Background: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are attacks that often look like epileptic seizures (ES). Unlike ES, PNES are not triggered by underlying neurological factors. PNES are relatively rare in the general population; however, their prevalence in people with learning disabilities is much higher--up to 10%. Individuals with PNES and…

Background: There is increasing evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be effective for people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this review was to report the nature and frequency of adaptations reported in studies of CBT for people with intellectual disabilities. Method: This review updated and extended a previous review…

Objective: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to quantify the effects of text messaging interventions to reduce depressive symptoms and identify variables that might influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Design: Electronic databases including EMBASE, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SCOPUS, as well as…

This dissertation develops a program designed to tackle teacher stress and enhance knowledge about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among elementary school teachers. Grounded in cognitive theory and labeling theory, the program addresses the prevalent issue of teacher burnout and elevated stress levels compared to other professions,…

As the popularity of video games has risen so too has the worry about the problems associated with playing them. The authors review the research concerning problem gaming, its similarity to some clinical addictions like gambling and drug and alcohol abuse, and current treatment options. They conclude that, regardless of how researchers and medical…

Given the human costs of psychological trauma, social workers should be well versed in trauma-informed care (TIC). This framework helps guide the efforts of systems, organizations, and practitioners toward reducing trauma or mitigating its effects. The field has created TIC principles, although they have yet to be fully realized as practical…

Each year, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) releases a list of scientific advances that represent significant progress in the field. The "2020 Summary of Advances in Autism Research" provides short, plain language summaries of the top research breakthroughs selected by the IACC from a pool of research articles…

There is a need for treatment interventions to address the high prevalence of disordered eating throughout adolescence and early adulthood. We developed an adolescent-specific manualized CBT protocol to treat female adolescents with recurrent binge eating and tested its efficacy in a small, pilot randomized controlled trial. We present lessons…

In 1994, binge eating disorder (BED) was introduced as a disorder requiring further study in the "American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", fourth edition ("DSM-IV"). It is now listed as a distinct eating disorder in the "DSM-5", along with bulimia nervosa and anorexia…

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the methodological strength and overall effectiveness of the research underlying the FRIENDS program for preventing anxiety in students at low and elevated risk for developing anxiety disorders. Meta-analytic findings provided mixed results, with low-risk students exposed to the program having…

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children or adolescents to be exposed to traumatic events. Experiences such as sexual or physical abuse, severe accidents, cancer or other life threatening illness, natural or man-made disasters, or the sudden death of a relative or peer can all result in maladaptive responses. As all children are in…

Background: This was a quantitative study to measure the prevalence low self-esteem in an intellectually disabled forensic population. The dependent variables used were the adapted six-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the adapted Evaluative Beliefs Scale. It had a repeated measures design with independent variables including consideration of…

Background: Temper outbursts in youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are a common source of concern, but remain poorly understood. This study examined a set of hypotheses related to: (a) the prevalence of temper outbursts in paediatric OCD, (b) the associations of temper outbursts with OCD severity and depressive symptoms; and (c) the…

Background: The assessment of victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) is now a recognized aspect of clinical work for both CAMH and adult services. As juvenile perpetrators of CSA are responsible for a significant minority of the sexual assaults on other children, CAMH services are increasingly approached to assess these oversexualized younger…

Objective: The health consequences of tobacco smoking disproportionately affect African Americans, but research on whether efficacious interventions can be generalized to this population is limited. This study examined the efficacy of group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation among African Americans. Method: Participants…