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1.
Appetite ; 194: 107176, 2024 03 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38154576

ABSTRACT

Understanding and intervening on eating behavior often necessitates measurement of energy intake (EI); however, commonly utilized and widely accepted methods vary in accuracy and place significant burden on users (e.g., food diaries), or are costly to implement (e.g., doubly labeled water). Thus, researchers have sought to leverage inexpensive and low-burden technologies such as wearable sensors for EI estimation. Paradoxically, one such methodology that estimates EI via smartwatch-based bite counting has demonstrated high accuracy in laboratory and free-living studies, despite only measuring the amount, not the composition, of food consumed. This secondary analysis sought to further explore this phenomenon by evaluating the degree to which EI can be explained by a sensor-based estimate of the amount consumed versus the energy density (ED) of the food consumed. Data were collected from 82 adults in free-living conditions (51.2% female, 31.7% racial and/or ethnic minority; Mage = 33.5, SD = 14.7) who wore a bite counter device on their wrist and used smartphone app to implement the Remote Food Photography Method (RFPM) to assess EI and ED for two weeks. Bite-based estimates of EI were generated via a previously validated algorithm. At a per-meal level, linear mixed effect models indicated that bite-based EI estimates accounted for 23.4% of the variance in RFPM-measured EI, while ED and presence of a beverage accounted for only 0.2% and 0.1% of the variance, respectively. For full days of intake, bite-based EI estimates and ED accounted for 41.5% and 0.2% of the variance, respectively. These results help to explain the viability of sensor-based EI estimation even in the absence of information about dietary composition.


Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Minority Groups , Adult , Humans , Female , Male , Diet , Energy Intake , Meals
2.
Fam Process ; 2023 Jun 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37277975

ABSTRACT

Latinx families face unique barriers to accessing traditional youth mental health services and may instead rely on a wide range of supports to meet youth emotional or behavioral concerns. Previous studies have typically focused on patterns of utilization for discrete services, classified by setting, specialization, or level of care (e.g., specialty outpatient, inpatient, informal supports), yet little is known about how youth support services might be accessed in tandem. This analysis used data from the Pathways to Latinx Mental Health study - a national sample of Latinx caregivers (N = 598) from across the United States collected at the start of the coronavirus pandemic (i.e., May-June 2020) - to describe the broad network of available supports that are used by Latinx caregivers. Using exploratory network analysis, we found that the use of youth psychological counseling, telepsychology, and online support groups was highly influential on support service utilization in the broader network. Specifically, Latinx caregivers who used one or more of these services for their child were more likely to report utilizing other related sources of support. We also identified five support clusters within the larger network that were interconnected through specific sources of support (i.e., outpatient counseling, crisis, religious, informal, and non-specialty). Findings offer a foundational look at the complex system of youth supports available to Latinx caregivers, highlighting areas for future study, opportunities to advance the implementation of evidence-based interventions, and channels through which to disseminate information about available services.

3.
Appetite ; 183: 106465, 2023 04 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36701847

ABSTRACT

Bariatric surgery can have profound impacts on eating behaviors and experiences, yet most prior research studying these changes has relied on retrospective self-report measures with limited precision and susceptibility to bias. This study used smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to evaluate the trajectory of change in eating behaviors, appetite, and other aspects of eating regulation in 71 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients assessed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12-months postoperative. For some outcomes, results showed a consistent and similar pattern for SG and RYGB where consumption of sweet and high-fat foods and hunger, desire to eat, ability to eat right now, and satisfaction with amount eaten all improved from pre-to 6-months post-surgery with some degree of deterioration at 12-months post-surgery. By contrast, other variables, largely related to hedonic hunger and craving and desire for specific foods, showed less consistent patterns that differed by surgery type. While the findings suggest an overall pattern of improvement in eating patterns following bariatric surgery, they also highlight how a return to preoperative habits may begin as early as 6 months after surgery. Additional research is needed to understand mechanisms that promote changes in eating behavior after surgery, and how best to intervene to preserve beneficial effects.


