Discontinuities in and Perceptions of Mental Health Service Path of Violent Young Offenders: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Studies on mental health service use among juvenile violent offenders prior to their acts of violence are sparse. Mostly, their service use seems to be short-term, although there may have been several service periods. Little is known about how they have perceived those services. Using a qualitative content analysis on data from forensic psychiatric examination statements, we studied discontinuities in the use of mental health services of 15-22-year-old violent Finnish offenders and descriptions of their perceptions of those services. There were several types of discontinuities: limited youth engagement and subsequent dropping out from services, or partial or total refusal of the proposed examinations or treatments. Most discontinuations were instigated by the youth themselves, followed by the parents and the service system. The subjects had perceived mental health services to be not beneficial for the most part, although some experienced benefits from medication. When treating children and adolescents with behavioral symptoms clinicians should identify the early signs of the process of disengagement from treatment and pay attention to the perceptions of the treatment of both the youth and their parents. Also, more research is needed on the user experience of mental health services among violent offenders, as well as factors relating to discontinuities along their mental health service path.

Lifelong mental health service use among 15-22 years old offenders: a document-based, mixed-methods descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: Among young offenders, psychiatric morbidity and comorbidity are common, but our knowledge about their use of mental health services during childhood and adolescence is scarce. We aimed to describe the lifelong use of mental health services of young offenders who have committed serious crimes. DESIGN AND STUDY SETTING: Using data on forensic psychiatric examinations of 42 Finnish offenders aged 15-22 years, we analysed the timing and typical patterns of their prior mental health service use with qualitative and quantitative content analysis and typification. RESULTS: Young offenders appeared in this study as children with plenty of perinatal and developmental risks, and risks related to their family situation and peer relations. Most subjects were described as having had emotional or behavioural symptoms, or both, since childhood. Involvement in mental health services was rare before the age of 7 years but increased markedly after that, staying on the same level during adolescence. Five categories of mental health service users were identified: (1) continuing service use around a decade (14.3%), (2) one brief fixed treatment (11.9%), (3) involuntary use of services (31.0%), (4) evasive use of services (21.4%) and (5) no mental health service use (21.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Young offenders had symptoms from early ages, but during childhood and adolescence, involvement in mental health services appeared for most as relatively short, repetitive or lacking. To help children at risk of criminal development, a multiprofessional approach, an early evidence-based intervention for behavioural symptoms and screening for learning problems, traumatic experiences and substance use are necessary. Results can help identify children and adolescents with a risk of criminal development, to develop mental health services and to plan further research.

Psychiatric symptoms and the association with parents' psychiatric symptoms among recently arrived asylum-seeking children in Finland.

This study examined psychiatric symptoms and the association with parents' psychiatric symptoms among recently arrived accompanied asylum-seeking children in the age groups of 2-6 years (n = 93) and 7-12 years (n = 91). Children and parents were assessed using mental health and trauma measures (SDQ, HSCL-25 and PROTECT). The prevalence of total difficulties was 34.9% among 2-6-year-olds and 29.6% among 7-12-year-olds. The most common symptoms in both age groups were peer problems, followed by conduct problems among 2-6-year-olds and emotional symptoms among 7-12-year-olds. In both age groups, the children's emotional symptoms were associated with the parents' anxiety and depression as well as the trauma symptoms, while the conduct problems were only associated with the parents' trauma symptoms. In conclusion, peer problems as well as conduct problems and emotional symptoms are common among recently arrived asylum-seeking children. To support the mental health of these children, both children and parents need adequate support.

Parenting in place: The reception centre as the spatial context for laying the foundations for asylum-seeking children's healthy development.

Brain architecture is shaped by early childhood experiences, which thus affect future physical and mental health. These experiences consist primarily of parenting, intertwined with environment. The mental health of migrants has received much attention in research; however, early childhood experiences and the spatiality of parenting have largely been ignored. This study examines asylum-seeking parents' perceptions of parenting their 2-6-year-old children, focusing on the spatial context of the reception centre. We conducted 26 semi-structured interviews among parents in three reception centres in Finland. The results show that parenting was challenged by all three dimensions of place: location, locale and sense of place. The findings indicate that for parents, the reception centre is an essential factor interacting with parenting, enabling or impeding caregiving. These findings are discussed from the viewpoints of transnationalism, insufficient children's spaces and activities and lost sense of place. We urge policy-makers to improve the spatial context for parenting in reception centres by ensuring adequate children's spaces and activities, including opportunities for early learning, privacy of the family, parents' social support and possibilities for establishing everyday routines. We suggest that these improvements would have far-reaching beneficial implications for the healthy development and future mental health of asylum-seeking children.

