Erfahrungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen im Rahmen der Trennung: empirische Daten

Die Untersuchung von 71 Scheidungs- und 21 Kontrollfamilien zeigte, daß die psychische Entwicklung eines Kindes nach der Trennung oder Scheidung seiner Eltern vor allem von der Qualität seiner Beziehung zu einer konstanten Bezugsperson vor, während und nach der Scheidung abhängt. Auch das Alter des Kindes ist von entscheidender Bedeutung für die Verarbeitung. (SH

Agreement between youth-reported and parent-reported psychopathology in a referred sample

Objective: The study examined parent-youth agreement regarding reports on psychopathology among adolescents suffering from psychiatric disorders. Method: A total of 1,718 patients between the age of 11 and 18, as well as their parents, were assessed using the child behavior checklist (CBCL), and the youth self-report (YSR). Results: Poor to low agreement between parent- and adolescent-reported problem behavior on the internalizing scale, the total problem scale and moderate agreement concerning the externalizing scale of the CBCL and the YSR were found. Independent from the amount of psychiatric diagnoses, adolescents reported significantly less behavioral problems than their parents. Concerning externalizing problems, parent-youth disagreement was stronger for patients suffering from comorbid psychiatric disorders, than for adolescents displaying only one psychiatric disorder. Conclusion: In clinically referred children, parents are likely to emphasize the severity of the difficulties, whereas adolescents’ under-report symptoms

Psychische und familiäre Risiken für Kinder von Frauen mit Epilepsie?: Ergebnisse einer Längsschnittstudie

Abstract : This study investigates teratogenic effects of antiepileptic drugs (AED) by tracing from birth to adolescence 67 children born to epileptic women and a matched control sample of 49 children. We assessed the intellectual performance (Wechsler-Intelligence Tests) at adolescence as well as the prevalence of psycho-behavioral problems and the relationship to their parents. Adolescents who had been exposed to only one kind of drug during gestation (monotherapy), achieved moderately lower IQ's than those of the control group (-6 IQ scores). However, the effect was salient in polydrug-exposed offspring (-12 IQ scores). Generalized (major) maternal seizures during pregnancy did not add to this effect. The families' psychosocial ecology affected risk and control participants differentially: The intellectual development of adolescents with prenatal risks was significantly more vulnerable to adverse environmental circumstances than was that of controls. With regard to psychological stress the affected children unexpectedly reported significantly less psychological stress than the controls even though they had to assist their mothers more frequently and although they reported receiving little support from the

MeCP2 heterochromatin organization is modulated by arginine methylation and serine phosphorylation

Rett syndrome is a human intellectual disability disorder that is associated with mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene. The epigenetic reader MeCP2 binds to methylated cytosines on the DNA and regulates chromatin organization. We have shown previously that MECP2 Rett syndrome missense mutations are impaired in chromatin binding and heterochromatin reorganization. Here, we performed a proteomics analysis of post-translational modifications of MeCP2 isolated from adult mouse brain. We show that MeCP2 carries various post-translational modifications, among them phosphorylation on S80 and S421, which lead to minor changes in either heterochromatin binding kinetics or clustering. We found that MeCP2 is (di)methylated on several arginines and that this modification alters heterochromatin organization. Interestingly, we identified the Rett syndrome mutation site R106 as a dimethylation site. In addition, co-expression of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT)1 and PRMT6 lead to a decrease of heterochromatin clustering. Altogether, we identified and validated novel modifications of MeCP2 in the brain and show that these can modulate its ability to bind as well as reorganize heterochromatin, which may play a role in the pathology of Rett syndrome

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO) in Eating Disorders: Evidence for Association of the rs9939609 Obesity Risk Allele with Bulimia nervosa and Anorexia nervosa

Objective: The common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9939609 in the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is associated with obesity. As genetic variants associated with weight regulation might also be implicated in the etiology of eating disorders, we evaluated whether SNP rs9939609 is associated with bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN). Methods: Association of rs9939609 with BN and AN was assessed in 689 patients with AN, 477 patients with BN, 984 healthy non-population-based controls, and 3,951 population-based controls (KORA-S4). Based on the familial and premorbid occurrence of obesity in patients with BN, we hypothesized an association of the obesity risk A-allele with BN. Results: In accordance with our hypothesis, we observed evidence for association of the rs9939609 A-allele with BN when compared to the non-population-based controls (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.142, one-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.001-infinity; one-sided p = 0.049) and a trend in the population-based controls (OR = 1.124, one-sided 95% CI 0.932-infinity; one-sided p = 0.056). Interestingly, compared to both control groups, we further detected a nominal association of the rs9939609 A-allele to AN (OR = 1.181, 95% CI 1.027-1.359, two-sided p = 0.020 or OR = 1.673, 95% CI 1.101-2.541, two-sided p = 0.015,). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the obesity-predisposing FTO allele might be relevant in both AN and BN. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger GmbH, Freibur

School phobia: Classification, developmental psychopathology, prognosis, and therapeutic approaches

Schulverweigerung ist häufig Ausdruck einer komplexen psychiatrischen Störung. Es besteht eine erhöhte Komorbidität mit Depressionen, Phobien sowie anderen Angststörungen. Therapieprogramme sollten multimodal konzipiert sein und es ist nicht davon auszugehen, dass es zu einer raschen Rückbildung der Symptomatik kommt. Katamnestische Studien belegen eindrucksvoll, dass mit Langzeitfolgen gerechnet werden muss sowohl hinsichtlich der beruflichen Integration als auch der weiteren psychiatrischen Morbidität. Auslösende und aufrechterhaltende Faktoren sind heterogen und es findet sich kein typisches psychosoziales Belastungsmuster.(DIPF/Orig.)In many cases the refusal of school is one manifestation of a complex psychiatric disorder. There is an increased comorbidity with depression, phobia and other anxiety disorders. The program of therapy should be conceptualized as multimodal. In general there is no rapid remission of the symptoms. As catamnestic studies proved, long-term consequences should be anticipated concerning the occupational integration as well as further psychiatric morbidity. Triggering and sustainable factors are heterogeneous and there is no typical psychosocial pattern.(DIPF/Orig.

Adolescence and the obsession with beauty. The culture of perfecting the body: between demand and reality

The demand for beauty and bodily perfection presents an increasing challenge for today's adolescents. New developments in media and technology play an important role in how today's adolescents evaluate themselves. A survey of 730 young people showed that one third of the adolescents were dissatisfied with their physical appearance and experienced social pressure from their parents and peers concerning their appearance. With reference to case material from two patients, we discuss the psychodynamics of this issue, including the development of a low self-esteem, social retreat and a basic sense of insufficiency. In order to develop a stable identity, these adolescents seem in urgent need of a personal narrative in which they can make their own decisions and find their own opinions in a self-assertive stance that counters the pressure from social media and social norms

The search for the crux of psychoanalysis. Discussion of Dieter Tenbrink's theses on psychoanalytic thinking and attitude

It is not easy to find one's bearings in the face of the abundance, the complexity and the plurality of psychoanalytic theories and practice. This situation pushes the analyst to find his own personal individual working model. An understanding of one's own implicit psychoanalytic theory could help to clarify the individual ways of working, thus facilitating a reflection on the associated conceptions of the psychoanalytic process