Scoping review: autism research in Baltic States—what is known and what is still to be studied

We conducted a scoping review of the current knowledge about autism in Baltic States: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The aim was to identify publications about autism and potential gaps of knowledge in this region. The search was conducted on March 31, 2016 using PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE databases. The search was updated on August 31, 2016; a total of 47 studies were analysed. Current research on autism in Baltic States is still in its beginning. Areas studied were education, medicine, parenting, autism in adulthood, treatments and epidemiology. Education sector is the most researched discipline about autism in Baltic countries especially addressing issue on schooling practices for autistic children. The prevalence of autism is unclear as only one outdated epidemiological study was found. Further epidemiological, clinical intervention research need to be conducted in this region

How do National Health Service (NHS) organisations respond to patient concerns? A qualitative interview study of the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Objectives To describe the current work of the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and assess the service’s potential to resolve concerns and contribute to organisational learning. Design A qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Setting Four mental health trusts and four acute trusts in the English National Health Service, a total of eight PALS across different trusts. Participants Twenty-four participants comprising of PALS staff and clinicians working with PALS teams. Methods Semistructured interviews were undertaken with participants using video conferencing software. The framework method was used for the analysis of the large qualitative dataset, which is a conventional method of analysis, similar to thematic or qualitative content analysis. Results PALS teams fulfil their core responsibilities by acting as point of contact for patients, providing information and resolving a variety of recurrent problems, including PALS staff communication, staff attitudes and waiting times. The remit and responsibilities of each PALS has often broadened over time. Barriers to resolving concerns included a lack of awareness of PALS, limited to no policies informing how staff resolve concerns, an emphasis on complaints and the attitude of clinical staff. Senior management had widely differing views on how the PALS should operate and the management of complaints is a much higher priority. Few PALS teams carried out any analysis of the data or shared data within their organisations. Conclusions PALS teams fulfil their core responsibilities by acting as point of contact for patients, providing information and resolving concerns. PALS staff also act as navigators of services, mediators between families and staff and, occasionally, patient advocates in supporting them to raise concerns. PALS has the potential to reduce complaints, increase patient satisfaction and provide rapid organisational feedback. Achieving this potential will require more awareness and support within organisations together with updated national policy guidance

Scoping review: autism research in Baltic States—what is known and what is still to be studied

We conducted a scoping review of the current knowledge about autism in Baltic States: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The aim was to identify publications about autism and potential gaps of knowledge in this region. The search was conducted on March 31, 2016 using PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE databases. The search was updated on August 31, 2016; a total of 47 studies were analysed. Current research on autism in Baltic States is still in its beginning. Areas studied were education, medicine, parenting, autism in adulthood, treatments and epidemiology. Education sector is the most researched discipline about autism in Baltic countries especially addressing issue on schooling practices for autistic children. The prevalence of autism is unclear as only one outdated epidemiological study was found. Further epidemiological, clinical intervention research need to be conducted in this region

Understanding the impact of a new approach to the safeguarding of children at risk: an evaluation protocol

Introduction:&nbsp;Child Safeguarding Services intervene in situations where a child is at risk of serious emotional or physical harm. The response will vary according to the level of risk, but in serious cases, a child may need to be removed from danger and cared for by foster parents either temporarily or permanently. The number of children being taken into care has increased markedly in recent years in the United Kingdom. Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) is implementing a new approach to the welfare of children (Family Solutions Plus; FSP) in which the focus is to support the whole family and ideally reduce the need for foster care. In this paper, we describe a proposed programme of evaluation to examine the impact of FSP on the time children are in contact with services, the nature of the support provided, experience of children and families, the experience of staff, and longer term outcomes for children, particularly whether they remain within the family or need to be cared for outside the home. Methods and analysis:&nbsp;A mixed methods approach will be taken in an observational retrospective study of children&rsquo;s social care services. Quantitative research will include descriptive analysis on data routinely collected by OCC, examining the effect on time spent in services, outcomes for children and how these outcomes are mediated by family characteristics and circumstances. Qualitative research will be carried out using individual interviews and focus groups with children, families and staff in the teams providing family safeguarding services to capture their experiences with the new model. Ethics and dissemination:&nbsp;This project has been registered with the OCC as a service evaluation. The qualitative studies will seek ethical approval from Oxford University Ethics Committee. A local data sharing agreement will govern the transfer of quantitative data. Results will be disseminated through newsletters, community forums, professional publications and conference presentations to national and international audiences.</p

