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Introduction: We investigated the value of systematic client feedback in youth mental health and addiction care. In the present study, we examined whether a client feedback intervention would result in improved therapeutic alliance and treatment outcomes. Methods: Two hundred and four adolescents participated in the study using a – non-randomized – between-group A/B design. In the first study group, 127 patients were offered 4 months of treatment as usual (TAU), and in the second study group, 77 patients received the client feedback intervention as an add-on to TAU during 4 months. Results: Youths who received systematic client feedback in addition to TAU did not show better treatment outcomes or better alliance ratings after 4 months than youths receiving TAU only. Sensitivity analyses, in which we compared the more adherent patients of the second study group with patients receiving TAU, did not show significant beneficial effects of client feedback either. Also, the client feedback intervention did not result in lower rates of early treatment drop-out. Discussion/Conclusion: Our results cautiously suggest that client feedback does not have incremental effects on alliance and the treatment outcome for youth in mental health and addiction treatment. Moreover, our study highlights the challenges of implementing client feedback in clinical practice and the need for additional research addressing these challenges.

Autistic people often experience health problems and a range of healthcare barriers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate barriers and identify recommendations to improve primary healthcare for autistic people.Semi-structured interviews with 11 adults ((parents of) autistic people and healthcare providers (HCPs)) were performed to evaluate barriers in Dutch healthcare. Next, in the Delphi-study, a panel of 21 autistic adults and 20 primary HCPs rated barriers in primary healthcare and assessed recommendations based on usefulness and feasibility.In the thematically analysed interviews, 20 barriers in Dutch healthcare for autistic people were identified. In the Delphi-study, primary HCPs rated the negative impact of most barriers relatively lower than the autistic participants. The Delphi-study resulted in 22 recommendations to improve primary healthcare for autistic people: focused on primary HCPs (i.e., education with input from autistic people), on autistic people (i.e., improvement of preparation for GP-appointments), and on organization of general practice (i.e., improvement of continuity in care).Primary HCPs seem to assess healthcare barriers as less impactful than autistic adults. With use of the Delphi-method, useful and feasible recommendations to improve primary healthcare for autistic people were identified, based on the needs of autistic adults and primary HCPs.

Background: Organizing integrated care is a dynamic and context dependent process that requires continuous evaluation and reflection [1]. According to leading theories [2], organizing integrated care takes place on three complementary levels: (I) the organizational level, the integration of sectors, policies and organizations, (II) the professional level, partnerships between practitioners and interprofessional collaboration, and (III) the clinical level, including person-centered support and the interaction between practitioners and clients. Dialogue between the three levels is crucial to develop integrated care initiatives that fit families’, practitioners’, and organizational needs. Moreover, to prevent initiatives to reinvent the wheel, learning between initiatives is needed.Objectives: The aim of this action research project was to set up a learning community with five local integrated care initiatives in the Netherlands. All initiatives had the aim to improve integrated care for families with complex needs and included the organization of multidisciplinary teams of specialists in youth and family care. The initiatives were studied by means of observations and semi-structured interviews with families, practitioners, organizations and local policy makers. For the duration of a year, a learning community was set up by the researchers, including four learning sessions. The aim of the learning community was threefold: (I) to continuously reflect on preliminary research findings, (II) to stimulate dialogue, evaluation and reflection between the different levels within the initiatives, and (III) to facilitate learning between the five initiatives. Results: Each initiative was represented by at least a practitioner, a policy maker, and a manager. The learning sessions improved familiarity between representatives of the different levels within a local integrated care initiative. For example, policy makers and practitioners exchanged their perspectives on the need of monitoring outcomes of integrated care initiatives. By doing so, shared understanding of the importance of monitoring was improved. Moreover, learning between initiatives occurred, for example regarding various funding systems for integrated care teams. An important element of each learning session was the participation of a family representative, who reflected on the findings and enriched discussions by incorporating families’ perspectives. It deemed crucial to prepare the learning session with the chair, by providing background information about the participants and the initiatives, and by formulating some reflective questions for the participants in advance. Another facilitator was the profound analysis of each initiative, which was shared with the participants in a factsheet prior to each learning session. Moreover, during the learning session, there should be sufficient room for the initiatives to bring in their own dilemmas and good practices.Conclusion/implications: Organizing a learning community to improve dialogue and learning within, and between integrated care initiatives requires commitment from all parties involved, continuity of participants, and sufficient preparation for both the session leaders and the participants of the learning session. Moreover, a family representative should always be involved in the learning session to incorporate cliental perspectives. To ensure structural implementation, a facilitator should be appointed with the formal task to organize learning sessions within and between initiatives.References:[1] Nooteboom et al (under review)[2] Valentijn et al (2013)

