The ADHD Assessment Quality Assurance Standard for Children and Teenagers (CAAQAS).

Around 5% of the children and teenagers worldwide are affected by Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD], making it a major public health concern. Recently, demand for assessments has substantially increased, putting strain on healthcare and waiting lists. There is concern that pressure to clear service bottlenecks is leading to variable quality and reliability of ADHD assessments in this population.

Debate: How much should nonspecialists be involved in mental health care when resources are limited? A perspective from low- and middle-income countries.

Millions of children and young people (CYP) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have no access to mental health care. This huge treatment gap is primarily due to limited availability of trained mental health professionals. We propose task-sharing as a scalable strategy to expand access to child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) interventions in LMICs.

Editorial: Equity, diversity and inclusion in child and adolescent mental health - equality of opportunities should be every child's right and every society's obligation.

Socio-ecological factors are major determinants of poor mental health across the life span. These factors can lead to health inequalities, which refer to differences in the health of individuals or groups (Kirkbride et al., 2024).

Debate: Involuntary treatment and detention are a necessary part of mental health care - a perspective from low and middle-income countries.

Mental health care is underpinned by human rights. However, certain mental health presentations can be associated with increased risk to self or others. Thus, appropriate and effective care plan to mitigate the risk may include a temporary restriction of the person's human rights.

A postgraduate training programme in child and adolescent mental health in a lower-middle-income country: a partnership model from Nigeria.

This paper describes a postgraduate training programme in child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) in Nigeria. It explains the background, curriculum development, teaching, evaluation and outcomes. By its 10th year the programme had trained 166 CAMH professionals from 14 African countries.

The correlation between stress response term babies with intrauterine growth restriction and adulthood disease theories.

Background: Every year, 14 million babies are born with low birth weight (LBW) and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in developing countries. In Sudan, 15-25% of all newborns are born with LBW, with half being Term-LBW. The importance of nutrition in the first 1000 days of life has been well demonstrated.

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on services for children and adolescents with ADHD: results from a survey of paediatricians in the United Kingdom.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has led to huge disruptions and multi-domain healthcare crisis, with additional impact on children and young people (CYP) affected by Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Methods: We conducted an online survey and obtained responses from 62 Paediatricians who provide ADHD services for CYP about their experience of Service disruption and adaptations during the first Covid-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom between March and June 2020. The responses were both quantitative and qualitative.

Community paediatricians' experience of joint working with child and adolescent mental health services: findings from a British national survey.

Objectives: Children and young people (CYP) presenting to paediatric or child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) often have needs spanning medical and psychiatric diagnoses. However, joint working between paediatrics and CAMHS remains limited. We surveyed community paediatricians in the UK to inform better strategies to improve joint working with CAMHS.

Near-Fatal Self-Harm Among Canadian Adolescents.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical features of Canadian adolescents admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for medically serious self-harm.

Methods: 2700 Canadian paediatricians were surveyed monthly over two years (January 2017 to December 2018) through the to ascertain data from eligible cases.

Results: Ninety-three cases (73 female; age 15.

A controlled trial of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based strategies for insomnia among in-school adolescents in southern Nigeria.

Background: Sleep difficulties are highly prevalent among adolescents, and are associated with significant impairments. The effectiveness and acceptability of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based (CBT-based) treatment for insomnia in adolescents is established for High Income Countries, but unknown for African settings. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of CBT-based intervention among in-school adolescents with sleep difficulties in Southern Nigeria.

Editorial Perspective: Mental health needs of children and young people of Black ethnicity. Is it time to reconceptualise racism as a traumatic experience?

We explore racial inequality in relation to Black children and young people (CYP) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). We argue that the experience of racism should be universally considered an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). We argue that racism and the vicarious trauma arising from exposure to frequent media reports of racially motivated violence against persons of Black ethnicity can all predispose Black CYP to increased risk of mental health problems.

Effect of a Brief Supportive and Educational Intervention on the Psychological Well-Being of Mothers with Babies in Neonatal Wards of a Tertiary Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Objective: To assess the effect of a supportive educational intervention on the psychological wellbeing of mothers whose babies were admitted to Neonatal Care Unit (NCU) in Nigeria.

Methods: Controlled trial involving 41 mothers whose babies were consecutively admitted into two NCUs (21 in the intervention group and 19 controls). The intervention group received two group-based sessions which included psychological coping strategies, and familiarity with NCU environment, equipment, personnel and procedures.

Involvement of community paediatricians in the care of children and young people with mental health difficulties in the UK: implications for case ascertainment by child and adolescent psychiatric, and paediatric surveillance systems.

