Spanish-speaking Latine families face significant barriers in accessing autism spectrum disorder assessment and intervention services, experiencing delays in diagnosis and limited access to culturally responsive care. Families of color not only face persistent systemic barriers that affect help-seeking trajectories and parental well-being but also encounter cultural differences that play a role in their experiences. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to examine the help-seeking trajectories and well-being of Spanish-speaking Latine parents of children with autism, using the psychosociocultural model as a theoretical framework. Eleven Spanish-speaking Latine parents of children with autism participated in semistructured interviews conducted in Spanish. Thematic analysis within a social constructivist paradigm was utilized to analyze help-seeking trajectories and well-being narratives. Findings revealed five major themes and two subthemes that highlighted a nonlinear help-seeking trajectory shaped by cultural beliefs, linguistic barriers, and systemic obstacles. Findings have implications for the need of culturally and linguistically responsive health care services, reduced stigma, and strengthened community support systems to improve outcomes for these families. Future research should aim to explore the intersecting identities of parenting a child with autism and other cultural identities such as Latinidad that shape the narratives of parents of children with autism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The article highlights key channels of destructive impact affecting infodemiology of reproductive age: catastrophization of the future (ecological and economic menaces) that blocks long-term family planning; trivialization and devaluation of the institution of parenthood in mass culture; propaganda of hedonistic and individualistic values the family values detriment; spread of misinformation about reproductive health (myths about dangers of contraception or, vice versa, about incurable infertility); intensification of social anxiety and depression through negative information background that directly correlates with libido and fertility decreasing (psychogenic infertility). It is established that destructive information affects as chronic stressor that activates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, that results in hormonal imbalances (increased cortisol, impaired gonadotropin secretion). The measures targeted to limiting destructive impact of information are proposed and are to be included into national projects on demography and protection of maternal and child health, along with traditional measures. This requires development of media literacy of population, support of creative family content, regulation of destructive algorithms in social networks and development of system to monitor information menaces to reproductive well-being.
Objective In many global settings, children with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families face challenges in routinely accessing specialist-delivered care. This systematic review aimed to summarize caregiver-focused interventions for children with CP in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Method Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis guidelines, we searched 8 electronic databases, most recently in February 2024. Eligible studies described caregiver-focused interventions for children aged 18 years or younger with CP, performed in LMICs (by World Bank criteria), reported outcomes in children or caregivers, and met standards for observational research design. Two reviewers independently extracted data, assessed risk of bias using the NIH Study Quality Assessment Tool, and qualitatively synthesized findings. Results From 16,485 titles screened, 293 full texts were reviewed, and 16 studies met inclusion criteria. These studies were conducted in 10 LMICs, primarily in South Asia. Most interventions (n = 8) were group-based, with 8 interventions lasting longer than 12 weeks, considered long term. Outcomes focused on caregivers (n = 4), children (n = 4), or both (n = 8). Child motor function (n = 5) and caregiver mental health or well-being (n = 6) were the most common measures, with mostly positive impacts on motor function and little or negative effects on caregiver mental health. Caregivers reported benefits such as improved adaptability and knowledge, alongside enhanced child physical function and communication. Study quality was rated fair (n = 9) or good (n = 7). Conclusion Caregiver-focused interventions in LMICs can positively impact caregiver well-being and child outcomes. Group-based delivery appears feasible and effective. Future work should explore sustainable implementation strategies to broaden reach and impact.
Adolescent mental health problems are prevalent, yet assigning individuals to appropriate prevention interventions remains challenging. Latent profile analysis (LPA) offers a person-centered approach to address this. Through LPA, we categorized 1,541 adolescents aged 13-20 from 21 public schools in Chile (M = 15.34, SD = 1.02; 52.3% women) based on symptoms of common mental disorders, suicidal ideation (SI), hopelessness, and emotion regulation (ER) strategies. We found four profiles: "low symptomatology" (16.54%), "mild-moderate symptomatology" (26.98%), "high symptomatology" (27.24%), and "markedly high symptomatology and suicidal ideation" (29.24%), which also differed in ER strategy use. SI, hopelessness, and psychotic experiences were the most influential factors distinguishing the highest-risk profile. The higher-symptom profiles showed elevated cognitive restructuring scores, while cognitive reappraisal characterized healthier profiles. Profile membership also differed by biological sex. These findings support school-based, stratified prevention programs tailored to adolescents' specific risk profiles.
