Health, behavior, and social outcomes among offspring of parents with criminal convictions: a register-based study from Sweden.

BACKGROUND: There is currently insufficient understanding of the health and behavior of children whose parents engage in criminal behavior. We examined associations between parental criminal convictions and wide range of offspring health, behavioral, and social outcomes by age 18 in a large, national sample, aiming to get a comprehensive picture of the risks among children of offending parents. METHODS: We studied 1,013,385 individuals born in Sweden between 1987 and 1995, and their parents. Using data from several longitudinal nationwide registers, we investigated parental convictions and 85 offspring outcomes until the end of 2013, grouped into birth-related conditions, psychiatric and somatic disorders, accidents and injuries, mortality, school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality. Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations. The role of genetic factors in intergenerational associations was studied in children-of-siblings analyses. We also examined the co-occurrence of multiple outcomes using Poisson regression. RESULTS: A total of 223,319 (22.0%) individuals had one parent convicted and 31,241 (3.1%) had both parents convicted during the first 18 years of their life. The strongest associations were found between parental convictions and offspring behavioral problems, substance use disorders, poor school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality, with an approximately 2 to 2.5-fold increased risk in children with one convicted parent and 3- to 4-fold increased risk in children with two convicted parents. The risks were particularly elevated among children of incarcerated parents with a history of violent convictions. The associations appeared to be at least partly explained by genetic influences. Parental convictions were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing multiple outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings help to calibrate the risks of a wide range of adverse outcomes associated with parental convictions and may be used to guide prevention efforts and identify key areas for future research.

Prevalence and Factors Contributing to Fear of Recurrence in Breast Cancer Patients and Their Partners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a generalized psychological problem among cancer patients and their spouses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of cancer recurrence fear among breast cancer patients and their spouses, as well as its predictive factors. Methods: A total of 155 breast cancer patients and their partners between March 2022 to Feb 2023 were selected from Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University. The survey was investigated by fear of progression questionnaire-short form (FoP­Q­SF), fear of progression questionnaire-short form for partners (FoP-Q-SF/P), family resilience questionnaire (FaRE), and health literacy management scale (HeLMS). Predictors were assessed using univariate and multivariable regression analyses. Results: 52.9% (n=82) of breast cancer patients and 51.6% (n=80) of their spouses experienced high levels of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). There was a positive correlation between the FCR of the patients and their spouses, while family resilience and health literacy were statistically significant negative predictive factors for breast cancer patients' fear of cancer recurrence. Conclusion: In summary, the study found that the partner's FCR, health literacy and family resilience were closely related to the FCR in breast cancer patients. Therefore, healthcare workers can reduce the patient's FCR by reducing the FCR in spouses, improving patients' health literacy and family resilience in the future. In practical application, these findings hold significant implications for developing comprehensive care plans and interventions targeting FCR in breast cancer patients. By focusing on patients' partners and providing appropriate support and resources, healthcare professionals can promote patients' psychological well-being and overall health, leading to improved quality of life.

Individual, family, and environmental correlates of fundamental motor skills among school-aged children: a cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study examined the socio-ecological factors influencing fundamental motor skills (FMS) in Chinese school-aged children. METHODS: A total of 1012 parent-child pairs were randomly sampled between March-1st and April-15th, 2022. Based on the socio-ecological model of Children's FMS, three levels of factors: individual-level (e.g., demographic, physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of children), family-level (e.g., caregiver demographics, parental support, and socioeconomic status), and environmental factors (e.g., availability of physical activity equipment) were assessed using self-reported scales (e.g., the Self-perception Profile for Children, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, and the 12-item Psychological Well-Being Scale for Children) and objective measures (e.g., ActiGraph GT3X, the Chinese National Student Physical Fitness Standard, and the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition). Multi-level regression models were employed using SPSS. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that children's age, sex, physical fitness, parental support, and the quality of home and community physical activity environments consistently influenced all three types of FMS, including locomotor, ball, and composite skills. Additionally, seven individual-level factors (children's age, sex, body mass index, light physical activity, sleep duration, perceived motor competence, and physical fitness) were associated with different types of FMS. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the multidimensional and complex nature of FMS development, with individual-level factors playing a particularly significant role. Future research should adopt rigorous longitudinal designs, comprehensive assessment tools covering various FMS skills, and objective measurement of parents' movement behaviors to better understand the strength and direction of the relationship between socio-ecological factors and children's FMS.

