Objectives: Maternal depression negatively affects depression and anxiety symptoms in the offspring. This study examined the association between maternal depression and their adolescent offspring depression and anxiety, as well as the mediating role of emotional trauma in determining the association. Methods: Participants were 237 mothers (46.08±5.00 years) and their adolescent offspring (16.54±1.51 years). The participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, and the Screen for Children’s Anxiety Related Disorders. The mediating effect of emotional trauma on offspring was explored using mediation analysis. Results: Maternal depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with adolescent offspring traumatic experiences, as well as with their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis results showed that emotional trauma of offspring significantly mediated the effect of maternal depression on their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Findings indicate that maternal depression was significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescent offspring, mediated by their emotional trauma. Future research is needed to investigate pathways and intervention strategies to prevent the intergenerational transmission of emotional problems.

Objectives: Maternal depression negatively affects depression and anxiety symptoms in the offspring. This study examined the association between maternal depression and their adolescent offspring depression and anxiety, as well as the mediating role of emotional trauma in determining the association. Methods: Participants were 237 mothers (46.08±5.00 years) and their adolescent offspring (16.54±1.51 years). The participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, and the Screen for Children’s Anxiety Related Disorders. The mediating effect of emotional trauma on offspring was explored using mediation analysis. Results: Maternal depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with adolescent offspring traumatic experiences, as well as with their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis results showed that emotional trauma of offspring significantly mediated the effect of maternal depression on their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Findings indicate that maternal depression was significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescent offspring, mediated by their emotional trauma. Future research is needed to investigate pathways and intervention strategies to prevent the intergenerational transmission of emotional problems.

Objectives: Maternal depression negatively affects depression and anxiety symptoms in the offspring. This study examined the association between maternal depression and their adolescent offspring depression and anxiety, as well as the mediating role of emotional trauma in determining the association. Methods: Participants were 237 mothers (46.08±5.00 years) and their adolescent offspring (16.54±1.51 years). The participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, and the Screen for Children’s Anxiety Related Disorders. The mediating effect of emotional trauma on offspring was explored using mediation analysis. Results: Maternal depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with adolescent offspring traumatic experiences, as well as with their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis results showed that emotional trauma of offspring significantly mediated the effect of maternal depression on their depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Findings indicate that maternal depression was significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescent offspring, mediated by their emotional trauma. Future research is needed to investigate pathways and intervention strategies to prevent the intergenerational transmission of emotional problems.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) among Korean adolescents and examine its association with psychiatric comorbidities and mental health symptoms. Methods: A total of 270 adolescents and their parents participated in this study. Parents completed the Internet Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth: Observer Version and the Diagnostic Predictive Scales, whereas adolescents completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Disorders, and the Youth Self-Report. Group differences in psychiatric disorders and mental health symptoms across IA levels were analyzed. Results: Of the participants, 86.3% were classified as general, 11.1% as potential high risk, and 2.6% as high risk for IA. The high risk IA group exhibited significantly higher rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (42.9%), major depressive disorder (26.3%), and social anxiety (14.3%) as well as greater attentional and social difficulties. Effect sizes for group differences were small to moderate (ε2 = 0.041 for social problems; ε2 =0.033 for attentional problems). IA scores were positively correlated with attentional difficulties and anxiety. Anxiety was a significant predictor of IA in the regression analysis. Conclusion Adolescents with high IA risk exhibited elevated psychiatric comorbidities and mental health difficulties, with anxiety showing an independent association with IA. These findings suggest incorporating anxiety-management components into IA prevention and care. Given the small sample size of the high risk IA group, caution is warranted when generalizing these findings.

Objectives: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior, including suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts, are important predictors of suicide in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the associations between NSSI, SI, NSSI+SI, mental health problems, and family factors in Korean adolescents in Jeju Island, with an emphasis on key findings. Methods: A total of 561 adolescents completed self-report questionnaires regarding demographics, NSSI, SI, suicidal behavior, perceived family functioning, and mental health problems, which were assessed using Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, Screen for Children Anxiety-Related Disorders (SCARED), and Youth Self-Report (YSR). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, post-hoc analyses, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: In this study, 22.3% of adolescents reported either NSSI or SI, with 5.5% reporting NSSI and 20.7% reporting SI. Combined (NSSI+SI) group showed a significantly higher SCARED score, anxiety/depression, thought problems, attention problem, and rule breaking on YSR than did the SI only group. Higher level of depression and anxiety were significantly associated with NSSI and SI. Female sex and perceived family dissatisfaction were significantly associated factors for SI, but not for NSSI in multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion This study provides insights into the clinical characteristics and associated factors among adolescents with NSSI, SI, and NSSI+SI in Jeju Island. Identifying these results can inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of these behaviors and contribute to a better understanding of the role of family in this context.

Objectives: Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) is effective in children with chronic tic disorders. This study aimed to assess the effect of group-based CBIT (group-CBIT) on tic severity and comorbid symptoms. We compared the efficacy of group CBIT with that of a control. Methods: Thirty children with chronic tic disorder or Tourette’s disorder were enrolled in this study. Eighteen were assigned to the group-CBIT for eight sessions, and 12 were assigned to the control group. Tics and comorbid symptoms were assessed pre- and postintervention using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Rating Scale-IV, Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Korean-Children Behavioral Checklist. We compared the pre- and post-intervention results of each group and determined the difference in the pre- and post-intervention results between intervention and the control group. Results: The YGTSS motor and vocal tic interference, global impairment, and global severity scores decreased in the intervention group only. Group CBIT was superior in reducing the motor tic interference, impairment score, and global severity score to the control group. Conclusion The group-CBIT showed an improvement in tic symptoms, especially in reducing the level of interference and impairment of tics.

Objective: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan, but research on intergenerational transmission of maternal ACEs and its impact on the offspring’s mental health problems are limited. The study examines the effects of maternal ACEs on the risk of internalizing or externalizing problems among offspring. Methods: There were 450 mother-child dyads. Mothers completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. The child outcomes included internalizing and externalizing problems assessed by the Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) and Korean Youth Self-Report (K-YSR), depression assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) and anxiety assessed by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Results: 36.1% of mothers experienced at least one ACE, and 11.1% experienced three or more ACEs. Cumulative maternal ACEs were associated with internalizing problems, externalizing problems, depression and anxiety in the offspring. Household dysfunction from maternal ACEs was significantly associated with delinquent behavior, anxiety/depression, and somatic complaints in the offspring. Conclusion The findings support the hypothesis that maternal ACEs are related to mental health problems in the offspring. Further research is needed to determine the factors mediating intergenerational transmission as well as intervention strategies to prevent ACEs and mental health problems in the offspring.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Body Image ; Bullying ; Child ; Cognitive Therapy ; Depression ; Eating ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Mental Health ; Multimedia ; Obesity ; Pediatric Obesity ; Prevalence

In a divorced family, child-centered custody evaluation is essential to ensure the child’s best interests and healthy adaptation. A mental health professional’s role and involvement are required in gaining an in-depth understanding of various environments and dynamics surrounding the child and family. Domestic violence, including child abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) or parental alienation syndrome (PAS), is often observed in cases of custody evaluation in high-conflict divorced families, sometimes accompanied by allegations.Such cases warrant an extremely careful approach by the evaluator, who needs to be competent in interpreting the familial dynamics based on a reasonable context understanding. Genuine professionalism is a must for a custody evaluator to best help the child and carry out a high-quality custody evaluation process, and evaluators need to be ready for this task through adequate preparation and empowerment. This article is devoted to examining custody evaluation in divorced families in cases of IPV, child abuse, and PAS.