Abstract

ANDRADE, Nara Côrtes et al. Social Vulnerability and Behavior Problems in Early Childhood: The Mediating Role of Socioemotional Skills. Estud. psicol. (Natal) [online]. 2023, vol.28, n.2, pp.141-150.  Epub Mar 14, 2025. ISSN 1413-294X.  https://doi.org/12.23456/exemplodoi.0(2024).1234.

Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to childhood adversity may cause powerful and long-lasting consequences on a child’s development. Socioemotional skills are relevant to one’s adaptive and healthy relationship with their context. This study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of emotion knowledge (EK) and emotion regulation (ER) on the relationship between contexts of adversity and behavior problems (BP). Participants were 373 children aged 3 to 6 years, 52.4% girls, from three Brazilian states. Prospective data was collected using validated psychological tests for children and standardized questionnaires for parents and teachers. Results indicated that socioeconomic status (SES) directly affected the total prevalence of BP. Both SES and maternal schooling had effects mediated by EK and ER subdomains. Predictors and mediators for externalizing and internalizing BP differed from each other. This study addresses the relevance of mediation analysis for understanding behavioral outcomes and the importance of promoting socioemotional skills in early childhood.

Keywords : social vulnerability; behavior problems; early childhood; socioemotional skills; resilience..

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