The Role of Family Factors in the Development of Dental Anxiety in Children.

Background and Objectives: In the literature, the influence of parents who suffer from dental anxiety and a previous unpleasant experience at the dentist are cited as the two most common causes of dental anxiety in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the development of dental anxiety in children aged 9 to 12 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 131 children and their accompanying parents/guardians participated in the cross-sectional study. The children were divided into an experimental group, which visited a specialised office for paediatric and preventive dentistry for the examination, and a control group, which visited a primary care dental office. During the visit, the children completed questionnaires on dental anxiety (CFSS-DS). Parents completed a socioeconomic questionnaire and a dental anxiety questionnaire for adults (CDAS). Results: The results showed a statistically significant positive predictor: parental dental anxiety as measured by the CDAS. In addition, the t-test showed that children who visited a specialised dental office did not show a statistically significant increase in dental anxiety compared to children who visited a primary care dental office. Conclusions: With this study, we confirm the influence of parental dental anxiety on the development of dental anxiety in children. The socioeconomic status of the family and the type of dental office do not play a statistically significant role in the development of dental anxiety in children.

Intergenerational relations in childhood anxiety: A network approach.

OBJECTIVE: Family factors are assumed to play a central role in the development of childhood anxiety disorders. How child and parental anxiety symptoms are intertwined on a symptom and family level has not yet been examined. Such knowledge may lead to a more detailed understanding of the intergenerational relation in anxiety problems. The current study investigated the relation between anxiety in children and their parents at a symptom level using a network approach. METHOD: Parents of 1,452 clinically referred children in the Netherlands completed questionnaires on anxiety about their children and themselves. We examined relations on a symptom level both within persons and between parents and children. In addition, we also compared the relations between parental and child anxiety symptoms in families with children with an anxiety disorder (n = 350) versus families with children who displayed other psychiatric diagnoses (n = 1,102). RESULTS: Anxiety symptom relations within persons were more intertwined than the symptom relations between family members. Between-person relations were found among similar anxiety symptoms, suggesting specific intergenerational relations. The feeling of being fearful was found to be a central and connecting symptom in all family members (fathers, mothers, and children). The relations between parental and child anxiety symptoms were more specific (i.e., among similar symptoms) in families with children with an anxiety disorder than in families with children with other types of psychopathologies. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that anxiety symptom associations are present within the family on a detailed (symptom) level. This stresses the importance of future studies to examine factors responsible for this family-anxiety transmission.

Identifying the Factors Affecting Methamphetamine Use: A Scoping Review.

Background: One of the critical factors affecting chronic diseases is the use of drugs, especially industrial substances, such as methamphetamine. Methamphetamine use is increasingly common among the younger members of society. Methamphetamine is not only physically and mentally destructive, but also has a significant impact on the families of abusers and society, and imposes a financial burden on society. The present study aims to identify the factors affecting methamphetamine use in a scoping review. Methods: Different keywords of methamphetamine were selected in the Mesh database and were searched in valid English databases from January 1, 2008, to April 5, 2022. Inclusion and exclusion criteria in this study were languages, reported findings, time range, and type of article. This study was designed by scoping review method developed by Askey Malley'O. Results: The total articles that were finally analyzed in this article were 42 including 12 English articles and 30 Persian articles. Among these articles, the most important factors affecting Methamphetamine are individual, social, and family factors, which have received the most cited. Conclusion: The majority of research highlights the importance of individual factors, society, and family factors, respectively, while formulating policies for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation must be considered. It is suggested that structural path analysis be determined by prioritizing the identified factors and the weights of these components.

Conflict with children, psychological depression, and problematic internet use among Chinese older adults: The moderating effect of sociability and living situation.

