Association For Child And Adolescent Mental Health (acamh)

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.17233 In this podcast, we talk to Dr. Melissa Mulraney, Senior Lecturer and co-leader of the Child Mental Health Research Centre at the Institute for Social Neuroscience in Melbourne, Australia, Honorary Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne, and Associate Editor of CAMH. Melissa discusses what influenced her to specialise in child and adolescent mental health, as well as highlights some of her most recent papers that focus on her research interests (ADHD, emotional dysregulation and sleep). Melissa also discusses her work at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, including her work on several clinical trials of behavioural interventions for child mental health problems. Melissa has won the World Federation of ADHD Young Scientist Award in both 2019 and 2021 and, in this podcast, talks about her work on suicidality and self-harm in adolescents with ADHD. Furthermore, we hear Melissa talk about t

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.17201 In this podcast we hear from clinical psychologist Professor Tim Dalgleish, director of the Cambridge Centre for Affective Disorders and Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. The focus is on the JCPP paper ‘The early course and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in very young children: diagnostic prevalence and predictors in hospital-attending children and a randomized controlled proof-of-concept trial of trauma-focused cognitive therapy, for 3- to 8-year-olds’ doi/10.1111/jcpp.13460 The study is in two parts, and Tim explains the methodology, findings, and implications of your findings, so from both studies, for professionals working with young children and their families.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16988 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Ayten Bilgin about her JCPP Advances paper ‘Changes in emotional problems, hyperactivity and conduct problems in moderate to late preterm children and adolescents born between 1958 and 2002 in the United Kingdom’, (https://doi.org/10.1111/jcv2.12018). Dr. Ayten Bilgin is a lecturer in psychology at the University of Kent, and developmental psychologist Ayten set the scene by explaining about the PremLife Project, together with the key findings of this collaborative project, before moving on to discuss her paper. Given improvements in neonatal care we could assume that the difference in emotional problems, hyperactivity and conduct problems would have declined in recent years, but Atyen’s study shows some fascinating results.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16924 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Lynnea Myers about her JCPP Advances paper on Behavioural and Biological Divergence in Monozygotic Twin Pairs Discordant for Autism Phenotypes (https://doi.org/10.1111/jcv2.12017). Dr. Myers is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. She has a double PhD in Nursing Science and Developmental Neuroscience. There is a dearth of studies examining monozygotic ASD discordant twins, and Lynnea explains why this group is so important for inclusion in research to advance the science into non-shared environmental effects, and explains the implications of the findings for professionals working in child and adolescent mental health.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16841 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Hannah Hobson, Lecturer in Psychology and Researcher at York University, and head of the Emerald Lab (Emotional and Mental Health Research in Autism and Language Disorders). Hannah discusses language and communication problems especially their relation to non-language difficulties including social and emotional problems. She talks about why many children with language needs go undetected, and some camouflage, plus what can be done. Hannah discusses her work as head of the Emerald Lab, plus her aims for her newly created Special Interest Group to gather ideas on the topic of language, communication and mental health. Hannah is passionate about multi-disciplinary working and stakeholder engagement, explaining why this is crucial and ways to take this forward. Plus how this evidence based research can be used to impact on policy, and ultimately help children.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16772 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Polly Waite, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford and at the University of Reading. Polly discusses her research on anxiety in adolescents, the Co-Space study on how families are coping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her recent JCPP Advances paper ‘How did mental health symptoms of children and adolescents change over early lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK’. Polly also discusses further areas of her research interests, including the development of brief psychological treatments for adolescents with anxiety disorders (such as adapting an effective psychological therapy for panic disorder in adults for use with adolescents) and how new technologies can be used to optimise psychological treatments for adolescents. Furthermore, we hear Polly talk about the role of teachers in supporting students and delivering mental health interventions, as well as whether teachers felt that they were getting adequate

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16740 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Yasmin Ahmadzadeh, post-doctoral research associate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London. We hear how Yasmin helped to set up the Twins Early Development Study, CoTEDS, her research on genetically informed methods to examine the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology, and her advice for those considering a part-time PhD. Yasmin also talks about anti-racism in mental health research, how categories of race and ethnic group are outdated and inadequate, what scientists can do to correct their vocabulary, and what researchers should think about in order to prevent or break cycles of racism in research.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16634 In this podcast, we talk to our CAMH Editor in Chief, rofessor Bernadka Dubicka. Bernadka discusses her achievements at the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, from which she has recently departed, together with the recent Honorary Professor role from the University of Manchester. Bernadka explains what can be done to translate research into practice, and what mental health professionals can do to influence policy. She details the key points of evidence she put across to the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Children and Young People’s Mental Health, including integrated care as being essential. She also elaborates on describing the increasing demand for children and young people’s mental health during the Covid pandemic as “a crisis on a pre-existing crisis”.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16555 In this podcast we speak to Dr. Gemma Knowles, Research Associate of the Social Epidemiology Research Group at King’s College, London, and part of the REACH Project. REACH stands for Resilience, Ethnicity and Adolescent Mental Health. REACH is a study of adolescent mental health based in inner-city London, working with a group of just over 4,000 young people providing information each year about their mental health. Gemma discusses some of the key results, implications of the findings in terms of developing strategies for prevention and interventions, and translating research, such as REACH, into practice to help young people and their families.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16474 This podcast, with Dr. Alice Jones Bartoli, focuses on school behaviour difficulties, school based interventions and inclusive education. Alice is a Reader in Psychology and Director of the Unit of School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Educational Psychology. Alice’s work uses interdisciplinary methods to focus largely on school behaviour and mental health across a child’s school life. Alice’s look at how well equipped schools and teachers are when it comes to dealing with child and adolescent mental health issues, and what more can be done to support teachers and leaders in creating mentally healthy schools, and in supporting the staff themselves. She discusses her portfolio of translational research working with schools to develop intervention strategies that work for students with complex and chronic difficulties. Much of this work brings together education practitioners and associated third sector organisat

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16224 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Sandra Thijssen, who was Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies at Erasmus University, and is now part of the Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences at Radboud University. Sandra begins with a brief overview of how the frontoamygdalar brain circuitry functions and its role in emotional regulation. She then discusses the research and findings from her paper published in the JCPP ‘The longitudinal association between externalizing behavior and frontoamygdalar resting-state functional connectivity in late adolescence and young adulthood‘. Moreover, Sandra talks about future research projects, including learning more about what experiences may amplify the progression of externalising or antisocial behaviours.

 DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16165 This episode of our JCPP Advances series that focus on the papers and editors featured in the publication is with Dr. Nicola Wright, research associate at the department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Kings College London. Nicola discusses her paper ‘Interplay between long-term vulnerability and new risk: Young adolescent and maternal mental health immediately before and during the COVID-19 pandemic’, including details of the methodology, results and implications of findings. As well Nicola discusses the role of gender in their analysis, and highlights that one in four girls compared to one in ten boys, were experiencing clinically significant depression during the lockdown.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.16093 In this podcast we talk to Dr. Stephanie Lewis, Editor of The Bridge, and Clinical Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London. The main conversation is around complex trauma and Stephanie’s paper that was recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, ‘Unravelling the contribution of complex trauma to psychopathology and cognitive deficits: a cohort study’. Stephanie discusses the gaps in the literature that made it important to explore complex trauma, the methodology, and headline findings from this study. Stephanie highlights that the usual approach to trauma research and clinical practice, which considers all traumas together, has probably underestimated the mental health difficulties experienced by people who have been exposed to complex types of trauma. We also hear about her plans to find out which aspects of complex trauma are important, and really understand whether compl

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15913 We were honoured to spend some time talking to Professor Jess Deighton, Professor of Child Mental Health and Wellbeing at University College London and Director of the Evidence Based Practice Unit at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, about the role schools can play in young people’s mental health, about school-based interventions, and some insights from her latest research. Jess talks about why schools are such an important setting in child and adolescent mental health, and the roles they play, and how well equipped schools and teachers. Jess details some of current intervention programmes that support mental health and well-being in school pupils, what the research shows, and highlights some of the important studies and findings. We also hear how to translate research into practice, how to go about embedding good mental health across school communities, and what more can be done to support teachers and school leaders in creating mentally healthy schools.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15894 In this podcast we talk to Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience at King’s College London, and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP). Edmund talks us through the purpose of his latest JCPP editorial ‘No pain – No gain’ – Towards the inclusion of mental health costs in balanced “lockdown” decision-making during health pandemics. He breaks this down into three sections; why we should look at the benefits and costs of lockdown to see if the intervention works, the barriers stopping people from taking this approach, and the potential path to addressing those barriers. Edmund highlights the current need for discussion and debate around this topic and encourages listeners to share their thoughts.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15808 In this podcast we speak to Professor Henrik Larsson, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at Orebro University and Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Editor in Chief of ACAMH’s new journal, JCPP Advances. Henrik talks about his vast experience in authoring, and peer-reviewing papers, what he will bring to the role of Editor in Chief of JCCP Advances, and the importance of comprehensive and transparent reporting. Henrik notes that JCPP Advances will build on the values of its sister publication, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, has a commitment to open science and discusses its main aims including alleviating the frustrating aspects of the publishing process for authors We also hear his thoughts on what more can be done to promote evidence-based science, the upcoming topics that are coming up that particularly excite him, and what readers can look forward to.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15780 In this podcast we speak to the head of The Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) Dr. Joni Holmes, at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge. Joni discusses the main aims of CALM, the research they have conducted, and the implications for identifying children’s mental health needs. Joni draws attention to a shift away from diagnostic centred approaches towards child centred approaches, adding that we need to assess individuals strengths and difficulties, and use those to form interventions. Check out the blog on ‘The Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) Approach to Neurodevelopmental Research‘.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15746 We are delighted to have the opportunity to talk to Professor Sally Merry, the Cure Kids Duke Family Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. We talk to Sally about her key research focus which is on e- therapies, and in-depth about the award-winning computerised intervention to help adolescents with depression ‘SPARX’. Sally discusses the effectiveness of digital programmes comparing offline and online, in relation to CBT when it comes to keeping young people engaged. She also explains about the development, implementation, and scalability of these therapies aimed at prevention, and improving outcomes in young people. We also hear how her research is improving the early environment for very young children in families facing social, and economic, challenges, which includes working with Maori families. Plus her important role in teaching and workforce development in the child and adolescent mental health sector, and what more needs to be done to help recruitment and retention.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15666 The third in our JCPP Advances podcast series that focus on the papers and editors featured in the publication is with Dolapo Adegboye, research associate in the Neurodevelopment Assessment Unit (NDAU) at Cardiff University. Dolapo discusses her paper ‘Understanding why the COVID‐19 pandemic‐related lockdown increases mental health difficulties in vulnerable young children’, including details of the methodology, results and implications of findings. As well, she highlights risk of further deterioration for vulnerable young people, if support systems aren’t put in place in a timely manner.

DOI: 10.13056/acamh.15559 The second in our JCPP Advances podcast series that focus on the papers and editors featured in the publication is with Dr. Tanya Poulain and Dr. Mandy Vogel of Leipzig University Hospital for Children & Adolescents. Tanya and Mandy discuss their paper ‘Well‐being and COVID‐19‐related worries of German children and adolescents: A longitudinal study from pre‐COVID to the end of lockdown in Spring 2020’, and the wider implications that the pandemic has had on the mental health and wellbeing of young people.