[History and current challenges of paediatric psychiatry in maternity units]

The legal framework of mother-baby care has evolved over the last thirty years driven by innovative programmes put in place by hospital health professionals. Liaison in perinatal care lies at the crossroads of different temporalities and treatment objectives, and requires constant dialogue between the liaison caregivers and those in maternity. The aim is to form a holding environment facilitating the establishment of an adapted response to the complexity of the clinical situations encountered.

[Ten years of child and adolescent psychiatry in Austria: a new medical speciality within the structures of public health services]

We discuss the comprehensive work for the development of child and adolescent psychiatry in Austria, summarize the current status of care in various settings and focus on further developments. Intramural care offers about 50% of the places needed and is heterogeneously distributed over the country, extramural care offers already around one quarter of care in need. We calculated a fully developed extramural care system from about 2033. Further development of the Austrian care system in child and adolescent psychiatry needs collaborative efforts of all responsible players.

[Child and adolescent psychiatry - a panorama]

The child- and adolescent psychiatry has emancipated itself 10 years ago from an additional specialist physician's area to a separate specialist medical domain with a specific curriculum. Associated with this is an irreconcilable interlacing with the psychotherapy of childhood and adolescence. Even if childhood and juvenile psychiatry is always settled within the framework of a biopsychosocial model, psychotherapy is of particular importance. In the following, the psychotherapeutic requirements and ethical issues of the human being are to be formulated according to a view on the new morbidity and the Zeitgeist in which we are working. A scientific legitimation leads to the demarcation of esoteric endeavors and the view into practice leads us from nosology to functionality in the consideration of mental disorders in children and adolescents.

Editorial: Looking beyond the horizon--innovation in child psychology and psychiatry

As readers will no doubt be well aware, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry dedicates an entire issue, once a year, to state-of-the-art authoritative reviews of research on some of the central issues in our field.(1) I like to think that in doing so we have been quietly undertaking a giant Pavlovian conditioning experiment: every year, as the spring flowers start to blossom (in the northern hemisphere at least), the nucleus accumbens of child psychologists and psychiatrists around the world begin to glow in anticipation of intellectual reward.

[Treatment of sleep disorders in children with a psychiatric diagnosis]

OBJECTIVES

Health sciences suffer from insomnia: experts too often concentrate their efforts on the wake state. Fortunately enough, some of them have taken the road towards the "Dark Third of Life": sleep. This article gives an historical account of the development of the first Canadian sleep disorders laboratory and clinic specifically and selectively designed for children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis. It then stresses the importance of sleep in children bearing a psychiatric diagnosis and summarizes therapeutic strategies.

METHODS

Data-on-file and selective review of literature.

RESULTS

An innovative scheme matching sleep psychologists and psychiatrists with expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders led to the creation of a sleep research laboratory on mental health disorders. The initial research projects on the sleep and dreams of patients with schizophrenia and persons with autism are summarized. The Sleep Disorders Clinic for Children and Adolescents was then created at the Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, leading to much needed activities focused on youth. Indeed, sleep disorders show a high prevalence in children with a psychiatric diagnosis and the literature shows that these children have an increased sensitivity for diurnal effects of poor sleep. The main sleep-relevant issues at stake are reviewed, including the high frequency of sleep disorders in pedopsychiatric patients. Clinical challenges are described and the operating mode of the Sleep Disorders Clinic is illustrated.

CONCLUSION

Sleep disorders and their effects on daytime functioning need to be assessed in children with a psychiatric diagnosis in order to generate a full clinical picture. Appropriate tools and know-how are readily available in order to achieve this goal.

Management in child and adolescent psychiatry: how does it look in the Balkans?

