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Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children
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Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 August 2023) | Viewed by 28765

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Tingzhong Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Women's Hospital, Center for Tobacco Control Research, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: health behavior theory; tobacco control; public health; mental stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background & history of this topic: The stimulus, stress and behavioral and mental response (SSB) model proposes that various stimuli induce stress and behavioral responses, which in turn may lead to health problems. With rapid social development and change, social competition is intensifying, and young people is under enormous mental stress, which makes them unable to raise their own children well. Many studies have shown that children in China have serious behavioral and mental health problems due to being poorly raised. Today’s world is full of crisis and uncertainty. The Russian–Ukrainian war is a crisis affecting the whole world, and it also affects China’s economy. The COVID-19 pandemic in recent years has not only directly led to behavioral and mental health problems in children (BMPC) but also increased mental stress among youth, and this provides a huge obstacle in economic development. This situation poses a great challenge to child raising. Children are a vulnerable population who are in crisis. Approaches to address this problem need to be based on high-quality scientific research to understand the root causes and determine effective approaches to reduce behavioral and mental health problems.

Aim and scope of the Special Issue: This research has three main objectives. The primary research goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the social and behavioral mechanisms leading to BMPC. A second goal is to develop behavioral and mental health promotion strategies and policy among children, which refers to specialized policy research. A third goal is to design and examine the effect of an intervention program about BMPC. It should be stressed that we give very low priority to studies regarding a general demographic and individual characteristics about BMPC. We believe that the information obtained from this study could be helpful to inform health policy, plan prevention strategies, and design and implement appropriate, targeted interventions to help reduce behavioral and mental health problems in children.

Cutting-edge research: Studies on population mechanism exploration and family- and school-level intervention  

What kind of papers we are soliciting: We welcome submissions on the following subtopics, including, but not limited to:

  1. Explore social and behavioral mechanisms leading to BMPC. It should be emphasized that this process should be implemented under the guidance of existing theories, rather than the statistical mediation correlations among related factors, which is currently very prevalent in psychology.
  2. Examining to contextual influences on BMPC under the SSB model, such as parental mental stress and BMPC.
  3. Uncertainty stress studies, including the status, population mechanism, coping, and influence on health.
  4. Policy study: To develop behavioral and mental health promotion strategies and policies.
  5. Identifying and controlling health-risk mental stress.
  6. Designing and examining the effect of intervention programs about BMPC.

Prof. Dr. Tingzhong Yang
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

  • children
  • behavioral problems
  • mental health
  • COVID-19 pandemic

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

3 pages, 173 KiB  
Editorial
Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children
by Tingzhong Yang and Dan Wu
Children 2023, 10(11), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10111820 - 17 Nov 2023
Viewed by 898
Abstract
The stimulus, stress, and behavioral and mental response (SSB) model proposes that various stimuli induce stress and behavioral responses, which may, in turn, lead to health problems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