A number of studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report thinner cerebral cortical gyri using gyrus-based analysis or thinner foci within the gyri using vertex-based analysis. However, the locations of these findings are inconsistent across studies, and the spatial transformations required during vertex-based analysis may affect the focal findings. A mega-analysis using a large number of subjects from multiple PTSD studies could potentially identify more reproducible cortical thickness abnormalities. Investigating both the vertex and gyral thicknesses simultaneously may verify the vertex-based focal findings using gyral data without imposing any spatial transformation. Here we aggregated data from 24 international laboratories using ENIGMA standardized procedures for 949 adult PTSD patients and 1493 controls without PTSD (age 18 to 65 years). We examined whether gyral and vertex cortical thickness are (a) different between subjects with PTSD and controls and (b) associated with PTSD symptom severity in trauma-exposed subjects. Regions with overlapping thinner cortical gyri and thinner vertex clusters were located in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Thinner right lateral orbitofrontal and right lingual gyri and concomitantly thinner vertex clusters in the anterior portions of both gyri were associated with PTSD symptom severity. Convergent findings in these locations suggest focally thinner cortex in these gyri, which may be involved in altered processing and regulation of emotion and sensory inputs underlying posttraumatic stress symptoms.

In residential settings for juveniles with Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) employees have to face tough work conditions, because of frequent aggressive incidents Eventually, this might result in a negative work climate, high staff-turnover and absenteeism. In turn, it hampers a positive therapeutic environment for youngsters. A method that may endorse a better work climate is Non-violent Resistance (NVR). As earlier research suggests that the residential NVR, adjusted for juveniles with MID, is successful in diminishing aggressive incidents and improving group climate, we hypothesize that NVR-MID will be also effective in enhancing work climate. We investigated the perception of work climate by staff of three residential settings before, during and after implementation of NVR-MID. Work climate was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Outcomes were subsequently integrated. Quantitative data was collected using the Living Group Working Climate Inventory (LGWCI). Multilevel analyses were carried out to analyse the development of work climate over time. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with NVR-MID trained staff and analysed through qualitative coding. Quantitative results showed that Job Satisfaction decreased after NVR-MID implementation. However, within qualitative reports, staff members experienced a positive influence on work climate of NVR-MID.

Huisartsen blijken angststoornissen bij jongeren niet altijd te herkennen en ze behandelen deze ook niet vaak. Wij hebben huisartsen die een nascholing bezochten vignetten voorgelegd van jongeren die angstgerelateerde klachten hadden. Daarmee wilden we onderzoeken of de onderherkenning van angststoornissen al vroeg in het diagnostisch proces plaatsvindt. Huisartsen zagen angst bij jongeren relatief vaak over het hoofd wanneer ze de omschreven symptomen ook met andere stoornissen of een normale ontwikkeling konden verklaren.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had an acute impact on child mental and social health, but long-term effects are still unclear. We examined how child mental health has developed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic up to two years into the pandemic (April 2022).MethodsWe included children (age 8-18) from two general population samples (N = 222-1,333 per measurement and N = 2,401-13,362 for pre-covid data) and one clinical sample receiving psychiatric care (N = 334-748). Behavioral questionnaire data were assessed five times from April 2020 till April 2022 and pre-pandemic data were available for both general population samples. We collected parent-reported data on internalizing and externalizing problems with the Brief Problem Monitor and self-reported data on Anxiety, Depressive symptoms, Sleep-related impairments, Anger, Global health, and Peer relations with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®).ResultsIn all samples, parents reported overall increased internalizing problems, but no increases in externalizing problems, in their children. Children from the general population self-reported increased mental health problems from before to during the pandemic on all six PROMIS domains, with generally worst scores in April 2021, and scores improving towards April 2022 but not to pre-pandemic norms. Children from the clinical sample reported increased mental health problems throughout the pandemic, with generally worst scores in April 2021 or April 2022 and no improvement. We found evidence of minor age effects and no sex effects.ConclusionsChild mental health in the general population has deteriorated during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, has improved since April 2021, but has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Children in psychiatric care show worsening of mental health problems during the pandemic, which has not improved since. Changes in child mental health should be monitored comprehensively to inform health care and policy.

