Efficacy of chess training for the treatment of ADHD: A prospective, open label study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of playing chess as a treatment option for children with ADHD. METHODS: Parents of 44 children ages 6 to 17 with a primary diagnosis of ADHD consented to take part in the study. Parents completed the Spanish version of the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Scale for parents (SNAP-IV) and the Abbreviated Conner's Rating Scales for parents (CPRS-HI) prior to an 11-week chess-training program. We used a paired t-test to compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes, and Cohen-d calculations to measure the magnitude of the effect. The statistical significance was set at P<.05. RESULTS: Children with ADHD improved in both the SNAP-IV (t=6.23; degrees of freedom (df)=41; P<.001) and the CPRS-HI (t=5.39; df=33; P<.001). Our results suggest a large effect in decreasing the severity of ADHD as measured by the SNAP-IV (d=0.85) and the CPRS-HI (d=0.85). Furthermore, we found a correlation between intelligence quotient and SNAP-IV improvement (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our pilot study should be interpreted with caution. This pilot project highlights the importance of carrying out larger studies with a case-control design. If our results are replicated in better designed studies, playing chess could be included within the multimodal treatment of ADHD.

Clinical Correlates of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in an Outpatient Sample of Adolescents.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is a major public health concern. The first goal of our study was to describe the characteristics and functions of NSSI and NSSI thoughts in an adolescent outpatient sample. The second goal was to examine which clinical factors discriminate between these two groups of patients. A group of 267 subjects was recruited from the Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatric Services, Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain) from November 2011 to October 2012. All participants were administered the Spanish version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI). A total of 21.7% of patients reported having engaged in NSSI at least once in their lifetime. The most strongly endorsed function for NSSI was automatic negative reinforcement. In comparison with patients in the NSSI Thoughts group and the control group, patients in the NSSI group scored higher in Internalization of Anger and in all the scales comprising the Children's Depression Inventory. Our findings on the prevalence and functions of NSSI are consistent with the literature. NSSI was mainly performed for emotion regulation purposes; specifically, NSSI seems to be used to cope with anger and depression. In addition, internalization of anger might play a significant role in the maintenance of this behavior.

[Prevalence and functions of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in a sample of Spanish adolescents assessed in mental health outpatient departments]. / Prevalencia y funciones de los pensamientos y conductas autoagresivas en una muestra de adolescentes evaluados en consultas externas de salud mental.

INTRODUCTION: Suicidal and self-injurious behaviors in adolescents are a major public health concern. However, the prevalence of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in Spanish outpatient adolescents is unknown. METHODS: A total of 267 adolescents between 11 and 18 year old were recruited from the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatric Services, Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain) from November 1st 2011 to October 31st 2012. All participants were administered the Spanish version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Inventory, which is a structured interview that assesses the presence, frequency, and characteristics of suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide gestures, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury. RESULTS: One-fifth (20.6%) of adolescents reported having had suicidal ideation at least once during their lifetime. Similarly, 2.2% reported suicide plans, 9.4% reported suicide gesture, 4.5% attempted suicide, and 21.7% reported non-suicidal self-injury, at least once during their lifetime. Of the whole sample, 47.6% of adolescents reported at least one of the studied thoughts or behaviors in their lifetime. Among them, 47.2% reported 2 or more of these thoughts or behaviors. Regarding the reported function of each type of thoughts and behaviors examined, most were performed for emotional regulation purposes, except in the case of suicide gestures (performed for the purposes of social reinforcement). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence and high comorbidity of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, together with the known risk of transition among them, underline the need of a systematic and routine assessment of these thoughts and behaviors in adolescents assessed in mental health departments.

[Space-time suicide clustering in the community of Antequera (Spain)]. / Clusters de casos de suicidio espacio-temporal en la comunidad de Antequera (España).

