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.
Blog
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Meet the expert: Dr Victoria Samuel on the latest ACT research
On 14 May 2026, ACAMH will host a webinar An update on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) research in children and young people. We chatted to the presenter – Dr Victoria Samuel, a clinical psychologist who developed the InTER-ACT intervention – about the topic itself, her career, and hopes for the event.
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Meet the expert: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Parenting and Practice (DDP) intervention, with Dr. Kim Golding CBE
We caught up with the presenter – Dr. Kim Golding CBE, a clinical psychologist and consultant and trainer, to talk about in DDP – about Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Parenting and Practice (DDP) intervention.
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What Is Autism Now?
Autism was first described as a clinical condition in the mid-twentieth century and was long considered of low prevalence. Since the 1990s, autism prevalence has increased substantially, particularly in high-income countries. This rise has prompted public and professional debate, including concerns of over-diagnosis and suggestions of an “autism epidemic.” Current research and conceptual analysis suggest that these interpretations are not supported by the available evidence. Instead, changes in diagnostic practices, alongside shifts in social, educational, and economic environments, have reshaped how autism is recognised and understood.
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Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in Children and Young People: Current Evidence and Clinical Approaches
Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in Children and Young People: Current Evidence and Clinical Approaches Short summary Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related disorders, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), often begin in childhood or adolescence and can be associated with marked distress, impaired school functioning, family disruption, and increased risk of comorbidity and co-occurring symptoms.
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Meet the expert: Practical techniques for managing social anxiety in everyday clinical work, with Dr. Eleanor Leigh
We caught up with Dr. Eleanor Leigh, Associate Professor and MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow at the University of Oxford, to talk about practical techniques for managing social anxiety in everyday clinical work.
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Girls and Women
ADHD has historically been conceptualised as a predominantly male condition, contributing to delayed recognition and underdiagnosis in girls and women. Longitudinal research suggests that ADHD in females is associated with long-term risks, including internalising disorders, self-harm, and psychosocial impairment, particularly when symptoms go unrecognised and untreated. Current evidence raises concerns about both over- and under-diagnosis, aiming for a better understanding of ADHD female presentation.
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Identifying Mental Health Difficulties in Children Living in Care: Is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire enough?
This blog, by Dr. Eva Sprecher, shares new findings that suggest current UK practice may not be sufficient for identifying children in care struggling with their mental health – and we suggest what might help improve things.
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Meet the expert: Practical Updates in ADHD, with Professor Samuele Cortese
We caught up with the presenter – Professor Samuele Cortese, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southampton and one of the world’s most influential researchers in ADHD – about the topic itself, his career, and his hopes for the event.
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Understanding the nature and nurture of callous-unemotional traits: The role of anxiety
New research using the twin design reveals that anxiety levels in children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits can tell us something important about the origins of these traits.
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Obituary for Robert Goodman
Robert Goodman, who died from complex dementia on 18 December 2025 aged 72, was one of the world’s leading child and adolescent psychiatrists. He carried out work that has transformed child mental health across the globe, developing a simple questionnaire on child mental health and well-being, called the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, commonly known as the SDQ.
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