Preterm infants are at risk of developing social-emotional and behavioural difficulties. To understand the experiences of their caregivers in day-to-day life, parents (at 2 and 10 years) and teachers (at 10 years) completed a behavioural questionnaire and answered two open-ended questions addressing their concerns and the most positive aspects regarding their child and/or pupil (born

The aim of the study was to assess internalizing problems before and during the pandemic with data from Dutch consortium Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, consisting of two Dutch general population samples (GS) and two clinical samples (CS) referred to youth/psychiatric care. Measures of internalizing problems were obtained from ongoing data collections pre-pandemic (NGS = 35,357; NCS = 4487) and twice during the pandemic, in Apr–May 2020 (NGS = 3938; clinical: NCS = 1008) and in Nov–Dec 2020 (NGS = 1489; NCS = 1536), in children and adolescents (8–18 years) with parent (Brief Problem Monitor) and/or child reports (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®). Results show that, in the general population, internalizing problems were higher during the first peak of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic based on both child and parent reports. Yet, over the course of the pandemic, on both child and parent reports, similar or lower levels of internalizing problems were observed. Children in the clinical population reported more internalizing symptoms over the course of the pandemic while parents did not report differences in internalizing symptoms from pre-pandemic to the first peak of the pandemic nor over the course of the pandemic. Overall, the findings indicate that children and adolescents of both the general and clinical population were affected negatively by the pandemic in terms of their internalizing problems. Attention is therefore warranted to investigate long-term effects and to monitor if internalizing problems return to pre-pandemic levels or if they remain elevated post-pandemic.

BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with an increased risk of brain atrophy, aging-related diseases, and mortality. We examined potential advanced brain aging in MDD patients, and whether this process is associated with clinical characteristics in a large multi-center international dataset.MethodsWe performed a mega-analysis by pooling brain measures derived from T1-weighted MRI scans from 29 samples worldwide. Normative brain aging was estimated by predicting chronological age (10-75 years) from 7 subcortical volumes, 34 cortical thickness and 34 surface area, lateral ventricles and total intracranial volume measures separately in 1,147 male and 1,386 female controls from the ENIGMA MDD working group. The learned model parameters were applied to 1,089 male controls and 1,167 depressed males, and 1,326 female controls and 2,044 depressed females to obtain independent unbiased brain-based age predictions. The difference between predicted “brain age” and chronological age was calculated to indicate brain predicted age difference (brain-PAD).FindingsOn average, MDD patients showed a higher brain-PAD of +0.90 (SE 0.21) years (Cohen’s d=0.12, 95% CI 0.06-0.17) compared to controls. Relative to controls, first-episode and currently depressed patients showed higher brain-PAD (+1.2 [0.3] years), and the largest effect was observed in those with late-onset depression (+1.7 [0.7] years). In addition, higher brain-PAD was associated with higher self-reported depressive symptomatology (b=0.05, p=0.004).InterpretationThis highly powered collaborative effort showed subtle patterns of abnormal structural brain aging in MDD. Substantial within-group variance and overlap between groups were observed. Longitudinal studies of MDD and somatic health outcomes are needed to further assess the predictive value of these brain-PAD estimates.FundingThis work was supported, in part, by NIH grants U54 EB020403 and R01 MH116147.

Studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report volume abnormalities in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex. However, findings for many regions, particularly regions outside commonly studied emotion-related prefrontal, insular, and limbic regions, are inconsistent and tentative. Also, few studies address the possibility that PTSD abnormalities may be confounded by comorbid depression. A mega-analysis investigating all cortical regions in a large sample of PTSD and control subjects can potentially provide new insight into these issues. Given this perspective, our group aggregated regional volumes data of 68 cortical regions across both hemispheres from 1379 PTSD patients to 2192 controls without PTSD after data were processed by 32 international laboratories using ENIGMA standardized procedures. We examined whether regional cortical volumes were different in PTSD vs. controls, were associated with posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity, or were affected by comorbid depression. Volumes of left and right lateral orbitofrontal gyri (LOFG), left superior temporal gyrus, and right insular, lingual and superior parietal gyri were significantly smaller, on average, in PTSD patients than controls (standardized coefficients = −0.111 to −0.068, FDR corrected P values < 0.039) and were significantly negatively correlated with PTSS severity. After adjusting for depression symptoms, the PTSD findings in left and right LOFG remained significant. These findings indicate that cortical volumes in PTSD patients are smaller in prefrontal regulatory regions, as well as in broader emotion and sensory processing cortical regions.

Background Juvenile delinquents constitute a heterogeneous group, which complicates decision-making based on risk assessment. Various psychosocial factors have been used to define clinically relevant subgroups of juvenile offenders, while neurobiological variables have not yet been integrated in this context. Moreover, translation of neurobiological group differences to individual risk assessment has proven difficult. We aimed to identify clinically relevant subgroups associated with differential youth offending outcomes, based on psychosocial and neurobiological characteristics, and to test whether the resulting model can be used for risk assessment of individual cases. Methods A group of 223 detained juveniles from juvenile justice institutions was studied. Latent class regression analysis was used to detect subgroups associated with differential offending outcome (recidivism at 12 month follow-up). As a proof of principle, it was tested in a separate group of 76 participants whether individual cases could be assigned to the identified subgroups, using a prototype ‘tool’ for calculating class membership. Results Three subgroups were identified: a ‘high risk—externalizing’ subgroup, a ‘medium risk—adverse environment’ subgroup, and a ‘low risk—psychopathic traits’ subgroup. Within these subgroups, both autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrinological measures added differentially to the prediction of subtypes of reoffending (no, non-violent, violent). The ‘tool’ for calculating class membership correctly assigned 92.1% of participants to a class and reoffending risk. Conclusions The LCRA approach appears to be a useful approach to integrate neurobiological and psychosocial risk factors to identify subgroups with different re-offending risk within juvenile justice institutions. This approach may be useful in the development of a biopsychosocial assessment tool and may eventually help clinicians to assign individuals to those subgroups and subsequently tailor intervention based on their re-offending risk.

Background Earlier, we reported that multidimensional family therapy (MDFT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) decreased criminal offending in adolescents as measured with self-report in a randomised controlled trial with 1-year follow-up. The present study tested if this effect could be confirmed using police arrest data. Methods Study participants were 109 adolescents who were recruited for the Dutch part of a transnational treatment trial. National police arrest records were analysed for 3 years before the adolescents entered treatment with MDFT or CBT and for 7 years after treatment entry. Results Police arrest rates rose in the 3 years preceding treatment and then dropped in both treatment groups to almost zero level during the follow-up period. Conclusions The results suggest that MDFT and CBT both strongly and durably decreased police arrest rates. However, this conclusion remains uncertain as crime rates concurrently decreased in the general population. Trial registration ISRCTN51014277

