Unmet Needs and Classical Pitfalls in the Management of Adolescents With Behavioral Problems in Emergency.

While behavioral problems are the main reasons for adolescents to be referred to an emergency room for mental health problems, their clinical management remain usually heterogenous, poorly standardized, and associated with a low level of patient and family satisfaction. So far, most attention has been paid to the treatment of agitation, and few insights have been provided on the treatment plan of behavioral problems once the crisis is over and a psychiatric or medical condition ruled out. This perspective article represents an attempt to incorporate multiple theoretical approaches to provide a comprehensive and operational model for the management of adolescents with behavioral problems in an emergency department. Short hypothetical case vignettes illustrate the importance of considering several levels of analysis to understand the adolescent's problematic behavior which can be seen as a symptom of a medical/psychiatric condition (medical model), as a maladaptive strategy in a context of vulnerability (developmental model), and finally as a mode of communication in a context of ill-adapted relational patterns (systemic model). As behavioral problems in adolescence are a complex issue, frequently involving the intervention of professionals from various disciplines, being aware of such different levels of understanding could help to preclude any role confusion and to provide better targeted interventions.

Borderline personality disorder and prior suicide attempts define a severity gradient among hospitalized adolescent suicide attempters.

BACKGROUND: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and history of prior suicide attempt (SA) have been shown to be high predictors for subsequent suicide. However, no previous study has examined how both factors interact to modify clinical and suicide severity among adolescents. METHODS: This study presents a comprehensive assessment of 302 adolescents (265 girls, mean age = 14.7 years) hospitalized after a SA. To test clinical interactions between BPD and history of prior SA, the sample was divided into single attempters without BPD (non-BPD-SA, N = 80), single attempters with BPD (BPD-SA, N = 127) and multiple attempters with BPD (BPD-MA, N = 95). RESULTS: Univariate analyses revealed a severity gradient among the 3 groups with an additive effect of BPD on the clinical and suicide severity already conferred by a history of SA. This gradient encompassed categorical (anxiety and conduct disorders and non-suicidal-self-injury [NSSI]) and dimensional comorbidities (substance use and depression severity) and suicide characteristics (age at first SA). According to regression analyses, the BPD-MA group that was associated with the most severe clinical presentation also showed specific features: the first SA at a younger age and a higher prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and anxiety disorders. The BPD-MA group was not associated with higher impulsivity or frequency of negative life events. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings and to improve youth suicide prevention, future studies should systematically consider BPD and the efficacy of reinforcing early interventions for anxiety disorders and NSSI.

Repeating a suicide attempt during adolescence: risk and protective factors 12 months after hospitalization.

Suicide attempts (SAs) are a public health concern in adolescence. A brief hospitalization is recommended, but access to inpatient wards is often not available. In addition, numerous risk factors for SA recurrence have been identified, but few studies have explored protective factors. Here, we aimed to assess the role of both risk and protective factors on SA relapse in a context of free access to inpatient services. We performed a prospective follow-up study of 320 adolescents who were hospitalized for an SA between January 2011 and December 2014 in France. Assessments at baseline included socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, temperament, reasons for living, spirituality, and coping. Patients were re-evaluated at 6 months and 12 months for depression severity and SA relapse. A total of 135 and 91 patients (78 girls, 12 boys, aged 13-17) were followed up at 6 and 12 months, respectively. At the 12-month follow-up, 28 (30%) subjects had repeated an SA. Adolescents who either had a history of SA or were receiving psychotropic treatment at baseline were at higher risk of recurrence. Several variables had a protective effect: (1) productive coping skills, namely, working hard and achieving, physical recreation, and seeking relaxing diversions; (2) a particular temperament trait, namely, cooperativeness; and (3) having experienced more life events. We also found a significant interaction: the higher the depression score during follow-up, the lower the protective effect of productive coping. Our findings confirm that a history of SA and seeking psychiatric care with medication are risk factors for SA relapse. However, productive coping strategies and cooperativeness are protective factors, and the improvement of such strategies as well as treatment of persisting depression should be a goal of psychotherapy treatment offered to suicidal adolescents.

Evidence-based treatments for youths with severely dysregulated mood: a qualitative systematic review of trials for SMD and DMDD.

The aim of this literature review was to examine the evidence for psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments in subjects with severely dysregulated mood and to identify potential areas for improvements in research designs. A literature search was conducted using several databases for published (PubMed, PsycINFO) and ongoing (clinical trial registries) studies conducted in youths who met NIMH's criteria for Severe Mood Dysregulation (SMD) or the DSM-5 diagnosis of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). Eight completed studies were identified: three randomized trials, four open pilot studies and one case report. Seven ongoing studies were found in trial registries. The available evidence suggests potential efficacy of psychotherapies which have previously been developed for internalizing and externalizing disorders. The two main pharmacological strategies tested are, first, a monotherapy of psychostimulant or atypical antipsychotic such as risperidone, already used in the treatment of severe irritability in youths with developmental disorders; and second, the use of a serotonergic antidepressant as an add-on therapy in youths treated with psychostimulant. Ongoing studies will further clarify the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions for DMDD individuals and whether they should be given alone or in conjunction with other treatments. The short duration of the trials for a chronic disorder, the low number of studies, the lack of placebo or active comparator arm, and restrictive inclusion criteria in most of the controlled trials dramatically limit the interpretation of the results. Finally, future research should be conducted across multiple sites, with standardized procedures to measure DMDD symptoms reduction, and include a run-in period to limit placebo effect.