The holiday season is typically a time of happiness and joy as people enjoy a time with their family and friends. Unfortunately, this time also encompasses a certain amount of stress and anxiety that is further reinforced by advertisements, media, and society (and the current COVID-19 pandemic). Among some strategies to handle stress and anxiety people turn to unhealthy stress management behaviors such as overindulging in eating or drinking. These actions don’t typically help and often make us feel worse. With that in mind, the APA suggests better, healthier, and longer-lasting techniques we can use to make holiday stress more manageable.

The following tips are among some of the points to consider:

• Strengthen social collections: The holidays can be a time to reconnect with the positive people in our lives.
• Initiate conversations about the season: Conversations with our kids about the variety of holiday traditions in the family are typically a good exercise. This time can be used as an opportunity to discuss how some families may not participate in certain holiday traditions as well.
• Set expectations: It is helpful to set realistic expectations for gifts and holiday activities. Depending on the child’s age, this opportunity can be used to teach kids about the value of money and responsible spending.
• Keep things in perspective: It is helpful to maintain a broad context and a longer-term perspective. There will be time after the holiday season to follow up or do more of things we’ve overlooked or didn’t have time to do during the holidays.
• Take care of yourself: We must pay attention to our own needs and feelings during the holiday season.

If a person continues to feel stress, it would be recommended to consult a psychologist or other licensed mental health professional in addition to the suggestions presented above.

Considering the current coronavirus pandemic and the way the year has passed we can say that this holiday season is nothing like ordinary. I stand by the CDC’s recommendations of frequent hand washing, practicing social distancing from family and friends, as well as wearing a proper mask. Recognizing the importance of mental health, we at UConn KIDS encourage you to abide by the recommended guidelines to handle the pandemic and consult a mental health professional if needed (links to the APA and CDC are included below as they contain further guidelines that can be helpful).

Happy Holidays!

 

Francisco A. Carrillo

Research Assistant, UConn K.I.D.S.

 

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/topics/parents-holiday

Link to APA: www.apa.org

Link to CDC: www.cdc.gov

Developmental Psychologists have been interested in why some children tend to be more violent than others and what factors can contribute to this increase in violent behaviors. Significant findings make psychologists suspect that children may sometimes behave violently because they lack interpersonal cognitive problem-solving (ICPS) skills, like for example reasoning or brainstorming solutions to a problem, analyzing the potential negative outcomes of their actions, and how to link causal relationships with interpersonal interactions. The researchers suggest that without these skills children are more likely to have infuriating social encounters. Frustration is in turn expressed as negative outcomes reflecting itself in misbehaviors, which in turn bolsters the cycle of unpleasant social interactions, hurt feelings, frustration, and bad behavior.

Researchers have presented significant findings that suggest that teaching ICPS skills improved children’s impulsive behavior and social interactions in comparison to children in the control group. Interestingly, well-adjusted children who learned ICPS skills in their early years (nursery school) were less likely to develop negative behavioral outcomes in the future when compared to children who didn’t learn these skills. Additional research shows how positive parental influence can have strong positive effects on cognitive and behavioral maturation.

The development of effective interpersonal cognitive problem-skills (ICPS) intervention has led to the emergence of several programs around the U.S. that seek to decrease frustration and misbehaviors therefore increasing positive behavioral outcomes and interactions. The ICPS’s widespread appeal has taught thousands of children and adolescents how to think and interact with others and has contributed significantly to the reduction of violence, high-risk behaviors, and substance abuse in the locations where it has been implemented.

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/research/action/solve

Bullying in the school setting is not a new concern, but rather an ongoing issue that hasn’t been properly addressed in the past. Currently, psychologists have been working in new ways to identify and manage bullying and violence in school as they recognize the serious and sometimes deadly consequences this negative behavior has. Bullying can be better defined as a repeated negative, ill-intentioned behavior perpetrated by one or more students and directed against a student who has difficulty defending himself or herself. Typically, the perpetrator(s) are characterized as being impulsive, aggressive and defiant, as they exhibit a strong need to dominate or subdue others. On the other hand, victims are usually described as being cautious, sensitive, cautious, withdrawn, and shy. They may present anxious and insecure behaviors which may often lead to an increased chance of developing a low-self-esteem and depression. Researchers have taken a look towards the prevalence of bullying in the school setting, finding out that 17 percent of students reported having been bullied “sometimes” and six percent reporting both bullying others and being a victim of bullying.