Aims Although of great value to understand the treatment results for mental health problems obtained in clinical practice, studies using naturalistic data from children and adolescents seeking clinical care because of complex mental health problems are limited. Cross-national comparison of naturalistic outcomes in this population is seldomly done. Although careful consideration is needed, such comparisons are likely to contribute to an open dialogue about cross-national differences and may stimulate service improvement. The aim of this observational study is to investigate clinical characteristics and outcomes in naturalistic cohorts of specialized child and adolescent mental health outpatient care in two different countries. Methods Routinely collected data from 2013 to 2018 of 2715 outpatients in the Greater Area of Brisbane, Australia (CYMHS) and 1158 outpatients in Leiden, the Netherlands (LUMC-Curium) were analysed. Demographics, clinical characteristics and severity of problems at start and end of treatment were described, using Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) and the parental Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P). Results Routine outcome measures (CGAS, HoNOSCA, SDQ-P) showed moderate to severe mental health problems at start of treatment, which improved significantly over time in both cohorts. Effect sizes ranged between 0.73-0.90 (CYMHS) and 0.57-0.76 (LUMC-Curium). While internalizing problems (mood disorder, anxiety disorder and stress-related disorder) were more prevalent at CYMHS, externalizing developmental problems (ADHD, autism) prevailed at LUMC-Curium. Comorbidity (>1 diagnosis on ICD10/DSM-IV) was relatively similar: 45% at CYMHS and 39 % at LUMC-Curium. In both countries, improvement of functioning was lowest for conduct disorder and highest for somatoform/conversion disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Overall, 20-40% showed clinically significant improvement (shift from clinical-range at start to a non-clinical-range at the end of treatment), but nearly half of patients still experienced significant symptoms at discharge. Conclusions This large-scale outcome study showed both cohorts from Australia and the Netherlands improve during the course of treatment on clinician- and parent-reported measures. Although samples were situated within different contexts and differed in patient profiles, they showed similar trends in improvement per diagnostic group. While 20-40% showed clinically significant change, many patients experienced residual symptoms reflecting increased risk for negative outcome into adulthood. We emphasize cross-national comparison of naturalistic outcomes faces challenges, although it can similarly reveal trends in treatment outcome providing direction for future research: what factors determine discharge from specialized services; and how to improve current treatments in this severely affected population.

Cross-sectional Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies have reported alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure in adolescents with internalizing psychopathology. Yet, longitudinal studies investigating the course of WM microstructure are lacking. This study explored WM alterations and its relation to clinical symptoms over time in adolescents with internalizing disorders. DTI scans were acquired at baseline and after three months in 22 adolescents with clinical depression and comorbid anxiety (INT), and 21 healthy peers (HC) (age: 12-18). Tract-based spatial statistics was used for three voxelwise analyses: i) changes in WM microstructure between and within the INT and HC group; ii) associations between changes in symptom severity and changes in WM microstructure within youths with INT; and iii) associations between baseline WM parameters with changes in symptom severity within youths with INT. Data did not reveal changes in WM microstructure between or within groups over three months' time nor associations between changes in WM microstructure and changes in self-reported symptoms (analyses corrected for age, gender and puberty stage). Lower baseline levels of fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR) and right cingulum were associated with a higher decrease of depressive symptoms within the INT group. Post hoc analysis of additional WM parameters in the significant FA clusters showed that higher levels of baseline mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity in the PCR were associated with a lower decrease in depressive symptoms. Baseline WM microstructure characteristics were associated with a higher decrease in depressive symptoms over time. These findings increase our understanding of neurobiological mechanisms underlying the course of internalizing disorders in adolescents.

The aim of the study was to assess internalizing problems before and during the pandemic with data from Dutch consortium Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, consisting of two Dutch general population samples (GS) and two clinical samples (CS) referred to youth/psychiatric care. In each sample, measures of internalizing problems were obtained from ongoing data collections pre-pandemic (NGS= 35,357; NCS= 4,487) and twice during the pandemic, in Apr.–May 2020 (NGS= 3,938; clinical: NCS= 1,008) and in Nov.–Dec. 2020 (NGS= 1,489; NCS= 1,536), in children and adolescents (8-18 years) with parent- (Brief Problem Monitor) and/or child reports (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®). Results show significantly greater proportions of worrisome internalizing problems (based on validated cut-offs) and significantly higher internalizing problems mean levels from pre-pandemic to pandemic measurements in the general population. These levels stabilized or decreased over the course of the pandemic. In the clinical sample, we found an increase in child-reported internalizing problems measures over the course of the pandemic, but parents reported no differences in internalizing problems measures over the course of the pandemic, nor from pre-pandemic to during the pandemic. Overall, the findings indicate that children and adolescents of both the general and clinical population were affected negatively by the pandemic in terms of their internalizing problems. Attention is therefore warranted to investigate what long-term effects this may cause and to monitor if internalizing problems return back to pre-pandemic levels or if they remain elevated post-pandemic.

