Clinical child psychology and psychiatry最新文献

This study investigated adolescents' involvement in juvenile delinquency in relation to their perceived social support and levels of social interest. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys with 402 adolescents aged 15-17 years in Adana, Türkiye. Among the participants, 118 were classified as having a history of juvenile delinquency, while 284 had no such history. The study utilized two instruments: the Social Relationship Elements Scale, which measures perceived support from family and friends, and the Social Interest Scale, which includes the subdimensions of sense of belonging, coping, helping behavior, and empathic sensitivity. Independent samples t-tests showed that: (1) adolescents involved in delinquency reported significantly lower levels of perceived family and friend support, and (2) non-delinquent adolescents scored higher on empathic sensitivity and helping behavior. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that (1) higher levels of empathic sensitivity, helping behavior, and family/friend support significantly reduced the likelihood of involvement in delinquency, and (2) paradoxically, a stronger sense of belonging was associated with a higher likelihood of involvement in delinquency. These findings underscore the critical role of social support and social interest in shaping adolescent behavior. In particular, interventions that strengthen familial and friend relationships and promote prosocial tendencies may help prevent juvenile delinquency.

BackgroundParents play a pivotal role in recognising and managing mental health issues in children. However, stigma and stereotypes associated with mental health care may influence their intention to seek professional help. This study explored help-seeking intentions and help-seeker stereotypes among Omani parents of children with and without diagnosed mental illness.MethodA cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 636 Omani parents (328 with mentally ill child and 308 without). Participants were recruited from health centres, a specialised mental hospital, and a tertiary care public hospital in Muscat, Oman. Data were collected using validated versions of the Mental Health Help-Seeking Intention Scale and the Help-Seeker Stereotype Scale. Statistical analyses included Chi-squared and Maan-Whitney U tests.ResultsMean help-seeking intention scores were comparable between parents of children with (15.43 ± 4.20) and without mental illness (15.41 ± 4.05; p = 0.993). In contrast, parents of children with mental illness reported significantly higher overall stereotype scores (34.7 ± 13.99 vs 31.0 ± 15.62; p < 0.001). The strongest negative perceptions related to being "not in control" (mean difference [MD] = 0.84; p < 0.001), "untrustworthy" (MD = 0.69; p < 0.001), and "dependent" (MD = 0.26; p = 0.002). Other traits such as "needy", "oversensitive", and "cowardly" also showed significant group differences.ConclusionThe findings reveal that while help-seeking intentions were similar across parent groups, those caring for a child with mental illness held stronger negative stereotypes about help-seekers. These attitudes likely reflect internalised stigma shaped by caregiving experience and societal norms. Addressing such beliefs through culturally sensitive education and caregiver-focused interventions is essential to improving mental health engagement in Oman.

BackgroundThe Child Safety Behaviour Scale (CSBS) has been used in children and adolescents who have experienced a traumatic event and measures post-traumatic safety-seeking behaviours.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the rates of PTSD in children and adolescents exposed to a Turkish earthquake and to adapt the CSBS to Turkish culture and test its validity and reliability.MethodThe research sample consisted of 265 children and adolescents who experienced the 6 February 2023 earthquakes that took place in Hatay, Türkiye. Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to determine the construct validity of the adapted CSBS scale. In addition, direct and indirect relationships between safety-seeking behaviours and posttraumatic stress symptoms were evaluated by network analysis.ResultsWe found that more than half of the children and adolescents had moderate-high severity PTSD symptoms. The model created with CFA fits the data structure better and has high reliability values compared to ESEM, and it was concluded that the use of the scale in Turkish culture is valid and reliable. CFA and ESEM confirmed the two-factor model comprising "strategic hypervigilance" and "affective suppression" as key safety-seeking behaviours involved in PTSD. In addition, network analysis revealed that hyperarousal was the most important symptom linking PTSD symptoms and safety-seeking behaviours and was directly related to affective suppression.ConclusionsEven two years after the earthquake, the prevalence of moderate and high PTSD symptoms among children and adolescents was observed. The use of the CSBS for the assessment of safety-seeking behaviours emerging after trauma was found to be valid and reliable in Turkish culture. It was seen that hyperarousal was the central symptom among PTSD symptoms and was directly related to emotional suppression among safety-seeking behaviours.

This repeat measures study assessed the progress of 45 children in a therapeutic residential school in terms of attachment, trauma/loss, affect regulation and educational attainment. The aim was to build a profile of complex trauma in severely maltreated children and estimate any changes over a two year period. Attachment, trauma and affect regulation were assessed using the Child Attachment and Play Assessment (CAPA), based on Crittenden's Dynamic Maturational Model of attachment (DMM). Based on a matrix combining attachment risk, unresolved loss or trauma and observed high or low states of physiological arousal, 51% of children improved and 33% showed deterioration. There was a general improvement in education scores but no significant gains made by children whose stories were assessed with unresolved trauma. While insecure attachment can act as a buffer against severe maltreatment, unresolved trauma or loss is pernicious and continues to affect children's development. Specific Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), rather than ACE accumulation, influenced improvement compared with deterioration. In particular perinatal neglect may have had a particularly potent impact on change. DMM Type A+ attachment was more susceptible to loss of regulation than Type C+ and the two attachment patterns require different approaches. The CAPA offers a more finely calibrated analysis than that obtained by the more usual questionnaire assessment of complex trauma and is useful in devising treatment plans for individual children.