Objective: To ascertain the extent to which community paediatricians are involved in the care of children with mental health conditions in order to determine which difficulties are appropriate for single or joint surveillance by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System (CAPSS).

Design: An online survey of the 1120 members of the British Association of Community Child Health (BACCH) working in 169 Community Child Health (CCH) services in the UK.

Results: A total of 245 community paediatricians responded to the survey.

Mapping UK mental health services for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: national survey with comparison of reporting between three stakeholder groups.

Background: UK clinical guidelines recommend treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults by suitably qualified clinical teams. However, young people with ADHD attempting the transition from children's to adults' services experience considerable difficulties in accessing care.

Aims: To map the mental health services in the UK for adults who have ADHD and compare the reports of key stakeholders (people with ADHD and their carers, health workers, service commissioners).

The emotional and mental health needs of young carers: what psychiatry can do.

Aims And Method: To review the literature on the emotional and mental health needs of young carers of parents with mental illness and the extent to which such needs are recognised and supported by professionals. Three databases were systematically searched from 2008 to 2018, and five studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The key findings were that young caregivers had a significantly higher dose-response mortality risk than their peers; were at increased risk of mental health difficulties, especially where the ill family member was a parent and had mental illness or misused substances; were overlooked by professionals owing to a lack of awareness; but could derive benefits from their caring role when appropriately supported.

Health workers' attitude towards children and adolescents with mental illness in a teaching hospital in north-central Nigeria.

Public stigma against mental illness is well studied. However, there is a dearth of research into health workers' attitude towards children and adolescents with mental illness, especially in low- and middle income countries such Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 395 health workers in a Teaching Hospital in North-Central Nigeria.

How to measure the need for transition to adult services among young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a comparison of surveillance versus case note review methods.

Background: Health services have not provided adequate support for young people with long term health conditions to transfer from child to adult services. National Institute of Health and Care (NICE) guidance on transition has been issued to address these gaps. However, data are often sparse about the number of young adults who might need to transition.

Transition between child and adult services for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): findings from a British national surveillance study.

Background: Optimal transition from child to adult services involves continuity, joint care, planning meetings and information transfer; commissioners and service providers therefore need data on how many people require that service. Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently persists into adulthood, evidence is limited on these transitions.

Aims: To estimate the national incidence of young people taking medication for ADHD that require and complete transition, and to describe the proportion that experienced optimal transition.

Effects of psycho-education plus basic cognitive behavioural therapy strategies on medication-treated adolescents with depressive disorder in Nigeria.

Objective: Limited data exists on psychological interventions for adolescent depression in African countries such as Nigeria. This study therefore investigates the effects of a psychological intervention that includes psycho-education and basic elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on depressed medication-treated adolescents in Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a pre-post one-group intervention study of 18 adolescents aged 13-18 years with clinically diagnosed depressive disorder, attending a specialist psychiatric hospital.

Effect of attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder training program on the knowledge and attitudes of primary school teachers in Kaduna, North West Nigeria.

Background: There are indications that teachers have limited knowledge about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), despite its high prevalence in childhood and its long-term effects on students such as academic underachievement, reduced self-esteem, and social and behavioural difficulties. This study is therefore aimed at assessing the effect of an ADHD training program on the knowledge of ADHD among primary school teachers in Kaduna, Nigeria and their attitudes towards pupils with ADHD.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial involving 84 primary school teachers in the intervention group and 75 teachers in the control group.

Effects of problem-solving interventions on aggressive behaviours among primary school pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Aggressive patterns of behavior often start early in childhood, and tend to remain stable into adulthood. The negative consequences include poor academic performance, disciplinary problems and encounters with the juvenile justice system. Early school intervention programs can alter this trajectory for aggressive children.

Feasibility of parent-mediated behavioural intervention for behavioural problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Nigeria: a pilot study.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a disabling and lifelong neuro-developmental disorder. Challenging behaviours such as aggression and self injury are common maladaptive behaviours in ASD which adversely affect the mental health of both the affected children and their caregivers. Although there is evidence-base for parent-delivered behavioural intervention for children with ASD and challenging behaviours, there is no published research on the feasibility of such an intervention in sub-Saharan Africa.

Effectiveness of brief school-based, group cognitive behavioural therapy for depressed adolescents in south west Nigeria.

Background: There is paucity of evidence-based psychological interventions for depressive disorders in Africa, more so among depressed children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine the effects of a school-based cognitive behavioural therapy programme (CBT) on depressed adolescents in South West Nigeria.

Methods: Forty students who scored 18 or above on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were recruited from two schools (20 from each school).