YorkSpace has migrated to a new version of its software. Access our Help Resources to learn how to use the refreshed site. Contact diginit@yorku.ca if you have any questions about the migration.
 

Psychology (Functional Area: Clinical-Developmental)

Permanent URI for this collection

Browse

Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 20 of 163
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Teachabi Professional Development Module: A Mixed Method Analysis of Change in Open-Ended Case Study Responses
    (2023-12-08) DuPlessis, Danielle Caroline; Desrocher, Mary E.
    Background. Educators have limited knowledge of acquired brain injury (ABI). This work evaluates an online professional development module, TeachABI. Objective. To explore and evaluate educators’ knowledge change following completion of TeachABI using a mixed-method approach. Method. Case study responses were analyzed before and after 49 elementary-level educators reviewed TeachABI. Results. After completing TeachABI, educators conceptualized ABI more accurately and were more likely to identify ABI as a factor for classroom challenges, χ^2(1, N=49) = 8.64, p < .01. Teachers described a variety of procedural steps and classroom strategies to support students with ABI. Post-module, educators outlined a greater diversity, z = 4.7, p < .01, and number, t(49) = 3.2, p < .01, d = .46, of steps and a greater number of classroom, z = 3.1. p < .01, r = .5. Conclusions. TeachABI was an effective professional development tool and improved educators’ approaches to the case study.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Mental Health and Autism Symptom Severity of Autistic Youth who Received Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention
    (2023-12-08) Magnacca, Carly Antoinette; Perry, Adrienne
    Autism involves social communication difficulties and engagement in restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests. Many autistic youth experience co-occurring mental health conditions. Unfortunately, treatment history is rarely reported in this sample, resulting in ambiguity in the relationship between treatment history and later mental health functioning. Limited research has explored the long-term mental health and education outcomes of Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI). The purpose of this study was to describe the mental health, autism symptom severity, medication use, and education outcomes of youth who previously received EIBI. Thirty-two parents completed questionnaires about their child’s mental health (i.e., Child Behavior Checklist), autism symptom severity (i.e., Social Responsiveness Scale), education outcomes, and medication use. Scores of mental health measures were higher than the normative sample but lower than scores from other studies of autistic participants. Though uncontrolled, this suggests that autistic youth who received EIBI do not show severe mental health difficulties.
  • ItemOpen Access
    An investigation of parenting responses to toddler distress: Interactions between parent physiology, behaviour, and socioemotional context
    (2023-12-08) Badovinac, Shaylea Danica; Pillai Riddell, Rebecca
    This dissertation examined physiological, behavioural, and psychological aspects of parents’ responses to children’s distress across infancy and toddlerhood through a series of three studies. Study 1 is a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the literature that characterized parents’ physiological responses to infants’ and toddlers’ (0-3 years) distress during experimental and naturalistic distress paradigms and examined concurrent associations between parents’ physiological and behavioural responses. General trends in parents’ physiological responses varied as a function of methodological factors including the physiological outcome (i.e., cortisol, cardiac outcomes, skin conductance, salivary alpha amylase), distress paradigm (e.g., fear-related distress, frustration-related distress), and baseline comparison condition used. Studies 2 and 3 used data from a sample of caregiver-toddler dyads (N=234) studied in a naturalistic high-distress context (i.e., toddler routine vaccination) to address the limitations and gaps in the literature identified in Study 1. Study 2 described the validation of a measure of insensitive (i.e., distress-promoting) caregiver behaviour during routine vaccination. Measure validity and reliability were investigated with correlations and autoregressive cross-lagged path analysis. Study 3 characterized the trajectory of caregivers’ physiological (i.e., high-frequency heart rate variability) responses during routine vaccination and associations of the trajectory with parents’ concurrent behaviour and psychological stress. Findings across all three studies are discussed in the context of the extant literature and relevant theoretical models. Clinical implications and directions for future research are offered.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Maternal Fluoride Exposure and Offspring IQ: An Investigation of the Potential Mediating Role of Thyroid Dysfunction in Pregnancy
