Showing papers by "Carlo Schuengel published in 2019"
TL;DR: The parasympathetic nervous system may be involved in negative affective responses in the transition to parenthood among women exposed to childhood trauma, according to a sample of at-risk primiparous women.
Abstract: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have an impact on women's adaptation to parenthood, but mechanisms are poorly understood. Autonomic nervous system reactivity was tested as a potential mediating mechanism in a sample of 193 at-risk primiparous women. ACEs were measured retrospectively during pregnancy. A baby cry-response task was administered during pregnancy while indicators of sympathetic reactivity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) were recorded. Parenting self-efficacy, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were measured during pregnancy and 1 year after giving birth. Harsh discipline was measured 2 years after giving birth. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether baseline PEP and RSA and reactivity mediated links between ACEs and postnatal outcomes, adjusted for prenatal variables. High ACEs predicted less RSA reactivity (p = .02), which subsequently predicted increases in depressive symptoms (p = .03). The indirect effect was not significant (p = .06). There was no indirect link between high ACEs and harsh parenting through PEP nor RSA (n = 98). The parasympathetic nervous system may be involved in negative affective responses in the transition to parenthood among women exposed to childhood trauma.
22 citations
TL;DR: The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale for Intellectual Disability (BPNSFS-ID) as discussed by the authors, an adapted version of the original BPNSFS, operationalizes satisfaction and frustration with the three basic psychological needs according to self-determination theory (SDT): autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
Abstract: . The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale – Intellectual Disability (BPNSFS-ID), an adapted version of the original BPNSFS (Chen, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2015), operationalizes satisfaction and frustration with the three basic psychological needs according to self-determination theory (SDT): autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the BPNSFS-ID in a group of 186 adults with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). The results indicated an adequate factorial structure of the BPNSFS-ID, comprising the satisfaction and frustration of each of the three needs. The associations between BPNSFS-ID subscales autonomy, relatedness, and competence and the self-determination subscale of the Personal Outcome Scale (POS), the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale – 12 (GSES-12), supported the construct validity. In addition, the BPNSFS-ID demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .92) and...
21 citations
TL;DR: Support was found for SIP skills as a mechanism linking EFs, in particular focused attention and working memory, to aggression, providing a viable explanation for the high vulnerability of adolescents with MBID for aggression.
Abstract: Executive Functions (EFs) have been associated with aggression in children and adolescents EFs as higher-order cognitive abilities are assumed to affect cognitive functions such as Social Information Processing (SIP) We explored SIP skills as a mediating mechanism linking EFs to aggression in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID with IQ from 50–84), a high risk group for aggressive behaviors and EF impairments A total of 153 adolescents (M age = 1524, SD = 135; 54% male) with MBID participated Focused attention, behavioral inhibition, and working memory were tested with multiple neurocognitive tasks to define latent EF constructs Participants responded to a video-based SIP task A latent construct for aggression was defined by caretaker, teacher, and adolescent self-reports of aggression (Child Behavior Check List, Teacher Report Form, and Youth Self Report) Structural equation modeling was performed to test mediation Results were consistent with mediation of the relation between focused attention and aggression by SIP, namely via hostile interpretations and self-efficacy for aggression Behavioral inhibition was linked to aggression, but this relation was not mediated by SIP The relation between working memory and aggression was mediated by SIP, namely via hostile interpretations, aggressive response generation and via self-efficacy for aggressive responses Bearing the cross-sectional design in mind, support was found for SIP skills as a mechanism linking EFs, in particular focused attention and working memory, to aggression, providing a viable explanation for the high vulnerability of adolescents with MBID for aggression
19 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a systematic literature search for primary reports of longitudinal studies on the early development of children with intellectual disability and identified three clusters of topics: (1) syndrome and disorder related terms; (2) autism-related terms; and (3) disability and parent related terms.
