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The differential susceptibility to parenting model was examined in relation to toddler self-regulation in a prospective longitudinal study of infants born preterm or low birth weight. We followed 153 mother–infant dyads across five time points between the infant’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay and 24 months postterm. Assessments of infant temperament, quality of early parenting interactions, contextual variables, and toddler effortful control and behavior problems were conducted. Results supported differential susceptibility and dual risk models in addition to documenting main effects of early parenting on children’s emerging self-regulation. Our data suggested that preterm or low birth weight infants who were prone to distress or rated by mothers as more difficult were particularly susceptible to the effects of early negative parenting.

Purpose Gatekeeper-training programs (GKTs) are an increasingly popular approach to addressing access to mental health care in adolescent and young adult populations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a widely used GKT program, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), in college student populations. Methods A randomized control trial was conducted on 32 colleges and universities between 2009 and 2011. Campus residence halls were assigned to the intervention (MHFA plus preexisting trainings) or control condition (pre-existing trainings only) using matched pair randomization. The trainings were delivered to resident advisors (RAs). Outcome measures include service utilization, knowledge and attitudes about services, self-efficacy, intervention behaviors, and mental health symptoms. Data come from two sources: (1) surveys completed by the students (RAs and residents) (N=2,543), 2-3 months pre- and post-intervention; and (2) utilization records from campus mental health centers, aggregated by residence. Results The training increases trainees’ self-perceived knowledge (regression-adjusted effect size (ES)=0.38, p<0.001), self-perceived ability to identify students in distress (ES=0.19, p=0.01), and confidence to help (ES=0.17, p=0.04). There are no apparent effects, however, on utilization of mental health care in the student communities in which the trainees live. Conclusions Although GKTs are widely used to increase access to mental health care, these programs may require modifications in order to achieve their objectives.

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