19 pages, 497 KiB  
Article
Surviving the Immediate Aftermath of a Disaster: A Preliminary Investigation of Adolescents’ Acute Stress Reactions and Mental Health Needs after the 2023 Turkey Earthquakes
by Gökçe Yağmur Efendi, Rahime Duygu Temeltürk, Işık Batuhan Çakmak and Mustafa Dinçer
Children 2023, 10(9), 1485; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091485 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
On 6 February, southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria were struck by two powerful earthquakes, one measuring a magnitude of 7.8 and the other, nine hours later, at a magnitude of 7.5. These earthquakes have been recorded as some of the deadliest natural [...] Read more.
On 6 February, southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria were struck by two powerful earthquakes, one measuring a magnitude of 7.8 and the other, nine hours later, at a magnitude of 7.5. These earthquakes have been recorded as some of the deadliest natural disasters worldwide since the 2010 Haiti earthquake, impacting around 14 million people in Turkey. For trauma survivors, the stressors associated with an event can lead to the development of acute stress disorder (ASD) or other psychiatric disorders. Trauma experiences during adolescence can impact development and affect adolescents differently than adults. Although ASD in adults has been addressed in several studies, there is much less information available about how younger populations respond to acute stress. The aim of our study was to assess the occurrence of ASD among individuals seeking help at the Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Research and Training Hospital Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic following the 2023 Turkey Earthquakes and the factors associated with acute stress reactions. A child and adolescent psychiatry specialist conducted psychiatric interviews with the adolescents, and the individuals were also asked to complete ‘The National Stressful Events Survey Acute Stress Disorder Short Scale’ (NSESSS) to evaluate acute stress symptoms. ASD diagnoses were established according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Results showed that 81.6% of the participants (n = 49) were diagnosed with ASD, and drug treatment was initiated in 61.7% of the cases (n = 37). It was determined that ASD rates did not differ according to gender, and patients without physical injury had higher acute stress symptom scores (p > 0.05). According to the logistic regression models, paternal educational levels and adolescents’ own requests for psychiatric assistance were predictors of acute stress disorder (OR 10.1, β = 2.31, p = 0.006 and OR 16.9, 95 β = 2.83, p = 0.001, respectively). Our findings revealed striking results in demonstrating the need for careful evaluation of adolescents without physical injury in terms of acute stress disorder and the need to pay close attention to the psychiatric complaints of adolescents willing to seek mental health assistance. Moreover, our study suggests that the proportion of adolescents experiencing acute stress symptoms after earthquakes might be higher than previously reported. Estimation of the incidence rate and symptoms of psychiatric distress in the short-term period following a disaster is important for establishing disaster epidemiology and implementing efficient relief efforts in the early stages. The outcomes of this study have the potential to yield novel insights into the realms of disaster mental health and emergency response policies, as well as their pragmatic implementations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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19 pages, 1394 KiB  
Article
Design of a Collaborative Knowledge Framework for Personalised Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatments
by Pornsiri Chatpreecha and Sasiporn Usanavasin
Children 2023, 10(8), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081288 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1158
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. From the data collected by the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, it has been reported that more than one million Thai youths (6–12 years) have been diagnosed with ADHD (2012–2018) This disorder is more [...] Read more.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. From the data collected by the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, it has been reported that more than one million Thai youths (6–12 years) have been diagnosed with ADHD (2012–2018) This disorder is more likely to occur in males (12%) than females (4.2%). If ADHD goes untreated, there might be problems for individuals in the long run. This research aims to design a collaborative knowledge framework for personalised ADHD treatment recommendations. The first objective is to design a framework and develop a screening tool for doctors, parents, and teachers for observing and recording behavioural symptoms in ADHD children. This screening tool is a combination of doctor-verified criteria and the ADHD standardised screening tool (Vanderbilt). The second objective is to introduce practical algorithms for classifying ADHD types and recommending appropriate individual behavioural therapies and activities. We applied and compared four well-known machine-learning methods for classifying ADHD types. The four algorithms include Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, neural network, and k-nearest neighbour. Based on this experiment, the Decision Tree algorithm yielded the highest average accuracy, which was 99.60%, with F1 scores equal to or greater than 97% for classifying each type of ADHD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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11 pages, 728 KiB  
Article
HIV-Related Knowledge and Sexual Behaviors among Teenagers: Implications for Public Health Interventions
by Ruyu Liu, Ke Xu, Xingliang Zhang, Feng Cheng, Liangmin Gao and Junfang Xu
Children 2023, 10(7), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071198 - 11 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
