BACKGROUND:Prenatal depression is associated with offspring behavioral problems, but heterogeneity in the strength of this association is not well understood. Maternal vitamin D concentration during pregnancy is important for fetal brain development and may help explain this variability, with potential differences by timing of exposure and maternal race. METHODS:Using data from 1,451 mother-child pairs in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort, linear mixed-effects models examined associations between prenatal depressive symptom severity, gestational 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in preschool-aged children. Analyses were stratified by common 25(OH)D deficiency thresholds, prenatal timing, and race. RESULTS:Prenatal depressive symptom severity was associated with greater child internalizing ( β  = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.25) and externalizing ( β  = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.28) behaviors. Gestational 25(OH)D concentration did not moderate depression effect estimates in adjusted models. In stratified analyses, the association between prenatal depressive symptoms and child externalizing behaviors persisted regardless of 25(OH)D threshold levels, but the association with internalizing behaviors attenuated at 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL. Timing of 25(OH)D measurement (early/late pregnancy) did not modify relationships. Higher gestational 25(OH)D was associated with fewer externalizing problems among offspring of Black mothers only. CONCLUSIONS:Prenatal depressive symptoms showed robust associations with child behavioral problems, largely independent of gestational 25(OH)D. However, attenuated risk for internalizing behaviors with low vitamin D levels warrants investigation of social-environmental factors.

Mental health difficulties are prevalent among psychologists, yet trainees are often discouraged from disclosing their lived experience with psychopathology due to persistent stigma. For much of history, lived experience with psychopathology has been treated as a deficit within the profession. However, emerging research and perspectives are beginning to challenge this status quo by highlighting that lived experience can be an asset in psychological science and practice. Despite this shift, there remains little guidance on how to navigate this topic in mentor-mentee relationships. In this commentary, we outline a strengths-based, cultural humility framework for mentorship of psychologists with lived experience that incorporates principles of feminist mentoring. The framework emphasizes empowerment, mutual respect, and equity (feminist principles), as well as commitments to openness to experience, self-awareness, lifelong learning, perspective-taking, and valuing expertise via experience (cultural humility principles). Moving beyond a deficits-view of psychopathology, we provide practical guidance across common professional scenarios: recruiting applicants, evaluating personal statements, and navigating situations when a mentee is distressed, requesting accommodations, or interested in leveraging their lived experiences in their work. By offering this framework and corresponding professional scenarios, we aim to facilitate dialogue on mentoring trainees with lived experience of psychopathology.

Infant crying and mothers’ efforts to soothe their infants are highly emotional experiences that shape parent–infant co-regulation and bonding. Despite the importance of this process, relatively little research has examined how mothers feel when they soothe their infants, especially with real-time, ecologically-relevant measures. In this study, we collected ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in a geographically representative sample between September 2022 and September 2025 for up to 14 days to capture mothers’ (N = 250; Mage = 33.2 years, range = 19–45, 51.5% Hispanic/Latinx) emotional experiences during soothing interactions with their infants (Mage = 9.4 months, range = 3–23 months; 52.8% female; 57% Hispanic/Latinx). Mothers also completed questionnaires about their distress (anxiety, depression, and stress) symptoms and their child’s temperament. Multilevel models revealed that positive affect decreased as soothing became longer and more difficult. Importantly, higher infant negative affectivity and greater maternal distress were significantly associated with mothers reporting more negative emotions while soothing, whereas more positive maternal emotions were related to less maternal distress, even after accounting for parents’ mood while completing the survey, soothing context (difficulty and duration), child age and sex, and socioeconomic factors. These findings highlight that soothing can be a particularly challenging and emotional experience for mothers high in distress symptoms and those with infants high in negative affectivity, pointing to the need for targeted interventions within this population that support maternal emotion regulation and parent–infant interaction quality.

