Psychological Interventions For Children Research Articles

Psychological interventions for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties aged 5-12 years: An evidence review.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), children and families face a multitude of risk factors for mental health and well-being. These risks are even further exacerbated in humanitarian emergencies. However, access to effective mental health services in such settings is severely limited, leading to a large mental health treatment gap. Middle childhood (5-12years) is a crucial period for human development during which symptoms of emotional distress often emerge, with one in three mental disorders developing prior to age 14. However, there is little evidence of effective psychological interventions for children in this developmental stage, and suitable for implementation within LMICs and humanitarian emergencies. We conducted this evidence review to inform the development of a new intervention package based on existing best practice for this age group, drawing insights from both global and LMIC resources. Our review synthesizes the findings of 52 intervention studies from LMICs and humanitarian settings; 53 existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses covering both LMICs and high-income countries, and 15 technical guidelines. Overall, there is limited high-quality evidence from which to draw recommendations for this age group; however, some promising intervention approaches were identified for children experiencing externalizing and internalizing symptoms, traumatic stress and a combination of difficulties. Several effective interventions utilize cognitive-behavioral techniques for children, in either group or individual format, and incorporate caregiver skills training into treatment, although the findings are mixed. Most evaluated interventions use specialists as delivery agents and are lengthy, which poses challenges for scale-up in settings where financial and human resources are scarce. These findings will inform the development of new psychological interventions for children in this age group with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

A scoping review of psychological interventions and outcomes for avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

This scoping review identifies and describes psychological interventions for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and summarizes how outcomes are measured across such interventions. Five databases (Cochrane, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, Web of Science) were searched up to December 22, 2022. Studies were included if they reported on psychological interventions for ARFID. Studies were excluded if participants did not have an ARFID diagnosis and if psychological interventions were not delivered or detailed. Fifty studies met inclusion criteria; almost half were single-case study designs (23 studies) and most studies reported on psychological interventions for children and adolescents with ARFID (42 studies). Behavioral interventions (16 studies), cognitive-behavioral therapy (10 studies), and family therapy (5 studies), or combinations of these therapeutic approaches (19 studies) were delivered to support patients with ARFID. Many studies lacked validated measures, with outcomes most commonly assessed via physical health metrics such as weight. This review provides a comprehensive summary of psychological interventions for ARFID since its introduction to the DSM-5. Across a range of psychological interventions and modalities for ARFID, there were common treatment components such as food exposure, psychoeducation, anxiety management, and family involvement. Currently, studies reporting on psychological interventions for ARFID are characterized by small samples and high levels of heterogeneity, including in how outcomes are measured. Based on reviewed studies, we outline suggestions for clinical practice and future research. Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder characterized by avoidance or restriction of food due to fear, sensory sensitivities, and/or a lack of interest in food. We reviewed the literature on psychological interventions for ARFID and the outcomes used to measure change. Several psychological interventions have been developed and applied to patients with ARFID. Outcome measurement varies widely and requires further development and greater consensus.

Implementing Task-Shared Child and Adolescent Psychological Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Objective Effective “task shared,” or nonspecialist delivered, psychological interventions for children and adolescents have been developed or adapted in low- and middle-income countries with the aim of closing the global treatment gap for youth mental health care. Yet, delivery remains limited, in part due to the lack of knowledge of associated implementation, or process, outcomes. This scoping review aims to describe, examine the quality of, and synthesize findings on implementation outcomes of child and adolescent psychological interventions in low-and middle-income countries. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo were searched for studies on child and adolescent psychological interventions in low- and middle-income countries reporting on implementation outcomes. After abstract and full-text review, data were extracted and summarized on implementation outcomes and quality of implementation outcomes reporting. Implementation barriers and recommendations for addressing barriers were also charted and narratively synthesized. Results Out of 5,207 manuscripts, 86 met inclusion criteria. Younger children were underrepresented. Studies largely reported feasibility and acceptability and did not state hypotheses or use conceptual models. Barriers primarily related to interventions being too complex, not an acceptable fit with participant cultures, and facilitators lacking time for or experiencing distress delivering interventions. Recommendations focused on increasing intervention fit and flexibility, training and support for facilitators, and linkages with existing systems. Conclusions Rigorous, broader implementation outcomes research is needed within child and adolescent psychological intervention research in low-and middle-income countries. Current evidence suggests the importance of the further developing strategies to increase acceptability to participants and better support facilitators.

