Childhood executive control and adolescent substance use initiation: the mediating roles of physical and relational aggression and prosocial behavior.

Although predictive associations between childhood executive control (EC) and adolescent substance use have been established in prior research, the developmental pathways involved in these long-term links have not been well understood. The goal of the current study was to investigate the degree to which aggressive behaviors, including both physical and relational aggression, and prosocial behaviors in elementary school operate as developmental pathways between preschool EC and adolescent substance use, while accounting for participants' age, sex, family history of substance use, and family socioeconomic status. Participants were 329 youth (49% male; 63.6% European American) who were recruited to participate in a study between 2006 and 2012 while youth were in preschool and elementary school and followed into adolescence. The sample was recruited from a small Midwestern city in the United States. EC was assessed with performance-based tasks when children were 5 years 3 months. Youth behaviors with peers were reported by teachers when participants were in elementary school. Self-reports of the substance use initiation (e-cigarettes, cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) were obtained in adolescence via phone surveys. Mediation analyses revealed a statistically significant indirect effect from preschool EC to adolescent substance use through youth's engagement in relational aggression in elementary school (b = > -0.22 [-0.51; -0.08]; ß = > -0.18). Our results suggest that developmental pathways to adolescent substance use may begin in preschool, setting the stage for susceptibility to engagement in relational aggression, which increases, in turn, youth's likelihood for substance use initiation in adolescence.

Learning from adversity: What the COVID-19 pandemic can teach us about family resiliency.

The present study aimed to characterize the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with preschool age children and to identify pre-pandemic factors that explained unique family experiences. We leveraged an ongoing longitudinal study of relatively well-resourced community families who had reported on family functioning prior to the pandemic and completed surveys 6 months after pandemic onset. Both parents of dual parenting households endorsed significant hardships as a direct result of the pandemic (e.g., disrupted family routines, challenges at work); however, families also reported aspects of flourishing (i.e., experiencing positive outcomes in response to adversity) such as spending more time together as a family. Families were prone to greater hardships and fewer opportunities for growth to the extent that parents were lower in psychological resources (i.e., greater stress and internalizing symptoms, poor well-being) and were not on the same page as a couple (i.e., interparental discord, low quality coparenting) prior to pandemic onset. Finally, greater pandemic hardships predicted poorer parental mental health, greater family dysfunction, and elevated child psychopathology, controlling for pre-pandemic levels. Parents who reported more family flourishing from the pandemic had a stronger interparental relationship. Results are intended to inform theories of family stress and family interventions that can be tailored to promote resiliency (i.e., adaptation to challenging life events) and prevent dysfunction when families face rapid change and adjustment and high degrees of uncertainty and stress.

Pilot Trial of a Sleep-Promoting Intervention for Children With Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of an educational sleep-promoting intervention (Sleep Coach Jr.) for school-aged children (ages 5-9) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their parents. METHODS: Parents and children (N = 39 dyads, mean child age = 8 years, 64% girls,) were randomized to either the Sleep Coach Jr. intervention, consisting of educational materials and three individual phone calls (N = 20), or the Standard Care condition (N = 19). Data were collected at enrollment and 3 months later. Children and parents wore actigraphy devices to obtain an objective measure of sleep characteristics, and parents completed questionnaire measures of sleep quality and psychosocial outcomes. Clinical data (i.e., hemoglobin A1c, glucose data) were obtained from children's medical records. RESULTS: Feasibility and acceptability of the study were demonstrated to be high; all three sessions were completed by 80% of parents randomized to the Sleep Coach Jr. intervention, and 90% of parents completed follow-up data at 3 months. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the study and identified barriers to participation. No changes were observed in children's sleep or diabetes outcomes, but parental sleep quality and well-being improved. CONCLUSIONS: A brief, behavioral sleep-promoting intervention is feasible and acceptable for school-aged children with T1D and their parents. A larger trial is needed to evaluate efficacy of the intervention.

Sleep and depressive symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes not meeting glycemic targets.

