Trayectorias diagnósticas de los trastornos mentales en 10 años de seguimiento de una cohorte de niños y adolescentes / Diagnostic trajectories of mental disorders in a 10-year follow-up cohort of children and adolescents

Los trastornos psiquiátricos en la infancia y adolescencia pueden persistir, cambiar, remitir o aumentar en la edad adulta. Este estudio explora la estabilidad y las trayectorias diagnósticas de 311 niños y adolescentes entre 3 y 17 años hasta la edad adulta. Se encuentra que la estabilidad diagnóstica varía en función de la enfermedad. Los cambios de diagnóstico son más frecuentes en el trastorno de conducta y los trastornos afectivos, mientras que la mayor estabilidad diagnóstica se da en las dificultades del aprendizaje, trastorno de déficit de atención con hiperactividad y trastornos del espectro autista. La remisión completa es más frecuente en los trastornos de ansiedad. Los diagnósticos psiquiátricos tienen implicaciones sociales, emocionales y prácticas. Es necesario adaptar los recursos de salud mental a las necesidades de cada grupo de edad. (AU)

Psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence may persist, change, remit or increase in adulthood. This study explores the diagnostic stability and trajectories of 311 children and adolescents aged 3-17 years into adulthood. Diagnostic stability is found to vary according to pathology. Diagnostic changes are more frequent in conduct disorder and affective disorders, while the highest diagnostic stability was found in learning difficulties, attention deficit learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders. Complete remission is more frequent in anxiety disorders. Psychiatric diagnoses have social, emotional and practical implications. Mental health resources need to be adapted to the needs of each age group. (AU)

Screening in High Schools to Identify, Evaluate, and Lower Depression Among Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) prevalence has nearly doubled in the past decade. The US Preventive Services Task Force endorses universal adolescent MDD screening in primary care; however, most adolescents lack preventive health care, resulting in worsening disparities in MDD screening and treatment. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of universal adolescent MDD screening in the school setting in an effort to reduce disparities and improve MDD identification and treatment initiation. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial, conducted from November 6, 2018, to November 20, 2020, compared the usual school practice of targeted or selected screening based on observable behaviors of concern with universal MDD screening. Students within an identified school were randomized by grade to 1 of the 2 study groups. Study groups were compared using mixed-effects logistic regression. Participants included students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled at 1 of the 14 participating Pennsylvania public high schools. Interventions: In targeted screening, students with behaviors prompting concern for MDD were referred to the Student Assistance Program (SAP), mandated in all Pennsylvania schools. The SAP determined follow-up recommendations. In universal screening, all students completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); students with positive scores proceeded to SAP. The universal screening group could also have targeted referral to SAP for concerning behavior independent of the PHQ-9. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was initiation of MDD treatment or services based on data collected by school SAP teams during the academic year. Results: A total of 12 909 students were included (median age, 16 years [range, 13-21 years]; 6963 male [53.9%]), of whom 2687 (20.8%) were Hispanic, 2891 (22.4%) were non-Hispanic Black, 5842 (45.3%) were non-Hispanic White, and 1489 (11.5%) were multiracial or of other race or ethnicity. A total of 6473 students (50.1%) were randomized to universal screening, and 6436 (49.9%) were randomized to targeted screening. Adolescents in the universal screening group had 5.92 times higher odds (95% CI, 5.07-6.93) of being identified with MDD symptoms, 3.30 times higher odds (95% CI, 2.49-4.38) of SAP confirming follow-up needs, and 2.07 times higher odds (95% CI, 1.39-3.10) of initiating MDD treatment. No differences were identified in initiation for planned subgroup analyses by sex or race and ethnicity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, universal school-based MDD screening successfully increased identification of MDD symptoms and treatment initiation among adolescents, confirming the value of this approach to address this rising public health concern. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03716869.

Child and adolescent Liaison-Consultation Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine in a Clinical-Teaching Hospital. / Psiquiatría de Enlace y Medicina Psicosomática Infanto Juvenil en un Hospital Clínico-Docente.

Psychosomatic medicine explores the psychological, behavioral, and social elements that influence people's health and quality of life. This discipline develops skills and knowledge used in the evalua tion and management of psychosocial elements interfering in the process of illness and healing. The Child and Adolescent Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CACLP) is a discipline that has been empi rically installed in order to favor adherence to treatments and recovery of children and teenagers du ring the process of illness. There is a need for developing this discipline in Chile, but so far there are limited national and international records and literature dedicated to it. The objective of this article is to update the concepts of structure and describe how a CACLP unit in a high complexity teaching hospital works in general, discussing the clinical challenges involved in these issues.

