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Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment

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A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2024 | Viewed by 8082

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Margarete Bolten

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Guest Editor

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Interests: early behavioral problems; infant psychiatric disorders; developmental psychopathology; psychological assessment; psychotherapeutic processes; DSM; psychological testing; clinical assessment; mental illness; counseling; cognitive behavioral therapy; psychotherapy; early behavioral problems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Even though many consider early childhood to be a carefree period in human development, severe mental health difficulties can occur, even in very young children. In the first few years of life, brain development is extraordinary with regard to the rapidity and profundity of mental development in the human life cycle. Mental disorders in infancy and toddlerhood are closely related to the achievement of developmental milestones. From this, it follows that symptomatologies in very young children usually manifest differently compared to older children, adolescents, or adults and may change with age. In early childhood, we see a broad spectrum of difficulties and problems: infants with sleep disturbances; infants who are failing to thrive or have feeding disturbances; toddlers who are self-endangering, extremely aggressive, or impulsive; and young children who are unduly anxious, have been traumatized or maltreated, or show many other behavioral or emotional problems. In addition, mental illness in parents and caregivers can affect the development of very young children and can be passed through generations. Furthermore, untreated health problems in the early years create burdens for the individual as well as for the society. Therefore, early multidisciplinary and relationship-based interventions with a focus on parental skills to improve parent–infant relationships are necessary to prevent chronifications and thus impairments to child development.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to help scientists and clinicians to explore issues related to mental health in early childhood and to evolve this knowledge into daily practice. We invite the submission of manuscripts dealing with the most common mental-health-related issues observed in this specific age group, such as crying, sleeping and feeding disorders, anxiety and other emotional problems, attachment and infant–parent relations, and prevention and treatment options. Original research papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are welcome.

Dr. Margarete Bolten
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

early childhood
excessive crying
sleep
feeding disorders
attachment
trauma
parent–child interaction
emotion regulation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 659 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Being an Infant in a Pandemic: Influences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Infants, Toddlers and Their Mothers in a Clinical Population

by Mona Katharina Sprengeler, Janna Mattheß, Mirijam-Griseldis Galeris, Melanie Eckert, Gabriele Koch, Thomas Reinhold, Anne Berghöfer, Julia Fricke, Stephanie Roll, Thomas Keil, Christiane Ludwig-Körner, Lars Kuchinke, Kai von Klitzing, Lars Otto White and Franziska Schlensog-Schuster

Children 2023, 10(12), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10121885 - 1 Dec 2023

Viewed by 932

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing lockdowns might have had a strong impact on mental health of mothers and their infants/toddlers. For example, families had to deal with health issues and social isolation, which might have affected mental health and parent-child interactions. The aim of this study is to evaluate differences in (1) infantile regulatory disorders, (2) maternal mental health, (3) the impact of maternal mental health on infantile regulatory disorders, and (4) alterations in the mother-child interaction for participants recruited before versus after the onset of the first German lockdown. For this reason, mother-child dyads have been divided into two groups and were compared by analyzing clinical interviews on psychopathology of mother and child (M.I.N.I. & DC:05) and mother-child-interactions (Emotional Availability Scales). Results showed that (1) differences in infantile sleeping disorders emerged (phi = 0.243; p = 0.016) compared to the pre-lockdown group, while (2) the occurrence of maternal panic and anxiety increased in the post-lockdown group (phi = 0.229; p = 0.022). Moreover, there was (3) an association for maternal panic and child’s sleep disorder, and (4) specific associations with maternal non-hostility in the mother-child-interaction. In conclusion, the present study highlights the differences of maternal mental health occurrences and infants’ regulatory problems, as well as the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for infants. In the pre-lockdown group, maternal non-hostility might have acted as a promotive factor against regulatory disorders, while this mechanism was mitigated in the post-lockdown group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

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26 pages, 1625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coding Dyadic Behavior in Caregiver–Child Interaction from a Clinical Psychology Perspective: How Should Multiple Instruments and Outcomes Be Dealt with?

by Anne Jung and Nina Heinrichs

Children 2023, 10(11), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10111765 - 31 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1282

Abstract

The experiences children have in the interactions with their caregivers influence their developmental outcomes. To target caregiving and optimize intervention effects, the assessment of caregiver–child interactions is highly relevant for families affected by parental mental disorders. Behavioral observation is a widely used method for assessing family dynamics, and the literature offers a wide variety of instruments with which to code such data. However, a structured overview of behavioral observation instruments (BOIs) is lacking, and the multitude of types of dyadic behaviors (DBs) assessed within each BOI are complicating their application. We aim to provide an overview of the BOIs applied to families affected by mental disorders and suggest a DB taxonomy that may be used across BOIs. We first conducted a systemic literature search to identify the most frequently used BOIs and the DBs they capture in clinical psychology. Second, we asked 13 experts to sort DB terms based on perceived conceptual similarity and analyzed these results using multidimensional scaling. We found approximately 450 different terms for DBs, and we argue that DBs can be classified within two overarching dimensions, i.e., in terms of structure and in terms of reaction to a child’s signals. These efforts can facilitate the coding and application of BOIs in clinical practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

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14 pages, 381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Beliefs about Children’s Emotions and Children’s Social Skills: The Mediating Role of Parents’ Emotion Regulation

by Maria Cenușă and Maria Nicoleta Turliuc

Children 2023, 10(9), 1473; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091473 - 29 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1798

