Effectiveness of internet-delivered psychological treatments for children and adolescents with anxiety and/or depressive disorders: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Anxiety and depression symptomatology has increased in the child and adolescent population. Internet-delivered psychological treatments (IDPT) can help to reduce this symptomatology, attending to the largest possible population. Aim: To conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis of IDPT to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescents. Methods: The search for studies was conducted in SCOPUS, PsycINFO, PSICODOC, PsycARTICLES and Medline, between 2000 and 2022, in December 2022. Studies were selected if they were conducted with a sample of children and/or adolescents with previous symptoms of anxiety and depression, had applied IDPT, and included at least two comparative groups with pretest-posttest measures. Network meta-analyses were separately performed for anxiety and depression outcomes. Publication bias was analyzed using Egger's test and funnel plots, and mixed-effects meta-regression models were applied to account for heterogeneity. Results: 37 studies were included in the meta-analysis, providing a total of 74 comparative groups. IDPT exhibited low-to-moderate, statistically significant average effect sizes when compared to both inactive and active controls. No statistical significance was found when IDPT was compared with other types of interventions. Discussion: IDPT is recommended to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology in children and adolescents, but more studies are needed which compare treatments with other types of interventions, such as face-to-face therapy.

Assessment of hyperactivity-impulsivity and attention deficit in adolescents by self-report and its association with psychopathology and academic performance.

The scientific literature highlights the risk of the appearance of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, together with difficulties in the academic area, linked to diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is normally assessed by teachers and primary caregivers, disregarding the self-perception of the adolescents themselves, which limits detection of this disorder at an evolutionary stage. Our aim was to analyze the psychometric properties of a self-report for ADHD in adolescence and its relationship with psychopathology and academic performance. This study assessed an incidental sample of 267 students from secondary schools in the Region of Murcia, Spain, using the EDAH questionnaire adapted for self-report, in order to analyze its psychometric properties in assessing ADHD. The Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) were also used to determine their association with psychopathological, self-control and academic performance variables. An ADHD prevalence of between 3.7 and 13.1% was observed depending on the established cut-off point. The adapted EDAH showed adequate reliability indices (α = 0.818; ω = 0.817) and explained a high variance percentage (50.655%). Adolescents with anxiety/depression difficulties, dissocial behavior, aggressiveness, and poor performance in mathematics showed a higher amount of ADHD symptoms. Moreover, self-control, dissocial behavior, age, and performance in Social Sciences acted as predictors of the disorder. The good psychometric properties of this questionnaire and its adequate correspondence with other variables of interest suggest it is an appropriate self-report instrument to assess ADHD in adolescence.

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence During Confinement: Characteristics by Age and Sex.

The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to stop its advance have affected the entire population. Children living with difficulties or in vulnerable situations prior to the pandemic might have suffered an even greater impact. This present study examines the psychological impact of quarantine on children and adolescents exposed to intimate partner violence against their mothers. Participants were 185 mothers who reported 269 children, as well as 108 children who self-reported. An emotional and behavioral checklist was administered to both mothers and children throughout confinement. Results show mothers observed changes in their children's psychological state. Children, in turn, reported an increase in different variables. Mothers reported a higher percentage of overall increase for both general and severe symptoms than their children. Differences were found by sex and age. Future research with similar population groups is necessary to establish the support and intervention children require in similar contexts, as well as to clarify possible causes of differences found by age and sex.

Mother's IPV, Child Maltreatment Type and the Presence of PTSD in Children and Adolescents.

This correlational cross-sectional study was designed to investigate whether the intimate partner violence (IPV) suffered by mothers (physical and psychological maltreatment), child eyewitness of psychological and physical maltreatment suffered by the mother, the neglect suffered by children, and the maltreatment (physical and psychological) directly suffered by children are statistically associated to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms exhibited by the child. In addition, the prevalence of child PTSD was estimated, as well as the concordance between the PTSD symptoms assessed by the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for child PTSD. The sample consisted of 152 Spanish children aged 8 to 17 and their mothers, who were recruited from Centers of Specialized Assistance for Women Victims of IPV. PTSD prevalence was 20.4%. The results of a canonical correlation analysis showed that the two types of maltreatment with the largest contribution to the canonical variable were physical maltreatment directly suffered by the child, and child eyewitness of physical maltreatment suffered by the mother. The potential developmental pathway of PTSD when both children and mothers suffer severe maltreatment needs to be examined, and this will contribute to the choice of the most effective type of specialized intervention.

Alteraciones psicológicas en menores expuestos a violencia de género: Prevalencia y diferencias de género y edad / Psychological disorders in children exposed to intimate partner violence: prevalence and gender and age differences

Antecedentes: La exposición de menores a la violencia del padre hacía la madre es un tipo de maltrato infantil y conlleva consecuencias psicológicas muy negativas. Este trabajo expone las características y prevalencias de ocho síndromes empíricos en menores expuestos. Método: Un total de 91 menores expuestos a violencia de género fueron valorados a través del Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) en un programa de Intervención Psicológica. Se analizan los resultados y prevalencias de ocho síndromes empíricos de la muestra total, por sexo y por edad en comparación con población normal. Resultados: Los menores expuestos a violencia de género remitidos a consulta clínica, difieren significativamente de la población normal. La prevalencia clínica de los síndromes es significativamente superior con respecto a lo esperable en menores de su edad (hasta 10 veces superior). Las niñas y los menores de menor edad suelen manifestar prevalencias superiores. Conclusiones: La exposición a violencia de género determina en los/as menores graves consecuencias psicológicas que influyen negativamente en su bienestar, desarrollo psicológico y salud mental y que hacen necesario atender este importante problema social (AU)