Subject(s)
Gastric Bypass , Obesity, Morbid , Humans , Appetite , Obesity, Morbid/surgery , Retrospective Studies , Ecological Momentary Assessment , Gastrectomy , Feeding Behavior
4.
Adm Policy Ment Health ; 50(3): 417-426, 2023 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36609956

ABSTRACT

Over the past decade, healthcare providers nationwide have contended with a growing boarding crisis as pediatric patients await psychiatric treatment in emergency departments (EDs). COVID-19 has exacerbated this urgent youth mental health crisis, driving EDs to act as crisis units. Journey mapping is a robust methodology with which to examine strengths and challenges in patient care workflows such as boarding and emergency psychiatric care. Psychiatric, emergency medicine, and hospitalist providers serving patients boarding at a northeastern children's hospital participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Investigators conducted directed content analysis with an inductive approach to identify facilitators, barriers, and persistent needs of boarding patients, which were summarized in a patient journey map. Findings were presented to participants for feedback and further refinement. Quantitative data showed a three-fold increase in the number of patients who boarded over the past three years and a 60% increase in the average time spent boarding in the ED. Emergent qualitative data indicated three stages in the boarding process: Initial Evaluation, Admitted to Board, and Discharge. Data highlighted positive and negative factors affecting patient safety, availability of beds in pediatric hospital and psychiatric inpatient settings, high patient-provider ratios that limited staffing support, and roadblocks in care coordination and disposition planning. Patient journey mapping provided insight into providers' experiences serving patients boarding for psychiatric reasons. Findings described bright points and pain points at each stage of the boarding process with implications for psychiatric care and systemic changes to reduce boarding volume and length of stay.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mental Disorders , Humans , Adolescent , Child , Mental Disorders/therapy , Mental Disorders/psychology , Hospitalization , Emergency Service, Hospital , Patient Discharge , Length of Stay , Patient Admission , Retrospective Studies
5.
PLoS One ; 16(10): e0258082, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34597317

ABSTRACT

Adolescents with a history of child maltreatment experience increased risk for psychopathology that sets them on a trajectory towards a range of difficulties in adulthood. Various factors influence caregivers' decisions to seek mental health services (MHS) that could improve developmental outcomes. The present study applied a machine learning algorithm, elastic net, to a sample of 878 adolescent-caregiver dyads from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. Analyses simultaneously examined a large number of factors to determine their ability to discriminate between caregivers who perceived a need for MHS and those who did not, as well as caregivers who utilized MHS and those who did not. Results highlight family demographics, chronic parental stressors, youth psychopathology, and exposure to recent adversities as good classifiers of caregiver perceived need for (77.6%; sensitivity = .77; specificity = .78) and utilization of (71%; sensitivity = .71; specificity = .71) adolescent MHS. Elastic net identified adolescent clinical externalizing and internalizing problems, and parental stress related to child(ren)'s behavior as high value classifiers of both outcomes. Youth living with non-kin caregivers were also significantly more likely to utilize MHS. Findings highlight the importance of assessing clinical need, stress related to child(ren)'s behavior, and caregiver kinship in understanding the likelihood that at-risk families will seek adolescent MHS.


Subject(s)
Adolescent Health Services , Child Abuse/psychology , Mental Health Services , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male
6.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33319214

ABSTRACT

Estimates in dissemination, implementation, and services (DIS) research continue to present a 17-year lag for implementation of only 14% of evidence-based clinical services and technologies in practice (Chambers, 2018) - especially troubling for communities characterized by disproportionately high rates of poverty, crime and mental health need (Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012). Academic-community partnerships offer pathways by which to speed the transport of evidence-based innovations; however, a range of challenges can disrupt implementation and adoption (Damschroder et al., 2009). This manuscript presents Compassion-Oriented Reflection and Engagement (CORE), a framework to inform academic collaborators' perspectives and practices towards building flexible, responsive partnerships with youth-serving community-based organizations.

