Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been a popular yet limited approach to assessing latent factor structures. Despite items rarely loading exclusively on one latent factor in multifactorial scales, CFA assumes all indicators/items should load uniquely on their allocated latent dimensions. To address this weakness, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) combines exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and CFA procedures, allowing cross-loadings to occur when assessing hypothesized models. Although such advantages have enhanced ESEM popularity, its adoption is often limited by software rigidity and complex coding difficulties. To address these obstacles, the current tutorial presents a streamlined, step-by-step approach using the open-source software R while providing both R and Mplus ESEM syntax. The tutorial demonstrates the sequence of the ESEM stages by examining the frequently debated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) factor structure, using openly accessible data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). As ESEM may allow a better understanding of the complex associations in multidimensional scales, this tutorial may optimize the epidemiological and clinical assessment of common yet multifaceted psychiatric presentations.

The accurate assessment of psychopathological behaviours of adolescents and young adults is imperative. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used scales addressing this purpose internationally. Interestingly, associations between the different SCL-90 symptoms and family functioning have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the scale’s factorial structure has often been challenged. To contribute in this area, this study scrutinizes the psychopathological dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a large cohort of high school students (Mean age = 16.16; SD = .911) from Greece. It addresses this aim by: a) using first order and bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory structural equation models and; b) investigating the factors’ associations with family functioning. A total of 2090 public Greek High School students completed the SCL-90-R and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) covering family functioning, satisfaction and communication. Six different solutions, yielded by separate permutations of CFA, ESEM, and bifactor models, were evaluated. Based on global fit, the clarity, reliabilities and the family functioning links of the dimensions in the models, the ESEM oblique model with the theorized nine factors emerged as the optimum. This model had adequate fit, and symptom dimensions were well defined. Also six of the nine factors demonstrated external associations with family functioning, satisfaction and communication. The clinical assessment benefits of these results are discussed.

In 2014 a new policy for special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision was introduced in England. As it has been the case in countries where SEND reforms were introduced, these changes raised challenges and opportunities for the professionals supporting children with SEND. However, to date, little systematic and large-scale evidence has been made available on how professionals perceive these changes. In this study, the views of 349 professionals were ascertained using a semi-structured online survey. The results revealed that although many professionals agreed in principle with some of the key changes introduced, several constraints were reported including tight timelines, budget cuts, and difficulties in the collaboration between education, health and care, suggesting a rather fragmented implementation of the new policy. No significant differences were found between groups of professionals for most items, however educational psychologists and special needs co-ordinators disagree on the extension of the provision age range, on how well the children’s needs are described in the education, health and care plans, and on the professional requirements of this process. The findings are discussed in light of their implications for meeting children’s needs and in comparison with other policy changes worldwide.

Objective: In recent years, school belonging has been associated with wellbeing and has been targeted in mental health promotion programmes in schools. Less attention has been paid to the relationship between school belonging and loneliness, especially during primary school years. This study aimed to first analyse the relationship between socioemotional well-being, school belonging and loneliness during primary school years, and secondly, according to the belonginess hypothesis, to examine the role of school belonging as a mediator of the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness. Methods: Children (N = 517) of primary school age were recruited from three schools in London to participate in a mental health screening, which involved the completion of standardized self-reported scales for sense of school belonging, loneliness and socioemotional wellbeing. Results: Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that although correlated, socioemo-tional wellbeing does not predict loneliness. However, in line with belonginess hypothesis, school belonging partially mediated the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school age children. Conclusions: Our findings provide novel data concerning the key role of school be-longing in shaping the relationship socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school years. This has implications for practitioners working to promote health and wellbeing in schools. KEY POINTS What is already known about the topic: What this topic adds:

The need for a focus on the voice of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has received increased recognition internationally both in policy and research. In England, this was emphasized in the new special educational needs framework introduced in 2014. As part of this new policy, children with disabilities and/or additional needs can receive an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan. The EHC plan is a single document that should describe the children’s strengths and needs in a multi-disciplinary and holistic way. Section A of the EHC plan must include the child’s own perspective. In this context there is much need for evidence on the quality of these new plans and in particular on the quality of the depictions of children’s voices. The aim of this study was to address this knowledge gap by analysing the depictions of children’s voices and the process by which these were gathered in 184 EHC plans of children with SEND attending mainstream and special schools in the Greater London area. The content analysis of the section concerning the children’s voices was conducted using the categories of a multi-dimensional classification system, which includes aspects relating to the child herself, but also to her environment and relationships – the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The findings revealed high levels of variability in the way the voices of children were captured, including the methods used to ascertain their views. Additionally, the type of school that the child was attending seemed to play a significant role on how his/ her voice was captured, favouring mainstream schools. The findings of the present study provide the first set of evidence-based data concerning the quality of the content of the newly introduced EHC plans and are discussed in light of the implications they have for policy, practice and further research in the area.