Parent- and teacher-reported long-term effects of parent training on child conduct problems in families with child protection and other support services: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the Incredible Years® (IY) Parenting Program in modifying children's externalizing problems among families in Child Protection Services (CPS) and using other special support services. We also examined whether parent-reported effects of the IY® generalize to the daycare/school setting as reported by teachers. METHODS: Participants in the study were 3-7-year-old children with behavioural problems (N = 102 at baseline, N = 89 at one-year follow-up). Participants were randomized to intervention (N = 50) and control groups (N = 52) after the baseline assessment. The intervention group received 19-week IY® Parenting Program. The effectiveness of the intervention was analyzed using linear mixed model. RESULTS: Our previously reported pre-post intervention effects on CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) and ECBI (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) were not sustained to the one-year follow-up. Child conduct problems decreased from baseline to follow-up in both intervention and control groups. The positive changes were not observed at daycare/school from baseline to post-intervention or to the one-year follow-up, and there were no significant differences in changes between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based parenting program IY® seems to be an effective intervention for child conduct problems in the short term in families in the CPS context, but sustaining the positive effects and generalizing them to the daycare/school context are challenging. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT03239990), Registered August 4th, 2017; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT03239990&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=.

Emotional School Engagement and Psychiatric Symptoms among 6-9-Year-old Children with an Immigrant Background in the First Years of School in Finland.

The aim of this study is to examine emotional school engagement and psychiatric symptoms among 6-9-year-old children with an immigrant background (n = 148) in their first years of school compared to children with a Finnish native background (n = 2430). The analyzed data consisted of emotional school engagement measures completed by children and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires completed by both parents and teachers. Children with an immigrant background had lower self-reported emotional school engagement than children with a native background with reference to less courage to talk about their thoughts in the class and more often felt loneliness. Further, they reported that they had more often been bullies and seen bullying in the class. Children with an immigrant background had more emotional symptoms and peer problems reported by parents than children with a native background. However, teachers did not report any significant differences.

Longitudinal associations between inhibitory control and externalizing and internalizing symptoms in school-aged children.

Inhibitory control (IC) deficits have been associated with psychiatric symptoms in all ages. However, longitudinal studies testing the direction of the associations in childhood are scarce. We used a sample of 2,874 children (7 to 9 years old) to test the following three hypotheses: (a) IC deficits are an underlying risk factor with a potentially causal role for psychopathology, (b) IC deficits are a complication of psychopathology, and (c) IC deficits and psychopathology are associated at the trait level but not necessarily causally related. We used the go/no-go task to assess IC, the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to evaluate externalizing/internalizing symptoms, and the random intercepts cross-lagged panel model to test the hypotheses. The results showed no support for the underlying risk factor hypothesis, suggesting that IC unlikely has a causal role in this age group's psychopathology. The complication hypothesis received support for externalizing symptoms, suggesting that externalizing symptoms may hamper the normal development of IC. IC deficits and both externalizing and internalizing symptoms were correlated at the trait level, indicating a possible common origin. We suggest that it may be useful to support children with externalizing symptoms to promote and protect their IC development.

The effect of the severity of parental alcohol abuse on mental and behavioural disorders in children.

Many studies have shown that children of alcohol abusing parents have a higher risk for mental and behavioural disorders compared to other children. Using a retrospective population-based cohort study, based on health care and social welfare registers that include children born in Finland in 1997 and their biological parents, we evaluated whether the severity of parental alcohol abuse is related to these disorders in children. We examined (1) differences in the incidence of mental and behavioural disorders over time among the children of parents with no alcohol problems, parents with less severe alcohol problems and parents with severe alcohol problems, and (2) associations between mother's and father's alcohol abuse and children's risk of disorders. Children were followed up until the age of 15. A diagnosis of mental or behavioural disorders during the follow-up was received by 15.4% of the boys and 9.0% of the girls. Both less severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.14-1.61) and severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.49) in mothers increased the risk of these disorders in their offspring. The corresponding figures among fathers were HR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.92-1.54 and HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.32. Our results indicate that both maternal alcohol abuse and paternal alcohol abuse, regardless of severity, are associated with an increased risk of mental and behavioural disorders in children. It is crucial for professionals working with children to pay attention to all children whose parents have any alcohol abuse problems.

