Articles

Children and young people’s experiences of completing mental health and wellbeing measures for research: learning from two school-based pilot projects

In recent years there has been growing interest in child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, alongside increasing emphasis on schools as a crucial site for research and intervention. This has coincided...

Authors: Ola Demkowicz, Emma Ashworth, Rosie Mansfield, Emily Stapley, Helena Miles, Daniel Hayes, Kim Burrell, Anna Moore and Jessica Deighton

Bottom-up and top-down approaches to understanding oppositional defiant disorder symptoms during early childhood: a mixed method study

Children with clinical levels of conduct problems are at high risk of developing mental health problems such as persistent antisocial behavior or emotional problems in adolescence. Serious conduct problems in ...

Authors: Britt-Marie Ljungström, Elisabeth Kenne Sarenmalm and Ulf Axberg

Hidden scars: the impact of violence and the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health

More than 1 billion children are exposed to violence every year. The devastating immediate and long-term impact of violence on the mental health of children is well established. Despite commitments made by the...

Authors: Najat Maalla M’jid

Alexithymia, aggressive behavior and depression among Lebanese adolescents: A cross-sectional study

For a long time, Lebanon has been considered an unstable country. This can have a negative impact on Lebanese adolescents that consequently face secondary emotional stress, leading to more mental health proble...

Authors: Elsa Sfeir, Claudine Geara, Souheil Hallit and Sahar Obeid

Depression and suicidality among adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus in Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria is considered to have the second highest number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide with a national HIV infection prevalence of 5.2% in children and adolescents. Adolesce...

Authors: Suraju Adeyemo, Increase I. Adeosun, Oluwayemi Cecilia Ogun, Abiodun Adewuya, Agatha Nkiru David, Abosede Adekeji Adegbohun, Olurotimi Adejumo, Oyewale Alfred Ogunlowo and Oluwatosin Oluwaseun Adeyemo

Symptoms and level of functioning related to comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD: a cross-sectional registry study

It is well known that a wide range of psychiatric disorders co-occur with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this study we aimed to examine the associations of psychiatric comorbidity in ADHD with sy...

Authors: Marie Elwin, Tove Elvin and Jan-Olov Larsson

The relationship between acculturation and mental health of 1st generation immigrant youth in a representative school survey: does gender matter?

Although gender plays a pivotal role in the psychological adaptation of immigrant youth, its association with acculturation strategy and mental health among 1st generation immigrant adolescents are still scarc...

Authors: Eva M. Klein, Kai W. Müller, Klaus Wölfling, Michael Dreier, Mareike Ernst and Manfred E. Beutel

The importance of social factors in the association between physical activity and depression in children

Physical activity is associated with reduced depression in youth and adults. However, our understanding of how different aspects of youth activities—specifically, the degree to which they are social, team-orie...

Authors: May I. Conley, Isabella Hindley, Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Dylan G. Gee, B. J. Casey and Monica D. Rosenberg

Subjective well-being of left-behind children: a cross-sectional study in a rural area of eastern China

Psychological well-beings of left-behind children (LBC) in rural areas of China remain under-studied. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the subjective well-being (SWB) in LBC and its associate...

Authors: Lihong Ye, Yu Qian, Shuyang Meng, Ding Ye, Chao Rong, Eric E. Vandenhouten, Fangyuan Jing and Yingying Mao

Health care professionals’ perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS and mental distress in a rural district in central, Uganda

Little/no research has been conducted in Uganda in particular and sub-Saharan Africa in general on the health professional’s perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orpha...

Authors: James Mugisha, Eugene Kinyanda, Joseph Osafo, Winfred Nalukenge and Birthe Loa Knizek

Positive intervention for depression and teacher–student relationship in Iranian high school girl students with moderate/mild depression: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Positive intervention (PI) is a modern and therapeutic approach broadly based on the principles of positive psychology (Rashid in J Posit Psychol 1:25–40, 2014). PI effects at schools have received little atte...

Authors: Ali Taghvaienia and Arash Zonobitabar

Comorbidity of disruptive behavior disorders and intermittent explosive disorder

Aggressive behavior in children and adolescents may be accounted for by several disruptive behavioral disorders (DBD) including attention-deficit/hyperactive (ADHD), conduct (CD), and oppositional defiant (ODD...

Authors: Karam Radwan and Emil F. Coccaro

Mental health in adolescents displaced by the armed conflict: findings from the Colombian national mental health survey

Colombia has one of the largest populations of internally displaced individuals by an armed conflict. However, there is no data demonstrating its effect on health, particularly in adolescents.

