Trelles P, Levy T, Jain S
… +14 more, Lerman B, Friedman K, Chung WK, Dominick KC, Dunham-Carr K, Lamy M, Levin AR, Luccarelli J, O'Connor R, Samsel C, Smith JR, Srivastava S, Thurm A, Siegel M
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41895438
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OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the clinical presentation, prevalence, neurobiological mechanisms, and treatment strategies for catatonia in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmen...OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the clinical presentation, prevalence, neurobiological mechanisms, and treatment strategies for catatonia in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) to inform care and research. METHOD: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library in November 2024, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Peer-reviewed articles published after 2000 were eligible if they assessed catatonia in individuals with ASD or related NDDs. Data on prevalence, clinical features, etiology, and treatments were extracted and synthesized using a narrative approach. RESULTS: The search yielded 1966 records; 210 met the inclusion criteria, with 17 additional studies identified through cross-referencing, for a total of 227 included studies. Pooled prevalence estimates for catatonia suggest a rate of 10.4%, but the true prevalence remains uncertain due to research limitations. Overlapping symptoms between ASD and catatonia hinder timely diagnosis and intervention. Key pathogenic factors include excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitter imbalances, neuroimmune dysregulation, and genetic vulnerabilities and their interplay with environmental exposures. Overlapping neurobiological mechanisms position catatonia as a distinct outcome within a broader spectrum, reflecting shared vulnerabilities among individuals with NDDs. Benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy are the main treatments, with higher doses and longer durations often required than when treating neurotypical patients. Dopaminergic agents must be used cautiously, and evidence supporting immunomodulators is emerging. CONCLUSION: Catatonia in autism and other NDDs is underrecognized, causing delays in care and suboptimal outcomes. Addressing this requires standardized diagnostic tools, robust studies, and targeted interventions informed by genetic, immune, and epidemiologic research. Despite treatment advances, progress is hindered by heterogeneous study designs, reliance on case series, and limited clinical trials. Future efforts should refine diagnostics and therapies to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Goh EXN, Tan CM, Oon LK
… +4 more, Subramaniam M, Tang C, Verma S, Liu J
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41887461
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OBJECTIVE: Early-onset psychosis (EOP) is associated with greater functional impairment and poorer outcomes than adult-onset psychosis. Accumulating evidence implicates trauma-related mechanisms, particularly complex pos...OBJECTIVE: Early-onset psychosis (EOP) is associated with greater functional impairment and poorer outcomes than adult-onset psychosis. Accumulating evidence implicates trauma-related mechanisms, particularly complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) and dissociation, in the emergence of psychotic symptoms during adolescence. However, an integrative association with EOP remains unclear. This systematic review examined the relationships between cPTSD, dissociation, and EOP to clarify the nuances of these trauma-related processes and their associations with specific psychotic symptoms. METHOD: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, database searches were conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycINFO, and Scopus, yielding 3,636 records. After screening, 21 studies were included. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of children and adolescents were reviewed. RESULTS: Across 16 studies assessing dissociation, all reported significant positive associations with psychotic experiences (r = 0.34-0.80). Dissociation correlated most strongly with positive psychotic symptoms, but not with negative psychotic symptoms. However, longitudinal findings indicated concurrent rather than predictive associations, although most longitudinal studies did not control for baseline psychosis. Across 9 studies that examined cPTSD symptoms, affect dysregulation and disturbances in relationships symptom clusters were most consistently linked to psychosis. Only 4 studies examined both constructs concurrently, suggesting overlapping but distinct contributions to psychotic vulnerability. Given substantial heterogeneity across studies and overall low quality ratings, findings require nuanced interpretation. CONCLUSION: Dissociation and cPTSD symptom clusters, particularly affect dysregulation and interpersonal disturbances, were positively associated with EOP. Methodological heterogeneity and limited longitudinal data underscore the need for unified measurement frameworks to clarify trauma-psychosis mechanisms and to inform early intervention. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Are complex PTSD and dissociation associated with early-onset psychosis? A systematic review; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251053963.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41887460
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Parenting style and practices are widely acknowledged as important influences in social-emotional and behavioral development of children. As such, they are a common focus of psychosocial interventions for children with b...Parenting style and practices are widely acknowledged as important influences in social-emotional and behavioral development of children. As such, they are a common focus of psychosocial interventions for children with behavioral difficulties, including children diagnosed with, or at risk for, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Behavioral parent training is recommended in the comprehensive management of ADHD. Participation in such programs has been shown to improve positive parenting and reduce negative harsh parenting, albeit with modest and (sometimes) time-limited effects. These results imply differences in parenting practices in families of children with ADHD, but is this supported by the data?