Test-retest repeatability of child's respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality - comparing self- and parent-administered questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Questionnaires can be used to assess perceived indoor air quality and symptoms in schools. Questionnaires for primary school aged children have traditionally been parent-administered, but self-administered questionnaires would be easier to administer and may yield as good, if not better, information. Our aim was to compare the repeatability of self- and parent-administered indoor air questionnaires designed for primary school aged pupils. METHODS: Indoor air questionnaire with questions on child's symptoms and perceived indoor air quality in schools was sent to parents of pupils aged 7-12 years in two schools and again after two weeks. Slightly modified version of the questionnaire was administered to pupils aged 9-12 years in another two schools and repeated after a week. 351 (52%) parents and 319 pupils (86%) answered both the first and the second questionnaire. Test-retest repeatability was assessed with intra-class correlation (ICC) and Cohen's kappa coefficients (k). RESULTS: Test-retest repeatability was generally between 0.4-0.7 (ICC; k) in both self- and parent-administered questionnaire. In majority of the questions on symptoms and perceived indoor air quality test-retest repeatability was at the same level or slightly better in self-administered compared to parent-administered questionnaire. Agreement of self- and parent administered questionnaires was generally < 0.4 (ICC; k) in reported symptoms and 0.4-0.6 (ICC; k) in perceived indoor air quality. CONCLUSIONS: Children aged 9-12 years can give as, or even more, repeatable information about their respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality than their parents. Therefore, it may be possible to use self-administered questionnaires in future studies also with children.

Healthy Learning Mind - a school-based mindfulness and relaxation program: a study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness has shown positive effects on mental health, mental capacity and well-being among adult population. Among children and adolescents, previous research on the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions on health and well-being has shown promising results, but studies with methodologically sound designs have been called for. Few intervention studies in this population have compared the effectiveness of mindfulness programs to alternative intervention programs with adequate sample sizes. METHODS/DESIGN: Our primary aim is to explore the effectiveness of a school-based mindfulness intervention program compared to a standard relaxation program among a non-clinical children and adolescent sample, and a non-treatment control group in school context. In this study, we systematically examine the effects of mindfulness intervention on mental well-being (primary outcomes being resilience; existence/absence of depressive symptoms; experienced psychological strengths and difficulties), cognitive functions, psychophysiological responses, academic achievements, and motivational determinants of practicing mindfulness. The design is a cluster randomized controlled trial with three arms (mindfulness intervention group, active control group, non-treatment group) and the sample includes 59 Finnish schools and approx. 3 000 students aged 12-15 years. Intervention consists of nine mindfulness based lessons, 45 mins per week, for 9 weeks, the dose being identical in active control group receiving standard relaxation program called Relax. The programs are delivered by 14 educated facilitators. Students, their teachers and parents will fill-in the research questionnaires before and after the intervention, and they will all be followed up 6 months after baseline. Additionally, students will be followed 12 months after baseline. For longer follow-up, consent to linking the data to the main health registers has been asked from students and their parents. DISCUSSION: The present study examines systematically the effectiveness of a school-based mindfulness program compared to a standard relaxation program, and a non-treatment control group. A strength of the current study lies in its methodologically rigorous, randomized controlled study design, which allows novel evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness over and above a standard relaxation program. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN18642659 . Retrospectively registered 13 October 2015.

Is underage abortion associated with adverse outcomes in early adulthood? A longitudinal birth cohort study up to 25 years of age.