Background Technology use by children has implications for their physical, mental, and social health and development. There are many challenges in measuring modern screen use by children. To better understand the potential impact of technology on children, it is crucial to have robust methods to measure technology use. Visual recording data may be particularly well suited to capture modern digital technology use (eg, rapid transitions, multitasking, and device switching). It would be valuable to directly compare the 2 commonly used methods (wearable camera images and room video frames) to determine what is captured best by each and how they compare when both are coded by human annotation. Objective This study aimed to compare wearable camera images and room video frames to understand what can be captured from each source. Methods In a laboratory study, children (aged 3-14 years) performed various tasks while wearing a wearable camera and being video recorded by room video cameras. Comparisons between the coding of the wearable camera images and room video frames were performed on a second-by-second basis. Confusion matrices were generated to identify patterns of differences in classifications between wearable camera images and room video frame coding. Percent agreement between the wearable camera image and room video frame coding was calculated based on the confusion matrix. Results Across 44 participants, 182,451 contemporaneous wearable camera images and room video frames were coded and merged. There were generally low levels of agreement between the codes. The highest agreement was found for "desktop" and "handheld gaming," and the lowest agreement was found for "smartwatch." The wearable camera and room video methods varied in sampling rate, camera movement, and field of view, leading to differences in what was captured. Conclusions Room video might better capture technology that is within a set space and the context of the technology use, while wearable cameras could better capture active technology use, the content of technology, and different locations. Capturing technology use by children is difficult, with no gold standard and no one ideal method.
Background: /Objectives: Familial resilience is essential for the well-being of households raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet its determinants remain insufficiently understood in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 517 mothers used validated self-report measures, including the Family Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with Family Pride and Family Cohesion. Results: Families reported high Family Pride and average Family Cohesion. Family composition, maternal age, and birth order predicted Family Pride, while paternal family history and child functional level predicted Family Cohesion. Conclusions: Findings show that resilience in ASD families is multidimensional and shaped by structural and child-related factors, highlighting the need for targeted family-centered supports.
Sousamli A, Anagnostopoulos D, Metallinou D et al.
Child abandonment, delayed permanency, and prolonged reunification efforts continue to present complex challenges in child welfare decision-making. This systematic review synthesized current evidence regarding child abandonment, developmental trauma, attachment disruption, permanency planning, and termination of parental rights to evaluate whether existing evidence supports earlier permanency decisions when parental abandonment has been established. A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, publications from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, resources from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, and additional US government reports and policy documents. Searches were conducted from March 2026 through June 5, 2026. English-language studies, governmental reports, statutes, policy documents, and peer-reviewed literature addressing abandonment, permanency, trauma, attachment disruption, developmental outcomes, and termination practices were included. Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance, followed by full-text review of eligible sources. Because of substantial heterogeneity in study designs, populations, legal frameworks, and outcome measures, statistical pooling was not appropriate. Findings were therefore synthesized using a structured qualitative narrative approach that grouped evidence into predefined thematic domains. Risk of bias for primary empirical studies was assessed using validated tools appropriate to study design (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists), while non-empirical sources were not formally appraised but were evaluated descriptively according to study design, source type, methodological rigor, and relevance. Data extraction included study design, population characteristics, legal or policy context, developmental outcomes, trauma-related outcomes, attachment-related findings, permanency outcomes, and implications for child welfare decision-making. A total of 333 records were identified, 12 duplicates were removed, 79 full-text articles and reports were assessed for eligibility, and 48 studies and reports were included in the final synthesis. The reviewed literature consistently associated prolonged instability, caregiver deprivation, neglect, abuse, and abandonment with adverse developmental, psychological, and neurobiological outcomes. Earlier permanency was associated with more favorable developmental, emotional, and cognitive outcomes across the evidence reviewed. Overall, the findings support minimizing unnecessary delays in permanency decision-making when abandonment has been established. Although no scientifically validated time threshold for termination of parental rights was identified, the available evidence supports child welfare policies that prioritize timely permanency, child safety, stability, and long-term well-being.
