Study Results: Child & Youth Mental Health
Explore research on child and youth mental health, from early childhood through adolescence.
How does parental technology use impact mental health in youth?
Excessive technology use (e.g. texting, scrolling through social media) can disrupt interactions between parents and their children. Find out how these disruptions can impact children’s mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, inattention, and hyperactivity).
Perceived Parental Distraction by Technology and Mental Health Among Emerging Adolescents
Question What are the longitudinal associations between perceived parental digital interruptions (technoference) and mental health difficulties in emerging adolescents?
Importance The digital phenomenon termed technoference refers to interruptions in routine social interactions due to technology use. Technoference may negatively affect parents’ attention to cues necessary for supporting children’s mental health.
Findings In a cohort study of 1303 emerging adolescents aged 9 to 11 years across 3 assessments, higher levels of anxiety symptoms were associated with higher levels of perceived parental technoference later in development. Higher levels of perceived parental technoference were associated with higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity symptoms later in development.
Meaning Parent digital technology use that interrupts routine parent-adolescent interactions may be instigated by the emerging adolescents’ levels of anxiety, and parent technoference may also have consequences for emerging adolescents’ inattention and hyperactivity.
Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child resilience factors, and child mental health problems: A multi-wave study
Background Research suggests that maternal ACEs have intergenerational consequences for offspring mental health. However, very few studies have investigated moderators of this association.
Methods Mothers had previously completed an ACEs questionnaire and reported on their child's resilience factors at child age 8-years. Children completed questionnaires about their mental health problems (symptoms of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems) at ages 10 and 10.5 years. Four moderation models were performed in total.
Results Results revealed that maternal ACEs predicted child-reported symptoms of anxiety (β = 0.174, p = .02) and depression (β = 0.37, p = .004). However, both these associations were moderated by higher levels of perceived child resilience factors (β = −0.29, p = .02, β = −0.33, p = .008, respectively). Specifically, there was no association between maternal ACEs and child mental health problems in the context of moderate and high levels of child resilience factors.
Conclusions Children who have the ability to solicit support from internal and external sources (e.g., being creative, setting realistic goals, making friends easily) may be buffered against the consequences of maternal ACEs on anxiety and depression. Thus, the effects of maternal ACEs on child mental health problems are not deterministic.
2024
Deneault AA, Plamondon A, Ross D. Neville RD, Eirich R*, McArthur BA, Tough S, Madigan S. Perceptions of Parental Technoference and Mental Health Among Emerging Adolescents. JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(8):e2428261. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28261
Turgeon J, Racine R, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child resilience factors, and child mental health problems: A multi-wave study. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2024 Aug:154:106927. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106927.
Zhu J, Racine N, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Examining the Association Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Child Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Concerns at 8 Years of Age. Child Maltreatment. 28 August 2024. DOI: 10.1177/1077559524127936
Racine N, Pitt T,* Premji S, McDonald S, Patten S, Tough S, Madigan S. Prevalence of common child mental health disorders using administrative health data and parent report in a prospective community-based cohort from Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 21 August 2024. DOI: 10.1177/07067437241271708
Pavlova M, Noel M, Orr SL, Walker A, Madigan S, McDonald SW, Tough SC, Birnie KA. Early childhood risk factors for later onset of pediatric chronic pain: A multi-method longitudinal study. BMC Pediatrics. 2024 Aug 8;24(1):508.. DOI 10.1186/s12887-024-04951-4
2022
McArthur B*, Browne D, Racine N, Tough S, & Madigan S. Screen time as a mechanism through which cumulative risk is related to child socioemotional and developmental outcomes in early childhood. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. 8 January 2022, DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00895-w
2021
McArthur BA*, Hentges R*, Christakis D, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Cumulative social risk and child screen use: The role of child temperament. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. August 2021, DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab087
McArthur BA*, Racine N, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Child and Family Factors Associated with Child Mental Health and Well-Being during COVID-19. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. July 2021, DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01849-9
McArthur BA*, Tough S, Madigan S. Screen time and developmental and behavioral outcomes for preschool children. Pediatric Research. 19 May, 2021, 91: 1616–1621, DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01572-w
Hentges RF*, Graham S, Plamondon A, Tough S, Madigan S. Bidirectional associations between maternal depression, hostile parenting, and early child emotional problems: Findings from the All Our Families Pregnancy Cohort. Journal of Affective Disorders. May 2021, 287: 397-404. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.056.
2020
McArthur B*, Browne D, Tough S, Madigan S. Trajectories of screen use during early childhood: Predictors and associated behavior and learning outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior. December 2020, 113:106501. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106501.
