Natalie Castellanos Ryan

Université de Montréal | UdeM · School of Psycho-Education

Parenting programs have been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing externalising problems in young children. Despite their efficacy, the low rate of initial parental engagement in these programs is a major challenge for clinicians and researchers. Few studies have examined factors associated with rates of initial engagement in parenting...

Adverse environments are linked to elevated youth antisocial behavior. However, this relation is thought to depend, in part, on genetic susceptibility. The present study investigated whether polygenic risk for antisociality moderates relations between hostile environments and stable as well as dynamic antisocial behaviors across adolescence. We der...

EF skills play a central role in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety, but it is unclear whether they act as moderators or mediators in the relation between early behavioral inhibition (BI) and later anxiety. The current study tested two models by examining whether two executive functions (EF) skills (cognitive flexibility and working memory) as...

Objective: Emerging adulthood (18-25 years) is associated with peak prevalence of cannabis use. While population-based longitudinal studies have found little change in cannabis use among emerging adults during COVID-19, research examining changes among vulnerable subgroups is lacking. The present study examined the association between emotion dysr...

Introduction: This study examined (1) whether measures of paternal anxious and depressive symptoms collected prenatally and during a follow-up assessment when the child was in middle childhood, predict child neuroendocrine outcomes, and (2) whether neuroendocrine outcomes are intermediate factors between paternal mental health and child cognitive/b...

Although disturbing dreams are prevalent in youth and are associated with psychopathology, little is known about their developmental course and risk factors. We aimed to examine the association between early social environment and subsequent disturbing dream frequency across adolescence as moderated by early negative emotionality. Measures of child...

This study examined (1) longitudinal invariance of executive function (EF) factors across early childhood, (2) EF development, and (3) its association with later cognitive functions and academic performance. We measured cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control, and complex EF in 465 children (72% white) at 3.5, 5, 6, and 7 years. C...

La présence de comportements extériorisés chez les jeunes enfants peut représenter un défi pour les parents à plusieurs égards, notamment dans le maintien d’un soutien affectif de qualité. Les comportements extériorisés étant hétérogènes dans leurs manifestations, leur interférence avec la qualité du soutien affectif maternel en contexte d’apprenti...

This study used symptom dimensions reflecting DSM-V internalizing, externalizing, eating disorders, and substance use (SU) and related problems to thoroughly investigate the structure of psychopathology in mid-adolescence (15 and 17 years, N = 1,515, 52% female). Compared to other hierarchical configurations (unidimensional, correlated factors, or...

Background: Research is yet to elucidate adolescent polysubstance use profiles among youth with early-onset cannabis use (CU; ≤15 years). The present study aimed to fill this gap in the literature and determine whether CU outcomes in early adulthood are best explained by early-onset CU per se, or by its resulting polysubstance use profiles. Methods...

Importance Alcohol consumption is one of the leading preventable causes of burden of disease worldwide. Selective prevention of alcohol use can be effective in delaying the uptake and reducing harmful use of alcohol during the school years; however, little is known about the durability of these effects across the significant transition from early a...

Friends' alcohol and drug use is one of the best-known social predictors of substance use in adolescence and can be explained by two main mechanisms: socialization (being influenced by one's friends' substance use) and peer selection (choosing friends who have similar substance use habits). In this study, we first examined the bidirectional relatio...

Cet article passe en revue les études sur les facteurs susceptibles de jouer un rôle dans l’engagement initial des parents à des programmes d’habiletés parentales pour prévenir et traiter les comportements extériorisés chez les enfants. Une revue systématique suivant le guide du Center for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) ainsi que les lignes direct...

This study investigated the transactional relations between vocabulary and disruptive behaviors (DB; physical aggression and opposition/rule breaking/theft and vandalism), during the transition to formal schooling, using a community sample of 572 children. Cross-lagged panel model analyses were used to examine bidirectional relationships, comparing...

