required important changes in the lifestyles and quality of life of higher education students, generating emotional distress. This study sought to evaluate a predictive model of emotional distress and positive mental health through measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in Chilean higher education students during the pandemic.
Method: To this end, 502 students (67.
Unlabelled: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed in children. Questions regarding its increased diagnostic rates and pharmacological treatments in developing children have led to a more holistic review of the multi-system pathophysiology observed in ADHD. The dopaminergic neurotransmitter system, known for its influence on reward-motivated behaviors and motor control, and the frontostriatal systems, that mediate motor, cognition, and behavior, are associated with ADHD's development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlack communities have been disproportionately impacted by the syndemic of COVID-19 and structural racism. Place-based initiatives (PBIs) are well-positioned to respond to this syndemic. This study sought to highlight disparities in access to social determinants of health (SDH) between two racially segregated communities, assess residents' needs and measure resource accessibility in one predominantly Black community, and describe the PBI's response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study examined the effects of data-guided innovations on students' social-emotional (SE) development within prekindergarten settings. Specifically, this study examined the effects of a pilot effort that sought to improve instructional quality through the use of structured classroom observations by coaches to help support teacher implementation of curricula and evidence-based practices. In addition, teachers used formative assessments of students' SE functioning to guide and individualize their instruction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Biden/Harris Administration faces many challenges, from systems and policies that do not work for or benefit all Americans to stark social and political divisions. Multiple courses of action will be necessary, and there must be commitment and investment for the "long haul." When considering the nation's challenges, overarching themes emerge that must be addressed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of social-emotional competencies in early childhood is essential for long-term health and wellbeing, and these skills are particularly critical for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to set the foundation for success in school and in life. The present study examined the effects of an intervention to support prekindergarten (pre-k) teachers' ability to address the specific social-emotional needs of their students. Teachers in a publicly funded pre-k program completed the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999; LeBuffe & Shapiro, 2004) to measure social-emotional functioning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Evid Based Soc Work (2019)
September 2021
Social work has a longstanding commitment to sound research and the development and dissemination of evidence-based practice. To that end, multiple professional groups have developed or refined guidelines for reporting research procedures and findings, with the objectives of enhancing transparency, integrity, and rigor in science. Such guidelines can also facilitate replication and systematic review.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOn 27 February 2010, Chile experienced one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history. The study aimed to evaluate post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in children and adolescents 12 months (T1) and 24 months (T2) after the earthquake and tsunamis in Chile in 2010. Three hundred twenty-five children and adolescents (47.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examined correlates of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms among 6- to 10-year-olds affected directly by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Research on the sequelae of disaster exposure for children has focused largely on aspects that contribute to increased distress or risk for disorder; fewer studies have investigated influences that may serve a positive function. This study sought to address that gap by examining the association between key children's socioemotional resources reflecting the self-system (perceived competence, future expectations, coping competency beliefs) and postdisaster symptomatology (PTSS, depressive symptoms) at approximately 12 and 22 months posthurricane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Orthopsychiatry
December 2019
The articles in this Special Section provide some grounds for optimism. Although their specific topics, approaches, and mechanisms for action vary, they reflect efforts designed to inform change initiatives or foster health and wellness utilizing data-driven strategies and conceptual models. These articles shed light on salient issues and point to strategies for building capacity to take action.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFeatures of the natural environment such as tree canopy and green space have been found to promote health and well-being; however, minimal research has investigated potential benefits of nature near schools for early childhood development. This study examined differences in teacher ratings of preschoolers' socio-emotional and behavioral functioning in relation to the presence of natural elements (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis editorial introduces this special section of the . The Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice (formerly the American Orthopsychiatric Association) has developed the theme for its track at the 2016 Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health. The Global Alliance, the parent organization of the , has long sought to address prevailing social conditions by treating them as problems to be solved through multilevel, contextually grounded social interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Orthopsychiatry
September 2017
Subsequent to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the experiences of military service members (MSVMs) and veterans have garnered increasing attention. A growing body of work has begun to shed light on their reintegration, a process that can bring with it transitions and challenges for service members and their families. Although many families adapt effectively, some have difficulty navigating this process, which can lead to a host of short- and long-term negative consequences for families.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs service members return from active duty and, in some cases, exit the military, they face a process of reintegration (also referred to as community reintegration) as they seek to resume participation in their life roles as civilians. Facilitating this dynamic process of reintegration for service members, veterans, and their families-including outlining potential strategies for supporting this return to civilian life and its demands, roles, and responsibilities-is the focus of this Special Issue. Reintegration has been framed as a national priority (U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Orthopsychiatry
September 2017
This editorial explains the need for a new name for the American Orthopsychiatric Association (ORTHO). As ORTHO continues their work into the 21st century, they want to better reflect their global membership and focus, increasing the number of partnerships with individuals and organizations, and commitment to a just society. Therefore, ORTHO is changing their name to the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To describe, within an ecologically grounded framework, key principles, and recommendations for community-level intervention to build community capacity and promote disaster resilience.