Psychological Interventions for Children with Autism during the COVID-19 Pandemic through a Remote Behavioral Skills Training Program.

COVID-19 has impacted negatively on the mental health of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as on their parents. Remote health services are a sustainable approach to behavior management interventions and to giving caregivers emotional support in several clinical domains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the feasibility of a web-based behavioral skills training (BST) program for 16 parents and their children with ASD at home. The BST parent training package was tailored to each different specific behavioral disorder that characterizes children with ASD. After training, we found a significant reduction in the frequency of all the targeted behavioral disorders, as well as an improvement in psychological distress and the perception of the severity of ASD-related symptoms in parents. Our data confirm the efficacy of remote health care systems in the management of behavioral disorders of children with ASD, as well as of their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usability and Acceptability of the QuestLeukemia Mobile Application: A Pilot Study for An Educational and Psychological Intervention for Children with Chronic Illnesses.

It is widely accepted that educational interventions benefit children with chronic diseases (disease awareness and autonomy) or those undergoing medical procedures (decreased anxiety and improved satisfaction). Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an intensive procedure to treat life-threatening diseases but is associated with multiple adverse medical experiences. QuestLeukemia (QuestED, Durham, NC) is a mobile app designed to educate pediatric patients preparing for HCT through age-appropriate videos and quizzes. Here we describe the results of the initial pilot study assessing acceptability and feasibility of QuestLeukemia app. Eligible participants were selected from a convenience sample (inpatient HCT unit and outpatient clinic). Participants spent 30-60 min using the app then completed a survey assessing the app for usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction. Participants identified the app as a useful tool for gaining disease-related knowledge and reported greater autonomy over their disease process. On average, patients indicated that the app was easy to use (M = 4.93), enjoyable (M = 4.79), and comprehensive (M = 4.71). Parents followed similar trends of satisfaction with the app. Pediatric HCT providers likewise reported that the app was easy to use (M = 4.22), enjoyable (M = 4.85), and educationally comprehensive (M = 4.77). The QuestLeukemia mobile application prototype provides an easy, enjoyable, and educational tool for pediatric patients undergoing HCT. This application was well received by patients, parents, and providers. These findings will be used to design future iterations of the game in clinical care.

Psychological Treatment for Children with Anxiety

Psychological Treatment for Children with Anxiety

Psychological intervention programs for children with overweight and obesity: Systematic review

Currently obesity is a public health problem that is characterized by being a chronic disease, caused by various factors ranging from genetic, metabolic or sociocultural problems.
 Objective: To analyze psychological interventions for overweight and obesity, in children, with favorable results in the participants.
 Method: A systematic review was carried out on the internet based on articles published in Crossref and PubMed by using keywords such as “interventions for overweight children”, “Children obesity interventions”, “psychological interventions in children”.
 Results: In a first revision, 79 psychological programs applied in children were found, when reviewing the programs, it was found that only 19 had favourable results in the participants.
 Conclusion: The interventions had positive results; however, it will be necessary to design more adequate interventions for obese and overweight people, and contribute more to the solution of these public health problems.

Evaluation of a mental health drop-in centre offering brief transdiagnostic psychological assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with long-term physical conditions and their families: a single-arm, open, non-randomised trial

BackgroundChildren and young people with long-term physical conditions have significantly elevated mental health needs. Transdiagnostic, brief psychological interventions have the potential to increase access to evidence-based psychological treatments for patients...

Telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Специфика оценки эффективности психолого-педагогических вмешательств при работе с детьми с РАС

Timely identification of appropriate intervention is prerequisite for amelioration of deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is a complicated choice because of the high heterogeneity of ASD manifestations and insufficient state of knowledge about intervention efficiency. The article introduces an approach that will allow professionals who plan educational and psychological interventions for children with ASD and caregivers to assess the methods in terms of their congruence with the evidence-based criteria. Such assessment is conducted based on published experimental data. The article presents characteristics that are worth considering while making an informed decision about the preferred intervention. They include formal features, such as sample sizes, study length, compliance with the target group description, and validity, as well as subjective criteria that enable appropriate choice of intervention at the individual level.

