scholarly journals Highlights of this issue

2013 ◽  
Vol 203 (6) ◽  
pp. A22-A22
Author(s):  
Kimberlie Dean
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Childhood Anxiety ◽  
Childhood Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Diagnostic Outcomes

Interventions throughout early life - antenatally, in childhood and in adolescenceTwo papers in the Journal this month describe trials of interventions targeting young people – one focused on treating anxiety disorders in childhood and another on preventing eating disorders in adolescence. While CBT for childhood anxiety disorders is known to be effective, its availability is limited. Thirlwall et al (pp. 436–444) conducted a randomised controlled trial of low-intensity guided parent-delivered CBT in a sample of children with anxiety disorders referred by primary or secondary care to a specialist clinic. Compared with waiting-list controls, the children receiving the full intervention demonstrated superior diagnostic outcomes, whereas those receiving a brief version of the intervention showed no improvements. In a linked editorial, Cartwright-Hatton (pp. 401–402) highlights the prevalence of childhood anxiety disorders, the implications of failing to treat them and the evidence supporting their treatability. She also points to the implications of findings from Thirlwall et al indicating that therapists need not be highly trained or experienced to achieve significant results.

The perinatal origins of childhood anxiety disorders and the role of early-life maternal predictors

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Megan Galbally ◽  
Stuart J. Watson ◽  
Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum ◽  
Wai Chen ◽  
Edo Ronald de Kloet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Childhood Anxiety ◽  
Antenatal Depression ◽  
Hair Cortisol ◽  
Maternal Factors ◽  
Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Abstract Background The development of childhood anxiety disorders (CADs) is likely to depend on pathways that can be programmed by early-life risk factors. We test the hypothesis that early-life maternal factors can predict this programming effect on CAD. Methods Data were obtained from 198 women and children from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS), a cohort study with data collected across pregnancy, postpartum and until 4 years of age. Maternal antenatal depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), together with antenatal hair cortisol concentrations, maternal childhood trauma and parenting stress at 6 months postpartum. CAD was assessed with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment and the Child Behaviour Checklist. Results Antenatal depression, a history of maternal childhood trauma and lower gestational age at birth were each associated with anxiety disorders at 4 years of age in their children. A multivariate binary logistic model with these early predictors explained approximately 9% of variance in CAD outcome at 4 years of age; however, only maternal trauma and gestational age were significant predictors in the model. The effect of early parenting stress on CAD was found to vary by the concentration of maternal antenatal hair cortisol, whereby postpartum parenting stress was associated with CAD only when there were higher maternal antenatal cortisol levels. Conclusions This study suggests the importance of maternal factors pre-conception, pregnancy and in the postnatal period, which predict CADs and this is consistent with a developmental programming hypothesis for CAD.

A Smartphone App in Promoting Mental Wellbeing and Awareness of Anxiety Disorders for Adolescents: A Pilot Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuying Sun ◽  
Man Ping Wang ◽  
Sai Yin Ho ◽  
Christian S. Chan ◽  
Patrick K.W. Man ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BACKGROUND Mental health problems in adolescents are prevalent while population-based interventions for improving mental wellbeing of adolescents are limited. OBJECTIVE To design a smartphone app and evaluate its effect on promoting mental wellbeing of adolescents and awareness of anxiety disorders. METHODS A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted with 2 secondary schools (390 students, mean age 13.1 years) randomised to the intervention and control groups. A smartphone app was designed for one month’s use to promote mental wellbeing through “Sharing, Mind and Enjoyment (SME)” related interactions between students and their parents (e.g., express gratitude to family in words or actions), with assistance of App designers in releasing SME tasks daily. The waitlist control group was offered the app after completing all assessments. The primary outcomes were SME behaviours measured at 3-month after baseline. Secondary outcomes included subjective happiness, wellbeing, personal health and happiness, family health, happiness and harmony, self-perceived knowledge and understanding of anxiety disorders. Two focus groups of students and three individual in-depth interviews of service providers were conducted. RESULTS In the intervention students, 11.2% used the app together with parents and 45.4% used it without involving parents. The intervention group did not show significant difference in the change of SME behaviours at 1-month or 3-month compared with the control group. The intervention group showed greater increase in the awareness of anxiety disorders at follow-ups than the control group (Cohen’s d=0.52 at 1-month and 0.43 at 3-month, both P<0.001). Post-hoc analysis showed significantly greater increase in SME-related behaviours in the adherent subgroup than the control group at 3-month (d=0.46, P=0.04). The interviews found favourable changes in app users, but motivation of using the app was low in general. Both students and community partners suggested primary school students would be more receptive users. CONCLUSIONS The app did not show effectiveness in increasing SME behaviours of students but was effective in increasing awareness of anxiety disorders. Further improvements and tests among younger children and their parents are warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03361475

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document