Background: Teenagers are at a turning point in people’s physical and psychological maturity and are also in a critical period in reproductive and sexual health. It is reported that the initial age at first sexual behavior is younger than decades ago, which implies [...] Read more.
Background: Teenagers are at a turning point in people’s physical and psychological maturity and are also in a critical period in reproductive and sexual health. It is reported that the initial age at first sexual behavior is younger than decades ago, which implies that the risky sexual behavior among teenagers may be on the rise. However, it is unclear about the changes of sexual knowledge and behaviors in recent years. Methods: Based on the national sentinel surveillance survey in 2011–2021 among students in Hangzhou, we selected out teenagers aged 10–19 years as our study sample. Demographic characteristics (gender, age, marital status, etc.), knowledge of HIV and sexual behaviors were collected. The sexual knowledge score and sexual behaviors were analyzed, and their influencing factors were explored. Results: In total, 1355 teenagers were incorporated in this study; the awareness rates of sexual knowledge in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2021 were 74.9%, 71.8%, 89.3% and 95.8%, respectively, which showed an overall upward trend. The results of binary logistic regression showed that the survey year, whether students had received and participated in HIV-related publicity services and whether they had sexual behaviors, had a significant influence on whether the awareness rate ≥ 75%. The survey year and whether the awareness rate ≥ 75% had a significant influence on whether students had sexual behaviors. Conclusions: Both the average scores and awareness rates of teenagers’ sexual knowledge showed an overall upward trend from 2011 to 2021. Teenagers’ initial sexual behavior was at a low age, and the proportion of teenagers who had fixed, temporary and commercial heterosexual sex was still relatively high despite no significant increasing. Therefore, we should further strengthen health education on the risks of sexual behaviors from schools, families and health-related institutions to ensure teenagers receive HIV-related publicity services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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10 pages, 745 KiB  
Article
Children’s Health and Typology of Family Integration and Regulation: A Functionalist Analysis
by Xiaozhao Yang and Chao Zhang
Children 2023, 10(3), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10030494 - 2 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1574
Abstract
Rationale: Children’s health is conventionally studied as an ultimate consequence resulting from various social and biological processes that jointly channel the risk factors and pathogens toward an individual health outcome. What is currently neglected is the rich tradition of a functionalist analysis of [...] Read more.
Rationale: Children’s health is conventionally studied as an ultimate consequence resulting from various social and biological processes that jointly channel the risk factors and pathogens toward an individual health outcome. What is currently neglected is the rich tradition of a functionalist analysis of children’s health as a necessary function in the family institution. Children’s health may be associated with how children are integrated into the family’s core functioning and how parents regulate children’s behaviors. Methods: The current study used a cross-sectional sample of 891 parents from 2018 southern Jiangsu and surveyed information about children’s health and family activities. Employing a latent class analysis, we established four types of families based on children’s integration and parental regulation: loose, free, pressed, and concerted. Results: The regression results showed that a child’s health is associated with the concerted family type (OR = 3.6, p < 0.05), indicating the necessary functionality of health in heavily regulated and mobilized families. Conclusion: This study broadens the perspective on children’s health by ushering back functionalism and placing health in its social implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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12 pages, 241 KiB  
Article
The Mealtime Behavior Problems of Children with Developmental Disabilities and the Teacher’s Stress in Inclusive Preschools
by Chen-Ya Juan
Children 2023, 10(3), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10030441 - 24 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1213
Abstract
With an increasing number of children with developmental disabilities entering inclusive preschools, preschool teachers face more behavioral problems in class. Preschool teachers typically attempt to address mealtime behavior problems of children with and without developmental disabilities simultaneously in class. This study used qualitative [...] Read more.
With an increasing number of children with developmental disabilities entering inclusive preschools, preschool teachers face more behavioral problems in class. Preschool teachers typically attempt to address mealtime behavior problems of children with and without developmental disabilities simultaneously in class. This study used qualitative research to identify the stress triggers of preschool teachers addressing the mealtime behavior problems of children with developmental disabilities. Five preschool teachers attended semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that most children with developmental disabilities had problems with eating only preferred foods, using eating utensils appropriately during mealtime, becoming distracted from eating, and becoming frustrated with the classroom routine. Although solving these problems triggered stress in the preschool teachers, their stress was mainly in response to the children’s parents, other children’s imitation of inappropriate mealtime behaviors, and classroom schedule time management. Most of the preschool teachers stated that they had insufficient support. Preschool teachers require specialized information and strategies for improving the mealtime behaviors of children with developmental disabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
12 pages, 559 KiB  
