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The use of resilience in social practice has evolved from a theoretical framework at the intersection between individuals and their social ecology. Critics argue this theory still results in policies and practices that are too individualised, with the potential for negative social consequences. This paper further critiques contemporary understanding of resilience theory and its application. It juxtaposes complex systems theory with a social inequalities oriented resilience practice. This provides a paradoxical approach. It is acknowledged that state and public policy decisions and actions can be anti-resilient, undermining community and social resilience that already exists in the form of social relationships, self-organisation and co-production. Nevertheless, collective social resilience also illustrates the potential of local and service user organisations to contribute to an overall transformational change process.

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Socioeconomic status is a strong predictor of normative development and well-being in young people. It is well-known that growing up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged context may lead to negative outcomes, both in childhood and in adulthood. Early intervention and prevention programmes are crucial for building resilience and improving health, well-being and equity. Bounce Forward is a school-based prevention programme implemented in Blackpool, a town in the United Kingdom facing multiple challenges. It was part of a whole town resilience approach and nascent global social movement known as the "Resilience Revolution." Between 2017 and 2019, the programme was delivered in all Year 5 classes at every primary school in Blackpool (n school = 36), reaching out to 3,134 students (ages 9-10; 50.4% male). The programme aimed to increase resilience in young people by building knowledge and skills about mental health and resilience through 10 sessions. In the current study, we longitudinally examined a range of protective factors, which are relevant to young people's resilience, as well as their mental health outcomes at three time points: before they participated in Bounce Forward, at the end of the programme, and 3-5 months later, when they started Year 6. The current sample included 441 Year 5 students (54.2% male) from 11 primary schools in Blackpool. Nineteen teaching staff also participated in the study and provided qualitative data regarding the impact of the programme on their students. Results showed improvement in some areas of young people's resilience after taking part in Bounce Forward. We also identified gender differences in several protective factors, indicating that boys may need further support. Teaching staff highlighted improvements in various areas; and also observed that their students have been using the strategies that they learnt from the programme. Altogether, findings suggested that young people benefitted from Bounce Forward. The programme is sustainable, offering a free to download teacher resource pack that allows schools to self-deliver it.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether children born very preterm, moderate-late preterm, and term differ in their average level and individual-difference stability in language performance over time. STUDY DESIGN: Language was assessed at 5 and 20 months and 4, 6, and 8 years of age in 204 very preterm (<32 weeks' gestation), 276 moderate-late preterm (32-36 weeks' gestation), and 268 term (37-41 weeks' gestation) children from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study. RESULTS: Very preterm children consistently performed worse than term-born children, and moderate-late preterm children scored in between. Language performance was stable from 5 months through 8 years in all gestation groups combined, and stability increased between each succeeding wave. Stability was stronger between 5 months and 4 years in very preterm than moderate-late preterm and term groups, but this differential stability attenuated when covariates (child nonverbal intelligence and family socioeconomic status) were controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm children, even moderate-late preterm, are at risk for poorer language performance than term-born children. Because individual differences in language performance are increasingly stable from 20 months to 8 years in all gestation groups, pediatricians who attend to preterm children and observe language delays should refer them to language intervention at the earliest age seen.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine if adverse effects of preterm birth on attention and academic abilities at age 8 years are mediated by children's inhibitory control abilities. STUDY DESIGN: Five hundred fifty-eight children born at 26-41 weeks gestation were studied as part of a prospective geographically defined longitudinal investigation in Germany. Toddlers' inhibitory control abilities were observed at age 20 months. At 8 years, attention and academic abilities were assessed. RESULTS: Preterm birth negatively affected children's inhibitory control abilities (B = .25, 95% CI [.11, .39], P < .001) and directly predicted subsequent low attention regulation (B = .23, 95% CI [.07, .38], P < .001) and academic achievement (B = .10, 95% CI [.03, .17], P < .001), after adjusting for other factors. Higher ability to inhibit unwanted behaviors predicted better later attention regulation (B = .24, 95% CI [.07, .41], P < .001) and academic achievement (B = .10, 95% CI [.03, .17], P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The lower a child's gestational age, the lower the inhibitory control and the more likely that the child had poor attention regulation and low academic achievement. Adverse effects of preterm birth on attention and academic outcomes are partially mediated by toddlers' inhibitory control abilities. These findings provide new information about the mechanisms linking preterm birth with long-term attention difficulties and academic underachievement.