7.
Ethics Behav ; 30(5): 311-325, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32982127

ABSTRACT

Efforts towards adaptation, dissemination, and implementation of culturally robust, evidence-informed mental healthcare rely on community-engaged research (CEnR). Academic-community partnerships help bring science to service for vulnerable and historically disenfranchised populations (e.g., communities of color and those characterized by poverty). A growing literature supports the development of a framework of ethics for CEnR. This article examines ethical tensions in the context of the American Psychological Association Ethics Code General Principles - Beneficence and Nonmaleficence; Fidelity and Responsibility; Integrity; Justice; and Respect for People's Rights and Dignity - and presents the 4R action plan to support application of APA guidelines to academic-community partnership with youth-serving organizations.

8.
Am J Community Psychol ; 63(3-4): 430-443, 2019 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31002394

ABSTRACT

Organized after-school programs can mitigate risk and build resilience for youth in urban communities. Benefits rely on high-quality developmental experiences characterized by a supportive environment, structured youth-adult interactions, and opportunities for reflective engagement. Programs in historically disenfranchised communities are underfunded; staff are transient, underpaid, and undertrained; and youth exhibit significant mental health problems which staff are variably equipped to address. Historically, after-school research has focused on behavior management and social-emotional learning, relying on traditional evidence-based interventions designed for and tested in schools. However, after-school workforce and resource limitations interfere with adoption of empirically supported strategies and youth health promotion. We have engaged in practice-based research with urban after-school programs in economically vulnerable communities for nearly two decades, toward building a resource-efficient, empirically informed multitiered model of workforce support. In this paper, we offer first-person accounts of four academic-community partnerships to illustrate common challenges, variability across programs, and recommendations that prioritize core skills underlying risk and resilience, align with individual program goals, and leverage without overextending natural routines and resources. Reframing obstacles as opportunities has revealed the application of mental health kernels to the after-school program workforce support and inspired lessons regarding sustainability of partnerships and practice.


Subject(s)
Education , Mentoring , Parks, Recreational , Workforce , Child , Child Care , Evidence-Based Practice , Health Promotion , Health Resources , Humans , Schools , Social Learning , Urban Population
9.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry ; 57(3): 153-165, 2018 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29496124

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Given problems and disparities in the use of community-based mental health services for youth, school personnel have assumed frontline mental health service roles. To date, most research on school-based services has evaluated analog educational contexts with services implemented by highly trained study staff, and little is known about the effectiveness of school-based mental health services when implemented by school professionals. METHOD: Random-effects meta-analytic procedures were used to synthesize effects of school-based mental health services for elementary school-age children delivered by school personnel and potential moderators of treatment response. Forty-three controlled trials evaluating 49,941 elementary school-age children met the selection criteria (mean grade 2.86, 60.3% boys). RESULTS: Overall, school-based services demonstrated a small-to-medium effect (Hedges g = 0.39) in decreasing mental health problems, with the largest effects found for targeted intervention (Hedges g = 0.76), followed by selective prevention (Hedges g = 0.67), compared with universal prevention (Hedges g = 0.29). Mental health services integrated into students' academic instruction (Hedges g = 0.59), those targeting externalizing problems (Hedges g = 0.50), those incorporating contingency management (Hedges g = 0.57), and those implemented multiple times per week (Hedges g = 0.50) showed particularly strong effects. CONCLUSION: Considering serious barriers precluding youth from accessing necessary mental health care, the present meta-analysis suggests child psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are wise to recognize the important role that school personnel, who are naturally in children's lives, can play in decreasing child mental health problems.


