[Use of Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigs) and e-Shishas by Children and Adolescents: Evidence Paper of the Joint Addiction Commission of the German Societies and Professional Associations of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy]. / Nutzung elektronischer Zigaretten (E-Zigaretten) und E-Shishas durch Kinder und Jugendliche.

Use of Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigs) and e-Shishas by Children and Adolescents: Evidence Paper of the Joint Addiction Commission of the German Societies and Professional Associations of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Abstract. The particular risks associated with the consumption of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) in children and adolescents are not sufficiently considered in the health policy discourse. The present article evaluates the current dissemination and consumption patterns of e-cigarettes as well as the health risks attached to children and adolescents. Based on data from current national and international studies, there has been a clear increase in the consumption of e-cigarettes over the past years. This stands in sharp contrast to the overall decline in tobacco consumption among both children and adolescents in Germany. Young people without tobacco experience are now consuming more frequently e-cigarettes than those who occasionally or regularly use tobacco. They also are experimenting more frequently with conventional cigarettes if they have previously consumed e-cigarettes. The largely unregulated availability of e-cigarette products to the newest generation, such as JUUL, led to a dramatic increase in their prevalence among high-school students in the USA. Products with high nicotine content and multiple flavors are being marketed intensively as trendy lifestyle products to young user groups via advertising and social media campaigns. These products are also becoming increasingly relevant in Germany. The success of tobacco prevention in recent years is presently jeopardized by the ongoing effective advertising for e-cigarettes. The Addiction Commission of the German Child and Youth Psychiatric Federations and Scientific Societies therefore call for an immediate, strict, and comprehensive ban of e-cigarette advertising.

[Validity of the Scale of Pervasive Developmental Disorder in a Clinical Sample of Adults with Intellectual Disability]. / Validierung der Skala zur Erfassung von Autismusspektrumstörung bei Minderbegabten (SEAS-M) an einer klinisch-psychiatrischen Stichprobe Erwachsener.

OBJECTIVES: The study assesses the diagnostic validity of the Scale of Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Mentally Retarded Persons (PDD-MRS). METHODS: Unblinded conduct of PDD-MRS in a clinical psychiatric sample of adults with intellectual disability (ID; N = 109) and suspect of autism. RESULTS: For a cut-off-score of 10, sensitivity was 89 %, specificity 62 % and the Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.83. The total score was independent of age, gender and level of ID. However the diagnostic validity was better balanced in adults with mild to moderate ID (sensitivity/specificity: 85 %/73 %) compared to those with severe to profound ID (93 %/42 %). The SEAS-M total score was correlated with various ASD screening measures (r = .3-.6), while no correlation was found for scales assessing challenging behavior. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the PDD-MRS is a screening instrument for diagnosing autism in adults with mild to moderate ID. Knowledge of the PDD-MRS results within the consensus conference may have led to an overestimation of its diagnostic validity.

[Media-associated disorders in childhood and adolescence: Evidence paper of the joint addiction commision of the German societies and professional associations of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy]. / Medienbezogene Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter: Evidenzpapier der Gemeinsamen Suchtkommission der kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen und psychotherapeutischen Fachgesellschaft und Verbände (DGKJP, BAG, BKJPP).

Media-associated disorders in childhood and adolescence: Evidence paper of the joint addiction commision of the German societies and professional associations of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy Abstract. Media-associated disorders (MAD) describe the problematic use of the internet, certain electronic devices in general as well as digital applications. During childhood and adolescence, digital games and social media are the most commonly used applications. In May 2019, as first MAD "gaming disorder" was included as a clinical diagnosis in the ICD-11. The prevalence of MAD in German children and adolescents is estimated to lie between 3 % and 5 %. In most cases, MAD are accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities. MAD ensue because of dysfunctional learning processes in combination with general and specific risk factors. They are associated with neural changes like those of substance-associated addictions. Diagnostics can be based on validated questionnaires and clinical exploration, though a standardized diagnostic path is not yet common. Treatment depends on the level of severity and generally comprises outpatient, day-clinic, and inpatient therapy approaches with elements from cognitive-behavioral therapy and under parental involvement. Suitable treatments are not yet available in all German regions and have also not been sufficiently evaluated. Moreover, only a few studies exist on the efficacy of prevention measures addressing MAD in children and adolescents. Thus, further research is strongly required.

