Laurie Miller Brotman, Ph.D.

Physical and Mental Health Disparities among Young Children of Asian Immigrants
Huang, Keng-Yen; Calzada, Esther; Cheng, Sabrina; Brotman, Laurie Miller
2012 Feb;160(2):331-336.e1, Journal of pediatrics
OBJECTIVE: To examine physical and mental health functioning among Asian-American children of US-born and immigrant parents. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 base-year public data file. The sample was restricted to 7726 Asian and US-born white children. Asian subgroups were created based on parents' country of birth. Child physical and mental health was assessed based on multiple sources of data and measures. Analyses included multivariate linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic and contextual differences, disparities were found for physical and mental health indicators. Children of foreign-born Asian families (from east, southeast, and south Asia) were at greater risk for poor physical health, internalizing problems, and inadequate interpersonal relationships compared with children of US-born white families. CONCLUSION: There is little support for the 'model minority' myth with regard to physical and mental health. Evidence of physical and mental health disparities among young Asian-American children and differing risk based on region of origin of immigrant parents suggests the need for culturally informed prevention efforts during early childhood
— id: 149945, year: 2012, vol: 160, page: 331, stat: Journal Article,

Promoting effective parenting practices and preventing child behavior problems in school among ethnically diverse families from underserved, urban communities
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Calzada, Esther; Huang, Keng-Yen; Kingston, Sharon; Dawson-McClure, Spring; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Rosenfelt, Amanda; Schwab, Amihai; Petkova, Eva
2011 Jan;82(1):258-276, Child development
This study examines the efficacy of ParentCorps among 4-year-old children (N = 171) enrolled in prekindergarten in schools in a large urban school district. ParentCorps includes a series of 13 group sessions for parents and children held at the school during early evening hours and facilitated by teachers and mental health professionals. ParentCorps resulted in significant benefits on effective parenting practices and teacher ratings of child behavior problems in school. Intervention effects were of similar magnitude for families at different levels of risk and for Black and Latino families. The number of sessions attended was related to improvements in parenting. Study findings support investment in and further study of school-based family interventions for children from underserved, urban communities
— id: 122693, year: 2011, vol: 82, page: 258, stat: Journal Article,

Nutrition Practices and Children's Dietary Intakes at 40 Child-Care Centers in New York City
Erinosho, Temitope; Dixon, L. Beth; Young, Candace; Brotman, Laurie Miller; Hayman, Laura L.
2011 SEP ;111(9):1391-1397, Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Early childhood is a critical time to establish nutrition habits to prevent obesity. At least half of US children spend time in care outside of the home, where little is known about their dietary intakes and nutrition environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate nutrition practices of group child-care centers in New York City and to assess whether dietary intakes of children at these centers meet nutrition recommendations. In 2005 and 2006, student research assistants administered surveys to directors of 40 child-care centers in three underserved communities (Central Brooklyn, East/Central Harlem, South Bronx) and in. Manhattan, gathered menus, and observed beverages and foods consumed by 240 3- and 4-year-old children. Almost all centers provided beverages and foods recommended by national guidelines, including reduced-fat milk, 100% fruit juice, and whole grains. Some centers also provided higher-fat milk and sugar-sweetened beverages, but no centers provided half Drinking water was available in classrooms at only half of the centers. From observations at meal and snack times between 8 AM to 2 PM, <50% of children ate at least half of the daily recommended intake for each of five main food groups, with only 17% of children eating at least half of the daily recommended intake for vegetables and only 5% of children eating at least half of the daily recommended intake for vitamin E. Although many centers provided healthful beverages and foods to children, further efforts are needed to make water available as a beverage throughout the day and to improve dietary intakes, especially of vegetables and vitamin E containing foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;1.11:1391-1397
— id: 137923, year: 2011, vol: 111, page: 1391, stat: Journal Article,

Understanding Relations Among Early Family Environment, Cortisol Response, and Child Aggression via a Prevention Experiment
O'Neal, Colleen R; Brotman, Laurie Miller; Huang, Keng-Yen; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Calzada, Esther J; Pine, Daniel S
2010 Jan;81(1):290-305, Child development
This study examined relations among family environment, cortisol response, and behavior in the context of a randomized controlled trial with 92 children (M = 48 months) at risk for antisocial behavior. Previously, researchers reported an intervention effect on cortisol response in anticipation of a social challenge. The current study examined whether changes in cortisol response were related to later child aggression. Among lower warmth families, the intervention effect on aggression was largely mediated by the intervention effect on cortisol response. Although the intervention also resulted in significant benefits on child engaging behavior, cortisol response did not mediate this effect. These findings demonstrate meaningful associations between cortisol response and aggression among children at familial risk for antisocial behavior
— id: 108803, year: 2010, vol: 81, page: 290, stat: Journal Article,

