MUSIC THERAPY IN RETT SYNDROME CASES

Rett syndrome is a rare (0,01%) genetic disorder affecting girls' development. Individuals with Rett syndrome experience a full range of health problems that severely influence and complicate their mobility, intellect, communication, learning, and entire lifestyle. The treatment of Rett's syndrome is still aimed at investigating new pathways to ensure the best possible patient’s development and quality of life. The distinctive feature of Rett syndrome is the two main sensations with little damage: hearing and vision. Therefore, music therapy plays an exceptional role in the treatment and special education of children with Rett syndrome. The goal of this study is to find the most effective music therapy techniques and their specific indications whilst working with individuals with Rett syndrome. Research method used: music therapists’ online survey conducted internationally. The research suggests that the most effective methods in Rett syndrome cases are structured musical games that promote targeted hands-on movements, as well as listening to the songs and choice of favourite songs using pictures or other symbols. Music therapy can be applied for various health needs of individuals with Rett syndrome, especially to enhance hand functions as well as to improve non-verbal communication and to help individuals experience togetherness and joy

Parental Smoking in the Vicinity of Children and Tobacco Control Policies in the European Region

Objective: To ascertain patterns of parental smoking in the vicinity of children in Eastern and Western Europe and their relation to Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) scores. Methods: Data on parental smoking patterns were obtained from the School Child Mental Health Europe (SCMHE), a 2010 cross-sectional survey of 5141 school children aged 6 to 11 years and their parents in six countries: Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey ranked by TCS into three level categories toward tobacco control policies. Results: A slightly higher proportion of Eastern compared to Western European mothers (42.4 vs. 35.1%) were currently smoking in but the difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for maternal age and maternal educational attainment. About a fifth (19.3%) and a tenth (10.0%) of Eastern and Western European mothers, respectively, smoked in the vicinity of their children, and the difference was significant even after adjustment for potential confounders (p less than 0.001). Parents with the highest educational attainment were significantly less likely to smoke in the vicinity of their children than those with the lowest attainment. After control of these covariates lax tobacco control policies, compared to intermediate policies, were associated with a 50% increase in the likelihood of maternal smoking in the vicinity of children adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.52 and 1.64. Among fathers, however, the relationship with paternal smoking and TCS seems more complex since strict policy increases the risk as well AOR = 1,40. Only one country, however belongs to the strict group. Significance: Tobacco control policies seem to have influenced maternal smoking behaviors overall to a limited degree and smoking in the vicinity of children to a much greater degree. Children living in European countries with lax tobacco control policies are more likely to be exposed to second hand smoking from maternal and paternal smoking

Country-level and individual correlates of overweight and obesity among primary school children: a cross-sectional study in seven European countries.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to estimate childhood overweight and obesity prevalence and their association with individual and population-level correlates in Eastern and Western European countries. METHODS: Data were obtained from the School Children Mental Health in Europe, a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010 in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Turkey. The sample consists of 5,206 school children aged 6 to 11 years old. Information on socio-demographics, children's height and weight, life-style and parental attitude were reported by the mothers. Country-level indicators were obtained through several data banks. Overweight and obesity in children were calculated according to the international age and gender-specific child Body Mass Index cut-off points. Multivariable logistic regression models included socio-demographic, lifestyle, mothers' attitude, and country-level indicators to examine the correlates of overweight. RESULTS: Overall prevalence was 15.6% (95% CI = 19.3-21.7%) for overweight and 4.9% (95% CI = 4.3-5.6%) for obesity. In overweight (including obesity), Romanian children had the highest prevalence (31.4%, 95% CI = 28.1-34.6%) and Italian the lowest (10.4%, 95% CI = 8.1-12.6%). Models in the pooled sample showed that being younger (aOR = 0.93, 95% = CI 0.87-0.97), male (aOR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.07-1.43), an only child (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.07-1.84), spending more hours per week watching TV (aOR = 1.01, 95% CI =1.002-1.03), and living in an Eastern Country were associated with greater risk of childhood overweight (including obesity). The same predictors were significantly associated with childhood overweight in the model conducted in the Eastern region, but not in the West. Higher Gross Domestic Product and Real Domestic Product, greater number of motor and passenger vehicles, higher percentage of energy available from fat, and more public sector expenditure on health were also associated with lower risk for childhood overweight after adjusting for covariables in the pooled sample and in the east of Europe, but not in the West. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in school children is still high, especially in Eastern regions, with some socio-demographic factors and life-styles associated with being overweight. It is also in the Eastern region itself where better macro-economic indicators are related with lower rates of childhood overweight. This represents a public health concern that deserves special attention in those countries undertaking economic and political transitions

Victimization by traditional bullying and cyberbullying and the combination of these among adolescents in 13 European and Asian countries

There has been a lack of studies on bullying in non-western low-income and middle-income countries. This study reported the prevalence of traditional victimization, cybervictimization, and the combination of these, in 13 European and Asian countries, and explored how psychiatric symptoms were associated with victimization. The data for this cross-sectional, school-based study of 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 were collected from 2011 to 2017. The main outcomes were traditional and cybervictimization obtained from student self-reports. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess psychiatric symptoms. Generalized estimating equation and logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The mean prevalence of any victimization was 28.9%, of traditional victimization only, this was 17.7%, and for cybervictimization only this was 5.1%. Cybervictimization occurred both independently, and in combination with, traditional victimization. The mean prevalence of combined victimization was 6.1%. The mean proportion of those who were cyberbullied only among those who were either cyberbullied only or bullied both traditionally and in cyber was 45.1%. The rates of prevalence varied widely between countries. In the total sample, those who experienced combined victimization, reported the highest internalizing symptoms (girls, OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.22-1.29; boys, OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.25-1.33). The study findings suggest that anti-bullying interventions should include mental health components and target both traditional and cyberbullying. Due to the overlap between these, targeting bullying should primarily focus on how to reduce bullying behavior rather than just focusing on where bullying takes place

