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Several studies link adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to delinquency. Yet, developmental sequalae accounting for this association remain unclear, with previous research limited by cross-sectional research designs and investigations of singular mediating processes. To redress these shortcomings, this study examines the longitudinal association between ACEs and delinquency as mediated by both sleep problems and low self-control, two factors which past research implicates as potentially important for understanding how ACEs contribute to antisocial behavior. Data collected from 480 adolescents (71.3% boys; 86.3% White) and their parents participating in the Michigan Longitudinal Study was used to conduct a serial mediation analysis. The association between ACEs (prior to age 11) and delinquency in late adolescence was found to operate indirectly via sleep problems in early adolescence and low self-control in middle adolescence. Nonetheless, a direct association between ACEs and later delinquency remained. Pathways through which ACEs contribute to later delinquency are complex and multiply determined. Findings indicate that early behavioral interventions, including improving sleep and self-control, could reduce later delinquency. Still, more research is needed to identify additional avenues through which the ACEs–delinquency association unfolds across development.

Collective traumas have a notable impact on adolescent well-being. While some youth face increased risk for mental health problems (e.g., those with maltreatment histories), many demonstrate resilience following traumatic events. One contributing factor to well-being following trauma is the degree to which one isolates from others. Accordingly, we examined the association between maltreatment and internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic as moderated by social isolation. Among adolescents reporting pre-pandemic emotional abuse, those experiencing less isolation reported the lowest levels of anxiety symptoms. Among adolescents reporting pre-pandemic physical abuse, those experiencing less isolation reported the greatest levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The findings highlight a public health-oriented approach to youth well-being during collective trauma that extends beyond mitigating disease transmission.

Traumatic experiences are common among adolescents and can negatively affect learning and increase the risk of early pregnancy, parenthood, and sexually transmitted infections. Little is known about how current sexual health interventions address trauma. A scoping review was conducted to gain insight into how trauma is addressed in adolescent sexual health interventions. Peer-reviewed studies from the United States published between 2008 and 2018 describing a sexual health intervention for youth were considered. Studies were analyzed to determine if and how trauma was addressed in the interventions. Out of 169 articles initially screened, 29 met inclusion criteria and 23% (n = 6) addressed trauma. Four interventions addressed trauma in the intervention content, while two studies evaluated trauma in outcome measures. Educators can broaden this reach by developing trauma-informed content that is compatible with existing curricula. Ongoing study is recommended to evaluate the impact of trauma-informed content on the sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of youth.

The mediating role of anxious, depressive, and somatic symptoms was examined in the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent substance use, with attention to the unique effects of each set of symptoms within the same model. Adolescents (n = 701) were assessed over time (ages 3–17) in a majority male (70.5%) and white (89.9%) sample. Findings indicate that depressive symptoms mediated the association between ACEs and adolescent cigarette and marijuana use. Although significant indirect effects remained when accounting for externalizing behavior, a novel protective pathway emerged through parent-reported youth anxiety and alcohol use. Assessing internalizing symptoms as separate facets within the same model is critical if we are to inform prevention programs that are tailored to the individual needs of youth who have experienced ACEs.

Childhood adversity can negatively impact development across various domains, including physical and mental health. Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to aggression and substance use; however, developmental pathways to explain these associations are not well characterized. Understanding early precursors to later problem behavior and substance use can inform preventive interventions. The aim of the current study was to examine neurobiological pathways through which childhood adversity may lead to early adolescent problem behavior and substance use in late adolescence by testing two prospective models. Our first model found that early adolescent externalizing behavior mediates the association between childhood adversity and alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use in late adolescence. Our second model found that activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during an inhibitory control task mediates the association between childhood adversity and early adolescent externalizing behavior, with lower ACC activation associated with higher levels of adversity and more externalizing behavior. Together these findings indicate that the path to substance use in late adolescence from childhood adversity may operate through lower functioning in the ACC related to inhibitory control and externalizing behavior. Early life stressors should be considered an integral component in the etiology and prevention of early and problematic substance use.

Evidence supports sexual experience as normative and health-promoting for many, but this picture is less clear for people with histories of adversity. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) was used to garner data from a sample of 362 young adults (aged 18–25) wherein 44.5% ( n  = 161) identified as women. We assessed longitudinal associations between child maltreatment and sexual self-concept, as mediated by sexual behaviors and sexual partners, and whether resilient coping moderated these associations using structural equation modeling. Although both child maltreatment and resilient coping were directly associated with aspects of sexual experience, only resilient coping was directly associated with sexual self-concept. In addition, we found support for sexual experience as a mediator between child maltreatment/resilient coping and sexual self-concept. Specifically, cumulative maltreatment was associated with more sexual partners, which was associated with higher sexual self-monitoring. Resilient coping was associated with more sexual partners and more sexual behaviors, which was associated with higher sexual self-monitoring and higher sexual self-consciousness, sexual assertiveness, sexual self-esteem, and sexual motivation, respectively. Thus, sexual behaviors and sexual partners operated independently. Findings contrast messaging that sexual experience is universally risky regardless of maltreatment history. Rather, sexual experience may foster positive sexual self-concept for some. Sexual health advocates must attend to differences between sexual behaviors and sexual partners in relation to sexual well-being, and support resilience in the sexual domain.