Depression is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in people with cognitive impairment. Although care networks, defined as groups of caregivers supporting an individual with cognitive impairment, may influence depression, evidence regarding this relationship remains limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the care network types among people with cognitive impairment and assess their association with depression. Using a nationally representative sample of older adults, 537 people with cognitive impairment who required assistance with activities of daily living were analyzed. Latent class analysis was employed to identify care network types according to the composition of six categories of care providers: spouses, children, extended family members, distant relatives/friends/neighbors, privately paid caregivers, and public caregivers. Multiple linear regression was then used to examine the associations between care network types and depression after adjusting for covariates. Five care network types were identified: Child-centered (n = 175, 32.6%), Spouse-centered (n = 101, 18.8%), Friends and Neighbors-centered (n = 43, 8.0%), Public-centered (n = 97, 18.1%), and Mixed (n = 121, 22.5%). Compared with the Child-centered Care Network, the Public-centered Care Network (β = 0.09, p = 0.041) and the Mixed Care Network (β = 0.14, p = 0.002) were associated with higher depression scores. In pairwise comparisons, the Public-centered and Mixed Care Networks also had significantly higher depression scores than the Child-centered, Spouse-centered, and Friends and Neighbors-centered Care Networks. These findings suggest that the overall configuration of caregivers may be relevant to depression among people with cognitive impairment and highlight the importance of considering care network composition when assessing their psychological well-being.
Context Parents of children with differences of sex development (DSD) and hypospadias experience significant psychological distress, but the factors contributing to parental anxiety remain poorly understood. Objective Identify psychosocial factors associated with anxiety among parents of children with urogenital conditions and compare anxiety levels to parents in other pediatric settings. Design Cross-sectional survey study. Setting Pediatric subspecialty clinics at an academic medical center. Participants One hundred and eight parents of children with urogenital conditions without established genetic diagnoses, compared with 346 parents from BabySeq, a newborn genomic sequencing trial (278 parents of healthy newborns, 68 parents of neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] infants). Main outcome measures Anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [GAD-7]), stigma, and quality of life. Results Clinically significant anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 5) was present in 33% of parents of children with urogenital conditions, similar to the rate in parents of NICU infants (34%) and significantly higher than in parents of healthy newborns (21%, P = .03). Forty-one percent reported self-blame for their child's condition; 16% reported blaming their partners. Quality of life decreased with increasing stigma (P = .001), genital atypicality (P = .03), and anxiety scores (P = .04). Backward elimination and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression with multiple imputation identified 4 key factors predicting increased anxiety: higher intolerance of uncertainty, increased parental health-related stress, lower educational level, and greater emotional stigma. Additional factors included greater genital atypicality, social isolation, and self-blame. Conclusion Parents of children with urogenital conditions experience anxiety levels comparable to parents of infants in the NICU, despite their children being medically stable. Uncertainty intolerance and emotional stigma provide targets for clinical screening and early intervention.
Background In Austria, there is a significant research gap concerning the quality of out-of-home care (OoHC) provisions and their capacity to promote children's well-being and development. Given the intrusive nature of such interventions, thorough evaluation is essential. This study protocol outlines a multi-method, long-term, and multi-perspective study that investigates: 1) the circumstances leading to full-time residential care placements; 2) the development of behavioral, emotional, and social factors over time; 3) key factors influencing children's outcomes in residential care 4) the structure and everyday reality of residential care in Lower Austria, a federal state of Austria and 5) that generates knowledge that will inform improvements in child welfare practice and policy. Methods The first three research questions will be addressed through a longitudinal quantitative study involving children and adolescents (aged 11-21 years), their parents, and professionals working in residential care settings. Standardized surveys will be administered at multiple time points to track developmental changes and identify influencing factors. In addition, to gain a deeper understanding of the implicit mechanisms, and everyday practices of residential care, we plan to implement accompanying qualitative methods adapted to the particular circumstances of the field of research. Finally, a communicative validation process will be used to discuss and reflect on preliminary findings with professionals in the field. This step ensures the relevance of the results and supports the development of practice-oriented knowledge for quality improvement and safeguarding in child welfare services. Discussion This first-of-its-kind study in Austria combines quantitative and qualitative methods to generate evidence for child welfare practice and policy. An innovative element is the potential development of a standardized documentation tool to support research and quality assurance. Challenges include the field's complexity, participant recruitment, and risk of participation fatigue, which require close collaboration with practitioners and flexible survey strategies to ensure relevant results.