This paper examines the situation of child and adolescent psychiatry in the following Balkan countries: Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYROM, and Montenegro. With the exception of Greece, these countries are new democracies, with their mental health services in a transitional stage of organization. Overall, they have initiated programmes to move psychiatric care towards deinstitutionalization, developing outpatient infrastructures to handle psychiatric disorders. Child psychiatry as a specialization is still less developed than adult psychiatry at a significant, albeit different degree among these countries. The number of mental health services offered to children and adolescents is deemed insufficient, and the type of services limited and lacking. This situation is also reflected in the small number of child psychiatrists and other mental health specialists for children and adolescents, as well as in the complete lack (Montenegro) or deficiency of special programmes and actions for children and adolescents. The same also applies to mental health legislation. Greece is the exception in the development of the entire spectrum of services, the number of specialists, and the establishment of an adequate legislation framework reinforced by the incorporation of all international treaties on children's rights; although the recent economic crisis has affected the country negatively, threatening with regression to pre-reformational practices. Children and adolescents in need of mental health care have been increasing in all countries. The effect of violent and sudden changes taking place in most countries is a major factor for the emergence of increased and stress-related psychopathology and psychosocial problems in children and families. In all countries, there is a significant development of nongovernmental organizations undertaking a large part of reformation work. There is also the disconcerting phenomenon of professional exhaustion and the migration of experts from their countries. Finally, there is the common need to develop educational programmes and related clinical practices in all degrees of prevention, promoting interdisciplinary cooperation, the biopsychosocial approach to understanding and dealing with mental health issues, as well as the development of cooperation among all institutions concerning children (education, health, etc.). All this should be reflected in a national plan to promote child mental health as the foundation upon which the necessary cooperation among Balkan countries would be established in order to promote research, the exchange of experiences, common practices, mutual understanding, and common interests.

The future of genomics for developmentalists

The momentum of genomic science will carry it far into the future and into the heart of research on typical and atypical behavioral development. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a few implications and applications of these advances for understanding behavioral development. Quantitative genetics is genomic and will chart the course for molecular genomic research now that these two worlds of genetics are merging in the search for many genes of small effect. Although current attempts to identify specific genes have had limited success, known as the missing heritability problem, whole-genome sequencing will improve this situation by identifying all DNA sequence variations, including rare variants. Because the heritability of complex traits is caused by many DNA variants of small effect in the population, polygenic scores that are composites of hundreds or thousands of DNA variants will be used by developmentalists to predict children's genetic risk and resilience. The most far-reaching advance will be the widespread availability of whole-genome sequence for children, which means that developmentalists would no longer need to obtain DNA or to genotype children in order to use genomic information in research or in the clinic.

Changes in the diagnosis of autism: how parents and professionals act and react in France

The category of autism has undergone huge changes over the past 20 years. This study was undertaken to analyze the changes and how parents have experienced the diagnostic process in France. Data were obtained from in-depth interviews with parents and psychiatrists, and from 248 questionnaires with open-ended questions filled in by parents. We compared the experiences of parents with adult autistic children to those of parents with young autistic children. Progressively earlier age at diagnosis was evidenced. These changes occurred later than in North America and the UK, due to the reluctance of French professionals to adopt the new classifications of diseases which they viewed as undervaluing both the physician's holistic clinical skills, and psychoanalytical interpretations. Parents' experiences and interviews with psychiatrists were analyzed in order to document changes over time in the diagnostic process following tensions between parents and professionals, and intra-professional debates in psychiatry. Our data support the notion that the diagnosis of autism is historically and nationally contingent. The interactions between changes in the diagnostic process, policy, and parental experiences have led to changes in the way autism is defined, understood, and experienced.

Reflexions on the identity and the practice of child psychiatry

Τhe issue of the professional identity is salient for any medical discipline but especially for these, like child psychiatry and perhaps psychiatry, where the professional is the principal "instrument" in the assessment and in providing interventions. The Ericksonian view on identity implies self-sameness, continuity and synthesis which the child psychiatry as a specialty and child psychiatrists as professionals are to achieve more or less successfully. As a professional, the child psychiatrist is directed to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders and associated problems in children and adolescents viewing children as developing biopsychological entities being in ongoing co-influencing interaction with their immediate and wider societal contexts. As a discipline, child and adolescent psychiatry needs to integrate developmental biological and psychological aspects, and holistic child-centered and family-focused perspectives. Child psychiatry is to integrate not only various aspects of the child as individual and of his environments as they are, but also in their diachronic dimension. As child psychiatrists, in my view, we must keep integrated in our professional armamentarium the consideration for intra- and interpersonal processes. In that perspective, of special value is the appreciation of setting, of timing, and of interpersonal processes in their interaction with intrapersonal ones. In addition, being both child-centered and family-focused, we need a systemic literacy to look at the families and of children as part of them. Apart from evidence-based information and clinical skills, we need some mature attitude to helpfully use our knowledge and skills. This attitude can transcend the state of the art professional algorithms; rather it integrates and not just imitates them. It cautions against too much enthusiasm in following the pendulum. It implies awareness of some reasonable limit to the urge to change the children and families. In fact, many developmentally and behaviorally disabled children need not only attempts to correction, but also some help to live and develop more successfully with their handicaps. Here, if not everywhere, a facilitating discovery and building on patient's personal assets professional approach is needed. The international integration of "child psychiatries" of different countries and world's regions is valuable, and not only with reference to elaborating on and further developing child psychiatry as a theory and practice, but in the view of international co-support, which being almost everywhere under-served child psychiatry and its potential patients-children, adolescents and families-necessitate.

