Esther I. de Bruin

Differences in finger length ratio between males with autism, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, ADHD, and anxiety disorders

Children with autism have a relatively shorter index finger (2D) compared with their ring finger (4D). It is often presumed that the 2D:4D ratio is associated with fetal testosterone levels and that high fetal testosterone levels could play a role in the aetiology of autism. It is unknown whether this effect is specific to autism. In this study, 2D:4D ratios of 144 males aged 6 to 14 years (mean age 9y 1 mo [SD 1y 11 mo]) with psychiatric disorders were compared with those of 96 males aged 6 to 13 years from the general population (mean age 9y 1 mo [SD 1y 10 mo]). Psychiatric disorders were divided into autism/Asperger syndrome (n=24), pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS; n=26), attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/oppositional defiant disorder (ODD; n=68), and anxiety disorders (n=26). Males with autism/Asperger syndrome (p<0.05) and ADHD/ODD (p<0.05) had significantly lower (though not significantly; p=0.52) ratios than males with an anxiety disorder, and males with autism/Asperger syndrome had lower ratios than those in the comparison group. These results indicated that higher fetal testosterone levels may play a role, not only in the origin of autism, but also in the aetiology of PDD-NOS and of ADHD/ODD. Males with anxiety disorders might have been exposed to lower prenatal testosterone levels.

Psychometric Properties of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in a Meditating and a Non-Meditating Sample.

The factor structure, internal consistency, construct validity, and predictive validity of the Dutch version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-NL) were studied in a sample of meditators (n = 288) and nonmeditators (n = 451). A five-factor structure was demonstrated in both samples, and the FFMQ-NL and its subscales were shown to have good internal consistencies. Meditators scored higher on all facets of the FFMQ-NL than the participants in the nonmeditating sample. For both samples, expected negative correlations between most mindfulness facets (all except for the Observing facet) and the constructs of alexithymia, thought suppression, rumination, worry, and dissociation were found. The Observing facet of the FFMQ-NL showed an unexpected positive correlation with thought suppression in the nonmeditating sample. Furthermore, as expected, mindfulness facets were negatively related to psychological symptoms, and all mindfulness facets except for Observing and Describing significantly predicted psychological symptoms. Overall, the Dutch FFMQ demonstrated favorable psychometric properties, commensurate with its (original) English language version.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): parents' judgment about school, teachers' judgment about home.

Abstract.Objective:The aim of this study was to separate sources of observer and situational variance in reporting attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology.Method:In a sample of 30 children diagnosed with ADHD, ADHD symptomatology was assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–Parent Version (DISC-P), with parents and teachers as informants. Both parents and teachers reported about the child’s ADHD symptomatology at home as well as at school.Results:Parents and teachers showed high within-observer cross-situational presence of ADHD symptoms. However, the between-observer agreement on the presence of ADHD symptoms within the same situation (home or school) was low. This pattern held equally true for attention/concentration and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom scores.Conclusions:In evaluating ADHD symptomatology, it is important to obtain independent reports about the child’s behaviour at school from the teacher and about the child’s behaviour at home from the parents.

MYmind: Mindfulness training for Youngsters with autism spectrum disorders and their parents:

Background: Despite the dramatic increase in autism spectrum disorder in youth and the extremely high costs, hardly any evidence-based interventions are available. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of mindfulness training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, combined with Mindful Parenting training. Method: A total of 23 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, referred to a mental health clinic, received nine weekly sessions of mindfulness training in group format. Their parents (18 mothers, 11 fathers) participated in parallel Mindful Parenting training. A pre-test, post-test, and 9-week follow-up design was used. Data were analyzed using multi-level analyses. Results: Attendance rate was 88% for adolescents and fathers and 86% for mothers. Adolescents reported an increase in quality of life and a decrease in rumination, but no changes in worry, autism spectrum disorder core symptoms, or mindful awareness. Although parents reported no change in adolescent’s autism spectrum disorder core symptoms, they reported improved social responsiveness, social communication, social cognition, preoccupations, and social motivation. About themselves, parents reported improvement in general as well as in parental mindfulness. They reported improved competence in parenting, overall parenting styles, more specifically a less lax, verbose parenting style, and an increased quality of life. Discussion: Mindfulness training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder combined with Mindful Parenting is feasible. Although the sample size was small and no control group was included, the first outcomes of this innovative training are positive.

Autistic features in girls from a psychiatric sample are strongly associated with a low 2D:4D ratio

Autistic features such as deficits in social interactions and communication have been associated with a low 2D:4D ratio in normal children.This study assessed this association in a large sample of children with a variety of psychiatric disorders (n = 35 girls and n = 147 boys). Autistic features were assessed with a highly valid and reliable measure (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Generic). Correlations between the 2D:4D ratio and autistic features were computed separately for boys and girls. Some small negative correlations (r = —0.17 and r = —0.19) were found in the right hand for boys; however, particularly in girls, large negative correlations (r = —0.51 to r = —0.64) were found in the left hand. A low 2D:4D ratio in girls was highly predictive of the presence of autistic features. Thus, a low ratio could possibly be used as a diagnostic predictor in clinical practice.

Mindful Parenting Training in Child Psychiatric Settings: Heightened Parental Mindfulness Reduces Parents' and Children's Psychopathology.