Article
Examining the Contributions of Parents’ Daily Hassles and Parenting Approaches to Children’s Behavior Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Ibrahim H. Acar, Sevval Nur Sezer, İlayda Uculas and Fatma Ozge Unsal
Children 2023, 10(2), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020312 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
The present study was designed to examine the direct and indirect contributions of parenting daily hassles and approaches to children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample for this study was 338 preschool children (53.6% girls, Mage = [...] Read more.
The present study was designed to examine the direct and indirect contributions of parenting daily hassles and approaches to children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample for this study was 338 preschool children (53.6% girls, Mage = 56.33 months, SD = 15.14) and their parents in Turkey. Parents reported their daily hassles, parenting approaches, and children’s behavior problems. Findings from the structural equation model showed that higher levels of parenting daily hassles predicted higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. In addition, we found an indirect effect of daily hassles on children’s internalizing behaviors via positive parenting. Further, there was an indirect path from parenting daily hassles to children’s externalizing behaviors through the negative parenting approach. Results are discussed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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14 pages, 639 KiB  
Article
Maternal and Paternal Authoritarian Parenting and Adolescents’ Impostor Feelings: The Mediating Role of Parental Psychological Control and the Moderating Role of Child’s Gender
by Yosi Yaffe
Children 2023, 10(2), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020308 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2760
Abstract
Introduction: Recent systematic reviews about the impostor phenomenon unveil a severe shortage of research data on adolescents. The present study aimed at reducing this gap in the literature by investigating the association between maternal and paternal authoritarian parenting and impostor feelings among adolescents, [...] Read more.
Introduction: Recent systematic reviews about the impostor phenomenon unveil a severe shortage of research data on adolescents. The present study aimed at reducing this gap in the literature by investigating the association between maternal and paternal authoritarian parenting and impostor feelings among adolescents, while testing the mediating role played by parental psychological control and the moderating role of the child’s gender in this context. Methods: Three hundred and eight adolescents took part in an online survey, in which they reported anonymously on their impostor feelings and their parents’ parenting styles via several valid psychological questionnaires. The sample consisted of 143 boys and 165 girls, whose age ranged from 12 to 17 (M = 14.67, SD = 1.64). Results: Of the sample’s participants, over 35% reported frequent to intense impostor feelings, with girls scoring significantly higher than boys on this scale. In general, the maternal and paternal parenting variables explained 15.2% and 13.3% (respectively) of the variance in the adolescents’ impostor scores. Parental psychological control fully mediated (for fathers) and partially mediated (for mothers) the association between parental authoritarian parenting and the adolescents’ impostor feelings. The child’s gender moderated solely the maternal direct effect of authoritarian parenting on impostor feelings (this association was significant for boys alone), but not the mediating effect via psychological control. Conclusions: The current study introduces a specific explanation for the possible mechanism describing the early emergence of impostor feelings in adolescents based on parenting styles and behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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11 pages, 985 KiB  
Article
Association between Family Environment and Adolescents’ Sexual Adaptability: Based on the Latent Profile Analysis of Personality Traits
by Rui Zhao, Jun Lv, Yan Gao, Yuyan Li, Huijing Shi, Junguo Zhang, Junqing Wu and Ling Wang
Children 2023, 10(2), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020191 - 19 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1410
Abstract
Sexual adaptation plays an important role in psychosexual health. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the family environment and sexual adaptability among adolescents with different personality traits. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai and Shanxi province. A total of 1106 [...] Read more.
Sexual adaptation plays an important role in psychosexual health. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the family environment and sexual adaptability among adolescents with different personality traits. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai and Shanxi province. A total of 1106 participants aged 14–19 was surveyed in 2019, including 519 boys and 587 girls. Univariate analyses and mixed regression models were performed to assess the association. Girls had a significantly lower average score of sexual self-adaptation compared to boys (4.01 ± 0.77 vs. 4.32 ± 0.64, p < 0.001). We found that the family environment did not impact boys’ sexual adaptation in different personality groups. For girls in a balanced group, expressiveness factors improved their sexual adaptability (p < 0.05), intellectual–cultural orientation and organization promoted social adaptability (p < 0.05) and active–recreational orientation and control decreased their social adaptability (p < 0.05). In the high-neuroticism group, cohesion facilitated sexual control (p < 0.05), while conflict and organization reduced sexual control ability, and active–recreational orientation decreased sexual adaptation (p < 0.05). No factors associated with the family environment were found to influence sexual adaptability in groups with low neuroticism and high ratings in other personality factors. Compared with boys, girls demonstrated lower sexual self-adaptability, and their overall sexual adaptability was more susceptible to the family environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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11 pages, 250 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Parent’s Cardiovascular Morbidity on Child Mental Health: Results from the National Health Interview Survey
