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Health Promotion International Apr 2021Many effective community health service delivery systems implemented in the USA assess risk and protective factors (RPFs) for youth problem behaviors in a community, and...
Many effective community health service delivery systems implemented in the USA assess risk and protective factors (RPFs) for youth problem behaviors in a community, and report these data back to local coalitions for prevention planning. This study examined whether community prevention coalitions in Chile and Colombia perceived these reports of RPFs-based on the results of the Communities That Care Youth Survey-to be understandable, valid, useful, and worth disseminating. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data collected from 7 focus groups with 75 coalition members. Results indicated heterogeneity between and within coalitions in terms of participants' understanding of RPFs. However, most participants found reports of RPFs to be easy to understand, thorough, 'true' to their communities, and useful for diagnosing and prioritizing needs, action planning, and mobilizing others in their communities. Findings suggest the viability of preventive systems that rely on community-level RPF data, for use in Latin America.
Topics: Adolescent; Chile; Colombia; Community Health Services; Humans; Preventive Medicine; Protective Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 32830230
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daaa075 -
Journal of Primary Care & Community... 2023Both external structure (ie, participating in extracurricular activities) and family factors (ie, parental emotional support) have separately been linked with children's...
Both external structure (ie, participating in extracurricular activities) and family factors (ie, parental emotional support) have separately been linked with children's physical health and well-being, however, their combined effects are less well known. The current study examined the longitudinal associations between participating in structured out-of-school activities and parent reports of warmth/emotional support with children's weight status (ie, zBMI) over time. Utilizing longitudinal data from the United States-based Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010 to 2011 (ECLS-K:2011), we employed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a latent variable cross-lagged path analysis to examine if emotional supportiveness and participation in structured activities predicted lower zBMI over the course of 1 year. The final sample included 18 135 participants. Mean age of the participants was 8.12 years (±0.38 years), and 51% of children were male. Mean zBMI was 0.54 (±1.12). Structure at baseline predicted increased zBMI in year 2 (β = .03, = .02) but did not predict parent emotional supportiveness at year 2 (β = -.05, = .09). Parent emotional supportiveness at baseline predicted greater zBMI at year 2 (β = .02, = <.01) but did not predict structure at year 2 (β = .02, = .39). zBMI at baseline did not predict structure (β = .02, = .25) or parent emotional supportiveness at year 2 (β = -.01, = .55). Our findings were inconsistent with our hypothesis with regard to directionality. Continued refinement about the role of internal structure (ie, family, and parenting practices) may inform public health prevention strategies to support the well-being of children and families.
Topics: Humans; Child; Child, Preschool; Male; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Protective Factors; Child Health; Educational Status; Emotions; Body Mass Index
PubMed: 37350438
DOI: 10.1177/21501319231182304 -
Clinical Psychology Review Jul 2021A large body of research has emerged over the last decade examining empirical models of general and specific psychopathology, which take into account comorbidity among... (Review)
Review
A large body of research has emerged over the last decade examining empirical models of general and specific psychopathology, which take into account comorbidity among psychiatric disorders and enable investigation of risk and protective factors that are common across disorders. This systematic review presents findings from studies of empirical models of psychopathology and transdiagnostic risk and protective factors for psychopathology among young people (10-24 years). PsycInfo, Medline and EMBASE were searched from inception to November 2020, and 41 studies were identified that examined at least one risk or protective factor in relation to broad, empirically derived, psychopathology outcomes. Results revealed several biological (executive functioning deficits, earlier pubertal timing, genetic risk for ADHD and schizophrenia, reduced gray matter volume), socio-environmental (stressful life events, maternal depression) and psychological (low effortful control, high neuroticism, negative affectivity) transdiagnostic risk factors for broad psychopathology outcomes, including general psychopathology, internalising and externalising. Methodological complexities are discussed and recommendations for future studies of empirical models of psychopathology are presented. These results contribute to a growing body of support for transdiagnostic approaches to prevention and intervention for psychiatric disorders and highlight several promising avenues for future research.
Topics: Adolescent; Comorbidity; Humans; Mental Disorders; Protective Factors; Psychopathology; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33992846
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102036 -
Clinical Psychology Review Feb 2023Autistic adults are a high-risk population for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Accordingly, this systematic review aims to review the prevalence of STBs among... (Review)
Review
Autistic adults are a high-risk population for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Accordingly, this systematic review aims to review the prevalence of STBs among autistic adults, review the risk and protective factors for STBs in autistic adults, and formulate a disorder-specific conceptualization of risk in this population. We systematically searched PsycINFO and Google Scholar for all studies published prior to March 28th, 2022. We included empirical articles focused on autistic adults, ages 18 years and older, reporting on suicide-related outcomes. In total, 45 peer-reviewed empirical articles were included in the current systematic review. The most frequently studied factors in relation to suicide risk among autistic adults were interpersonal constructs (42.4% of total studies looking at risk/protective factors) and depressive symptoms (36.4% of total studies looking at risk/protective factors). We conclude by summarize two key content areas: exploring social and interpersonal constructs and better understanding the role of depressive symptoms in autism. As researchers continue to explore STBs among autistic adults, it will be necessary to addressing the overreliance on autistic symptoms instead of autism diagnoses, measurement issues of STBs, and a need for treatment adaptations.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Adolescent; Suicidal Ideation; Autistic Disorder; Suicide, Attempted; Protective Factors; Suicide
PubMed: 36459876
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102235 -
Journal of Pediatric Psychology Aug 2022The COVID-19 pandemic increased economic, social, and health stressors for families, yet its impacts on families of youth with chronic conditions, such as type 1...
