Psychodiagnostic Chart–Child (PDC–C): a valid and clinically sensitive diagnostic tool for patient-tailored intervention planning

The reliable clinical-diagnostic evaluation of child patients is crucial. The present research sought to examine the validity of the Psychodiagnostic Chart – Child (PDC–C) in assessing children’s mental functioning and personality organization, according to the framework of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition (PDM–2). A sample of 209 clinicians assessed 209 children (aged 4–11 years) who had been in their care between 2–12 months, using the PDC-C. Each clinician also completed a clinical questionnaire to provide demographic information, the Child Behavior Checklist to evaluate children’s behavioral problems and social competences, and the Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort measure to assess children’s emerging personality patterns. The findings suggest that the PDC–C is a valid diagnostic tool that takes into account children’s full range of functioning. Moreover, the measure has good sensitivity and appears clinically useful in differentiating between certain clinical populations according to psychological characteristics. The PDC–C could promote more accurate assessment during childhood and inform the development of individualized therapies. One of the advantages of the tool is its ability to capture individual variations in child functioning (illuminating strengths and psychological vulnerabilities), even within children in the same diagnostic group. Of note, additional research is needed to establish the utility of PDC–C ratings in predicting clinically relevant constructs and to monitor the processes and outcomes of interventions

Therapeutic interventions in intimate partner violence: an overview

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and its prevention is a global public health priority. There is strong scientific evidence that suggests IPV and symptoms such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, chronic pain, etc. are linked. Despite recommendations and various interventions for the treatment of IPV that have been tried in these last 20 years, the rates of recurrence are still too high. Furthermore, there is a lack of research evidence for the effectiveness of the most common treatments provided for victims and perpetrators of IPVs. The purpose of this paper is to present most used, at a global level, therapeutic interventions for women experiencing IPV (as well as treatments for perpetrators). The possibility of building a preliminary theoretical and clinical model is discussed

Creación y Simulación de Metodologías de Análisis, Clasificación e Integración de Nuevos Requerimientos a Software Propietario

La priorización de nuevos requerimientos a implementar en un software propietario es un punto fundamental para su mantenimiento, la conservación de la calidad, observación de las reglas de negocio y los estándares de la empresa. Aunque existen herramientas de priorización basadas en técnicas probadas y reconocidas, las mismas requieren una calificación previa de cada requerimiento. Si la empresa cuenta con solicitudes provenientes de varios clientes de un mismo producto, aumentan los factores que afectan a la empresa, las herramientas disponibles no contemplan estos aspectos y hacen mucho más compleja la tarea de calificación. Este trabajo de investigación abarca la realización de un relevamiento de los métodos de priorización y selección de nuevos requerimientos utilizados por empresas de la zona de Rosario, y la definición de una metodología para la selección un nuevo requerimiento, que implica el análisis y evaluación de todas las implicaciones sobre el producto de software y la empresa, respetando sus reglas de negocio. La metodología creada conduce a la definición de los procesos para la construcción de una herramienta de calificación y priorización de nuevos requerimientos en software propietario que tiene solicitudes de varios clientes al mismo tiempo, con instrumentos de calificación que consideran todos los aspectos relacionados, proveerá técnicas de priorización actuales y emitirá informes personalizados según diferentes perspectivas de la empresa.Eje: Ingeniería de SoftwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Demographic, clinical, and service-use characteristics related to the clinician’s recommendation to transition from child to adult mental health services

Purpose: The service configuration with distinct child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS) may be a barrier to continuity of care. Because of a lack of transition policy, CAMHS clinicians have to decide whether and when a young person should transition to AMHS. This study describes which characteristics are associated with the clinicians’ advice to continue treatment at AMHS. Methods: Demographic, family, clinical, treatment, and service-use characteristics of the MILESTONE cohort of 763 young people from 39 CAMHS in Europe were assessed using multi-informant and standardized assessment tools. Logistic mixed models were fitted to assess the relationship between these characteristics and clinicians’ transition recommendations. Results: Young people with higher clinician-rated severity of psychopathology scores, with self- and parent-reported need for ongoing treatment, with lower everyday functional skills and without self-reported psychotic experiences were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment. Among those who had been recommended to continue treatment, young people who used psychotropic medication, who had been in CAMHS for more than a year, and for whom appropriate AMHS were available were more likely to be recommended to continue treatment at AMHS. Young people whose parents indicated a need for ongoing treatment were more likely to be recommended to stay in CAMHS. Conclusion: Although the decision regarding continuity of treatment was mostly determined by a small set of clinical characteristics, the recommendation to continue treatment at AMHS was mostly affected by service-use related characteristics, such as the availability of appropriate services

Cohort profile : demographic and clinical characteristics of the MILESTONE longitudinal cohort of young people approaching the upper age limit of their child mental health care service in Europe