by Biplab Kumar Datta, Ashwini Tiwari, Elinita Pollard and Havilah Ravula
Children 2023, 10(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010138 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1954
Abstract
Background: This study assessed the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the United States, among parents and child mental health. Methods: Our sample included 9076 children aged 6 to 17 years. Data were pooled from the 2016–2018 waves [...] Read more.
Background: This study assessed the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the United States, among parents and child mental health. Methods: Our sample included 9076 children aged 6 to 17 years. Data were pooled from the 2016–2018 waves of the National Health Interview Survey. We fitted a logistic regression to obtain the odds ratios in favor of child mental health problems for parental CVD. We also fitted a multinomial logistic regression to obtain the odds in favor of the severity of mental health problems (i.e., minor, definite, and severe). Results: The adjusted odds of facing difficulties for a child of a parent with CVD were 1.64 (95% CI: 1.28–2.11) times that of their peers whose parents did not have CVD. The adjusted relative risk of facing minor and definite difficulties for a child of a parent with CVD were 1.48 (95% CI: 1.13–1.94) and 2.25 (95% CI: 1.47–3.46) times that of their peers of parents without CVD. Conclusions: The results suggest a strong association between child mental health and parental cardiovascular morbidity, demonstrating the need for the development or adaptation of existing public health interventions to facilitate mental health support for children of parents with CVD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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10 pages, 809 KiB  
Article
Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Brief Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire for Adolescents
by Liuyue Huang, Junrun Huang, Zhichao Chen, Weiwei Jiang, Yi Zhu and Xinli Chi
Children 2023, 10(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010059 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2177
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ-15) administered to Chinese adolescents. A sample of 1705 adolescents (Mean age = 14.08, SD = 3.22, 46.5% male) completed a questionnaire including the Chinese version of the ICQ-15, [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ-15) administered to Chinese adolescents. A sample of 1705 adolescents (Mean age = 14.08, SD = 3.22, 46.5% male) completed a questionnaire including the Chinese version of the ICQ-15, as well as measurements of well-being, psychological resilience, and depression. To examine the psychometric properties of the ICQ-15, item analyses (item–total correlation and normality test), confirmatory factor analysis, concurrent validity analyses, multi-group analyses, and internal consistency analyses were performed. The results of the item analyses suggested a good item–total correlation, and the item scores were distributed approximately normally. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the five-factor model had acceptable fit indices. The concurrent validity analyses indicated that the Chinese version of the ICQ-15 had a satisfactory concurrent validity. The multi-group analyses proved the measurement invariance across females and males, as well as participants in early, middle, and late adolescence. The ICQ-15 demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency reliability among Chinese adolescents. The ICQ-15 presents good psychometric properties and can be used to assess interpersonal competence in Chinese adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
14 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
Psychological Resilience among Left-Behind Children in a Rural Area of Eastern China
by Binyan Wang, Lihong Ye, Linshuoshuo Lv, Wei Liu, Fenfen Liu and Yingying Mao
Children 2022, 9(12), 1899; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9121899 - 3 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1649
Abstract
Childhood is an important period for individuals’ psychological development. Due to long-term separation from the parents, left-behind children (LBC) more easily develop deviation in cognition and abnormal personality. In this study, we aimed to explore the status of psychological resilience among LBC in [...] Read more.
Childhood is an important period for individuals’ psychological development. Due to long-term separation from the parents, left-behind children (LBC) more easily develop deviation in cognition and abnormal personality. In this study, we aimed to explore the status of psychological resilience among LBC in a rural area of eastern China. We carried out a cross-sectional survey including middle and high school students from Qingyuan County of Zhejiang Province. Psychological resilience was measured using a modified scale developed for Chinese children. Data from a total of 1086 participants were collected, and the mean ± standard deviation score of psychological resilience was 4.11 ± 0.42. Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that being a class leader (p = 0.010) and having high self-evaluation of academic performance (p < 0.001) were related with psychological resilience. Moreover, high contact frequency between parents and children (p = 0.019) was associated with better psychological resilience among LBC. In conclusion, we found that being a class leader and having high self-evaluation of academic performance were associated with better psychological resilience among the children in this rural area and contact between parent and child was an essential factor associated with psychological resilience among LBC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)