Feeling Unsafe at School Among Adolescents in 13 Asian and European Countries: Occurrence and Associated Factors

Background: Research on perceived school safety has been largely limited to studies conducted in Western countries and there has been a lack of large-scale cross-national studies on the topic.Methods: The present study examined the occurrence of adolescents who felt unsafe at school and the associated factors of perceived school safety in 13 Asian and European countries. The data were based on 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 (11,028 girls, 10,660 boys) who completed self-administered surveys between 2011 and 2017. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.Findings: The number of adolescents who felt unsafe at school varied widely across countries, with a mean occurrence of 31.4% for the total sample: 31.3% for girls, and 31.1% for boys. The findings revealed strong independent associations between feeling unsafe and individual and school-related factors, such as being bullied, emotional and behavioral problems and feeling that teachers did not care. The study also found large variations in perceived school safety between schools in many countries.Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need to create safe educational environments for all students, based on positive relationships with teachers and peers. School-based interventions to prevent bullying and promote mental health should be a natural part of school safety promotion.</p

The Relationship between Depression Symptoms and Physical Activity in Children with Idiopathic Ventricular Extrasystoles

Background and Objectives: Depression in childhood often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and a range of somatic symptoms. Recent studies have identified physical activity as a target for preventing the onset of depression. However, idiopathic ventricular extrasystoles (VEs) in children are sometimes associated with somatic symptoms and limitations in physical activity. The occurrence of arrhythmia can also be distressing for children and their parents. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between symptoms of depression, physical activity, and somatic symptoms in children with idiopathic VE. Materials and Methods: This study of children with structurally normal hearts and VE was approved by the local ethics committee (no. 2021/10-1383˗859(1). The authors designed a questionnaire to assess symptoms, physical activity, and general well-being. As part of that, symptoms of depression were evaluated with a modified pediatric PHQ-9 (MP-PHQ-9) questionnaire, with scores ≤4 for no, 5–9 for mild, 10–14 for moderate, and ≥15 for severe depression. Children aged ≥12 years and parents who assessed their children’s condition completed the questionnaires. All children also underwent 24-h electrocardiography and echocardiography to evaluate arrhythmia frequency and cardiac condition. Results: Questionnaires were completed by 60 children’s parents and 39 children (≥12 years old). The median children’s age was 13 years. Palpitations were experienced by 26 (43.3%), chest pain by 13 (21.7%), and exercise intolerance by 15 (25%) children. All patients had normal ventricular function and hemodynamically normal hearts. The median score of the MP-PHQ-9 completed by parents was 2, and by children was 4. The median VE frequency was 4.77 (0.1–32.77) % per 24 h. We found that 31 (51.7%) children engaged in extra-sports participation with a median time of 3.75 h per week. Eleven of the children were suspended from sports. There was no significant difference between VE frequency and MP-PHQ-9 scores. Higher MP-PHQ-9 scores were noted for symptomatic children who engaged in Conclusions: Higher depression scores were found for children with somatic symptoms than those without symptoms. Children who were physically active for less than 5 h per week also had higher depression risk scores than those who were more active. Our research has shown that parents underestimate the signs of depression in their children

Factors Affecting Suicidal Thoughts in Breast Cancer Patients

Background and Objectives: Women diagnosed with breast cancer experience severe trauma. Psychological help for breast cancer patients is not sufficient because of limited professional resources. The goal of this study was to identify groups of breast cancer patients with the greatest suicidal risk, who could be the first target for psychosocial interventions. Materials and Methods: The study included 421 women with stage T1&ndash;T3/N0&ndash;N3/M0 breast cancer. We provided women with a set of questionnaires 1&ndash;2 days prior to breast surgery and one year after surgery. One hundred eighty-eight patients completed the questionnaires after one year. We used the Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (BDI-II) item Suicidal Thoughts or Intentions for the assessment of suicidal risk. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to measure the risk of PTSD and the Vrana&ndash;Lauterbach Traumatic Events Questionnaire-Civilian, TEQ-C (TEQ-CV) was used to measure whether patients had experienced other traumatic events in their lifetime. Results: The incidence of suicidal ideation one year after surgery increased from 4.3% to 12.8% of patients. Patients who lived in rural areas had a two times greater risk of suicidal thoughts than patients who lived in urban areas. Working patients were 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts prior to surgery. Severely traumatic events increased the chances of suicidal ideation (OR 7.72; 95% CI 1.63&ndash;36.6; p = 0.01). The symptoms of PTSD showed a threefold increase in the likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR 2.89; 95% CI 0.98&ndash;8.55; p = 0.05). Conclusions: Living in the countryside, having a history of traumatic experience, having a paid job and having symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder influence suicidal ideation in breast cancer patients. Particular attention should be drawn to individuals with multiple risk factors