Purpose: The presence of distinct child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS) impacts continuity of mental health treatment for young people. However, we do not know the extent of discontinuity of care in Europe nor the effects of discontinuity on the mental health of young people. Current research is limited, as the majority of existing studies are retrospective, based on small samples or used non-standardised information from medical records. The MILESTONE prospective cohort study aims to examine associations between service use, mental health and other outcomes over 24 months, using information from self, parent and clinician reports. Participants: Seven hundred sixty-three young people from 39 CAMHS in 8 European countries, their parents and CAMHS clinicians who completed interviews and online questionnaires and were followed up for 2 years after reaching the upper age limit of the CAMHS they receive treatment at. Findings to date: This cohort profile describes the baseline characteristics of the MILESTONE cohort. The mental health of young people reaching the upper age limit of their CAMHS varied greatly in type and severity: 32.8% of young people reported clinical levels of self-reported problems and 18.6% were rated to be ‘markedly ill’, ‘severely ill’ or ‘among the most extremely ill’ by their clinician. Fifty-seven per cent of young people reported psychotropic medication use in the previous half year. Future plans: Analysis of longitudinal data from the MILESTONE cohort will be used to assess relationships between the demographic and clinical characteristics of young people reaching the upper age limit of their CAMHS and the type of care the young person uses over the next 2 years, such as whether the young person transitions to AMHS. At 2 years follow-up, the mental health outcomes of young people following different care pathways will be compared. Trial registration number: NCT03013595

Personality, traits and disorders in childhood: A Q-Sort assessment procedure

Introduction: Despite a growing number of studies confirming that it is possible to evaluate childhood personality from a developmental perspective, the debate on childhood personality and its disorders still rages. Aim: The aim of this work is to develop a Q-Sort assessment procedure (inspired by the SWAP developed by Shedler and Westen) for the evaluation of children personality. Methods: From a literature review we derived 200 items that describe some specific patterns of affect, cognition, motivation and behavior in childhood with a straightforward manner. These items are included in seven Emerging Personality Patterns and four Personality Organizations. Items and Patterns were tested through theoretical and statistical consensus. The theoretical consensus was obtained by 30 expert clinicians that evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale each Pattern and item. The statistical consensus involved 42 clinicians assessing 42 children (M=7.92; 64% male). Results: Theoretical consensus: clinicians rated 4 or 5 to all the Patterns and most of the items, only few items were rated 3. Statistical consensus: we evaluated the mean score and the standard deviation (SD) for each item. Only 16 out of 200 items reached a SD lower than 1.50 and a little mean score. Then, to evaluate the internal coherence of each Pattern, we measured the Cronbach’s alpha that reached really good or excellent levels. According to the consensus results, we modified the problematic items to obtain the final version of the instrument. Discussion: Preliminary data is promising and seems to confirm that the personality can be assessed in childhood

Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q): A Clinically and Empirically Procedure for Assessing Traits and Emerging Patterns of Personality in Childhood

Background: Despite increasing research confirming the existence of childhood personalities, which are recognizable from a developmental perspective, controversies over the possibility to assess personality in childhood have continued. The purpose of this study was to provide initial data on the validation of the Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q), a clinician report instrument that can be employed to evaluate children’s personalities and address the gap in the field of emerging personality in children classification. Method: A sample of 135 clinicians completed the CPAP-Q to assess the personality features of 135 children (ages 4–11) who had been in their care between two and 12 months. The clinicians completed a clinical questionnaire to collect information on them, the children, and their families, as well as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), to evaluate the children’s behavioral problems and social competencies. Results: Q-factor analysis identified seven specific emerging personality patterns: psychological health, borderline/impulsive, borderline/dysregulated, schizoid, inhibited/self-critical, obsessive, and dysphoric/dependent. These patterns revealed good levels of validity and reliability. Conclusions: These findings are preliminary, but seem to support the possibility of evaluating emerging personality patterns in childhood and their developmental pathways that may lead to personality disorders in adolescence and adulthood. The CPAP-Q promises to significantly contribute to less explored research areas and encourage systematic studies of children assessment, promoting best practices for individualized diagnoses

CPAP – Q-Sort: An assessment procedure for personality, traits and disorders in childhood

Aims: The controversy over the possibility to assess childhood personality has continued despite a growing number of studies confirming that it is possible from a developmental perspective. The aim of this work is the validation of the CPAP-Q (Child Personality Assessment Q-Sort; Fortunato, Speranza, Tanzilli, Lingiardi, 2018), a Q-Sort instrument able to assess the childhood personality. Methods: The validation procedure includes: 150 children, from 4 to 11 years old evaluated by 150 clinicians. Children are in treatment from 2 to 12 months. Procedure includes other instruments: an ad-hoc questionnaire for information on the clinician, on the child and his/her family, CPNI (Coolidge, 2002), CBCL (Achenbach, 2001) and PDC-C (Malberg, Rosenberg & Malone, 2017). For the validation procedure it was conducted the Q-Factor analysis to obtain Emerging Personality Patterns empirically derived. Results: 7 factors emerged from the Q-Factor analysis (High Functioning, Inhibited/Withdrawn, Dysphoric/Anxious, Obsessive, Borderline/Dysregulated, Borderline/Impulsive, Schizoid). Validation procedure highlights the Q-Sort’s validity. Discussion: Preliminary data is promising and define that it’s possible to evaluate the developmental pathways for emerging personality patterns in childhood and how these may lead to personality disorders in adolescence and adulthood. Data confirm that the Q-Sort procedure is the best way to assess childhood personality and its elements