ACAMH Website Content Types
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Mastering meltdowns and big feelings with Associate Professor Erin Gonzalez
We caught up with the presenter – Associate Professor Dr. Erin Gonzalez, a clinical psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital – about the topic itself, her career, and her hopes for the event.
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Beyond ACEs: When Trauma-Informed Care Misses Neurodivergent Children
Trauma-informed care often overlooks neurodivergence, leading to missed diagnoses and support, as in James’ story. Research shows trauma, neurodevelopmental conditions and adversity frequently co-occur, with “double jeopardy” when both are present. Services must move beyond silos to holistic, person-centred assessment that recognises each child’s unique “make and model.”. Blog by Professor Helen Minnis (pic) and Dr. Ruchika Gajwani.
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Understanding mental health challenges in autism and ADHD: A focus on schools as a source of emotional burden
The aim of this FREE event is to share insights and outputs from Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience (RE-STAR), a UKRI-funded research programme which is trying understand why young neurodivergent people are at elevated risk for mental health problems.
- Event type
- FREE live stream
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- FREE live stream
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Promoting Mental Health in Schools: Evidence-Based Strategies for a Stepped, Collaborative Approach
Recent research has highlighted the advantages of comprehensive school mental health (SMH) systems, particularly those organised around Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). MTSS provides a coherent structure integrating prevention, early intervention and intensive support to meet diverse student needs (Barrett et al., 2018) acknowledging the interdependence of academic outcomes, mental health and social-emotional development.
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Supporting Children and Young People with Complex Trauma Histories: Rethinking Readiness for Treatment
Children and young people who have experienced trauma often present with a range of emotional, behavioural, and relational difficulties. There is robust evidence that trauma-focused psychological therapies are effective for PTSD in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, clinicians sometimes hesitate to offer these approaches to young people whose circumstances are complicated—for example, those with ongoing instability, high levels of distress, suicide risk, or multiple comorbidities. Some are told they are ‘not ready’, or that therapy should wait until other difficulties are managed. However, current evidence suggests that complexities are not, in themselves, a reason to delay treatment.
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Unlocking Therapeutic Powers of Play: Practical Techniques for Safe and Effective Play Therapy
EARLY BIRD OFFER! This session focuses on exploring the therapeutic powers of play and how it can be safely used across settings, as well as understanding when a child may need more structured play therapy.
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- Introductory session
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- LIVE STREAM
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Special Educational Needs and Young People Involved in Violence
Children and young people with special educational needs (SENs) are more likely to commit violent offences compared to those without SENs. Our research team used existing data from school and police records from over 1.5 million children and young people to unpack this relationship. The aim of our project was to identify what works to reduce violent offending and re-offending in children and young people with SENs.
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Physical health of children and young people with learning disabilities – Joint CAIDPN/BACD Conference
Join us for this one day online conference jointly organised by the Child & Adolescent Intellectual Disability Psychiatry Network (CAIDPN) and British Academy of Childhood Disability (BACD). The conference focuses on the physical health of children and young people with learning disabilities.
- Event type
- Conference
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- LIVE STREAM
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OCD; An update on OCD and related disorders in children and young people
Led by Professor David Mataix-Cols ; “In this session, I will provide an up-to-date overview of the latest research on OCD and related disorders, with a focus on risk factors, consequences, and evolving clinical approaches in the assessment and treatment of these disorders.”
- Event type
- Introductory and Update Session
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Neuroanatomical Variability and Early Substance Use Initiation: Insights from the ABCD Study
Adolescence is a period of rapid brain development, making it a sensitive window for experiences that may shape long-term outcomes. A new study from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) project examined whether neuroanatomical variability is linked to early initiation of alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis. Drawing on baseline brain images taken before substance use began, the researchers found regionally specific differences in cortical thickness and surface area among early initiators. The findings highlight the complexity of adolescent neurodevelopment and point to the value of large-scale, longitudinal studies in clarifying how brain structure and behaviour unfold together.
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