Introduction Growing evidence suggests that higher ambient temperatures may increase the risk of mental health disorders and exacerbate existing conditions. Despite this, most studies evaluating the association between temperature and mental health rely on hospitalisation records or insurance claims data, which only capture the most severe outcomes. To effectively intervene to prevent mental health crises associated with ambient temperature, it is necessary to identify and develop novel ways to reach patients before they require care. Digital health tools offer a promising way to address these gaps, particularly in communities most affected by climate inequities.Methods and analysis This study aims to recruit 70 low-income black women from Chicago who are already enrolled in the Nutrition and Pregnancy Study for a 4-week longitudinal observational study. The primary objective is to examine how ambient temperature affects positive and negative affect (primary outcome), as well as sleep and physiologic markers. Over a 4-week summer period, participants will wear a smartwatch and complete ecological momentary assessment surveys three times daily. We will monitor indoor temperature and humidity using home-based sensors and link these data with wearable and self-reported mental health measures. Daily outdoor ambient temperature will also be linked. Statistical analyses will use mixed-effects longitudinal models with distributed lags to assess delayed and cumulative temperature effects.Ethics and dissemination This study has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Chicago (IRB24-026). At the completion of the study, participants will have the option to receive a summary of their own data, with a plain-language summary of the study findings. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences. Dissemination efforts will also include engagement with local community stakeholders and public health partners to inform future climate and health efforts.

The transition to parenthood is a period of heightened emotion; while deeply rewarding, it is also a stressful time, marked by an increased risk of mental health problems. Socializing is vital for parents’ mental health and may buffer these risks. However, little is known about how different forms of socializing relate to parents’ emotional well-being, or how individual differences in internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) may modify these associations. The present study examined real-time associations between social activities and mothers’ momentary affect, with a focus on comparing in-person socializing, virtual socializing (e.g., FaceTime, phone calls, instant messaging, text, or email), and social media use (e.g., browsing or posting on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok). Two hundred and fifty mothers (Mean age = 33.2 years, range = 19–45, 51.5

Objective:Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects an increasing number of children in the United States. Identifying risk factors is paramount to decreasing ADHD burden in the population. This study sought to examine the prospective association between maternal prenatal perceived stress and ADHD diagnosis in offspring. Method:A diverse subset of 6,080 mother-child dyads from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort study met our analytic inclusion criteria. Child age ranged from 3 to 15 years. Associations between maternal perceived stress during pregnancy and prospective offspring were as follows: (1) ADHD diagnosis, by a health care provider, or (2) ADHD symptoms, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. These associations were evaluated using generalized regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Sex- and age-stratified models assessed possible effect measure modification. Results:High maternal perceived stress during pregnancy was associated with increased odds of offspring ADHD diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.46 [1.47, 4.15]) and higher scores on CBCL ADHD-related subscales (aORADHD DSM-5 clinical vs normal = 5.14 [2.44, 10.86] and βexternalizing problems = 7.66 [6.57, 8.75] among preschool-aged children, and aOR ADHD DSM-5 clinical vs normal = 4.94 [1.22, 20.03] and βexternalizing problems = 7.04 [4.34, 9.75] among school-aged children). Conclusion:Findings suggest that maternal prenatal perceived stress is associated with increased ADHD diagnosis risk and symptoms in offspring. Minimizing stress during pregnancy through stress management or other programs may facilitate improved management of ADHD symptoms in youth.