[Validation of the Hungarian version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in an adolescent clinical population]

INTRODUCTION

The short Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) available in parent, teacher and self-report versions, is used world-wide for assessing and screening childhood behavior and mental problems, as part of clinical assessments, therapy outcome evaluations, and research tool. The aim of the present study was to extend the use of Hungarian version to a clinical sample, to examine the clinical cut-off values suggested previously on the basis of a normative sample, and to test the questionnaire's sensitivity in differentiating between different psychiatric disorders.

METHOD

The parent and self-report versions of the five scale SDQ-Magy questionnaire was filled in by 716 parents and their children admitted to Vadaskert Child Psychiatry and Outpatient Clinic. Clinical (ICD) diagnoses were determined during psychiatric examination.

RESULTS

With a few exceptions, internal consistencies of the scales were satisfactory (0,55-0,79), the parent version showing greater reliability compared to the self-report version. Children's age, gender, and parents' level of education had some effect on the scale scores. The questionnaire's Total problem and symptom scale scores were very effective in discriminating between the control and the clinical sample. In the clinical sample, parents rated their children's behavior and mental problems as more severe. Profiles of scale scores distinguished the wider internalizing, externalizing, and co-morbid diagnostic categories, as well as the eight specific diagnoses. Based on the normal-abnormal cut-off values proposed earlier (Turi et al., 2011), the great majority of clinical cases were screened by the questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

The Hungarian version of the SDQ proved applicable in a clinical sample. Psychometric properties, variances due to age, gender and informant were consistent with international experiences. SDQ profiles related to clinical diagnoses and their difference from the control group show the sensitivity and discriminative power of the questionnaire, while the screening ability based on clinical cut-offs also supports the clinical use of the questionnaire.

[The practice of Dutch child and adolescent psychiatry - developments over the last fifteen years]

BACKGROUND

The child and adolescent psychiatry (cap) section of the Dutch Association for Psychiatry intends to keep track of the extent to which CAP is practised and to monitor the way in which it functions. The CAP has conducted three surveys since 1996. This paper reports on the 2012 survey.

AIM

To investigate the composition (i.e. age and gender) of specialists working in child and adolescent psychiatry, to find out how much time these psychiatrists really spend on child and adolescent psychiatry and what type of work they actually do; furthermore, to make a list of specific questions such as 24-hour availability, and to note opinions regarding the planned transfer of child and adolescent mental health care facilities to town councils.

METHOD

A survey was conducted and an analysis was made of the data collected.

RESULTS

The number of specialists practicing child and adolescent psychiatry in the Netherlands, expressed in full-time equivalents, has more than doubled since 1996 (from 183 in 1996 tot 389 in 2012). Compared to 1996, many more of these psychiatrists spend nearly all their time on CAP. The percentage of these specialists working only in private practice remains the same as in 1996 (19%) , although the percentage was lower in 2003 (135). Whereas in 1996 specialists in child and adolescent psychiatry worked mainly as psychotherapists, in 2012 they were working in a broader field, including assessment and pharmacotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Dutch CAP has grown substantially over the past 15 years. Growth in psychiatry in general has been even more marked. Considering the current composition of the population, there is only a relatively limited amount of specialised psychiatric help available for people under the age of 20. The impending transfer of CAP mental health care facilities to town councils is a matter of deep concern to professionals and to psychiatrists in particular. Only if CAP investigations continue over the coming years will it become clear that this deep concern is entirely justified.

