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Authors:Cherita A. Clendinen, Darlene A. Kertes Pages: 3 - 10 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 3-10, March 2022. The Black Lives Matter movement has heightened US cultural awareness of the disproportionate burden of racial discrimination for Black Americans. With a special emphasis on Black youth, this review describes the health consequences of discrimination, including depression, anxiety, suicide, stress biology, immune system dysfunction, and cellular aging. However, as evidence documents, ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) reduces the mental, academic, and physical impacts of racial discrimination. A specific policy recommendation would integrate ERS into intervention efforts to reduce the health burden of discrimination on minority youth. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:19Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211073796 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Isabelle M. Elisha, Rayven-Nikkita Collins Pages: 11 - 17 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 11-17, March 2022. Growing national concern about the increase in Black youth's suicide rates has led to calls for closer examinations of disparities in young people's mental health outcomes and their underlying causes, including differences in access to healthcare and willingness to use mental health services, and systemic inequities. The present research brief answers this call through a critical analysis of racial discrimination and other adverse mechanisms that perpetuate negative mental health outcomes for Black youth. Our approach draws from principles of developmental psychology and intersectional theory. We begin by arguing for a biopsychosocial consideration of the effects of discrimination on Black youth's development. Then, we review the multilevel impact of racism on mental health outcomes. Although examining global patterns for Black youth as a group has value, our paper will instead focus on within-group differences and the intersecting social factors that shape them. Finally, we end with research-based proposals for policies that prioritize Black youth's well-being. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:24Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068015 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Yoonsun Choi, Eunseok Jeong, Michael Park Pages: 18 - 26 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 18-26, March 2022. Despite being stereotyped as problem-free and high-achieving, Asian Americans are vulnerable to mental distress (e.g., depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide), according to the limited available studies. Ethnic subgroups also have more variable outcomes than the monolithic category, “Asians or Asian Americans,” may suggest, but even across communities, few utilize mental health care compared to other racial/ethnic groups. To illustrate the needed evidence, a longitudinal survey of Filipino and Korean Americans found that mental distress among young Asian Americans increased at an alarming rate during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Two prominent contextual factors, parent–child conflict and racial discrimination, explained the uptick in mental distress. The surge of anti-Asian discrimination since the COVID-19 pandemic requires anti-discrimination policy, while parent–child conflict requires working with families in a culturally competent way. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:53Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068173 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Marina Feijo, Anna Martha Vatse Fontanari, Laura do Santos Boeira, Guilherme Wendt, Tomasz Bloniewski, Angelo Brandelli Costa Pages: 27 - 34 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 27-34, March 2022. Transgender and gender-diverse students may experience poorer school outcomes due to a threatening school climate. A rapid review using systematic search found 2,111 studies mentioned LGBTQ + students, but only three were peer-reviewed empirical tests of potential interventions to improve school outcomes among transgender and gender-diverse youth: (a) Sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression (SOGIE) inclusive policies were associated with greater school safety, less victimization, less social aggression, and higher teacher support. (b) Among the interventions, the use of the chosen name in school reduced negative health outcomes. (c) Gay–Straight Alliances (GSA) reduced reports of frequent gender-based bullying. Several implementation facilitators for school interventions included transgender and gender-diverse students, along with informative families, trained teachers, and supportive principals. Randomized controlled trials focusing on this population would contribute greater certainty when developing school interventions. The lack of high-quality studies should serve as a wake-up call to conduct the necessary research. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:20Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068021 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Laia Fibla, Jessica E. Kosie, Ruth Kircher, Casey Lew-Williams, Krista Byers-Heinlein Pages: 35 - 43 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 35-43, March 2022. Many infants and children around the world grow up exposed to two or more languages. Their success in learning each of their languages is a direct consequence of the quantity and quality of their everyday language experience, including at home, in daycare and preschools, and in the broader community context. Here, we discuss how research on early language learning can inform policies that promote successful bilingual development across the varied contexts in which infants and children live and learn. Throughout our discussions, we highlight that each individual child's experience is unique. In fact, it seems that there are as many ways to grow up bilingual as there are bilingual children. To promote successful bilingual development, we need policies that acknowledge this variability and support frequent exposure to high-quality experience in each of a child's languages. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:17Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211069312 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Patience Taiwo Ajike, Esther Abimbola Ariyo, Adijat Motunrayo Ariyo, Kikelomo Adubi Pages: 44 - 48 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 44-48, March 2022. Despite the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Nigerian youths, mental health care access and usage in this population is extremely low. This review examines emerging adults’ awareness and perceptions of mental health problems and services in Nigeria. Specifically, we (1) provide background information about mental health perception, services, and challenges in Nigeria; (2) describe the current state of mental health among emerging adult population in Nigeria; (3) discuss risk factors among emerging adults in Nigeria; (4) document emerging adults’ perception of mental health problems and services in Nigeria, and potential explanations for this trend. We conclude with a discussion of practices and policies. In a nation like Nigeria, where mental health services are scarce and health gaps and disparities abound, the value of mental health awareness and realistic health policies cannot be overstated. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:12Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068028 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Leah M. Lessard, Samantha E. Lawrence Pages: 49 - 56 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 49-56, March 2022. Weight-based disparities in mental health impair the well-being of youth with overweight and obesity, who comprise a growing majority of young people in the United States. This review summarizes research regarding the extent of weight-based disparities in youth mental health and describes the social underpinnings of these disparities across contexts. Youth with high weight face frequent stigmatization (e.g., bullying, victimization, negative judgment), particularly in the school setting. Weight-based disparities in youth mental health emerge not because of high body weight itself, but because of the stigma associated with having high body weight. As such, policy actions need to address weight stigma. Empirical evidence can inform sound policies to reduce the stigma experienced by youth with high weight in order to support equitable mental health outcomes for youth with diverse body sizes. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:23Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068018 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Lana B. Karasik, Scott R. Robinson Pages: 57 - 64 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 57-64, March 2022. Traditionally, the study of motor development—rooted in Western populations and culture—has focused on establishing norms in the timing and sequence of motor skills, inspiring the widely used emphasis on motor milestones in standard assessments (e.g., crawling by 8 months). Motor milestones are only a perceived version of what is an important skill; they are cultural conventions, not universals. Some cultures allow infants floor time; others carry them constantly, limiting practice. Thus, milestones create millstones to considerations of culture and context. Cultural beliefs, practices, and expectations manifest in childrearing practices. The variability in childrearing—or differences in infants’ experiences—offer unique opportunities for posture, balance, and locomotion, which in turn generates variation in motor skills both within and between cultures. Cross-cultural comparisons best illustrate the enormous variability in infants’ everyday experiences and effects on motor skills. We offer suggestions from this cross-cultural perspective to inform policy when designing interventions to help infants and young children thrive. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:14Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068546 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Laurie Bayet Pages: 65 - 72 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 65-72, March 2022. Faces are special to infants from birth, and experiences with faces in infancy are critical to developing brain circuits that support face processing skills through adulthood. Infants learn to extract rich information from faces, including recognizing people, tracking their gaze and expressions, and lip-reading. As infants learn to interact with the people around them, their responses to and understanding of these communicative facial cues become more connected to their social understanding and reflect their developmental context. Infants’ face perception is particularly responsive to experience, with some degree of plasticity present through middle childhood. Opportunities to interact with people from diverse racial backgrounds in infancy may help prevent perceptual and social biases toward different groups. Variations in experience with faces beyond face race and gender, such as the use of face coverings, may impact how and what infants learn from faces. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:15Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068007 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Rachel Barr Pages: 73 - 80 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 73-80, March 2022. Beginning during infancy, digital media are a pervasive part of family life, affecting opportunities to learn and time in family relationships. Research showing the potentially negative impacts of media on very young children led to recommendations of restricted media usage. Other research has examined how educational media can promote child outcomes and well-being. However, stark issues of digital inequity remain. Many families experience underconnectivity, with both income and geography limiting access to adequate bandwidth. Finally, cracks in the democratic structure of the Internet are emerging. Software engineers and social scientists revealed that algorithms determine children's media content and exploitative features manipulate the duration of media exposure. The article evaluates media usage for very young children. Based on this risk–benefit analysis, the article proposes a policy to increase the inclusiveness and safety of the digital space for all young children. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:18Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068388 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Melanie Killen, Adam Rutland Pages: 81 - 89 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 81-89, March 2022. Incidents of prejudice and discrimination in K–12 schools have increased over the past decade around the world, including the United States. In 2018, more than two-thirds of the 2,776 U.S. educators surveyed reported witnessing a hate or bias incident in their school. Children and adolescents who experience prejudice, social exclusion, and discrimination are subject to compromised well-being and low academic achievement. Few educators feel prepared to incorporate this topic into the education curriculum. Given the long-term harm related to experiencing social exclusion and discrimination, school districts need to create positive school environments and directly address prejudice and bias. Several factors are currently undermining progress in this area. First, national debates in the United States and other countries have politicized the topic of creating fair and just school environments. Second, the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted children's and adolescents’ education by halting academic progress which has particularly negatively affected students from marginalized and ethnic/racial minority backgrounds. Third, teachers have experienced significant stress during COVID-19 with an increase in anxiety around virtual instruction and communication with parents. Three strategies recommended to address these converging problems include creating inclusive and nondiscriminatory policies for schools, promoting opportunities for intergroup contact and mutual respect, and implementing evidence-based, developmentally appropriate education programs. It is anticipated that these strategies will help to reduce prejudice, increase ethnic and racial identity (ERI), and promote equity, fairness, and justice in school environments. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:22Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211073795 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Gustavo Carlo, Alexandra N. Davis, Laura K. Taylor Pages: 90 - 95 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 90-95, March 2022. Social injustices toward minority groups are pervasive around the world, and further exacerbated by global threats such as COVID-19 and climate change. Prosocial tendencies, such as empathy, moral reasoning, and helping behaviors directed only toward members of one's own social groups, discriminate against outgroups, and can perpetuate an unjust status quo. Yet, recent meta-analyses point to effective intervention programs that can foster prosocial responses across group lines. Developmental science has identified evidence-based interventions, policies, and programs to foster inclusive prosocial tendencies (toward both in-group and out-group members) to redress social injustices and inequities, and ultimately, lead to more just and peaceful societies. The recent developmental science informs five policy principles (e.g., developmental science, resilience, culture, collaboration, and sustainability) that can advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around inclusion and peace. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:16Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068387 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Marion I. van den Heuvel Pages: 96 - 103 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 96-103, March 2022. No other period in a child's life matches the speed of brain development than the first nine months in the womb. Rapid growth goes hand in hand with enormous potential, but also with great vulnerability. This policy-focused review focuses on maternal mental health as a key factor for fetal brain development. Already during pregnancy, the fetal brain wires differently when exposed to maternal stress, and children prenatally exposed to stress have a higher risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal prenatal stress is preventable, treatable, and tractable by policy. Research-based, policy recommends: (1) screening for maternal mental health issues throughout pregnancy, (2) encourage talking about prenatal mental health, (3) evidence-based interventions for pregnant women with mental health issues, (4) avoiding stress-inducing communication towards pregnant women, and (5) stimulating positive postnatal parenting. Investing in healthy pregnancies will improve fetal brain growth, and, ultimately lead to a healthier next generation. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:18Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068024 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Sabine Seehagen Pages: 104 - 110 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 104-110, March 2022. During infancy, humans typically spend most of their time asleep. It is intuitively plausible that this state is important for development and well-being. But there has been a surprising dearth of knowledge regarding the causal role of sleep for specific cognitive processes during this period. Recent experimental evidence has revealed a causal role of sleep for early memory processes. By supporting the consolidation and further processing of recently acquired memories, sleep shapes emerging knowledge networks. In addition, infants’ sleep patterns likely shape their learning environment by influencing caregiver sleep and behavior. Based on recent research, recommendations for policy and practice include (a) allowing individualized sleep schedules in child care settings, (b) providing easily accessible information on sleep and sleep promotion to caregivers, (c) integrating findings from sleep research in the training of early childhood educators, and (d) providing flexible parental leave arrangements that promote sufficient sleep in infants and caregivers. