Child Psychol Psychiatry Research Articles

Genotype-Environment Interaction in ADHD: Genetic Predisposition Determines the Extent to Which Environmental Influences Explain Variability in the Symptom Dimensions Hyperactivity and Inattention

Although earlier research has shown that individual differences on the spectrum of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly heritable, emerging evidence suggests that symptoms are associated with complex interactions between genes and environmental influences. This study investigated whether a genetic predisposition [Note that the term ‘genetic predisposition’ was used in this manuscript to refer to an estimate based on twin modeling (an individual’s score on the latent trait that resembles additive genetic influences) in the particular population being examined.] for the symptom dimensions hyperactivity and inattention determines the extent to which unique-environmental influences explain variability in these symptoms. To this purpose, we analysed a sample drawn from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) that consisted of item-level scores of 2168 16-year-old twin pairs who completed both the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:581–586, 1997) and the Strength and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN; Swanson, in Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, 1981) questionnaire. To maximize the psychometric information to measure ADHD symptoms, psychometric analyses were performed to investigate whether the items from the two questionnaires could be combined to form two longer subscales. In the estimation of genotype-environment interaction, we corrected for error variance heterogeneity in the measurement of ADHD symptoms through the application of item response theory (IRT) measurement models. A positive interaction was found for both hyperactivity (e.g., β1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\beta }_{1}$$\\end{document} = 2.20 with 95% highest posterior density interval equal to [1.79;2.65] and effect size equal to 3.00) and inattention (e.g., β1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\beta }_{1}$$\\end{document} = 2.16 with 95% highest posterior density interval equal to [1.56;2.79] and effect size equal to 3.07). These results indicate that unique-environmental influences were more important in creating individual differences in both hyperactivity and inattention for twins with a genetic predisposition for these symptoms than for twins without such a predisposition.

Protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial of parent-delivered early language intervention for children with Down syndrome (PACT-DS)

BackgroundDown syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, affecting 700–800 babies annually in the UK (Wu J, Morris J, Eur J Hum Genet 21:1016–9, 2013). Children with Down syndrome have difficulties developing language skills. These difficulties can have long-term negative consequences for all aspects of their lives including social development, education and employment opportunities, and emotional wellbeing and mental health (Irwin LG et. al 2007). These aspects all have the potential to be improved through targeted early language intervention. Parents and Children Together (PACT) is a parent-delivered early language teaching programme for typically developing pre-school children at risk of language delays. A previous project (Burgoyne K, J Child Psychol Psychiatry 59(5):545–55, 2018) showed that PACT leads to improvements in children’s language and early literacy skills. Our team has worked closely with six families to adapt PACT for children with Down syndrome. The aim of the current study is to conduct a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the feasibility of a definitive RCT and explore initial evidence of the adapted programme’s potential to support children’s language and literacy development.MethodThis is a two-arm feasibility randomised controlled trial in which children will be randomly allocated to either a PACT-DS group or to a waiting control group (who will receive intervention at the end of the project). We aim to recruit 28–30 children with Down syndrome (aged 3–6 years) and their parents/caregivers to take part. The PACT-DS group will be trained to deliver PACT-DS every day (20 min a day; 5 days a week) to their child over 30 weeks. We will collect data using assessments of child language and early literacy, measures of parent wellbeing, qualitative surveys and interviews, and monitoring data to explore trial feasibility (including recruitment and retention of families and adherence and acceptability of intervention) and cost and benefits. Data will be collected before intervention, immediately after the 30-week intervention programme, and 6 months after intervention ends. Clear progression criteria will be used to assess suitability for a definitive trial.DiscussionThis study represents initial steps in developing a definitive trial of the PACT-DS programme and will add to the limited evidence base on early language intervention for children with Down syndrome. This programme of research has the potential to make significant advancements in early language intervention research and practice for this group.Trial registrationThe trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry: study ID ISRCTN63251282. Registered on 14 July 2023.