Introduction: Problematic internet use among the elderly is an emerging area as previous studies focused more among the young people. Only a few studies focused on problematic internet use at the level of individual characteristics of older adults or on mitigating factors at the level of the older adult's family, ignoring family-level disruptive factors. Objective: The purpose of study is to investigate the relationship between conflict with children and problematic internet use among the elderly, as well as the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of the relationship. Methods: The valid sample of study composed of 428 older adults from 39 different villages and communities in central China. Data analyses were conducted by SPSS, MPLUS, and SmartPLS software. To test our hypotheses, we implement several quantitative methods, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlations analysis, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Also, we employed partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for robustness testing. Results: The results indicated that conflict with children was positively associated with problematic internet use of old people; psychological depression mediated the relationship between conflict with children and old adults' problematic internet use; sociability moderated the effect of conflict with children on psychological depression; and living situation moderated the effect of psychological depression on problematic internet use among the elderly. Conclusion: The current research improved the understanding of the mechanisms that produce problematic internet use among the elderly and helped prevent or reduce problematic internet use in older adults in terms of family support systems and individual ability characteristics.

How Parental Feeding Practices Relate to Young People's Intuitive Eating: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations by Gender and Weight Concern.

PURPOSE: To evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between controlling parental feeding practices in adolescence (i.e., restrictive feeding and pressure-to-eat [PE]) and intuitive eating (IE) in adolescence and emerging adulthood; and explore child gender and parental concern about child weight as moderators. METHODS: The sample included participants (N = 1,383) from the population-based EAT 2010-2018 study who provided data in adolescence (14.4 ± 2.0 years) and emerging adulthood (22.0 ± 2.0 years) and had at least one caregiver complete surveys in adolescence. Generalized estimating equations evaluated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between restrictive feeding and PE in adolescence and IE in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Interactions with gender and parental concern over child weight in adolescence were explored. RESULTS: Restrictive feeding was cross-sectionally associated with lower IE in adolescence (b = -0.04), though evidence of moderation by parental weight concern indicated this association was only observed in the context of low parental weight concern. Greater PE was associated with lower adolescent IE among boys but higher IE among girls. Longitudinally, the association between PE in adolescence and IE in emerging adulthood differed by parental weight concern; greater PE predicted higher emerging adult IE at high parental weight concern, but lower IE at low parental weight concern. DISCUSSION: Controlling feeding practices in adolescence displayed differential associations with child IE in adolescence and emerging adulthood based on child gender and parental concern over child weight. Notably, PE was associated with greater IE among adolescent girls but lower IE among boys. Results suggest that parental feeding is a valuable intervention target.

Formation mechanism and prediction model of juvenile delinquency.

Exploring the formation mechanism of juvenile delinquency is of great significance to prevent juvenile delinquency. The present study examined relations and interactions among juvenile delinquents' self-consciousness, family factors, social relationships, belief in a just world, and legal consciousness, and then developed a predictive model to distinguish between juvenile delinquents and non-delinquents. The results showed that family factors have a significant influence on the formation of juvenile delinquents' self-consciousness and there are notable differences in family environment and self-consciousness between delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents. Due to the complex interactions among juvenile delinquency's self-consciousness, family factors, social relationships, belief in a just world and legal consciousness, adolescents' self- consciousness and social relationships can be utilized to predict and classify the groups of delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents effectively. Therefore, the key to preventing juvenile delinquency is to improve their self-consciousness and develop their prosocial relationships.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms and Multi-level Family Factors in Chinese Migrant Children: A Network Perspective.

Based on the network theory of mental disorders, this study used network analysis to examine the network of ODD symptoms and multilevel family factors and identify the most crucial family factors influencing ODD symptoms in children. A total of 718 Chinese migrant children aged 7-14 years participated in this study. This study measured ODD symptoms, family system-level variables (3 factors), family dyadic-level variables (6 factors), and family individual-level variables (6 factors) with factors selected based on the multilevel family factors theory of ODD symptoms. The results indicated that (1) "annoy" was the center symptom of ODD, (2) "annoy" and "vindictive" was the main bridge connecting the multilevel family factors, and (3) family cohesion at the family system level, parent-child conflict at the family dyadic level, and parental depression at the family individual level were critical central and bridging influencing factors. The findings of this study highlight the critical role of "annoy" and "vindictive" symptoms in the activation of ODD symptom networks in children and provide a basis for future improvements in diagnostic criteria. These potential core and bridge factors might become key intervention targets for childhood ODD.