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OBJECTIVES: To examine very preterm (gestational age at birth <32 weeks) and/or very low birth weight (birth weight <1500 g: VP/VLBW) adults' personality and risk taking when compared with term controls. To investigate whether differences between VP/VLBW adults and controls remain after taking their general cognitive abilities into account. DESIGN: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a geographically defined prospective cohort study of neonatal at-risk children born in 1985/1986 in Germany. A total of 200 VP/VLBW and 197 controls completed main outcome measures including broad autism phenotype, personality traits (eg, introversion, neuroticism), and risk taking at 26 years of age. RESULTS: When compared with term controls, VP/VLBW adults scored significantly higher in autistic features, introversion and neuroticism but not in conscientiousness and closeness scales. They also reported lower risk taking. Profile analysis showed higher introversion, autistic features and neuroticism and lower risk taking as unique features of VP/VLBW adults (F(within-group)=0.81, ns; F(between-group)=49.56, p<0.001). These characteristics were found to load onto a single profile factor which was equivalent between the VP/VLBW and control samples (χ(2)=12.49, df=7, ns; comparative fit index=0.98). VP/VLBW birth significantly predicted the profile factor (ß=0.33, p<0.001) and explained 11% of its variance. Adjusting for general cognitive deficits did not alter the findings. CONCLUSIONS: VP/VLBW birth poses an important risk for a global withdrawn personality, as indicated by being less socially engaged (introversion), low in taking risks, poor in communication (autistic features) and easily worried (neuroticism). This profile might help to explain the social difficulties VP/VLBW individuals experience in adult roles, such as in peer/partner relationships and career.

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BACKGROUND: While it is well established that very preterm birth (gestational age at birth <32 weeks) is related to increased attention problems, there is still considerable uncertainty of the effects of moderate or late preterm birth or smallness for gestational age (SGA) on attention regulation. AIMS: To investigate the impact of gestational age at birth and SGA, birth on child attention problems. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. SUBJECTS: A total of 1435 children sampled from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS). OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome variables were parent-reported attention problems and examiner-reported attention skills at 6 and 8 years. Predictors were linked to attention outcomes using hierarchical regression analyses. RESULTS: Gestational age at birth ranged from 25 weeks to 41 weeks. We found a quadratic effect of gestational age on attention problems (ß6 years=0.161, 95% CI=0.085; 0.236; ß8 years=0.211, 95% CI=0.135; 0.287), and attention skills at 6 and 8 years (ß6 years=-0.178, 95% CI=-0.252; -0.104; ß8 years=-0.169, 95% CI=-0.243; -0.094). Elective caesarean birth did not predict child attention. In adjusted models, SGA was an additional risk factor for attention problems (ß=0.080, 95% CI=0.026; 0.134), and attention skills (ß=-0.091, 95% CI=-0.143; -0.039) at 6 years but not at 8 years after adjusting for child sex and family SES. CONCLUSION: Adverse effects on attention are disproportionately higher at early gestations. In contrast, the impact of SGA status was found to be similar at all gestational ages but disappeared by 8 years.

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BACKGROUND: Children born very preterm (VP <32 weeks gestation) and/or with very low birth weight (VBLW <1500 g; subsequently VP/VLBW) have been previously reported to have more cognitive impairment and specific executive functioning problems than term children; however, it remains unclear whether these problems persist into adulthood. This study aimed to examine general intelligence (IQ) and executive functioning (EF) of adults born VP/VLBW in comparison to term controls. Additionally, the effects of smallness for gestational age (SGA) and family socioeconomic status (SES) at birth were investigated. METHODS: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a geographically defined prospective cohort study of neonatal at-risk children born in 1985/86 in Southern Germany. A total of 217 VP/VLBW and 197 controls completed the battery of IQ and EF tests at 26 years of age. RESULTS: VP/VLBW adults scored significantly lower than controls in IQ and EF. There was a 1.16 standard deviation (SD) unit difference between the VP/VLBW and controls in Full-Scale IQ. VP/VLBW adults were found to have general and multiple cognitive problems rather than specific deficits in EF. SGA was not a significant predictor of cognitive impairment. Family SES had a significant impact on general intelligence in both VP/VLBW and term controls. The SES effects amounted to 1.13 SD units between individuals born into high versus low SES. CONCLUSIONS: No narrowing of cognitive deficits between VP/VLBW and term control adults to previous childhood assessments at 6 years of age was found. VP/VLBW adults do not outgrow their cognitive problems despite many receiving special educational support in childhood. Low family SES at birth has similar additive adverse effects on cognitive performance in VP/VLBW and term offspring.