PURPOSE:To examine factors associated with moving during pregnancy and impacts of assigning nSES at enrollment, delivery, or a time-weighted average on birth outcomes (birthweight, birthweight-for-gestational-age z-score, low birthweight, gestational age, small-for-gestational age, preterm birth). METHODS:We used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort Study (2010-2019) with nSES data from the American Community Survey (ACS) matched by time and location to monthly residential histories. We used multivariable logistic models with Generalized Estimating Equations to identify factors associated with moving and quantify exposure misclassification in model estimates. RESULTS:Approximately 7 % of 15,376 participants moved at least once during pregnancy. Maternal age (OR: 0.97, 95 % CI: 0.95, 0.98) and other race vs. White (OR: 0.39, 95 % CI: 0.20, 0.80) were associated with lower odds of moving; lower neighborhood-level education (OR: 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.11, 1.62) and living in urban neighborhoods (OR: 3.03, 95 % CI: 1.39, 6.59) were associated with higher odds. Among movers, estimates between nSES and birth outcomes changed ≥ 16 % by address assignment; birthweight-for-gestational-age z-score was significant only when using nSES at delivery. CONCLUSION:Sociodemographic and nSES characteristics are associated with moving during pregnancy; movers may experience exposure misclassification and underestimated effects on birth outcomes.

Evidence has linked maternal exposure to stress during pregnancy with poor offspring health and neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, the precise mechanism by which this may occur has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined whether maternal perceived stress during pregnancy was associated with newborn blood DNA methylation (DNAm) in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related genes (NR3C1, FKBP5, and HSD11B2) in single CpG site and gene-based analyses. We analysed a subset of 661 mother-child pairs from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort study that met our analytic inclusion criteria. Maternal perceived stress was measured during pregnancy using the perceived stress scale, and newborn DNAm was measured using the Illumina 450K and EPIC Beadchips in cord blood and dried blood spots. Single-site associations were evaluated using linear regression models, and gene-based associations were evaluated using mean burden and variance component tests, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Sex-stratified models were used to evaluate sex differential effects. Prenatal perceived stress was statistically significantly associated with newborn DNAm in one CpG site (cg06613263) in NR3C1 and with aggregate DNAm in NR3C1 and FKBP5. Aggregate DNAm in FKBP5 was more strongly associated with prenatal perceived stress in female infants. These results may have important implications for improving offspring health and well-being by providing molecular targets that can be used to identify high-risk individuals and as a basis for developing and evaluating effective behaviour and pharmaceutical interventions.

OBJECTIVE:High levels of stress during pregnancy can impact the health of pregnant individuals and their developing infants. Wearable biosensor devices offer noninvasive, continuous monitoring of stress physiology through heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic nervous system function and emotion regulation. This study aimed to examine the validity and acceptability of the movisens EcgMove4 device for measuring heart rate (HR) and HRV in a diverse community sample of pregnant women. METHODS:Participants were 101 women (64.4% Black, 26.7% White, 2.0% multiracial) in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. HR and HRV were measured using the EcgMove4 and a traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor during a 5-minute resting period. Participants then wore the EcgMove4 for 10 days and completed an exit interview providing quantitative burden ratings and qualitative feedback about their experience. RESULTS:The EcgMove4 demonstrated high correlations with the reference device for HR (r = 0.95) and HRV (RMSSD; r = 0.98). Bland-Altman analyses revealed slight overestimation of HR in the third trimester (bias = 0.39 bpm). Signal quality did not differ by race but was worse for women using XL chest bands. Participants wore the device for an average of 8.9 days (9.7 h/d) and reported low perceived burden (mean = 3/10). However, 16% experienced skin irritation, and burden increased during hotter weather. CONCLUSIONS:The EcgMove4 shows promise as a valid and acceptable tool for monitoring HRV during pregnancy, though potential limitations for larger body sizes should be addressed. These findings may enable future research on stress physiology and emotion regulation in perinatal mental health.

Since 2022, following the Dobbs decision by the United States Supreme Court, abortion restrictions have increased throughout the country. This represents the most recent phase of decades of political and legal restrictions on abortion access, including the 1976 Hyde Amendment restricting federal funds for abortion services. Limiting access to legal abortion and safe reproductive healthcare has serious implications for the mental health of people who can become pregnant, and thus for clinical psychology. However, there are gaps in competence around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for clinical psychologists in research and practice. In this paper, we 1) review empirical evidence regarding abortion and mental health, 2) discuss barriers to SRH competence for clinical psychology, and 3) present guiding principles for psychologists and institutions/training programs to address these competence gaps across research, clinical practice, and advocacy. We focus on clinical psychology, but the content is applicable to behavioral health disciplines broadly.