    (2023-12-08) Hall, Meaghan Kathleen; Till, Christine
    Objective: Fluoride exposure has been associated with thyroid dysfunction; however, no studies to date have examined whether fluoride disrupts thyroid function in pregnant women. We evaluated the potential thyroid-disrupting effects of fluoride exposure in pregnancy and tested whether thyroid disruption in pregnancy would mediate the association between maternal fluoride exposure and child IQ in Canadian mother-child dyads. Methods: Maternal thyroid dysfunction was estimated using both categorical measures of thyroid health status (i.e., euthyroid, subclinical, and primary hypothyroid) and continuous measures of thyroid hormone levels (i.e., TSH, FT4, and TT4). Results: We observed a statistically significant association between water fluoride concentration and greater risk of primary hypothyroidism, and between primary hypothyroidism in pregnancy and lower IQ among male offspring. Further, higher urinary fluoride concentration was associated with higher TSH among women pregnant with female, but not male fetuses. Maternal thyroid hormone levels were not associated with offspring IQ. Conclusion: Results suggest that maternal thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy may be one mechanism underlying the association between fluoride exposure in pregnancy and offspring IQ.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Neurocognitive Outcome and Psychological Adjustment Following Pediatric Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke
    (2022-10) Champigny, Claire Marie; Desrocher, Mary E.
    Pediatric stroke is an important cause of acquired brain injury in youth associated with neurological sequelae, including complex neurocognitive impairments. Neurocognitive deficits may impact psychological adjustment post-injury by hindering emotional and behavioural regulation, psychosocial functioning, academic advancement, quality of life, and mental health. Despite awareness of the devastating and long-term sequelae following pediatric stroke, research in this domain is lacking. Using a mixed methods approach, my doctoral dissertation contains two clinical studies that address these gaps. Study 1 used a cross-sectional design to investigate the role of eight factors identified in the literature as possible predictors of neurocognitive outcome in pediatric stroke. Ninety-two patients with a history of pediatric stroke participated in this project. Statistical analyses examined relationships between each predictor and neurocognitive outcome measures. Results indicated that large lesions, ischemic stroke, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with worse neurocognitive outcomes compared to small to medium lesions, hemorrhagic stroke, and higher socioeconomic status. Graphs showed U-shaped trends suggesting worse outcomes across most neurocognitive domains when stroke occurred at five to ten years of age. Participants with seizures had more severe executive functioning impairments than participants without seizures. We found little to no evidence of associations between the other predictors and neurocognitive outcomes. Study 2 used an inductive qualitative methodology to provide a personal lens through which to understand the day-to-day impact of neurocognitive impairments, among other sequelae, on adjustment following stroke. Fourteen adolescents and young adults with a history of childhood stroke were interviewed one-on-one to share their lived experience regarding adjustment and coping. Following thematic analysis, five overarching themes were identified: (1) Processing the Story, (2) I’ve Changed, (3) Loss and Challenges, (4) Keys to Recovery, and (5) Adjustment and Acceptance. Findings underscored a need for mental health support for survivors of stroke, as well as important strengths and sources of support drawn upon by survivors. Overall, this dissertation contributed to the advancement of developmental neuropsychology by providing novel insights into neurocognitive outcomes and adjustment following pediatric stroke. Findings should inform clinical practice and the development of services aimed at enhancing recovery and fostering optimal development for youth with stroke.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Building a Specialized Model of Care for Youth at Risk of Sexual Exploitation in the Child Welfare System: A Systematic Review and Exploratory Program Evaluation
    (2023-10-03) McDonald, Kyla Patricia; Connolly, Jennifer A.