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41887459
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In psychiatry, we rarely lack treatments. However, we frequently lack treatments that are informed by disorder-specific mechanisms or by the stage of an illness. As clinicians, we choose from an armamentarium that includ...In psychiatry, we rarely lack treatments. However, we frequently lack treatments that are informed by disorder-specific mechanisms or by the stage of an illness. As clinicians, we choose from an armamentarium that includes individual psychotherapies, family-based interventions, supplements, a cornucopia of psychotropic classes, digital therapeutics, and neuromodulation-based treatments. Our choice of treatment is ideally based on evidence and experience, but treatment selection may also be influenced by how we conceptualize the psychology and pathobiology of the disorder we are treating. However, when our biological model of an illness is incomplete, treatment becomes empirical.
Novins DK, Fontanella CA, Fristad M
… +3 more, Krishna R, McCauley E, Tufan AE
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Jun · PMID 41887458
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With greater attention to mental health at key child health-serving institutions in the United States, including the engagement of the Children's Hospital Association in declaring a pediatric mental health emergency in 2...With greater attention to mental health at key child health-serving institutions in the United States, including the engagement of the Children's Hospital Association in declaring a pediatric mental health emergency in 2020 and major investments in children's mental health by philanthropists and health systems, the opportunities to advance children's mental health services in the United States have never been greater.
Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Brown LK, Martin A
… +9 more, Muhle RA, Jacob S, Drury SS, Bloch MH, Grice DE, Rogers CE, Stevens HE, Stroeh OM, Szatmari P
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41881301
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Advances in genetics, neuroscience, clinical trials, and implementation science promise to improve outcomes for youth with mental health, substance use, or neurodevelopmental conditions. These innovations are much needed...Advances in genetics, neuroscience, clinical trials, and implementation science promise to improve outcomes for youth with mental health, substance use, or neurodevelopmental conditions. These innovations are much needed, given the youth mental health crisis. Child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs) are ideally poised to discover, test, and implement novel treatments with our intersecting medical training, understanding of psychological health, and developmental understanding of the brain. Unfortunately, a critical shortage of CAP physician-scientists exists, which we made a top priority for the Research Committee of the American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AADCAP), comprising 7 of this Commentary's authors. Here, we describe a key approach to addressing this problem: CAP training programs that combine robust clinical and research training to foster the development of CAP physician-scientists with sustained and impactful research programs.