Subject(s)
Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Mental Health Services/statistics & numerical data , School Health Services , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/therapy , Students
10.
Behav Ther ; 49(2): 249-261, 2018 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29530263

ABSTRACT

Anxiety disorders are collectively the most prevalent mental health problems affecting youth. To increase the reach of mental health care, recent years have seen increasing enthusiasm surrounding mobile platforms for expanding treatment delivery options. Apps developed in academia and supported in clinical trials are slow to reach the consumer marketplace. Meanwhile, proliferation of industry-developed apps on consumer marketplaces has been high. The present study analyzed content within mobile products prominently marketed toward consumers for anxiety in youth. Systematic inventory of the Google Play Store and Apple Store using keyword searches for child and adolescent anxiety yielded 121 apps, which were evaluated on the basis of their descriptive characteristics, mobile functionalities, and adherence to evidence-based treatment principles. Findings revealed that evidence-based treatment content within the sample is scant and few comprehensive anxiety self-management apps were identified. Advanced features that leverage the broader functionalities of smartphone capabilities (e.g., sensors, ecological momentary assessments) were rarely present. Findings underscore the need to increase the prominence and accessibility of quality child anxiety intervention products for consumers. Strategies for improving marketing of supported apps to better penetrate consumer markets are discussed.


Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Mobile Applications/standards , Smartphone , Telemedicine , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Smartphone/standards , Telemedicine/standards
11.
Depress Anxiety ; 34(9): 786-793, 2017 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28661053

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Social networking services (SNS) have rapidly become a central platform for adolescents' social interactions and media consumption patterns. The present study examined a representative sample of publicly accessible content related to deliberate self-injurious cutting across three SNS platforms: Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. METHODS: Data collection simulated searches for publicly available deliberate self-injury content on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Over a six-month period at randomly generated time points, data were obtained by searching "#cutting" on each SNS platform and collecting the first 10 posts generated. Independent evaluators coded posts for presence of the following: (a) graphic content, (b) negative self-evaluations, (c) references to mental health terms, (d) discouragement of deliberate self-injury, and (e) recovery-oriented resources. Differences across platforms were examined. RESULTS: Data collection yielded a sample of 1,155 public posts (770 of which were related to mental health). Roughly 60% of sampled posts depicted graphic content, almost half included negative self-evaluations, only 9.5% discouraged self-injury, and <1% included formal recovery resources. Instagram posts displayed the greatest proportion of graphic content and negative self-evaluations, whereas Twitter exhibited the smallest proportion of each. CONCLUSIONS: Findings characterize the graphic nature of online SNS deliberate self-injury content and the relative absence of SNS-posted resources for populations seeking out deliberate self-injurious cutting content. Mental health professionals must recognize the rapidly changing landscape of adolescent media consumption, influences, and social interaction as they may pertain to self-harm patterns.


Subject(s)
Self-Injurious Behavior , Social Media , Social Networking , Humans , Social Media/statistics & numerical data
12.
J Consult Clin Psychol ; 85(9): 909-917, 2017 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28650194

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Remote technologies are increasingly being leveraged to expand the reach of supported care, but applications to early child-behavior problems have been limited. This is the first controlled trial examining video-teleconferencing to remotely deliver behavioral parent training to the home setting with a live therapist. METHOD: Racially/ethnically diverse children ages 3-5 years with disruptive behavior disorders, and their caregiver(s), using webcams and parent-worn Bluetooth earpieces, participated in a randomized trial comparing Internet-delivered parent-child interaction therapy (I-PCIT) versus standard clinic-based PCIT (N = 40). Major assessments were conducted at baseline, midtreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Linear regressions and hierarchical linear modeling using maximum-likelihood estimation were used to analyze treatment satisfaction, diagnoses, symptoms, functioning, and burden to parents across conditions. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses found 70% and 55% of children treated with I-PCIT and clinic-based PCIT, respectively, showed "treatment response" after treatment, and 55% and 40% of children treated with I-PCIT and clinic-based PCIT, respectively, continued to show "treatment response" at 6-month follow-up. Both treatments had significant effects on children's symptoms and burden to parents, and many effects were very large in magnitude. Most outcomes were comparable across conditions, except that the rate of posttreatment "excellent response" was significantly higher in I-PCIT than in clinic-based PCIT, and I-PCIT was associated with significantly fewer parent-perceived barriers to treatment than clinic-based PCIT. Both treatments were associated with positive engagement, treatment retention, and very high treatment satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Findings build on the small but growing literature supporting the promising role of new technologies for expanding the delivery of behavioral parent training. (PsycINFO Database Record