OBJECTIVE
The COVID-19 pandemic increased economic, social, and health stressors for families, yet its impacts on families of youth with chronic conditions, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), are not well understood. Self-regulation (SR)-or the capacities to control emotions, cognition, and behavior in response to challenge-is known to support T1D management and coping in the face of stress. Strong SR may have protected youth with T1D from the impacts of pandemic-related stressors. This study compared youth and parent emotional functioning and T1D management before and after the pandemic's onset in relation to family pandemic-related stress and youth SR.
METHODS
Parents of youth with T1D (N = 88) and a subset of these youth (N = 43; Mean age 15.3 years [SD 2.2]) completed surveys regarding SR, stress, emotional functioning, and T1D-related functioning prior to and after March 2020. Outcomes were compared using mixed effects models adjusting for covariates. Family pandemic-related stress experiences and youth SR were tested as moderators of change.
RESULTS
Parents' responsibility for T1D management increased across pandemic onset and their diabetes-related distress decreased. Family pandemic-related stress was associated with decreased emotional functioning over time. Youth SR, particularly emotional and behavioral aspects, predicted better emotional and T1D-related functioning.
DISCUSSION
While youth with T1D whose families experienced higher pandemic-related stress had poorer adjustment, strong emotional and behavioral SR appeared to protect against worsening youth mood and adherence across pandemic onset. Both social-contextual and individual factors are important to consider when working with families managing T1D.
Topics: Adolescent; COVID-19; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Humans; Pandemics; Protective Factors; Self-Control
PubMed: 35609567
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsac045 -
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Feb 2024Although both risk and protective factors are important components of etiological theories for antisocial behavior, far less is known about protective factors and their... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Although both risk and protective factors are important components of etiological theories for antisocial behavior, far less is known about protective factors and their impact. This review summarized primary studies on the impact of different protective factors for antisocial behavior in youth. In total, 305 studies reporting on 1850 potentially protective factors were included. Each extracted factor was first classified into one of 77 mutually exclusive groups of similar factors (referred to as domains), after which a three-level meta-analysis was conducted to determine the protective effect of each domain. A significant and negative effect was found for 50 domains, which were therefore designated as being truly protective. The largest impact (r < -0.20) was found for higher levels of conservativeness, self-transcendence, life satisfaction, involvement in romantic relationships, the capacity to reflect or mentalize, peer relationships quality, prosocial peers, prosocial values, agreeableness, school self-esteem, parental control, general resilience, and social skills. Analyses revealed that the impact of some of the 77 domains was moderated by the youth's age (five domains) and gender (four domains) as well as the severity of antisocial behavior they exhibit (two domains), indicating that the impact of these domains differs across subgroups of antisocial youth. Given the substantial number of factors that were identified as being protective for antisocial behavior in youth, this study discusses implications for future directions, assessment strategies, and (preventive) interventions.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Protective Factors; Peer Group; Gender Identity; Adolescent Behavior
PubMed: 37794287
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01878-4 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Feb 2023Internalizing mental disorders are highly comorbid with one another, and evidence suggests that etiological processes contributing to these disorders often overlap. This... (Review)
Review
Internalizing mental disorders are highly comorbid with one another, and evidence suggests that etiological processes contributing to these disorders often overlap. This systematic umbrella review aimed to synthesize meta-analytic evidence from observational longitudinal studies to provide a comprehensive overview of potentially modifiable risk and protective factors across the depressive, anxiety, and eating disorder psychopathology domains. Six databases were searched from inception to August 2022. Only meta-analyses of longitudinal studies that accounted for baseline psychopathology (either via exclusion of baseline cases or statistical adjustment for baseline symptoms) were included. Methodological quality of meta-analyses was evaluated using the AMSTAR 2, and quality of evidence for each analysis was rated using GRADE. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were conducted in duplicate by independent reviewers. The protocol for this review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020185575). Sixty-one meta-analyses were included, corresponding to 137 meta-analytic estimates for unique risk/protective factor-psychopathology relationships. Most potential risk/protective factors, however, were examined only in relation to depressive psychopathology. Concern over mistakes and self-esteem were the only risk and protective factors, respectively, identified as statistically significant across depressive, anxiety, and eating disorder psychopathology domains. Eight risk factors and four protective factors also emerged as having transdiagnostic relevance across depressive and anxiety domains. Results suggest intervention targets that may be valuable for preventing/treating the spectrum of internalizing psychopathology and reducing comorbidity. However, few factors were identified as transdiagnostically relevant across all three internalizing domains, highlighting the need for more research investigating similar sets of potential risk/protective factors across internalizing domains.