An experimental test of parenting practices as a mediator of early childhood physical aggression
Brotman, Laurie Miller; O'Neal, Colleen R; Huang, Keng-Yen; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Rosenfelt, Amanda; Shrout, Patrick E
2009 Mar;50(3):235-245, Journal of child psychology & psychiatry & allied disciplines
Background: Parenting practices predict early childhood physical aggression. Preventive interventions that alter parenting practices and aggression during early childhood provide the opportunity to test causal models of early childhood psychopathology. Although there have been several informative preventive intervention studies that test mediation models in older children, no such studies have been conducted with younger children at high risk for psychopathology. Method: Within the context of a randomized controlled trial, we examined whether changes in parenting practices mediate the effects of a family intervention on observed physical aggression among African American and Latino younger siblings of adjudicated youths. Results: Improved parenting practices partially mediated the intervention effect on physical aggression. Improvements in harsh parenting, responsive parenting, and stimulating parenting explained a significant amount of the intervention effect on child physical aggression observed in the context of parent-child interactions. Parenting practices accounted for 38% of the intervention effect on physical aggression. Conclusions: There was support for the hypothesized model of the prevention of physical aggression during early childhood. Intervention benefits on parenting practices partially accounted for intervention effects on physical aggression in young high-risk children
— id: 95470, year: 2009, vol: 50, page: 235, stat: Journal Article,

Parent Cultural Adaptation and Child Functioning in Culturally Diverse, Urban Families of Preschoolers
Calzada EJ; Brotman LM; Huang KY; Bat-Chava Y; Kingston S
2009 Jul;30(4):515-524, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology
Parent cultural adaptation and preschool behavioral and socioemotional functioning were examined in a community sample of urban families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Participants were 130 families of children (mean age = 4.1 years) attending eight public Pre-Kindergarten programs in urban communities. Parents completed a measure of cultural adaptation that taps into acculturation and enculturation, and teachers reported on children's externalizing problems, internalizing problems and adaptive behavior in the classroom. Parents' ethnic identity was a significant predictor of children's functioning. The retention of parents' culture of origin and specific aspects of acculturation are related to positive outcomes in a sample of culturally diverse families of preschoolers living in urban communities. Bicultural parents (those with high ethnic and US American identity) had children with lower levels of internalizing problems and higher levels of adaptive behavior relative to parents who were not bicultural. Implications for enhancing positive child outcomes through the promotion of parental ethnic identity are discussed
— id: 138395, year: 2009, vol: 30, page: 515, stat: Journal Article,

Morbidity in obese adolescents who meet the adult National Institutes of Health criteria for bariatric surgery
Nadler, Evan P; Brotman, Laurie M; Miyoshi, Thomas; Fryer, George E Jr; Weitzman, Michael
2009 Oct;44(10):1869-1876, Journal of pediatric surgery
PURPOSE: Some have suggested that the criteria for weight loss surgery in adolescents be stricter than those currently recommended for adults by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The aim of the current study is to define the characteristics of adolescents who meet NIH consensus criteria for bariatric surgery in adults to determine their level of morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2000-2004, children designated as meeting NIH criteria were 13 to 17 years of age with (1) a body mass index >or=40 or (2) a body mass index >35, and one or more comorbidity. We contrasted surgery candidates with noncandidates. We examined items that comprise a screener for identifying children with special health care needs. The Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS) was used to assess child functioning. RESULTS: There were 134 children identified as candidates for bariatric surgery and 4736 noncandidates in the same age range. Candidates were more likely to have special health care needs (36% vs 23%) and more likely to have a CIS above 16 (34% vs 16%). Candidates for weight loss surgery were 2.36 times as likely to have a CIS score of 16 or higher and 1.87 times as likely to be identified as a child with special health care needs (P <or= .001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that adolescents who meet NIH consensus criteria for weight loss surgery in adults require specialized health services and have functional impairment. Thus, we advocate the use of the standard adult criteria defined by the NIH as the initial screening requirements so that enhanced access to weight loss surgery for morbidly obese adolescents may be achieved
— id: 104903, year: 2009, vol: 44, page: 1869, stat: Journal Article,