ObjectiveIdentifying brain differences associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in young people is critical to understanding their development and generating effective approaches to early intervention and prevention. The ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours (ENIGMA-STB) consortium analyzed neuroimaging data harmonized across sites to examine brain morphology associated with STBs in youth.MethodsFirst, we examined associations among regional brain structure and STBs, which were assessed in six samples of youth with mood disorders, using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS;N=577). Second, we combined this sample with a larger sample (total 21 sites) in which STBs were assessed using various instruments. MRI metrics were compared among healthy controls without STBs (HC;N=688), clinical controls without STBs (CC;N=648), and young people with psychiatric diagnoses and current suicidal ideation (N=406). In separate analyses, MRI metrics were compared among HCs (N=335), CCs (N=768), and suicide attempters (N=254).ResultsIn the homogeneous C-SSRS sample, surface area of the frontal pole was lower in young people with mood disorders and history of actual suicide attempts (N=163) than those without (N=394; FDR-pd=.334). When expanding to more clinically heterogeneous samples, we also found lower surface area of the frontal pole in those with a history of suicide attempts (Cohen’sd=.22).ConclusionsLower frontal pole surface area may represent a vulnerability for a suicide attempt; however, more research is needed to understand the nature of its relationship to suicide risk.

Results of neuroimaging datasets aggregated from multiple sites may be biased by site- specific profiles in participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as MRI acquisition protocols and scanning platforms. We compared the impact of four different harmonization methods on results obtained from analyses of cortical thickness data: (1) linear mixed-effects model (LME) that models site-specific random intercepts (LMEINT), (2) LME that models both site-specific random intercepts and age-related random slopes (LMEINT+SLP), (3) ComBat, and (4) ComBat with a generalized additive model (ComBat-GAM). Our test case for comparing harmonization methods was cortical thickness data aggregated from 29 sites, which included 1,343 cases with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (6.2-81.8 years old) and 2,067 trauma-exposed controls without PTSD (6.3-85.2 years old). We found that, compared to the other data harmonization methods, data processed with ComBat-GAM were more sensitive to the detection of significant case-control differences in regional cortical thickness (X2(3) = 34.339, p < 0.001), and case-control differences in age-related cortical thinning (X2(3) = 15.128, p = 0.002). Specifically, ComBat-GAM led to larger effect size estimates of cortical thickness reductions (corrected p-values < 0.001), smaller age-appropriate declines (corrected p-values < 0.001), and lower female to male contrast (corrected p-values < 0.001) in cases compared to controls relative to other harmonization methods. Harmonization with ComBat-GAM also led to greater estimates of age-related declines in cortical thickness (corrected p-values < 0.001) in both cases and controls compared to other harmonization methods. Our results support the use of ComBat-GAM for harmonizing cortical thickness data aggregated from multiple sites and scanners to minimize confounds and increase statistical power.

This study introduces and illustrates the potential of an integrated multi-omics approach in investigating the underlying biology of complex traits such as childhood aggressive behavior. In 645 twins (cases=42%), we trained single- and integrative multi-omics models to identify biomarkers for subclinical aggression and investigated the connections among these biomarkers. Our data comprised transmitted and two non-transmitted polygenic scores (PGSs) for 15 traits, 78772 CpGs, and 90 metabolites. The single-omics models selected 31 PGSs, 1614 CpGs, and 90 metabolites, and the multi-omics model comprised 44 PGSs, 746 CpGs, and 90 metabolites. The predictive accuracy for these models in the test (N=277, cases=42%) and independent clinical data (N=142, cases=45%) ranged from 43% to 57%. We observed strong connections between DNA methylation, amino acids, and parental non-transmitted PGSs for ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, intelligence, smoking initiation, and self-reported health. Aggression-related omics traits link to known and novel risk factors, including inflammation, carcinogens, and smoking.