AIMS: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at risk for problems with self-management and suboptimal glycemic control, and depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances predict poorer diabetes outcomes. Despite evidence for associations between adolescent depressive symptoms and sleep in the general population, few studies have investigated this link in the vulnerable group of adolescents with T1D not meeting glycemic targets. The current study sought to assess both depressive symptoms and sleep in relation to diabetes indicators in adolescents with T1D. METHODS: 120 adolescents (ages 13-17 years) with above target glycemic control completed measures of depressive symptoms, sleep duration and quality, and self-management; parents also reported on adolescents' diabetes management. Clinical data (i.e., HbA1c) were extracted from medical records. RESULTS: In our sample, 40% of adolescents reported at least mild depressive symptoms, and 26% reported clinically significant sleep disturbances. Adolescents with sleep disturbances were more likely to report at least mild symptoms of depression, and both depressive symptoms and sleep quality were associated with poorer diabetes management. No significant differences emerged regarding HbA1c or frequency of blood glucose monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings highlight the importance of clinical assessment of both depressive symptoms and sleep in the vulnerable group of adolescents with T1D.

Sleep coach intervention for teens with type 1 diabetes: Randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Teens with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience increased sleep disturbances, which have been linked to problems with adherence and glycemic control. As such, sleep represents a novel target to improve outcomes in teens. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a sleep-promoting intervention in teens with T1D. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Teens aged 13 to 17 with T1D (n = 39) completed measures of sleep quality and diabetes management and wore actigraphs to obtain an objective measure of sleep. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) was collected from medical records. Teens were randomized to Usual Care (n = 19) or the Sleep Coach intervention (n = 20). Teens in the Sleep Coach group received educational materials on healthy sleep habits and completed three individual telephone sessions. Follow-up data were collected at 3 months, including exit interviews with teens and parents. RESULTS: Feasibility of the study was excellent; 80% of teens in the Sleep Coach group completed all three sessions, and retention was high (90%). Based on actigraphy data, a significant improvement in sleep efficiency and sleep duration was observed (48-minute increase) among teens randomized to the Sleep Coach intervention, and teens in the control group were 7.5 times more likely to report poor sleep quality after 3 months than intervention participants. No change in HbA1c was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The Sleep Coach intervention for teens with T1D is a feasible and acceptable program that increased sleep duration and improved sleep quality for this high-risk population.

Communication and coping intervention for mothers of adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Rationale and trial design.

Mothers of adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience high rates of depressive symptoms and diabetes distress, which are established risk factors for deteriorating glycemic control, problems with adherence, increased depressive symptoms, and poor quality of life in adolescents. Given that adolescents are a high-risk population for suboptimal glycemic control, novel interventions to improve outcomes in adolescents with T1D are needed. Building on effective interventions to treat depression in adults, and our own pilot work in this population, we developed a cognitive behavioral intervention, Communication & Coping, to target maternal depressive symptoms and parenting behaviors. The randomized controlled trial compares the telephone and Facebook-delivered Communication & Coping intervention, which promotes the use of adaptive coping strategies and positive parenting practices, to a diabetes education control condition on diabetes outcomes and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with T1D. This paper describes the study rationale, trial design, and methodology.

Performance-based and questionnaire measures of executive function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

The purpose of the current study was to examine executive function (EF) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using both performance-based and questionnaire measures in relation to diabetes indicators. Adolescents age 13-17 completed performance-based measures of EF and measures of adherence. Adolescents' parents reported on adolescents' EF and adherence. HbA1c and frequency of blood glucose monitoring (glucometer data) were obtained from adolescents' medical records. None of the performance-based measures of EF were significantly associated with adherence or with HbA1c. Parent-reported problems with EF were associated with poorer adherence, and adolescents who scored in the impaired range of the Behavioral Regulation Index of EF had significantly poorer adherence (both parent-reported adherence and frequency of blood glucose monitoring) and higher HbA1c than those in the normal range. Our findings suggest that parent-reported measures of EF may be more strongly linked to diabetes indicators than performance-based measures.