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 3,500 people commit suicide every year in Spain. The main aim of this study is to explore if a spatial and temporal clustering of suicide exists in the region of Antequera (Málaga, España). METHODS: Sample and procedure: All suicides from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008 were identified using data from the Forensic Pathology Department of the Institute of Legal Medicine, Málaga (España). Geolocalisation. Google Earth was used to calculate the coordinates for each suicide decedent's address. Statistical analysis. A spatiotemporal permutation scan statistic and the Ripley's K function were used to explore spatiotemporal clustering. Pearson's chi-squared was used to determine whether there were differences between suicides inside and outside the spatiotemporal clusters. RESULTS: A total of 120 individuals committed suicide within the region of Antequera, of which 96 (80%) were included in our analyses. Statistically significant evidence for 7 spatiotemporal suicide clusters emerged within critical limits for the 0-2.5 km distance and for the first and second semanas (P<.05 in both cases) after suicide. There was not a single subject diagnosed with a current psychotic disorder, among suicides within clusters, whereas outside clusters, 20% had this diagnosis (X2=4.13; df=1; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are spatiotemporal suicide clusters in the area surrounding Antequera. Patients diagnosed with current psychotic disorder are less likely to be influenced by the factors explaining suicide clustering.

Clinical features associated with suicide attempts versus suicide gestures in an inpatient sample.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to test whether suicide attempters and suicide gesturers can be clinically differentiated. A total of 150 subjects who had attempted suicide at least once, had made a suicide gesture, had suicidal ideation, and/or had engaged in non-suicidal self-injury were recruited from the inpatient service of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain). A multinomial regression analysis was conducted. Histrionic and antisocial personality disorders were risk factors specific to suicide gestures. Narcissistic personality disorder was specifically associated with suicide attempts. Borderline personality disorder was associated with both suicide gestures and attempts. A high level of impulsiveness was a risk factor specific to suicide attempts. CONCLUSION: Suicide attempters and suicide gesturers are two distinct, although partially overlapping, populations.

Prevalence and correlates of psychopathology in children and adolescents evaluated with the strengths and difficulties questionnaire dysregulation profile in a clinical setting.

BACKGROUND: The clinical presentation of children and adolescents referred to mental health services is frequently complicated by comorbid and severe affective and behavioral dysregulation. This dysregulation phenotype seems to be an indicator of overall psychopathology, symptom severity and functional impairment. Currently, this phenotype is assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist. However, the widely used Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been recently validated to screen the Dysregulation Profile (SDQ-DP) in clinical settings. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and demographic, psychosocial and clinical correlates of the SDQ-DP phenotype in a Spanish clinical sample. SAMPLING AND METHODS: In a clinical sample of 623 consecutively referred children and adolescents (4-17 years old), we compared clinical and sociodemographic correlates between subjects who met the SDQ-DP criteria (DP) and those who did not (NO_DP). Sociodemographic data, parent-rated SDQ, Children's Global Assessment Scale, Clinical Global Impression, family Apgar scale and clinical diagnoses were collected by experienced child and adolescent psychiatrists. RESULTS: Overall in our sample, 175 subjects (28.1%) met the SDQ-DP criteria (DP group). Compared with the NO_DP group, the DP subjects had significantly higher scores on internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, problems with peers and overall problems as well as significantly lower scores on prosocial behavior. Clinical diagnoses assigned revealed that DP subjects showed significantly greater psychiatric comorbidity. DP subjects also showed significantly worse family functioning and increased symptom severity and significantly lower scores on psychosocial functioning. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of children and adolescents with the dysregulated profile, assessed by the SDQ-DP, was found in our clinical setting. The SDQ-DP may serve as an index of overall psychological severity and functional impairment. In addition, it may indicate family dysfunction. Further research is needed to validate the clinical value of SDQ-DP by examining longitudinal stability, heritability, adult outcome, risk factors and diagnostic correlates.

Aggressiveness across development and suicidal behavior in depressed patients.

The objective of this study was to determine differences in the pathway of aggressiveness across development between depressive subjects and normal controls, and to examine males and females separately with regard to level of aggression and suicidal behavior among depressed subjects. Participants were classified into 5 groups: depressed suicide attempters (DSA; n = 339), depressed non-suicide attempters (DNSA; n = 92), psychiatric controls who had attempted suicide (PSA; n = 188), psychiatric controls who had not attempted suicide (PNSA; n = 222), and normal controls (NC; n = 532). The level of aggressiveness across development in the different groups was examined using a 5 (DSA vs. DNSA vs. PSA vs. PNSA vs. NC)×3 (Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood) MANCOVA. Adjusted and separate models for males and females were conducted. Depressed subjects differed in severity of aggressiveness. The level of aggressiveness in individuals in the NC group remained stable across development, while subjects in the DSA and DNSA groups showed significantly higher levels of aggressiveness. This finding was also observed in subjects of the PSA and PNSA groups. The level of aggressiveness in males with depression significantly increased over time. In women, increasing levels of aggressiveness across development were only observed in depressed suicide attempters. Limitations of this study included use of semi-structured interview for the assessment of risk factors. We found significant differences in severity and in the pathway of aggressiveness across development between depressive subjects and normal controls. In addition, sex differences regarding level of aggression and suicidal behavior among depressed subjects were found.