Objective A lack of understanding of the causes of attrition in longitudinal studies of older adults may lead to higher attrition rates and bias longitudinal study results. In longitudinal epidemiological studies of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, high rates of attrition may cause a systematic underestimation of dementia prevalence and skew the characterization of the disease. This can compromise the generalizability of the study results and any inferences based on the surviving sample may grossly misrepresent the importance of the risk factors for dementia. The National Institute on Aging outlined a National Strategy for Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Research to address this problem, providing evidence of the magnitude of this problem. Method To explore predictors of attrition, this study examined the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) Uniform Data Set, a repository of observations of older adults spanning 11 years, using survival analysis. Four samples were examined: the full sample ( n  = 30,433), the alive subsample excluding those who died ( n  = 24,231), the MRI sample [participants with complete MRI data ( n  = 1104)], and the alive MRI subsample [participants with MRI data excluding those who died ( n  = 947)]. Results Worsening cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and difficulty with functional activities predicted attrition, as did lower hippocampal volume in the MRI subsample. Questionable co-participant reliability and an informant other than a spouse also increased risk of attrition. Discussion Special considerations exist in recruiting and retaining older adults in longitudinal studies, and results of baseline psychological, functional, and cognitive functioning should be used to identify targeted retention strategies.

Purpose of Review Alcohol use and associated consequences are among the top preventable causes of death in the USA. Research links high impulsivity and adverse and traumatic experiences (ATEs) to increased alcohol use/misuse, as all three similarly affect brain functioning and development. Yet, studies measuring different specific domains yield differing results. This scoping review examined research articles ( N  = 35) that examine relations among domains of impulsivity, ATEs, and alcohol use. Recent Findings Overall, findings indicate that both childhood and lifetime ATEs and all three domains of impulsivity (generalized, choice, and action) are significantly associated with various alcohol and other concurrent substance use measures across age groups. However, variations in results indicate that factors such as timing of assessment, methods, and heterogeneity of construct domains are critical components of these relationships. Summary Several research gaps remain. Future research should incorporate multiple domains of the three constructs, and additional longitudinal studies are needed to determine the true nature of the relationships.

ObjectivesNegative perceptions of one’s neighborhood are linked to poor mental and physical health. However, it is unclear how caregiver’s neighborhood perception affects health outcomes in children. This study assessed the mediating effect of maternal wellbeing on the association between neighborhood perception and child wellbeing at different time points and overall.MethodA structural equation model (SEM) was used to evaluate whether maternal wellbeing mediates the influence of neighborhood perception on child wellbeing at different ages. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study data from years 3, 5, and 9 was analyzed. The delta method evaluated the mediation effect of maternal wellbeing, controlling for mothers’ age. Direct and indirect effects of neighborhood perception at year 3 on child wellbeing at year 9 via maternal wellbeing at year 5 were analyzed via a longitudinal mediation with a two time points lag.ResultsMaternal wellbeing partially mediated the effect of neighborhood perception on child wellbeing at different ages. Longitudinal mediation analyses revealed that better neighborhood perception at year 3 improved maternal wellbeing at year 5 and child wellbeing at year 9; maternal wellbeing at year 5 partially mediated the effect of neighborhood perception at year 3 on child wellbeing at year 5.Conclusions for practiceOur findings suggest that it may be beneficial for mental health practitioners to discuss relationships between neighborhood environment and wellbeing with caregivers, with a focus on reframing negative self-perceptions. Future research should evaluate longitudinal relationships between changes in neighborhood infrastructure and corresponding wellbeing in caregivers and children.

Many measures exist that assess parenting skills and practices. Few comprehensive measures for parents of adolescents (13–17 years) exist. The aim of the current study was to develop a comprehensive assessment measure of parenting practices based on items from existing measures. Research and clinical settings can benefit from the advancement of a valid and more inclusive measure of parenting to assess youth behavior and functioning. This study utilized a sample that included 387 caregivers and youth (mean age of youth = 13.6, SD = .59) from a longitudinal study examining contextual influences on youths’ substance use initiation. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on 12 parent-report measures of parenting. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on a second sample, which included peers (N = 362, mean age of peers = 13.6, SD = 1.09) and peers’ caregivers of the youth included in the original sample. The EFA results indicated a three-factor solution (i.e., parental knowledge and affective relationships, parental control, parental communication and involvement), which was supported in the CFA. The final measure demonstrated strong internal consistency and satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. This study supported the sound psychometrical features of the Parenting Practice Measure (PPM), a comprehensive measure of parenting quality for adolescent samples. The PPM can serve as a tool for clinicians to design more targeted treatment plans and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments when working with parents with children in the early teenage years.