BackgroundMental health stigma remains a significant barrier to treatment and recovery, particularly among adolescents. This study explores perceived stigma in previously hospitalized adolescents, their perceptions of inpatient psychiatric care, and parental self-stigma.MethodsWe employed a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design with 82 adolescents (n = 67 females), aged 12-17 years (M = 15.5, SD = 1.2) and their parents. Quantitative measures included the Adolescent's Stigma Scale, Parents' Self-Stigma Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected via open-ended questions and analyzed using content analysis.ResultsFindings indicated notable perceived stigma, especially among older adolescents (15-17 years) and those two hospitalizations, with secrecy, self-stigma, and rejection associated with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Parental self-stigma correlated with child's age and length of hospitalization, and inversely with adolescent secrecy. Qualitative findings revealed that hospitalization offered emotional support and opportunities for personal growth, yet also posed challenges to autonomy, social and educational stability, and psychological well-being.ConclusionsFindings highlight the need for flexible hospital policies, improved discharge communication, mental health literacy initiatives, and peer-support programs. Future research should examine cultural influences, stigma trajectories, and effective family-based interventions for adolescents.

BackgroundExposure to traumatic events can have posttraumatic effects in young children. It is challenging to identify posttraumatic symptoms. It is necessary to directly investigate the signs of traumatization in young children. The aim of the study was to investigate the links between children's externalizing and internalizing symptoms reported by caregivers and indicators of traumatization assessed by using the young children as informants.MethodStudy used data from 110 (59.1% girls) children aged 4 to 9 years. The children have been recruited across the social and mental health services that provide support for abused children in Lithuania. Externalizing and internalizing difficulties measured using caregiver reports with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Indicators of traumatization were measured with the Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS).ResultsThe higher levels of indicators of traumatization were significantly related to higher conduct and externalizing problems. The traumatization indicators related to child mental representation of adults were a significant predictor of children's conduct problems.ConclusionsThe indicators of traumatization could be linked to externalized mental health difficulties of a child after trauma. Also, the findings might indicate that for the parents and caregivers it might be challenging to recognize internalizing symptoms, associated to traumatization.

The increasing prevalence of digital media use among children and adolescents has raised concerns about its potential impact on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. This narrative review explores the relationship between screen time and ADHD in young people, with a particular focus on the impact of different treatment approaches in the context of digital engagement. A structured search identified 147 studies published between January 2018 and December 2024, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria for detailed review.The findings indicate that excessive and unstructured screen time is consistently associated with the worsening of ADHD symptoms, particularly inattention and hyperactivity. Sleep disruption and neurobiological vulnerabilities, including altered reward processing and white matter changes, appear to mediate these associations. At the same time, certain forms of digital activity, particularly interactive or cognitively engaging tasks, may provide benefits, highlighting the complexity of this relationship.Treatment approaches reflected a similar complexity. Pharmacological interventions remain central but are most effective when complemented by behavioural therapies and lifestyle modifications, such as structured screen time reduction, improved sleep routines, and increased physical activity. This review suggests that the management of ADHD in the digital era requires a holistic approach that recognises both the risks and potential benefits of screen use. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify long-term effects and identify which forms of digital media can be harnessed constructively in clinical care.

Adolescence represents a crucial period of development, during which exposure to stress can significantly impact mental and physical health. As such, school based psychoeducational interventions aimed at reducing stress may hold promise for promoting adolescents' wellbeing. In the current study, a literature review was conducted using PubMed and PsychInfo databases to evaluate school-based psychoeducational interventions that target sub-clinical anxiety and stress in healthy adolescents. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising six primary and five secondary studies. Cognitive-behavioural therapy demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety symptoms and improvements in emotional regulation. Mindfulness-based interventionsalleviated physiological stress, while physical activity programs such as yoga, showed potential in improving psychological well-being, albeit with limited evidence. . Findings on the duration of interventions were mixed, with some meta-analyses indicating larger effects for longer or higher intensity programs, while limited evidence suggests caregiver involvement may enhance outcomes. Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of these interventions and examining their applicability across diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. Although harms were not identified within the studies included in this review, other research has reported potential unintended effects of school-based psychological interventions in specific subgroups and therefore cautious implementation with routine monitoring is recommended.

This paper explores how an adoptive family's feelings of blame and embarrassment shifted after receiving an accurate diagnosis for their 9-year-old child. Narratives of attachment and trauma had been used previously to explain the child's rumination and regurgitation symptoms and excessive appetite from an early age. The paper outlines the assessment that ruled the previous explanation out and gave a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder with an evidence-based pathway of care. It also examines the theory behind this revised formulation, integrating both environmental influences, biological predispositions and their interaction. The discussion explores the negative implications of neglecting biological factors in the mental health assessments of adopted children and interpreting their presentations through the lens of past trauma and attachment disruptions only, as lack of early identification and therefore, intervention can lead to serious long-term consequences. Conducting complex assessments require multidisciplinary specialist services with professionals trained in making differential diagnoses in adopted children, that include the consideration of neurodevelopmental and mental health problems. Such services should also offer consultation and provide training to other professionals working within the children's complex systems.