Brief admission—a promising novel crisis management method

Self-harm among children and adolescents is currently increasing and is strongly associated with suicide. 1 Griffin E McMahon E McNicholas F Corcoran P Perry IJ Arensman E Increasing rates of self-harm among children, adolescents and young adults: a 10-year national registry study 2007–2016. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2018; 53: 663-671 Crossref PubMed Scopus (81) Google Scholar Inpatient care in child and adolescent psychiatry has not yet evolved sufficiently to provide care that promotes the patient's autonomy and sense of self-determination, 2 Griffiths R Dawber A McDougall T Midgley S Baker J Non-restrictive interventions to reduce self-harm amongst children in mental health inpatient settings: systematic review and narrative synthesis. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2022; 31: 35-50 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar but there are various restrictive ways to handle impulsive self-harm and suicidal behaviours. 2 Griffiths R Dawber A McDougall T Midgley S Baker J Non-restrictive interventions to reduce self-harm amongst children in mental health inpatient settings: systematic review and narrative synthesis. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2022; 31: 35-50 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar Lengthy inpatient stays, coercive actions, and even forensic hospital admission have been used for life-saving purposes. 2 Griffiths R Dawber A McDougall T Midgley S Baker J Non-restrictive interventions to reduce self-harm amongst children in mental health inpatient settings: systematic review and narrative synthesis. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2022; 31: 35-50 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar Given the need for better approaches, it is crucial to study alternative ways to handle crises to prevent iatrogenic damage. 3 Cha CB Franz PJ Guzmán EM Glenn CR Kleiman EM Nock MK Annual research review: suicide among youth—epidemiology, (potential) etiology, and treatment. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2018; 59: 460-482 Crossref PubMed Scopus (258) Google Scholar Furthermore, coordinated treatment plans to prevent new crises by bridging the gap between inpatient and outpatient care are often obstructed by the different cultures of these care settings. To date, there are no standardised methods in child and adolescent inpatient care that ease or prevent self-harm without using coercive methods. New non-restrictive methods that reduce the need for lengthy constraining inpatient stays and promote continuity across inpatient and outpatient care are urgently required. 2 Griffiths R Dawber A McDougall T Midgley S Baker J Non-restrictive interventions to reduce self-harm amongst children in mental health inpatient settings: systematic review and narrative synthesis. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2022; 31: 35-50 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar Introducing brief admissions by self-referral in child and adolescent psychiatry: an observational cohort study in SwedenOur findings suggest that brief admissions can be successfully implemented in paediatric psychiatry and appear to be an effective crisis management method for adolescents, associated with reduced demand for emergency care. Future randomised controlled trials are warranted. Full-Text PDF

Moving beyond the mother-child dyad: a commentary on Oppenheim etal. (2023).

The research presented by Oppenheim etal. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2023) breaks important new ground by moving beyond the mother-child dyad and investigating the coparenting alliance between mothers and fathers of young children with autism. By integrating family systems thinking, developmental science, and research on autism spectrum disorder, this line of research is bound to improve our understanding of how family systems influence the social emotional development of young children with autism, how children's development and learning can be optimized, and how parents' marital relationship and mental health can be strengthened. Future research should investigate the coparenting alliance across a range of family functions aside from triadic play (e.g. caregiving, teaching, attachment, and behavior management) and move beyond nuclear family structures to capture the lived experiences of families within industrialized countries more adequately and embrace cultural differences across the globe.

Assessment of Theory of Mind in Psychopathology: a Scoping Review

IntroductionTheory of Mind (ToM) is defined as the cognitive ability that infers other’s mental states (Premack & Woodruff. J Behav Brain Sci 1978; 1 515-526).The interest in the study of ToM distinguishing its affective and cognitive components has been growing. Its study in psychopathology has been evolved from its original studies in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ) and, borderline personality disorder (BPD), to other mental disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BP), anorexia nervosa (AN) and social anxiety disorder (SAD).Objectives1) review the most commonly used instruments for ToM assessment; 2) to compile the evidence on ToM deficits across mental disorders. For both objectives, target disorders are previously mentioned.MethodsThe search was carried out on the PubMed, PsycInfo and Scopus databases, using the terms “Theory of mind”, “Mentalization” and the previously mentioned mental disorders and pertinent thesaurus. Articles in English, published since 2010 were considered. A 2-step strategy (first, article screening and full reading) was followed to select articles of interest.ResultsReading the Mind in the Eyes (Baron-Cohen et al., J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2001; 42 241-251) and Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (Dziobeck et al. J Autism Dev Disord 2006; 36 623-636) were the most commonly used tasks to assess ToM. Regarding mental disorders, studies showed deficits in cognitive and affective ToM skills in ASD, SCZ, BPD, MDD and BP. Hypomentalization was mainly observed in ASD and MDD, while BPD and SCZ were featured by errors associated with hypermentalization. Studies in AN and SAD are scarce, but they mainly highlight a cognitive ToM deficit, with hypomentalization in AN and hypermentalization in ASD. In all of them, depressive symptomatology seems to be a critical moderator of ToM performance.ConclusionsAlthough ToM impairments are well described for some mental disorders, more research is needed to reach solid conclusions for others. The use of different and heterogeneous ToM assessment instruments can strongly influence the results of studies. The study of ToM is essential to gain a better understanding of the diseases and to develop effective treatments targeting specific ToM deficits.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Social prescribing for children and young people

