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This study aimed to systematically review the evidence for an association between adversity experienced in childhood (≤ 17 years old), and the diagnosis of psychiatric disorder in adulthood. Electronic databases (Scopus, Medline (for Ovid), EMBASE, and PsychINFO) were searched for peer-reviewed, longitudinal cohort studies examining child or adolescent exposure to adversity, and adult-diagnosed depression, anxiety, psychotic disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse disorder, illness anxiety disorder, somatoform disorder, or personality disorder. A total of 39 manuscripts were retained. Results revealed a significant association between the following childhood exposures and adult mental disorder (1.24 ≤ Odds ratios ≤ 2.09): bullying (victimhood, and frequency); emotional abuse; neglect; physical abuse; parental loss; and general maltreatment (unspecified and/or multiple adversity exposure). There were opposing results for being a victim and perpetrator of bullying, and the result for sexual abuse was not statistically significant. There was some evidence of a dose-response relationship with those exposed to multiple forms of maltreatment having more two and a half times odds of developing a mental disorder (Odds ratio = 2.59). The result for sexual abuse is likely an artefact of the prospective assessment of this adversity. In summary, there was strong evidence of an association between childhood adversity and later mental illness, and this supports previously reported meta-analyses. The evidence suggests that childhood and adolescence is an important time for risk for later mental illness, and an important period in which to focus intervention strategies for those known to have been exposed to adversity, particularly multiple adversities.

Objective The “At Risk Mental State” (ARMS) approach to psychosis, also called “Clinical/Ultra High Risk,” has had a major impact on psychosis services internationally. Despite well-established developmental differences in the prevalence and expression of psychotic symptoms from childhood into adulthood, there has been no systematic review of psychosis transitions specifically in children and adolescents up to age of 18 years. Evidence for this age group is crucial for developmentally appropriate clinical decisions by child and adolescent psychiatrists. Method Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosis risk among children diagnosed with ARMS up to age 18 years, with pooled transition rates after 1-year, 2-year and ≥5-year follow-up. Results We retrieved 1,107 records and identified 16 articles from 9 studies reporting transition rates on 436 individuals with ARMS aged 9 to 18 years. The pooled transition rate to psychosis at 1 year was 9.5% (95% CI = 5.5%−14.2%, 7 studies included), at 2-years 12.1% (95% CI = 6.7%−18.6%, 4 studies included), and at ≥5 years 16.1% (95% CI = 5.6%−30.0%, 4 studies included). We did not find evidence that the diagnosis of ARMS was associated with increased risk of psychosis once risk-enriching recruitment strategies were taken into account. Conclusion At 5-year follow-up, 1 in 6 youths diagnosed with an ARMS had transitioned to psychosis, but we did not find evidence that this risk was related to ARMS diagnosis as opposed to sampling/recruitment strategies. Our findings indicate a need for caution in applying ARMS methodology to children and adolescents. and highlight the need for developmentally sensitive approaches when considering psychosis risk.

This study assessed the feasibility of a multi-domain measure of the occurrence, impact, and timing of childhood/adolescent psychological adversity exposure, the Subjective Impact and Timing of Adversity Scale (SITA). Participants were from among those who had previously participated in two waves of data collection when aged approximately 14 and 21 years. Internal consistency estimates at both online and interview stages were acceptable for all SITA domains (with the exception of parental loss). SITA domain scores correlated meaningfully with scores on other scales and psychological measures, supporting convergent validity. Those with lifetime psychiatric diagnoses scored significantly higher on SITA domains than those not meeting diagnostic threshold. There was evidence of the importance of both the subjective impact and timing of adversity with regard to psychiatric diagnoses. The study demonstrates the viability of the SITA; however, further studies are required to substantiate these findings in larger samples.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a severe psychiatric disorder with debilitating consequences. Screening for the disorder is problematic as symptoms overlap with other psychiatric disorders. The McLean Screening Instrument (MSI) assesses endorsement (yes/no) of 10 symptoms, with a cut-off of seven indicating potential caseness. Participants were (N = 68) from an established clinical cohort who completed a structured clinical interview, the MSI, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Adolescent and Adult Time Attitudes Scale. A proportion (N = 20) also completed a follow-up interview examining their rationale for endorsing MSI items. Total number of MSI items endorsed was meaningfully related to scores on emotional neglect and negative time attitudes. There was substantive overlap between MSI threshold (≥7 items) and lifetime diagnosis of a mental disorder. The stated rationale for endorsing MSI items, was less indicative of personality trait, and was related more to particular developmental periods, one-off episodes, and life-contexts. Additionally, participants conflated constructs such as emptiness with loneliness, and moodiness with general emotionality. Those meeting MSI threshold recalled more childhood emotional neglect, and were more negative about all time periods. It is apparent that scoring of the MSI is driven by prevailing life circumstances as much as enduring personality traits.

BACKGROUND Mental ill-health is one of the most significant health and social issues affecting young people globally. To address the mental health crisis, a number of cross-sectoral research and action priorities have been identified. These include improving mental health literacy, translating research findings into accessible public health outputs, and the use of digital technologies. There are, however, few examples of public health–oriented knowledge transfer activities involving collaborations between researchers, the Arts, and online platforms in the field of youth mental health. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this project was to translate qualitative research findings into a series of online public mental health animations targeting young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years. A further aim was to track online social media engagement and viewing data for the animations for a period of 12 months. METHODS Qualitative data were collected from a sample of 17 youth in Ireland, aged 18-21 years, as part of the longitudinal population-based Adolescent Brain Development study. Interviews explored the life histories and the emotional and mental health of participants. The narrative analysis revealed 5 thematic findings relating to young people’s emotional and mental health. Through a collaboration between research, the Arts, and the online sector, the empirical thematic findings were translated into 5 public health animations. The animations were hosted and promoted on 3 social media platforms of the Irish youth health website called SpunOut. Viewing data, collected over a 12-month period, were analyzed to determine the reach of the animations. RESULTS Narrative thematic analysis identified anxiety, depression, feeling different, loneliness, and being bullied as common experiences for young people. These thematic findings formed the basis of the animations. During the 12 months following the launch of the animations, they were viewed 15,848 times. A majority of views occurred during the period of the social media ad campaign at a cost of €0.035 (approximately US $0.042) per view. Animations on feeling different and being bullied accounted for the majority of views. CONCLUSIONS This project demonstrates that online animations provide an accessible means of translating empirical research findings into meaningful public health outputs. They offer a cost-effective way to provide targeted online information about mental health, coping, and help-seeking to young people. Cross-sectoral collaboration is required to leverage the knowledge and expertise required to maximize the quality and potential reach of any knowledge transfer activities. A high level of engagement is possible by targeting non–help-seeking young people on their native social media platforms. Paid promotion is, therefore, an important consideration when budgeting for online knowledge translation and dissemination activities in health research.