Victimization, immigration status, and psychosocial well-being: A representative study among finnish adolescents.

Background: Immigrant adolescents seem to be at risk for victimization and being victimized in adolescence is related to risk factors regarding mental health.

Objective: This study compared the frequency and type of victimization experiences among immigrant and native Finnish adolescents and tested whether these experiences mediate the relationship between immigration status and psychosocial well-being. Additionally, willingness to disclose victimization experiences in anonymous questionnaires was compared between the groups.

Consensus building on definitions and types of child maltreatment to improve recording and surveillance in Europe: protocol for a multi-sectoral, European, electronic Delphi study.

Introduction: Child maltreatment (CM) is a complex global public health issue with potentially devastating effects on individuals' physical and mental health and well-being throughout the life course. A lack of uniform definitions hinders attempts to identify, measure, respond to, and prevent CM. The aim of this electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) study is to build consensus on definitions and types of CM for use in surveillance and multi-sectoral research in the 34 countries in the Euro-CAN (Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe) project (COST Action CA19106).

Development and initial validation of the THL Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-THL).

Background: The research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has deepened our understanding of the long-lasting and cumulative effects of childhood adversities. However, the instruments measuring ACEs have several shortcomings, including limited item coverage, collapsing of items and response options, simplistic scoring, and inadequate psychometric assessments.

Objective: To design and conduct preliminarily psychometric testing for a brief new self-report instrument-the THL Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire (ACE-THL)-with a comprehensive set of clearly formulated items and appropriate response options.

Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review.

Background: Studies show considerable variability in the definitions and operationalization of child maltreatment (CM), which limits research, policy formation, surveillance, and cross-country and cross-sector comparisons.

Objective: To review the recent literature (2011-2021) to understand current issues and challenges in defining CM, to assist in the planning, testing and implementing of CM conceptualizations.

Methods: We searched eight international databases.

International perspective on guidelines and policies for child custody and child maltreatment risk evaluations: A preliminary comparative analysis across selected countries in Europe and North America.

Little knowledge exists on how evaluators in child custody and child maltreatment cases are informed by guidelines, the kinds of qualifications required and the types of training provided in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an international preliminary comparison on how child custody and child maltreatment risk assessments are conducted in selected Western countries, and how the assessments are informed by best practice guidelines. Another aim is to increase knowledge on how the guidelines and best-practice standards could be developed further to reflect recent research findings.

Effectiveness of child protection practice models: a systematic review.

Background: Attempts to improve child protection outcomes by implementing social work practice models embedded in a particular theory and practice approach, have increased internationally over the past decade.

Objective: To assess the evidence of the effectiveness of child protection practice models in improving outcomes for children and families.

Participants And Setting: Children < 18 years and their families involved in child protection services.

Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI): Normative data, psychometric properties, and associations with socioeconomic status in Finnish children.

Assessment of behavioral disorders is one of the most commonly encountered tasks in child psychiatry. The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) is a widespread measurement tool used for assessing conduct problems, though the psychometric properties of the tool have varied in different samples. In this study, the ECBI was evaluated in a Finnish population based sample of children aged 4 to 12 years (n = 1,715).

Interpersonal Relationships as Protective and Risk Factors for Psychopathy: A Follow-up Study in Adolescent Offenders.

Friendships and romantic relationships may function as protective and risk factors for psychopathic traits. To better understand potential causal associations, we investigated whether within-individual changes in relationship characteristics were related to changes in psychopathic traits over time. Data were derived from ten repeated measurements of the Pathways to Desistance longitudinal study of 1354 offending adolescents (14.

Victimization and psychopathic features in a population-based sample of Finnish adolescents.

We examined different forms of victimization experiences in relation to psychopathic features and whether these associations differed in boys and girls among 4855 Finnish school adolescents aged 15-16 years. Psychopathic features were measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device- Self Report (APSD-SR). Victimization was assessed with questions about violent and abusive experiences across lifetime and within the last 12 months.

Evaluation of verbal list learning as a predictor of psychosis.

Aim: We explored whether cognitive performance, and verbal learning in particular, predicts psychosis or psychiatric hospitalizations among unselected first-admission adolescent patients in general psychiatric care.

Methods: Up to 152 adolescents aged 15-18 were interviewed with the SIPS, tested with a cognitive test battery in the beginning of their psychiatric treatment, and followed for a maximum of 9 years (median 4.5 years).

Weapon carrying and psychopathic-like features in a population-based sample of Finnish adolescents.

We investigated the prevalence of juvenile weapon carrying and psychosocial and personality-related risk factors for carrying different types of weapons in a nationally representative, population-based sample of Finnish adolescents. Specifically, we aimed to investigate psychopathic-like personality features as a risk factor for weapon carrying. The participants were 15-16-year-old adolescents from the Finnish self-report delinquency study (n = 4855).

Are qualitative and quantitative sleep problems associated with delinquency when controlling for psychopathic features and parental supervision?

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep, including both qualitative and quantitative aspects, and delinquent behaviour while controlling for psychopathic features of adolescents and parental supervision at bedtime. We analysed data from a nationally representative sample of 4855 Finnish adolescents (mean age 15.3 years, 51% females).