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:12Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068006 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Victoria Leong Pages: 111 - 119 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 111-119, March 2022. Infant development depends on warm, responsive social interactions that richly stimulate the senses, acting through multiple pathways to orchestrate healthy maturation of the neonatal brain, mind, and body. Conversely, adverse early experiences seed vulnerabilities for poor cognition and emotional instability. Although we routinely measure many aspects of infant physical health (hearing, weight), no clinical tools currently exist to measure early psychosocial health and brain development. Here, neural sociometrics (real-time multi-sensor imaging of adult–infant social interactive behavior and neurophysiology) is discussed as one possible precision measurement framework. Early psychosocial health screening, paired with precision therapeutics, could fundamentally alter a child's development trajectory toward lifelong mental well-being and productivity. Further, population-level measurements of social brain health could forecast mental capital growth (and deficits) for entire communities and generations. This article calls for the prioritized development of early scalable diagnostic instruments to reveal the status of infant mental wellbeing and brain health. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:20Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068020 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Ann P. Kaiser, Jason C. Chow, Jennifer E. Cunningham Pages: 120 - 128 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 120-128, March 2022. Early language skills and prosocial behavior contribute to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Screening has improved the identification and early intervention (EI) for children with hearing loss, autism spectrum disorders, and genetically based disabilities. However, many children with significant functional impairments in language and behavior are not identified before school entry. These children have missed a critical window for EI that might have prevented or mitigated persistent developmental language impairment and challenging behaviors. The critical need for early identification of children with delays in both language and social-emotional development by proposing a preventive, universal screening approach. This approach to early screening aims to reduce the number of children on a trajectory of academic failure and social difficulties as a result of these early developmental delays. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:13Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068886 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Lisa S. Scott, Natalie H. Brito Pages: 129 - 136 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1, Page 129-136, March 2022. Much of infant development occurs in the home and in the context of caregiving support. Babies learn through their everyday interactions with parents—from watching, listening, communicating, cuddling, and playing with them. Foundations for cognitive skills such as attention, perception, learning, and language are all built in the brain during the first year of life. Socioemotional development, including the ability to self-regulate behaviors and emotions, also begins during infancy. Recent advances have allowed researchers to answer questions about the developing brain and how it is impacted by experience and environmental systems, including parental sensitivity and consistency, the home environment, socio-cultural factors, community support systems, and public policies. Giving parents the opportunity to support healthy infant development through paid parental leave programs that are accessible, flexible, and equitable, will positively impact early trajectories of brain and behavioral development. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-02-23T04:18:52Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211068172 Issue No:Vol. 9, No. 1 (2022)
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Authors:Robert P. Turner Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ahead of Print. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder worldwide despite many anti-seizure medications. Biofeedback (BFB) and neurofeedback (NFB) have shown significant promise since the 1960s to improve seizure control, abnormalities in electroencephalography (EEG) and quantitative-EEG, and quality of life. Epilepsy is a disease of brain networks and BFB/NFB is a non-invasive, brain-centered, low-risk, low-cost, and reliable treatment for people with seizures/epilepsy and especially since standard seizure medications and epilepsy surgery often do not result in complete seizure control. Neuroscience healthcare clinician experience and a 60-year literature foundation show that BFB/NFB to improve brain dysregulation and abnormal network dynamics are known to be at the root of seizures/epilepsy. BFB/NFB trains individuals to self-regulate brain activity through real-time performance feedback. An exhaustive literature review for NFB/BFB and seizures/epilepsy (1960s–present) yielded 150 articles documenting improvements in seizures and EEG/QEEG abnormalities. Clinicians, insurers, and the public should support BFB/NFB as a first-line intervention for seizures/epilepsy. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2022-06-22T06:48:53Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322221108508
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Authors:Vanessa LoBue, Marissa Ogren First page: 137 Abstract: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ahead of Print. Emotion understanding facilitates the development of healthy social interactions. To develop emotion knowledge, infants and young children must learn to make inferences about people's dynamically changing facial and vocal expressions in the context of their everyday lives. Given that emotional information varies so widely, the emotional input that children receive might particularly shape their emotion understanding over time. This review explores how variation in children's received emotional input shapes their emotion understanding and their emotional behavior over the course of development. Variation in emotional input from caregivers shapes individual differences in infants’ emotion perception and understanding, as well as older children's emotional behavior. Finally, this work can inform policy and focus interventions designed to help infants and young children with social-emotional development. Citation: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences PubDate: 2021-12-13T11:14:43Z DOI: 10.1177/23727322211067264
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