Mindful parenting training is an application of mindfulness-based interventions that allows parents to perceive their children with unbiased and open attention without prejudgment and become more attentive and less reactive in their parenting. This study examined the effectiveness of mindful parenting training in a clinical setting on child and parental psychopathology and of mindfulness as a predictor of these outcomes. Seventy parents of 70 children (mean age = 8.7) who were referred to a mental health care clinic because of their children’s psychopathology participated in an 8-week mindful parenting training. Parents completed questionnaires at pre-test, post-test and 8-week follow-up. A significant decrease was found in children’s and parents’ psychopathology and a significant increase in mindful parenting and in general mindful awareness. Improvement in general mindful awareness, but not mindful parenting, was found to predict a reduction in parental psychopathology, whereas improvement in mindful parenting, but not general mindful awareness, predicted the reduction of child psychopathology. This study adds to the emerging body of evidence indicating that mindful parenting training is effective for parents themselves and, indirectly, for their children suffering from psychopathology. As parents’ increased mindful parenting, but not increased general mindfulness, is found to predict child psychopathology, mindful parenting training rather than general mindfulness training appears to be the training of choice. However, RCTs comparing mindful parenting to general mindfulness training and to parent management training are needed in order to shed more light on the effects of mindful parenting and mechanisms of change.

Does mindfulness meditation increase empathy? An experiment

Abstract Cultivating empathy is a presumed benefit of mindfulness, but this possibility has rarely been investigated experimentally. We examined whether a five-minute mindfulness exercise would cultivate empathy relative to two equally brief control exercises: relaxation and mind-wandering. We further examined whether mindfulness would be especially beneficial for people with autistic or narcissistic traits. Results showed no effect of mindfulness relative to both control conditions on mind reading, empathic responding, or prosocial behavior. Mindfulness effects were independent of autistic traits. Unexpectedly, people higher in autistic traits did show increased prosocial behavior across conditions. Intriguingly, mindfulness improved mind reading in non-narcissistic people, but reduced it in narcissistic people. These findings question whether a brief mindfulness exercise is sufficient for building empathy.

Assessment of formal thought disorder: The relation between the Kiddie Formal Thought Disorder Rating Scale and clinical judgment

The presence of formal thought disorder (FTD) in childhood is sometimes viewed as a possible precursor of psychotic symptoms or adult schizophrenia. It is possible to assess FTD in childhood in a valid and reliable manner, by using the Kiddie Formal Thought Disorder Rating Scale (K-FTDS). However, training and rating procedures are very time consuming, and may be particularly difficult during clinical assessment. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the clinicians rapid judgment of FTD to the detailed ratings of the K-FTDS. The K-FTDS was administered to 172 consecutively referred children, aged 6 to 12 years and subsequently rated by two blind raters. The same criteria, as used in the K-FTDS (illogical thinking, loose associations, incoherence, and poverty of content of speech), were rated by nine clinicians. The overall agreement between K-FTDS scores and FTD scores as rated by the clinician was low. The clinicians judgment of FTD did not correspond very highly with ratings on the K-FTDS. Thus, although detecting FTD has important clinical value, the assessment of its presence or absence seemed to depend highly on which measure was used.

Social skills training in children with PDD-NOS: An exploratory study

Abstract Objective. A deficit in social interaction is characteristic for children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The aim of this exploratory study is to assess the effect of Social Skills Training (SST) in children with DSM-IV based PDD-NOS. Methods. Ten consecutively referred children (n = 3 girls and n = 7 boys, mean age = 8.5, mean Full Scale Intelligence Quotient [FSIQ] = 104) participated in the standardized SST in a university outpatient department of child psychiatry. The valid and reliable Childrens Social Behaviour Questionnaire (CSBQ) and Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) were filled out pre- and post treatment by parents and children respectively. Results. Parents CSBQ total and subscale “Social understanding” scores were significantly lower after the SST. Childrens scores on the subscale “Scholastic Competence” of the SPPC were significantly higher after SST, whereas their scores on the SPPC subscale “Physical Appearance” were significantly lower after SST as compared to before. Conclusions. This study provides a first indication of positive effects of SST in children with PDD-NOS.

The Association of Mindful Parenting with Glycemic Control and Quality of Life in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: Results from Diabetes MILES—The Netherlands

The objective of this study was to examine associations between the mindful parenting style of parents of adolescents (aged 12–18) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and the glycaemic control and quality of life (QoL) of the adolescents. Chronic health conditions, such as T1DM, that require demanding treatment regimens, can negatively impact adolescents’ quality of life. Therefore, it is important to determine whether mindful parenting may have a positive impact in these adolescents. Age, sex and duration of T1DM were examined as potential moderators. Parents (N = 215) reported on their own mindful parenting style (IM-P-NL) and the adolescents’ glycaemic control. Parents and the adolescents with T1DM (N = 129) both reported on adolescents’ generic and diabetes-specific QoL (PedsQL™). The results showed that a more mindful parenting style was associated with more optimal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values for boys. For girls, a more mindful parenting style was associated with not having been hospitalized for ketoacidosis. For both boys and girls, a more mindful parenting style was associated with better generic and diabetes-specific proxy-reported QoL. In conclusion, mindful parenting style may be a factor in helping adolescents manage their T1DM. Mindful parenting intervention studies for parents of adolescents with T1DM are needed to examine the effects on adolescents’ glycaemic control and their quality of life.