Subject(s)
Behavior Therapy/methods , Conduct Disorder/therapy , Education, Nonprofessional/methods , Parent-Child Relations , Telemedicine/methods , Adult , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Internet , Male
13.
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol ; 46(3): 331-342, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26538213

ABSTRACT

Despite research documenting the scope of disaster-related posttraumatic stress (PTS) in youth, less is known about how family processes immediately postdisaster might associate with child outcomes. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing affords a unique opportunity to assess links between immediate family discussions about community trauma and child mental health outcomes. The present study examined associations between attack-related household discussions and child PTS among Boston-area youth ages 4 to 19 following the Marathon bombing (N = 460). Caregivers completed surveys 2 to 6 months postattack about immediate household discussions about the events, child exposure to potentially traumatic attack-related experiences, and child PTS. During the Marathon bombing and manhunt, there was considerable heterogeneity in household discussions across area families, and several discussion items were differentially predictive of variability in children's PTS. Specifically, after controlling for children's direct exposure to the potentially traumatic attack/manhunt events, children showed lower PTS when it was their caregivers who informed them about the attack and manhunt, and when their caregivers expressed confidence in their safety and discussed their own feelings about the manhunt with their child. Children showed higher PTS when their caregivers did not discuss the events in front of them, asked others to avoid discussing the events in front of them, and expressed concern at the time that their child might not be safe. Child age and traumatic attack/manhunt exposure moderated several links between household discussions and child PTS. Findings underscore the importance of family communication and caregiver modeling during times of community threat and uncertainty.


Subject(s)
Bombs , Caregivers/psychology , Disasters , Mass Casualty Incidents/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Boston , Child , Child, Preschool , Communication , Cross-Sectional Studies , Family , Female , Humans , Male , Parents , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
14.
J Anxiety Disord ; 45: 17-23, 2017 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27907833

ABSTRACT

Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), defined as the dispositional interpretation of uncertain or ambiguous events as stressful and problematic, has been linked to excessive worry and other anxiety-related problems in adults and youth. IU has been conceptualized as a vulnerability factor for excessive worry and anxiety, but the historical absence of a supported measure of IU in young children has hampered longitudinal research needed to evaluate temporal relationships between IU and anxiety and the differential developmental pathways of IU leading to different anxiety disorders and depression. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of a newly developed 17-item parent-report measure of younger children's Responses to Uncertainty and Low Environmental Structure (i.e., the RULES questionnaire). We examined the preliminary structure, reliability, and validity of the RULES within a treatment-seeking sample of children aged 3-10 (N=160) with anxiety. Findings from an exploratory factor analysis supported a one-factor model that retained all 17 items. The RULES demonstrated strong internal consistency, and predictive, convergent, and divergent validity. In this early childhood sample, the RULES also showed stronger associations with anxiety than did a previously supported measure of IU developed for older youth, and showed preliminary sensitivity to treatment-related change. Findings provide preliminary psychometric support for the RULES as a parent-report measure of children's responses to uncertainty and low environmental structure that may inform etiologic models of anxiety.


