Early Emotional Development Program

06/11/2024

05/21/2024

We are seeking 4- to 7-year-olds for a study on children's mental health at . Visit our website at https://sites.wustl.edu/stark or contact Christina at 314-286-2705, STARKstudy@wustl.edu for more information.

03/18/2024

Parents play a large role in not only the overall happiness of their children, but also the extent in which they feel social connectedness and positive affect. Adverse experiences in early childhood, and the way in which parents respond in such situations, have been shown to affect both mental and physical health in the future.

Perri Klass, a pediatrician and NYU Journalism professor recently published an article in The Washington Post dissecting two studies, a 2019 Study by JAMA Pediatrics and a study published in 2019 by the American Journal of Medicine. Both papers examined the significance of adverse events in childhood especially as it relates to the role of parents and caregivers.

If you interesting in reading more and delving deeper into this important topic, visit

Feeling safe and supported and able to discuss even difficult subjects will help your kid to flourish, experts say.

03/18/2024

Are you interested in participating in a study on children's mental health? If so, please visit our website to learn more at https://sites.wustl.edu/stark/

01/29/2024

"...Emotional development begins prior to birth, highlighting the critical need to promote prenatal mental health and newborn neurobehaviour to foster emotional development in children."

A recent article by Kelsey Magee highlights the work done by Ostlund and colleagues (2019) on the importance of maternal health and how it relates to emotional outcomes after birth. Check it out below!

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11/10/2023

The HBCD study is recruiting families across the country to follow them and their children from pregnancy through early childhood to learn how the environment affects how children develop!

09/01/2023

Sleep plays an extremely important role in the development of a healthy brain. Getting enough sleep sets children up for success physically, cognitively, and emotionally.

Here is an article summarizing research done by the Youth Development Institute at the University of Georgia detailing how sleep affects impulsive behavior in children. Give it a read!

08/31/2023

Back to school is a daunting time for everyone, no matter your age. School often presents many unique challenges for students that can be hard to navigate.

Here is a great article from Weill Cornell Medicine about how you can support your child as they go back to school:

https://weillcornell.org/news/back-to-school-part-1-%E2%80%93-how-parents-can-help-their-kids-deal-with-anxiety-as-the-new-school?fbclid=IwAR0cJQYlmyOWBbxAqjbfVz7bzToGKgliWhdpcezBbBCE38Q7bElZZGQbD1s #:~:text=What%20can%20I%20do%20to,not%20dismiss%20or%20minimize%20them

For children, tweens and teens, anxiety comes in many forms. Very young children may have a hard time separating from their parents or caregivers. School-aged children—especially those transitioning to a new school—may not know where to go on their first day, much less whether they’ll have any...

07/10/2023

Hello! Washington University’s Early Emotional Development Program would like to invite families with 7-and-8-year-old children to participate in our Development of Reward study. Sessions last 2.5 hours long, and families receive $75 for their participation. During this study, a trained researcher will assist your child in completing an EEG. All computer games played during the EEG are age appropriate and designed to be fun! Please see the flyer below for more information. If you are interested in participating or would like to know more, please contact Caroline at maywood@wustl.edu or (314) 273-7493. We hope to hear from you!