Abstract: The “Warnock Report” (Department for Education and Science, 1978) underlined the importance of early intervention for children with a range of special educational needs and the importance of partnership with families. This paper focuses on young children with intellectual disability to describe the longitudinal research on early development that has emerged since the report, and to describe the scholarly literature that has been impacted by this longitudinal work. First, we conducted a systematic literature search for primary reports of longitudinal studies on the early development of children with intellectual disability. Included studies were those that measured dependent (i.e., developmental outcomes) and independent variables (i.e., risk and resilience factors) on at least two measurement occasions (i.e., truly longitudinal), starting before the end of the 7th year of life, with samples including children with intellectual disability (or related terms). The topics of these studies, and of the publications that have cited these longitudinal studies, were extracted from titles and abstracts using machine reading and subjected to multidimensional clustering (VOSviewer; Van Eck and Waltman, 2016). The resulting body of 101 research studies (about 2.5 studies per year) covered a scattering of topics without a dominant focus. The literature that was impacted by these longitudinal studies consisted of 3,491 scientific publications. Three clusters of topics emerged from mapping the terms used in these publications, which were dominated by (1) syndrome and disorder related terms; (2) autism-related terms; and (3) disability and parent related terms. Topics related to autism and, to a lesser extent, parents showed the strongest increase over time. Topics related to intervention and programmes were mostly linked to the topics disability and parents. Taking into account the science mapping as well as features of the context in which research on intellectual disability takes place, we suggest a collaborative research agenda that systematically links topics relevant for intervention with longitudinal research, in co-creation with families.
15 citations
TL;DR: Even children with significant DD develop differentiated attachment behaviour, and detailed observations may support parents in identifying the interactions that make the attachment relationship with their child special.
Abstract: Background The hallmark of attachment is that contact, proximity and relief from stress are sought from specific individuals, laying important groundwork for healthy socioemotional functioning. This study investigated the extent to which differentiated attachment behaviour can be observed in young children with significant developmental delay (DD). Method Video-taped observations of the parent-child and stranger-child interaction were conducted at home and complemented with questionnaires in 20 families with a child with significant DD (age 2-7 years with an average DD of 49 months). Results Children displayed more intense and persistent contact-seeking, contact-maintaining and resistant behaviour in the episodes with their parent compared to the episodes with the stranger. Parent-reported secure attachment behaviour was slightly more characteristic towards mother compared to father. Conclusions Even children with significant DD develop differentiated attachment behaviour. Detailed observations may support parents in identifying the interactions that make the attachment relationship with their child special.
12 citations
TL;DR: Results showed that mentees randomly assigned to having a mentor with or without visual impairment were younger and more likely to work or be educated in a helping profession and less likely to have a fixed mindset and extremely high positive expectations than mentors with VI.
Abstract: Mentoring is modestly effective for youth with a chronic illness or physical disability; however, program effectiveness may be enhanced when mentors and mentees are matched on shared interests and experiences. To test this hypothesis, mentees were randomly assigned to having a mentor with or without visual impairment (VI). Results showed that mentors without VI were younger and more likely to work or be educated in a helping profession and less likely to have a fixed mindset and extremely high positive expectations than mentors with VI. The main analyses on match outcomes showed that mentors with VI had significantly fewer and shorter match meetings, had a weaker relationship with their mentees, and were more likely to end their match prematurely. Mentor age, helping profession background, and fixed mindset were confounds in several analyses and reduced the significance of the relationship between VI group and match meeting quantity. The only relationship that remained significant controlling for covariates showed that matches including a mentor with VI were significantly more likely to end in premature closure than matches including a mentor without VI. Implications of the findings for future research and program practices related to matching were discussed.
11 citations
TL;DR: If the intervention is effective, the serious game ‘You & I’ can be implemented on a broad scale in Dutch care organizations for people with intellectual disabilities as an effective preventive tool to improve mentalizing abilities.
Abstract: Persons with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities generally show dysfunctions in mentalization and stress regulation, resulting in problematic social relationships and personal distress. Intervention programs may improve mentalizing abilities. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the serious game ‘You & I’ in changing mentalizing abilities and stress regulation in adults with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. A two-arm, parallel, superiority randomized controlled trial will be used with 172 adults with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group to play the serious game ‘You & I’ or a waitlist control group. Participants will be assessed at baseline, post intervention (5 weeks after baseline), and follow-up (6–8 weeks after post intervention). They also will fill in questionnaires for personal factors, personal development, personal well-being, social validity, autism spectrum quotient (demographic variables), mentalizing abilities (primary outcome measure), and stress regulation (secondary outcome measure). The serious game ‘You & I’ aims to improve mentalizing abilities in adults with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities, which is expected to lead to improved regulation of stress in social relationships. The study’s unique feature is the use of a serious game to improve mentalizing abilities. If the intervention is effective, the serious game can be implemented on a broad scale in Dutch care organizations for people with intellectual disabilities as an effective preventive tool to improve mentalizing abilities. Netherlands Trial Register, NTR7418
. Registered on 2 August 2018.