Raballo A, Poletti M, Lavalle R
… +1 more, Preti A
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41881300
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OBJECTIVE: The clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) paradigm has been widely applied in child and adolescent mental health, yet its prognostic validity in youth remains debated. This study aimed to provide an updated...OBJECTIVE: The clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) paradigm has been widely applied in child and adolescent mental health, yet its prognostic validity in youth remains debated. This study aimed to provide an updated meta-analysis of transition rates to psychosis in youth at CHR-P and to assess the influence of baseline antipsychotic (AP) exposure on transition outcomes. METHOD: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following evidence-based guidelines (PROSPERO CRD420251064505). PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched through August 30, 2025. Eligible studies included participants ≤18 years old or samples with mean age <18 years, defined CHR-P status with validated instruments, and reported longitudinal data on transition to psychosis. Transition prevalences were pooled using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses evaluated the impact of baseline AP exposure. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 32 independent cohorts comprising 2,951 CHR-P individuals, almost all in adolescence. Across studies restricted to youth, overall transition converged at approximately 16% to 17%, whereas broader samples with mean age <18 years but including young adults reached approximately 23%, approaching adult CHR-P estimates (∼25%). Baseline AP exposure was consistently associated with a higher risk of transition (risk ratio ≈1.5), supporting its role as a negative prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: CHR-P criteria demonstrate prognostic validity in developmental populations, with transition rates in adolescents comparable to young adult cohorts and significantly higher than in CHR-P-negative adolescents. In line with previous research in adult CHR-P, the need for AP treatment at baseline is substantially associated with an increased risk for transition. Future research should broaden prognostic focus beyond transition alone to capture remission, persistence, and functional outcomes in this vulnerable group. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Transition rates to psychosis in children and adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis: an updated meta-analysis; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251064505.
Youth today are dealing with many stressors from poverty, racial injustice, social media, feeling unsafe in their homes and communities, and much more. This leads to often difficult conversations in the clinic that we mi...Youth today are dealing with many stressors from poverty, racial injustice, social media, feeling unsafe in their homes and communities, and much more. This leads to often difficult conversations in the clinic that we might feel unprepared for as child psychiatrists. It can even feel like the dystopian novels, TV shows, or movies might be able to teach us something about the adversity that the youth we work with experience. These stories might be a way to have a conversation about trauma, loss, or being scared. Many of these stories are narrated through the eyes of young people or at least very closely involve young people as central figures. Often, adolescents have seen or at least are aware of these shows or movies, making it easier to find subject material that they can identify with. For example, talking about The Hunger Games could be an opening to talk about sacrifice, community violence, feeling powerless, and much more. The review by Dr. Speer of The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6, shows how this dystopian show can provide examples of the parent and child interaction. Even in this setting, there are examples that can be used in a conversation with a family about how to navigate autonomy and trust.
Mohan A, Iacono WG, McGue M
… +5 more, Nelson KM, Roisman GI, Santos J, Wilson S, Schaefer JD
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41864560
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OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed in childhood is associated with adverse socioeconomic outcomes, but questions remain about causality. Prior work is limited by single-timepoint assessm...OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed in childhood is associated with adverse socioeconomic outcomes, but questions remain about causality. Prior work is limited by single-timepoint assessments, narrow socioeconomic measurement, and inadequate control for genetic and environmental confounds. METHOD: We used data from the Minnesota Twin Family Study, a multi-decade longitudinal study of 2,764 twins, to examine associations between ADHD and socioeconomic status (SES) across development. Childhood ADHD was defined as meeting diagnostic criteria at baseline (n = 131). SES was measured with parental education and occupation, household income, and neighborhood disadvantage in childhood, and participants' own education, occupation, and income in adulthood. Co-twin control analyses accounted for genetic and shared environmental confounding. We examined apparent adult-onset ADHD (n = 32) as an exploratory comparison. RESULTS: Childhood ADHD was associated with both rearing family SES and adult education. In twin pairs discordant for childhood ADHD, the affected twin showed lower levels of education, indicating that the association is not entirely attributable to the intergenerational transmission of SES and consistent with a causal effect of ADHD. Within-pair differences in adult occupational status and income were not significant, suggesting that these associations reflect shared familial factors. Adult-onset ADHD showed weaker associations overall, with no significant within-pair effects. CONCLUSION: Lower SES in childhood was associated with childhood ADHD, which predicted lower adult SES, particularly for education. Co-twin analyses suggest the childhood ADHD-educational attainment association is not entirely attributable to genetic or familial confounds, whereas adult-onset ADHD showed weaker and less consistent patterns. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION: ADHD and Socioeconomic Status: Approaching Causal Inference in a Longitudinal Study of Twins; https://osf.io/4kufm.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41864559