BACKGROUND:Postpartum depression is prevalent among Black women and associated with intersecting systemic factors and interpersonal discrimination. However, gaps remain in understanding pregnancy-related changes in discrimination experiences that influence postpartum mental health and could inform preventive interventions. We hypothesized that young Black women would experience increasing levels of discrimination across the transition to parenthood, heightening depression risk relative to non-pregnant peers. METHODS:Participants comprised 335 Black primiparous women (ages 17-30 at delivery) and 335 age- and discriminationmatched non-pregnant controls from the Pittsburgh Girls Study. Self-reported discrimination experiences were collected at four timepoints: two years pre-pregnancy, one year pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and one year postpartum for the childbearing sample, with corresponding data from the non-pregnant sample across the same interval (matched pairwise). RESULTS:Linear increases in discrimination were observed for the nonpregnant participants (BS = .480, SE = .090, p <.001), while childbearing participants showed no overall changes, though younger age predicted greater increases over time. For childbearing participants, both baseline discrimination (BI = .626, SE = .077, p < .001) and increasing discrimination (BS = 2.55, SE = .939, p < .01) predicted postpartum depressive symptoms, controlling for pre-pregnancy depression. Among non-pregnant participants, only baseline discrimination predicted later depression (BI = .912, SE = .081, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS:Experiencing increasing levels of interpersonal discrimination across the transition to parenthood may heighten postpartum depression risk among young Black women, indicating a need for interventions supporting well-being and promoting resilience before, during and after pregnancy.

The transition to parenthood is a critical period characterized by significant psychological and emotional adjustments. While mobile health (mHealth) interventions have rapidly increased in availability, there is limited synthesis of digital tools designed to support emotional awareness and regulation during this transition. Scoping review objectives included: (1) identifying and characterizing existing mHealth interventions targeting emotional awareness and regulation during the transition to parenthood, (2) examining integration of pregnancy-specific contexts and challenges, and (3) synthesizing evidence regarding effectiveness, user engagement, and implementation outcomes. We conducted a comprehensive search (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Google Scholar) to identify peer-reviewed empirical articles focused on preventive mHealth interventions supporting emotional awareness and regulation during the perinatal period. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data from each article using Covidence. Altogether, 41 manuscripts were included representing 38 unique mHealth interventions. Altogether, findings indicate a major gap in provision of personalized mHealth support for emotional awareness and regulation during the transition to parenthood, with several implications for future intervention development.

Effective measurement of positive child health is critical in improving public health. A proposed measure of positive health, a positive child health index (PCHI), is based on how many of 11 specific physical, developmental, and mental health conditions a child has (ranging from 0 to 11). Accepted measures of positive health, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) measures of global health, meaning and purpose, and life satisfaction, are based on child and caregiver perceptions. The sample comprised 3713 children aged 5 to 17 years from the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort with data to calculate PCHI and at least 1 child- or caregiver-reported PROMIS measure. Linear regressions were performed to test the associations between each PROMIS measure T-score and the PCHI, adjusting for gestational age, child sex, child age, and maternal factors (age, education, income). The PROMIS measure associated most strongly with PCHI was caregiver-reported global health, followed by child-reported global health. Caregiver-reported life satisfaction and child-reported meaning and purpose were higher for children with a PCHI = 0 compared with children with 3 or more health conditions but not when compared with children with only 1 or 2 conditions. Among children with 4 or more conditions, girls reported lower global health than boys. Sex differences were not found for caregiver-reported measures. PROMIS measures and PCHI offer complementary information on positive child health. PROMIS measures are intended as measures of a person’s perception of their health, whereas PCHI reflects a cumulative impact of chronic health conditions from the perspective of health care systems. Both viewpoints are informative in public health promotion.