Subject(s)
Anxiety/diagnosis , Social Environment , Uncertainty , Anxiety/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Personality , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires
15.
J Consult Clin Psychol ; 85(2): 178-186, 2017 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27869451

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Despite advances in supported treatments for early onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), progress has been constrained by regionally limited expertise in pediatric OCD. Videoteleconferencing (VTC) methods have proved useful for extending the reach of services for older individuals, but no randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have evaluated VTC for treating early onset OCD. METHOD: RCT comparing VTC-delivered family based cognitive-behavioral therapy (FB-CBT) versus clinic-based FB-CBT in the treatment of children ages 4-8 with OCD (N = 22). Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up assessments included mother-/therapist-reports and independent evaluations masked to treatment condition. Primary analyses focused on treatment retention, engagement and satisfaction. Hierarchical linear modeling preliminarily evaluated the effects of time, treatment condition, and their interactions. "Excellent response" was defined as a 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale. RESULTS: Treatment retention, engagement, alliance and satisfaction were high across conditions. Symptom trajectories and family accommodation across both conditions showed outcomes improving from baseline to posttreatment, and continuing through follow-up. At posttreatment, 72.7% of Internet cases and 60% of Clinic cases showed "excellent response," and at follow-up 80% of Internet cases and 66.7% of Clinic cases showed "excellent response." Significant condition differences were not found across outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: VTC methods may offer solutions to overcoming traditional barriers to care for early onset OCD by extending the reach of real-time expert services regardless of children's geographic proximity to quality care. (PsycINFO Database Record


Subject(s)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Family Therapy/methods , Internet , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/therapy , Telemedicine/methods , Videoconferencing , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Pilot Projects , Treatment Outcome
16.
Depress Anxiety ; 34(4): 367-373, 2017 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27433832

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The DSM-5 includes a revised definition of the experiences that qualify as potentially traumatic events. This revised definition now offers a clearer and more exclusive definition of what qualifies as a traumatic exposure, but little is known about the revision's applicability to youth populations. The present study evaluated the predictive utility of the revised DSM definitional boundaries of traumatic exposure in a sample of youth exposed to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and related events METHODS: Caregivers (N = 460) completed surveys 2 to 6 months postbombing about youth experiences during the events and youth posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms RESULTS: Experiencing DSM-5 qualifying traumatic events (DSM-5 QTEs) significantly predicted child PTS symptoms (PTSS), whereas DSM-5 nonqualifying stressful experiences (DSM-5 non-QSEs) did not after accounting for DSM-5 QTEs. Importantly, child age moderated the relationship between DSM-5 QTEs and PTSS such that children 7 and older who experienced DSM-5 QTEs showed greater postbombing PTSS, whereas there was no such relationship in children ages 6 and below CONCLUSIONS: Data largely support the revised posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) definition of QTEs in older youth, and also highlight the need for further refinement of the QTE definition for children ages 6 and below.


Subject(s)
Bombs , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Terrorism/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Boston , Caregivers , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
17.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol ; 26(3): 192-7, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26491819

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, rapid advances in the sophistication and accessibility of new technologies for consumer use have been leveraged to meaningfully expand the scope of mental health services for youth. However, despite many potential benefits inherent in applying new technologies to improve the accessibility and quality of care, organizations and private providers looking to expand their services with telemental health (TMH) service options may find the broad range of software packages and hardware options daunting. METHODS: We summarize key considerations for adopting a videoteleconferencing (VTC) system, and provide recommendations for institutions and providers planning to launch TMH services at varying levels. RESULTS: Although there is currently no single combination of VTC software and equipment that works best for every provider, certain factors such as cost, ease of use, and system functionality contribute to the setup that may serve as the "best fit" for practitioners' and clients' needs. CONCLUSIONS: Careful consideration of these system characteristics and their bearing on institutional functioning, quality of services, and client satisfaction and privacy prior to VTC installation can proactively reduce difficulties after TMH implementation.


