Validity and reliability of the 10-Item Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-10) among adolescents in the child welfare system.

Introduction: Multiple evidence suggests that the vast majority of children in the Child Welfare System (CWS) are victims of early, chronic, and multiple adverse childhood experiences. However, the 10-item version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-10) has never been tested in such a particularly vulnerable population as adolescents living in the CWS. We aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the ACE-10 in a community sample of 240 Hungarian adolescents placed in family style group care (FGC) setting. Methods: Demographic data, the 10-item version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-10), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the HBSC Bullying Measure were used. Results: Our results showed acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.701) and item-total correlations (rpb = 0.25-0.65, p < 0.001). However, our results also reflect that item 6 ("Parental separation/divorce") is weakly correlated with both the cumulative ACE score and the rest of the questionnaire items. When item 6 is removed, the 9-item version of the ACE produces more favorable consistency results (α = 0.729). Strong and significant associations of the cumulative ACE score with emotional and behavioral symptoms and bully victimization confirm the concurrent criterion validity of both versions of the instrument. Discussion: Our findings suggest that ACE-9 and ACE-10 are viable screening tools for adverse childhood experiences in the CWS contributing to the advancement of trauma-informed care. We recommend considering the use of either the 9-item or the 10- item version in the light of the characteristics of the surveyed population. The implications and limitations are discussed.

[The impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental and somatic health in childhood and adolescence]. / Az ártalmas gyermekkori élmények hatása a mentális és szomatikus egészségre gyermek- és serdülokorban.

Multiple studies prove that children who were exposed to adverse childhood experiences within their families are increasingly at risk of various high-risk behaviours, bullying, mental and somatic disorders. In children/adolescents who undergo terrifying experiences on a repetitive, sometimes daily basis without being provided support and the basic safety they would need, all aspects of personality development will be seriously affected. Urgent action is needed in Hungary to identify these children and provide them with therapeutic support. The field of childhood adversities and their consequences has been undeservedly neglected by research, despite the fact that preventive and therapeutic interventions could be specifically designed based on this knowledge during childhood and adolescence. In our study, we present international data on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences. We discuss in detail the association of adverse childhood experiences with biological and cognitive impairments attachment disorders, externalising and internalising disorders, somatic disorders and health risk behaviours in childhood and adolescence. Besides presenting empirical data on adverse experiences and consequences, the purpose of our publication is to raise awareness and sensitisation among professionals. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(37): 1447-1455.

Psychometric properties of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10 item version (ACE-10) among Hungarian adolescents.

Introduction: Although a number of studies have been conducted since the 1995 initiation of the ACE study to map the effects of adverse childhood experiences, few studies have examined the psychometric properties of the individual versions of the ACE questionnaire. Aims: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10 item version (ACE-10) has only been tested in a single study in an adult population, while its applicability in a particularly vulnerable population, the adolescents, has not been investigated yet. Our present study aims to address this gap in an adolescent sample of 792 subjects from a non-representative general population. Methods: Besides demographic data, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10 item version (ACE-10), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the HBSC Symptom Checklist (HBSC-SCL) were employed. Results: Our results showed acceptable internal consistency (ɵ = 0.86, α = 0.64) and adequate internal validity (r = 0.28-0.70, p < 0.001). In addition, proper concurrent criterion validity of the questionnaire was found when tested along the SDQ and HBSC-SCL items. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the ACE-10 is suitable for assessing intrafamilial adverse childhood experiences in adolescents.

Pathological personality traits of maladaptive daydreamers measured by the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 in a psychiatric sample.