Hetherington E*, McDonald S, Racine N*, Tough S. Longitudinal predictors of self-regulation at school entry: findings from the All Our Families cohort. Children. June 2020, 7(10): 186. DOI: 10.3390/children7100186.
Hetherington E*, Racine N*, Madigan S, McDonald S, Tough S. Relative contribution of maternal adverse childhood experiences to understanding children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviours at age 5: findings from the All Our Families cohort. CMAJ Open. May 2020. 8(2): e352-e359. DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20190149.
Hentges RF*, Graham SA, Fearon P, Tough S, Madigan S. The chronicity and timing of prenatal and antenatal maternal depression and anxiety on child outcomes at age 5. Depression and Anxiety. May 2020, 37(6):576-586. DOI: 10.1002/da.23039.
Russell M*, Premji S, McDonald W, Zwicker J, Tough S. Health care service for families with children at early risk of developmental delay: an All Our Families cohort study. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. March 2020, 62(3):338-345. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14343.
2019
Hentges R*, Graham S, Plamondon A, Tough S, Madigan S. A developmental cascade from prenatal stress to child internalizing and externalizing problems: Findings from a prospective pregnancy cohort. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. October 2019, 44(9): 1057-1067. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz044.
Cooke J, Racine N*, Plamondon A, Tough S, Madigan S. Maternal adverse childhood experiences, attachment style, and mental health: Pathways of transmission to child behavior problems. Child Abuse & Neglect. July 2019, 93:27-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.04.011.
Hentges RF*, Madigan S, Plamondon A, Racine N*, Collisson B, Tough S, Graham S. Heterogeneous trajectories of delayed communicative development from 12 to 36 months: Predictors and consequences. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. June 2019, 40(5):335-343. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000677.
Voerman E, Santos S, Golab BP, Amiano P, Andersen AN, Ballester F, Barros H, Bergström A, Charles M, Chatzi L, Chevrier C, Corpeleijn E, Costet N, Crozier S, Devereux G, Eggesbø M, Fantini MP, Farchi S, Forastiere F, Georgiu V, Godfrey KM, Gori D, Grote V, Hanke W, Hertz-Picciotto I, Heude B, Hryhorczuk D, Huang R, Inskip H, Karvonen AM, Kenny LC, Koletzko B, Küpers LK , Lagström H, Lawlor DA, Lehmann I, Magnus P, Majewska R, Mäkelä J, Manios Y, McAuliffe FM, McDonald SW, Mehegan J, Melén E, Mommers M, Morgen CS, Mori T, Moschonis G, Murray D, Nohr EA, Oken E, Oostvogels AJJM, Pac A, Pekkanen J, Pizzi C, Polanska K, Porta D, Richiardi L, Rifas SL, Ronfani L, Santos AC, Smit HA, Sørensen TIA, Standl M, Stigum H, Stoltenberg C, Thiering E, Thijs C, Torrent M, Tough SC, Trnovec T, Turner S, van Rossem L, von Berg A, Vrijheid M, Vrijkotte TGM, West J, Wright J, Zvinchuk O, Gaillard R, Jaddoe VWV. Maternal body mass index, gestational weight gain and the risk of overweight and obesity across childhood: An individual participant data meta-analysis. PLOS Medicine. February 2019, 16(2): e1002744. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002744.
McDonald SW, Madigan S, Racine R*, Benzies K, Tomfohr L, Tough S. Maternal adverse childhood experiences, mental health, and child behaviour at age 3: The All Our Families community cohort study. Preventive Medicine. January 2019, 118: 286-294. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.11.013.
2018
McDonald S, Kehler H, Tough S. Risk factors for delayed social-emotional development and behavior problems at age two: Results from the All Our Babies/Families (AOB/F) cohort. Health Science Reports. October 2018, 1(10): e82. DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.82.
Hetherington E*, McDonald S, Racine N*, Tough S. Risk and protective factors for externalizing behavior at 3 years: Results from the All Our Families pregnancy cohort. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. September 2018, 38(7): 547-554. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000586. Video abstract: https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Pages/videogallery.aspx?videoId=48&autoPlay=true
Racine N*, Plamondon A, Madigan S, McDonald S, Tough S. Maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant development. Pediatrics. March 2018, 141(2): e20172495. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-2495.
2016
McDonald S, Kehler H, Tough S. Protective factors for child development at age two in the presence of poor maternal mental health: results from the All Our Babies (AOB) pregnancy cohort. BMJ Open. November 2016, 6:e012096. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012096.
McDonald S, Kehler H, Bayrampour H*, Fraser-Lee N, Tough S. Risk and protective factors in early child development: Results from the All Our Babies (AOB) pregnancy cohort. Research in Developmental Disabilities. November 2016, 58: 20-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2016.08.010.