BackgroundAntisociality across adolescence and young adulthood puts individuals at high risk of developing a variety of problems. Prior research has linked antisociality to autonomic nervous system and endocrinological functioning. However, there is large heterogeneity in antisocial behaviors, and these neurobiological measures are rarely studied conjointly, limited to small specific studies with narrow age ranges, and yield mixed findings due to the type of behavior examined.MethodsWe harmonized data from 1489 participants (9–27 years, 67% male), from six heterogeneous samples. In the resulting dataset, we tested relations between distinct dimensions of antisociality and heart rate, pre-ejection period (PEP), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respiration rate, skin conductance levels, testosterone, basal cortisol, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and test the role of age throughout adolescence and young adulthood.ResultsThree dimensions of antisociality were uncovered: ‘callous-unemotional (CU)/manipulative traits’, ‘intentional aggression/conduct’, and ‘reactivity/impulsivity/irritability’. Shorter PEPs and higher testosterone were related to CU/manipulative traits, and a higher CAR is related to both CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression/conduct. These effects were stable across age.ConclusionsAcross a heterogeneous sample and consistent across development, the CAR may be a valuable measure to link to CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression, while sympathetic arousal and testosterone are additionally valuable to understand CU/manipulative traits. Together, these findings deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying different components of antisociality. Finally, we illustrate the potential of using current statistical techniques for combining multiple datasets to draw robust conclusions about biobehavioral associations.

Although referral letters (RLs) form a nodal point in a patient’s care journey, little is known about their informative value in child and adolescent mental healthcare. To determine the informative value of RLs to child and adolescent psychiatry, we conducted a chart review in medical records of minors registered at specialized mental healthcare between January 2015 and December 2017 (The Netherlands). Symptoms indicated in RLs originating from general practice (N = 723) were coded and cross-tabulated with the best estimate clinical classifications made in psychiatry. Results revealed that over half of the minors in the sample were classified in concordance with at least one reason for referral. We found fair to excellent discriminative ability for indications made in RLs concerning the most common psychiatric classifications (95% CI AUC: 60.9–70.6 for anxiety disorders to 90.5–100.0 for eating disorders). Logistic regression analyses suggested no statistically significant effects of gender, age, severity or mental healthcare history, with the exception of age and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), as RLs better predicted ADHD with increasing age (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.27). Contextual problems, such as difficulties studying, problems with parents or being bullied were indicated frequently and associated with classifications in various disorder groups. To conclude, general practitioners’ RLs showed informative value, contrary to common beliefs. Replication studies are needed to reliably incorporate RLs into the diagnostic work-up.

A growing number of studies have examined alterations in white matter organization in people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using diffusion MRI (dMRI), but the results have been mixed, which may be partially due to relatively small sample sizes among studies. Altered structural connectivity may be both a neurobiological vulnerability for, and a result of, PTSD. In an effort to find reliable effects, we present a multi-cohort analysis of dMRI metrics across 3,047 individuals from 28 cohorts currently participating in the PGC-ENIGMA PTSD working group (a joint partnership between the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis consortium). Comparing regional white matter metrics across the full brain in 1,426 individuals with PTSD and 1,621 controls (2174 males/873 females) between ages 18–83, 92% of whom were trauma-exposed, we report associations between PTSD and disrupted white matter organization measured by lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the tapetum region of the corpus callosum (Cohen’s d=−0.11, p=0.0055). The tapetum connects the left and right hippocampus, structures for which structure and function have been consistently implicated in PTSD. Results remained significant/similar after accounting for the effects of multiple potentially confounding variables: childhood trauma exposure, comorbid depression, history of traumatic brain injury, current alcohol abuse or dependence, and current use of psychotropic medications. Our results show that PTSD may be associated with alterations in the broader hippocampal network.