Análisis descriptivo de los ingresos de menores de edad en una unidad de psiquiatría / Descriptive analysis of the admission of minors into a psychiatric unit

INTRODUCCIÓN: El ingreso de menores en unidades de hospitalización de psiquiatría de adultos constituye un problema debido a la ausencia de recursos adecuados y de datos epidemiológicos. OBJETIVO: Describir y analizar las características sociodemográficas y clínicas de los menores que ingresaron en la Unidad de Hospitalización Breve de Psiquiatría en Cáceres. Sujetos y métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo. La muestra estuvo definida por pacientes de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 18 años, hospitalizados en la unidad de psiquiatría. El periodo de evaluación fue entre el 1 de enero del 2014 y el 31 de diciembre del 2018. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 79 pacientes. La edad media fue de 15,72 (± 1,65) años. El 93,6% presentaron antecedentes psiquiátricos personales. El diagnóstico al alta más frecuente en los varones fueron los trastornos destructivos del control de impulsos; en las mujeres los trastornos afectivos. El 40,6% presentaron antecedentes de consumo de sustancias, siendo más frecuente en varones, lo cual empeoraba el pronóstico. La estancia media fue de 5,4 (± 4,7) días. La prolongación de la estancia media se relacionó con los antecedentes de ingresos psiquiátricos previos, el número de diagnósticos al alta, un mayor número de fármacos al alta y aquellos que recibieron antipsicóticos inyectables de liberación prolongada (p < 0,005 en todos los casos). CONCLUSIONES: El estudio identifica el perfil sociodemográfico y clínico del menor ingresado en la unidad de psiquiatría y cómo la estancia hospitalaria se asoció con antecedentes psiquiátricos previos y una complejidad diagnóstica y clínica

INTRODUCTION: The admission of minors into adult psychiatric units is a problem and is due to the lack of adequate resources and epidemiology data. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe and analyse the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of minors that were admitted into the Short-Stay Psychiatric Hospitalisation Unit of Caceres, Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, observational, and descriptive study was conducted on a sample of patients between 12 and 18 years-old admitted to the Psychiatric Unit. The study period was between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients, with a mean age of 15.72 (± 1.65) years, were included. Almost all of them (93.6%) had a personal psychiatric history. The most common diagnoses at discharge in males were disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders, and mood disorders in females. A history of substance consumption was present in 40.6%, and was more common in males, which led to a worse prognosis. The mean stay was 5.4 (± 4.7) days. Prolongation of the mean stay was associated with a history of previous psychiatric admissions, the number of diagnoses at discharge, a greater number of drugs at discharge, and those that received long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs (p < 0.005 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The study identified the sociodemographic and clinical profile of the minor admitted to the Psychiatric Unit, and how the hospital stay was associated with previous psychiatric history, as well as diagnostic and clinical complexity

COVID-19 and its impact on child and adolescent psychiatry - a German and personal perspective.

As in other European countries, the current COVID-19 pandemic has not only massively restricted normal life in Germany but it is also having a significant effect on medical treatment, particularly in the areas of child and adolescent psychiatric care, as well as on university teaching. The federal structure of Germany and epidemiological differences between individual federal states have had a crucial impact on the regulations issued and their success. During the last number of weeks, tele-child-psychiatry and psychotherapy have increased, and outpatient services have been used cautiously and sparingly. Medical staff numbers will be augmented by doctors and nurses returning from retirement and also by medical students on a voluntary basis. The federal government has warned that discrepancies in education will increase due to the closure of schools. Questions of child protection are currently of particular importance in the context of such closures and the non-availability of day-care centers.

Harnessing single-session interventions to improve adolescent mental health and well-being in India: Development, adaptation, and pilot testing of online single-session interventions in Indian secondary schools.