STUDY QUESTION: Is underage abortion associated with adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes in early adulthood when compared with underage delivery? SUMMARY ANSWER: Underage abortion was not found to be associated with mental health problems in early adulthood, and socioeconomic outcomes were better among those who experienced abortion compared with those who gave birth. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Teenage motherhood has been linked with numerous adverse outcomes in later life, including low educational levels and poor physical and mental health. Whether abortion at a young age predisposes to similar consequences is not clear. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This nationwide, retrospective cohort study from Finland, included all women born in 1987 (n = 29 041) and followed until 2012. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: We analysed socioeconomic, psychiatric and risk-taking-related health outcomes up to 25 years of age after underage (<18 years) abortion (n = 1041, 3.6%) and after childbirth (n = 394, 1.4%). Before and after conception analyses within the study groups were performed to further examine the association between abortion and adverse health outcomes. A group with no pregnancies up to 20 years of age (n = 25 312, 88.0%) served as an external reference group. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We found no significant differences between the underage abortion and the childbirth group regarding risks of psychiatric disorders (adjusted odds ratio 0.96 [0.67-1.40]) or suffering from intentional or unintentional poisoning by medications or drugs (1.06 [0.57-1.98]). Compared with those who gave birth, girls who underwent abortion were less likely to achieve only a low educational level (0.41 [95% confidence interval 0.31-0.54]) or to be welfare-dependent (0.31 [0.22-0.45]), but more likely to suffer from injuries (1.51 [1.09-2.10]). Compared with the external control group, both pregnancy groups were disadvantaged already prior to the pregnancy. Psychiatric disorders and risk-taking-related health outcomes, including injury, were increased in the abortion group and in the childbirth group similarly on both sides of the pregnancy. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The retrospective nature of the study remains a limitation. The identification of study subjects in order to collect additional data was not allowed for ethical reasons. Therefore further confounding factors, such as the intentionality of the pregnancy, could not be checked. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Previous studies have found that abortion is not harmful to mental health in the majority of adult women. Our study adds to the current understanding in suggesting that this is also the case concerning underage girls. Furthermore, women with a history of underage abortion had better socioeconomic outcomes compared with those who gave birth. These findings can be generalized to settings of high-quality social and health-care services, where abortion is accessible and affordable to all citizens. Social and health-care professionals who care for and counsel underage girls facing unplanned pregnancy should acknowledge this information. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This study was financially supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation. The researchers are independent of funders and the funders had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication. The authors have no competing interests.

Short-term effects of the "Together at School" intervention program on children's socio-emotional skills: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Together at School is a universal intervention program designed to promote socio-emotional skills among primary-school children. It is based on a whole school approach, and implemented in school classes by teachers. The aim of the present study is to examine the short-term effects of the intervention program in improving socio-emotional skills and reducing psychological problems among boys and girls. We also examine whether these effects depend on grade level (Grades 1 to 3) and intervention dosage. METHODS: This cluster randomized controlled trial design included 79 Finnish primary schools (40 intervention and 39 control) with 3 704 children. The outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS) with teachers as raters. The intervention dosage was indicated by the frequencies six central tools were used by the teachers. The data was collected at baseline and 6 months later. Intervention effects were analyzed using multilevel modeling. RESULTS: When analyzed across all grades no intervention effect was observed in improving children's socio-emotional skills or in reducing their psychological problems at 6-month follow-up. Among third (compared to first) graders the intervention decreased psychological problems. Stratified analyses by gender showed that this effect was significant only among boys and that among them the intervention also improved third graders' cooperation skills. Among girls the intervention effects were not moderated by grade. Implementing the intervention with intended intensity (i.e. a high enough dosage) had a significant positive effect on cooperation skills. When analyzed separately among genders, this effect was significant only in girls. CONCLUSIONS: These first, short-term results of the Together at School intervention program did not show any main effects on children's socio-emotional skills or psychological problems. This lack of effects may be due to the relatively short follow-up period given the universal, whole school-based approach of the program. The results suggest that the grade level where the intervention is started might be a factor in the program's effectiveness. Moreover, the results also suggest that for this type of intervention program to be effective, it needs to be delivered with a high enough dosage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02178332 ; Date of registration: 03-April-2014.