A small-scale randomized controlled trial of the revised new forest parenting programme for preschoolers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Thompson, Margaret J J; Laver-Bradbury, Cathy; Ayres, Michelle; Le Poidevin, Emma; Mead, Sarah; Dodds, Catherine; Psychogiou, Lamprini; Bitsakou, Paraskevi; Daley, David; Weeks, Anne; Brotman, Laurie Miller; Abikoff, Howard; Thompson, Penny; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J S
2009 Oct;18(10):605-616, European journal of child & adolescent psychiatry
The revised new forest parenting programme (NFPP) is an 8-week psychological intervention designed to treat ADHD in preschool children by targeting, amongst other things, both underlying impairments in self-regulation and the quality of mother-child interactions. Forty-one children were randomized to either the revised NFPP or treatment as usual conditions. Outcomes were ADHD and ODD symptoms measured using questionnaires and direct observation, mothers' mental health and the quality of mother-child interactions. Effects of the revised NFPP on ADHD symptoms were large (effect size >1) and significant and effects persisted for 9 weeks post-intervention. Effects on ODD symptoms were less marked. There were no improvements in maternal mental health or parenting behavior during mother-child interaction although there was a drop in mothers' negative and an increase in their positive comments during a 5-min speech sample. The small-scale trial, although limited in power and generalizability, provides support for the efficacy of the revised NFPP. The findings need to be replicated in a larger more diverse sample
— id: 106110, year: 2009, vol: 18, page: 605, stat: Journal Article,

Preventive intervention for preschoolers at high risk for antisocial behavior: long-term effects on child physical aggression and parenting practices
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Huang, Keng-Yen; Rosenfelt, Amanda; O'Neal, Colleen; Klein, Rachel G; Shrout, Patrick
2008 Apr;37(2):386-396, Journal of clinical child & adolescent psychology
This article presents long-term effects of a preventive intervention for young children at high risk for antisocial behavior. Ninety-two children (M age = 4 years) were randomly assigned to an 8-month family intervention or no-intervention control condition and assessed 4 times over a 24-month period. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed significant intervention effects on observed child physical aggression, and significant intervention effects found at the end of the program were maintained at follow-up for responsive parenting, harsh parenting and stimulation for learning. Parent ratings of child aggression did not show significant effects of intervention
— id: 80612, year: 2008, vol: 37, page: 386, stat: Journal Article,

Symptom-specific measures for disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Theise, Rachelle
Handbook of psychiatric measures Arlington, VA, : American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., 2008,
(from the chapter) This chapter includes measures that assess specific mental disorders in children and adolescents. The measures include rating scales and diagnostic instruments and rely on a variety of informants (e.g., parent, teacher, and child). Several of the instruments include versions for more than one informant. The following disorders are covered in this chapter: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autistic disorder, and tic disorders. The chapter is organized by disorder, as follows: For ADHD: the Conners' Rating Scales-Revised (CRS-R). For oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder: the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) and the New York Teacher Rating (NYTRS) and Parent Rating (NYPRS) scales. For anxiety disorders: the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV--Child Version (ADIS-IV-C), Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). For mood disorders: the Children's Depression Inventory (GDI) and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, 2nd Edition (RADS-2). For autistic disorder: the Autism Diagnostic Interview--Revised (ADI-R). For tic disorders: the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS).
— id: 4643, year: 2008, vol: , page: 309, stat: Chapter,

Training school personnel to facilitate a family intervention to prevent conduct problems
Brotman, LM; Kingston, S; Bat-Chava, Y; Caldwell, MB; Calzada, EJ
2008 JUL-AUG ;19(4):622-642, Early Education & Development
This study evaluates school personnel perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors before and after a 36-hr training program designed to prepare early childhood school personnel for implementation of an after-school family preventive intervention for conduct problems. Participants were 40 female school personnel (22 professionals and 18 paraprofessionals). Research Findings: Participation and satisfaction with the training program were high. Before training, school personnel responded correctly to 53% to 66% of knowledge questions and indicated that they would be 'somewhat comfortable to comfortable' in facilitating the after-school groups with families. Before training, professionals had greater knowledge than paraprofessionals; there was no difference in initial comfort level by professional status. Trainees made substantial gains in knowledge related to cognitive-behavioral strategies for preschoolers, program philosophy, and group facilitation skills, responding correctly to 69% to 77% of questions. These large effects on knowledge were not moderated by professional status. There were no significant changes in comfort level. Gains in knowledge in cognitive-behavioral strategies generalized over time (5 months) but not across contexts (into the classroom). Practice or Policy: This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility and potential efficacy of a training program to prepare early childhood school personnel to implement an after-school family preventive intervention for conduct problems
— id: 86666, year: 2008, vol: 19, page: 622, stat: Journal Article,

Construct validation of the social competence scale in preschool-age children
Gouley, KK; Brotman, LM; Huang, KY; Shrout, PE
2008 APR ;17(2):380-398, Social development
This study evaluated the utility of the social competence scale (SCS)-parent version, a measure of social competence developed for children of elementary school age, for use with preschool-age children. Data were derived from two samples of preschoolers: a community sample assessed at enrollment to pre-kindergarten programs and a high-risk sample of children at familial risk for conduct problems participating in a preventive intervention trial. Using data from both samples, we assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and stability of the SCS, and whether the SCS discriminated the high-risk sample from the community sample. Results support the utility and construct validity of the SCS for use in preschoolers. The total SCS scale was relatively stable over 24 months during the preschool period and was correlated with other measures of social competence, parent ratings of emotion regulation, lability and behavior problems, and tests of child cognitive ability
— id: 78380, year: 2008, vol: 17, page: 380, stat: Journal Article,