Contemporary characteristics of the developmental age psychopathology

At present time, it may seem that the available therapeutic possibilities and methods have resulted in lower prevalence, and even disappearance, of certain psychopathological entities. The advancement of therapeutic methods has made possible to tackle new issues that are emerging in developmental psychopathology. These issues are directly related to the specifics of the current social sphere, reflecting the turbulent social changes as consequences of globalization and economic instability in the world. Humanitarian crises are ever more often accompanied by increased prevalence of mental disorders and psychological distress of the population in general. Based on child psychiatrists' reports from all corners of the globe, it is evident that the features of developmental psychopathology are constantly changing. The research studies refer to social events and phenomena that in previous decades were not to be found at the fore of clinical entities distribution. Thus, there are research reports on personality disorders in developmental age. Some thirty years ago, opinions were still divided on whether or not there existed personality disorders in developmental age. Nowadays, however, it is an accepted fact among experts that these disorders in youth warrant attention. This prevailing view has instigated research in this domain and now projects are carried out in many countries, so it is safe to say that the research has become global. Furthermore, the researchers' pay much attention to the problem of suicide both in youth and in children. Some special areas of research are being identified, such as the suicide risk assessment in adolescents undergoing short term antidepressant therapy. Latest data show that researchers are more often engaged in parent education, teaching them behaviours they need to raise a child with hyperactivity syndrome. Also, research results on the quality of emotional relationship with adoptive parents have been published with increasing frequency, especially by American authors. The results show that social services are detecting more and more cases of abuse of adopted children. Psychosomatic illnesses and liaison therapy at paediatric wards also feature prominently in current psychopathology. They are followed by issues of mental health of populations in humanitarian crises, including war, hard physical labour and abuse of child labour. The presentation includes a brief overview of psychopathology from the local perspective, with latest examples from clinical practice. The presentation concludes with the constatation that peculiarities of child and adolescent psychopathology follow the dynamic corresponding to the global social changes and increasing economic problems.

Implementation of problem-based learning in child and adolescent psychiatry: shared experiences of a special-interest study group

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Problem-based learning (PBL) represents a major development and change in educational practice that continues to have a large impact across subjects and disciplines worldwide. It would seem that child and adolescent psychiatry, because of its inherently integrative, bio-psycho-social nature and emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, would be a specialty learned optimally through PBL. Thus, there was a need to establish an international group where experiences in implementing PBL in child and adolescent psychiatry could be shared. This article reports on the first meeting and plans of the Problem-Based Learning in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Special Interest Study Group (SISG), held at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

METHODS

Through international collaboration and information-sharing, the SISG aims to promote knowledge among Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists on PBL, to explore evaluation methods of PBL in CAP, and to discuss development of PBL-based curricula.

RESULTS

Problem-based learning (PBL) represents a major change in education that has had a large impact across disciplines worldwide.

CONCLUSION

The core steps in PBL are the following: presentation of the initial problem; discussion of the problem, and development of learning objectives; independent learning focused on the objectives; and discussion, exploration of new ideas, and discovery of solutions in the reconvened group. Different from the traditional teacher's role, the PBL tutor is an active facilitator who guides learners to identify issues and ways to learn, rather than a "content expert" who provides facts.

Curricular adaptations in inpatient child psychiatry for the 21st century: the Flexner model revisited

OBJECTIVE

The authors describe curricular modifications created in response to the changing culture of medical education, health care systems, academic medicine, and generational differences. The authors propose a model child psychiatry inpatient curriculum that is sustainable within a community teaching hospital in the 21st century.

METHODS

The authors built upon the existing literature in health care financing, academic medicine, effective leadership, and the collective clinical, educational and administrative experience of its faculty to design a model inpatient curriculum that should be portable to other training programs.

RESULTS

An innovative training model was developed, implemented, and improved over a 5-year period without any additional fiscal resources.

CONCLUSION

This training model has the potential to improve patient care, resident training, interdisciplinary functioning, and resident satisfaction.

The birth of child and adolescent neuropsychiatry: from rehabilitation and social inclusion of the mentally handicapped, to the care of mental health during development

Child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services' development is described from early deinstitutionalization, through to rehabilitation, intervention and social inclusion of children with disability. The issues that have changed the services in order to meet the growing mental health problem, and the protection of mental well-being trough developmental years, are then dealt with in detail. Finally we draw a picture of the organization of child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services in Italy and in the different regional contexts.

[Renewed interest in neuropsychiatry within child and adolescent psychiatry]

Child and adolescent psychiatry has existed as a subspecialty since the 1920s. In the early days its practitioners regarded observation as their main source of knowledge. In the period after 1970 the anti-psychiatric movement gained momentum, presenting a threat to child and adolescent psychiatrists. Later on, however, it was realised that the influence of the anti-psychiatry movement had been fairly limited and that the most important changes had occurred as a result of the introduction of the empirical method, which in turn has led to renewed interest in neuropsychiatry.