Piccole farfalle: abuso sexual na infância e adolescência, suicídio e intervenção

The need for evidence that psychological interventions for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse actually assist them in reducing psychopathological symptoms and increase overall well-being, including those at risk of suicide, has challenged studies aimed at scientifically evaluating. intervention models. In Manaus (AM-Brasil), since 2015, the Servico de Atendimento Psicologico da Arquidiocese de Manaus (SAPFAM), currently supported by Caritas (Projeto Ica Acao e Protecao) and the Italian institution Aleimar - Onlus, has been providing intervention assistance for girls and boys who have been sexually abused. This research aims to present descriptively the experience of a community psychological service aimed at children and adolescents who suffered sexual abuse, trying to identify in the users’ protocols the presence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self-mutilation and the intervention steps of the therapeutic model. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with retrospective collection and quantitative and qualitative approach. From 146 cases of child and adolescent sexual abuse reported in SAPFAM (2014-2017), a sample of 71 child and adolescent follow-up protocols (47.6%) aged between eight and fourteen years was obtained (52 girls and 19 boys). In line with the clinical results found in specialized articles that prove the effectiveness of the application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy models. We also concluded that the application of psychological instruments in the different stages of intervention, according to the objectives and techniques employed by the group therapy model by SAPFM was effective in psychological assessment and intervention so that children and adolescents do not commit suicide, and know how to cope, reduce or overcome the symptoms associated with it, enabling the “Piccole Farfalle” to fly.

Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a multidisciplinary intervention in childhood obesity from primary care: Nutrition, physical activity, emotional regulation, and family

Childhood obesity is a growing problem with a complex aetiology, for which multidisciplinary interventions are required. Our programme describes a novel structured psychosocial family-based intervention targeting the emotional regulation in childhood obesity, using a train trip metaphor aimed at improving healthy lifestyles for the family. The aims were (a) to describe the feasibility and acceptability of this psychosocial family-based intervention among children with overweight or obesity in primary care and (b) to examine the effectiveness of the "ENTREN-F" programme (with family intervention) compared with the "ENTREN" programme (without family intervention) among Spanish children regarding anthropometric variables, physical activity, emotional well-being, and family functioning. Children were randomly allocated to either ENTREN-F programme (n = 30) or psychological intervention for children (ENTREN, n = 40), and assessments were carried out over time (T0 baseline vs. T1 post/6-month vs. T2 6-month follow-up). Both parent groups expressed high levels of satisfaction with the interventions. ENTREN-F resulted in higher adherence to treatment and was more effective in improving z-body mass index, reducing children's anxiety, and increasing family adaptability than the ENTREN programme. There were no significant changes in parents' emotional well-being and expressed emotion. Both groups improved in the children's emotional well-being and light physical activity. In summary, this multidisciplinary psychosocial family-based intervention was succesful.

Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators involved in learning and memory

Learning and memory being highly specialized process of human brain involves complex interaction between neurotransmitters and cellular events. Over the years, the understandings of these processes have been evolving from psychological, neurophysiological, and pharmacological perspectives. The most widely appraised model of learning and memory involves attention, acquisition, storage and retrieval. Each of these events involve interplay of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, N-methyl-d-aspartic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, though preponderance of specific neurotransmitter have been documented. The formation of long-term memory involves cellular events with neuroplasticity. Further, dopamine is documented to play crucial role in the process of forgetting. Understanding of the processes of learning and memory not only facilitates drug discovery, but also helps to understand actions of several existing drugs. In addition, it would also help to enhance psychological interventions in children with learning disabilities. Thus, the review intends to summarize role of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators during different phases of learning and memory.

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials using psychological interventions for children and adolescents with medically unexplained symptoms: A focus on mental health outcomes.