    Sex trafficking is a global issue with the true prevalence of this crime being unknown. Youth are at heightened risk for sexual exploitation due to normative developmental vulnerabilities such as the desire for romantic relationships and their developing cognitive abilities. Child welfare samples indicate even higher prevalence rates, as traffickers target these youth related to their adverse childhood experiences. Despite the critical need, few programs exist to support youth who are at risk of sex trafficking. The present dissertation sought to identify components critical to a model of care for youth in the child welfare system, at risk of sexual exploitation. Chapter 1 introduces the issue of sex trafficking among youth in care, particularly in Canada, and provides a brief review of relevant literature and the critical need to support youth in this population through relevant programming. Chapter 2 (McDonald, Fisher, & Connolly, 2023, Child Abuse and Neglect) draws on multiple forms of evidence including a systematic literature review and interviews with experts-by-experience (i.e., survivors and child welfare personnel) to identify convergent and divergent evidence for best practices and components important for a model of care. Findings support a model comprised of two overarching components: 1) wraparound supports, and 2) trained caregivers and supported foster homes. Experts also uniformly expressed that an appropriate model of care would require child welfare agencies to take a preventative stance on the issue, such as conducting early coordinated risk assessments on all youth in care. Recommendations were provided to collaborating child welfare agencies. Chapter 3 (submitted to the Journal of Child and Family Social Work) is a multi-case qualitative evaluation of the exploratory START with the YOUTH (STAR-Y) program for three youth who were at risk of sex trafficking, and their families. Results indicated successful program implementation; a reduction in youth risk factors over time related to sexual exploitation including youth no longer engaging in concerning Internet behaviour. Wraparound supports and the foster parent-youth relationship appeared important in the decrease of risk over time. Chapter 4 concludes the dissertation through a review of the study findings, associated theoretical models, and future clinical and research directions. Overall this dissertation contributes to clinical research and practice through exploring ways in which we can support youth in the child welfare system at risk of and possibly engaged in sex trafficking.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Sex Difference of Pre- and Post-Natal Exposure to Six Developmental Neurotoxicants on Intellectual Abilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies
    (2023-01) Goodman, Carly Victoria; Till, Christine
    Objective: To examine sex-specific effects of exposure to developmental neurotoxicants on IQ in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Method: We screened abstracts published before December 31, 2021, for empirical studies of six neurotoxicants (lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, organophosphates, and phthalates) that (1) used an individualized biomarker; (2) measured exposure during the prenatal period or before age six; and (3) provided effect estimates on general, nonverbal, and/or verbal IQ by sex. We performed separate random effect meta-analyses by sex with subgroup analyses by neurotoxicant. Results: Fifty-one studies were included in the systematic review and 22 in the meta-analysis. Prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants was associated with decreased general and nonverbal IQ in males, especially for lead. No significant effects were found for females or verbal IQ. Conclusion: During fetal development, males may be more vulnerable than females to general and nonverbal intellectual deficits from neurotoxic exposures, especially from lead.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Therapeutic Process Factors in Mental Health Treatment for Autistic Youth
    (2023-10-03) Albaum, Carly Sarah; Weiss, Jonathan
    Psychosocial interventions can be beneficial for addressing mental health challenges for some autistic youth, but a sizeable portion of youth who take part in mental health treatment do not demonstrate clinically meaningful improvement. Examining therapeutic process factors may provide insight as to why some youth benefit from treatment, while others do not. The current research aimed to evaluate the role of various therapeutic process factors in mental health treatment for autistic children and adolescents through two studies. The first study involved a systematic review and a narrative synthesis of the literature on how therapeutic process factors have been measured and the association with treatment outcome following psychosocial intervention addressing mental health challenges for autistic youth. Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Process factors assessed across studies included relational factors; treatment expectations, readiness, and satisfaction; and treatment engagement from youth and their parents. Process-outcome associations were reported for a limited number of constructs. The second study examined indicators of child engagement in relation to treatment outcome for autistic children who participated in cognitive behaviour therapy for emotion regulation. Indicators of child engagement included observational ratings of in-session involvement, and therapist ratings of therapeutic alliance between therapist and child and homework completion. Each indicator of engagement was measured at early, middle, and late stages of therapy. After controlling for pre-treatment scores, in-session involvement significantly predicted some aspects of post-treatment emotion regulation, whereas therapeutic relationship and homework completion did not. This dissertation addresses key gaps in research on mental health treatment for autistic youth by providing a detailed summary on what is currently known about therapeutic process factors and process-outcome associations in psychotherapy, and offers original findings that highlight the importance of child in-session involvement for therapeutic success. Research should continue to focus on relatively well-examined factors, such as therapeutic alliance, and explore factors that are less understood, such as client beliefs about treatment and parent involvement. Clinicians working with autistic clients should actively strive to form therapeutic alliance with youth and parents, and support positive treatment engagement for the full duration of therapy to enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Technology Behaviours and Attitudes in Youth: Correlates with Cognitive and Real-World Behaviours
    (2022-08) Doidge, Joshua Leon; Toplak, Maggie E.