This study aimed to estimate the frequency of maladaptive daydreaming and to explore the pathological personality traits of probable maladaptive daydreamers. Our sample consisted of 239 psychiatric patients. After screening, 42 persons were probable maladaptive, while 197 participants prove to be normal daydreamers. Two pathological domains and three facets measured by the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 showed a moderate significant correlation with the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale. The score of nearly every domain and facet was slightly higher among probable maladaptive daydreamers. To quantify the difference between the groups, effect sizes were calculated: Significant difference was found on the domain level in Antagonism, while on the facet level in Hostility, Grandiosity, Attention Seeking, Unusual Beliefs and Experiences, Cognitive and Perceptual Dysregulation. The group of probable maladaptive daydreamers was further examined to identify potential subgroups. Cluster analysis revealed heterogeneity in the severeness and patterns of pathological personality domains. Cluster 1 showed higher mean scores on the PID domains and on the MDS compared to Cluster 2. Clusters 1 and 2 broke further down into two subclusters: Cluster 1a and Cluster 1b differed in their mean scores on the domains of Antagonism and Detachment; the mean scores of Cluster 2a were uniformly low on each domain, while the mean values of Cluster 2b were scattered in a mixed way on the domains. Our results suggest that maladaptive daydreaming might manifest with differently pathological personality profiles in the background. This aspect might worth considering in planning treatment.

Adverse childhood experiences increase the risk for eating disorders among adolescents.

Purpose: Traumatic events often feature prominently in eating disorders. A questionnaire survey to assess the relation of eating disorder risk to the frequency of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the possible association of eating disorder risk with a particular type of ACE was conducted in a community sample of Hungarian adolescents. Methods: Demographic and anthropometric data, risk for eating disorders (by SCOFF questionnaire), and ACEs (by ACE score calculator) were collected from 432 adolescents aged 12-17 years. Results: Adolescents who had undergone four or more ACEs were 5.7 times more likely to be in the high eating disorder risk group than those who did not report any ACEs. Cumulative maltreatment showed a greater association with overall risk for eating disorders than cumulative family dysfunction. There is an increased risk of eating disorders from emotional maltreatment (OR = 3.475), physical maltreatment (OR = 3.440), sexual maltreatment (OR = 10.973), and emotional neglect (OR = 3.331). Dysfunctional family circumstances revealed an association with household mental illness (OR = 3.401). Conclusion: Our study of the connection between eating disorder risk and ACE is the first of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. Maltreatments had a greater role than family dysfunctions in increasing the risk of eating disorders. Our findings contribute to a more precise understanding of the role that ACEs play in eating disorders. It is important to bring to clinicians' attention the importance of ACEs in the diagnosis and therapy of eating disorders and their potentially fundamental significance for therapy.

Transfer of Mental Health Services for Medical Students to Cyberspace during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Service Use and Students' Preferences for Psychological Self-Help Techniques.

The high risk of mental health problems among medical students has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly reduced social contact. The mental health support service of the medical school of one Hungarian university was transferred to the online learning management system and was expanded by self-help materials in three domains: Improving study skills, stress management techniques, and reducing stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to understand the preferences of medical students for psychological self-help techniques by investigating the pattern of access to online self-help materials and the characteristics of the users. Access to the online materials between April 2020 and April 2021 among Hungarian and international medical students was analyzed using the logging data of the system. Of all the students who logged in during the examination period (n = 458), 36.6-40.4% viewed materials to improve study skills and 23-29% viewed stress management materials, of which short-duration audio format techniques were preferred. The access rate of content targeting coping with the mental health effects of COVID-19 was 9.5-24%. Support to improve study skills is significantly more preferred than interventions targeting distress-reduction. The pattern of access can be used for the development of interventions that are of most interest to medical students.

[Assessment of pathological personality traits and gender characteristics by Personality Inventory for DSM-5 in a psychiatric and a normal sample].