Moderation of parental socioeconomic status on the relationship between birth health and developmental coordination disorder at early years.

Objective: This study investigated whether parental SES moderates the effect of birth health on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in preschool children. Methods: One hundred and twenty-two children aged 4 to 6 years were enrolled in the study. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children --2nd Edition (MABC-2) test was used to assess the motor coordination of children. They were preliminarily categorized into either the DCD (<=16th percentile, n = 23) or typically developing (TD) group (>16th percentile, n = 99) based on the testing results. All children in the DCD group were further confirmed to meet other diagnostic criteria of the DSM-V using the intellectual test and parental questionnaires. Moderation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, and 95% confidence intervals with a bootstrap procedure were calculated to identify the significant moderating effect. Results: Maternal education (unstandardized coefficient = 0.6805, SE = 0.3371, p < 0.05) and maternal employment status (unstandardized coefficient = 0.6100, SE = 0.3059, p < 0.05) were found to moderate the relationship between birth length and the probability of having DCD. Moreover, the relationship between birth weight and the probability of having DCD was moderated by the annual household income (unstandardized coefficient = -0.0043, SE = 0.0022, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The lower maternal education level and maternal unemployment strengthened the negative relationship between birth length and the probability of having DCD. Additionally, the negative relationship between birth weight and the probability of having DCD was statistically significant in high annual household salaries.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents: determinants and association with quality of life and mental health-a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The medium-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of children and adolescents remains unclear. More than 2 years into the pandemic, we aimed to quantify the frequency and determinants of having been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and estimate its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health. METHODS: Data was drawn from a population-based cohort of children and adolescents, recruited between December 2021 and June 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Coronavirus impact scale was used to assess the multidimensional impact of the pandemic on children through parent's report. A score higher than one standard deviation above the mean was deemed a severe impact. Parents additionally reported about their offspring HRQoL and mental health with validated scales. Determinants of having been severely impacted were assessed with logistic models, as were the associations between having experienced a severe impact and poor HRQoL or mental health. RESULTS: Out of 2101 participants aged 2-17, 12.7% had experienced a severe pandemic impact. Having a lasting health condition, a pandemic-related worsening of lifestyle habits or an unfavorable family environment were associated with having been severely impacted by the pandemic, while a previous anti-SARS-CoV-2 infection was not. Participants who had experienced a severe pandemic impact were more likely to present poor HRQoL (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI 2.3-4.4) and poor mental health (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI 2.5-6.2). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic may have persistent consequences on the wellbeing of children and adolescents, especially among those with health and family vulnerabilities.

Contributions of Multilevel Family Factors to Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder in China.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of the most prevalent childhood mental health disorders and is extremely affected by family factors. However, limited studies have addressed the issue from the perspective of family systems. The current study examines the associations between multilevel family factors (i.e., family cohesion/ adaptability at system level, mother-child and father-child attachment at a dyadic level, and child self-esteem at an individual level) and emotional and behavioral problems among children with ODD in China. The participants were 256 Chinese children with ODD and their parents and class master teachers. A multiple-informant approach and structural equation model were used. The results revealed that system level factors (family cohesion/adaptability) were associated with child emotional and behavior problems indirectly through factors at the dyadic level (mother-child attachment) and the individual level (child self-esteem) in sequence. Mother-child, but not father-child, attachment, mediated the linkage between family cohesion/adaptability and the emotional problems of children with ODD. Moreover, child self-esteem mediated the association between mother-child attachment and child emotional and behavioral problems. The findings of the present study underscored that multilevel family factors are uniquely related to emotional and behavioral problems in children with ODD.

Associations Between Children's Depressive Symptoms, Life Events, and Family Factors Among School-Aged Children.