    Technology use, which has become ubiquitous in the lives of adolescents, has both positive and negative aspects. In the judgment and decision-making literature, the Cognitive Reflection Test is a measure of the tendency to override an incorrect response and to engage in further reflection that leads to the correct response (Toplak et al., 2014a). Navigating optimal technology use often requires resisting miserly tendencies, as measured by the Cognitive Reflection Test. The purpose of the current project was to examine technology behaviours and attitudes that are either adaptive or maladaptive through the lens of judgment and decision-making and cognitive reflection in a set of two studies with community samples of adolescents. The associations between these technology behaviours and cognitive reflection, cognitive ability, and real-life outcomes of antisocial behaviours and academic achievement were examined. Study 1 (in-person sample) served as a pilot study, demonstrating that several technology behaviours were measurable in adolescents and were significantly correlated with antisocial behaviours and academic achievement. The purpose of Study 2 (online sample) involved creating several additional items of technology behaviours and attitudes, and used exploratory factor analyses (EFA) to understand the associations among these behaviours and attitudes, and examined gender differences among these behaviours and attitudes. Both cognitive reflection and cognitive ability had small to moderate positive correlations with several technology behaviour factors. Cognitive ability significantly predicted some of the maladaptive technology behaviour factors. While cognitive reflection significantly predicted the adaptive technology attitude factor related to practical managing of technology use, suggesting a potentially important relationship between these attitudes and cognitive reflection. Furthermore, several technology factors significantly predicted antisocial behaviours and academic achievement. The results are further discussed along with implications and future directions for studying technology use by adolescents.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Impact of Toxic Chemicals on Neurodevelopment: A Turn Towards Prevention
    (2023-06) Green, Rivka Ruth; Till, Christine
    Exposure to toxic chemicals can adversely impact children’s neurodevelopment. Yet, remarkably few resources are dedicated to preventing these adverse effects. We developed a developmental neurotoxicological knowledge translation (KT) tool, the PRevention of Toxic Chemicals in the Environment for Children Tool (PRoTECT), and evaluated the efficacy of a KT video, Little Things Matter: The Impact of Toxins on the Developing Brain. In study one, PRoTECT was refined via focus groups and implemented with 190 participants of childbearing age for development via exploratory factor analysis. We found evidence for a four-factor model, of which 16 of the 18 items had adequate loadings > 0.40 on a derived factor. In study two, we evaluated responses of 15,594 international participants to validate PRoTECT’s conceptual dimensionality and general response patterns across various demographic characteristics. Seventeen items fit into a three-factor model with factors, or subscales, representing (1) preferences to lower exposure and increase prevention, (2) knowledge of the regulation of toxic chemicals by government and industry, and (3) knowledge of developmental neurotoxicology. Scores on subscales 1 and 3 tended to be higher among participants from India, participants with higher education, and parents and pregnant women, indicating stronger preferences to lower exposure and increase prevention and greater knowledge of developmental neurotoxicology, whereas scores on subscale 2 tended to be higher among participants from the United States, indicating less trust in government and industry. In study three, a randomized controlled trial was conducted, whereby participants were assigned to either watch the KT video (experimental group) or serve in the control group. Scores on PRoTECT and other behavioural items were examined at baseline and six-week follow-up. At baseline, participants in the experimental group showed greater changes in scores on PRoTECT and a greater intent to reduce exposure than the control group, but the differences were much smaller at six-week follow up; no meaningful changes in behaviour were noted. This dissertation addresses KT gaps in developmental neurotoxicology. While we wait for legislation to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, we must find ways to effectively communicate these risks with the hope of advocating for stricter regulations.