INTRODUCTION: The DSM-5 describes two types of classification of personality disorders: a categorical and a dimensional classification. The alternative model of personality disorders in the DSM-5 determines new diagnostic criteria for personality disorders with a criterion B describing the presence of pathological personality facets. For the assessment of these domains and facets, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) was created. METHODS: A sample of patients receiving psychiatric care (n=239) and a normal sample (n=226) were involved in the study. The two samples did not differ significantly regarding gender, age, and the levels of education. The PID-5 was applied to assess the pathological domains and facets. RESULTS: Psychiatric patients scored significantly higher on four out of five PID domains compared to the members of the general population. Regarding the PID facets, the two study groups differed significantly in 18 out of 25 facets. Regarding the PID domains and facets, gender differences were found in the clinical sample: Negative Affectivity was more typical for women, while Antagonism was more dominant for men. Women receiving psychiatric care were cha - rac terized by Emotional Lability and Anxiousness, while Manipulativeness, Deceitfulness, Callousness and Risk Taking were more dominant for men of the clinical sample. CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the applicability of the dimensional personality model. The PID-5 can discriminate between psychiatric and normal samples. Our findings suggested that in the case of the general population, traditional gender characteristics disappeared, while psychiatric patients seemed to preserve the traditional gender roles.

Can the Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Score Actually Identify the Victims of Intrafamilial Childhood Maltreatment? Findings from a Study in the Child Welfare System.

Studies show that a significant proportion of children in the Child Welfare System (CWS) have suffered adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which have led to well documented serious consequences. This study assessed and compared the ACE status of adolescents aged 12 to 17 placed in a family style group care (FGC) setting (n = 240) to the ACE status of adolescents living with their biological parents (n = 516). The ACE Score Calculator was employed. The populational differences in ACE scores and in the prevalence of ACEs were assessed using generalized linear and logistic regression models. Adolescents living in FGC settings reported more than five times as many multiple adverse experiences (≥4 types of ACEs) as those living with their biological parents. Adolescents living in FGC settings seem to be more willing to report family dysfunction rather than their maltreatment history and are less willing to report maltreatment. In the FGC group, a surprisingly high proportion of adolescents reported having experienced no maltreatment, which is probably highly underreported and/or unrecognised in the CWS. In fact, a high ACE score will not identify the children who have experienced direct maltreatment but will highlight the consequences of the unfavourable factors inherent in disadvantaged social situation instead.

[The concept and characteristics of metacognition and its role in schizophrenia].

Schizophrenia research in the last decades led to rapid development of our knowledge regarding the cogni - tive deficits in the disease. Presence of neurocognitive and social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia is widely confirmed by empirical studies. Metacognition is one of the most recent and relatively less studied field of schizophrenia. Our lite rature review aims to introduce the concept and characteristics of metacognition. Then we overview the relation - ship between schizophrenia associated neurocognitive and social cognitive impairments and metacognitive deficits. Associations between the metacognitive deficits and the symptomatology will also be discussed. Finally, a method for the treatment of metacognitive deficits in schizophrenia will be suggested. The results of the overviewed studies sup - port, that the umbrella term of metacognition encompassing the neurocognitive and social cognitive deficits, may provide a comprehensive model to better understand how cognitive deficits contribute to the development and main - tanance of symptoms, and schizophrenia-associated serious social dysfunctions.

[Childhood traumatization, dissociation and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior in borderline personality disorder]. / Gyermekkori traumatizáció, disszociáció és szándékos fizikai önsérto viselkedés borderline személyiségzavarban.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood traumatization plays a significant role in the etiology of borderline personality disorder. Studies found a significant association between childhood traumatization, dissociation, and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior. AIM: The aim of our study was to assess dissociation and nonsuicidal self-injury among borderline inpatients and to reveal the association between childhood traumatization, dissociation, and self-injurious behavior. METHOD: The sample consisted of 80 borderline inpatients and 73 depressed control patients. Childhood traumatization, dissociation and self-injurious behavior were assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS: Borderline patients reported severe and multiplex childhood traumatization. Cumulative trauma score and sexual abuse were the strongest predictors of dissociation. Furthermore, we have found that cumulative trauma score and dissociation were highly predictive of self-injurious behavior. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that self-injurious behavior and dissociation in borderline patients can be regarded as indicators of childhood traumatization. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(19): 740-747.

[Treatment of metacognitive impairments in schizophrenia - The Metacognitive Training].