Medically unexplained symptoms affect between 4% and 20% of children and adolescents; 30-60% of these children also experience mental health difficulties. Trials and reviews have focussed on physical gains in this population, often overlooking mental health outcomes. To use a systematic review methodology guided by the PRISMA checklist to (1) investigate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for mental health difficulties in children and adolescents with medically unexplained symptoms and (2) identify aspects of interventions associated with their success. Randomised controlled studies investigating the impact of psychological interventions on mental health in children and adolescents with medically unexplained symptoms were included. Systematic searches of PsycINFO, MEDLINE and CINAHL were undertaken from inception to January 2018. Studies were appraised using the quality appraisal checklist. A qualitative synthesis of studies was completed. In all, 18 studies were identified. Interventions targeting parental responses to illness and family communication appeared to have the best outcomes. Psychological interventions may be effective in improving mental health outcomes within this population; however, evidence for the efficacy of these interventions is limited due to a high risk of bias within the majority of reviewed studies. Future research using rigorous methodology and non-cognitive behavioural therapy interventions is recommended.

Задачи и методы коррекционной помощи ребенку с аутизмом

The paper presents a comparative analysis of two close directions in psychological intervention for children with autism — the DIR/Floortime model and the Emotional-Semantic approach both aimed to return a child to a healthy mental and social developmental pathway. We follow through the similarities and divergences in the theoretical views of two approaches and in their realization in practice. It is shown that despite the common main direction of intervention, such as helping the child in his/her affective development that occurs in the course of changing emotional relationships with his/her caregivers, there are significant differences in the tasks, methods and intervention techniques. Similarities and differences in establishing and developing emotional contact with the child are analyzed, as well as the ways of engaging him/her in communication and interaction, overcoming rigidity and developing spontaneous and flexible behavior, building affective experience, stimulating and developing verbal communication.

A Hybrid System to Support the Psychological Intervention for Children With Autism

The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that 1 in 160 children present an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, the real estimation in low- and middle-income countries can be higher and currently is so far unknown. In many Latin American countries, it is essential to develop intelligent tools that can provide support during the psychological diagnosis and intervention of children with ASD. To this aim, this article presents an approach that models the most relevant elements of rehabilitation/educational activities for children with ASD and discuss how to support them through robotic assistants, mobile applications and Multi-Sensory Stimulation Environments (MSEE). The authors tested the proposed system in four different real scenarios: the perception of 47 children without ASD concerning the robotic assistant, the feasibility of using ontology-based reasoning to select therapeutic activities, the opinion of 9 experts on ASD regarding the MSSE and the perception of 36 children with ASD about the robotic assistant.

Psychological Treatments for Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Evidence of Leading International Organizations.

In recent decades, the evidence on psychological treatments for children and adolescents has increased considerably. Several organizations have proposed different criteria to evaluate the evidence of psychological treatment in this age group. The aim of this study was to analyze evidence-based treatments drawn from RCTs, reviews, meta-analyses, guides and lists provided by four leading international organizations. The institutions reviewed were the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53) of the American Psychological Association, Cochrane Collaboration and the Australian Psychological Society in relation to mental disorders in children and adolescents. A total of 137 treatments were analyzed for 17 mental disorders and compared to determine the level of agreement among the organizations. The results indicate that, in most cases, there is little agreement among organizations and that there are several discrepancies within certain disorders. These results require reflection on the meaning attributed to evidence-based treatments with regard to psychological treatments in children and adolescents. The possible reasons for these differences could be explained by a combination of different issues: the procedures or committees may be biased, different studies were reviewed, different criteria are used by the organizations or the reviews of existing evidence were conducted in different time periods.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP): An Attachment‐focused Family Treatment for Developmental Trauma

The impact of intrafamilial, relational trauma on the development of children is severe and pervasive, affecting all aspects of the child's functioning. The psychological treatment of children who have experienced such trauma may well have the greatest impact in facilitating their development when it adopts a relational approach incorporating central features of attachment theory while also including their caregivers when they are able to provide safety. Dyadic developmental psychotherapy (DDP), an attachment‐focused family therapy, has two phases. In the first, the therapist sees the caregivers alone to ensure that they have the motivation and ability to relate with the child in ways that facilitate attachment security. This stage includes a description of the process of the treatment and the caregivers’ central role in the co‐regulation of emotional states, reducing the impact of the trauma on the child, assisting the child in turning to them for comfort and safety, and assisting in the development of new meanings of the trauma itself and its effect on the child's future. During the joint sessions, the therapist, utilising an intersubjective stance, actively facilitates a dialogue between therapist, child, and caregiver that incorporates the goals mentioned above and, within an open‐and‐engaged conversational tone, helps the child to develop a coherent autobiographical narrative that is not fragmented by terror and shame.