Authors: Arturo Marroquín Rivera, Carlos Javier Rincón Rodríguez, Andrea Padilla-Muñoz and Carlos Gómez-Restrepo

Impact of child emotional and behavioural difficulties on educational outcomes of primary school children in Ethiopia: a population-based cohort study

The relationship between child emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) and educational outcomes has not been investigated in prospective, community studies from low-income countries.

Authors: Habtamu Mekonnen, Girmay Medhin, Mark Tomlinson, Atalay Alem, Martin Prince and Charlotte Hanlon

Integrating clinical and research training in child psychiatry: fifteen-year outcomes of a federally supported program

The Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program (AJSP) is an educational initiative designed to prepare physician-scientists for independent careers in the investigation and treatment of childhood psychiatric...

Authors: Amanda Calhoun, Michael H. Bloch, Dorothy Stubbe, James F. Leckman and Andrés Martin

Challenges and burden of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for child and adolescent mental health: a narrative review to highlight clinical and research needs in the acute phase and the long return to normality

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is profoundly affecting life around the globe. Isolation, contact restrictions and economic shutdown impose a complete change to the psychosocial environment in affected...

Authors: Jörg M. Fegert, Benedetto Vitiello, Paul L. Plener and Vera Clemens

Child and adolescent mental health service provision and research during the Covid-19 pandemic: challenges, opportunities, and a call for submissions

Authors: Andreas Witt, Anna Ordóñez, Andrés Martin, Benedetto Vitiello and Jörg M. Fegert

An integrated approach to meet the needs of high-vulnerable families: a qualitative study on integrated care from a professional perspective

To meet the needs of high-vulnerable families with severe and enduring problems across several life domains, professionals must improve their ability to provide integrated care timely and adequately. The aim o...

Authors: L. A. Nooteboom, S. I. van den Driesschen, C. H. Z. Kuiper, R. R. J. M. Vermeiren and E. A. Mulder

School refusal and bullying in children with autism spectrum disorder

Few studies have explored school refusal in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), despite being considered a serious problem. One of the leading causes of school refusal is bullying, which is defined b...

Authors: Marina Ochi, Kentaro Kawabe, Shinichiro Ochi, Tomoe Miyama, Fumie Horiuchi and Shu-ichi Ueno

Adolescents with full or subthreshold anorexia nervosa in a naturalistic sample: treatment interventions and patient satisfaction

Despite major research efforts, current recommendations of treatment interventions for adolescents with anorexia nervosa are scarce, and the importance of patient satisfaction for treatment outcome is yet to b...

Authors: Katarina Lindstedt, Emma Forss, Marie Elwin, Lars Kjellin and Sanna Aila Gustafsson

A 12-month follow-up of a transdiagnostic indicated prevention of internalizing symptoms in school-aged children: the results from the EMOTION study

Anxious and depressive symptoms in youth are highly prevalent, are often comorbid and have a high rate of relapse. Preventive interventions are promising, but follow-up results are lacking. The transdiagnostic...

Authors: M. E. S. Loevaas, S. Lydersen, A. M. Sund, S-P. Neumer, K. D. Martinsen, S. Holen, J. Patras, F. Adolfsen, L-M. P. Rasmussen and T. Reinfjell

Challenges in recruiting and retaining adolescents with abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder: lessons learned from a randomized controlled trial

Research on effective recruitment and retention strategies for adolescents and young adults suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder is scarce. The aim of the current study was to provide data on recruitme...

Authors: Anna Vogel, Hannah Comtesse and Rita Rosner

Child and adolescent psychiatry training in Nepal: early career psychiatrists’ perspective

Nepal is a developing low-income country in Southeast Asia. There is a huge burden of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) in Nepal which has a population of around 29 million and 40–50% of the population...

Authors: Utkarsh Karki, Yugesh Rai, Gunjan Dhonju, Eesha Sharma, Preeti Jacob, John Vijay Sagar Kommu and Shekhar P. Seshadri

Mental health problems and associated school interpersonal relationships among adolescents in China: a cross-sectional study

During adolescence, middle school students facing psychophysical changes are vulnerable to psychological problems. The present study aimed to investigate mental health status and associated school interpersona...

Authors: Jiayu Li, Jing Li, Ruixia Jia, Yingquan Wang, Sheng Qian and Yong Xu

Outcomes of reducing stigma towards alcohol misuse during adolescence: results of a randomized controlled trial of the MAKINGtheLINK intervention

While it is well-recognized that the stigma associated with alcohol use problems can prevent or delay help-seeking, there is limited research examining stigmatising attitudes towards alcohol misuse, or their c...