Effects of a psychosocial family-based preventive intervention on cortisol response to a social challenge in preschoolers at high risk for antisocial behavior
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Huang, Keng-Yen; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Fratto, Carolyn; Pine, Daniel S
2007 Oct;64(10):1172-1179, Archives of general psychiatry
CONTEXT: Salivary cortisol levels during social challenge relate to adaptive functioning in children and adults. Low cortisol levels have been related to conduct problems and antisocial behavior. Although studies in rodents implicate early-life social experience in cortisol regulation, no studies with humans have examined the effects of an experimentally manipulated early-life social experience on cortisol regulation. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of experimental manipulations of social experience on cortisol response to a social challenge in preschoolers at risk for antisocial behavior. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two preschool-age siblings of youths adjudicated for delinquent acts. Intervention Family-based intervention included 22 weekly group sessions for parents and preschoolers and 10 biweekly home visits conducted during a 6- to 8-month period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Salivary cortisol levels before and after a social challenge (entry into an unfamiliar peer group). RESULTS: Relative to controls, children in the intervention condition had increased cortisol levels in anticipation of the peer social challenge. Increases were relative to both preintervention cortisol levels during the challenge and cortisol levels in the home, which were not altered by the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A family-based preventive intervention for children at high risk for antisocial behavior alters stress response in anticipation of a peer social challenge. The experimentally induced change in cortisol levels parallels patterns found in normally developing, low-risk children
— id: 74409, year: 2007, vol: 64, page: 1172, stat: Journal Article,

Effortful control, social competence, and adjustment problems in children at risk for psychopathology
Dennis, Tracy A; Brotman, Laurie Miller; Huang, Keng-Yen; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely
2007 Jul-Sep;36(3):442-454, Journal of clinical child & adolescent psychology
This study explored the factor structure and developmental trajectory of effortful control (EC), its relations with child adjustment, and the moderating role of age and gender in 75 4- to 6-year-old children at risk for psychopathology. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed two subcomponents of effortful control: Suppress/Initiate (the ability to inhibit a dominant response while initiating a new response) and Motor Control (inhibiting fine and gross motor activity). EC performance improved with age, and both subcomponents were associated with greater social competence at all ages. Associations with internalizing problems were moderated by child age such that greater EC was linked to fewer problems at age 4 but did not relate to problems at ages 5 or 6
— id: 91681, year: 2007, vol: 36, page: 442, stat: Journal Article,

Older siblings benefit from a family-based preventive intervention for preschoolers at risk for conduct problems
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Dawson-McClure, Spring; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; McGuire, Kristina; Burraston, Bert; Bank, Lew
2005 Dec;19(4):581-591, Journal of family psychology
This study evaluated sibling effects of a family-based intervention aimed at preventing conduct problems in preschool-age siblings of adjudicated youths. Ninety-two families of preschoolers who had older siblings adjudicated for delinquent acts were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Of these, 47 families had nontargeted school-age (5-11 years) or adolescent siblings (12-17 years) living at home. These families were considered in this report. The authors hypothesized group differences on antisocial behavior and positive peer relations for older siblings of targeted preschoolers. The authors examined outcomes of parent- and teacher-reported behavior immediately postintervention and 8 months postintervention. Findings revealed significant intervention effects 8 months following intervention for adolescent siblings on parent-reported antisocial behavior and positive peer relations. Teacher reports confirmed group differences for antisocial behavior immediately postintervention. Findings document benefits for adolescent siblings
— id: 95471, year: 2005, vol: 19, page: 581, stat: Journal Article,

Assessing peer entry and play in preschoolers at risk for maladjustment
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Chesir-Teran, Daniel
2005 Dec;34(4):671-680, Journal of clinical child & adolescent psychology
This study evaluated the psychometric properties of an observational rating system for assessing preschoolers' peer entry and play skills: Observed Peer Play in Unfamiliar Settings (OPPUS). Participants were 84 preschoolers at risk for psychopathology. Reliability and concurrent validity are reported. The 30-min paradigm yielded reliable indexes of engaging and disruptive behavior. Adequate interrater reliability and stability were obtained with minimally trained observers. OPPUS scores were related in expected ways to independent observations of disruptive and engaging behavior during parent-child interactions. OPPUS scores were associated with parent-rated self-control and internalizing behaviors. OPPUS scores were associated with parent ratings of play skills for children with school experience and assertiveness for children without school experience. The OPPUS is a useful, brief method for assessing peer entry and play behaviors in preschoolers
— id: 61185, year: 2005, vol: 34, page: 671, stat: Journal Article,