Racialized police violence is a profound form of systemic oppression affecting Black Americans, yet the narratives surrounding police brutality have disproportionately centered on Black men and boys, overshadowing the victimization of Black women and girls. In 2014, the #SayHerName campaign emerged to bring attention to the often-overlooked instances of police brutality against Black women and girls, including incidents of both nonsexual and sexual violence. Despite these efforts, mainstream discourse and psychological scholarship on police violence continue to marginalize the experiences of Black women and girls. This raises a critical question: Why DON’T we “Say Her Name”? This article employs intersectional frameworks to demonstrate how the historic and systemic factors that render Black women and girls particularly vulnerable to police violence also deny their legitimacy as victims, perpetuate their invisibility, and increase their susceptibility to state-sanctioned violence. We extend models of intersectional invisibility by arguing that ideologies related to age, in addition to racial and gender identities, contribute to their marginalization. Finally, we reflect on how psychological researchers can play a pivotal role in dismantling the invisibility of Black women and girls through scientific efforts and advocacy.

Despite requirements by the American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System regarding training and education in cultural humility, questions remain regarding the presence and quality of the training in clinical psychology PhD and PsyD programs. This is a critical issue as inadequate training in diversity, cultural humility, and multiculturalism has substantial downstream effects on care for clients of color and may contribute to racial disparities and inequities in mental health services. We seek to explicitly evaluate key features of the conceptual model thought to improve the provision of mental health services for clients facing oppression and marginalization which includes perceptions of clinical psychology graduate programs' training in and assessment of cultural humility. We also assess self-efficacy related to the application of cultural humility as well as actual practice of actions associated with cultural humility. Each of these domains is evaluated among a sample of 300 graduate students and faculty, clinical supervisors, and/or directors of clinical training, and differences across position and race of participants were tested. Study findings highlight significant gaps between what trainees need to develop cultural humility and what they may actually be receiving from their respective programs. While findings suggest that there is still a lot of work to be done, understanding the state of the field with regard to clinical training in cultural humility is an important first step toward change. Public Significance Statement The present study took stock of clinical training initiatives in cultural humility and student self-perceived cultural humility and effectiveness in addressing racism-related stressors. By improving our understanding of the current state of the field with regard to clinical training in cultural humility, findings from this article will help guide improvements to training programs.

Exposure to high levels of stress during pregnancy is a known risk factor for a wide range of offspring outcomes, but little is known about the biopsychosocial factors underlying resilience and recovery from stress during pregnancy. The current study investigated associations between emotional and instrumental support during pregnancy and resilience to stress during pregnancy, including perceived resilience (belief in ability to "bounce back" from adversity) and physiological resilience (ability to physiologically recover quickly after an acute stressor). We further tested whether support and resilience during pregnancy predicted offspring internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Participants included 130 pregnant women (ages 26-28 years; 58% Black, 27% White, 15% Multiracial; 28% receiving public assistance) from a population-based longitudinal study. During pregnancy, participants reported on emotional and instrumental support, current life stressors, and perceived resilience to stress. In addition, heart rate variability was recorded continuously before, during, and after a controlled stress test to measure physiological recovery from stressors. When offspring were 2-3 years of age, mothers reported on children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Results from moderated mediation analyses indicated that emotional, but not instrumental, support was associated with perceived resilience during pregnancy, which predicted lower internalizing and externalizing problems in offspring. Emotional support also predicted greater physiological recovery during pregnancy, but only for individuals reporting multiple life stressors. Findings suggest that emotional support may influence psychological and physiological responses to stress during pregnancy, with implications for offspring emotional and behavioral health. Clinical implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Accumulating evidence suggests that psychological distress during pregnancy is linked to offspring risk for externalizing outcomes (e.g., reactive/aggressive behaviors, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Effect sizes across studies have varied widely, however, due to differences in study design and methodology, including control for the confounding continuation of distress in the postnatal period. Clarifying these inconsistencies is necessary to guide the precision of prevention efforts and inform public health policies. A meta-analysis was conducted with 55 longitudinal studies to investigate the association between prenatal psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) and offspring externalizing behaviors. Results revealed a significant but small effect (r = .160) of prenatal distress on externalizing behaviors. The magnitude of the prenatal effect size remained largely unchanged after adjusting for postnatal distress (r = .159), implicating a unique effect of psychological distress during the prenatal period in the etiology of externalizing behaviors. Moderation tests showed that prenatal effects did not vary based on type and timing of psychological distress during pregnancy. Greater instability of distress from prenatal to postnatal periods predicted larger effects. Prenatal effects were comparable across most externalizing outcomes, consistent with the common comorbidity of externalizing spectrum disorders, although effects appeared smaller for nonaggressive rule-breaking (vs. aggressive) behaviors. Significant associations persisted across all developmental periods, appearing slightly larger in early childhood. We discuss these results in the context of developmental and psychobiological theories of externalizing behavior, offer preliminary clinical and public health implications, and highlight directions for future research including the need for longitudinal studies with more racially and socioeconomically diverse families.

