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A Study Of Risk Factors Predicting School Disruption In Children And Youth Living In Ontario, Shannon L. Stewart Dr., Valbona Semovski, Sun Li

Education Publications

School disruption (SD) places students at risk of early school departure and other negative psychological outcomes. Based on the data derived from a sample of Ontario children and youth, this study aims to identify risk factors associated with SD among 1,241 school-aged students. A logistic regression model revealed that substance use, family functioning, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and experiencing bullying, significantly predicted SD. Substance use and family functioning resulted in the largest contributions to SD when holding other variables constant. This study provides supporting evidence of risk factors predicting SD and suggests that mental health and school personnel should consider family …

Interpersonal Polyvictimization: Addressing The Care Planning Needs Of Traumatized Children And Youth, Shannon L. Stewart Dr., Natalia Lapshina, Valbona Semovski

Education Publications

Background: Exposure to maltreatment has a detrimental impact on both physical and mental health. However, research on the relationship between polyvictimization and care planning needs is scarce.

Objectives: This study investigated the associations between interpersonal polyvictimization and care planning needs for children and youth, controlling for sex and age differences.

Participants and Settings: The sample included 18,701 children and youth (M_age = 12.33, SD_age = 3.53) between 4 and 18 years. Participants were recruited from over 58 mental health agencies, facilities, and schools in Ontario, Canada between November 2012 and February 2020.

Methods: Multivariate binary logistic …

An Examination Of Child And Youth Mental Health Service Urgency In Ontario, Valbona Semovski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ontario’s capacity to treat children and adolescents in mental health crisis is outweighed by the number and needs of individuals requiring treatment. A lack of standardized assessments for prioritizing individuals has contributed to long wait times for treatment and a paucity of information to help prioritize those requiring urgent services. This study examined whether sector (e.g., school, hospital), sex, age, legal guardianship, interpersonal and school conflict, intellectual disability and comorbid health conditions predicted greater mental health service urgency in 61,448 children (ages 4 to 18 years) assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener. Additionally, differences in mental …

Construction And Preliminary Validation Of The Interrai 0-3 Developmental Domains, Jo Ann M. Iantosca

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background. With no standardized approach for early assessment of childhood development in Canada, and with a lack of a comprehensive assessment-to-intervention system that amalgamates social, psychiatric, medical, functional, psychological, and environmental constructs, the interRAI 0-3 was developed to support intervention efforts based on the needs of young children and their families. The interRAI 0-3 includes over 650 items that seek clinical information, developmental milestones, and context items regarding the family and social relationships surrounding the child. The newly developed interRAI 0-3 was most recently evaluated to examine the reliability and validity of the Expressive and Receptive Language and the Gross …

The Association Between Child And Youth Mental Health Service Urgency And Exposure To Childhood Interpersonal Trauma, Catherine Marshall

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children/youth with a history of maltreatment experience a variety of different developmental, psychiatric and health problems and ensuring there is streamline access to services is imperative to their recovery. Yet, there are few reports of standardized methods for directing and prioritizing risk for children seeking services. The current study,utilizingretrospective data collected from theinterRAIChild and Youth Mental Health Screener (ChYMH-S), aimed to address this gap and explore the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health screening outcomes. A sample of 4-18-year-olds (N= 19,645) was studied to explore how differences in maltreatment history, gender, and legal guardianship impacted service prioritization. The findings …

Examining Internalizing Symptoms In Child And Youth Victims Of Emotional Abuse And Bullying: The Mediating Effects Of Individual And Family Strength Factors In Clinical Samples, Amani M. Elrofaie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Child and youth experiences of emotional abuse and bullying are harmful interactions by caregivers and peers, which produce adverse mental health and social outcomes (Glaser, 2011). This study examined the relationships between trauma exposure and internalizing outcomes through individual and parenting level strength factors. The study comprised 1,297 child and youth participants, aged 4 to 18, from inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities across Ontario, who were administered the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health assessment (ChYMH; Stewart, Hirdes et al., 2015) with their parents/caregivers. Generalized linear modelling (Nelder & Wedderburn, 1972) was used to determine the relationships between trauma …

Aggression Among Children And Youth: An Examination Of Service Allocation For Subtypes Of Aggression, Kari-Ann Clow

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

To date, there is a paucity of research examining service utilization in relation to aggression in youth, particularly when addressing the typologies of reactive and proactive aggression. This study aimed to determine how subtypes of aggression (reactive, proactive or comorbid) present for service allocation and cost. Participants consisted of 1283 youth receiving care in the province of Ontario, Canada. Bivariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were used. Results revealed significant associations between age and aggression type with service utilization. In particular, service complexity was most present for those with comorbid aggression. Those who were identified as reactive were significantly …

Protective Factors And The Role Of Gender In Childhood Mental Health: Application Of The Interrai Assessment Protocol, Alexandria Lynch

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined how a child’s mental health is impacted by protective factors and his/her gender. Resiliency research has been growing in recent years as researchers recognize the value of focusing on strengths in individuals. Previous research has shown that certain protective factors help buffer against the negative effects of mental health disorders differently for males and females. The present study sought to explore this further. The participants were children and youth with severe mental health and behavioural challenges and were drawn from a tertiary care facility and other mental health organizations. The results revealed that the children and …

Suicidal And Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Examining The Potential Impact Of Direct And Indirect Forms Of Childhood Maltreatment, Jenna S. Armiento

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite extensive research suggesting childhood maltreatment is related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), little research has examined the extent to which the differential effects of direct maltreatment (i.e., sexual and physical abuse) and indirect maltreatment (i.e., witnessing domestic violence) has on NSSI in relation to suicidal self injury (SSI). Moreover, more research is needed to understand the differences between NSSI and SSI. Participants consisted of 519 children/youth from a provincial tertiary care facility specializing in treating children with severe mental health challenges and nine community mental health facilities across Ontario, Canada. Logistic regression analyses revealed that children/youth that experienced indirect maltreatment …