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We examined different forms of victimization experiences in relation to psychopathic features and whether these associations differed in boys and girls among 4855 Finnish school adolescents aged 15–16 years. Psychopathic features were measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device- Self Report (APSD-SR). Victimization was assessed with questions about violent and abusive experiences across lifetime and within the last 12 months. Results from linear regression analysis showed that victimization was significantly associated with higher APSD-SR total scores, more strongly in girls than boys. Recent (12-month) victimization showed significance in the relationship between victimization and psychopathic features; especially recent sexual abuse and parental corporal punishment were strong determinants of higher APSD-SR total scores. The present study demonstrates novel findings on how severe victimization experiences relate to psychopathic features in community youth, especially in girls. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive evaluation of victimization experiences when psychopathic features are present in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which evaluates the correlation between the quantity and quality of children's sleep and parent- and teacher--reported psychiatric symptoms in the United States. Methodology of the study; Discussion of the results; Conclusions.

Presents a study which aims to determine whether there is an association between motor activity levels and severity and nature of depressive symptoms in selected hospitalized prepubertal children. Prevalence of mood disorders in hospitalized children and adolescent; Correlation of measures of reduced daytime activity with scores on the Children's Depression Rating Scale.

Presents the findings of a study which examined psychiatric symptoms in adolescents, with emphasis on infant temperament and early home-based intervention. Methods used to conduct the study; How a fussy/demanding temperament was found to predict psychiatric symptoms in adolescence; Effects of the introduction of a family counseling program.

Evaluates the effects of an early home-based intervention on the psychiatric symptoms in adolescents. Report of scores in counseling families; Benefits from counseling; Factors affecting risk index; Attrition rates.

Presents information on a study which examined the long-term effects of an early home-based intervention,in relation to its quality and quantity of psychiatric symptoms found in adolescents. Discussion on the positive effect of the home-base early intervention; Methodology used to conduct the study; Findings of the study.