Prevention for preschoolers at high risk for conduct problems: immediate outcomes on parenting practices and child social competence
Brotman, Laurie Miller; Gouley, Kathleen Kiely; Chesir-Teran, Daniel; Dennis, Tracy; Klein, Rachel G; Shrout, Patrick
2005 Dec;34(4):724-734, Journal of clinical child & adolescent psychology
This study investigated the immediate impact of an 8-month center- and home-based prevention program for preschoolers at high risk for conduct problems. We report immediate program effects on observed and self-rated parenting practices and observed child behavior with peers. Ninety-nine preschool-age siblings of adjudicated youths and their families were randomly assigned to an enhanced version of the Incredible Years Series (Webster-Stratton, 1989; n = 50) or to a no-intervention control condition (n = 49). In an intent-to-treat design, the intervention yielded significant effects on negative parenting, parental stimulation for learning, and child social competence with peers. Improvements in negative parenting, stimulation for learning, and child social competence support the potential of the intervention to prevent later conduct problems in high-risk children
— id: 61184, year: 2005, vol: 34, page: 724, stat: Journal Article,

Community Involvement in Adapting and Testing a Prevention Program for Preschoolers Living in Urban Communities: ParentCorps
Caldwell, Melissa B; Brotman, Laurie M; Coard, Stephanie I; Wallace, Scyatta A; Stellabotte, Debra J; Calzada, Esther J
2005 ;14(3):373-386 Sep, Journal of child & family studies
We describe a university-community collaborative effort to tailor and deliver a prevention program for families of preschoolers living in low-income, urban communities. ParentCorps, which builds on efficacious interventions with parents and young children, aims to promote child social competence and prevent conduct problems by strengthening parenting skills, enhancing support for parents, and empowering parents to access resources in their communities. Active community engagement and collaboration were viewed as critical to the development of the program and its feasibility testing. We present an overview of community involvement in the development of ParentCorps and approaches taken to involve community members during a feasibility study. Areas of success and lessons learned are discussed. (journal abstract)
— id: 58705, year: 2005, vol: 14, page: 373, stat: Journal Article,

Training Community Members to Serve as Paraprofessionals in an Evidence-Based, Prevention Program for Parents of Preschoolers
Calzada, Esther J; Caldwell, Melissa B; Brotman, Laurie Miller; Brown, Elissa J; Wallace, Scyatta A; McQuaid, Jennifer H; Rojas-Flores, Lisseth; O'Neal, Colleen R
2005 ;14(3):387-402 Sep, Journal of child & family studies
Widespread dissemination of evidence-based programs for underserved populations may require non-traditional means of service provision. Collaboration with paraprofessionals from communities that are targeted for intervention holds promise as a delivery strategy that may make programs more accessible and acceptable, especially to parents living in low-income, urban neighborhoods. We describe a paraprofessional training program for individuals living in a community targeted for preventive intervention based on high levels of poverty and community violence. The design and implementation of the training program are described in the context of issues related to the use of paraprofessionals in community-based, preventive interventions with parents of young children. We also provide insight into lessons learned from a feasibility study as well as general guidelines for the development of paraprofessional training programs for delivery of evidence-based programs. (journal abstract)
— id: 58704, year: 2005, vol: 14, page: 387, stat: Journal Article,

Maternal antisocial behavior, parenting practices, and behavior problems in boys at risk for antisocial behavior
Ehrensaft, Miriam K; Wasserman, Gail A; Verdelli, Lena; Greenwald, Steven; Miller, Laurie S; Davies, Mark
2003 ;12(1):27-40 Mar, Journal of child & family studies
Investigated the independent contributions of maternal history of antisocial behavior and parenting practices to the worsening course of sons' behavior problems in a sample of 126 young urban boys at risk for antisocial behavior. Mothers reported on boys' behavior problems at baseline and 1 year later, as well as on their own history of antisocial behavior before and after age 15, and of lifetime depression and substance use disorders. Baseline reports of parenting practices were obtained. Lower involvement, lower monitoring, and higher levels of parent-child conflict and maternal Conduct Disorder (CD) before age 15 contributed to the worsening of boys' behavior problems 1 year later; mothers' symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder after age 15 did not. Mothers' lifetime history of Major Depression and Substance Use Disorder did not add to the worsening of boys' behavior problems after accounting for these other factors. Although maternal CD contributed directly to the worsening of boys' behavior problems, the effect of parenting was more substantial. Clinical implications for prevention and treatment of children's antisocial behavior and intergenerational implications of girls' early antisocial behavior are discussed.
— id: 39745, year: 2003, vol: 12, page: 27, stat: Journal Article,

Salivary cortisol in low-income preschoolers in three contexts
Witek, MW; Miller, LS; Gouley, KK; Castellanos, R; Alvir, J; Pine, DS
2003 APR 15 ;53(8):199S-200S, Biological psychiatry
— id: 37116, year: 2003, vol: 53, page: 199S, stat: Journal Article,

