Protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating an intervention to boost decentering in response to distressing mental experiences during adolescence: The Decentering in Adolescence Study (DECADES)

Introduction. Decentering describes the ability to voluntarily adopt an objective self-perspective from which to notice internal, typically distressing, stressors (e.g. difficult thoughts, memories, and feelings). The reinforcement of this skill may be an active ingredient through which different psychological interventions accrue reductions in anxiety and/or depression. However, it is unclear if decentering can be selectively trained at a young age and if this might reduce psychological distress. The aim of the current trial is to address this research gap. Methods and analysis. Adolescents, recruited from partnering schools in the UK and the EU (n = 48 per group, age range = 16-19 years), will be randomised to complete of five-weeks of decentering training, or form an active control group that will take part in in light physical exercise and cognitive training. The co-primary training outcomes include a self-reported decentering inventory (i.e. the Experiences Questionnaire) and the momentary use of decentering in response to psychological stressors, using experience sampling. The secondary mental health outcomes will include self-reported inventories of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as psychological wellbeing. The initial statistical analysis will use mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) to estimate the effect of training condition on self-rated inventories across three timepoints: baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Additionally, experience sampling data will be initially interrogated using hierarchical linear models. Ethics and dissemination. This study was approved by the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee, University of Cambridge (PRE.2019.109). Findings will be disseminated through typical academic routes including poster/paper presentations at (intern)-national conferences, academic institutes and through publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Treating Comorbid Childhood Bipolar Disorder and ADHD

ObjectivesPediatric mania is difficult to distinguish from childhood hyperactivity. Both share 3 common symptoms: distractibility, motoric hyperactivity, and talkativeness. Oftentimes, children are referred from their pediatrician due to a lack of appropriate response to stimulant medication. Pediatricians have learned that merely raising the dose or changing the stimulant does not work. A thorough neuropsychological evaluation often reveals bipolar mania. They may have comorbid bipolar disorder and ADHD. This poster paper will examine measures that can assist in this important differential diagnosis as well as offer treatment options, including medication management.MethodsThis case study includes three pediatric patients diagnosed with childhood bipolar disorder and ADHD. A comprehensive psychoeducational assessment was conducted for each of the patients, which resulted in this comorbid diagnosis.ResultsOne of the most helpful measures was the TOVA (i.e., Test of Variables of Attention). When a child’s attention and impulsivity scores are normal, and response time and variability scores are abnormal, both on and off medication, that is an indication of a mood disorder, These children also performed poorly on measures of processing speed, and verbal learning and interference tasks. Measures of affect and personality were important diagnostically. A combination of amantadine and either clonidine HCL ER or propranolol, as prescribed by a medical psychologist, were found to be effective in controlling the symptoms of this comorbid diagnosis.ConclusionsAn evaluation of children’s intellectual, attentional, behavioral, mood, and personality functioning is crucial for a differential diagnosis. In cases of comorbidity, ADHD and childhood bipolar disorder, the sooner the child is on appropriate medications, the better. When just the surface diagnosis of ADHD is medicated, the outcome is often problematic. There may be a poor response to treatment and a higher rate of suicide.

132 Treating Comorbid Childhood Bipolar Disorder and ADHD

Objectives:According to Nemeth et al. (2011), pediatric mania is difficult to distinguish from childhood hyperactivity. Both share 3 common symptoms: distractibility, motoric hyperactivity, and talkativeness (Biederman, 2000). Oftentimes, children are referred from their pediatrician due to a lack of appropriate response to stimulant medication. Pediatricians have learned that merely raising the dose or changing the stimulant does not work. A thorough neuropsychological evaluation often reveals Bipolar Mania. They may have comorbid Bipolar Disorder and ADHD. This poster paper will examine measures that can assist in this important differential diagnosis as well as offer treatment options, including medication management.Methods:This case study includes three pediatric patients diagnosed with Childhood Bipolar Disorder and ADHD. A comprehensive psychoeducational assessment was conducted for each of the patients, which resulted in this comorbid diagnosis.Results:One of the most helpful measures was the TOVA. When a child’s attention and impulsivity scores are normal, and response time and variability scores are abnormal, both on and off medication, that is an indication of a mood disorder (Nemeth et al., 2007). These children also performed poorly on measures of processing speed, and verbal learning and interference tasks (Henin et al., 2007). Measures of affect and personality were important diagnostically. A combination of Amantadine and either Clonidine HCL ER or Propranolol, as prescribed by a medical psychologist, were found to be effective in controlling the symptoms of this comorbid diagnosis.Conclusions:An evaluation of children’s intellectual, attentional, behavioral, mood, and personality functioning is crucial for a differential diagnosis. In cases of comorbidity, ADHD and Childhood Bipolar Disorder, the sooner the child is on appropriate medications, the better. When just the surface diagnosis of ADHD is medicated, the outcome is often problematic. There may be a poor response to treatment and a higher rate of suicide.

Research attitude and practices of medical teachers

Background: The present study was conducted on medical teachers to evaluate their attitudes and practices towards research.Methods: This study was conducted at Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangaluru, Karnataka India. In a cross-sectional study, randomly, 50 medical teachers were selected for evaluation and assessment of attitudes and practices towards research amongst the medical teachers.Results: In this study, 44 (88%) of faculties were interested in research. 36(72%) of faculties said that they were using internet for research regularly while 14(28%) of faculties said that they were using internet for research sometimes. 36(72%) of faculties had attended state conferences, 18(36%) of faculties had attended national conferences while 5(10%) of faculties had attended international conferences. 6(12%) of faculties presented 1-2 papers in Conferences, 8(16%) of faculties presented 3-4 papers in Conferences while 36(72%) of faculties presented 1-2 papers in Conferences. 11(22%) of faculties were involved in research with the aim of purely research.19(38%) of faculties felt that resources are inadequate, 17(34%) of faculties felt that reference material is inadequate, 16(32%) of faculties felt that hospital records were inadequate,Conclusions: In this study, the attitude towards the research was quite healthy. There was a lack of utilization of research facilities and less research output like poster/ paper presentation in academic meets and research publications in the journals by medical faculties.