The “Cool” Kids & Pseudomature Behavior

What Ever Happened to the “Cool” Kids? Long-Term Sequelae of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior
Child Development. 11 JUN 2014
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12250/abstract
Joseph P. Allen, et al.

Pseudomature behavior—ranging from minor delinquency to precocious romantic involvement—is widely viewed as a nearly normative feature of adolescence.
When such behavior occurs early in adolescence, however, it was hypothesized to reflect a misguided overemphasis upon impressing peers and was considered likely to predict long-term adjustment problems.
In a multimethod, multireporter study following a community sample of 184 adolescents from ages 13 to 23, early adolescent pseudomature behavior was linked cross-sectionally to a heightened desire for peer popularity and to short-term success with peers.
Longitudinal results, however, supported the study’s central hypothesis: Early adolescent pseudomature behavior predicted long-term difficulties in close relationships, as well as significant problems with alcohol and substance use, and elevated levels of criminal behavior.

more on peer pressure:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/08/18/339593542/the-power-of-the-peer-group-in-preventing-campus-rape

Brain changes precede schizophrenia and autism

In children with certain gene variants, symptoms similar to common learning disabilities could be omens of serious psychiatric conditions.

Brain changes precede schizophrenia and autism
Carriers of high-risk genes show cognitive impairments and could benefit from early intervention.
18 December 2013
http://www.nature.com/news/brain-changes-precede-schizophrenia-and-autism-1.14415

People who carry high-risk genetic variants for schizophrenia and autism have impairments reminiscent of disorders such as dyslexia, even when they do not yet have a mental illness, a new study has found.
The findings offer a window into the brain changes that precede severe mental illness and hold promise for early intervention and even prevention.

Rare genetic alterations called copy number variants (CNVs), in which certain segments of the genome have an abnormal number of copies, play an important part in psychiatric disorders: Individuals who carry certain CNVs have a several-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia or autism.
But previous studies were based on individuals who already have a psychiatric disorder, and until now, no one had looked at what effects these CNVs have in the general population.
people with these variants but no diagnosis of autism or a mental illness still show subtle brain changes and impairments in cognitive function.

People carrying the variants performed worse than controls from the general population on cognitive tests and measures of general day-to-day functioning, and they were more likely to show a history of various learning disabilities.
For instance, carriers of one particular CNV, a deletion in a specific region of chromosome 15, tend to have a history of dyslexia and a difficulty in understanding numbers.
MRI showed that the same deletion alters brain structure in a way also seen in individuals with early stages of psychosis, and in individuals with dyslexia.

“It’s not as if [the variants] are just one incremental factor in your risk for psychosis … “They actually are impacting cognition in a significant way.”

DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry
http://websitedev.aacap.org

The new guidebook, DSM-5, contains significant changes to the criteria currently used to diagnose autism, including incorporating several diagnoses into the single diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). AACAP crafted a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help families who have a child with autism understand the impact of these changes.
In addition, we updated the Fact for Families on Asperger’s. For more information, visit AACAP’s Autism Resource Center.

AACAP also created a new Facts for Families on the new diagnosis Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD).

AACAP > Living with Mental Illness: Books

Living with Mental Illness: Books
American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Resources_for_Primary_Care/Information_for_Patients_and_Their_Families/Books/Home.aspx
Some families and children who have experience with mental illness choose to share their stories. These first-hand accounts can be rich educational tools and therapeutic resources.

Psychodynamic Readings
American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Medical_Students_and_Residents/Residents_and_Fellows/Home.aspx
an annotated bibliography created by members of the Psychotherapy Committee that contains some of the best papers and books to help you learn about psychotherapy with children and adolescents.

related:
http://www.nami.org

The neurobiology of psychopathic traits in youths

The neurobiology of psychopathic traits in youths
R. James R. Blair
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2013)
http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v14/n11/full/nrn3577.html

Conduct disorder is a childhood behavior disorder that is characterized by persistent aggressive or antisocial behavior that disrupts the child’s environment and impairs his or her functioning.

A proportion of children with conduct disorder have psychopathic traits.

Psychopathic traits consist of a callous–unemotional component and an impulsive–antisocial component, which are associated with two core impairments.

The first is a reduced empathic response to the distress of other individuals, which primarily reflects reduced amygdala responsiveness to distress cues; the second is deficits in decision making and in reinforcement learning, which reflects dysfunction in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and striatum.

Genetic and prenatal factors contribute to the abnormal development of these neural systems, and social–environmental variables that affect motivation influence the probability that antisocial behavior will be subsequently displayed.

The Long Battle to Rethink Mental Illness in Children

The Long Battle to Rethink Mental Illness in Children
October 18, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444273704577633412579112188.html

define a new children’s disease called Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder—a condition characterized by children who are constantly irritable and can be explosive.
This differs from bipolar disorder, which is characterized by periods of depression and “manic” episodes—extreme swings of happiness or irritability.

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Saying nothing says a lot
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/01/13/376720559/grieving-in-the-classroom

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Mental-Health/Pages/default.aspx

Parent Video: Medication Treatment for Childhood Mood Problems
Effective Child Therapy Resource Library
May 30, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcSicUPRnxo
http://effectivechildtherapy.fiu.edu/parents

cp123