To tell or not to tell? Psychopathic traits and response integrity in youth delinquency surveys.

Background: Individuals with high psychopathy scores are capable of providing valid self-reports on their own personality traits, but there have been no empirical studies of the effect of psychopathic features on responding to sensitive survey questions about specific behaviours.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate any relationship between facets of psychopathy and participants' willingness to report antisocial acts in youth delinquency surveys, controlling for demographic variables known to be associated with response integrity.

Methods: In a nationally representative sample of 4,855 Finnish mainstream adolescents aged 15-16, honesty of responding was assessed through direct response integrity questions related to violence, property crime and drug use.

Brief report: self-reported psychopathic-like features among Finnish community youth: investigation of the factor structure of the Antisocial Personality Screening Device.

The Antisocial Process Screening Device- Self-Report (APSD-SR) is a self-report measure for assessment of psychopathic traits in adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate the factor structure and internal consistency of the APSD-SR in a sample of 4855 Finnish community adolescents. A three-factor structure with factors representing impulsivity (IMP), narcissism (NAR) and callous-unemotional (CU) features was found.

[Callous and unemotional--do children have psychopathic features?].

The essence of psychopathic personality disorder is considered to consist of emotional deviations, the most central ones of which being the lack of feelings of guilt and empathy along with impoverishment of experiencing emotions. The interest in the occurrence of these callous-unemotional features in children and adolescents has increased over the past few years. According to the most recent studies, parental interventions promoting a positive, warm, and attentive parenting and interaction style are effective in the treatment of children having a conduct disorder accompanied by callous-unemotional features.

Predicting psychosis in a general adolescent psychiatric sample.

Introduction: Current psychosis risk criteria have often been studied on a pre-selected population at specialized clinics. We investigated whether the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS) is a useful tool for psychosis risk screening among adolescents in general psychiatric care.

Methods: 161 adolescents aged 15-18 with first admission to adolescent psychiatric services in Helsinki were interviewed with the SIPS to ascertain Clinical High-Risk (CHR) state.

Homicidal behaviour among people with avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive (cluster C) personality disorder.

Background: Despite a growing forensic psychiatry literature, no previous study has examined in detail homicidal behaviour among offenders with cluster C personality disorders - the avoidant, dependent or obsessional personality disorders.

Aims: This study aims to compare homicide offenders with cluster C personality disorders with those with other personality disorders on criminal history, offender-victim relationship and post-offence reaction variables.

Methods: The sample was drawn from all Finnish homicide cases of 1996-2004 for whom a forensic psychiatric evaluation had been conducted.

Psychopathic traits in Finnish homicide offenders with schizophrenia.

There is a paucity of studies examining psychopathy in comparable samples of violent individuals with and without psychotic illness. The main goal of the study was to assess the prevalence and nature of psychopathic traits as measured by PCL-R among Finnish homicide offenders with schizophrenia. Further, the impact of co-morbid psychopathy on the homicidal incidents, as well as the associations of psychopathy and offender background factors, among offenders with schizophrenia was investigated.

[Risk symptoms of psychosis in the young].

Early intervention may postpone or even prevent the onset of psychosis and relieve symptom-related anxiety. Support and follow-up observation requires up-to-date knowledge of the nature of the risk symptoms of psychosis and of the therapy of the person having symptoms within the healthcare system. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the limitations of present research information in order to assess the correct magnitude of the risk of psychosis.

The relationship between psychotic-like symptoms and neurocognitive performance in a general adolescent psychiatric sample.

Introduction: The current criteria for detecting a Clinical High-Risk (CHR) state for psychosis do not address cognitive impairment. A first step for identifying cognitive markers of psychosis risk would be to determine which aspects of neurocognitive performance are related with more severe psychotic-like symptoms. This study assessed cognitive impairment associated with prodromal symptoms in adolescents receiving public psychiatric treatment.

Homicide of strangers by people with a psychotic illness.

Background: The homicide of strangers by people with psychosis, referred to here as "stranger homicides," are rare and tragic events that generate adverse publicity for mental health services and have resulted in significant changes in mental health policy and law.

Aim: To estimate the incidence of stranger homicides, using data from previously published studies, and to compare the characteristics of psychotic offenders who killed strangers with the characteristics of those who killed a close relative.

Method: Meta-analysis of the population-based studies of homicide by persons suffering from a psychosis in which the number of subjects who killed strangers was also reported.

Psychopathic traits and offender characteristics - a nationwide consecutive sample of homicidal male adolescents.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate psychopathy-like personality traits in a nationwide consecutive sample of adolescent male homicide offenders and to compare the findings with those of a randomly sampled adult male homicide offender group. A further aim was to investigate associations between psychopathic traits and offender and offence characteristics in adolescent homicides.

Methods: Forensic psychiatric examination reports and crime reports of all 15 to 19- year- old male Finnish offenders who had been subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination and convicted for a homicide during 1995-2004 were collected (n = 57).