The relationship between pain and suicidal vulnerability in adolescence: a systematic review

Leading suicide theories and research in adults suggest that pain can exacerbate the suicidal risk of an individual. Although pain and suicidality (including suicidal ideation, behaviour, and death by suicide) both increase in prevalence during adolescence, the relationship between these factors remains unclear. We aimed to systematically review the empirical evidence for such an association in adolescence. We included 25 observational studies published between January 1961 and December 2018, exploring the potential association between pain and suicidality in adolescents aged 10-19 years. Across various samples and manifestations of pain and suicidality, we found that pain approximately doubles the suicidal risk in adolescents, with a few studies suggesting that pain can predict suicidality longitudinally. Although depression was an important factor, it did not fully explain the association between pain and suicidality. Evidence for associations between pain characteristics and suicidality is sparse and inconclusive, and potentially hides developmental differences between adolescents and adults. Identification of psychological mediators and moderators is required to develop interventions tailored to the needs of adolescents experiencing pain. This study is registered with the PROSPERO database, number CRD42018097226

Executive function in HIV-affected children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analyses

This review aimed to determine: whether EF is affected in children and adolescents (2–24-years-old) with perinatal HIV infection, perinatal HIV exposure without infection, and behaviourally acquired HIV. A systematic review (PROSPERO number: CRD42017067813) was conducted using 11 electronic databases (01.01.1981–09.07.2019) and 8 conference websites. Primary quantitative studies with EF scores on cognitive tasks and/or behavioural report measures were included. Meta-analyses were performed by EF subtype and subpopulations compared. 1789 records were found. Sixty-one studies were included in the narrative synthesis; 32 (N = 7884 participants) were included in meta-analyses. There was a distinct pattern of reduced EF in those with perinatal HIV infection on antiretroviral therapy compared to controls: pooled effect sizes were largest for verbal and visuospatial working memory, with smaller effects on planning, inhibitory control and set-shifting. Data were limited for other HIV-affected subpopulations. Perinatal HIV infection is associated with reduced EF with varying effect sizes for the different EF subtypes

Soil atlas of Europe

Soil maps of Europe, published by the EU and the European Soil Bureau Network; with varying scales 1:1.500.000 1:1.750.000 1:2.000.000 1:2.200.000 1:2.500.000 1:3.000.000 1:6.500.00

Development of the Signposting Questionnaire for Autism (SQ-A): measurement comparison with the 10-item Autism Spectrum Quotient-Child and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the UK and Latvia

BACKGROUND: Recognising the signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be a challenge for frontline professionals. The use of brief parent-completed questionnaires for recording the signs of ASD in school-aged children may be an important and efficient contributor to professional insight. However, to date, such questionnaires have not been designed to be used in coordination with current standardised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic tools. Furthermore, the measurement characteristics of such questionnaires have been unexplored across countries that differ in levels of national autism service provision and cultural interpretation of the signs of ASD. METHODS: A new 14-item questionnaire (Signposting Questionnaire for Autism (SQ-A)) was developed using published DSM-5 items from a clinical interview, the Diagnostic Interview for Social Communication Disorders (DISCO). Measurement comparison was tested with the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient-Child (AQ-10) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parents of 4-11-year-old children in the UK (N = 200) and Latvia (N = 104) completed all three questionnaires. Information on clinical diagnosis provided by parents led to classification into three groups: ASD diagnosis, other conditions and no conditions. In the UK, a subsample of teachers also provided cross-informant reliability. RESULTS: In both countries, there was evidence of acceptable to good internal consistency for the SQ-A, with significantly higher scores for the ASD group and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. There was also good parent-teacher reliability for the three measures. Notably, the questionnaires designed specifically to measure autism (SQ-A, AQ-10) performed more similarly to one another compared to the broader SDQ, with differences found for the ASD group. The overall pattern of responding to the three questionnaires was highly similar between countries. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the potential of the 14-item SQ-A to guide frontline professionals in the recognition of the signs of autism in children, facilitating the provision of appropriate support