Subject(s)
Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Telemedicine/methods , Videoconferencing/instrumentation , Videoconferencing/organization & administration , Adolescent , Child , Humans
18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29104931

ABSTRACT

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent and impairing classes of mental health difficulties affecting young children. Though the vast majority of supported programs for child anxiety focus on youth ages 7 years and up, preliminary support has emerged for exposure-based adaptations of parent-coaching interventions, i.e., the Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) CALM Program, to address anxiety disorders in early childhood. Despite these advances, low rates of community service use and accessibility persist. The increased ubiquity of Internet access has positioned videoteleconferencing (VTC) as a powerful tool to overcome traditional barriers to care. The present case study details the VTC delivery of the PCIT CALM Program in the treatment of a 6 year-old boy presenting with generalized anxiety disorder and separation anxiety disorder. This case provides qualitative support for the feasibility of delivering integrated real-time parent coaching and exposure therapy to address early childhood anxiety disorders via VTC. The remission of the patient's anxiety across treatment sessions suggests that the telehealth format may be a useful modality for the delivery of early childhood anxiety treatment. The technical considerations for the delivery of VTC therapy as well as the implications for treatment are discussed.

19.
Depress Anxiety ; 32(7): 502-8, 2015 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25845579

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In DSM-5, the agoraphobia core symptom criterion has been revised to require fear about multiple situations from across at least two distinct domains in which escape might be difficult or panic-like symptoms might develop. The present study examined patterns and correlates of the recent change in a sample of anxious youth with symptom presentations consistent with the DSM-IV agoraphobia definition and/or specific phobia (SP) to consider how the recent diagnostic change impacts the prevalence and composition of agoraphobia in children and adolescents. METHOD: Analyses (N = 151) evaluated impairment and correlates of agoraphobic youth who no longer meet the DSM-5 agoraphobia criteria relative to agoraphobic youth who do meet the new DSM-5 criteria. Secondary analyses compared agoraphobic youth not meeting DSM-5 criteria to SP youth. RESULTS: One-quarter of youth with symptom presentations consistent with the DSM-IV agoraphobia definition no longer met criteria for DSM-5 agoraphobia, but showed comparable severity and impairment across most domains to youth who do meet criteria for DSM-5 agoraphobia. Further, these youth showed higher levels of anxiety sensitivity and internalizing psychopathology relative to youth with SP. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of impaired youth with considerable agoraphobic symptom presentations have been left without a specified anxiety diagnosis by the DSM-5, which may affect their ability to receive and/or get coverage for services and their representation in treatment evaluations. Future DSM iterations may do well to include a "circumscribed" agoraphobia specifier that would characterize presentations of fear or anxiety about multiple situations, but that do not span across at least two distinct situational domains.


Subject(s)
Agoraphobia/diagnosis , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Phobic Disorders/diagnosis , Adolescent , Agoraphobia/classification , Agoraphobia/physiopathology , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Phobic Disorders/classification , Phobic Disorders/physiopathology
20.
J Affect Disord ; 167: 50-5, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25082114

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Disasters are associated with myriad negative outcomes in youth, including posttraumatic stress disorder and related psychopathology. Prior work suggests links between caregiver distress and child mental health outcomes following community traumas, but the extent to which caregiver distress is directly linked to post-disaster child functioning, or whether such associations may simply be due to shared traumatic exposure, remains unclear. METHODS: The current study examined relationships among caregiver distress, caregiver-child shared traumatic exposure, and child outcomes in Boston-area families (N=460) during the six months following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Parents completed surveys about their and their child׳s potentially traumatic experiences during the bombing and subsequent manhunt. Post-attack caregiver distress and child psychological functioning were also assessed. RESULTS: After accounting for caregiver-child shared traumatic exposure, significant associations were retained between caregiver distress and child functioning across several domains. Furthermore, after accounting for caregiver traumatic exposure, caregiver distress moderated relationships between child traumatic exposure and child posttraumatic stress and conduct problems, such that associations between child traumatic exposure and child posttraumatic stress and conduct problems were particularly strong among children of highly distressed caregivers. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design did not permit evaluations across time, and population-based methods were not applied. CONCLUSIONS: Findings clarify links between caregiver distress and child psychopathology in the aftermath of disaster and can inform optimal allocation of clinical resources targeting disaster-affected youth and their families.


Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Caregivers/psychology , Mass Casualty Incidents/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology , Adolescent , Adult , Boston/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Parents , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Young Adult
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