Theme: Mechanisms

Project Description

Executive Functions (EFs) and Emotion Regulation (ER) are foundational capacities that enable children to direct attention, manage behaviour and emotions, and adapt to changing demands. Across three linked studies, this PhD will investigate how EF and ER emerge in the first years of life, how they contribute to later mental health and behavioural outcomes, and how this knowledge can be translated into practical support for families and early-years services.

Study 1 will investigate mechanisms through which parental mental health is associated with children’s EF and ER from across infancy and toddlerhood. Using two large, well-characterised and diverse longitudinal datasets, it will test candidate mediators (e.g. parent–child activities, parental responsiveness, parental self-efficacy) and moderators (e.g. social support, service access and early childhood education).

Study 2 will collect follow-up data to establish the downstream significance of early EF and ER for mental health and behavioural difficulties at age 5 years. It will test which aspects of EF and ER in toddlerhood predict later internalising and externalising problems, and whether developmental pathways vary according to genetic propensity for neurodivergence, and/or socio-economic disadvantage.

Study 3 will translate this knowledge into practice by co-developing and evaluating a toolkit with parents, health visitors and early-years professionals. The toolkit builds on a carer-report measure of EF and ER skills developed by the lead supervisor; the Early Executive Functions Questionnaire (EEFQ). This project will create accompanying materials to support practitioners to recognise early EF and ER difficulties, discuss them sensitively with families, and suggest developmentally-appropriate activities and support, informed by intervention resources developed by the lead supervisor that have been shown to be feasible and acceptable in a recent NIHR-funded trial.