In the recent years plenty of therapeutic treatment methods have been developed, aimed at neurocognitive impairments in schizophrenia. These trainingprograms can hold up promising results in the improvement of neurocognitive functions. Nevertheless the generalisation on the daily life is not perspicuous. A reason for it might be the supposition, that further factors such as metacognition and social cognition may play a mediator role between neurocognition and functional outcomes. As a result, many socialcognitive remediation methods and programs have emerged targeting the impairment of deficits both in the field of neuro- and social cognition and deficits of metacognition. We review the specific impairments in schizophrenia (e.g. deficits of Theory of Mind, disorder of emotional perception, specific cognitive biases or impairment of metamemory), the construction and speciality of the Metacognitive Training, and the findings of studies aimed at the efficacy of the method. In addition to the socialcognitive remediation, the goal of Metacognitive Training is the correction of the cognitive biases playing an important role in the emergence and subsistence of delusions.

The role of childhood traumatization in the development of borderline personality disorder in Hungary

Background and Objectives: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting the role of childhood abuse in the etiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD).Studies found that complex traumatization related to BPD include emotional/physical/sexual abuse and neglect. This study examines self-reported experiences of childhood traumatization in Hungarian in patients with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and reveal which etiological factors are most strongly associated with the development of BPD. Methods: Traumatic childhood experiences of 80 borderline inpatients, 73 depressed in patients and 51 healthy controls were assessed with the Traumatic Antecedents Questionnaire and the Sexual Abuse Scale of Early Trauma Inventory. Results: Adverse childhood experiences (neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing trauma) were more prevalent among borderline patients than among depressed and healthy controls. Borderline patients reported severe sexual abuse, characterized by incest, penetration and repetitive abuse. Sexually abused borderline patients experienced more physical and emotional abuse than borderlines who were not sexually abused. The strongest predictors of borderline diagnosis were sexual abuse, intrafamilial physical abuse and neglect by the caretakers. Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that a reported childhood history of abuse and neglect are both common and highly discriminating for borderline patients in Hungaryas well (AU)

[The concept, the symptoms and the etiological factors of codependency]. / A kodependencia fogalma, tünetei és a kialakulásában szerepet játszó tényezok.

The concept of codependency stems from the field of chemical dependency. Initially, codependent individuals meant women who dominated their partners and took care of them, while women actually were dependent upon their husbands. Nowadays, it has been recognized that men can become codependent as well, and its presence is not limited only to the relationship. This paper reviews the various interpretations of codependency and the empirical researches on the etiological factors of codependency. The explanatory models of codependency can be placed on a continuum of severity: psychopathology on the level of personality disorder, behavioural addiction, or excessive feminine behaviour. The etiology is mutifactorical: biological, psychological and social elements are also listed among etiology factors. The individual variability of the predisposition to care, failure of prefrontal cortex to inhibit empathic responses, a multitude of aversive experiences in a dysfunctional family (e.g. parental conflicts, emotional abuse, neglect and parentification), changes in the perception of women's role, and the emergence of substance abuse in the family could play a role in the development of codependency. Codependency is often unrecognized. Codependent individuals visit the health care system with stress-related or depressive symptoms which can mask the underlying causes, thus, it is possible that they will only receive symptomatic treatment. Through its trans-generational nature, codependency endangers children growing up in the family.

[Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Codependence Questionnaire]. / A magyar nyelvu Kodependencia Kérdoív psgichometriai vizsgálata.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study is to assess the internal consistency of the subscales of the Hungarian Version of the Codependent Questionnaire (CdQ, Roehling & Gaumond, 1996). Thus, a reliable measurement of codependency for professionals become available in Hungary. The Hungarian Version of the Codependent Questionnaire enables professionals to identify codependent individuals. METHODS: Our sample (N=137) was recruited from the general population and from self-help groups (82 individuals); and patients with borderline personality disorder (55 individuals) were recruited as clinical control group. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach's alfa and principal component analysis. In addition, in order to investigate the latent structure, factors analyses and hierarchical cluster analysis were used. RESULTS: Based on our results, the Cronbach's alfa values of the subscales of 'control', 'reliability' and 'intimacy' indicate appropriate reliability, however, the subscale of 'enmeshment' indicates poor reliability. The originally assumed factor structure is not supported by the results of the statistical analyses. The subscales are not separate from each other, which is also indicated by the correlations of the total scores of the subscales. CONCLUSION: The reliability of the Hungarian Version of the Codependent Questionnaire is nearly identical to the original data, except for one subscale ('enmeshment subscale'). Based on these results the Hungarian Version of the Codependent Questionnaire is considered to be reliable. Besides the Hungarian adaptation, the strength of this study is the investigation of a clinical sample. The use of the questionnaire is recommended without the subscale of 'enmeshment' and further 5 items, and it is suggested to use as one scale.