Prolonged social withdrawal disorder: a hikikomori case in Spain.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese term hikikomori means literally 'to be confined'. Social withdrawal can be present in severe psychiatric disorders; however, in Japan, hikikomori is a defined nosologic entity. There have been only a few reported cases in occidental culture. MATERIAL: We present a case report of a Spanish man with prolonged social withdrawal lasting for 4 years. DISCUSSION: This is a case of prolonged social withdrawal not bound to culture, as well as the second case of hikikomori reported in Spain. We propose prolonged social withdrawal disorder as a disorder not linked to culture, in contrast to hikikomori. CONCLUSION: Further documentation of this disorder is still needed to encompass all cases reported in Japan and around the world.

Suicide reattempters: a systematic review.

The aim of this study is to identify the characteristic features of suicide reattempters. The recognition of the suicide reattempters population as a distinct clinical population may encourage future preventive and clinical work with this high-risk subgroup and thus reduce deaths. A systematic literature review was carried out in order to identify the key demographic, psychological, and clinical variables associated with the repetition of suicide attempts. In addition, we wished to analyze the operational definitions of the repetition of suicide attempts proposed in the scientific literature. Studies published from 2000 to 2012 were identified in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases and were selected according to predetermined criteria. We examined a total of 1480 articles and selected 86 that matched our search criteria. The literature is heterogeneous, with no consensus regarding the operational definitions of suicide reattempters. Comparison groups in the literature have also been inconsistent and include subjects making a single lifetime attempt and subjects who did not reattempt during a defined study period. Suicide reattempters were associated with higher rates of the following characteristics: unemployment, unmarried status, diagnosis of mental disorders, suicidal ideation, stressful life events, and family history of suicidal behavior. Additional research is needed to establish adequate differentiation and effective treatment plans for this population.

Sibship size, birth order, family structure and childhood mental disorders.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the role that birth order, sibship size and family structure have as risk factors in the development of common childhood mental disorders. METHOD: A case-control study design was conducted (N = 16,823). The group under study consisted of all those subjects who had consulted with a psychiatrist/psychologist and had received a clinical diagnosis at public mental health centres within the Region of Madrid (Spain), between 1980 and 2008. A multiple logistic regression was used to explore the independent association with each diagnosis: emotional disorders (ED) with onset specific to childhood, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). RESULTS: Birth order and family structure significantly predicted the risk of being diagnosed with ED or ADHD. In addition, sibship size and sex predicted the risk of being diagnosed with a childhood mental disorder. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that being the middle child and living with both biological parents appear to be protective factors against the development of ED or ADHD. Living in large families appears to increase the risk of receiving a CD, MR, or PDD diagnosis. Further research is warranted.

Psychometrical assessment and item analysis of the General Health Questionnaire in victims of terrorism.

There is a need to assess the psychiatric morbidity that appears as a consequence of terrorist attacks. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) has been used to this end, but its psychometric properties have never been evaluated in a population affected by terrorism. A sample of 891 participants included 162 direct victims of terrorist attacks and 729 relatives of the victims. All participants were evaluated using the 28-item version of the GHQ (GHQ-28). We examined the reliability and external validity of scores on the scale using Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), respectively. The factor structure of the scale was analyzed with varimax rotation. Samejima's (1969) graded response model was used to explore the item properties. The GHQ-28 scores showed good reliability and item-scale correlations. The factor analysis identified 3 factors: anxious-somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, and depression symptoms. All factors showed good correlation with the STAI. Before rotation, the first, second, and third factor explained 44.0%, 6.4%, and 5.0% of the variance, respectively. Varimax rotation redistributed the percentages of variance accounted for to 28.4%, 13.8%, and 13.2%, respectively. Items with the highest loadings in the first factor measured anxiety symptoms, whereas items with the highest loadings in the third factor measured suicide ideation. Samejima's model found that high scores in suicide-related items were associated with severe depression. The factor structure of the GHQ-28 found in this study underscores the preeminence of anxiety symptoms among victims of terrorism and their relatives. Item response analysis identified the most difficult and significant items for each factor.