Blog

ACAMH’s blogs bring together timely, evidence-based insights on child and adolescent mental health, written by leading researchers, clinicians, and those with lived experience. They are designed to translate cutting-edge research into accessible, practical guidance that supports better outcomes for children, young people, and families.

  • Yan Li and Christian Hakulinen

    How Mental Health Affects School Performance

    Discover how mental health conditions impact school performance in children and adolescents. Explore research on over 837,000 young people, highlighting the effects of anxiety, depression, gender differences, and age of onset on academic achievement—and why early support matters.

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  • Portrait of little girl aged . Moody and confused girl. Mistreated child.

    Why Trauma-Focused CBT Isn’t Reaching Children

    Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) is one of the best-supported psychological treatments for children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress symptoms. Yet the existence of an evidence-based treatment does not mean that children and families can access it in routine care. Blog by Professor Francisco Musich.

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  • very sad boy. offended a child. close up portrait looking at the camera. feels lonely misses parents. freedom Ukraine

    Assessing and Treating PTSD in Young Children 

    Learn how PTSD appears in young children, why it’s often missed, and how PTSD-YC criteria and CBT-3M improve early identification and treatment. Blog by Professor Francisco Musich.

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  • Sarah Jayne Blakemore

    Meet the expert on the Adolescent Brain – Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

    Join ACAMH on 8 July 2026 for a workshop on adolescent brain development with Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. Explore neuroscience insights and real-world applications.

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  • dark haired boy swinging on a swing

    Trauma in Care Experienced Children: Improving Access to Trauma-Informed Care

    Care experienced children and young people are much more likely to experience trauma and trauma-related mental health difficulties than their peers. Yet many do not receive timely support or access to treatments that are backed by evidence. Recent research highlights that the challenge is not simply identifying distress but ensuring that care-experienced children can access effective interventions, particularly trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapies (TF-CBTs). In this blog, we explore these barriers, as well as what effective trauma-informed care could look like. Blog by Professor Francisco Musich.

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  • ACAMH Awardws 2026

    ACAMH Awards: Spotlight on Excellence in Research and Practice

    The ACAMH Awards aim to recognise high quality work in evidence-based science, both in publication and practice, in the field of child and adolescent mental health. The deadline for Nominees is 7th July 2026.

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  • Reflections from the room

    Relational trauma: looking beyond the child

    When a child has been affected by relational trauma, it might be easy to assume that the child is the one who needs to be treated. But in practice, working with the child matters just as much as working with the adults who care for them and with the everyday relationships the child lives inside. That second part seems to be the one most easily overlooked.

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  • Autism concept. Lonely little boy covering his ears outdoors 1

    Trauma and Autism: How It Affects Children and Young People

    Autistic children and young people are more likely to experience adversity and traumatic events than their non-autistic peers. Yet, trauma is often missed in autism. Why? Professor Francisco Musich explains.

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  • Pooja Saini

    Meet the Expert on Suicide and Self-harm Prevention – Prof. Pooja Saini

    On 16 June 2026, ACAMH will host Brief Interventions That Make a Difference: Practical Approaches for Young People and Families, an international expert conference bringing together leading voices in suicide prevention, crisis care, neurodivergent-inclusive practice, and scalable mental health support. We caught up with one of the speakers – Professor Pooja Saini, Professor at Liverpool John Moores University and a specialist in suicide and self-harm prevention – about her work, her session, and what attendees can expect from the day.

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  • Alessio Bellato 1

    Meet the expert: Emotion Regulation with Dr. Alessio Bellato

    In November, ACAMH will host a two-part short course Assessment Tools and Interventions for Emotion (Dys)Regulation: Practical Approaches. We caught up with the course leader – Dr. Alessio Bellato, Lecturer in Children and Young People’s Mental Health at the University of Southampton – about the topic itself, his career, and his hopes for the event.

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