[Personality disorders in the DSM-5]. / Személyiségzavarok osztályozása a DSM-5-ben.

Significant changes are proposed in the personality disorders section of the 5th. edition of the DSM. The article summarizes the historical background of the personality disorder classification, including personality-types theory, trait-theory, and clinical concepts based upon psychiatric and psychoanalytical traditions. After briefly summarizing concerns on current approach to diagnosing personality disorders in DSM-IV, we summarise the most important features of the newly developed personality disorders classification, including concepts have been modified during long years of investigation. The new system will have modified less than was originally intended, and will be a hybrid model of dimensional categorical approach to diagnosing personality disorders. The ten personality disorder types are reduced to six, and they will have new criteria based on maladaptive trait dimensions. The trait structure model was derived from existing personality and personality disorder trait models, and includes five broad higher-order trait domains, which are negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. A new set of general criteria are developed for defining personality disorder. Self and interpersonal functioning represent the core impairment in personality functioning central to personality disorder, and the presence of maladaptive personality traits is also required. Severity continuum of personality pathology can be rated on the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale.

[Integrative approach in the psychotherapy of borderline personality disorder]. / Integrativ megközelités a borderline betegek pszichoterapiájában.

In the last 20 years six psychotherapy methods have been developed specifically for borderline personality disorder. Solid RCT evidences suggests the efficacy of all the methods. Roughly equivalent improvement was obtained from the different types of psychotherapies. Today we have reached a new phase of the borderline "psychotherapy boom", the integrative approach. According to the integrative treatment advocates we should not choose among these effective treatments but we can incorporate in the therapy all the components that work. The integrative approach uses general factors common to all effective therapies, combined with specific treatment techniques taken from different therapies in order to treat the given patient's psychopathology. These common factors are: coherent framework; attention to strategies for building strong positive alliance and maintaining patient motivation; creating a safe and structured therapeutic environment; clear treatment frame; transparency of the goals and roles; focus upon presenting problems; higher level therapeutic activity; here-and-now focus; and facilitating self-reflection. Treatment focuses on change while maintaining a validating and supportive stance. General strategies can be supplemented by more specific techniques such as cognitive-behavioral interventions for reducing maladaptive behavior, training for developing emotion regulation skills and interpersonal skills coming from dialectical behavior therapy. Methods drawn from psychodynamic approaches can be used for the modification of underlying interpersonal cognitive-emotional schemas.

[Traditional and modern views of dissociation]. / A disszociacio hagyomanyos es uj megkozelitese.

Dissociation is a failure to integrate aspects of identity, memory, perception, and consciousness. Dissociation is conceptualized as a dimensional process existing along a continuum from normal and relatively common dissociative experiences to severe and clinically relevant forms. There is a growing body of clinical and empirical evidence that dissociation may occur especially as a defense during trauma. In case of traumatic events dissociation considered as an attempt to maintain mental control just as physical control is lost. Dissociation can be either a symptom of some complex mental disorder or a distinct clinical entity categorized among dissociative and somatoform disorders in DSM-IV. The article describes the conceptual issues of dissociation and presents a new classification by Nijenhuis where the so-called somatoform dissociative symptoms are included as well in the list of dissociative symptoms. Finally, this paper summarizes the measures of dissociative phenomena and the cognitive-behavioral approaches of dissociation, and highlights the main features of the new structural dissociation model.