Guide to Navigating this Research Archive
Here you will find research articles published by IDHP researchers that are related to our primary scientific foci: the interconnected mental health of children and their caregivers, the intergenerational impact of stressful experiences on mental and physical health, and interventions and other buffers that support family wellness.
In the right sidebar, you can search this archive by research topic, as well as by research study (you can read about each study on the Current Projects page). Each archive entry has a simple summary, the full scientific abstract, and a link to the full article. Most of the articles in this research archive are available open access (i.e., you can access it without a subscription). If you are trying to access an article and aren't able to see the full version, please email us at [email protected], and we would be happy to assist.
August 19, 2020
Child physical health
MAMAS/SEED Study
SEED Study
Stress during pregnancy
This study looked at how stress during pregnancy affects the health of infants in their first year of life. The researchers found that when mothers experienced more stress during pregnancy, their babies were more likely to get sick. This means that it is important to try and reduce stress during pregnancy in order to keep both the mother and the baby healthy.
July 30, 2020
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
CTRP-Health Study
This study examined whether trauma exposure, trauma symptoms, and executive functioning are related in childhood. Associations between trauma exposure, trauma-related symptomatology and children’s executive functioning were not detected, suggesting that associations between child maltreatment, neglect, and other traumas and EF-related outcomes may be particularly nuanced. The null findings here highlight the need for consideration of this complexity in future research examining pathways between trauma exposure and cognitive functioning.
June 19, 2020
Child mental & behavioral health
Child physical health
ECHO-wide Study
This review article discusses how various aspects of the family environment, such as socioeconomic status, parenting behaviors, and parental mental health, can affect children's neurodevelopmental outcomes, particularly their mental health. The article also introduces the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a new initiative by the National Institutes of Health that aims to advance our understanding of the impact of family environment on children's mental health. The article concludes by highlighting some unresolved questions and controversies in this field, and how ECHO can help address them.
May 28, 2020
Biomarkers
This study examined how the body's stress-responsive systems work together during early childhood. Researchers used a special analysis to identify three distinct patterns of activity across three systems: the parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. These patterns were stable over time and were associated with children's socioemotional outcomes. This information can help us understand how stress affects young children and develop strategies to support their well-being.
May 14, 2020
Child physical health
MAMAS/SEED Study
SEED Study
Stress during pregnancy
This study looked at how stress during pregnancy can affect a baby's weight gain. Authors found that moms who experienced more stressful events during pregnancy were more likely to have babies who gained weight too quickly in the first six months of life. These findings suggest that supporting pregnant people around stress may help prevent rapid weight gain in babies.
May 1, 2020
Biomarkers
Child mental & behavioral health
This study looked at how kindergarten classrooms affect children's mental health, and whether children's physiological reactivity to stress affects this relationship. Researchers found that classrooms with more child-centered methods helped children with higher physiological reactivity to stress to have fewer externalizing symptoms, while more teacher-dominated methods were associated with increased symptoms. For children with lower physiological reactivity, exposure to more teacher-dominated classroom management practices was associated with lower externalizing symptoms. Understanding children's individual physiological differences can help teachers create environments that promote good mental health.
February 1, 2020
Child mental & behavioral health
Protective factors
This study suggests that positive relationships with teachers and peers can mitigate the negative effects of harsh parenting on children's oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms. Children who were less accepted by their peers and had lower levels of teacher-child closeness showed greater increases in ODD symptoms when exposed to harsh parenting. However, harsh parenting was not associated with symptom change among children with higher levels of peer-nominated acceptance and those who reported closer relationships with teachers. These findings suggest that fostering positive relationships outside the family can be a promising intervention for children exposed to harsh parenting.
January 1, 2020
Biomarkers
Childhood adversity
This editorial comments on a recent study by Rasmussen & colleagues (2019), which assessed soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a potentially useful immune biomarker of early-life adversity. This discovery offers a foundation for precision medicine strategies in pediatrics to prevent longer-term impacts of stress on the body that confers a risk of disease across the life course. Large data sets, including this study of suPAR and beyond, will be crucial to the identification of novel markers with broad population relevance. However, to progress from markers to biologically informed treatments, we must elucidate for whom, under what circumstances, and by what mechanisms trauma leads to inflammation.
October 1, 2019
Intervention effects
MAMAS/SEED Study
Maternal mental health
Stress during pregnancy
This study tested the effectiveness of Mindful Moms Training, a wellness group for pregnancy women, on perceived stress, eating behaviors, and gestational weight gain. The group intervention led to significant reductions in perceived stress and depressive symptoms, increased physical activity, and showed promise for preventing glucose intolerance. However, the study found that the majority of women gained excessive weight during pregnancy, regardless of the intervention.
August 27, 2019
Child mental & behavioral health
Interconnected maternal-child health
MAMAS/SEED Study
Maternal mental health
SEED Study
This study suggests that while maternal depression can be a risk factor for children's internalizing (anxiety and depression) symptoms, the relationship between mood disorders and their transmission to children is complex and not unidirectional. In fact, the study found that children's internalizing symptoms at 18 months were positively associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 4 years, as well as maternal symptoms at 18 months positively associating with child symptoms at age 4 years. These findings highlight the importance of inclusive, family-focused interventions that can support both mothers and children in the treatment of early emotional problems.