Having recognized the importance of bullying and school violence, psychologists have greatly contributed to the development of comprehensive models designed to reduce and prevent bullying among students. Programs like for example the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program have focused on creating a school and home environment surrounded by warmth and positive involvement from adults as it is complemented with firm limits on unacceptable behaviors and consistent applications of non-punitive, non-physical sanctions for unacceptable behaviors. This program has yielded significant results including substantial reductions in the frequency of reports, significant improvements in the social climate of the class and improvement in students’ satisfaction with school life.

Bullying has been an ongoing issue both in historical and current contexts. Research on bullying and school violence has leaned towards the development of scientific models that would reduce and prevent its prevalence in schools and academic settings.  From a social standpoint, these outcomes can be beneficial as negative effects that could possibly escalate in the future are substantially reduced. It is important to recognize that a great number of scientific literature (both studies and books) address the importance of bullying and treat it as a “hot-topic” to highlight it’s importance in our current and future social setting.

 

Link to Article: https://www.apa.org/research/action/bullying

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected how society functions and operates. The academic and educational perspective provides us interesting feedback on how schools, more specifically children, have confronted this unprecedented challenge as they moved quickly into online formats as their teaching settings instead of their typical classroom environment. This results in several possible stressors that can cause mental health challenges for anyone regardless of a previous history of mental health challenges. The school setting would usually provide teachers with the opportunity to identify said stressors and handle the rise of a mental health challenge. However, the current scenario limits the opportunity to identify said challenges as they might go undetected.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 15 to 20% of students could be identified as needing support. Statistically speaking, this number is expected to increase as the number of potential emotional downfalls is higher than before. The APA proposes a possible solution using frequent screening methods to address any mental health challenges that may arise. In collaboration with faculty and staff, teachers may be asked to nominate students who appear to be excessively anxious or frequently sad. The scores on these questionnaires can be used to identify a student who might appear at risk for anxiety or depression. Said questionnaires can be completed again a few weeks later to determine whether their mental health challenges are enduring.

The initiative of having students complete questionnaires is beneficial as it identifies students who might be at risk for emotional difficulties. However, schools need to have a plan of action to connect their students to the appropriate service. This could take place either through the school or through a community agency that treats youth with mental health disorders. Given the many mental health challenges that students may experience both during and after the pandemic, educators need to assist in identifying at-risk students through systematic screening; advocate for universal screening for the student population; and increase awareness of the importance of mental health screening within their colleagues as well as the school and parents.

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/student-mental-health

Earlier this month, UConn Postdoctoral Fellow Leah Lessard was awarded a prestigious grant from the Society in Research in Child Development (SRCD). Since 1933, the Society for Research in Child Development has focused on stimulating and supporting research to encourage collaboration among individuals within the field of child development and fortify applications of research findings. The grants were selected from a competitive pool of professional applicants that cover many different areas of research and topics. A selection for this grant deserves recognition, so we at UConn KIDS want to take part in congratulating her for this exceptional accomplishment.

Dr. Lessard received her Ph. D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where much of her experience and expertise within child development and psychology took place. After about five years in Los Angeles, Dr. Lessard’s current research is taking place here at the University of Connecticut at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Her research focuses on how social experiences contribute to stigma-based health and educational disparities during adolescence. She seeks to identify mechanisms that effectively promote inclusion and acceptance within the school setting as a way to improve marginalized adolescents’ access to the social resources critical for healthy and academically successful outcomes.

As a top 25 public university, we here at UConn recognize research as an integral part of the formation of our students and the growth of its faculty and professors. With this in mind, we at UConn KIDS want to congratulate Dr. Lessard as she continues to make her mark within the field of psychology and child development. Her professionalism and expertise make her more than a qualified professional, but an advocate to promote social inclusion and acceptance for middle and high school kids.

Once again, congratulations.

Best wishes in all your personal and professional endeavors Dr. Lessard.