Topics: Humans; Protective Factors; Anxiety Disorders; Psychopathology; Anxiety; Comorbidity
PubMed: 36603318
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.12.025 -
The Australian and New Zealand Journal... Apr 2022Effective prevention and intervention of Internet gaming disorder require the identification of risk and protective factors. This study aims to exhaustively review the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
Effective prevention and intervention of Internet gaming disorder require the identification of risk and protective factors. This study aims to exhaustively review the risk and protective factors of Internet gaming disorder among Chinese people.
METHOD
We searched for articles published from database inception to February 2020 in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and two Chinese databases, CNKI and Wanfang Data. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they addressed Internet gaming disorder, sampled people in China, presented correlational factors of Internet gaming disorder and reported the effect sizes for correlations. Reviewers independently selected the studies, assessed their validity and extracted the data. Pooled Pearson's correlations were calculated using the random effects model.
RESULT
In the meta-analysis, 153 studies covering 115,975 subjects were included. We identified 56 risk factors and 28 protective factors. Most risk factors strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder fell into the category of maladaptive cognitions and motivations. Other factors that showed high effect sizes fell into various categories, including psychopathological characteristics, personality traits, cognition emotion regulation style and gaming-related factors. The only protective factor strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder was self-control. We found that the factors related to the 'environments' show modest effect sizes compared to those related to the individual. The pooled effect sizes for most factors were not influenced by outliers and publication bias.
CONCLUSION
Factors strongly correlated with Internet gaming disorder, especially maladaptive cognitions and motivations, are more likely to be proximal correlates of Internet gaming disorder and may be considered the focus of interventions. We encourage further empirical and experimental studies to examine the causal pathway and the treatment efficacy.
Topics: Behavior, Addictive; Cognition; Humans; Internet; Internet Addiction Disorder; Protective Factors; Video Games
PubMed: 34250835
DOI: 10.1177/00048674211025703 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... May 2023Treatments that target the biological causes of dementia remain limited, making prevention critically important. Well-being-defined broadly as living in accordance with... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Treatments that target the biological causes of dementia remain limited, making prevention critically important. Well-being-defined broadly as living in accordance with one's potential and experiencing one's life as enjoyable and satisfying-is a promising avenue for prevention. It can be targeted by large-scale, noninvasive interventions and has been linked with better cognitive health and lower dementia risk. In the current review, we begin by summarizing empirical evidence linking well-being to cognitive functioning, cognitive decline, dementia diagnosis, and dementia-related neuropathology. Then, we highlight 3 key areas for future research.
METHODS
We searched the literature on wellbeing, cognitive decline, and dementia, focusing on prospective and longitidinal evidence.
RESULTS
The research reviewed here provides consistent evidence for associations of well-being with cognitive decline, dementia risk, and cognitive resilience to neuropathology. However, several open questions remain regarding (1) causality and mechanism(s), (2) specificity versus generalizability of associations, and (3) timing.
DISCUSSION
To inform potential intervention efforts, the field must address complex open questions about whether, how, when, and for whom well-being influences dementia risk. The majority of existing research on well-being and cognitive health is correlational, and few studies have tested potential mechanisms that may explain those associations. Further, relatively little is known about the generalizability of associations across different aspects of well-being and for different sociocultural groups. Finally, we do not yet understand when in the life span and on what timescale well-being might influence cognitive health. We discuss challenges and opportunities for addressing each of these open questions, including concrete recommendations for research designs and use of open science practices.
Topics: Humans; Dementia; Prospective Studies; Protective Factors; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognition
PubMed: 36734357
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad020 -
Journal of Diabetes Investigation Sep 2020Although hyperglycemia, high blood pressure and aging increase the risk of developing kidney complications, some diabetes patients exposed to these risk factors do not... (Review)
Review
Although hyperglycemia, high blood pressure and aging increase the risk of developing kidney complications, some diabetes patients exposed to these risk factors do not develop kidney disease, suggesting the presence of endogenous protective factors. There is a growing need to understand these factors determining protection of the kidney in order to improve the design of preventive strategies and to enhance the processes responsible for renoprotection. The aim of this review was to present the existing molecular and epidemiological data on factors showing protective effects in diabetic kidney disease, and to summarize the evidence regarding their potential in the area of future clinical diagnostics, therapeutics and early preventive strategies. These include transcriptomic and proteomic studies regarding the anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and regenerative factors that were associated with slower progression of renal function loss. Another focus is the new evidence regarding the evaluation of alterations in the regulatory epigenome and its involvement in the risk of diabetic kidney disease. Further effort is required to validate and extend these findings, and to define their potential for clinical implementation in the future.
Topics: Biomarkers; Diabetic Nephropathies; Disease Progression; Humans; Prognosis; Protective Factors
PubMed: 32196975
DOI: 10.1111/jdi.13257