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Biomedical subjects

Daniel A Waschbusch

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel A Waschbusch.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Self-handicapping prior to academic-oriented tasks in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): medication effects and comparisons with controls.

Examined self-handicapping prior to academic-oriented tasks in children with and without ADHD and examined whether stimulant medication influenced self-handicapping. Participants were 61 children ages 6 to 13, including 22 children with ADHD tested after taking a placebo, 21 children with ADHD tested after taking stimulant medication, and 18 non-ADHD controls. Participants completed three measures of self handicapping and also completed self-evaluations of their performance. Results showed greater self handicapping and more positive self-evaluations in children with ADHD than in controls regardless of medication condition. Findings suggest children with ADHD may use self handicapping to ameliorate the effects of experiencing high rates of academic failure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Social problem solving, conduct problems, and callous-unemotional traits in children.

This study examined the association between social problem solving, conduct problems (CP), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in elementary age children. Participants were 53 children (40 boys and 13 girls) aged 7-12 years. Social problem solving was evaluated using the Social Problem Solving Test-Revised, which requires children to produce solutions to eight hypothetical social problems, including five problems involving acquiring a desired object and three problems gaining access to a peer. Regression analyses showed that greater frequency of CP symptoms was associated with producing less flexible, relevant, and prosocial solutions and more overtly aggressive solutions. However, this pattern was present only when CU traits were low. Results add to a growing body of literature demonstrating that CU traits are an important moderator of CP in children.

Affect↗
PubMed2006

Should sex-specific norms be used to assess attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or oppositional defiant disorder?

The authors investigated whether sex-specific norms should be used to assess symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in girls. It was hypothesized that (a) there would be a group of girls who exhibit ADHD or ODD symptoms using sex-specific norms but not using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria; (b) these girls would be significantly impaired relative to typically developing girls. These hypotheses were examined using behavior ratings completed by mothers and teachers of 1,491 elementary school students. Results showed that there was a small group of girls who did not meet DSM-IV criteria for ADHD or ODD but who had elevated ADHD and ODD scores when sex-specific norms were used. The same was not true for boys. The girls identified with sex-specific norms were more impaired than other girls. These results suggest that there may be a small number of girls who have behaviors and impairment that are consistent with ADHD and ODD, but they are not currently being identified by DSM-IV criteria.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2006

Decision making in children with ADHD only, ADHD-anxious/depressed, and control children using a child version of the Iowa Gambling Task.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to investigate decision making in children with ADHD using a child version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The effect of internalizing symptoms is also of interest. METHOD: Twenty-one children with ADHD (high anxiety/depression and no anxiety/depression) are compared to an age- and sex-matched control group on the gambling task. Children in the ADHD-alone group demonstrate impaired performance on the IGT. In contrast, children in the control group and the ADHD-anxiety/depression group learn to choose more from the advantageous decks over time. RESULTS: These findings of impaired decision making in children with ADHD parallel findings of real-life decision-making problems in this population. CONCLUSION: Furthermore, the findings suggest that having a high number of internalizing symptoms leads to better performance for children with ADHD on this variant of the IGT.

Anxiety↗
PubMed2006

A practical measure of impairment: psychometric properties of the impairment rating scale in samples of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and two school-based samples.

Assessing impairment is an explicit component of current psychiatric diagnostic systems. A brief parent and teacher rating scale for assessing impairment was developed and studied using attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an exemplar disorder. The psychometric properties of the Impairment Rating Scale (IRS) were measured in 4 samples. Two included ADHD and matched comparison children and the other 2 a school sample. Overall, IRS ratings exhibited very good temporal stability. They correlated with other impairment ratings and behavioral measures and displayed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The IRS was highly effective in discriminating between children with and without ADHD. Evidence that the parent and teacher IRS accounted for unique variance beyond ratings of ADHD symptoms is also presented. The scale is brief, practical, and in the public domain. The results of the studies and implications for the assessment of impairment are discussed.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2005

Applying a psychoeducational perspective to ADHD.