Francisco A. Carrillo

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Findings in the late 1960s led to the development of an empirically tested treatment program to aid troubled children and juvenile offenders. Psychologists Elaine Phillips, Elery Phillips, Dean Fixsen, and Montrose Wolf combined the successful components of their studies into the Teaching-Family Model with the intention of generating a structured treatment regimen which exemplifies a family-like environment. The model’s ideal composition is built around a married couple that lives with the children in a home with the intention of teaching them essential interpersonal and living skills. Taking a step further, the behaviors and techniques are assessed for their effectiveness through empirically observable methods. Teaching-parents also work closely with the children’s caregivers (parents and/or custodian), teachers, employers, and peers to ensure support for the children’s positive environment.

In the past, many treatments viewed delinquency as an illness and therefore handled it as such. The Teaching-Family Model, in contrast, views children’s behavior problems as stemming from a lack of essential interpersonal relationships and skills. Its significance has expanded well beyond as it has demonstrated how well-researched treatment programs can be implemented on a large scale. Besides numbers and statistics that prove its significance, I believe it’s important to highlight the fact that the Teaching-Family Model has been a source of hope that young people with difficult problems or behaviors can improve the quality of their lives and the repercussion for society.

The application of the Teaching-Family Model has been expanded to include foster care facilities, home treatment settings, and even schools. The model has been accommodated to the needs of physically, emotionally, and sexually abused children; emotionally disturbed and autistic children and adults; and medically fragile children.  Although the model has been effective so far (both practically and statistically) research is still being conducted to make the Teaching-Family Model an effective tool, with the intention of benefiting both children and adults who might need aid, but to also contribute to a better social regimen.

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/research/action/family

From a categorical perspective, children who live in poverty tend to perform worse in school than do children from privileged and nurtured backgrounds. In the early 1900s, researchers leaned towards biology and maturation as their main lens of child development claimed that these differences were caused by cognitive deficits. By the 1960s, this position began to decrease as health professionals began to recognize the important effect the environment can have on an individual. Although this idea was considered somewhat speculative at the time, it began to prove its ground as it revealed that early attention to physical and psychological development could improve cognitive ability.

The implementation of this research leads to the development of the federal Head Start program. The reasoning behind it was to have poor children start on an “equal footing” with wealthier classmates to promote a better chance of succeeding in school and avoiding poverty in adulthood. Additionally, the program seeks to involve the family and the community that composes the child-rearing environment. Studies show a variety of results that promote both disadvantages and advantages. The idea that some of the advantages the Head Start program may disappear through elementary school is proven by some research investigations. On the other hand, other research studies demonstrate lasting benefits in areas of school achievement and adjustment.

Since the origin of the federal Head Start program in 1965, the program has provided significant results and tangible outcomes. Approximately 20 million children and their families have participated in the program in the past and about one million are enrolled each year. But besides its practical application, the Head Start has served as a platform from which research on early intervention has proliferated. This initiative has also led to the development of other services that focus on family support and parenthood education intending to promote a nurtured environment for the upcoming generations.

 

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/research/action/early

Since TV was first introduced, parents, teachers, politicians, and mental health professionals have wanted to understand the impact of television, particularly focusing on children. Psychologists tend to refer to Bandura’s work in the 1970s on social learning and the tendency of learning as influenced by modeling and exposition. Upon years of study and assessment the National Institute of Mental Health came up with some major effects related to the exposition of violence including: (1) reduced sensitivity to pain and suffering of others, (2) increase fearfulness of the world, and (3) increased aggressive behavior towards others. Complementary research studies have also found that children who watch many hours of violence on TV tend to be more aggressive as teenagers and adults. These findings don’t necessarily imply that exposition to violence is a cause of aggressive behavior, but rather recognize it as a factor that may contribute to aggressive conduct.

 

Leaving TV aside, it’s important to consider how the video game realm contributes to violence as it doesn’t just limit itself to present violence, but to engage the user in virtual violent behaviors. Before addressing the subject of video games and violence, I think it’s important to recognize that according to statistics, approximately 97% of adolescents (ages 12-17) play videogames. This is interesting as it shows how almost every single adolescent is exposed to video games. It becomes more fascinating to note that the most popular videogames like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto embrace violence or violent behaviors as their main objective. If we take 97% of adolescents and add it to the popular violent games we obtain interesting data that may lean towards violent videogames as a cause of aggressive behaviors.