Participants' Experience and Engagement in Check It!: a Positive Psychology Intervention for Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

Problems with adherence are common among adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), who must follow a complex treatment regimen. Positive psychology interventions increase adherence and improve health outcomes in adults with chronic conditions; however, they have not been translated to pediatric populations. We evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of Check It!, a positive psychology intervention to improve adherence in adolescents with T1D. Adolescents with T1D and their parents were randomized to a positive psychology intervention (via phone or text message) or an attention control (education) group. Exit interviews and satisfaction surveys were conducted with adolescents (n=63) and parents (n=55) to assess the acceptability and feasibility of Check it! from a representative sample of each group. Chi-square, t-tests, ANOVA and content analysis methods were used to analyze data. Parents and adolescents indicated interest in the intervention, and enrollment numbers support feasibility. In terms of intervention delivery, we identified challenges in implementing the positive psychology reminders to adolescents, particularly in the phone group. Parents in the positive psychology group appreciated the reminders to provide affirmations to their children, and adolescents enjoyed the affirmations and reported using the positive psychology exercises. Regarding acceptability, participants in both groups reported high satisfaction with the intervention overall. Participants reported favorable experiences with Check It!, and findings indicate that text messages are more feasible than phone calls for interventions with adolescents. Overall, a positive psychology intervention delivered with automated text messages is feasible and acceptable to adolescents with T1D and their parents.

Sleep in Teens With Type 1 Diabetes: Perspectives From Adolescents and Their Caregivers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify barriers, facilitators, and consequences of obtaining sufficient sleep in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 adolescents (52% female, mean age = 15.6 years) and 25 caregivers. Interviews were transcribed and coded using Atlas.ti. A thematic analytic approach was used to identify and organize significant patterns of meaning (themes) and interpret themes across the data. RESULTS: Several barriers were identified, with the most common being the use of electronics before bed and sleep disturbances related to diabetes management. Caregivers described strategies for helping adolescents achieve sufficient sleep, such as enforcing bedtimes and limiting distractions, but many adolescents could not identify facilitators of sleep. Weekday/weekend discrepancies in sleep timing were commonly disclosed. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to examine the perceptions of barriers and facilitators to obtaining sufficient sleep in adolescents with T1D and their caregivers. Results have the potential to inform providers' recommendations regarding sleep, including possible interventions to promote sleep in this high-risk population.

Diabetes-specific family conflict: Informant discrepancies and the impact of parental factors.

Family conflict in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been linked to worse disease management (i.e., glycemic control, adherence to treatment regimen) and reduced quality of life. We sought to examine parental risk factors associated with increased levels of diabetes-specific family conflict and to investigate the discrepancies between parent and adolescent reports of conflict. Adolescents with T1D and their parents (N = 120 dyads) completed measures of diabetes-specific family conflict. Adolescents also reported on health-related quality of life, and parents reported on demographic information. Clinical data were obtained from adolescents' medical records. Adolescents reported significantly greater levels of conflict than their parents around direct diabetes management tasks (e.g., checking blood sugars) and indirect management tasks (e.g., carrying supplies for high or low blood sugars). Several demographic factors were associated with family conflict, including parental education, marital status, and household income. Discrepancies between parent and adolescent reports of family conflict were significantly associated with diabetes-related outcomes. Specifically, higher quality of life was related to discrepancies between parent and adolescent reports of conflict around indirect management tasks. In addition, poorer glycemic control was related to discrepancies between parent and adolescent reports of family conflict around direct diabetes management tasks. These results support obtaining both the adolescent and parent report of conflict for unique information regarding family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record

Sleep in Type 1 Diabetes: Implications for Glycemic Control and Diabetes Management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To highlight recent findings from studies of sleep in type 1 diabetes (T1D), with a focus on the role of sleep in self-management, the cognitive and psychosocial outcomes related to sleep disturbances, and factors associated with sleep disturbances specific to T1D. RECENT FINDINGS: People with T1D experience higher rates of sleep disturbances than people without diabetes, and these disturbances have negative implications for glycemic control and diabetes management, as well as psychosocial and cognitive outcomes. Inconsistent sleep timing (bedtime and wake time) has emerged as a potential target for interventions, as variability in sleep timing has been linked with poorer glycemic control and adherence to treatment. Sleep-promoting interventions and new diabetes technology have the potential to improve sleep in people with T1D. Sleep is increasingly considered a critical factor in diabetes management, but more multi-method and longitudinal research is needed. We emphasize the importance of sufficient and consistent sleep for people with T1D, and the need for providers to routinely assess sleep among patients with T1D.