Aims Internalizing symptoms are theorized to lead to substance use (SU) via a tendency to use substances to cope with or self-medicate negative feelings and emotions; however, empirically, this association is mixed, pointing to the existence of moderating factors. The present study aimed to examine how self-, teacher, and father-reported attention-...

This study aims to identify distinct trajectories of cannabis use during adolescence and examine whether Sociability (ability to relate to others) and Responsibility (ability to integrate a community setting) during childhood are associated with these trajectories, accounting for individual and familial confounders. Population-based cohort study (1...

Many studies show a general increase in stress hormones at the exposure to school entry, but inconsistencies among them due to small samples with varying methodologies and very few time-points, preclude robust conclusions. The current study aimed to describe the pattern of morning cortisol concentration in children across the transition from presch...

Objective: Prospective research is needed to better-understand changes in substance use from before to during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, among emerging adults (18–25 years), a high-risk group for substance use. Method:N = 1,096 (weighted sample N = 1,080; 54% female) participants enrolled in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child...

Whereas accuracy is used as an indicator of cognitive flexibility in preschool‐age children, reaction time (RT), or a combination of accuracy and RT, provide better indices of performance as children transition to school. Theoretical models and cross‐sectional studies suggest that a speed‐accuracy tradeoff may be operating across this transition, b...

Several experts have warned that the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated confinement measures may have taken a devastating toll on youth mental health. While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created important challenges for children and youth, these claims vastly rely on cross-sectional data collected during the p...

Importance Household food insecurity has been associated with mental health problems in children independently of family income and other confounders. It is unclear whether food insecurity during childhood is also associated with mental health and functioning during adolescence. Objective To evaluate longitudinal trajectories of household food ins...

Objective Alcohol use is a leading cause of burden of disease among young people. Prevention strategies can be effective in the short-term, however little is known about their longer-term effectiveness. The aim of this study was to examine the sustainability of universal, selective and combined alcohol use prevention across the critical transition...

Commonly comorbid early onset psychiatric disorders might reflect the varying expression of overlapping risk factors. The mediating processes remain poorly understood, but three factors show some promise: adolescent externalizing traits, early life adversity, and midbrain dopamine autoreceptors. To investigate whether these features acquire greater...

Background Concerns have been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic could increase risk for adverse mental health outcomes, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to COVID-19-relate...

Use of substances such as cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco, has been associated with increased risk of suicide attempt in several observational studies. However, establishing whether these associations are causal is challenging when using observational designs. To evaluate the potential causal contributions of cannabis use, alcohol use, and tobacco s...

Many studies showed a global acute increase in stress hormones at kindergarten entry, but inconsistencies among them due to small samples with varying methodologies and very few measurement points, preclude robust conclusions. The current study aimed to describe the pattern of morning cortisol concentration in children during the transition from pr...

Background Reviews and meta-analyses suggest that substance use and suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideations and attempts) are associated in youth, but the direction of this association remains unclear. Theoretically, the secondary psychiatric disorder hypothesis (SPDH) posits that substance use leads to suicidality, while the secondary substance use...

Substance abuse is a significant public health concern that disproportionately burdens males and low-income communities. This study examined (1) longitudinal profiles of male adolescent poly-substance use and (2) their association with social and economic participation across early adulthood. Drawing on a cohort of males (n = 890) from low-income n...

The prevalence of mental health problems represents a significant burden on school and community health resources as early as preschool. Reducing this burden requires a better understanding of the developmental mechanisms linking children’s early vulnerabilities with mental health after the transition to formal schooling. The 3D-Transition study (2...

Cannabis use is linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly among sexual minorities. This study examines the relationships between cannabis, and depression and anxiety symptoms at 13, 15, and 17 years using cross-lagged models in a predominantly White (n = 1,430; 92%) subsample of 1,548 participants from the Quebec Longitudinal study...

Background Concerns have been raised that the Covid-19 pandemic could increase risk for poor mental health, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to Covid-19 related stressors...