 

According to new research studies conducted by psychologists, evidence in research suggests that exposure to violent videogames is a causal risk factor that can lead to aggressive behavior, aggressive affect, and decreased empathy and prosocial behaviors. Another research study proposes the idea that children are also influenced by other variables like mental health and family life. Children who are already at risk in these settings may be more likely to play violent video games. Although this data is compelling, it would be somewhat premature to conclude that violent video games are the cause of aggressive behavior.  I would limit myself to say that violent videogames may be one of the causes of violent behaviors or conducts. To reach further conclusions, more research studies have to be considered. As for parents, I would advise close monitoring of what their adolescent children are exposed to in both TV and videogames. Personally, I would also consider the idea of monitoring the environment these adolescents are in as a negative influence enhanced by a violent videogame that may lead to negative outcomes.

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/research/action/protect

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), approximately one out of every five children in America has a recognizable mental health disorder. Said mental health problems are associated with negative outcomes that can increase the possibility of engaging in substance abuse, justice involvement, economic struggles, physical health problems, and in some cases attempts against life.

Studies show that many children and adolescents lack access to essential mental health and substance abuse treatments. Less than half of children with mental health issues get proper treatment and services to help them manage their issues. This number is estimated to be only about one out of every five children. In perspective, this means that about 80% of children with mental disorders remain unattended; a situation that is enhanced by an unchanging system that doesn’t provide them with the correct tools to help them address their mental health.  The effects of untreated mental health among children and youth don’t only affect the young person and their families, but also society and the nation as a whole. In my opinion, the mental health crisis is an important issue that can’t remain unsolved. Actions against its prevalence must be taken.

This brings me to ask what we as society, caregivers, and educators can do to effectively address the mental health crisis the American nation is facing. For starters, we have to begin by recognizing mental health to be as important as physical health. Stigmas and aversion towards mental health must be thrown out the window as this issue deserves recognition and most importantly action. Secondly, we must accept that children’s development of social, emotional, and behavioral well-being is important to their overall health. Additionally, we have to improve the efforts that promote the early recognition of mental health. In this same line of thought, we must also motivate effective practices to treat and prevent mental health in our youth. The effectiveness with which mental health is handled is a key element to reduce its prevalence in our youth. Lastly, we must use programs that suit each child’s particular needs and situations. As we know, every child’s needs and ideals are different and must be handled as so. Taking these five points into consideration is the first step to effectively manage the mental health crisis our youth is currently facing. It is our job as society to take further steps to effectively handle mental health and to commit to actions that will eventually decrease the prevalence of said disorders.  

 

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/advocacy/health/children

Research shows how being a responsible student, maintaining an interest in school, and having good reading and writing skills are not just limited to contributing to a students’ success in high school but could also be a predictor of educational and occupational success in years to come. According to researchers, said success is due to specific behaviors that have been present in high school which can then have a long-lasting effect on one’s later life, regardless of IQ and parental incomes. This idea highlights the importance of education and how it can not only benefit a particular individual but a collective society.

This investigation was based on collections and analysis of data from over 300,000 high school students in 1960, along with follow up data from 81,000 of those students 11 years later and 2,000 of them 50 years later. The qualities that made a good student in High School, for instance, responsibility, interest in school, and reading and writing skills, were all significantly associated with greater educational attainment and better and prestigious jobs both 11 years and 50 years after high school. Further analysis suggested that the importance of specific characteristics seen during high school were key predictors of success at a later point in life. “This study highlights the possibility that certain behaviors at crucial periods could have long-term consequences for a person’s life” – the researcher said.

Upon analysis, the idea that behaviors in early life could be predictors of success is effortlessly understandable. This study provides key evidence that highlights the importance of the education system and society. On another thought, it’s important to state the article presented above evaluates this idea in terms of education and life success in the future. However, I believe this same idea can be applied to bad behaviors and habits that can be translated from early life to adulthood. This means that the education system and society are not the only factors to consider, as parenting and appropriate education in the foundations of home can also contribute to better social outcomes in the future.

Link to article: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/02/high-school-behavior