Emily Taylor

Normative data for the HADS from a large non-clinical sample.

OBJECTIVES To provide normative data for the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). DESIGN Repeated measures and correlational. METHODS The HADS was administered to a non-clinical sample, broadly representative of the general adult UK population (N = 1792) in terms of the distributions of age, gender and occupational status. Correlational analysis was used to determine the influence of demographic variables on HADS scores. RESULTS Demographic variables had only very modest influences on HADS scores. The reliability of the HADS is acceptable; the Anxiety and Depression scales are moderately correlated (.53). Tables to convert raw scores to percentiles are presented for females and males. CONCLUSIONS The present normative data allow clinicians to assess the rarity of a given HADS score, and thus provide a useful supplement to existing cut-off scores.

Suicidal behaviour in adolescents and young adults with ASD: findings from a systematic review.

Suicide is a major problem in Western society. However we have very little understanding of suicidal behaviour among individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of this review is to synthesise primary research on suicidal behaviour among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders in order to estimate prevalence and to identify and critically evaluate risk factors for suicidal behaviour in this population. Four primary research studies were identified for this review following a comprehensive literature search. The available research provides little empirical evidence for the processes underlying suicidal behaviour in adolescents and young adults with autism.

Design and development of a scale measuring fear of complications in type 1 diabetes

There are many determinants of glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes and poor glycaemic control have been reported as being more likely to have a greater fear of hypoglycaemia. The relationship between fear of diabetes‐related complications and glycaemic control is unclear, and therefore a brief measure of fear of diabetes complications was developed.

Barriers and facilitators to disclosing sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review

Children and young people often choose not to disclose sexual abuse, thus preventing access to help and allowing perpetrators to continue undetected. A nuanced understanding of the barriers (and facilitators) to disclosure is therefore of great relevance to practitioners and researchers. The literature was systematically searched for studies related to child and adolescent disclosures of sexual abuse. Thirteen studies were reviewed and assessed for methodological quality. Results of the review illustrate the heterogeneous nature of these empirical studies. Findings demonstrate that young people face a number of different barriers such as limited support, perceived negative consequences and feelings of self-blame, shame and guilt, when choosing to disclose. Being asked or prompted, through provision of developmentally appropriate information, about sexual abuse facilitates disclosure. The review highlights the need for robust, longitudinal studies with more sophisticated methodology to replicate findings. The review identifies the need for developmentally appropriate school-based intervention programmes that facilitate childrens disclosure by reducing feelings of responsibility, self-blame, guilt and shame. In addition, prevention programmes should encourage family members, friends and frontline professionals to identify clues of sexual abuse, to explicitly ask children about the possibility of sexual abuse and also to respond supportively should disclosures occur. Facilitating disclosure in this way is key to safeguarding victims and promoting better outcomes for child and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse.

A WEB-BASED SURVEY OF MOTHER–INFANT BOND, ATTACHMENT EXPERIENCES, AND METACOGNITION IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS FOLLOWING CHILDBIRTH

OBJECTIVE Postnatal depression is linked to adverse outcomes for parent and child, with metacognition and parenting experiences key variables in the development and maintenance of depression. The attachment between mother and infant is especially vulnerable to the effects of untreated postnatal depression. Despite high levels of reported postnatal stress symptoms, less attention has been given the relationship between attachment, metacognition, and postnatal traumatic symptoms in the context of birth trauma. This study tested several hypotheses regarding the relationships between recalled parenting experiences, metacognition, postnatal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression and perceptions of the mother-infant bond, confirming and extending upon metacognitive and mentalization theories. METHOD A Web-based, cross-sectional, self-report questionnaire design was employed in an analog sample of new mothers. Participants were 502 women recruited via open-access Web sites associated with birth organizations. Structural equation modeling was employed for the principal analysis. RESULTS Metacognition fully mediated the relationship between recalled parenting experiences and postnatal psychological outcomes. Posttraumatic stress was indirectly associated with maternal perceptions of the bond, with this relationship mediated by depression. CONCLUSION Metacognition may have a key role in postnatal psychological distress. Where postnatal depression or traumatic birth experiences are identified, screening for posttraumatic stress is strongly indicated.

Resilience and resilience factors in children in residential care: A systematic review

Young people raised in residential care settings are more vulnerable to poor mental health than peers in the general population. Resilience can protect mental health and promote recovery from adversity. The lack of a single clear conceptualization of resilience reflects its complex, multifaceted nature, but creates obstacles for measurement in this population. This review explored the conceptualization, operationalization and measurement of resilience in children and adolescents living in residential care settings. Databases were investigated up to November 2017 and fifteen studies were included. Among the resilience-related factors found, those promoting interpersonal relationships and development of a future focus and motivation were particularly noticeable. Overall, adolescents in residential care were reported as being more vulnerable and presenting more problems compared to peers. Higher levels of resilience were associated with better developmental outcomes. Recommendations are made to systematically include and evaluate resilience promoting design and interventions in residential care settings.

Effectiveness of art therapy with Paediatric populations affected by medical health conditions: A systematic review

Abstract Background: Visual art therapy has been widely used with children with medical health conditions within various settings. However, less is known about its effectiveness. The scope of this systematic review is to shed light on what benefit art therapy may have for ill health adjustment in youth populations. Methods: Electronic databases (Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, Scopus, Embase and Child and Adolescent Studies) were searched (1806–2017). Systematic methods for study selection and data extraction were used. Results: Twelve studies (N = 404 participants, 318 in the control group; aged between 2 and 19 years old, with various medical conditions) were included. Ten studies reported significant improvements concerning at least one outcome with an overall inconclusive trend toward effectiveness. Conclusions: Visual art therapy interventions were found weak in evidence quality. However, future evidence-based research designs could show the effectiveness of these interventions in health care settings.