Abstract This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of the Incredible Years® (IY) Parenting Program in modifying children's behavioral problems, parenting practices and parents' psychological well-being among families under child protection and using other special support services. Participants in the study were 3–7-year-old children with behavioral problems (n = 102, intervention group n = 50, control group n = 52) and their parents (n = 122). The results show that parent reported child problem behavior as well as clinical levels of behavioral problems decreased to a greater extent in the intervention group than in the control group. The intervention also increased positive parenting practices. Changes in parental stress or parents' psychological well-being in the intervention did not differ from those in the control group over time. The results suggest some promising evidence that the IY parenting intervention may be effective in the context of child protection and other family support services in real-life conditions. Highlights • A structured parenting program in child protection services was evaluated. • Child problem behavior decreased. • Positive parenting practices increased. • No effect in parental stress or parents' psychological well-being was found. • Structured parenting program is effective in child protection services in real-life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: To determine the prevalence of snoring in young children and to assess age, growth, previous surgery therapy, respiratory problems and sleep-related symptoms in relation to child''s snoring, and to evaluate the relationship between child''s snoring and parents’ snoring and smoking. Children and methods: A cross-sectional study evaluated 2100 children 1–6 years of age in Helsinki, Finland. Child''s frequency of snoring on a five-point scale (never to every night) and age, height, weight and body mass index, previous adenotonsillectomies, tympanostomies, allergic rhinitis and respiratory infections were determined as was frequency of parental snoring and smoking. Sleep problems were determined based on Finnish or Swedish modified version of the sleep disturbance scale for Children. Results: Of the 2100 eligible children, 1471 (71%) returned questionnaires. Children always or often snoring numbered 92 (6.3%), sometimes snoring, 183 (12.4%), and never or occasionally snoring, 1196 (81.3%). No difference in age (p =0.06) or gender (p =0.39) existed between snorers and non-snorers. History of previous adenotonsillectomies (p <0.001), allergic rhinitis (p <0.001), recurrent respiratory infections (p <0.001), and otitis media (p <0.001) were more common among snorers than among occasional or never-snorers. Nocturnal symptoms such as breathing problems, sleep hyperhydrosis, sleep-wake transition disorders, and daytime somnolence were associated with children''s snoring. Frequency of children''s snoring was also associated with parental snoring (p <0.001) and smoking (p <0.001). Conclusions: Snoring is common among young children and is associated with previous adenotonsillectomy, allergic rhinitis, respiratory infections, nocturnal symptoms, and parents’ snoring and smoking. The high prevalence of snoring among children with adenotonsillectomy raises the question whether adenotonsillectomy alone is adequate treatment for snoring in young children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The cost-effectiveness of child protection interventions is understudied. • Cost-effectiveness results are not directly transferable to complex populations. • The high prevalence of behavioral problems calls for high-quality research. • The segmentation of families is essential for cost-effective intervention targeting. Background: Children's behavioral problems have high prevalence among families in the child welfare system, raising the need for cost-effective ways to diminish the problems. Objective: We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years® (IY) Parenting Program for children's behavioral problems compared with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) in families receiving child protection services (CPS) and other family support services in Finland, from the health and social care payer's perspective at the intervention end (post-assessment) and with a 12-month follow-up. Participants and setting: The randomized controlled trial included 102 families of 3–7-year-olds with behavioral problems. Families were recruited from CPS and other family support services in Finland. Methods: Incremental net monetary benefit analysis combined the costs and effects of IY intervention and TAU groups. Costs included intervention costs and register-based children's and mothers' health and social care costs. Effectiveness measures were the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and the Child Behavior Checklist. Results: In the post-assessment, the cost-effectiveness results varied according to the effectiveness measures. Compared to TAU, the IY intervention was either not cost-effective or the cost-effectiveness depended on the decision-makers' willingness to pay. In the 12-month follow-up, IY and TAU did not differ in costs or effects. Conclusions: The cost-effectiveness estimates from previously studied populations may not generalize to families receiving CPS. Families receiving CPS are in urgent need of cost-effective support to reduce the high prevalence of children's behavioral problems. Keywords: cost-effectiveness, parenting program, behavioral problems, child protection services, social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To assess the link between sleep-disordered breathing and cognitive function in children. To identify correlations among polysomnography, upper respiratory infections, or cephalometric as well as rhinometric measures. Methods: This study is based on a questionnaire survey of snoring in a population cohort of 2100 children. Altogether, 44 snorers and 51 non-snorers participated in this community based clinical study. All children underwent polysomnography, cephalometry and rhinometric measurements. In addition, a standardized test of intelligence (WPPSI-R), a neuropsychological test battery (NEPSY) and a parental questionnaire on behavioral symptoms (CBCL) were administered. Results: Frequently snoring children scored lower in Language functions (Comprehension of Instructions, P =0.01; Speeded naming, P =0.007) and had more internalizing problems, P =0.04 than did the non-snoring group. However, the polysomnography parameters of these snoring children revealed no major sleep-related breathing disorder. OAHI, mean lowest SpO2 and respiratory effort correlated with Auditory Attention (P <0.05), Body Part Naming (P <0.05) and Memory (P <0.05). Tonsillar size correlated with OAHI (P <0.01) and respiratory effort (P =0.01) and respiratory airflow (P <0.01). In cephalometry, the minimal distance from velum to posterior wall was shorter showing the shorter length among snorers than non-snorers, 5.5mm vs. 6.6mm, respectively (P <0.05). Recurrent upper respirataory infections (URIs) were common among the snoring than non-snoring children (P =0.01). Children suffering recurrent URIs have more somatic complaints than children without recurrent URIs (P <0.01). Conclusions: Snoring children with apparently normal and/or no obstructive apnea, hypopnea, or marked SpO2 desaturations appear to suffer impairment in neurocognitive and behavioral functions compared to non-snoring children. These snoring children did not reveal any major abnormalities of polysomnographic parameters, such as sleep-related breathing disorder, including partial upper airway obstruction. Polysomnographic parameters also correlated poorly with neurocognitive test results in these snoring children. The correlations between polysomnography and upper respiratory infections, with cephalometric and rhinometric measures, were also poor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We studied the relationship between sleep quality and quantity and subsequently recorded automatically evoked event-related potential (ERP) responses. In previous studies decrement of attentional processing has been associated with changes in sleep. Sleep is shown to associate also with ERPs elicited by unattended sound stream, however, there is no consensus on these effects. A recent study suggested that the early anterior P3a to novel stimuli in attended stream is attenuated and the late parietal P3a is strengthened by total sleep deprivation. We carried out 72-h consecutive actigraphy measurements in a naturalistic setting to collect information about variation in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, and percentage of sleep. MMN and P3a deflections to infrequent changes in sound duration and pitch in unattended sound stream were obtained in a separate recording session from the same subjects when they were awake. No significant correlations were found between sleep and MMN parameters, indicating that MMN is resistant to normal variation in sleep. However, P3a to both pitch and duration changes correlated positively with sleep onset latency, and P3a to duration changes correlated negatively with sleep efficiency and percentage of sleep. The correlation was higher in the posterior scalp areas. Our results suggest that the involuntary attention switching system, reflected by the P3a is sensitized as a function of decreased sleep quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To study prevalence and factors associated with mental health service use among 18-year-old adolescent boys. Method: Predictors at age 8 and factors at age 18 associated with mental health service use during the preceding 12 months were studied in a general population sample of 2,316 Finnish boys born in 1981 attending military call-up (79% of the original sample). Results: Within the preceding 12 months, 2.1% of the boys had used mental health services. At age 18, internalizing, anxious-depressive, and withdrawal symptoms; health problems; not living with parents; use of illicit drugs; high level of alcohol use; and regular smoking were independently associated with service use. At age 8, a high level of emotional and behavioral symptoms, need for referral, and low school performance according to teacher evaluations predicted service use 10 years later. Conclusions: Only a minority of adolescents with severe problems had used mental health services. Because of the wide range of problems and comorbidity among service users, there is a need for integration of different services. Education services have a central role in the early detection of those who will later use mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the associations between sleep quality/quantity and performance in auditory/visual working memory tasks of different load levels.Method: Sixty schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 years from normal school classes voluntarily participated. Actigraphy measurement was done during a typical school week for 72 consecutive hours. It was timed together with the working memory experiments to obtain information on children's sleep during that period. The n-back task paradigm was used to examine auditory and visual working memory functions.Results: Lower sleep efficiency and longer sleep latency were associated with a higher percentage of incorrect responses in working memory tasks at all memory load levels (partial correlations, controlling for age, all p values < .05, except in visual 0-back and auditive 2-back tasks); shorter sleep duration was associated with performing tasks at the highest load level only (partial correlations, controlling for age,p < .05). Also in general linear models (controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status), sleep efficiency (F = 11.706, p = .050) and latency (F = 3.588, p = .034) were significantly associated with the mean incorrect response rate in auditory working memory tasks.Conclusions: Sleep quality and quantity affect performance of working memory tasks in school-age children. In children with learning difficulties the possibility of underlying sleep problems should be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]