Axis I comorbidity in adolescent inpatients referred for treatment of substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: To assess comorbid DSM-IV-TR Axis I disorders in adolescent inpatients referred for treatment of substance use disorders. METHODS: 151 patients (mean age 16.95 years, SD = 1.76; range 13 - 22) were consecutively assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and standardized clinical questionnaires to assess mental disorders, symptom distress, psychosocial variables and detailed aspects of drug use. A consecutively referred subgroup of these 151 patients consisting of 65 underage patients (mean age 16.12, SD = 1.10; range 13 - 17) was additionally assessed with the modules for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) using The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for school-aged children (K-SADS-PL). RESULTS: 128 (84.8%) of the 151 patients were dependent on at least one substance, the remaining patients fulfilled diagnostic criteria for abuse only. 40.5% of the participants fulfilled criteria for at least one comorbid present Axis I disorder other than substance use disorders (67.7% in the subgroup additionally interviewed with the K-SADS-PL). High prevalences of present mood disorder (19.2%), somatoform disorders (9.3%), and anxiety disorders (22.5%) were found. The 37 female participants showed a significantly higher risk for lifetime comorbid disorders; the gender difference was significantly pronounced for anxiety and somatoform disorders. Data from the underage subgroup revealed a high prevalence for present CD (41.5%). 33% of the 106 patients (total group) who were within the mandatory school age had not attended school for at least a two-month period prior to admission. In addition, 51.4% had been temporarily expelled from school at least once. CONCLUSIONS: The present data validates previous findings of high psychiatric comorbidity in adolescent patients with substance use disorders. The high rates of school refusal and conduct disorder indicate the severity of psychosocial impairment.

[The Kaufman Test System during adolescence: structure and application of the Kaufman-Test zur Intelligenzmessung (K-TIM)]. / Das Kaufman-Testsystem im Jugendalter.

OBJECTIVE: The Kaufman-Test zur Intelligenzmessung (K-TIM) is the German-language adaptation of the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test, serving the sophisticated assessment of intellectual abilities within the age range from 11 to over 85 years. Founded on the respective models of cognitive development by Horn and Cattell, Luria, and Piaget, the battery comprises 10 subtests, structured into fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, and assessment of delayed recall, reflecting the test concept. METHOD: In addition to early trials during the translation and adaptation as well as the novel construction of items with a high verbal or cultural load, studies to evaluate test criteria were performed stepwise. Norms for the final version were developed using a sample of 2,320 persons from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol. Also, test criteria were analyzed again. RESULTS: Test reliability was very high (.96 to .98 for the scales). Validity of the developmental criterion important in adolescence, and that of the construct criterion was ensured by means of correlational and factor analyses. Concurrent validity was confirmed using correlational studies with other tests as external criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The adaptation did not result in any structural changes within the test concept. For the German-speaking countries as well the K-TIM is thus an interesting alternative to the differential assessment of intelligence in adolescents.

An Early Onset Rehabilitation Program for Children and Adolescents after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Methods and First Results.

Survived traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are one of the most serious challenges to the patient's future life. Recent literature increasingly questions the long believed protective effects of functional cerebral plasticity in children. Although TBI in children and adolescents is frequent, they are less frequently admitted to rehabilitation centers as in-patients than adults. This emphasizes the role of out-patient treatment. The progressing study described here aims to achieve a contribution to a comprehensive approach in TBI-rehabilitation for youngsters. A two-stage multimethodal program, starting with stimulation in coma while the patient is on the intensive care unit, and neuropsychological therapy after regaining consciousness is to be evaluated in a controlled, prospective and randomized study. After including nearly 50 % of the planned sample (100 persons), some preliminary results can be mentioned with all applicable caution. The effectiveness of the applied therapy can be stated here with respect to the posttraumatic development of intellectual abilities in the 6- and 12 months follow ups. Moreover, in the control group development of psychopathological alterations was found to a considerable degree and also lower ratings in a quality of life questionnaire, compared to the experimental group. It is expected to prove these differences statistically, after the total sample has been included, and thus equal distributions have been achieved in all predictive variables.