Developmental and sex differences in types of conduct problems
Tiet, Quyen Q; Wasserman, Gail A; Loeber, Rolf; McReynolds, Larkin S; Miller, Laurie S
2001 ;10(2):181-197 Jun, Journal of child & family studies
Maternal report of types of conduct problems in a high-risk sample of 228 boys and 80 girls (aged 4-18 yrs) were examined, using a version of the Child Behavior Checklist, expanded to include a range of covert and overt antisocial items (stealing, lying, physical aggression, relational aggression, substance use, and impulsivity). Age and sex effects were investigated. Boys were significantly more physically aggressive than girls. There were no sex differences for stealing, lying, relational aggression, and substance use. Lying and substance use increased with age, whereas relational aggression and impulsivity peaked during early adolescence. A small group of girls had pervasive conduct problems across multiple domains. For some domains such as stealing, lying, and relational aggression, girls showed at least as many problems as boys. Girls, in general, tended to have fewer conduct problems. On the other hand, when assessed across multiple domains, conduct problems in high-risk girls were possibly more pervasive than in high-risk boys, suggesting the possibility of a gender paradox.
— id: 39746, year: 2001, vol: 10, page: 181, stat: Journal Article,

Witnessed community violence and antisocial behavior in high-risk, urban boys
Miller LS; Wasserman GA; Neugebauer R; Gorman-Smith D; Kamboukos D
1999 Mar;28(1):2-11, Journal of clinical child psychology
Examined the longitudinal relation between children's self-report of witnessing community violence, family environment, and parent report of child antisocial behavior in a sample of 6- to 10-year-old urban American boys (N = 97) at familial risk for antisocial behavior. Boys reported high rates of lifetime exposure to community violence. Boys' reports of witnessing community violence were significantly positively related to changes over 15 months in child antisocial behavior, even after controlling for the possible effects of 3 aspects of parent-child interactions shown previously to be related to problematic child behavior. Furthermore, family environment, particularly the degree to which parents engaged in conflict with their sons, moderated the effect of witnessed violence on changes in antisocial behavior. In families with low conflict, higher levels of witnessed violence predicted increases in antisocial behavior over time. In contrast, in families with relatively high levels of parent-child conflict, high-witnessed violence had no additional influence on antisocial outcome. This is the first prospective longitudinal study to document an association between witnessed community violence and changes in antisocial behavior in young, urban boys at familial risk for antisocial behavior
— id: 7407, year: 1999, vol: 28, page: 2, stat: Journal Article,

Darryl, a cartoon-based measure of cardinal posttraumatic stress symptoms in school-age children
Neugebauer R; Wasserman GA; Fisher PW; Kline J; Geller PA; Miller LS
1999 May;89(5):758-761, American journal of public health. AJPH
OBJECTIVES: This report examines the reliability and validity of Darryl, a cartoon-based measure of the cardinal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: We measured exposure to community violence through the reports of children and their parents and then administered Darryl to a sample of 110 children aged 7 to 9 residing in urban neighborhoods with high crime rates. RESULTS: Darryl's reliability is excellent overall and is acceptable for the reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal subscales, considered separately. Child reports of exposure to community violence were significantly associated with child reports of PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Darryl possesses acceptable psychometric properties in a sample of children with frequent exposure to community violence
— id: 39740, year: 1999, vol: 89, page: 758, stat: Journal Article,

"Neuroendocrine response to fenfluramine challenge in boys: Associations with aggressive behavior and adverse rearing": Errata
Pine, Daniel S; Coplan, Jeremy D; Wasserman, Gail A; Miller, Laurie S; Fried, Jane E; Davies, Mark; Cooper, Thomas B; Greenhill, Laurence; Shaffer, David; Parsons, Bruce
1998 ;55(7):625-625 Jul, Archives of general psychiatry
Reports an error in the original article by D. S. Pine et al ( Archives of General Psychiatry, 1997 [Sep], Vol 54 [9], 839-846). The does of oral fenfluramine hydrochloride was incorrectly stated in the 'Subjects and Methods' section, under the 'Serotonergic Assessment' heading, 2nd paragraph. The 2nd sentence of that paragraph should have read: 'Oral fenfluramine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg) was given at 10 AM.' (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 199707147-007.): Studied the correlation between aggression and central serotonergic activity and the association between adverse rearing conditions and serotonin. 34 younger brothers of juvenile delinquents underwent a psychiatric assessment using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children at intake and a second assessment in the weeks before fenfluramine challenge. Rearing environment was assessed by the Home Observation and Measurement of the Environment Inventory during a 4-hr visit to the S's home at intake. Serotonergic activity was assessed by prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge. . . .
— id: 39747, year: 1998, vol: 55, page: 625, stat: Journal Article,