Review

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28 pages, 843 KiB  
Review
Psychosis Caused by a Somatic Condition: How to Make the Diagnosis? A Systematic Literature Review
by Nolwenn Dissaux, Pierre Neyme, Deok-Hee Kim-Dufor, Nathalie Lavenne-Collot, Jonathan J. Marsh, Sofian Berrouiguet, Michel Walter and Christophe Lemey
Children 2023, 10(9), 1439; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091439 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1871
Abstract
Background: First episode of psychosis (FEP) is a clinical condition that usually occurs during adolescence or early adulthood and is often a sign of a future psychiatric disease. However, these symptoms are not specific, and psychosis can be caused by a physical disease [...] Read more.
Background: First episode of psychosis (FEP) is a clinical condition that usually occurs during adolescence or early adulthood and is often a sign of a future psychiatric disease. However, these symptoms are not specific, and psychosis can be caused by a physical disease in at least 5% of cases. Timely detection of these diseases, the first signs of which may appear in childhood, is of particular importance, as a curable treatment exists in most cases. However, there is no consensus in academic societies to offer recommendations for a comprehensive medical assessment to eliminate somatic causes. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search using a two-fold research strategy to: (1) identify physical diseases that can be differentially diagnosed for psychosis; and (2) determine the paraclinical exams allowing us to exclude these pathologies. Results: We identified 85 articles describing the autoimmune, metabolic, neurologic, infectious, and genetic differential diagnoses of psychosis. Clinical presentations are described, and a complete list of laboratory and imaging features required to identify and confirm these diseases is provided. Conclusion: This systematic review shows that most differential diagnoses of psychosis should be considered in the case of a FEP and could be identified by providing a systematic checkup with a laboratory test that includes ammonemia, antinuclear and anti-NMDA antibodies, and HIV testing; brain magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar puncture should be considered according to the clinical presentation. Genetic research could be of interest to patients presenting with physical or developmental symptoms associated with psychiatric manifestations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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Other

23 pages, 1017 KiB  
Perspective
Sympathy-Empathy and the Radicalization of Young People
by Nathalie Lavenne-Collot, Nolwenn Dissaux, Nicolas Campelo, Charlotte Villalon, Guillaume Bronsard, Michel Botbol and David Cohen
Children 2022, 9(12), 1889; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9121889 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4578
Abstract
Background: The sympathy-empathy (SE) system is commonly considered a key faculty implied in prosocial behaviors, and SE deficits (also called callous-unemotional traits, CUTs) are associated with nonprosocial and even violent behaviors. Thus, the first intuitive considerations considered a lack of SE among young [...] Read more.
Background: The sympathy-empathy (SE) system is commonly considered a key faculty implied in prosocial behaviors, and SE deficits (also called callous-unemotional traits, CUTs) are associated with nonprosocial and even violent behaviors. Thus, the first intuitive considerations considered a lack of SE among young people who undergo radicalization. Yet, their identification with a cause, their underlying feelings of injustice and grievance, and the other ways in which they may help communities, suggest that they may actually have a lot of empathy, even an excess of it. As a consequence, the links between SE and radicalization remain to be specified. This critical review aims to discuss whether and how SE is associated with developmental trajectories that lead young people to radicalization. Method: We first recall the most recent findings about SE development, based on an interdisciplinary perspective informed by social neuroscience. Then, we review sociological and psychological studies that address radicalization. We will critically examine the intersections between SE and radicalization, including neuroscientific bases and anthropologic modulation of SE by social factors involved in radicalization. Results: This critical review indicates that the SE model should clearly distinguish between sympathy and empathy within the SE system. Using this model, we identified three possible trajectories in young radicalized individuals. In individuals with SE deficit, the legitimization of violence is enough to engage in radicalization. Concerning individuals with normal SE, we hypothesize two trajectories. First, based on SE inhibition/desensitization, individuals can temporarily join youths who lack empathy. Second, based on an SE dissociation, combining emotional sympathy increases for the in-group and cognitive empathy decreases toward the out-group. Conclusions: While confirming that a lack of empathy can favor radicalization, the counterintuitive hypothesis of a favorable SE development trajectory also needs to be considered to better specify the cognitive and affective aspects of this complex phenomenon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral and Mental Health Problems in Children)
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