8 citations
TL;DR: Findings suggest that DSEB is part of a complex of clinically significant problem behaviors in referred home‐reared preschool children.
Abstract: Background: Evidence supporting clinical relevance and persistence of disinhibited social engagement behavior (DSEB) pertains mostly to children reared in institutions and foster care. This study examined the course of DSEB in clinically referred home-reared children from early into middle childhood, and associations with neglect/emotional maltreatment, effortful control, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Methods: Disinhibited social engagement behavior was examined in 124 children (82% boys, M = 4.06 years, SD = 0.89), referred for treatment of emotional and behavioral problems, by use of the Disturbances of Attachment Interview (DAI) with biological parents. Neglect and emotional maltreatment were assessed from case records and effortful control by use of the Child Behavior Questionnaire. At follow-up, on average 4 years later, DSEB was examined by use of DAI as well as two observational ratings: the Stranger at the Door procedure (SatD) and a structured home observation of stranger approach. Psychiatric disorders were assessed by means of the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Results: Persistence of parent-reported DSEB was found in 57% (n = 27) of the children with DSEB at baseline (n = 47). Parent-reported DSEB at follow-up was significantly related to DSEB observed in the SatD (r pb =.31, p =.001) and to observed stranger approach (r s =.41, p <.001), but only stranger approach was associated with baseline DSEB. The course of DSEB was not related to neglect/emotional maltreatment, nor to the level of effortful control. There was no association between DSEB and Autism Spectrum Disorder, but course of DSEB was associated with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder at follow-up (χ 2 = 13.08, p =.004). Conclusions: Although explanations for the onset and course of DSEB in home-reared children remain elusive, findings suggest that DSEB is part of a complex of clinically significant problem behaviors in referred home-reared preschool children.
7 citations
01 Feb 2019
Abstract: The goals of this chapter are to trace the reception of the self-efficacy concept in the study of parenting, to investigate whether the concept of parenting self-efficacy has increased our understanding of issues related to parenting and parenthood (Coleman and Karraker, 1998); to examine whether core ideas about the association between parenting self-efficacy, parenting competence, and intervention mechanisms have held up over time; to discuss measurement of parenting self-efficacy; and to forecast which directions parenting self-efficacy research should take to be of greater value to parents, professionals, and scientists.
6 citations
18 Nov 2019
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that low agreement between professionals on these decisions, and that the decision regarding out-of-home placement of children is complicated and of high impact for children and parents.
Abstract: Decisions regarding out-of-home placement of children are complicated and of high impact for children and parents. Previous studies show low agreement between professionals on these decisions, and ...
4 citations
TL;DR: The effect of the trauma is seen at several levels in mother-child interaction: topics, behavior and coherence in conversations about negative emotions.
Abstract: Parent-child conversations contribute to understanding and regulating children's emotions. Similarities and differences in discussed topics, quality of interaction and coherence/elaboration in mother-child conversations about emotional experiences of the child were studied in dyads who had been exposed to interpersonal trauma (N = 213) and non-trauma-exposed dyads (N = 86). Results showed that in conversations about negative emotions, trauma-exposed children more often discussed trauma topics and focused less on relationship topics than non-trauma-exposed children. Trauma-exposed dyads found it more difficult to come up with a story. The most common topics chosen by dyads to discuss for each emotion were mostly similar between trauma-exposed dyads and non-trauma-exposed dyads. Dyads exposed to interpersonal traumatic events showed lower quality of interaction and less coherence/elaboration than dyads who had not experienced traumatic events. Discussion of traumatic topics was associated with lower quality of mother-child interaction and less coherent dialogues. In conclusion, the effect of the trauma is seen at several levels in mother-child interaction: topics, behavior and coherence. A focus on support in developing a secure relationship after trauma may be important for intervention.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether information regarding parents' response to an attachment-based intervention impacted placement decisions and agreement among decision-makers, and found that the description did not increase agreement when the vignettes reflected more ambiguous cases or when parents' described response was positive.
12 Aug 2019
21 Mar 2019