Childhood maltreatment and mental health problems are common among young people placed out-of-home. However, evidence on the impact of maltreatment on the course of mental health problems in at... Show moreChildhood maltreatment and mental health problems are common among young people placed out-of-home. However, evidence on the impact of maltreatment on the course of mental health problems in at-risk populations is sparse. The aim of this longitudinal study is twofold: (a) describe the course of mental health problems and the shift in symptom patterns among adolescents in youth residential care into young adulthood and (b) assess how childhood maltreatment is related to the course of mental health problems. One hundred and sixty-six adolescents in Swiss youth residential care were followed up into young adulthood (36.1% women; MAge-Baseline = 16.1 years; MAge-Follow-Up = 26.4 years). Latent transition analysis was employed to analyze transitions of symptom patterns and their association with maltreatment exposure. We found three latent classes of mental health problems: a "multiproblem"-class (51.8% baseline; 33.7% follow-up), a "low symptom"-class (39.2% baseline; 60.2% follow-up), and an "externalizing"-class (9.0% baseline; 6.0% follow-up). Individuals in the "multiproblem"-class were likely to transition towards less-complex symptom patterns. Higher severity of self-reported childhood maltreatment was associated with more complex and persistent mental health problems. Our study underlines the need for collaboration between residential and psychiatric care systems within and after care placements, with a specialized focus on trauma-informed interventions and care. Show less
We aimed to validate cross-culturally the Turkish, Moroccan Arabic and Moroccan Berber versions of the 48-item Symptom Questionnaire (SQ-48). Its psychometric properties were assessed in four... Show moreWe aimed to validate cross-culturally the Turkish, Moroccan Arabic and Moroccan Berber versions of the 48-item Symptom Questionnaire (SQ-48). Its psychometric properties were assessed in four samples: patients (n = 150) and controls (n = 103) with Turkish or Moroccan origins (n = 103) and patients (n = 189) and controls (n = 463) with native Dutch origins. Internal consistency and discriminatory power of SQ-48 subscales across groups were adequate to high. However, immigrant groups scored on average higher than Dutch native groups, but there was full configural, metric and partial scalar invariance in the immigrant groups. Although the SQ-48 is a valid measure of psychopathology in immigrant groups of Turkish and Moroccan origins, their cut-off values should likely be higher compared to natives. Show less
Urbanus, E.L.; Swaab, H.; Tartaglia, N.; Cordeiro, L.; Rijn, S. van 2020
Children with SCT have an increased risk of suboptimal neurodevelopment. Previous studieshave shown an elevated risk for neurobehavioral problems in individuals with SCT.However, not much is known... Show moreChildren with SCT have an increased risk of suboptimal neurodevelopment. Previous studieshave shown an elevated risk for neurobehavioral problems in individuals with SCT.However, not much is known about neurobehavioral problems in very young children;knowledge that could help with early identification of children at risk for suboptimal development,and that could help establish targets for early intervention. This study addressedthe question of what the behavioral profile of children with SCT aged 1–5 yearslooks like. In total, 182 children aged 1–5 years participated in this study (NSCT=87,Nnonclinical controls = 95). Recruitment and assessment took place in the Netherlands and theUnited States. The SCT group was recruited through prospective follow-up (50%), informationseeking parents (31%), and clinical referral (18%). Behavioral profiles were assessedwith the child behavior checklist and the ages-and-stages social–emotional questionnaire.Levels of parent-rated problem behavior were higher in children with SCT. Difficultieswith overall social–emotional functioning were already present in 1-year-olds,and elevated scores were persistent across the full age range. Affective and pervasivedevelopmental behaviors were seen in late toddlerhood and prominent at preschoolage. Anxiety, attention deficit, and oppositional defiant behaviors were seen in preschool-aged children. Within this cross-sectional study, the developmental trajectoryof affective, pervasive developmental, and oppositional defiant behaviors seemed tobe different for SCT children than nonclinical controls.Collectively, these results demonstrate the importance of behavioral screening forbehavioral problems in routine clinical care for children with SCT from a young age.Social–emotional problems may require special attention, as these problems seem mostprominent, showing increased risk across the full age range, and with these problemsoccurring regardless of the timing of diagnosis, and across all three SCT karyotypes. Show less
Children and adolescents with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are at increased risk for the development of psychosocial problems compared to their peers without DLD. There is much individual... Show moreChildren and adolescents with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are at increased risk for the development of psychosocial problems compared to their peers without DLD. There is much individual variation within the group of children with DLD regarding their level and development of psychosocial problems. However, there is no systematic relationship between the severity of children’s communication problems and their psychosocial problems.Emotional competence refers to the ability to recognise, understand, regulate, and express emotions adaptively in social interactions. Emotional competence is gained through social interactions, in which language plays an important role. In children without DLD, problems in emotional competence are important risk factors for the development of different psychosocial problems, which may also be the case in children with DLD. Therefore, it this research project we examined whether problems in emotional competence could explain the level and development of children with and without DLD between 9 and 16 years old. We found that problems in emotional competence indeed explained higher levels of psychosocial problems in children with and without DLD and that increasing levels of emotional competence were related to lower levels of psychosocial problems across time. These outcomes indicate that difficulties in emotional competence make children with DLD vulnerable to psychosocial problems and requires specific support and interventions. Show less