Meta-analysis of the Long-Term Treatment Effects of Psychological Interventions in Youth with PTSD Symptoms.

To date, the long-term effectiveness of psychological treatments in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in children and adolescents has not been investigated extensively. This meta-analysis quantifies the long-term effects of psychological interventions in children and adolescents with PTSD symptoms and examines the period-dependent follow-up (FU) effects based on 47 studies. The mean FU effect sizes (ESs) for PTSD symptoms ranged from medium (between treatment ESs for controlled studies) to large (within treatment ESs for uncontrolled studies; pooled analysis including all studies). These effects were comparable to the post-treatment ESs, which suggests that the treatment effects remained stable. ESs did not differ depending on the length of the FU period (</>6months). In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), as well as trials conducted with treatment as usual or active control groups, the long-term treatment effects for the reduction of PTSD symptoms were small. These results demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of psychological interventions in the treatment of PTSD in youth. However, more studies should include a FU assessment. Further research should focus on RCTs with long-term assessments, report comorbid symptoms and investigate the influence of potential moderators. Research is also warranted to determine how to improve the long-term effects of treatments for PTSD in youth.

Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy for treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a randomised controlled trial

SummaryBackgroundHalf of all lifetime anxiety disorders emerge before age 12 years; however, access to evidence-based psychological therapies for affected children is poor. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of two brief psychological treatments for children with anxiety referred to routine child mental health settings. We hypothesised that brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) would be associated with better clinical outcomes than solution-focused brief therapy and would be cost-effective.MethodsWe did this randomised controlled trial at four National Health Service primary child and mental health services in Oxfordshire, UK. Children aged 5–12 years referred for anxiety difficulties were randomly allocated (1:1), via a secure online minimisation tool, to receive brief guided parent-delivered CBT or solution-focused brief therapy, with minimisation for age, sex, anxiety severity, and level of parental anxiety. The allocation sequence was not accessible to the researcher enrolling participants or to study assessors. Research staff who obtained outcome measurements were masked to group allocation and clinical staff who delivered the intervention did not measure outcomes. The primary outcome was recovery, on the basis of Clinical Global Impressions of Improvement (CGI-I). Parents recorded patient-level resource use. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for use in cost-utility analysis were derived from the Child Health Utility 9D. Assessments were done at baseline (before randomisation), after treatment (primary endpoint), and 6 months after treatment completion. We did analysis by intention to treat. This trial is registered with the ISCRTN registry, number ISRCTN07627865.FindingsBetween March 23, 2012, and March 31, 2014, we randomly assigned 136 patients to receive brief guided parent-delivered CBT (n=68) or solution-focused brief therapy (n=68). At the primary endpoint assessment (June, 2012, to September, 2014), 40 (59%) children in the brief guided parent-delivered CBT group versus 47 (69%) children in the solution-focused brief therapy group had an improvement of much or very much in CGI-I score, with no significant differences between groups in either clinical (CGI-I: relative risk 1·01, 95% CI 0·86–1·19; p=0·95) or economic (QALY: mean difference 0·006, −0·009 to 0·02; p=0·42) outcome measures. However, brief guided parent-delivered CBT was associated with lower costs (mean difference −£448; 95% CI −934 to 37; p=0·070) and, taking into account sampling uncertainty, was likely to represent a cost-effective use of resources compared with solution-focused brief therapy. No treatment-related or trial-related adverse events were reported in either group.InterpretationOur findings show no evidence of clinical superiority of brief guided parent-delivered CBT. However, guided parent-delivered CBT is likely to be a cost-effective alternative to solution-focused brief therapy and might be considered as a first-line treatment for children with anxiety problems.FundingNational Institute for Health Research.