Background Low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are associated with offspring behavioral problems but little is known about pre-pregnancy influences. Additionally, Black American individuals are underrepresented in studies, limiting translational impact. We tested independent and interactive effects of preconception and prenatal vitamin D in Black women in relation to positive behavioral and emotional outcomes in early childhood.Methods Black-identifying participants (N = 156) enrolled in the longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS) provided venous blood samples before and during pregnancy to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels. Participants completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographic factors, depression severity and life stress, and later reported on child behavioral and emotional problems and prosocial behavior between 2 and 4 years.Results Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 15.5 ng/ml (s.d. = 7.7) before pregnancy and 18.0 ng/ml (s.d. = 9.2) during pregnancy; below the sufficiency threshold according to commonly used dietary guidelines. After adjusting for covariates, prenatal 25(OH)D was negatively related to behavior problems and positively related to prosocial behavior in children, although the association attenuated for behavior problems after accounting for preconception 25(OH)D, which may reflect patterns of stability. Maternal 25(OH)D was unrelated to child emotional problems, and no synergistic effects of 25(OH)D timing were observed for any child outcome.Conclusions Findings have relevance for Black women living in the northeast U.S. Results suggest specific associations between maternal vitamin D and positive behaviors in early childhood, regardless of sufficiency levels and suggest potential opportunities for early interventions to support healthy child development.

High levels of stress during pregnancy can have lasting effects on maternal and offspring health, which disproportionately impacts families facing financial strain, systemic racism, and other forms of social oppression. Developing ways to monitor daily life stress during pregnancy is important for reducing stress-related health disparities. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of using mobile health (mHealth) technology (i.e., wearable biosensors, smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment) to measure prenatal stress in daily life. Fifty pregnant women (67

Introduction: The Outness Inventory (OI) is the most commonly used measure for assessing an individual's level of outness, or openness about sexual identity. However, data on the validity of the OI factor structure across diverse populations is limited. The present study aimed to test the factor structure of the OI in a population-based sample of Black and White young adult women. Method: Participants included 319 lesbian and bisexual women drawn from the Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS), a large longitudinal study of 5- to 8-year-old girls (53% Black) oversampled from low-income neighborhoods and followed through adulthood. Participants completed the 11-item OI at ages 20-23 years. Confirmatory factor analyses evaluated measurement invariance of the OI across race and suggested significant differences in factor structure between Black and White sexual minority women. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted separately by race. Results: An EFA revealed three factors for the Black subsample: Family, Straight Friends, and Work/Strangers. Three factors also emerged for the White subsample, representing Familiar Acquaintances, Less Familiar Acquaintances, and Work. Conclusion: Additional research is needed to investigate potential culturally-based differences in domains of disclosure, which may help to better understand how specific contexts of outness relate to mental health.