Authors: Ali Cheetham, Emma Sandral and Dan I. Lubman

Medications for sleep disturbance in children and adolescents with depression: a survey of Canadian child and adolescent psychiatrists

Primary care physicians and child and adolescent psychiatrists often treat sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with mood disorders using medications off-label, in the absence of clear evidence for e...

Authors: Addo Boafo, Stephanie Greenham, Marla Sullivan, Khalid Bazaid, Sinthuja Suntharalingam, Lana Silbernagel, Katherine Magner and Rébecca Robillard

Attributional and attentional bias in children with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits: a case–control study

Children who are frequently aggressive or lack empathy show various deficits in their social information processing. Several findings suggest that children with conduct problems (CP) show a tendency to interpr...

Authors: Daniela Hartmann, Kathrin Ueno and Christina Schwenck

Adapting a family intervention to reduce risk factors for sexual exploitation

Sexually exploited youth are disconnected from societal tethers and need support systems, which makes them some of the most vulnerable of youth. This heightened level of vulnerability increases their risk for ...

Authors: Dawn T. Bounds, Caitlin H. Otwell, Adrian Melendez, Niranjan S. Karnik and Wrenetha A. Julion

Psychosocial stressors and protective factors for major depression in youth: evidence from a case–control study

Severe adverse life events, such as traumatic experiences, are well-known stressors implicated in (youth) major depression (MD). However, to date, far less is known about the role of more common psychosocial s...

Authors: Charlotte Elisabeth Piechaczek, Verena Pehl, Lisa Feldmann, Stefan Haberstroh, Antje-Kathrin Allgaier, Franz Joseph Freisleder, Gerd Schulte-Körne and Ellen Greimel

Serial measurement of mood via text messaging in young people

To support longitudinal research into mood in adolescents we sought to assess the feasibility of collecting mood data via Short Message Service (SMS) over 3 years, and to investigate the relationship between S...

Authors: Philip Hazell, Ben Balzer, Patrick Kelly, Karen Paxton, Catherine Hawke, Rebecca Ivers, Rachel Skinner, Georgina Luscombe and Katharine S. Steinbeck

Retraction Note to: Mental health status, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors of migrant children in eastern coastal China in comparison to urban children: a cross-sectional survey

The authors have retracted this article [1] because they do not have documentation of approval of their study by the ethics committee.

Authors: Jingjing Lu, Feng Wang, Pengfei Chai, Dongshuo Wang, Lu Li and Xudong Zhou

Smartphone use disorder and future time perspective of college students: the mediating role of depression and moderating role of mindfulness

Smartphone use disorder (SUD) of college students has drawn increasing attention. Although future time perspective (FTP) may be an important protective factor for individual SUD, the moderating and mediating m...

Authors: Yangchang Zhang, Shuai Lv, Cunya Li, Yang Xiong, Chenxi Zhou, Xuerui Li and Mengliang Ye

User participation and shared decision-making in adolescent mental healthcare: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ perspectives

Most mental health problems occur in adolescence. There is increasing recognition of user participation and shared decision-making in adolescents’ mental healthcare. However, research in this field of clinical...

Authors: Stig Bjønness, Petter Viksveen, Jan Olav Johannessen and Marianne Storm

Are school difficulties an early sign for mental disorder diagnosis and suicide prevention? A comparative study of individuals who died by suicide and control group

Suicide is the third leading cause of death worldwide among youth aged 10- to 19, and mental disorders are often associated in the etiology of suicidal behavior. Mental disorders are often under-diagnosed and ...

Authors: Fabienne Ligier, Charles-Edouard Giguère, Charles-Edouard Notredame, Alain Lesage, Johanne Renaud and Monique Séguin

Virtual reality exposure therapy for adolescents with fear of public speaking: a non-randomized feasibility and pilot study

Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is a common anxiety with onset in adolescence and early adulthood. With the advent of consumer virtual reality (VR) technology, VR-delivered exposure therapy is now a scalable and...

Authors: Smiti Kahlon, Philip Lindner and Tine Nordgreen

Measuring children’s emotional and behavioural problems: are SDQ parent reports from native and immigrant parents comparable?

The number of immigrants worldwide is growing and migration might be a risk factor for the mental health of children. A reliable instrument is needed to measure immigrants' childrens mental health. The aim of ...

Authors: Ronja A. Runge and Renate Soellner

Looking into the crystal ball: quality of life, delinquency, and problems experienced by young male adults after discharge from a secure residential care setting in the Netherlands

Adolescents in residential care are a vulnerable population with many problems in several life areas. For most of these adolescents, these problems persist after discharge and into adulthood. Since an accumula...