Mental ill health in children and young people (ie, people aged 10–19 years) is a global problem. In 2019, one in seven children and young people had diagnosed mental health conditions. 1 WHOAdolescent mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-healthDate: 2021 Date accessed: July 22, 2022 Google Scholar The drivers for this high burden are complex and include home-based and school-based risks, lifestyle factors, and vulnerabilities due to disability, discrimination, and socioeconomic circumstances. 2 Collishaw S Annual Research Review: secular trends in child and adolescent mental health. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015; 56: 370-393 Crossref PubMed Scopus (324) Google Scholar

Pediatric Research Challenge, Alignment with the National Research Agenda

Pediatric Research Challenge, Alignment with the National Research Agenda

Understanding Disordered Eating Risks in Patients with Gastrointestinal Conditions

Emerging data are illuminating the connection between gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBI), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with disordered eating. 1 Singh P. Arora A. Strand T.A. Leffler D.A. Catassi C. Green P.H. et al. Global prevalence of celiac disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018; 16: 823-836 e2 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (447) Google Scholar , 2 Houghton LA, Heitkemper M, Crowell M, Emmanuel A, Halpert A, McRoberts JA, et al. Age, gender and women's health and the patient. Gastroenterology. February 15, 2016 [Epub ahead of print]. Google Scholar , 3 Murray H.B. Flanagan R. Banashefski B. Silvernale C.J. Kuo B. Staller K. Frequency of eating disorder pathology among patients with chronic constipation and contribution of gastrointestinal-specific anxiety. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020; 18: 2471-2478 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar , 4 Harer K.N. Irritable bowel syndrome, disordered eating, and eating disorders. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2019; 15: 280-282 PubMed Google Scholar , 5 Passananti V. Siniscalchi M. Zingone F. Bucci C. Tortora R. Iovino P. et al. Prevalence of eating disorders in adults with celiac disease. Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2013; 2013: 491657 Crossref PubMed Scopus (38) Google Scholar , 6 Hedman A. Breithaupt L. Hubel C. Thornton L.M. Tillander A. Norring C. et al. Bidirectional relationship between eating disorders and autoimmune diseases. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2019; 60: 803-812 Crossref PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar In turn, eating disorders (EDs), such as anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) can lead to alterations in GI function. 7 Hetterich L. Mack I. Giel K.E. Zipfel S. Stengel A. An update on gastrointestinal disturbances in eating disorders. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2019; 497: 110318 Crossref PubMed Scopus (24) Google Scholar ,8 Santonicola A. Gagliardi M. Guarino M.P.L. Siniscalchi M. Ciacci C. Iovino P. Eating disorders and gastrointestinal diseases. Nutrients. 2019; 11 Crossref PubMed Scopus (27) Google Scholar In a systematic review of 94 studies with an accurate ED diagnosis, the weighted mean of lifetime ED were 8.4% (range, 3.3% to 18.6%) for women and 2.2% (range, 0.8% to 6.5%) for men. A doubling in prevalence over the study timeline was also noted; the weighted means of point ED prevalence increased from 3.5% for the 2000-2006 period to 7.8% for the 2013-2018 period. 9 Galmiche M. Dechelotte P. Lambert G. Tavolacci M.P. Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000-2018 period: a systematic literature review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019; 109: 1402-1413 Crossref PubMed Scopus (246) Google Scholar It is important to interpret prevalence rates for men with caution because they are underrepresented in ED research and less likely to be screened or referred for treatment. 10 Cottrell D.B. Williams J. Eating disorders in men. Nurse Pract. 2016; 41: 49-55 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar

Star of The Week Programs Based on Peer Relationship for Children Social Emotional Development

Star of The Week Programs Based on Peer Relationship for Children Social Emotional Development

On the role of moderators on children's sleep health in response to COVID-19.