BACKGROUND: Many evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches for youth mental health exist, but most are time-consuming and expensive to deliver. Innovative approaches are needed to develop and disseminate scalable mental health interventions, especially for youth in low- and middle-income countries. Computerized single-session interventions (SSIs) may be able to overcome many of these implementation barriers, especially if deployed in school settings. METHODS: Guided by this logic, we designed three computerized SSIs (based on behavioral activation, gratitude, and growth mindset exercises) for delivery in Indian high schools. Then, we conducted focus groups with Indian adolescents and school officials to inform adaptations of the interventions. Finally, we designed a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation study to evaluate the interventions. RESULTS: In this paper, we present the rationale for selecting the interventions, the results of the focus groups, and the design of a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation study. Our initial focus group data showed that the interventions were considered acceptable, feasible, and appropriate by both educators and students. We also describe feedback on the interventions which we incorporated to refine the interventions prior to our randomized controlled trial. DISCUSSION: Computerized SSIs may offer innovative, scalable ways to disseminate evidence-based interventions. By identifying which interventions are most acceptable and effective in this highly scalable format, we may understand which SSIs are best suited for continued development, testing, and, ultimately, widespread dissemination.

Prescribing antipsychotics in child and adolescent psychiatry: guideline adherence.

Antipsychotics are often prescribed to children and adolescents, mostly off-label. We aimed to assess adherence to recommendations of guidelines for antipsychotic prescription. We reviewed 436 medical records from 155 clinicians from 26 clinics within three Dutch child and adolescent psychiatry organizations (n = 398 outpatient, n = 38 inpatient care). We assessed target symptoms, diagnostic process, prior and concomitant treatment, and consideration of contra-indications. Multiple logistic regression assessed the role of age, sex, and psychiatric diagnosis on adherence to three main recommendations: to (1) prescribe antipsychotics only after other treatments proved insufficient, (2) always combine antipsychotics with psychosocial interventions, and (3) not prescribe multiple antipsychotics simultaneously. Most patients received off-label antipsychotics. Main target symptoms were inattention/hyperactivity (25%), aggression (24%), and other disruptive behaviors (41%). Most patients underwent diagnostic evaluation before the first prescription; however, screening of contra-indications was low (0.2-19%). About 84% had previously received psychosocial treatment and 48% other psychoactive medication, but 9% had not received any treatment. Notably, only 37% continuously received concomitant psychosocial treatment. Simultaneous use of multiple antipsychotics occurred in 3.2%. Younger children were at higher risk of non-adherence to guideline recommendations regarding prior and concomitant treatment, children with autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder more likely not to receive concomitant psychosocial treatment. Sex did not significantly affect adherence. Our findings implicate insufficient adherence to important recommendations regarding antipsychotic use in children and adolescents. Especially younger children are at higher risk of receiving suboptimal care. There is an urgency to consistently offer psychosocial interventions during antipsychotic treatment.

Annual Research Review: Ecological momentary assessment studies in child psychology and psychiatry.

BACKGROUND: Enhancements in mobile phone technology allow the study of children and adolescents' everyday lives like never before. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) uses these advancements to allow in-depth measurements of links between context, behavior, and physiology in youths' everyday lives. FINDINGS: A large and diverse literature now exists on using EMA to study mental and behavioral health among youth. Modern EMA methods are built on a rich tradition of idiographic inquiry focused on the intensive study of individuals. Studies of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health have used EMA to characterize lived experience, document naturalistic within-person processes and individual differences in these processes, measure familiar constructs in novel ways, and examine temporal order and dynamics in youths' everyday lives. CONCLUSIONS: Ecological momentary assessment is feasible and reliable for studying the daily lives of youth. EMA can inform the development and augmentation of traditional and momentary intervention. Continued research and technological development in mobile intervention design and implementation, EMA-sensor integration, and complex real-time data analysis are needed to realize the potential of just-in-time adaptive intervention, which may allow researchers to reach high-risk youth with intervention content when and where it is needed most.

[Efficacy, Moderators and Mediators of Manualized Family-Based Treatments in Adolescents with Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review]. / Wirksamkeit, Moderatoren und Mediatoren manualisierter familienbasierter Therapie bei Jugendlichen mit Essstörungen: Eine systematische Übersichtsarbeit.

Family-based therapy (FBT) is currently the most evidence-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. The aim of this review is to summarize previous research results regarding the efficacy of the manualized FBT according to Lock and Le Grange and to report on moderators and mediators. In 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in anorexia nervosa (N=560) remission rates were between 21.2-42% at end of treatment, between 21.8-40% at 6-month follow-up, and between 29-49% at 12-month follow-up. Remission rates for patients with bulimia nervosa (2 RCTs, N=210) were 39%, 29-44% and 49% respectively. It would be desirable to replicate these results through independent working groups and in other countries. In addition, it would also be important to evaluate FBT in comparison to cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy, and to further explore strategies for non-responders.