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In intrasexual competition (competition for reproductive resources), bullying can be viewed as a tool to devalue competitors, gain a high status and a powerful, dominant position in the peer group which may lead to beneficial gains such as access to potential romantic partners. This study investigated the relationship between intrasexual competition, bullying victimization and body-esteem, in single-sex versus mixed-sex schools. 420 participants completed a body-esteem scale, a retrospective bullying questionnaire, and intrasexual competition scales. Our results showed that relational victimization was associated with low body-esteem for both females and males. Females in single-sex schools experienced higher intrasexual competition which in turn was associated with their body-esteem directly and indirectly via relational victimization. In males, intrasexual competition was indirectly associated with body-esteem via relational victimization. Interventions to improve body esteem may focus on reducing intrasexual competition and peer victimization.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there are differences in attachment security and disorganisation between very preterm or very low birthweight (VP/VLBW) (<32 weeks gestation or <1500 g birthweight) and full-term infants (37-42 weeks gestation) and whether the pathways to disorganised attachment differ between VP/VLBW and full-term infants. DESIGN: The sample with complete longitudinal data consisted of 71 VP/VLBW and 105 full-term children and their mothers matched for twin status, maternal age, income and maternal education. Infant attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Assessment at 18 months of age. Maternal sensitivity in the VP/VLBW and full-term samples was rated by neonatal nurses and community midwives in the neonatal period, respectively, and mother-infant interaction was observed at 3 months. Infant difficultness was assessed by maternal report at 3 months and infant's developmental status was assessed with the Bayley Scales (BSID-II). RESULTS: Most VP/VLBW (61%) and full-term (72%) children were found to be securely attached. However, more VP/VLBW (32%) than full-term children (17%) had disorganised attachment. Longitudinal path analysis found that maternal sensitivity was predictive of attachment disorganisation in full-term children. In contrast, infant's distressing cry and infant's developmental delay, but not maternal sensitivity, were predictive of disorganised attachment in VP/VLBW children. CONCLUSIONS: A third of VP/VLBW children showed disorganised attachment. Underlying neurodevelopmental problems associated with VP/VLBW birth appear to be a common pathway to a range of social relationship problems in this group. Clinicians should be aware that disorganised attachment and relationship problems in VP/VLBW infants are frequent despite sensitive parenting.

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OBJECTIVES: To test whether health-related quality of life (HRQL) based on societal standards differs between very low birth weight/very preterm (VLBW/VP) and full-term (FT) adolescents using self and parent proxy reports. Also, to examine whether self and parent reported HRQL is explained by indicators of objective functioning in childhood. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study followed 260 VLBW/VP adolescents, 12 VLBW/VP adolescents with disability, and 282 FT adolescents. Objective functioning was assessed at 8.5 years; HRQL was assessed at 13 years with the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3). RESULTS: Adolescents reported more functional impairment than their parents especially in the psychological aspects of health. The mean difference in HUI3 multi-attribute utility scores between FT and VLBW/VP adolescents was small (parents: 0.91 [95% CI, 0.90, 0.92] vs 0.88 [95% CI, 0.86, 0.90]; adolescents: 0.87 [95% CI, 0.85, 0.89] vs 0.84 [95% CI, 0.82, 0.86]), but high for VLBW/VP adolescents with disabilities (0.18, 95% CI, -0.04, 0.40). Objective function did not predict HRQL in FT adolescents but contributed to prediction of HRQL in VLBW/VP adolescents without disabilities. Different indicators of objective functioning were important for adolescent vs parent reports. More variation in HUI3 scores was explained by objective function in VLBW/VP parent reports compared with adolescent reports (25% vs 18%). CONCLUSIONS: VLBW/VP adolescents reported poorer HRQL than their FT peers in early adolescence. Improvement in HRQL as VLBW/VP children grow up is, at least partly, explained by exclusion of the most disabled in self reports by VLBW/VP adolescents and the use of different reference points by adolescents compared with parents.

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