Citation:Lionetti F, Fasolo M, Dellagiulia A. On the role of moderator on children’s sleep health in response to COVID-19. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(2):353–354.

Emotional Well-being During the First Four Months of COVID-19 in the United States

Relative to younger adults, older adults have demonstrated higher emotional well-being in the face of the threats of COVID-19 (e.g., Bruine de Bruin in J Gerontol 10.1093/geronb/gbaa074, 2020) and other events (Bonanno and Diminich in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 54:378–401, 2013). Thus, we predicted that levels of well-being would show minimal change in the first 4 months of COVID-19, with older adults faring better than younger adults. Adults (N = 325, M age = 39.7, SD = 12.3) were surveyed before the pandemic began and at four additional time points throughout the first 4 months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. Participants provided demographic information and completed measures of positive and negative affect. Latent growth curves were used to analyze changes in well-being over time, with age as a covariate. There was a significant linear increase in positive affect. Older age was positively associated with initial levels, but age was not associated with the slope. There was a significant curvilinear pattern in negative affect, with an initial increase, which, although remaining elevated, exhibited slow decreases over time. Age was significantly and negatively associated with initial negative affect, but age did not influence the shape or rate of change over time. We detected changes in both positive affect and negative affect during the first 4 months of COVID-19. The magnitude of these changes suggests that the stress of COVID-19 does not lead to an immediate decrease in well-being. Moreover, although older adults showed higher positive affect and lower negative affect relative to other adults, age differences in the trajectory of change did not emerge. Delayed and long-term effects on well-being and whether those effects are age-invariant should be examined over longer periods of time.

Parental and Familial Predictors and Moderators of Parent Management Treatment Programs for Conduct Problems in Youth.

Despite the established efficacy of Parent Management Training (PMT) for conduct problems in youth, evidence suggests that up to half of all treated youth still display clinical levels of disruptive behavior post-treatment. The reasons for these unsatisfactory outcomes are poorly understood. The aim of the present review was to provide an updated analysis of studies from the past 15years that examined parental and familial predictors and moderators of improvement in PMT for conduct problems. A systematic literature review of indicated prevention (children with conduct problem symptoms) and intervention (children with clinical diagnoses) studies published between 2004 and 2019 was conducted. This 15-year time period was examined since the last systematic reviews were reported in 2006 and summarized studies completed through mid-2004 (see Lundahl et al. in Clin Psychol Rev 26(1):86-104, 2006; Reyno and McGrath in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 47(1):99-111, 2006). Risk of bias indices was also computed (see Higgins et al. in Revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0), University of Bristol, Bristol, 2016) in our review. A total of 21 studies met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that a positive parent-child relationship was most strongly associated with better outcomes; however, little additional consistency in findings was evident. Future PMT research should routinely examine predictors and moderators that are both conceptually and empirically associated with treatment outcomes. This would further our understanding of factors that are associated with poorer treatment outcome and inform the development of treatment components or modes of delivery that might likely enhance evidence-based treatments and our clinical science. Protocol Registration Number: PROSPERO CRD42017058996.

“Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Is Associated with Top-Down Visual Attention

The “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test (Eyes Test; Baron-Cohen et al., J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 38, 813–822, (1997), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42, 241–251 2001 is one of the most commonly used and extensively validated tests for assessing social cognitive deficits, especially among those related to autism and schizophrenia. Despite its widespread use, the cognitive mechanisms underlying the Eyes Test are still unclear. We propose that top-down visual attention will result in better performance on the Eyes Test. Seventy-four female participants completed the Eyes Test in conjunction with three congruency tasks, including the flanker, number Stroop, and Navon’s global-local tasks. According to the hypothesis, the Eyes Test scores were found to be negatively associated with the response congruency effects—the difference in performance between congruent and incongruent trials. The neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying these associations are further discussed, and the Eyes Test features that may require top-down visual attention will be explored in depth.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.

