Associations between autism traits and family functioning over time in autistic and non-autistic children.

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.

Emotional and behavioral problems in children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in children is an important cause of severe heart failure and carries a poor prognosis. Adults with heart failure are at increased risk of anxiety and depression and such symptoms predict adverse clinical outcomes such as mortality. In children with DCM, studies examining these associations are scarce.

Empirically based phenotypic profiles of children with pervasive developmental disorders: interpretation in the light of the DSM-5.

This study aimed to contribute to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) debates on the conceptualization of autism by investigating (1) whether empirically based distinct phenotypic profiles could be distinguished within a sample of mainly cognitively able children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and (2) how profiles related to diagnoses and co-occurring behavioral and emotional problems. Six classes with distinct profiles were discerned. Three classes showed profiles not completely in line with the proposed DSM-5 conceptualization of autism.

The association of quality of social relations, symptom severity and intelligence with anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Limited quality of social relations, milder symptom severity and higher intelligence were shown to account for higher anxiety levels in autism spectrum disorders. The current study replicated and extended earlier findings by combining these three determinants of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders in one study. The sample consisted of 134 school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders, of whom 58 (43%) had a co-morbid anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Parent version.

Using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form for identification of children with autism spectrum disorders.

This study evaluated the ability of the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form to identify children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), using a sample of children with ASD (n = 458), referred children without ASD (n = 1109) and children from the general population (n = 999). A ten items ASD scale was constructed using half of the sample and the ability of this scale to discriminate between children with ASD and the other children was tested for the CBCL and the TRF separately and together in the other half of the sample. Using a cut-off score of 8 the combined CBCL/TRF ASD scale demonstrated high predictive values (NPV 95%, PPV 73%) in identifying children with ASD and children in the general population sample.

The association between formal thought disorder and finger print asymmetry in children with a psychiatric disorder: an exploratory study.

Dermatoglyphics are the ridge constellations found on the hand palms and foot soles that are permanently formed by the 24th week of pregnancy. Associations have been found between adult schizophrenia and irregularities and asymmetries in dermatoglyphics. Children have not been studied before.

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).

Classes of disruptive behavior problems in referred adolescents.

Background: Previous studies have found considerable overlap between attention/hyperactivity problems, aggressive/oppositional problems and delinquent/conduct problems in adolescents.

Sampling And Methods: Mothers of 1,965 11- to 18-year-olds (1,116 boys, 849 girls), referred to mental health agencies, completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Latent class analysis was conducted on the Attention Problems scale (representing problems with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity), Aggressive Behavior and Rule-Breaking Behavior scales of the CBCL.

Multiple complex developmental disorder delineated from PDD-NOS.

The objective of this study was to identify behavioral differences between children with multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD) and those with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Twenty-five children (6-12 years) with MCDD and 86 children with PDD-NOS were compared with respect to psychiatric co-morbidity, psychotic thought problems and social contact problems using the child behavior checklist/4-18, the Dutch version of the diagnostic interview schedule for children-Version IV, the child and adolescent functional assessment scale, and the autism diagnostic observation schedule-generic. MCDD was associated with anxiety disorders, disruptive behavior, and psychotic thought problems.

High rates of psychiatric co-morbidity in PDD-NOS.

Rates of co-morbid psychiatric conditions in children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are hardly available, although these conditions are often considered as more responsive to treatment than the core symptoms of PDD-NOS. Ninety-four children with PDD-NOS, aged 6-12 years were included. The DISC-IV-P was administered.

No hyperactive-impulsive subtype in teacher-rated attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems.

The aim of this study was to investigate which homogeneous groups, according to teacher reports of attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADH) Problems on the Teacher's Report Form (TRF), can be identified in a referred sample (n = 4,422; age = 6-18 years; mean age = 9.9 years; 66% boys, 34% girls). Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted on ADH Problems.

Latent class analysis of anxiety and depressive symptoms in referred adolescents.

Background: Comorbidity between anxiety disorders and depressive disorders in adolescents occurs very frequently. The aim of this study was to investigate if anxiety and depression represent distinct disease entities.

Methods: Two thousand thirty two 11- to 18-year-olds, referred to mental health services, were investigated.

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

Objective: The aim of this study was to separate sources of observer and situational variance in reporting attention-deficit/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.