Parenting
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Mastering meltdowns and big feelings with Associate Professor Erin Gonzalez
We caught up with the presenter – Associate Professor Dr. Erin Gonzalez, a clinical psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital – about the topic itself, her career, and her hopes for the event.
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Social Fears in Children: The Roles of Parental Communication and Child Temperament
A recent longitudinal study by Zeytinoglu and colleagues (2025) provides insights into how parental verbal communication and child characteristics contribute to the transmission of social fears. The study shows the impact of both positive and negative maternal statements about ambiguous social situations, finding that positive comments were linked to reductions in children’s social fear beliefs, while negative comments predicted increases, especially among children who were behaviourally inhibited or had high anxiety.
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Unlocking the Potential of Parenting Programs: How Financial Incentives Can Drive Engagement
Parenting programs are vital tools for addressing disruptive behaviours in children, yet low participation rates undermine their potential. Our recent research highlights that financial incentives can boost engagement, particularly among underserved families, and suggests new directions for increasing the accessibility and effectiveness of these programs.
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Parental Mental Health: Childhood Outcomes and Importance of Creating Positive Relationships
Starting a family can be a considered a big milestone for some, however the transition to parenthood can be difficult for both men and women, with the exacerbation or onset of mental health problems following parenthood. Now it its third year, UK Parent Mental Health Day (27 January) aims to challenge the stigmas surrounding parents’ and carers’ mental health.
This UK Parent Mental Health Day, we encourage you to explore the learning opportunities available on our website, and to share with your networks.
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Don’t blame the children: Supporting families with young children
Most research on the relationships between children and their parents focuses on the effects parents and their parenting have on children and their behaviour. However, researchers are more and more recognising and studying the impact that children’s behaviour can have on the wellbeing of their parents, in turn further affecting children’s development. AnaCristina Bedoya (pic), Jill Portnoy Donaghy and Dr. Keri Wong.
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The DSM-5 criteria for DMDD overlook children with context-specific impairing irritability
Impairing irritability is common in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but little is known about its prevalence across contexts. Now, data from a study recently published in Child and Adolescent Mental Health have shed light on the prevalence of context-specific irritability in ADHD and how it varies depending on parenting practices and sleep problems.
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Where is the I in CAMHS?
“As we enter Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, I argue that policymakers, commissioners and service providers must start thinking infant, children and young people’s mental health.”
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Why it’s good to ban smacking
I remember going to an international conference on child abuse and neglect many years ago and thinking before I went, that the UK was pretty far ahead in terms of the services we offer. I was shocked when one presentation went through some of the evidence on how smacking is related to physical abuse, and how many countries in the world allowed it.
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Power Up for Parents: A pilot study to enhance Shared Decision-Making in CAMH
Worldwide, up to 20% of children and young people (CYP) suffer from a disabling mental disorder (World Health Organization, 2000, 2003). Be part of a study to test a web application (called Power Up for Parents or PUfP) to support parents and promote their involvement in CAMH decisions.
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Positive parenting reduces risk of callous-unemotional traits
New data published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, from the Wirral Child Health and Development Study (WCHADS) show that a child’s responsiveness to other’s emotions may be increased by the responsiveness and warmth of their mother during infancy.
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