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Parent Outcomes Following Participation in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Autistic Children in a Community Setting
    (2023-06) Ibrahim, Alaa; Weiss, Jonathan
    Parents of autistic children are at higher risk for mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and stress. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) that targets children’s emotion regulation problems may have an indirect influence on parent outcomes, especially if they play a supporting role in the intervention. However, the majority of the implemented CBT interventions were carried out in highly controlled research settings and no study has examined the parent outcomes of child-focused CBT in a community setting. The current study examined parent outcomes (i.e., mental health, mindful parenting and parenting practices) following a community-based CBT program with concurrent parent involvement for autistic children, as well as associations between parent and child outcomes (i.e., autism symptoms and emotion dysregulation) using change scores. Participants included 77 parent-child dyads across 7 community organizations in Ontario, Canada. Parents reported improved mindful parenting and positive parenting practices post intervention, and no significant change for their mental health. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that parent positive changes were associated with child positive changes in emotion regulation, with changes in parenting practices mediating the relationship between mindful parenting and child emotion regulation. This research suggests mutual beneficial outcome for all the stakeholders including children, parents, community organizations and public policy.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Empirical Support for a Model of Risk and Resilience in Children and Families During Covid-19: A Systematic Review & Narrative Synthesis
    (2023-05) Shoychet, Gillian; Prime, Heather
    Background. The COVID-19 Family Disruption Model (FDM) describes the cascading effects of pandemic-related social disruptions to child and family psychosocial functioning. The current systematic review assesses the empirical support for the model. Methods. Study eligibility: 1) children between 2–18 years (and/or their caregivers); 2) a quantitative longitudinal design; 3) published findings during the first 2.5 years of COVID-19; 4) an assessment of caregiver and/or family functioning; 5) an assessment of child internalizing, externalizing, or positive adjustment; and 6) an examination of a COVID-19 FDM pathway. Following a search of PsycINFO and MEDLINE in August 2022, screening, full-text assessments, and data extraction were completed by two reviewers. Study quality was examined using an adapted NIH risk-of-bias tool. Results. Findings from 47 studies were summarized using descriptive statistics, tables, and a narrative synthesis. There is emerging support for bidirectional pathways linking caregiver-child functioning and family-child functioning, particularly for child internalizing problems. Quality assessments indicated issues with attrition, power justification, and insufficient examination of mediators and moderators. Discussion. We provide a critical summary of the empirical support for the model, highlighting themes related to family systems theory and risk/resilience. We outline future directions for research on child and family well-being during COVID-19. Systematic review registration. PROSPERO [CRD42022327191]
  • ItemOpen Access
    A Study on the Effectiveness of I-Sparx for Nunavut Youth: Can an E-Intervention Mental Health Tool in the Form of a Computer Game Improve Emotion Regulation?
    (2023-08-04) Barnhardt, Jenna; Bohr, Yvonne M.
