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Background: Although stress is considered to be a negative factor for psoriasis, no convincing scientific evidence of this association exists, largely because of difficulties in measuring stress. Stress resilience is the ability to cope with and adapt to stressful events. Stress resilience can be measured in a standardized way and used as a marker for chronic stress. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate whether low stress resilience in adolescence increases the risk for onset of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis later in life. Methods: A cohort of Swedish men (mean age 18.3 years), enrolled in compulsory military service between 1968 and 2005, was created using data from the Swedish Military Service Conscription Register (n = 1,669,422). Stress resilience at conscription was estimated using standardized semi‐structured interviews, and was divided into three categories: low, medium and high. The men were followed from conscription until new‐onset psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, death or emigration or at the latest until 31 December 2019. Cox regression models adjusted for confounders at conscription were used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Results: Men in the lowest stress resilience category had an increased risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (HR 1.31 (95% CI 1.26–1.36) and 1.23 (95% CI 1.15–1.32), respectively), compared with those in the highest stress resilience category. When including only hospitalized patients the HRs for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the lowest stress resilience group were 1.79 (1.63–1.98) and 1.53 (1.32–1.77), respectively. Conclusions: This large, prospective register study suggests that low stress resilience in adolescence is associated with an increased risk of incident psoriasis among men. The results indicate that patients with psoriasis have an inherent psychological vulnerability, and highlight the importance of addressing psychological well‐being in the management of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulrika Wester Oxelgren,1 Joakim Westerlund,2,3 Åsa Myrelid,1 Göran Annerén,4 Lotta Johansson,5 Marie Åberg,5 Jan Gustafsson,1 Elisabeth Fernell31Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; 2Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; 3Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; 4Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; 5Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Uppsala County, Kungsgärdet Center, Uppsala, SwedenPurpose: To evaluate whether an intervention, targeting deficits in social communication, interaction and restricted activities in children and adolescents with Down syndrome and autism could lead to enhanced participation in family and school activities.Methods: The intervention included education for parents and school staff about autism, and workshops to identify social-communication and daily living activities that would be meaningful for the child to practice at home and at school. Thereafter, a three-month period of training for the child followed. Outcome measures comprised evaluation of goal achievement for each child, the “Family Strain Index” questionnaire and a visual scale pertaining to the parents’ general opinion about the intervention.Results: On average, more than 90% of the goals were (to some extent or completely) achieved at home and at school. The mean scores of the “Family Strain Index” were almost identical at the follow-up to those before intervention. The evaluation supported that the use of strategies, intended to facilitate activities and communication, remained largely 18 months after start of the intervention.Conclusion: Despite the group involved in this study being composed of older children and adolescents, most of whom had severe and profound intellectual disability, the goal achievements and parents’ views on the intervention were encouraging.Keywords: Down syndrome, intellectual disability, autism, psychoeducational intervention

Aim: To study the associations between fish intake and academic achievement as cognitive parameter among Swedish adolescents. Methods: In 2000, a questionnaire including respiratory items, socioeconomic conditions and dietary information was mailed to all schoolchildren (n = 18 158), aged 15 and living in Västra Götaland region of Sweden. The questionnaire was returned by 10 837 subjects. One year later, the total school grades for each subject who had completed the questionnaire and who included their full personal identification number were obtained from the national registers. Multiple linear regression models were applied to evaluate the association between fish intake and academic grades among 9448 schoolchildren, while adjusting for potential confounders, e.g. parents’ education. Results: Grades were higher in subjects with fish consumption once a week compared with subjects with fish consumption of less than once a week (reference group) [increment in estimate 14.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.8–17.1]. Grades were even higher in subjects with fish consumption of more than once a week compared with the reference group (increment in estimate 19.9, 95% CI 16.5–23.3). In the model stratified for parents’ education, there were still higher grades among subjects with frequent fish intake in all educational strata (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Frequent fish intake among schoolchildren may provide benefits in terms of academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]