The Icelandic child mental health study. An epidemiological study of Icelandic children 2–18 years of age using the Child Behavior Checklist as a screening instrument

Suicidality encompasses suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. This paper aims to establish associations between suicidality and sociodemographic variables, physical disorders, and psychiatric disorders. The Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 was a population-level epidemiological survey, which determined the prevalence of physical disorders, psychiatric disorders, and suicidality. Questionnaires were used to determine socio-demographic information. A total of 6216 respondents were interviewed. Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were 7.8%, 1.6%, and 1.6%, respectively. All components of suicidality were more likely in those with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and chronic pain. Suicidal ideation and attempts were more likely in those with diabetes. Age above 65, being male, and a monthly household income of ≥ SGD 10,000 were associated with a lower likelihood of suicidal ideation. These findings indicate that there are high-risk groups for whom suicidality is a concern, and for whom interventions may be needed.

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The Child Behavior Checklist as a Screening Instrument for PTSD in Refugee Children

Children ◽

10.3390/children8060521 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 521

Author(s):

Ina Nehring ◽

Heribert Sattel ◽

Maesa Al-Hallak ◽

Martin Sack ◽

Peter Henningsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Child Behavior ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Roc Curves ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Screening Instrument ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Refugee Children ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Thousands of refugees who have entered Europe experienced threatening conditions, potentially leading to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has to be detected and treated early to avoid chronic manifestation, especially in children. We aimed to evaluate and test suitable screening tools to detect PTSD in children. Syrian refugee children aged 4–14 years were examined using the PTSD-semi-structured interview, the Kinder-DIPS, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The latter was evaluated as a potential screening tool for PTSD using (i) the CBCL-PTSD subscale and (ii) an alternative subscale consisting of a psychometrically guided selection of items with an appropriate correlation to PTSD and a sufficient prevalence (presence in more than 20% of the cases with PTSD). For both tools we calculated sensitivity, specificity, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Depending on the sum score of the items, the 20-item CBCL-PTSD subscale as used in previous studies yielded a maximal sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 76%. The psychometrically guided item selection resulted in a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 83%. The areas under the ROC curves were the same for both tools (0.9). Both subscales may be suitable as screening instrument for PTSD in refugee children, as they reveal a high sensitivity and specificity.

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685 Sleep Latency, Pre and Peri-COVID-19 Experiences and PTSD Symptoms: Results from the NYU COVID-19 Mental Health Study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.683 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A267-A268

Author(s):

April Rogers ◽

Judite Blanc ◽

Azizi Seixas ◽

Joao Nunes ◽

Georges Casimir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

New York ◽

New York City ◽

York City ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Health Study ◽

Sleep Onset Latency ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Effective Response ◽

Mental Health Study

Abstract Introduction An effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the decision to subject individuals residing in New York City to quarantine rules in order to reduce the spread of the virus. As might have been expected, restriction of usual daily activities would affect individuals’ sleep-wake patterns. It is also known that exposure to traumatic experiences can also engender sleep disturbances, most notably in their ability to initiate sleep. This study investigated the associations between sleep onset latency (SOL), pre and peri-COVID-19 exposure and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among New Yorkers. Methods 541 individuals (female = 373(69%); mean age=40.9) were recruited during the summer and fall of 2020 in New York City to participate in the NYU-COVID-19 Mental Health Study. Participants provided sociodemographic data and were also asked to respond to the COVID-19 quarantine experiences, comprised of seven binary questions, the PTSD Checklist-PCL-5, and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Descriptive and linear regression analysis were performed to explore associations of scores on the COVID-19 quarantine experience with PTSD and sleep data. All analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0 Results Regression analyses revealed that SOL emerged as the strongest independent predictor of PTSD symptoms [B(t) = −.630(12.7); p < .001]; factors adjusted in the model included pre and peri-covid-19 factors such as age, sex, job type, and quarantine experience. Analyses assessing potential interaction effect revealed that quarantine experience did not affect the relationship between SOL and PTSD [B(t) = .086(.831); p = >.005]. The other sleep factors in the model did not yield significance. sleep duration had a weak correlation with quarantine, it was not found to be a predictor of PTSD. Conclusion We observed that SOL was the most important determinant of PTSD symptoms among individuals exposed to COVID-19. This is consistent with other findings suggesting that a sizable proportion of individuals exposed to pandemics are likely to experience sleep disturbances. It is plausible that quarantine might lead to increased daytime naps, which may impact SOL. Further research is needed to better understand the association of SOL and PTSD as a result of Covid-19. Support (if any) K07AG052685, R01MD007716, R01HL142066, T32HL129953, K01HL135452, R01HL152453

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