    This study examines how the e-intervention computer game, I-SPARX, may affect user emotion regulation. I-SPARX was designed for at-risk ᐃᓄᐃᑦ(Inuit) youth to teach cognitive behavioural skills and assist with improving mental health and emotional well-being. Data were collected from 112 ᐃᓄᐃᑦ (Inuit) youth participants from 25 communities in Nunavut who played I-SPARX and completed pre- and post-game outcome measures. Mixed model analysis was conducted at two time points to examine changes before and after playing the game in 6 domains meant to assess learning objectives and skills development: finding hope, being active, dealing with emotions, overcoming problems, recognizing challenging and unhelpful thoughts, and overall wellness. Results showed positive shifts in participant responses across all categories including emotion regulation skill development. This preliminary data is promising, suggesting that I-SPARX could help teach ᐃᓄᐃᑦ(Inuit) youth skills to manage emotions when they are confronted with challenging situations where negative and unhelpful thoughts arise.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Executive Functioning and Emotion Regulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Heterogeneity in Presentation and Interventions
    (2023-03-28) Ferland, Melissa; Bebko, James M.
    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restricted patterns of behaviours and interest. Children with ASD present with a wide range of neurocognitive abilities, including challenges in emotion regulation (ER: ability to identify and modulate one’s own emotional response to situations) and executive functions (EF: cognitive processes involved in self-regulation, goal-directed behaviours, and higher order thinking). Given that ER and EF skills are essential in everyday functioning, gaining a better understanding of the presentation of these cognitive processes in children with ASD and how they can be targeted in interventions could have important implications. The current manuscript aimed to: (1) understand the broad presentation of everyday EF and ER skills in children with ASD by using a person-centered approach analysis (Study 1), and (2) examine the evidence and existing support for targeted interventions in these areas by conducting a systematic review of the literature (Study 2). Results from Study 1 indicated that individuals with ASD present with heterogeneous EF and ER abilities, ranging from impaired to developing as expected, as assessed through an informant-based measure. The latent profile analyses revealed three profiles: broadly affected, narrowly affected, and intact EF and ER skills, demonstrating that being on the autism spectrum is not sufficient to infer challenges in EF or ER. Results from Study 2 identified 22 studies assessing interventions targeting ER and/or EF skills in children with ASD. Three types of interventions were identified as showing promising results: (1) cognitive behavioural interventions targeting ER specifically, (2) mindfulness-based interventions, and (3) group-based martial arts interventions. However, more research is required before these are considered evidence-based practices. Additionally, most interventions were assessed on a narrow range of children with ASD, primarily school-age males with no significant cognitive delays, thus limiting the generalizability of results across the entire autism spectrum. Taking a person-centered approach when working with this population is extremely important. It is hoped that information from this manuscript can be used to inform future research in EF and ER in ASD and the development of targeted intervention programs specific to this clinical group.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Differential Effects of Multisystemic Factors on the Developmental Trajectories of Emotion Regulation
    (2023-03-28) Mc Donald, Krysta Michelle Genevieve; Rawana, Jennine
    The current study investigated the development of emotion regulation (i.e., managing one’s emotions in order to meet a goal; Gross et al., 2019) within a multisystemic context across the sensitive periods of adolescence and emerging adulthood. It adds to current literature by including the entire sensitive period (i.e., age 12-29 years), incorporating the influence of multisystemic factors on different emotion regulation developmental pathways, and extending investigations of posttraumatic adjustment within an integrated framework. Participants were a subsample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health; N = 13414), a longitudinal nationally representative database that follows youth from adolescence into adulthood. Growth mixture modelling was applied to elicit unique trajectories of emotion regulation development (i.e., depressive symptoms) each with unique relationships to multisystemic covariates (i.e., biological sex, pubertal timing, self-esteem, adverse childhood experiences [ACEs], parent closeness, friendship support, parental socioeconomic status, neighbourhood safety, changes in household parental figures). Four non-linear trajectories were found: low (normative), low-increasing, increasing-decreasing, and high-decreasing. The multisystemic factors