Determinants of underage induced abortion--the 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Although underage pregnancies often end in induced abortion, data on girls who undergo termination of pregnancy are lacking. Our aim was to identify determinants of underage induced abortion and compare them with those of childbirth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All girls born in 1987 in Finland surviving the perinatal period (n = 29 041) were included in the study and divided into three study groups: Girls undergoing induced abortion (n = 1041, 3.6%) or childbirth (n = 395, 1.4%) at <18 years of age and girls with no underage pregnancies (n = 27 605, 95.0%). RESULTS: Shared risk factors of underage induced abortion and childbirth included early onset behavioral and emotional disorders [adjusted OR 1.9 (1.4-2.5) and 2.7 (95% CI 1.8-3.9)], a history of foster care [1.5 [1.1-1.9] and 3.0 [2.3-4.1)], and socioeconomic factors, including living in a family receiving income support [1.8 (1.5-2.1) and 3.4 (2.7-4.4)], respectively. Specific risk factors of underage induced abortion were psychoactive substance use disorders [2.2 (1.3-3.5)], having a mother who smoked during pregnancy [1.5 (1.3-1.8)] or had undergone induced abortion [1.8 (1.5-2.2)]. Coping with a chronic physical illness [0.7 (0.5-0.9)], and perinatal problems [0.6 (0.4-0.7)] were inversely associated with underage induced abortion. CONCLUSIONS: The traditionally acknowledged determinants of underage childbirth played a less prominent role in induced abortion. Novel risk factors of underage induced abortion were found, including severe substance abuse and adverse maternal reproductive history, and should be addressed at all levels offering youth healthcare and social welfare services.

"Together at school"--a school-based intervention program to promote socio-emotional skills and mental health in children: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Schools provide a natural context to promote children's mental health. However, there is a need for more evidence-based, high quality school intervention programs combined with an accurate evaluation of their general effectiveness and effectiveness of specific intervention methods. The aim of this paper is to present a study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the "Together at School" intervention program. The intervention program is designed to promote social-emotional skills and mental health by utilizing whole-school approach and focuses on classroom curriculum, work environment of school staff, and parent-teacher collaboration methods. METHODS/DESIGN: The evaluation study examines the effects of the intervention on children's socio-emotional skills and mental health in a cluster randomized controlled trial design with 1) an intervention group and 2) an active control group. Altogether 79 primary school participated at baseline. A multi-informant setting involves the children themselves, their parents, and teachers. The primary outcomes are measured using parent and teacher ratings of children's socio-emotional skills and psychological problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale. Secondary outcomes for the children include emotional understanding, altruistic behavior, and executive functions (e.g. working memory, planning, and inhibition). Secondary outcomes for the teachers include ratings of e.g. school environment, teaching style and well-being. Secondary outcomes for both teachers and parents include e.g. emotional self-efficacy, child rearing practices, and teacher-parent collaboration. The data was collected at baseline (autumn 2013), 6 months after baseline, and will be collected also 18 months after baseline from the same participants. DISCUSSION: This study protocol outlines a trial which aims to add to the current state of intervention programs by presenting and studying a contextually developed and carefully tested intervention program which is tailored to fit a national school system. Identification of effective intervention elements to promote children's mental health in early school years is crucial for optimal later development. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov register: NCT02178332.

Socioeconomic and regional aspects in the use of specialized psychiatric care--a Finnish nationwide follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence are an important public health concern. The general aim of Finnish health policy is to offer equal services for all inhabitants according to need, irrespective of socio-economic background or place of residence. Here, we assess equity in access to psychiatric care in a long-term nationwide follow-up study from birth to early adulthood. METHODS: All 60 069 children born in Finland in 1987 were followed up through health registers from 1987 to 2008. The cohort members' use of specialized psychiatric outpatient and inpatient care was assessed and linked to their socio-economic status and residential area. RESULTS: Altogether, 14.4% of the cohort members had received specialized psychiatric care during the follow-up. Females used significantly more specialized psychiatric outpatient care than males. In addition, the use of specialized psychiatric care was more common among young people with a poor socio-economic background and those living in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: A notable number of the young adults born in Finland in 1987 used specialized psychiatric care during their childhood and adolescence. Use was clearly defined by sex and residential area, as well as by parental socio-economic status and education. The data indicate that equity in access to mental health services should be highlighted in health policies, as contemporary outpatient mental health care has not been equally available for people living within and outside urban areas.

Prevalence changes of pain, sleep problems and fatigue among 8-year-old children: years 1989, 1999, and 2005.

