Publications by authors named "P Nijs"

Article Synopsis
  • Studying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in genetically similar groups can enhance our understanding of its causes, as seen in conditions like Fragile X syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, which frequently display ASD symptoms.
  • The research gathered data from several hundred children and adolescents with these genetic disorders, using standardized assessments to uncover distinct profiles of ASD symptomatology.
  • The findings revealed four different symptom profiles based on two separate assessment tools, emphasizing the individualized nature of ASD presentations in these populations and the need for tailored management strategies.
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Purpose: To examine implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorder (ED) features and psychopathology in female adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method: In total 79 females with first-onset AN (aged 12-22 years) were included and were followed up across a period of 1 year. We assessed AN participants recruited pre-pandemic (n = 49) to those recruited peri-pandemic (n = 30).

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Background: Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by severe intellectual disability, movement disorder, epilepsy, sleeping problems, and behavioural issues. Little is known on child health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in AS. AS family studies have reported elevated parenting stress and a high impact of the child's syndrome on the parent.

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This longitudinal study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 62; M = 13 years) by measuring emotional and behavioral problems before and during the pandemic, and by comparing this change to a matched sample of children without ASD (n = 213; M = 16 years). Moreover, we examined whether indicators of parental well-being promoted resilience of children with ASD. Results showed that the mean change in problems did not differ between children with and without ASD.

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Little is known about family functioning over time when raising a child with autism traits, with or without a clinical autism diagnosis. Therefore, we asked caregivers-mostly parents-of a group of 168 children about the family functioning and the child's emotional and behavioral characteristics, as well as autistic traits, twice with about 1 year in between. For numerous reasons, the children were referred to youth mental health care centers, including child and adolescent psychiatric services.

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