This article reviews the literature on the association between cannabis use (CU) and psychosocial functioning, operationalized here as academic achievement, economic prospects, social relationships and quality of life. So far, study results have been inconsistent. To clarify whether CU has an impact on psychosocial functioning, this article mainly...

Objective: Only a minority of drug and alcohol users develops a substance use disorder. Previous studies suggest that this differential vulnerability commonly reflects a developmental trajectory characterized by diverse externalizing behaviors. In this study, we examined the relation between child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and adolesc...

The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate has been implicated in experience-dependent neuroplasticity and drug-seeking behaviors. Type 5 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu5) receptors might be particularly important. They are critically involved in synaptic plasticity and their availability has been reported to be lower in people with alcohol, tobacco, a...

Background To clarify the direction of the association between frequency of cannabis use, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation from 15 to 20 years using cross-lagged analyses. Method We included 1606 adolescents from the province of Québec followed since 1997 with information on frequency of cannabis use (none/monthly/weekly), depression (def...

The neurobiological traits that confer risk for addictions remain poorly understood. However, dopaminergic function throughout the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and upper brainstem has been implicated in behavioral features that influence addiction vulnerability, including poor impulse control and altered sensitivity to rewards and punishments...

Trait impulsivity is an established risk factor for externalizing behavior problems in adolescence, but little is understood about the cognitive mechanisms involved. Negative automatic thoughts are associated with externalizing behaviors and impulsivity is associated with less cognitive reappraisal. This study sought to adapt the bioSocial Cognitiv...

Among children exposed to elevated maternal depression symptoms (MDS), recent studies have demonstrated reduced internalizing and externalizing problems for those who have attended formal childcare (i.e., center-based, family-based childcare). However, these studies did not consider whether childcare attendance is associated with benefits for the c...

This study examined whether the interaction between parenting and inhibitory control predicts hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention in 195 children. Observation data of positive parenting were collected at 4 years, and mother reports of coercive parenting at 5 years, inhibitory control at 6 years, and hyperactivity-impulsivity/inattention at 7...

Ce chapitre présentera une revue la littérature sur l'association entre la consommation de cannabis et le fonctionnement psychosocial, dont le rendement scolaire, le statut d'emploi et les relations et rôles sociaux. Jusqu'à présent, les résultats des études ont été inconsistants. Dans le but de clarifier si la consommation de cannabis a un impact...

Background A range of school‐based prevention programs has been developed and used to prevent, delay, or reduce alcohol use among adolescents. Most of these programs have been evaluated at the community‐level impact. However, the effect of contextual risk factors has rarely been considered in the evaluation of these programs. The aim of this study...

This study examined whether interactions of parental knowledge of adolescent's whereabouts with impulsivity and sensation seeking in the prediction of adolescent substance use supported the diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility model in 230 15-year old adolescents (53% girls). Interactions between impulsivity and parental knowledge suppor...

While dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may exert neuroprotective effects in the developing brain, prolonged or excessive elevations in cortisol may exert neurotoxic effects. The ratio between DHEA and cortisol (DC ratio) has been linked to internalizing and externalizing disorders as well as cognitive performance, supporting the clinical relevance of...

Atypical head circumference (HC) growth has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, whether it is associated with specific aspects of development in early childhood in the general population is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive value of HC growth as an early biomarker of behavioral traits. We exam...

Background: Alcohol use and associated harms are among the leading causes of burden of disease among young people, highlighting the need for effective prevention. The Climate and Preventure (CAP) study was the first trial of a combined universal and selective school-based approach to preventing alcohol misuse among adolescents. Initial results ind...

Escala de Perfil de Riesgo de Consumo de Drogas (EPRCD)

The present study examined 1) whether the associations between cannabis use (CU) age of onset and drug abuse by 28 y remain when controlling for risk factors in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood; and 2) the developmental pathways from early risk factors to drug abuse problems. Participants from a longitudinal sample of boys of low socioeco...