Background: Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence against women it is a kind of child maltreatment and it carries very negative psychological consequences. This work shows the prevalences and characteristics of eight empirical syndromes in exposed children. Method: A number of 91 exposed children to intimate partner violence were assessed through the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a Psychological Intervention Program. The results are analyzed and eight empirical syndromes prevalences total sample, by gender and age compared to normal population. Results: The children exposed to intimate partner violence show higher prevalence in all syndromes than normal population. The clinical prevalence of syndromes can become 10 times higher than normal population. Moreover, girls and younger children show higher prevalences. Conclusions: Children's exposure to intimate partner violence can cause important psychological consequences what impacts in welfare, mental health and how the child develops psychologically. Therefore, it's necessary to address this important social problem (AU)

Prevalencia de las alteraciones emocionales en una muestra de menores maltratados / Prevalence of emotional disorders in a sample of battered children

En este trabajo se exponen las prevalencias de indicadores psicopatológicos (ansiedad, depresión e ira) derivados de la exposición a situaciones de maltrato intrafamiliar, en una muestra de 42 menores tutelados (57% niños y 43% niñas). Dicha investigación se ha realizado en base al Proyecto de Evaluación, Diagnóstico y Tratamiento Psicológico en Menores Tutelados (PEDIMET). Para tal fin, en primer lugar se realizó un análisis de la consistencia interna de los instrumentos de evaluación seleccionados: Cuestionario de Autoevaluación Ansiedad Estado-Rasgo en niños (STAIC; Spielberger, 1973); Cuestionario de Sensibilidad a la Ansiedad para niños (CASI; Silverman, Fleisig, Rabian y Peterson, 1991), Inventario de Depresión Infantil (CDI; Kovacs, 1992) e Inventario de expresión de Ira Estado-Rasgo en niños y adolescentes (STAXI-NA; Del Barrio, Spielberger y Aluja, 2005). Se analizan las prevalencias en ansiedad (CASI, 33.71% y STAIC 11.43% para A-E y A-R), depresión (19%) e ira (20% para Rasgo y 7.5% para Estado), así como las diferencias relativas al sexo, en la muestra seleccionada (AU)

In this paper we describe the prevalence of psychopathology indicators (anxiety, depression and anger) from exposure to situations of domestic abuse in a sample of 42 children in care (57% boys and 43% girls). This research was conducted based on the Project Evaluation, Diagnosis and Psychological Tratment in Children Care (PEDIMET). To this end, we first performed an analysis of the internal consistency of the assessment tools selected: SAQ State-Trait Anxiety in children (STAIC, Spielberger, 1973); Questionnaire Anxiety Sensitivity for children (CASI; Silverman, Fleisig, Rabies and Peterson, 1991), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI, Kovacs, 1992) and Anger Expression Inventory State-Trait in children and adolescents (STAXI-NA, Del Barrio, Aluja Spielberger, 2005). We analyze the prevalence in anxiety (CASI, 33.71% and 11.43% STAIC for SA and TA), depression (19%) and anger (20% to 7.5% Trait State) as well as differences relating to sex in the selected sample (AU)

Características y prevalencia de los problemas de ansiedad, depresión y quejas somáticas en una muestra clínica infantil de 8 a 12 años, mediante el CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) / Characteristics and prevalence of anxiety disorders, depression and somatic complaints in a 8 to 12 years old child clinical sample using the CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist)

Este trabajo presenta la sintomatología internalizante de ansiedad, depresión y quejas somáticas, obtenida en una muestra clínica de 300 niños y niñas de edades entre 8 y 12 años. Se ha empleado como instrumento una escala abreviada (96 items) del CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist, Achenbach y Edelbrock, 1983).La prevalencia encontrada en los factores CBCL-DSM para la muestra total, estimada a partir del percentil 98 (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), es 54% en ansiedad, 32% en alteraciones afectivas y 29% en quejas somáticas; apareciendo más niños que niñas en las dos primeras alteraciones. Se realizó un análisis factorial común y se hallaron tres síndromes empíricos internalizantes: ansiedad-depresión, quejas somáticas y retraimiento-depresión. En estos síndromes empíricos la prevalencia, a partir de la media más una desviación típica, es: 18% en ansiedad-depresión y quejas somáticas, y del 14% en retraimiento-depresión, en todos los casos superior en niños que en niñas (AU)

This paper shows the internalizing symptoms: anxiety, depression and somatic complaints, obtained in a clinical sample from 300 boys and girls aged between 8 and 12 years. The instrument used was the abbreviated Child Behavior Checklist Scale (CBCL) (Achenbach & Edelbrock 1983) of 96 items. The prevalence found in the CBCL-DSM factors in the total sample, estimated from 98th percentile (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), is 54% in anxiety, 32% in affective alterations, and 29% in somatic complaints, finding a higher prevalence in boys than girls in the first two alterations. A factorial analysis was carried out and it was found three internalizing empirical syndromes: anxious/depressed, somatic complaints and withdrawn/depressed. In these empirical syndromes the prevalence, from mean plus one SD of the sample, is: 18% in anxious/depressed and somatic complaints, and 14% in withdrawn/depressed, and in all factors the prevalence was higher in boys than girls (AU)