Today, we’re looking at four articles that relate to intimate relationships. First, Lin, Chen & Guo (2025) published “Mapping the Relationships Among Bullying, Cyberbullying, Child Maltreatment, and Parental Intimate Partner Violence: A network analysis” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Today, I am focusing on a single article. Zhan, Zhang, Gong & Geng (2025) published “Irritability in PTSD: Clinical correlates and subgroups” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, research, practice, and policy. Here is some information about and from the article:

The heterogeneity within posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been debated for decades, which not only limits accurate conceptualization but also poses significant challenges for interventions and treatments.

Today, I present an article available in full text. Schuurmans, Luik, de Maat, Hillegers, Arfan & Cecil (2022) published “The Association of Early Life Stress with IQ-Achievement Discrepancy in Children: A population-based study” in Child Development. Here are edited excerpts:

Early life stress (ELS) is associated with lower IQ and academic achievement; however, it remains unclear whether it additionally explains their discrepancy. In 2,401 children (54% girls, 30.2% migration background) from the population-based study Generation R Study, latent factors of prenatal and postnatal (age 0–10) ELS were estimated, and IQ-achievement discrepancy (age 12) was quantified as variance in academic achievement not explained by IQ. Results point to ELS as a potential prevention target to improve academic potential.

Each of the studies we’re examining today takes a social rather than strictly individual approach to understanding and building resilience. First, Lee et al. (2024) published, ”How Can We Build Structural Resilience? Integration of social-ecological and minority stress models” in American Psychologist. Here are the edited abstract and public significance statement:

Today, we are examining two studies that suggest rethinking ideas about ADHD. First, Baardstu, Karevold, John, De Fruyt & von Soest (2025) published “Active During Childhood: Undercontrolled or extraverted in late adolescence? A longitudinal study distinguishing different conceptions of childhood activity” in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Here’s the edited abstract:

The role of childhood activity level in personality development is still poorly understood.

Today, we’re looking at two different studies examining the effect of beliefs about ability. First, Muradoglu et al. (2025) published “The Structure and Motivational Significance of Early Beliefs about Ability” in Developmental Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Adults hold a broad range of beliefs about intellectual ability. Key examples include beliefs about its malleability, its distribution in the population, whether high levels of it (“brilliance”) are necessary for success,

Last time, we looked at the transition to parenting. Today, we look at the same period but related to sleep. First, Hoyniac et al. (2023) published “Sleep and Circadian Rhythms during Pregnancy, Social Disadvantage, and Alterations in Brain Development in Neonates” in Developmental Science. Here’s the edited abstract:

Pregnant women in poverty may be especially likely to experience sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances, which may have downstream effects on fetal neurodevelopment.

Today, we look at three studies that begin prenatally and examine effects. First, Stürmlinger, Ray, von Krause, Nonnenmacher, Alpers & Zietlow (2025) published “Prenatal Depressive Symptoms, Infant Temperament, Parental Role Satisfaction, and Child Adjustment: A longitudinal serial mediation. Journal of Family Psychology. Here’s the abstract:

Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms (PD symptoms) pose a risk factor for child adjustment difficulties (CAD), defined as internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

I’m presenting a single article today because I found its argument compelling. Grubbs & Boness (2025) published “Thinking Beyond Substances: Why behavioral “addiction” research must move past substance use disorder paradigms” in  Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Here’s the edited abstract:

Today, I address two studies of substance use in teens and young adults. First, Carbonneau, Vitaro, Brendgen, Boivin, Côté & Tremblay (2024) published “Preadolescent Individual, Familial, and Social Risk Factors Associated with Longitudinal Patterns of Adolescent Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Illicit Drug Use in a Population-Representative Cohort” in Developmental Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Today, I’m presenting three articles on autism, each available in full text and each challenging assumptions about autism. First, Long, Catmur & Bird (2025) published “The Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism: A critical evaluation of the status quo” in Psychological Review. Here are highly edited excerpts:

The theory of mind (ToM) hypothesis of autism is the idea that difficulties inferring the mental states of others may explain social communication difficulties in autism

Today, we look at two articles related to schizotypy. First, Eddy (2024) published “Self-Other Distinction and Schizotypy: Affect sharing and alexithymia in the prediction of socially anxious and avoidant traits” in Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. Here’s the edited abstract:

Social cognition may play a central role in many schizotypal personality characteristics, such as suspiciousness, constricted affect, social anxiety, and lack of close relationships.

Today, we look at three studies of relationships in people with Borderline Personality Disorder. First, van Schie, Matthews, Marceau, Römer & Grenyer (2024) published “Affective and Neural Mechanisms of How Identity Dysfunction in Borderline Personality Disorder May Interfere with Building Positive Relationships” in Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. 

Here are some excerpts (the full text is available):

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often hold pervasive and negative self-views and experience feelings of low connectedness toward others despite effective treatment.

Today, I present four studies emphasizing the roles teachers play in student success. First, McLean, Janssen, Espinoza, Lindstrom Johnson & Jimenez (2023) published “Associations between Teacher and Student mathematics, Science, and Literacy Anxiety in Fourth Grade” in Journal of Educational Psychology. Here are edited excerpts:

The present study explored associations among teachers’ anxiety for teaching mathematics, science, and English language arts and their students’ own anxiety in each content area, and how these associations varied depending on student sex and socioeconomic status (SES).

Today, I’m presenting two articles that I think are ultimately related. First, Spadafora, Al-Jbouri, & Volk (2024) published “Are Child and Adolescent Students More Uncivil After COVID-19?” in School Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

The goal of the current work was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic school shutdowns may have impacted classroom incivility in children and adolescents.

This will be a long post for those of who deal with rural populations. Full disclosure – I grew up on a farm and live in a quite rural area. We will touch on a range of issues. First, Kirkby & Papps (2024) published “Correlates of Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes among Farming and Nonfarming Rural Women” in Journal of Rural Mental Health. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Today, I’m looking at four articles addressing problems in adolescence. First, Kaiser et al. (2023) published “Neurocognitive Risk Phenotyping to Predict Mood Symptoms in Adolescence” in Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Predicting mood disorders in adolescence is a challenge that motivates research to identify neurocognitive predictors of symptom expression and clinical profiles.

Today, I look at several articles dealing with people involved in the legal system. First, van der Ploeg, Rameckers & van Emmerik (2024) published “The Efficacy of Psychological Interventions for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Incarcerated Forensic Populations: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Given the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in incarcerated forensic populations,

Last time, we looked at attachment in children. Today we turn to adolescents. First, Xia, Coffey & Fosco (2024) published “Daily Dynamics of Feeling Loved by Parents and Their Prospective Implications for Adolescent Flourishing” in Developmental Science. Here’s the edited abstract:

Feeling loved by one's caregiver is essential for individual flourishing (i.e., high levels of psychological well-being in multiple dimensions). Although similar constructs are found to benefit adolescent well-being, research that directly tests parental love as a feeling from the recipient's perspective is rare.

Today and next time, I am presenting a series of articles on attachment, all published in Developmental Science. First, Misch, Kramer & Paulus (2024) published “The Relationship between Attachment Representations and Minimal Intergroup Bias in Preschool-Aged Children in Developmental Science. Here are edited excerpts:

Attachment theory proposes that young children's experience with their caregivers has a tremendous influence on how children navigate their social relationships