OBJECTIVES: To study prevalence changes of self-reported pain, sleep problems, and fatigue among 8-year-old children, and to examine the co-occurrence and associated psychosocial variables of these symptoms. METHODS: 3 cross-sectional representative samples were compared in 1989, 1999, and 2005. The frequency of headache, abdominal pain, other pains, sleep problems, and fatigue were studied. In addition, sociodemographic information and child's psychiatric problems were inquired. RESULTS: The prevalence of abdominal pain, sleep problems, and fatigue, in addition to headache in boys and other pains in girls increased significantly (p < .05) from 1989 to 2005, with cumulative odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) varying from 1.6 (1.2-2.1) to 2.4 (1.7-3.3). All symptoms were associated with each other and with the child's psychiatric problems. However, psychiatric problems did not explain the observed increase in the symptom frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: Finnish children's self-reported pain, sleep problems, and fatigue have increased remarkably. Studies providing information on the causes and prevention possibilities are warranted.

[Use of children's mental health services]. / Lasten mielenterveyspalveluiden käyttö.

According to studies carried out in various countries, many parents (7-28%) contact some professionals due to a child's behavioral or emotional disorder, but a large part of children presenting psychic symptoms has remained outside of mental health services. Seeking for care has strongly increased in Finland over the last few years. Schools and day care centers are important not only in recognizing the problems but also in providing support and directing to specialized services.

Victimization and bullying among 8-year-old Finnish children: a 10-year comparison of rates.

OBJECTIVE: There are only few population-based time-trend studies on changes in prevalence of bullying and victimization among children. The main aim of this study was to find out whether changes have occurred in prevalence rates of bullying and victimization from 1989 to 1999 among eight-year-old children. The associations between victimization and bullying and psychiatric symptoms and their possible differences in the statistical strengths of associations between the years 1989 and 1999 were also studied. METHOD: Two cross-sectional, representative samples from southern Finland were compared. All children born in 1981 (1989 sample, n = 985, response rate 95%) and 1991 (1999 sample, n = 962, response rate 86%) and living in the selected school district were included in the study samples. Children, parents and teachers were asked about bullying and victimization. The Children's Depression Inventory and Rutter's parent and teacher scales were used to study psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: In 1999, fewer 8-year-old children were victims of bullying than in 1989. There was a decrease in the number of bullies but the change was statistically significant only in the parental reports. The statistical strengths of associations of victimization and bullying with psychiatric symptoms were mainly the same in 1989 as in 1999. CONCLUSIONS: Slightly decreased levels of victimization among 8-year-old Finnish children is a promising result, but further time-trend studies are needed, as well as qualitative studies, to obtain a deeper understanding of the bullying phenomenon and the factors reducing it. It might be that especially young children are suspectible to influences diminishing victimisation and bullying.

Changes in psychiatric problems and service use among 8-year-old children: a 16-year population-based time-trend study.

OBJECTIVE: To study differences in children's psychiatric symptoms and child mental health service use at three time points: 1989, 1999, and 2005. METHOD: Three cross-sectional representative samples of 8-year-old children were compared from southern Finland. The sampling, procedure, and methods were similar at all three time points. Information was gathered from parents and teachers using Rutter questionnaires and other related determinants of service use and from children using the Children's Depression Inventory. The participation rate at the three time points was 96% in 1989, 86% in 1999, and 84% in 2005. RESULTS: Overall, parent and teacher reports of children's problems did not show a significant increase during the 16-year period. Parent reports of boys' conduct symptoms decreased from 1989 to 1999. However, self-reported depressive symptoms among girls increased from 1989 to 2005. Low parental education level, broken family, and negative life events were associated with depressive symptoms among girls. Although 4% of boys and 1% of girls had used child mental health services in 1989, the respective figures in 2005 were 12% and 4%. The majority of children who were screen positive on either parent or teacher ratings of emotional and behavioral problems using Rutter scales had received some educational support from school in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Reports of depressive symptoms increased among girls, and this finding merits further studies. Use of services has continuously increased. School services play an important role in providing support and early detection of children who need to be referred to child mental health services.

Children of parents with cancer: a collaborative project between a child psychiatry clinic and an adult oncology clinic.

This article describes the development of a collaborative relationship between a child psychiatry clinic and an adult oncology clinic within a university hospital. The interest of the child psychiatry clinic was to pay attention to children of parents with cancer, and to propose an intervention to support them. A child-centred family counselling model was designed for this purpose. The preparation, implementation, and results of this project are described. Positive results, as well as mistakes and failures are discussed, and recommendations are made regarding this kind of collaboration.