This article examines whether various cognitive abilities are associated with symptoms of ADHD. Cognitive ability is conceptualized using Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory as measured using the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (3rd ed.). This article also examines whether test session behavior mediates the association between cognitive ability and ADHD. Participants are children ages 6 to 12 with (n= 33) and without (n= 19) ADHD. Results show that inattentive symptoms of ADHD are significantly related to the CHC ability of processing speed above and beyond the effect of test session behavior. Symptoms of ADHD (both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) are also significantly associated with visual spatial processing, but this is completely mediated by test session behavior. It is concluded that inattentive symptoms of ADHD are associated with slower processing speed and that this relationship is not explained by test session behavior.

Achievement↗
PubMed2005

The Behavior Education Support and Treatment (BEST) school intervention program: pilot project data examining schoolwide, targeted-school, and targeted-home approaches.

As part of a pilot project, four elementary schools were randomly assigned to receive one of four interventions: (a) a schoolwide intervention that incorporated universal and targeted treatment, (b) a targeted-school intervention delivered to individual students in regular and special education classrooms, (c) a targeted-home intervention delivered in home and regular classroom settings, and (d) a control condition that did not receive a designated intervention. Results showed that the behavior of disruptive children in all schools improved during the course of the year, with some evidence that interventions provided complementary effects. These findings support the continued use of behavioral interventions in elementary schools and argue for interventions that combine different methods of delivering interventions.

Achievement↗
PubMed2005

Implementation of a comprehensive schoolwide behavioral intervention: The ABC program.

The Academic and Behavioral Competencies (ABC) Program, a schoolwide program to reduce classroom disruption and encourage rule following, academic task completion, and homework completion, is described. The program was initially developed and implemented in an elementary school with a high-risk population. Data from teachers, parents, and children indicate high levels of satisfaction with the program. In addition, unobtrusive measures of program impact, reported as reductions in referrals to the principal's office, suspensions, and increases in homework completion rates relative to the year prior to implementation of the program, suggest a preliminary positive impact of the program. A replication is reported for another school district, with teacher evaluations of satisfaction and effectiveness reported, supporting the flexibility and adaptability of the program. Although the present article does not constitute a systematic evaluation of the ABC Program, it presents preliminary data on the process of implementation and stakeholder satisfaction.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed2004

Mutual influences on maternal depression and child adjustment problems.

Often undetected and poorly managed, maternal depression and child adjustment problems are common health problems and impose significant burden to society. Studies show evidence of mutual influences on maternal and child functioning, whereby depression in mothers increases risk of emotional and behavioral problems in children and vice versa. Biological mechanisms (genetics, in utero environment) mediate influences from mother to child, while psychosocial (attachment, child discipline, modeling, family functioning) and social capital (social resources, social support) mechanisms mediate transactional influences on maternal depression and child adjustment problems. Mutual family influences in the etiology and maintenance of psychological problems advance our understanding of pathways of risk and resilience and their implications for clinical interventions. This article explores the dynamic interplay of maternal and child distress and provides evidence for a biopsychosocial model of mediating factors with the aim of stimulating further research and contributing to more inclusive therapies for families.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed2004

A review of the validity of laboratory cognitive tasks used to assess symptoms of ADHD.

Reviewed the validity of frequently used laboratory assessment measures of ADHD symptoms using research published since 1991. Emphasized examining the validity of the tasks as they are commonly used by clinicians and researchers. Tasks evaluated included the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS), the Children's Checking Task (CCT), Delay of Gratification Tasks, the Choice-Delay Task, (C-DT), and the Stop Signal Task (SST). Results showed that the CPT, C-DT, and the SST had the most support, yet further efforts to evaluate the validity of these measures are needed before they can be used for more than experimental purposes.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2004

Temporal relations in daily-reported maternal mood and disruptive child behavior.

Examined temporal relations between maternal mood and disruptive child behaviour using daily assessments of 30 mother-child dyads carried out over 8 consecutive weeks (623 pooled observations). Pooled time-series analyses showed synchronous fluctuation in child behaviour and maternal distress. Time-lagged models showed temporal relations between maternal and child outcomes that changed according to the type of maternal mood and child behaviour being reported. Controlling for cross-sectional relations, maternal anger and fatigue were related to previous child inattentive/impulsive/overactive behaviour (IO) and maternal confusion related to previous child oppositional/defiant behaviour (OD). However, maternal depression, low vigour, anger, and anxiety each predicted subsequent child IO and maternal confusion and anxiety each predicted subsequent child OD. Mutual influences on maternal and child functioning were interpreted in the context of interpersonal mechanisms that mediate psychological problems within families and their implications for treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Helpless attributions and depression in adolescents: the roles of anxiety, event valence, and demographics.