Background Abnormalities in reward circuit function are considered a core feature of addiction. Yet, it is still largely unknown whether these abnormalities stem from chronic drug use, a genetic predisposition, or both. Methods In the present study, we investigated this issue using a large sample of adolescent children by applying structural equat...

Background Evidence regarding the association between adolescent internalising symptoms and school non-completion has been limited and inconclusive.AimsTo examine whether depressive and anxious symptoms at secondary school entry predict school non-completion beyond confounders and whether associations differ by baseline academic functioning.Method...

Purpose: Recent years have seen increased coverage of adolescent victimization and suicide. Both adolescent peer victimization and substance use have been associated with suicidal ideation, with evidence suggesting that all three factors are interrelated. There are at least four models which can explain the associations between these factors (i.e....

The identification of different personality risk profiles for substance misuse is useful in preventing substance-related problems. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of a new version of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) for Spanish college students. Cross-sectional study with 455 undergraduate students from four Spanish...

Resumen Abstract original adicciones vol. xx, nº x · 2017 The identification of different personality risk profiles for substance misuse is useful in preventing substance-related problems. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of a new version of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) for Spanish college students. Cross-sectiona...

Differences between monolingual and multilingual vocabulary development have been observed but few studies provide a longitudinal perspective on vocabulary development before and following school entry. This study compares vocabulary growth profiles of 106 multilingual children to 211 monolingual peers before and after school entry to examine wheth...

The main objective of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate bidirectional associations between adolescent cannabis use (CU) and neurocognitive performance in a community sample of 294 young men from ages 13 to 20 years. The results showed that in early adolescence, and prior to initiation to CU, poor short-term and working memory,...

The traditional view that mental disorders are distinct, categorical disorders has been challenged by evidence that disorders are highly comorbid and exist on a continuum (e.g., Caspi et al., 2014; Tackett et al., 2013). The first objective of this study was to use structural equation modeling to model the structure of psychopathology in an adolesc...

Both individual and environmental factors predict externalizing behaviors and substance use (EB-SU); however, different patterns of interaction among these factors may have different implications. This review first examines how temperament and the family environment interact in the prediction of adolescent EB-SU. Second, studies are reviewed accord...

Objective: This study aims to explore the mechanisms of personality-targeted intervention effects on problematic drinking, internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Method: As part of a cluster-randomized trial, 1,210 high-risk students (mean age 13.7 years) in 19 London high schools (42.6% White, 54% male) were identified using the Substance Us...

Temperament and parental practices (PP) are important predictors of adolescent alcohol use (AU); however, less is known about how they combine to increase or decrease risk of AU. This study examined whether age 6 temperament (i.e., impulsivity and inhibitory control) interacted with age 6 coercive PP and/or age 14 parental monitoring to predict AU...

Relations between cognition and behavior have been at the center of many discussions/debates among researchers interested in externalizing psychopathology. This chapter focuses on links among low intelligence, executive function deficits, and externalizing behavior. The authors first provide a historical overview, followed by a review of studies on...

Impulsivity is implicated in all externalizing disorders. It can be construed as a multifaceted construct involving one or many different cognitive errors/deficits that result from the breakdown in optimal functioning and communication between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the midbrain regions. This chapter reviews literature focused specifically...

Background Only a minority of drug and alcohol users develops a substance use disorder (SUD). Cross-sectional studies suggest that this differential vulnerability commonly reflects a developmental trajectory characterized by diverse externalizing behaviors. Here, we examined the relationship between these features and substance use in a prospective...

To validate the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) in a sample of Mexican adolescents, this brief 23-item self-report questionnaire has been developed to screen four high-risk personality traits for substance misuse, to guide targeted approaches to prevention of addictions in adolescents. The scale has been previously validated in United King...

Objective The authors sought to model the unique and common variance across conduct disorder, substance misuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to investigate the neurocognitive factors that relate generally or uniquely to externalizing problems in adolescence. Method Personality and behavioral measures and functional imagi...