BACKGROUND: About 20-30% of children worldwide report depressive symptoms. This study examined associations between children's depressive symptoms, life events, and family factors. METHODS: Nationally representative data (n = 95,725) were drawn from the 2017 School Health Promotion Study in Finland. The respondents were 4th and 5th grade pupils (aged 10-12) in primary schools and their parents/guardians (n = 33,726). Data were analyzed for child-parent dyads (n = 32,181). Associations were studied using cross tabulation and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Children's reports of poor self-rated health, problems with family interactions, and the accumulation of life events were statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms, also when controlling for sociodemographic factors. Financial situation and parent's depressed mood, both reported by parents, were associated with children's depressive symptoms when both were included in the regression model. However, this association disappeared when other predictors were added to the model. CONCLUSION: The results make apparent the complex associations between children's depressive symptoms and family factors. Further research is needed on the discrepancies between parent and child experiences.

Hostile home environment predicting early adolescent sexual harassment perpetration and potential school-related moderators.

Using family systems theory, this longitudinal study of middle school youth examined the effects of abuse, family conflict, and sibling aggression on sexual harassment perpetration (N = 1563; Mage 11.2, 51% boys; 39% Hispanic, 29% Black, and 19% White). Boys reported more sexual harassment than girls; perpetration increased for both. The association between a hostile home environment and sexual harassment perpetration was moderated by school experiences. School belonging buffered effects of hostile home environment on baseline sexual harassment perpetration for boys who experienced abuse and White adolescents with high sibling aggression. Academic grades moderated change in perpetration over time, but effects differed by sex and race. It is important to understand how early violence exposures relate to sexual violence perpetration during early adolescence.

Emotional and behavioral profiles of adolescents with epilepsy: Associations with parental perception of epilepsy-related stigma.

PURPOSE: We evaluated self-reported psychopathology in adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) and determined which types of psychopathology were associated with the parental perception of stigma towards AWE. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study of 289 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Youth Self-Report scale, which consists of eight narrowband and three broadband syndrome scales. We analyzed the raw score and T-score of each syndrome scale. The parental perception of stigma was assessed using the modified three-item Epilepsy Stigma Scale. RESULTS: Of the 289 AWE (180 boys and 109 girls), 18.3% had at least one emotional or behavioral problem in the clinical range. Social problems were the most common (10.0%), followed by attention problems (6.9%) and aggressive behaviors (4.2%). Externalizing problems (11.8%) were two times more common than internalizing problems (6.2%). Females and older AWE had a higher level of internalizing problems. Social problems were more common in girls (15.6%) than in boys (6.7%), whereas thought problems were more common in boys (3.9%) than in girls (0%). Epilepsy-related factors, especially antiseizure medication polytherapy, were significantly associated with various emotional and behavioral problems. A quarter of parents felt stigma towards their children with epilepsy. Male sex, antiseizure medication polytherapy, and longer duration of epilepsy were more likely to be associated with the parental perception of stigma. Parental perception of stigma was significantly associated with psychopathology in AWE, particularly externalizing problems and social problems. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional and behavioral problems in AWE are common and vary depending on demographic, clinical, and parental factors. Early identification and proper management of these problems are crucial for decreasing comorbid psychopathology in AWE.

Familial context influences media usage in 0- to 4-year old children.

Background: The use of digital media (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) and the Internet have become omnipresent for every age group and are part of children's and parents' everyday life. Focusing on young children, the availability of media devices, their use as well as associated problems (e.g., in social, emotional and motor development) have increased in recent years. Of particular interest for prevention of these problems in early childhood is the relationship between the familial context (parental digital media use, Problematic Internet Use, school graduation, presence of siblings) and the digital media use of infants and toddlers. The present study's goal was to describe media usage in 0-4-year-old children and to identify the potential relationship between familial context factors and child media usage. Methods: The sample included N = 3,035 children aged 0 to 3;11 years (M = 17.37 months, SD = 13.68; 49.13% female). Recruitment took place within the framework of a restandardization study for a German developmental test. The parents of the participants answered a questionnaire on socio-demographics, on child media use, and on parental media use. Questions on parental media use included the full version of the Short Compulsive Internet Use Scale (S-CIUS). Results: Significant increases in media usage times with child age were identified, but no significant gender differences. A multiple regression analysis revealed that increasing maternal total media usage time, a higher parental S-CIUS score, lower school leaving certificate of both mother and father, and increasing child's age led to higher child media usage time. Having siblings diminished young children's media usage in this study. Having more than one child and having children aged over a year was associated with a higher parental S-CIUS score. Conclusion: Family factors such as maternal media use time, Problematic Internet Use and lower school graduation are significantly associated with young children's digital media use. Parents should be aware of their personal influence on their children's media use which might be due their role in terms of model learning.