Method: Using an ecological framework, this article describes community resilience and related constructs and key principles for community-level disaster preparedness and response.
Results: Current research suggests the importance of focusing on bolstering resources that promote wellness and facilitate individual and community resilience in the face of disaster.
This study examined whether oncology nurses experience personal growth and wisdom as a result of caring for patients. Using a grounded theory approach, 30 nurses were interviewed regarding their experiences caring for cancer patients. Every nurse in this sample cited at least one example of growth and wisdom.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdolesc Med State Art Rev
December 2014
Prog Community Health Partnersh
November 2014
Background: Children involved in child welfare services are at high risk for emotional and behavioral problems that are not adequately identified and treated. As part of a federal review, Youth and Family Services (YFS), child protective services in Charlotte, North Carolina, was informed that they must improve their response to youth needs, particularly regarding mental health, or face losing millions of dollars in federal funding.
Objectives: We have described herein an effort to build agency capacity for identifying mental health needs through a community-university partnership and share lessons learned about implementing the new process.
Posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive change resulting from the struggle with trauma, has garnered significant attention in the literature on adults. Recently, the research base has begun to extend downward, and this literature indicates that youth also evidence PTG-like changes. Researchers have sought to assess the construct, examine its correlates, and understand the factors that contribute to PTG in youth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Orthopsychiatry
December 2013
Hurricane Katrina severely disrupted the lives of many children and families in the central Gulf Coast of the United States. Face-to-face interviews with child-caregiver dyads were conducted at approximately 1 year posthurricane (T1) and 6-10 months later (T2). The contribution of several factors-caregiver's self-reported symptomatology and coping advice and child perceptions of caregiver distress, unavailability, warmth, and caregiver-child conflict-to child-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms was examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe experience of homelessness can pervade multiple levels and facets of a child and family's world. In view of the historical risks in the lives of children who are experiencing homelessness (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor almost two decades, the federal government has supported the development of integrated models of mental health service delivery for children and families, known as systems of care (SOCs), that strive to be child-centered, family-focused, community-based, and culturally competent. These efforts align well with the values and principles (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe articles in this Special Issue on system change within systems of care (SOCs) provide guidance regarding strategies for modifying SOCs to address the needs of different populations, and ways for changing systems to support more positive child and family outcomes. This paper frames central needs, unanswered questions, and issues that remain for those working to implement SOCs. Specific needs and new directions considered include: (1) rigorous implementation-focused research to identify the necessary and sufficient elements of SOCs and the primary practice approach currently used in SOCs, wraparound; (2) applied research to assess SOCs and document their effectiveness in non-standard or non-traditional settings (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddressing the unique needs of youth transitioning to adulthood has long been viewed as a priority in implementation of systems of care (SOCs) and wraparound. Developmental research and "practice-based evidence" suggest that there are differences between transitioning youth and their younger peers in family environment and wraparound team processes. Although these differences are thought to have significant implications for wraparound practice, few studies have examined them empirically.
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