had differential effects on each pathway that, with the exception of ACEs, tend to wane in influence as youth age. Self-esteem, perceived parental closeness, and perceived neighbourhood safety most tended to be protective, whereas seeking support from a friend, experiencing (an) ACE(s), and changes to household parental figures tended to confer vulnerability. Emotion regulation development and posttraumatic adjustment do vary, with lasting impacts. A multisystemic, integrated framework showed what factors confer risk or protection within these trajectories, and helps explain previously mixed findings. Implications for identifying at-risk youth, preventative measures, and intervention are also discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Characterizing the Neuropsychological profile and Examining the Role of Cognitive Reserve in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis Using a Computerized Battery
    (2023-03-28) Barlow-Krelina, Emily Marguerite; Till, Christine
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating and degenerative condition of the central nervous system. While the majority of affected individuals show their first symptoms between the ages of 25-35 years, 3-5% of people have a pediatric-onset (POMS) of the disease, with a first attack occurring prior to age at 18. POMS leads to a range of physical and cognitive symptoms that impact everyday functioning and development, however, further research is needed to understand the cognitive profile and predict outcomes. The overall objective of this program of research was to better understand processes facilitating protection against the cognitive presentation of neuropathology in POMS, with a specific focus on cognitive reserve (CR) and its domain-specificity. Areas of deficit in POMS were first clarified, with delineation of dysfunction in speed and accuracy across cognitive domains using a computerized neurocognitive battery. In Study 1, we found that deficits in working memory, attention/inhibition, visuospatial processing, verbal recognition memory and verbal reasoning exist separately from and in addition to slowed speed of processing in individuals affected by POMS. Furthermore, we found that individuals with POMS are afforded some protection by CR (as estimated by parental education) in Study 2, however, these affects appeared weaker than what has been observed in adults. CR effects were strongest for tasks of executive functioning, where patients demonstrated greatest deficit relative to controls, and were not observed for tasks of information processing speed, potentially owing to differential availability of compensatory strategies in these networks. These findings highlight differences in vulnerability to cognitive dysfunction in individuals with POMS, given impacts of the disease on developing functions and reserves. We propose that cognitive screening should be expanded beyond assessment of simple processing speed to identify a greater proportion of youth affected by the cognitive sequelae of MS. While the mechanisms contributing to the development of CR remain to be elucidated, engagement in a range of physically and cognitively enriching activities, as well as a focus on mental health may be helpful towards better cognitive outcomes for youth with POMS. Further research is needed with direct comparison to adults with MS to understand how the developmental context influences the profile of cognitive deficits and role of protective factors in POMS.
  • ItemOpen Access
    An Examination of the Role of Interpersonal Emotion Regulation On the Link Between Social Anxiety and Well-being
    (2022-12-14) Onorato, Paolina Rose; Rawana, Jennine
    Although there has been a recent shift to investigating interpersonal emotion regulation (IER), there are still key aspects of IER to understand generally and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining how individuals, including those with social anxiety, utilize and think about IER can provide insights into how this type of emotion regulation can impact well-being. It is crucial to investigate IER during the pandemic since in-person interpersonal interactions may have been disrupted due to physical distancing. Thus, the current study examined the relations between social anxiousness, IER, and well-being during this time. Emerging adults (n = 674) completed measures related to social anxiousness (social interaction, performance, and scrutiny anxiety as well as avoidance), IER (tendency and efficacy for positive and negative emotions), and well-being (subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and flourishing). Through a structural equation mediation model, it was demonstrated that social anxiousness is inversely linked to well-being and IER, and IER is positively linked to well-being in the context of the pandemic. Importantly, IER acted as a partial mediator on the link between social anxiousness and well-being. These results have implications for intervention including the development of student IER workshops to enhance the well-being of socially anxious university students while transitioning back to in-person learning.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Understanding Patterns of Caregiver-Toddler Biological Attunement in a Distress Context