Strategic Deception in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often associated with impaired perspective-taking skills. Deception is an important indicator of perspective-taking, and therefore may be thought to pose difficulties to people with ASD (e.g., Baron-Cohen in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 3:1141–1155, 1992). To test this hypothesis, we asked participants with and without ASD to play a computerised deception game. We found that participants with ASD were equally likely—and in complex cases of deception even more likely—to deceive and detect deception, and learned deception at a faster rate. However, participants with ASD initially deceived less frequently, and were slower at detecting deception. These results suggest that people with ASD readily engage in deception but may do so through conscious and effortful reasoning about other people’s perspective.

Journal Digest: High-Dose Omega-3; Dabigatran; Youth With OCD; Diazepam’s Activity; Lavender

Journal Digest: High-Dose Omega-3; Dabigatran; Youth With OCD; Diazepam’s Activity; Lavender

Presidential Address: Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents

Presidential Address: Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents

Double Burden of Nutrition and some Eating Habits Characteristics of Preschool Children in Nam Hong Commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, 2018

Double Burden of Nutrition and some Eating Habits Characteristics of Preschool Children in Nam Hong Commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, 2018

Putting Scaffolding Into Action: Preschool Teachers\u2019 Actions Using Interactive Whiteboard

This study aimed to explore preschool teachers’ actions in order to support children’s learning processes in a context where an interactive whiteboard (IWB) is used. Five preschool teachers and 22 children aged 4–6 were video observed in 2017 and early spring 2018 over a period of 5 months. The findings of the study revealed 21 scaffolding actions which preschool teachers used including: Concretizing, Questioning, Instructing, Providing space, Affirming, Providing feedback, Inviting, Watching, Laughing together, Approaching, Standing/sitting beside, Simplifying, Filling in the blanks, Confirming, Participating, Challenging perception, Challenging thought, Explaining facts, Displaying, Explaining solutions, and Referring back. By characterizing teachers’ actions in relation to different scaffolding functions, the relationship between action and scaffolding function was particularly clarified. Six of the functions, including recruitment, direction maintenance, marking critical features, reduction in degrees of freedom, frustration control and demonstration were aligned with Wood et al.’s (Child Psychol Psychiatry 17:88–100, 1976) theoretical framework. By identifying two additional functions, i.e., mutual enjoyment and participation in the activity, more importantly the study contributed to the development of Wood et al.’s (Child Psychol Psychiatry 17:88–100, 1976) theoretical framework. It can be said that the findings of the study expanded and deepened our understanding regarding scaffolding processes and the ways they can be implemented in teaching practices.

Shared genetic factors, fetal programming, and the transmission of depression

Interest in prenatal exposures shaping later life has increased considerably in the past two decades. Set forth by Barker in the 1980s, the fetal programing hypothesis posits that in-utero exposures affect the early development of organs and tissues in ways that persist into adulthood. 1 Barker DJ The Wellcome Foundation Lecture, 1994. The fetal origins of adult disease. Proc R Soc Lond B. 1995; 262: 37-43 Crossref PubMed Scopus (238) Google Scholar The study of fetal programming has extended to neurodevelopment, with a growing amount of scientific literature of human and animal studies suggesting that prenatal maternal depression places offspring at increased risk for mental disorders. 2 Kim DR Bale TL Epperson CN Prenatal programming of mental illness: current understanding of relationship and mechanisms. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2015; 17: 5 Crossref PubMed Scopus (125) Google Scholar , 3 O'Donnell KJ Glover V Barker ED O'Connor TG The persisting effect of maternal mood in pregnancy on childhood psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol. 2014; 26: 393-403 Crossref PubMed Scopus (260) Google Scholar Although the need to account for genetic and shared environmental confounding has been previously argued, 4 Babineau V Green CG Jolicoeur-Martineau A et al. Prenatal depression and 5-HTTLPR interact to predict dysregulation from 3 to 36 months—a differential susceptibility model. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015; 56: 21-29 Crossref PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar the field has not consistently obliged. The study by Laurie Hannigan and colleagues 5 Hannigan LJ Eilertsen EM Gjerde LC et al. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and risk for early-life psychopathology in offspring: genetic analyses in the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort Study. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018; (published online Sept 20.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30225-6 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (42) Google Scholar will most certainly change that. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and risk for early-life psychopathology in offspring: genetic analyses in the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort StudyAssociations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring behavioural outcomes in early childhood are likely to be at least partially explained by shared genes. This genetic confounding should be considered when attempting to quantify risks posed by in-utero exposure to maternal depressive symptoms. Full-Text PDF