Background An open group climate is essential in successful residential care for juveniles with mild intellectual disability (MID). This study examined whether non-violent resistance, adapted for MID (NVR-MID), stimulates an open group climate in time. Method NVR-MID was implemented in three residential settings in The Netherlands, in a quasi-experimental stepped wedge design. In total, 124 clients with MID (Mage = 16.39 [SD = 4.95], 49.9% male) participated. Group climate was assessed seven times with the Group Climate Inventory for Children or the Group Climate Inventory-Revisited (GCI-R), during a total of 20 months. Results Open group climate scores increased in all three institutions; effect size was medium. Clients with lower IQs experienced group climate as more positive compared to clients with higher IQs. Effects were similar for both groups. Conclusions As NVR-MID appeared to contribute to a positive experienced group climate, it might be advisable to implement NVR-MID on larger scale.

Objective To assess associations between neonatal brain injury assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes at 2 and 10 years of age, in a longitudinal cohort of children born very preterm.Study design There were 112 children born at

This study examined a biopsychosocial approach on risk assessment in a clinical sample of youth offenders. In search of enhancing the validity of prediction of recidivism through risk factors alone, the added value of protective and neurobiological factors was measured. In 209 male youth offenders (age 15-24), risk and protective factors were assessed with the Structured Assessment of Violence in Youth (SAVRY) and the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for violence risk-Youth Version (SAPROF-YV). Autonomic nervous system (re)activity was assessed, and cortisol and testosterone levels were measured in saliva. Recidivism data were obtained from official criminal records. As expected, risk factors alone provided moderate predictive validity for general and violent recidivism. Incorporating protective factors and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reactivity significantly improved prediction models. Risk assessment may gain by adopting a broader, biopsychosocial perspective. Including neurobiology and protective factors in risk assessment could improve release decision-making, offer guidance for better tailored interventions, and enhance chances of successful community reintegration.

Non-violent Resistance (NVR) is a method to manage child and adolescent aggressive behavior and to decrease parental helplessness. Although developed for a family setting, this paper describes the adaptation of NVR for child and adolescent residential settings, reports on the possible hampering and facilitating elements of implementing NVR in four different institutions and finally presents seclusion and restraint rates before and after implementation. Retrospective analysis of the different implementation processes suggested the following elements to facilitate implementation: awareness that NVR is not a quick fix, a considerable amount of time and financial investment, a team-wide perspective, support from all levels in an organization and influential team members committed to NVR to decrease the risk of falling back into more familiar patterns. Seclusion and restraint figures pre-post point in the direction that the implementation of an adapted version of NVR in residential settings could result in decreased seclusion and restraint. Furthermore, this decrease was most pronounced in sites with a successful implementation process. This observational study provides a starting point for an empirical basis for the use of NVR within child and adolescent residential settings. Further research on successful implementation processes for multi-level, milieu-based interventions, such as NVR, is required.

This study assessed if staff members of two juvenile justice institutions in the Netherlands were able to motivate parents to participate in a programme of Family-centred Care. For research purposes, parents were considered to participate if they (a) attended the family meeting, (b) visited their son during regular visiting hours, and (c) participated in measurements. Study participants were the parents of 139 short-term detained male adolescents. The family meeting was attended by 47% of the parents, most adolescents (74.1%) were visited at least once by their parents, and 42% of the parents participated in measurements. Several factors influenced the parental participation rate variables, although effect sizes were small. The more parenting problems parents faced, the less likely they were to attend the family meeting. Parents with a job visited their son more often than unemployed parents. Finally, a longer stay of the adolescent and Dutch ethnicity predicted more parental participation in measurements. Our study showed that parental participation is feasible. However, the participation rates in the two years after the first steps of implementation were eligible for improvement. More implementation experience where staff could fully benefit from training and coaching in family-centred work could substantially increase parental participation rates.