The prevention of serious and violent juvenile offending
Wasserman, Gail A; Miller, Laurie S
Serious & violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications, 1998,
(from the chapter) This chapter will review prevention programs that not only target specific risk factors for serious and violent offending but also those programs that target risk factors for the precursors of serious and violent offending. First, we briefly review the different early developmental precursors of violent offending. Second, we provide an overview of different approaches to prevention. Third, we review the basic components of well-studied intervention programs and the limitations of single-focused intervention approaches for preventing antisocial behavior. Fourth, we provide examples of well-designed multisystemic preventive interventions that target proximal risk factors for early developmental precursors of later antisocial behavior as well as those that target proximal risk factors for violent offending. Examples of programs are provided by developmental periods; first, we describe programs designed for children prior to school entry (ages 0-5), followed by programs for school-aged children (ages 6-13), and then by programs for adolescents (ages 14-18). We conclude the chapter with a discussion of some of the key features of effective programs, issues regarding developmental periods to be targeted, and uncharted or understudied areas in the field.
— id: 3121, year: 1998, vol: , page: 197, stat: Chapter,

Teacher ratings of hyperactivity, inattention, and conduct problems in preschoolers
Miller LS; Koplewicz HS; Klein RG
1997 Apr;25(2):113-119, Journal of abnormal child psychiatry
Age and sex norms of classroom behavior in preschoolers were established on a standard measure, the Revised Conners Teacher Rating Scale, and the utility of this measure for assessing problem behavior in preschoolers was examined. Teachers provided ratings for 455 nonreferred preschoolers. In addition, ratings were obtained for 12 clinically referred preschoolers diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Conduct Problems, Inattention, and Hyperactivity subscales, as well as the Hyperactivity Index, were found to have good internal reliability and were related to each other in predictable ways. Normative data are presented by age and sex. Age was inversely related to scores for the Conduct Problems subscale, the Hyperactivity subscale and the Index. Sex was a significant predictor of subscale scores, with boys receiving higher scores than girls. Subscale scores and nearly all item scores were highly significantly different between clinically referred and nonreferred preschoolers. The results provide a standard upon which to evaluate preschool-aged children in clinical and research settings
— id: 39742, year: 1997, vol: 25, page: 113, stat: Journal Article,

Verbal dichotic listening in boys at risk for behavior disorders
Pine DS; Bruder GE; Wasserman GA; Miller LS; Musabegovic A; Watson JB
1997 Oct;36(10):1465-1473, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
OBJECTIVE: The association between deficits in verbal processing skills and disruptive psychopathology remains one of the most frequently replicated findings in all of child psychiatry. This study uses a dichotic consonant-vowel listening test to examine the potential neural basis for this association. METHOD: A series of 87 young boys recruited from a sample at risk for disruptive disorders received standardized psychiatric, neuropsychological, and language skills assessments. Approximately 1 year later, these boys received a reassessment of their psychiatric status and a test that assesses the neural basis of language-processing ability, a dichotic consonant-vowel listening test. RESULTS: Disruptive psychopathology predicted reduced right ear accuracy for dichotic syllables, indicative of a deficit in left hemisphere processing ability. Deficits in reading and language ability also correlated with right ear accuracy for dichotic syllables. CONCLUSIONS: Boys with disruptive behavior disorders, relative to at-risk but nondisruptive boys, exhibit a deficit in verbal processing abilities on dichotic listening tasks. This deficit in verbal processing ability is also manifested as low scores on standardized tests of reading achievement and language comprehension
— id: 39741, year: 1997, vol: 36, page: 1465, stat: Journal Article,

Neuroendocrine response to fenfluramine challenge in boys. Associations with aggressive behavior and adverse rearing
Pine DS; Coplan JD; Wasserman GA; Miller LS; Fried JE; Davies M; Cooper TB; Greenhill L; Shaffer D; Parsons B
1997 Sep;54(9):839-846, Archives of general psychiatry
BACKGROUND: There is evidence of relationships among serotonin, aggressive behavior, and a childhood history of socially adverse-rearing conditions. This study examines the prolactin response to fenfluramine hydrochloride challenge in young boys who show clinically significant aggressive behavior or who are raised in a social environment that is conducive to the development of chronic aggression. METHODS: A series of 34 younger brothers of convicted delinquents underwent standardized psychiatric and observation-based assessments of their social-rearing environments that were conducted during home visits. Approximately 2 years later, these boys underwent a reassessment of psychiatric status and an assessment of central serotonergic activity using the fenfluramine challenge procedure. RESULTS: Increasing degrees of aggressive behavior at either assessment were positively correlated with the prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge. Furthermore, adverse-rearing circumstances that were conducive to the development of aggressive behavior also exhibited positive correlations with the prolactin response. This association between adverse rearing and the prolactin response was statistically independent of that between aggression and the prolactin response. CONCLUSION: In young boys, aggressive behavior and social circumstances that are conducive to the development of aggressive behavior are positively correlated with a marker of central serotonergic activity
— id: 39739, year: 1997, vol: 54, page: 839, stat: Journal Article,