    (2022-12-14) Di Lorenzo, Miranda Gabrielle; Riddell, Rebecca
    This dissertation consists of three studies that examine caregiver-toddler biological attunement within distress contexts in toddlerhood. Study 1 is a published systematic review (Di Lorenzo et al., 2021) that synthesizes the direction and magnitude of the relations between caregiver and young child (0 to 3 years of age) biological outcomes according to different methodology used to measure distress. Majority of articles examined cortisol outcomes of caregivers and their children in distress contexts. The magnitude of the association between caregiver and child cortisol indicators were moderate to large; however, results differed depending on the analysis used and measurement epochs examined. Relations between caregiver and child cardiac, saliva alpha amylase (sAA), and electroencephalography (EEG) outcomes were generally weak or inconsistent. Limitations of methodological approaches used to study caregiver-child attunement likely contribute to the heterogeneity of findings. To address limitations highlighted in Study 1, we used parallel process growth mixture modelling in Study 2 (Di Lorenzo-Klas et al., 2022a) to capture the dynamic nature of the attunement process and discern various patterns of caregiver-toddler coregulatory trajectories in a vaccination context during the second year of life. Three groups of dyads were discerned, with one group (80% of the sample) that demonstrated an adaptive regulatory attunement pattern (i.e., most regulated), and two groups (20% of the sample) that showed either a lack of attunement or misattunement between dyad members which demonstrated less adaptive child regulation from pain-related distress. To better understand what is driving the patterns of regulatory attunement, Study 3 (Di Lorenzo-Klas et al., 2022b) examined whether caregiver distress (operationalized as caregiver worry associated with their toddler's vaccination) and child distress (operationalized as behavioural pain-related distress) are associated with patterns of caregiver-toddler attunement discerned in Study 2. Findings from Study 3 revealed that caregivers who experience higher distress associated with their toddlers' vaccination demonstrated higher probability of being associated with groupings reflecting lack of attunement or misattunement with their toddlers during vaccination, and these toddlers are at risk of experiencing higher levels of behavioural pain-related distress. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Effects of Parenting and Emotion Socialization on Emerging Adults' Well-Being: The Mediating Effect of Emotion Regulation
    (2022-12-14) Lee, Kate Youngun; Rawana, Jennine
    Emerging adulthood is characterized by major changes in many life domains. Thus, emerging adults are at risk for reduced well-being compared to other developmental age groups. Parents uniquely contribute to their child’s developmental outcomes in many ways such as, supporting the development of emotion regulation (ER), which is the ability to manage emotions and is essential for healthy psychosocial functioning. This study aims to investigate the relations between perceived parental emotion socialization, parental warmth, parental control, and resilience and well-being, and whether emotion dysregulation mediates these associations. Undergraduate students (n = 695) participated in an online survey. Results indicated that emotion dysregulation mediated the relationships between unsupportive parental emotion socialization and resilience and well-being, as well as the relationship between parental warmth and each of resilience and well-being. These findings suggest that specific parental responses to emotions are associated with emerging adult resilience and well-being through emotion regulation ability.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Associations of Age, Anxiety, Cognitive Functioning and Social Impairment with Aggression in Youth with Autism
    (2022-12-14) Rinaldo, Ethan Jon; Perry, Adrienne
    Previous research has indicated that aggression in children with autism is associated with anxiety, cognitive functioning, age, and social functioning although most samples only include parent-report measures and participants without intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between these variables and aggression in youth with autism in a large, cognitively diverse sample, with parent- and teacher-report measures, and a wide age range. I found that age and intellectual disability presence/severity had small positive relationships with teacher-measured aggression while anxiety and social impairment severity had strong relationships with aggression when measured by parents and teachers. In a regression analysis anxiety and social communication problems had the strongest positive relationships with aggression while social motivation problems had a negative relationship with aggression. These results indicate the importance of anxiety and social problems, particularly in social communication and motivation, when studying and treating aggression in youth with autism.