Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Association Between Prenatal Maternal Stress, Infant Brain Volumes, And Temperament During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber L. Di Paolo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is associated with altered trajectories of infant socio-emotional and brain development, including brain structures such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC). During the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a major global stressor, PNMS was significantly elevated, yet the impact on infant neurodevelopment remains uncertain. The objective of the present study was to determine whether PNMS during the pandemic was associated with infant amygdala and PFC volumes as well as temperament. In addition, we examined whether social support and resilience during pregnancy were protective factors.

Participants were enrolled in the Canadian ‘Pregnancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic’ cohort …

Lina Saadeddin_Supporting Transition Resilience Of Newcomer Groups (Strong) - Examining Impact Of Strong On Youth, Feasibility Of Community Implementation, And Parental Engagement, Lina Saadeddin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the feasibility of virtual Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups (STRONG) delivered through a community agency. STRONG is a Tier-2 intervention developed to enhance resilience and coping among newcomer youth. Ten youth participants from two STRONG groups completed pre-and post-surveys and participated in a focus group to describe their experiences. Parent sessions were added to STRONG programming. Five parents completed a satisfaction survey and a focus group to share their feedback. Two clinicians and one community manager provided feedback on the implementation in two focus groups. The study used a mixed-method approach. While there were no significant …