Television violence viewing and aggressive behavior
Dubow, Eric F; Miller, Laurie S
Tuning in to young viewers: Social science perspectives on television Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications, 1996,
(from the chapter) examine the role of TV violence viewing in the development of aggressive behavior in children / consider 3 questions in turn / first, what is the research evidence of the link between violence viewing and aggressive behavior / second, what are the processes through which violence viewing influences aggressive behavior / third, how can parents, teachers, clinicians, and others intervene to mitigate the influence of TV violence on aggressive behavior the [cognitive social] information processing model provides a good basis for developing interventions to mitigate the effect of TV violence viewing on aggressive behavior because the model posits several environmental and individual characteristics that affect whether children will develop and use aggressive scripts
— id: 3122, year: 1996, vol: , page: 117, stat: Chapter,

Parenting predictors of early conduct problems in urban, high-risk boys
Wasserman GA; Miller LS; Pinner E; Jaramillo B
1996 Sep;35(9):1227-1236, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
OBJECTIVE: As part of a larger, prospective study, the authors examined concurrent and prospective relations among parenting and child antisocial behavior in inner-city boys at high risk for delinquent behavior. METHOD: One hundred twenty-six younger brothers (aged 6 to 10 years) of convicted delinquents in New York City and their parents were assessed; 15 months later 112 boys were reassessed. Demographics, parenting, and child diagnosis were examined as they relate to child externalizing behavior problems. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses predicted changes in Externalizing scores from year I parenting. RESULTS: At years I and II, 22% and 27% of boys, respectively, scored above the clinical cutoff for Externalizing. Controlling for earlier Externalizing, each of three domains of parenting still made significant independent contributions to later Externalizing scores, explaining 17% of the variance. Altogether this model explained 51% of the variance in year II Externalizing scores. CONCLUSIONS: Data support a cumulative risk model, whereby each of several adverse parenting factors further compounds the likelihood of child conduct problems
— id: 39743, year: 1996, vol: 35, page: 1227, stat: Journal Article,

The New York Teacher Rating Scale for disruptive and antisocial behavior
Miller LS; Klein RG; Piacentini J; Abikoff H; Shah MR; Samoilov A; Guardino M
1995 Mar;34(3):359-370, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
OBJECTIVE: A teacher rating scale designed to reflect current diagnostic descriptors of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder was developed and standardized. METHOD: Teacher ratings were obtained for 1,258 1st-through 10th-grade children from two school districts in New York and for 81 clinically referred children with conduct disorder. RESULTS: Three factors relevant to oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder were generated: defiance, physical aggression, and delinquent aggression. A fourth factor reflects peer problems. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and interrater reliability are documented using a population and a conduct disorder sample. The validity of the factors is supported by the factors' ability to discriminate between children in the general population and those with conduct disorders, by correlations with global impairment items, and by expected sex differences. CONCLUSION: The scale has utility for assessing symptoms of conduct disorder in school settings
— id: 34353, year: 1995, vol: 34, page: 359, stat: Journal Article,

Long-term effects of repeated exposure to media violence in childhood
Huesmann, L. Rowell; Miller, Laurie S
Aggressive behavior: Current perspectives New York : Plenum Press, 1994,
(from the book) provide an overview of the longitudinal research on media violence and aggression [in children] conducted over the past 25 yrs / place this research in the framework of social-cognitive theories of aggressive behavior and show how dramatic media violence can exert its effect on behavior through multiple psychological processes / argue that media violence can have long-term effects through a variety of observational learning processes / at the same time, media violence can produce short-term effects by cuing cognitive schema that promote aggressive behavior
— id: 3123, year: 1994, vol: , page: 153, stat: Chapter,

Primary prevention of conduct disorder
Miller LS
1994 Winter;65(4):273-285, Psychiatric quarterly
Conduct disorders represent one of the most troubling and persistent childhood psychiatric disorders. This serious condition has a poor long-term prognosis and entails a wide range of negative consequences over the life span. No single intervention strategy has been identified that successfully alters its negative course. This article reviews developmental findings and previous intervention efforts and provides a rationale for approaching the problem of Conduct Disorder through primary preventive intervention. A comprehensive, family-based prevention model and specific clinical strategies for intervention are described. A case example is used to illustrate the integration of program components
— id: 39744, year: 1994, vol: 65, page: 273, stat: Journal Article,

Relations among cognitions and behaviors in aggressive children and their mothers
Miller, Laurie S
1991 ;51(10-B):5052- Apr, Dissertation abstracts international. Section B: the Sciences & Engineering
— id: 39748, year: 1991, vol: 51, page: 5052, stat: Journal Article,