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Adolescence has always been a period of experimentation, identity formation, and heightened sensitivity to social feedback. What has changed dramatically is the scale and permanence of exposure. Young people now navigate...Adolescence has always been a period of experimentation, identity formation, and heightened sensitivity to social feedback. What has changed dramatically is the scale and permanence of exposure. Young people now navigate sexuality, relationships, status, and self-worth in environments that are increasingly public, monetized, and algorithmically amplified. This month's Media Forum brings together 2 thoughtful reviews of Netflix productions authored by 2 talented psychiatry residents who examine how contemporary media shapes adolescent development when adult guidance, regulation, and emotional attunement lag behind cultural change. Together, these pieces underscore a shared clinical concern: when development occurs in spaces driven by performance, visibility, and profit, the risks to psychological safety, identity formation, and boundary setting multiply.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41856246
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Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and a major, modifiable risk factor for suicide, which remains the second leading cause of death in this age group. For 30% to 50% of...Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and a major, modifiable risk factor for suicide, which remains the second leading cause of death in this age group. For 30% to 50% of patients who fail to achieve remission despite multiple treatment steps, the clinical and psychosocial consequences are substantial. Although selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors are widely used as first-line treatments, their therapeutic effects typically require several weeks to emerge, and a substantial proportion of adolescents do not respond to an initial antidepressant trial. Together, the delayed efficacy and incomplete response contribute to a critical treatment gap during which vulnerable youth remain at elevated risk. These limitations have driven growing interest in rapid-acting interventions such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist esketamine. Multiple pieces of evidence suggest that esketamine can produce faster symptom relief than conventional antidepressants, including efficacy as a monotherapy in treatment-resistant depression; however, its neural mechanisms remain incompletely understood. A clearer understanding of how esketamine acts on the developing brain is necessary to guide clinical use and to inform more targeted prevention strategies.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41856245
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One in 67 people worldwide is a refugee or internally displaced. Wars, natural disasters, and ongoing conflicts continue to expose a large number of the world population to trauma, severe deprivation of basic needs, and...One in 67 people worldwide is a refugee or internally displaced. Wars, natural disasters, and ongoing conflicts continue to expose a large number of the world population to trauma, severe deprivation of basic needs, and chronic adversity for years. Approximately 40% of the refugees-children -go through these life-altering experiences during a highly sensitive neurobiological, psychological, and social developmental period. Filiz et al. look beyond the prevalence of mental health disorders to examine real-world patterns of mental health care use by refugee children resettled in Western countries, compared to non-refugee native peers. The authors found that despite high prevalence of mental health challenges, refugee children underutilize outpatient services, and receive care mostly in crisis-driven, fragmented ways, often through non-medical agencies. In this Editorial, I explore the real-world implications of these findings in the context of ongoing refugee crises, and propose approaches to facilitating mental health care access for refugee children.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41856244
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There is limited evidence to guide clinicians regarding the side effect profiles of antidepressants in youth. Weight gain is a frequent concern raised by patients and their families when starting psychiatric medications....There is limited evidence to guide clinicians regarding the side effect profiles of antidepressants in youth. Weight gain is a frequent concern raised by patients and their families when starting psychiatric medications. In the current issue of JAACAP, Rifas-Shiman et al. present a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record (EHR) data from 67,039 patients 5 to 19 years of age to investigate the impact of antidepressants on body mass index (BMI) in children and adolescents over the longer term (up to 1 year). The authors found a small, albeit statistically significant, increase in BMI with the most commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline), but not with bupropion. Rifas-Shiman et al.'s findings of slight weight gain associated with SSRIs in youth align with observational studies in adults. Previous smaller prospective cohort studies in youth have suggested possible differences in effect of SSRIs on weight gain, with (es)citalopram being associated with more weight gain than sertraline (fluoxetine was intermediate). The weight changes seen with escitalopram and citalopram are highly variable across patients and potentially associated with slow CYP2C19 metabolizer status. Rifas-Shiman et al. did not replicate these differences in weight change between SSRI agents at 1-year follow-up despite the much larger sample size.