Authors: E. A. W. Janssen-de Ruijter, E. A. Mulder, I. L. Bongers, L. Omlo and Ch. van Nieuwenhuizen

Developing the universal unified prevention program for diverse disorders for school-aged children

Psychological problems during childhood and adolescence are highly prevalent, frequently comorbid, and incur severe social burden. A school-based universal prevention approach is one avenue to address these is...

Authors: Shin-ichi Ishikawa, Kohei Kishida, Takuya Oka, Aya Saito, Sakie Shimotsu, Norio Watanabe, Hiroki Sasamori and Yoko Kamio

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among targets of school bullying

The aim of this study was to investigate whether bullying among students is associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and whether associations are comparable to other traumatic events l...

Authors: Fanny Carina Ossa, Reinhard Pietrowsky, Robert Bering and Michael Kaess

Moving from ‘personal communication’ to ‘available online at’: preprint servers enhance the timeliness of scientific exchange

Authors: Daniel Poremski, Bruno Falissard, Jörg Fegert, Andreas Witt, Anna E. Ordóñez, Andrés Martin and Daniel Shuen Sheng Fung

Reduced caregiving quality measured during the strange situation procedure increases child’s autonomic nervous system stress response

Dysfunctional maternal behavior has been shown to lead to disturbances in infant’s regulatory capacities and alterations in vagal reactivity. We aim to investigate the autonomic nervous system (ANS) response o...

Authors: Franziska Köhler-Dauner, Eva Roder, Sabrina Krause, Anna Buchheim, Harald Gündel, Jörg M. Fegert, Ute Ziegenhain and Christiane Waller

A pilot and feasibility study of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based anxiety prevention programme for junior high school students in Japan: a quasi-experimental study

There is a good deal of evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for children and adolescents with anxiety-related problems. In Japan, an anxiety prevention programme based on cognitive behavio...

Authors: Ikuyo Ohira, Yuko Urao, Yasunori Sato, Toshiyuki Ohtani and Eiji Shimizu

Mental health and risk behaviors of children in rural China with different patterns of parental migration: a cross-sectional study

One in seven members of China’s population are migrants. There are an estimated 41 million children left behind in rural areas who are living without one or both of their parents. The impact of two- and single...

Authors: Feng Wang, Jingjing Lu, Leesa Lin and Xudong Zhou

Executive functioning and neurodevelopmental disorders in early childhood: a prospective population-based study

Executive functioning deficits are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, prior research mainly focused on clinical populations employing cross-sectional designs, impeding conclusions o...

Authors: D. Louise Otterman, M. Elisabeth Koopman-Verhoeff, Tonya J. White, Henning Tiemeier, Koen Bolhuis and Pauline W. Jansen

Social anxiety disorder and emotion regulation problems in adolescents

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) in adolescents may be associated with the use of maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies. The present study examined the use of maladaptive and adaptive ER strategies in ad...

Authors: Petra Sackl-Pammer, Rebecca Jahn, Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic, Eva Pollak, Susanne Ohmann, Julia Schwarzenberg, Paul Plener and Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci

Omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of depressive disorders in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials

To investigate the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in treating depressive disorders in children and adolescents.

Authors: Li Zhang, Huan Liu, Li Kuang, Huaqing Meng and Xinyu Zhou

Mental health problems of children and adolescents, with and without migration background, living in Vienna, Austria

Compared to their indigenous peers, migrant children and adolescents are at increased risk for mental health problems. The aim of our study was to compare psychological disorders of children and adolescents wi...

Authors: Maria Teresa Gutmann, Metin Aysel, Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic, Christian Popow and Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci

Come together: case specific cross-institutional cooperation of youth welfare services and child and adolescent psychiatry

Due to the increasing rate of children and families who require support from both youth welfare services and from mental health services, a solid cross-institutional cooperation is needed to provide coordinate...

Authors: Judith Mack, Sina Wanderer, Michael Kölch and Veit Roessner

Cannabis and amphetamine use and its psychosocial correlates among school-going adolescents in Ghana

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of cannabis and amphetamine use and to determine its associated factors among school-going adolescents in Ghana.

Authors: Kwaku Oppong Asante

Online sexual abuse of adolescents by a perpetrator met online: a cross-sectional study

The current study aimed at exploring adolescents’ experiences of online sexual contacts leading to online sexual abuse by a perpetrator whom the victim had first met online. Associations with socio demographic...

Authors: Linda S. Jonsson, Cecilia Fredlund, Gisela Priebe, Marie Wadsby and Carl Göran Svedin