Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Adolescent Community and Clinical Populations

This study assessed the factor structures of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) adolescent and parent versions and their measurement invariance across settings in clinical (n= 4,053) and community (n= 962) samples of Dutch adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Per SDQ version, confirmatory factor analyses were performed to assess its factor structure in clinical and community settings and to test for measurement invariance across these settings. The results suggest measurement invariance of the presumed five-factor structure for the parent version and a six-factor structure for the adolescent version. Furthermore, evaluation of the SDQ scale sum scores as used in practice, indicated that working with sum scores yields a fairly reasonable approximation of working with the favorable but less easily computed factor scores. These findings suggest that adolescent- and parent-reported SDQ scores can be interpreted using community-based norm scores, regardless of whether the adolescent has been referred for mental health problems

Psychological risk indicators for peri-implantitis:a cross-sectional study

AIM: The aim of this analytical cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between peri-implantitis and psychological distress, and potentially related/mediating factors such as general health, bruxism and lifestyle factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients having received dental implants at a private practice in the Netherlands between January 2011 and January 2014 were recalled on a 5-year clinical and radiographic follow-up examination. Presence of peri-implantitis was examined and patients completed questionnaires measuring psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-90), bruxism, general health and lifestyle factors. Associations between the self-reported factors and peri-implantitis were analyzed with univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients (with 347 implants) were included in the analysis. Prevalence of (mild to severe) peri-implantitis was 30% (69 patients). Variables that showed a significant univariable association with peri-implantitis (p<0.10) were: SCL-90 subdomain depression, smoking, current medical treatment and lung problems. In the multivariable regression analysis, only the variable depression was significantly associated with peri-implantitis (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of depressive symptoms is a risk indicator for peri-implantitis. Recognizing the potential negative impact of depressive symptoms may allow for better identification of high risk patients

A randomized controlled study of a social skills training for preadolescent children with autism spectrum disorders:generalization of skills by training parents and teachers?

Background: Social skills training (SST) is a common intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to improve their social and communication skills. Despite the fact that SSTs are often applied in clinical practice, the evidence for the effectiveness of these trainings for children with ASD is inconclusive. Moreover, long term outcome and generalization of learned skills are little evaluated. Additionally, there is no research on the influence of involvement of parents and teachers on effectiveness of SST and on the generalization of learned social skills to daily life. We expect parent and teacher involvement in SST to enhance treatment efficacy and to facilitate generalization of learned skills to daily life. Method/Design: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with three conditions, 120 participants with ASD at the end of primary school (10-12 years of calendar age) have been randomized to SST, SST-PTI SST with Parent & Teacher Involvement), or care-as-usual. The SST consists of 18 group sessions of 1.5 hours for the children. In the SST-PTI condition, parents additionally participate in 8 parent sessions and parents and teachers are actively involved in homework assignments. Assessment takes place at three moments: before and immediately after the intervention period and at 6 months follow-up. Primary outcome is socialization, as an aspect of adaptive functioning. Secondary outcomes focus on specific social skills children learn during SST and on more general social skills pertaining to home and community settings from a multi informant perspective. Additionally, possible predictors of treatment outcome will be assessed. Discussion: The current study is an RCT study evaluating SST in a large sample of Dutch children with ASD in a specific age range (10-12 years). Strengths of the study are the use of one manualized protocol, application of standardized and internationally used rating instruments, use of multiple raters, investigation of generalization of learned skills to daily life, and the evaluation of efficacy in the longer term by follow-up measures at 6 months after the end of training

Complete genome sequence of phocine distemper virus isolated from a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) during the 1988 North Sea epidemic

Phocine distemper virus (PDV) was identified as the cause of a large morbillivirus outbreak among harbor seals in the North Sea in 1988. PDV is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus. Until now, no full-genome sequence of PDV has been available