Spencer AE, Arwade JF, Botello R
… +1 more, Walkup JT
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41856243
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Our current mental health system's approach to trauma in youth needs a transformative and scalable population health strategy to address collective trauma and advance community-wide healing. Taken to scale, a population...Our current mental health system's approach to trauma in youth needs a transformative and scalable population health strategy to address collective trauma and advance community-wide healing. Taken to scale, a population health approach to promote collective posttraumatic growth (PTG) in communities affected by collective trauma could reduce mental health disparities for the large number of affected communities in the United States and around the world. Collective trauma refers to the psychological impact of traumatic events experienced by entire groups or communities, and collective PTG refers to positive psychological growth of groups or communities following shared trauma. In this Translation, we briefly review the current state of trauma care and recent efforts to incorporate the concept of PTG into trauma care. We then introduce a transformative approach called Healing through Justice (HtJ), the key elements of which are designed to address collective trauma of youth and families, and importantly, to facilitate collective PTG through youth empowerment, action, and systems change. We end with implications for child psychiatrists, and the importance of engaging communities and moving upstream and at the population level to address the intergenerational impact of trauma that perpetuates mental health disparities.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41856242
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Alarmingly, during 2019 to 2020, the prevalence of adolescent fatalities due to drug overdose more than doubled in the United States, despite relatively stable rates of adolescent overdose mortality in the preceding year...Alarmingly, during 2019 to 2020, the prevalence of adolescent fatalities due to drug overdose more than doubled in the United States, despite relatively stable rates of adolescent overdose mortality in the preceding years. As nonfatal overdoses often precede fatal overdoses, it is critical to understand trends in prevalence and patterns of nonfatal overdoses in the period preceding the observed rise in overdose fatalities. Adolescence is a developmentally sensitive time associated with emergence of several risk factors for overdose, including depressive disorders, risk-taking behaviors, and experimentation with substances. Medicaid recipients have historically higher rates of these predisposing risk factors and thus represent an appropriate population to study overdose patterns. Until now, few studies using Medicaid claims data have examined time trends of nonfatal overdoses. In this issue of the Journal, Bushnell et al. leveraged Medicaid claims data from 2016 to 2020 to estimate trends in the prevalence of nonfatal overdoses among adolescents in acute-care settings (inpatient or emergency department [ED]), documented intent of overdose, and substances involved.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41850350
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One in 12 adolescents report experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV), also called "dating abuse"; when psychological violence is included, some studies estimate that number increases to 66%. Scree...One in 12 adolescents report experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV), also called "dating abuse"; when psychological violence is included, some studies estimate that number increases to 66%. Screening for IPV-a variation of "Do you feel safe at home?"-is often included as a part of basic patient history taking. National hotlines, books, articles, and trainings for clinicians focus on how to support victims of abuse. However, in addition to the assessment and support of survivors of IPV, equal attention should be paid to screening for perpetration of unhealthy relationship behaviors abuse during routine history taking.