Abstract

Few studies have investigated the relationship between parents’ beliefs about children’s emotions and children’s social skills. Fewer studies have addressed this association and its underlying mechanisms while obtaining data from both parents. In this context, the present study explores the mediating role of parents’ emotion regulation in the association between parents’ beliefs about children’s emotions and children’s social skills. The participants were 90 parental dyads (N = 180) with typically developing preschool children. They completed self-report scales regarding parents’ beliefs about their children’s emotions, parents’ emotion regulation, and children’s social skills. The data were analyzed using the common fate mediation model (CFM with mediation). The results indicate that only parents’ cognitive reappraisal mediates the relationship between their emotion-related beliefs and their children’s social skills. Specifically, parental beliefs about “children’s anger is valuable” and “children use their emotions to manipulate others” are directly and negatively associated with children’s social skills, and indirectly through the parents’ cognitive reappraisal. Future intervention programs should focus on restructuring parents’ beliefs and their ability to regulate emotions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

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13 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Affect Recognition, Theory of Mind, and Empathy in Preschool Children with Externalizing Behavior Problems—A Group Comparison and Developmental Psychological Consideration

by Laura M. Watrin-Avino, Franziska J. Forbes, Martin C. Buchwald, Katja Dittrich, Christoph U. Correll, Felix Bermpohl and Katja Bödeker

Children 2023, 10(9), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091455 - 26 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1144

Abstract

Preschool mental disorders are often associated with significant interpersonal problems, related to impaired affect recognition, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy. To date, these skills have not been studied together in preschoolers with externalizing behavior problems (EBPs). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether and to what extent preschool children with EBPs show impairments in affect recognition, ToM, and empathy. Preschoolers with EBPs, defined by current psychiatric treatment and T-scores ≥ 60 on the externalizing problem scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1½-5 or 6-18R) were compared to non-clinical controls (HCs), defined by no past and no current psychiatric treatment and T-scores < 60 on all CBCL broad-band scales. Groups were compared on affect recognition (NEuroPSYchological Assessment-II), affective ToM (Test of Emotion Comprehension), cognitive ToM (Extended Theory-of-Mind Scale), parent-reported emotional contagion, attention to others’ feelings, and prosocial action (Empathy Questionnaire), IQ and language (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III Matrices, Active and Passive Vocabulary test), controlling for age, sex, and language abilities. Compared to 28 HCs, 22 preschoolers with EBPs (total sample mean_age = 5.5 years +/− 0.8 years, range= 4.2–6.9 years, males 66%) had significantly greater impairments in cognitive ToM (p = 0.0012, η² = 0.266), attention to others’ feelings (p = 0.0049, η² = 0.222), and prosocial action (p = 0.0070, η² = 0.210), each representing strong effect sizes. EBPs were significantly related to cognitive domains, like prosocial action (r = −0.501), cognitive ToM (r = −0.425), and attention to others’ feelings (r = −0.332), but not to affective domains of social cognition. Social cognitive development may be impaired as early as preschool age and should be promoted before the child starts school. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

Other

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20 pages, 345 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

Assessment and Diagnostic Classification Using DC:0-5 in Early Childhood Mental Health Clinics: The Protocol for the Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy)

by Katja Bödeker, Laura M. Watrin-Avino, Annick Martin, Franziska Schlensog-Schuster, Marius Janssen, Lennart Friese, Maria Licata-Dandel, Volker Mall, Juliane Teich-Bělohradský, Yonca Izat, Christoph U. Correll, Eva Möhler and Frank W. Paulus

Children 2023, 10(11), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10111770 - 31 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1291

Abstract

Mental health problems in early childhood are common, but there is a lack of psychiatric research on this age group. DC:0-5 is a multiaxial classification system for mental disorders in early childhood, providing a framework for standardizing clinical practice and research. However, research on the validity of DC:0-5 is scarce. The Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy) is a multi-site, prospective clinical study including six German early childhood mental health (ECMH) clinics. The main objective of the study is to contribute to the validation of Axis I and Axis II of DC:0-5. A second aim of the study is to describe the population of the participating clinics regarding diagnoses, family context, and treatment outcomes. Additionally, the impact of environmental risk factors, including parental Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and media use, on child psychopathology and caregiver–child relationships will be examined. Over two years, patients aged 0.0–5.9 years old will be enrolled in the study. Assessments include ICD-10 and DC:0-5 diagnoses, developmental tests, video-based observations of caregiver—child interactions, and questionnaires on child psychopathology, media use, parental stress, and treatment satisfaction. Study results will promote the standardization of assessment and treatment in ECMH clinics aiming to improve the development of patients and their families. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

11 pages, 450 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Do My Reactions Outweigh My Actions? The Relation between Reactive and Proactive Aggression with Peer Acceptance in Preschoolers

by Brenda M. S. da Silva, Guida Veiga, Carolien Rieffe, Hinke M. Endedijk and Berna Güroğlu

Children 2023, 10(9), 1532; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091532 - 9 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1016

Abstract

Aggressive behaviors negatively impact peer relations starting from an early age. However, not all aggressive acts have the same underlying motivations. Reactive aggression arises as a response to an antecedent behavior of someone else, whereas proactive aggression is initiated by the aggressor and is instrumental. In this study, we aim to understand the relation between reactive and proactive aggression and peer acceptance in preschoolers. Parents of 110 children aged between 3 and 6 years old rated their children’s manifestation of reactive and proactive aggressive behaviors. To assess the children’s peer acceptance score within their class, they completed a paired comparisons task. The outcomes confirmed that reactive aggression in particular is negatively related to peer acceptance at the preschool age. Our results provide insights for the needs and directions of future research and interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Early Childhood: Prediction, Prevention and Treatment)

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