Identification and Management of COVID-19 Related Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems: A Multi-Tier Intervention Model.

Nepal is a low and medium-income country (LMIC), situated in South-east Asia, with a population of 29 million, of which, 40-50% are children and adolescents. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the lives of people around the world, including Nepal. The child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) needs and services in Nepal have a significant gap. CAMH in Nepal suffers from lack of specialized training in this field as well as scarcity of human resources and services. There is only one full-time child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) out-patient clinic in the country. Some recent activities have focused on CAMH in Nepal but the COVID-19 pandemic has produced new challenges. Access to mental health services for children and adolescents (C&A) across Nepal has been adversely affected. Factors such as closure of schools, confinement at home, lockdown, transportation problems, uncertainty, loss of usual routine and fear of infection have affected the mental health of C&A. This has highlighted a need to build capacity of available local human resources, enhance community support, teach measures of coping with stress and improve CAMH service delivery by strengthening the referral system, but these have to be addressed overcoming problems of travel restrictions and limited resources. To address these needs, online platform can be a suitable approach. With this view, a multi-tier CAMH intervention model was developed, which utilizes online platform for training mental health professionals across Nepal, who would then facilitate sessions for C&A, teachers, parents and caregivers; and link them to CAMH services locally, and remotely through teleconsultation. This started as a pilot from June 2020 and will continue till end of February 2021, with the aim to reach 40,000 C&A, parents, teachers and caregivers. As of Nov 2020, this model has been used to successfully conduct 1,415 sessions, with 28,597 population reached. Among them, 16,571 are C&A and 12,026 are parents, teachers and caregivers, across all 7 provinces of Nepal. In this paper, the multi-tier intervention to address the COVID-19 related CAMH problems has been discussed as a feasible framework for resource limited settings and LMICs like Nepal.

[For the Benefit of the Children - Judical Requested Counselling of High Conflict Parents in Educational- and Family-Counselling]. / Zum Wohle der Kinder ­ Gerichtlich angeordnete Beratung von Hochkonflikt-Eltern in der Erziehungs- und Familienberatung.

For the Benefit of the Children - Judical Requested Counselling of High Conflict Parents in Educational- and Family-Counselling Educational- and Family Counselling supports families as assistance for parenting for a successful growing up of children. Family Counselling is a voluntary offer, which is provided by a multi professional team. The counselling is confidential and bound to secrecy. According to the regulations of the law concerning the proceedings in family cases and the non-contentious jurisdiction (FamFG) the court has several options for action, such as, for example, to order a counselling in the context of child and youth service. Court related inquiries have led to advancement in Educational- and Family Counselling. In the article basic aspects of specific approaches are described.

Should a Psychiatrist Prescribe a Nanodrug to Help Parents Monitor a Teen's Adherence?

This case explores ethical questions about tracking medication adherence in a 16-year-old patient with schizophrenia. Relevant stakeholders are the teen, the parents, and society. How those stakeholders' interests should be considered is explored here in the context of the psychiatrist's professional care management responsibilities and the burdens each stakeholder must bear over the course of the patient's care.

[Towards personalized child and adolescent psychiatry care by using routinely registered data from everyday clinical practice]. / Naar een gepersonaliseerde kinder- en jeugdpsychiatrie met registratiegegevens uit de dagelijkse zorgpraktijk.

BACKGROUND: Studying differences in the course and treatment effects of psychiatric disorders between subgroups of patients can provide suggestions to improve everyday clinical practice.
AIM: To illustrate how routinely registered data from child and adolescent psychiatry can be used to gain insight into differences in the development of patient groups.
METHOD: Multilevel analyses in four subgroups of youths with an autism spectrum disorder (asd; n = 1681; boys/girls, with/without comorbid psychiatric disorder) to investigate differences in the development of quality of life during the first six months of treatment.
RESULTS: Subgroups of youths with asd showed differences in development of quality of life, which can provide suggestions to establish personalized care.
CONCLUSION: Multicenter research in large samples is needed to investigate the robustness of our findings. The 'Research Data Infrastructure', containing routine outcome monitoring and electronic medical record data from more than 117.000 youths in child and adolescent psychiatry, offers a unique opportunity to perform large scale practice based research.