Programa de intervención psicológica para el manejo de la obesidad infantil / Program of psychological intervention for the handling of the infantile obesity

RESUMEN Introducción: La obesidad es un problema de salud asociado a una morbilidad variada y cada vez en edades más tempranas de la vida. El documento actual tiene como objetivo exponer resultados de un estudio acerca de los hábitos asociados a la obesidad infantil, en la medida, además, en que se evalúan las relaciones afectivas compensatorias y las actitudes generadoras de alteraciones psicológicas en la familia, en función de la presentación de elementos del programa de intervención psicológica dirigido al manejo de la obesidad en un grupo de niños obesos que constituyeron parte de la muestra. Método: La muestra estuvo constituida por 13 niños obesos y 21 familiares remitidos de la consulta de Pediatría del Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Quirúrgicas. La elaboración del programa intervención psicológica se realizó en el primer semestre de 2019 y la experiencia derivada su aplicación se extiende hasta el momento actual. Resultados: Se realiza un análisis cualitativo, en el que se exponen los resultados a partir de la observación de la tendencia de las variables en el grupo. Se aplicaron la entrevista al niño y a la familia, el análisis psicográfico y las Siete figuras de Collins. Se examinan variables psicológicas. Discusión: Se constata la influencia de las variables analizadas en la obesidad infantil, teniendo en cuenta la correspondencia con los estudios de investigadores de Cuba y el mundo, lo cual redunda en la validez y actualidad de los resultados, para la implementación del programa con sesiones dirigidas a los niños y familiares.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Obesity is a health problem associated with varied morbidity and increasingly at earlier ages of life. The current document aims to present the results of a study about the habits associated with childhood obesity, to the extent, in addition, that the compensatory affective relationships and the attitudes that generate psychological alterations in the family are evaluated, depending on the presentation. of elements of the psychological intervention program aimed at managing obesity in a group of obese children who were part of the sample. Method: The sample consisted of 13 obese children and 21 relatives referred from the Pediatric consultation of the Medical-Surgical Research Center. The elaboration of the psychological intervention program was carried out in the first semester of 2019 and the derived experience of its application extends until the current moment. Results: A qualitative analysis is carried out, in which the results are presented from the observation of the trend of the variables in the group. The interview with the child and the family, the psychographic analysis and the Seven figures of Collins were applied. Psychological variables are examined. Discussion: The influence of the variables analyzed on childhood obesity is verified, taking into account the correspondence with the studies of researchers from Cuba and the world, which results in the validity and timeliness of the results, for the implementation of the program with Sessions for children and families.

A Systematic Review of Multiple Family Factors Associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is characterized by a recurrent pattern of angry/irritable emotional lability, argumentative/defiant behavior, and vindictiveness. Previous studies indicated that ODD typically might originate within a maladaptive family environment, or was at least maintained within such an environment. As such, the present review summarized pertinent research from the last 20 years that focused on the pathways connecting family risk factors to the development of child ODD symptoms. A systematic search of electronic databases was completed in August 2020, resulting in the inclusion of 62 studies in the review. The review established a multi-level framework to describe the mechanisms underlying the pathway from familial factors to ODD psychopathological symptoms: (a) the system level that is affected by the family's socioeconomic status and family dysfunction; (b) the dyadic level that is affected by conflict within the marital dyad and parent-child interactions; and (c) the individual level that is affected by parent and child factors. Additionally, from the perspective of family systems theory, we pay special attention to the interactions among and between the various levels of the pathway (moderation and mediation) that might be associated with the occurrence and severity of ODD symptoms. Considering future prevention and intervention efforts, this three-level model emphasizes the necessity of focusing on familial risk factors at multiple levels and the mechanisms underlying the proposed pathways.