The relationship between helpless attributions and depression is well established. This study evaluated whether anxiety, event valence (positive or negative) and demographic variables (gender, age, socioeconomic status or race) influence this relationship. Results showed: (1) adolescents with anxiety and depression who were from lower socioeconomic backgrounds made less helpless attributions for negative events than did adolescents from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, (2) male adolescents with anxiety-only had helpless attribution styles that were similar to male adolescents with depression, but the same was not true for female adolescents, and (3) African-American adolescents showed less helpless attributions for negative events than did Caucasian adolescents. Results replicate past research showing that a helpless attribution style is associated with depression in adolescence, but suggest that this pattern may be influenced by demographic factors. Results also suggest that helpless attributions may be related to both anxiety and depression in males.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Antecedent-consequence conditions in maternal mood and child adjustment: a four-year cross-lagged study.

Examined the mutual influence on maternal depressive symptoms and child adjustment problems and their antecedent-consequence conditions across 3 cycles of panel data collected over a 4-year period in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Results indicated stability in, and relations between, maternal and child outcomes. Cross-lagged panel correlations showed that maternal depressive symptoms tended to precede child aggression and hyperactivity but tended to follow child emotional problems. Temporal relations were interpreted in the context of mechanisms that transmit risk between mothers and children. Logistic regression analysis showed bidirectional risk between maternal mood and child adjustment after earlier symptoms were statistically controlled. These findings indicate that maternal depression increases the risk of adjustment problems in children, and vice versa, underscoring the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed2002

Reactive aggression in boys with disruptive behavior disorders: behavior, physiology, and affect.

This study examined responses to peer provocation in boys ages 9-13 years who met symptomatic criteria for ADHD-only, ODD/CD-only, comorbid ADHD/ODD/CD, or no diagnosis. Boys participated in a reaction-time game that included standardized verbal and behavioral provocation. Their behavioral, physiological, and affective responses to this task were measured. Results showed that groups did not differ following high levels of provocation because all boys behaved aggressively. However, following low provocation boys with comorbid ADHD/ODD/CD had higher levels of behavioral aggression, had greater heart rate acceleration, and were rated as angrier than all other boys. In addition, boys with comorbid ADHD/ODD/CD held a grudge longer than other children. Results suggest that boys with comorbid ADHD/ODD/CD are especially reactive to provocation from their peers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

A meta-analytic examination of comorbid hyperactive-impulsive-attention problems and conduct problems.

The author quantitatively reviewed prevalence rates, defining features, associated features, developmental trajectory, and etiology to examine 3 taxonomic questions about comorbid hyperactive-impulsive-attention problems (HIA) and conduct problems (CP): Do HIA and CP co-occur randomly? Does comorbid HIA-CP differ from HIA-only and CP-only? Do HIA and CP combine synergistically? Results showed that HIA and CP co-occur at a greater than random rate, that comorbid HIA-CP differs from HIA-only and CP-only in multiple ways, and that there is little evidence that HIA and CP combine synergistically. However, sample type, grouping definition, age, gender, and subtype of disruptive behavior often moderated these findings. Overall, the review suggests that HIA-CP is best conceptualized as an additive combination of HIA and CP rather than as a distinct category.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Effects of methylphenidate and expectancy on children with ADHD: behavior, academic performance, and attributions in a summer treatment program and regular classroom settings.

Pharmacological and expectancy effects of 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate on the behavior and attributions of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were evaluated. In a within-subject, balanced-placebo design, 136 boys received 4 medication-expectancy conditions. Attributions for success and failure on a daily report card were gathered. Assessments took place within the setting of a summer treatment program and were repeated in boys' regular classrooms. Expectancy did not affect the boys' behavior; only active medication improved their behavior. Boys attributed their success to their effort and ability and attributed failure to task difficulty and the pill, regardless of medication and expectancy. Results were generally equivalent across the two settings; where there were differences, beneficial effects of medication were more apparent in the school setting. The findings were unaffected by individual-difference factors.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