Staginnus M, Gao Y, Townend S
… +94 more, Zugman A, Zhang J, Wu Q, Westerman HB, Viding E, Vermeiren RRJM, van der Wee NJA, Townsend CD, Sun X, Sully K, Sukhodolsky D, Stadler C, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Smaragdi A, Sethi A, Schumann G, Schulze UME, Santosh P, Salum GA, Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Rogers JC, Roberts R, Raschle NM, Ploe ML, Phillips H, Penzol MJ, Pauli R, Pan PM, Oosterling M, Mycue LE, Murphy DGM, Monk CS, Mitchell C, Ming Q, Michalska KJ, Martinot JL, Martinelli A, Marsh AA, Ma R, Lamers K, Kypta-Vivanco A, Konrad K, Kohls G, Jiang Y, Jackson R, Jackowski A, Jabeen N, Ibrahim K, Hyde LW, Holla B, Hoekstra PJ, González-Madruga K, Glennon JC, Freitag CM, Franke B, Dykstra AH, Dong D, Dietrich A, Díaz DE, Desrivières S, De La Serna E, Cubillo AI, Craig MC, Cornwell H, Colins OF, Chester SC, Castro-Fornieles J, Cardinale EM, Burt SA, Buitelaar JK, Brandeis D, Bokde ALW, Boateng CPS, Blair RJR, Bernhard A, Berluti K, Benegal V, Banaschewski T, Bajaj S, Arango C, Jahanshad N, Thomopoulos SI, Ching CRK, Kang MJY, Thompson PM, Aghajani M, Baskin-Sommers A, Cecil CAM, Dugré JR, Klapwijk ET, Pine DS, Walton E, De Brito SA, Fairchild G
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41833812
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OBJECTIVE: Although conduct problems (CPs) are continuously distributed, little is known about how dimensional measures of CPs map onto brain structure. Therefore a large sample was used to comprehensively assess associa...OBJECTIVE: Although conduct problems (CPs) are continuously distributed, little is known about how dimensional measures of CPs map onto brain structure. Therefore a large sample was used to comprehensively assess associations between dimensionally measured CPs and brain structure. METHOD: T1-weighted structural brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 14,160 youths (5-21 years old, 46.2% female) across 18 international case-control, community-based, and population-based cohorts were preprocessed using ENIGMA-standardized protocols. Regression models examined associations between CPs and cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes, adjusting for age, sex, and intracranial volume. Moderation by sex, age, and callous-unemotional traits was also investigated. RESULTS: Widespread but small (β = -0.02 to -0.07) negative associations were observed between CPs and surface area (total surface area, 23/34 regions), cortical thickness (average thickness, 15/34 regions), and amygdalar and hippocampal volumes. Sex was a key moderator, with many surface area associations limited to boys and some thickness associations limited to girls. Some associations were stronger in younger children and at lower levels of callous-unemotional traits. The impact of adjusting for IQ and other psychopathology varied by outcome (eg, most surface area findings survived IQ adjustment, whereas cortical thickness associations did not). CONCLUSION: CPs were associated with subtle, yet widespread, alterations in brain structure. Findings overlapped with differences observed in categorically measured conduct disorder, but novel associations with cortical thickness were identified. This provides further evidence that neuroanatomical differences are not limited to youth with clinically elevated CPs. Our findings have potential implications for neurocognitive models of CPs as they extend beyond the regions highlighted in these models. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Investigating dimensional relationships between conduct problems and brain structure: an ENIGMA mega-analysis; https://osf.io/nzj3r/.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Mar · PMID 41833811
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The brain develops rapidly during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, whereas substantial physical, emotional, and social maturation likely occurs through dynamic interactions with the environment. Parents are assumed t...The brain develops rapidly during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, whereas substantial physical, emotional, and social maturation likely occurs through dynamic interactions with the environment. Parents are assumed to play an important role in this process, with substantial observational research supporting this assumption. Indeed, adverse parenting is longitudinally linked to psychological development of children, their risk for psychopathology, and the development of brain structure and function. Although it is well established that parenting influences psychosocial development of offspring, the study of how this is reflected in the brain is still a relatively new endeavor with important challenges and discoveries to be made.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
· 2026 Feb · PMID 41759968
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Maternal perinatal depression has been linked to adverse child developmental outcomes for decades, yet the field continues to grapple with a central question: Does the timing of maternal depressive symptoms truly matter?...Maternal perinatal depression has been linked to adverse child developmental outcomes for decades, yet the field continues to grapple with a central question: Does the timing of maternal depressive symptoms truly matter? In this issue, Redic and colleagues provide strong evidence that it does, and that early postnatal depression deserves urgent clinical and research attention. Their longitudinal prospective cohort study of 220 mother and their singleton offspring from the first trimester of pregnancy through age 3 years disentangles the temporal relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and child outcomes by identifying that early postnatal depressive symptoms are a uniquely potent predictor of toddler externalizing problems.