According to the dual-hormone hypothesis, the relationship between testosterone and status-relevant behavior is moderated by cortisol, suggesting this relationship only exists when cortisol is low. In the current study, a meta-analysis (including 30 papers with 33 studies, 49 effect sizes, n = 8538) on the interaction effect of testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior (i.e. status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy) was performed. There was only marginal support for the dual-hormone hypothesis: The effect size of the interaction between testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior was significant but very small (r = -.061, p = .026), which was corroborated by follow-up meta-analyses on simple slopes on low and high cortisol. Effect sizes were largest for direct status measures, although not significantly different from other outcome measures. Similarly, effect sizes seemed larger for men than for women. However, robustness analyses indicated signs of publication bias, enhanced significance due to potential flexibility in data-analysis, and a lack of power of individual studies, emphasizing the need for a large, pre-registered study.
Behavioral parent training is an evidence-based intervention for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is unknown which of its components are most effective. This meta-regression analysis investigated which specific behavioral techniques that parents learn in parent training are associated with effects on parental outcomes. We searched for randomized controlled trials on parent training for children with ADHD, with positive parenting, negative parenting, parenting sense of competence, parent-child relation quality, and/or parental mental health as outcome measures. After screening 23,026 publications, 29 studies contributing 138 effect sizes were included (N=2345). For each study, the dosage of 39 behavioral techniques was derived from intervention manuals, and meta-regression determined which techniques were related to outcomes. Parent training had robust small-to-medium-sized positive effects on all parental outcomes relative to control conditions, both for unblinded and probably blinded measures. A higher dosage of techniques focusing on the manipulation of antecedents of behavior was associated with better outcomes on parenting sense of competence and parental mental health, and a higher dosage of techniques focusing on reinforcement of desired behaviors was related to larger decreases in negative parenting. Higher dosages of psycho-education were negatively related to parental outcomes. Although techniques were not investigated in isolation, our results suggested that the manipulation of antecedents of behavior and reinforcement techniques are key components of parent training for children with ADHD in relation to parental outcomes. These exploratory findings may help to strengthen and tailor parent training interventions for children with ADHD.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is consistently associated with a host of social problems, such as victimization and difficulties in maintaining close friendships. These problems are not limited to offline relations but also manifest in the online social world, as previous research shows that ADHD is associated with problematic use of social media. Given the ubiquitous nature of social media, the goal of the current review is to understand why adolescents with ADHD demonstrate more problematic social media use than their typically developing peers. To this end, we provide a narrative review on the evidence for the link between ADHD and social media use, and consequently present an integrative framework, which encompasses neurobiological mechanisms (i.e., imbalance theory of brain development and dual pathway model of ADHD) and social mechanisms, including influences from peers and parents. We conclude that empirical work shows most consistent evidence for the link between problematic social media use and ADHD (symptoms), while intensity of social media use is also associated with several other behaviors and outcomes. Finally, we hypothesize how existing interventions for ADHD may work on the identified mechanisms and provide at-hand clinical recommendations for therapists working with adolescents with ADHD who exhibit problematic social media use.
Impulsive and risky decision-making peaks in adolescence, and is consistently associated with the neurodevelopmental disorder Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), regardless of age. In this brief review, we demonstrate the similarity of theoretical models explaining impulsive and risky decision-making that originate in two relatively distinct literatures (i.e., on adolescence and on ADHD). We summarize research thus far and conclude that the presence of ADHD during adolescence further exacerbates the tendency that is already present in adolescents to make impulsive and risky decisions. We also conclude that much is still unknown about the developmental trajectories of individuals with ADHD with regard to impulsive and risky decision making, and we therefore provide several hypotheses that warrant further longitudinal research.
13 April 2022 in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Background: This metaregression analysis examined which behavioral techniques that are commonly used in behavioral parent and teacher training programs for children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were related to program effectiveness on children's behavioral outcomes.Methods: We included 32 randomized controlled trials (N = 2594 children) investigating behavioral parent training, teacher training, or a combination, in children with ADHD under 18 years. Outcomes were symptom counts of total ADHD, inattention, and hyperactivity‐impulsivity and behavioral problems. The dosage of techniques was extracted from the intervention manuals. Metaregression was used to assess which techniques and intervention characteristics (setting, delivery method, duration, and home‐school collaboration) were associated with intervention effectiveness.Results: Higher dosage of psycho‐education for parents was associated with smaller effects on behavioral problems and, only in case of parent training, also with smaller effects on ADHD symptoms. Higher dosage of teaching parents/teachers to use negative consequences was associated with larger effects on behavioral problems. Individual training compared with group training was associated with larger effects on ADHD and hyperactivity‐impulsivity symptoms.Conclusions: This study provides first insights into the specific techniques that are essential in behavioral parent and teacher training programs for children with ADHD. This knowledge can eventually be used to improve and tailor interventions.