Carlier, I.V.E.; Eeden, W.A. van; Jong, K. de; Giltay, E.J.; Noorden, M.S. van; Feltz-Cornelis, C. van der; ... ; Hemert, A.M. van 2019
Objectives: If patients change their perspective due to treatment, this may alter the way they conceptualize, prioritize, or calibrate questionnaire items. These psychological changes, also called ... Show moreObjectives: If patients change their perspective due to treatment, this may alter the way they conceptualize, prioritize, or calibrate questionnaire items. These psychological changes, also called "response shifts," may pose a threat to the measurement of therapeutic change in patients. Therefore, it is important to test the occurrence of response shift in patients across their treatment.Methods: This study focused on self-reported psychological distress/psychopathology in a naturalistic sample of 206 psychiatric outpatients. Longitudinal measurement invariance tests were computed across treatment in order to detect response shifts.Results: Compared with before treatment, post-treatment psychopathology scores showed an increase in model fit and factor loading, suggesting that symptoms became more coherently interrelated within their psychopathology domains. Reconceptualization (depression/mood) and reprioritization (somatic and cognitive problems) response shift types were found in several items. We found no recalibration response shift.Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that response shift can occur in adult psychiatric patients across their mental health treatment. Future research is needed to determine whether response shift implies an unwanted potential bias in treatment evaluation or a desired cognitive change intended by treatment. Show less
Objective The definition of recovery in eating disorders (EDs) according to researchers is not necessarily similar to the patient definition. This study aimed to explore the concept of recovery as... Show moreObjective The definition of recovery in eating disorders (EDs) according to researchers is not necessarily similar to the patient definition. This study aimed to explore the concept of recovery as assessed by those affected by an ED themselves. Method Participants from the Netherlands Eating disorder Registry (NER) who reported an (former) ED diagnosis (n = 814) assessed their own recovery level: current ED, partial or full recovery. Furthermore, research-based criteria (Bardone-Cone et al., Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2010, 48, 194-202) were applied to define recovery. Within the self-assessed full recovery group (n = 179), participants who also fulfilled the research-based criteria were compared to those who were only recovered based on self-assessment in the following domains: ED psychopathology, psychiatric comorbidity, quality of life, and social and societal participation. Results Ninety-six of the participants (54%) who considered themselves recovered did not fulfill the research-based definition. The two recovery groups did not significantly differ in psychiatric comorbidity, quality of life, and social and societal participation. Discussion Absence of ED characteristics was not essential for individuals to consider themselves recovered. Although the self-assessed recovery status may be subjective, it does advocate the use of additional health indicators besides ED psychopathology when defining recovery. Show less
BackgroundDepression shows a large heterogeneity of symptoms between and within persons over time. However, most outcome studies have assessed depression as a single underlying latent construct,... Show moreBackgroundDepression shows a large heterogeneity of symptoms between and within persons over time. However, most outcome studies have assessed depression as a single underlying latent construct, using the sum score on psychometric scales as an indicator for severity. This study assesses longitudinal symptom-specific trajectories and within-person variability of major depressive disorder over a 9-year period.MethodsData were derived from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). This study included 783 participants with a current major depressive disorder at baseline. The Inventory Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (IDS-SR) was used to analyze 28 depressive symptoms at up to six time points during the 9-year follow-up.ResultsThe highest baseline severity scores were found for the items regarding energy and mood states. The core symptoms depressed mood and anhedonia had the most favorable course, whereas sleeping problems and (psycho-)somatic symptoms were more persistent over 9-year follow-up. Within-person variability was highest for symptoms related to energy and lowest for suicidal ideation.ConclusionsThe severity, course, and within-person variability differed markedly between depressive symptoms. Our findings strengthen the idea that employing a symptom-focused approach in both clinical care and research is of value. Show less
Background: Recent research has identified a general psychopathology factor (GPF), which explains overlap in presentation of psychopathological symptoms. Unresolved-disorganized attachment (Ud) is... Show moreBackground: Recent research has identified a general psychopathology factor (GPF), which explains overlap in presentation of psychopathological symptoms. Unresolved-disorganized attachment (Ud) is another transdiagnostic risk factor that may be relevant to explain differences in patient characteristics within diagnostic classifications. Objective: In the current study, we examined unique relations of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) with Ud and GPF. Method: RSFC data were collected from a mixed group of adolescents (N = 74) with and without psychiatric disorder, as part of the Emotional Pathways' Imaging Study in Clinical Adolescents (EPISCA) study. Ud was measured using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Associations between Ud, GPF, and RSFC of the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and with amygdala-medial frontal connectivity were examined. Results: Ud was positively associated with greater functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the left lateral occipital cortex, precuneus, and superior parietal lobule. Furthermore, Ud was negatively associated with left amygdala-medial frontal cortex connectivity. GPF was not significantly associated with dACC or amygdala connectivity. Conclusions: Atypical amygdala connectivity may reflect a vulnerability factor rather than a biomarker of psychopathology. The unique association of Ud and amygdala RSFC, adjusted for a GPF, across participants with and without various classifications of psychopathology illustrates that dimensional approaches based on the AAI may complement psychiatric classifications in clinical research and practice. Show less
