In depth
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Meet the expert: Pediatric Bipolar Disorder with Professor Dr. Boris Birmaher
On 24 April 2026, ACAMH will host a webinar Navigating Diagnostic Challenges in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder. We caught up with the presenter – Dr. Boris Birmaher, Endowed Chair in Bipolar Disease and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine – about the topic itself, his career, and his hopes for the event.
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Adversity, Protection, and Prevention: Rethinking Childhood Experiences Through New Evidence
ACAMH’s second annual ACE’s SIG online conference. Don’t miss the early bird!
- Event type
- Day Conference
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
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From Research to Practice: Advancing Early Intervention, Treatments and Services for Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities. CAIDPN Annual Conference. Open to all.
This conference will present the latest research evidence and good practice examples in the delivery of early intervention approaches, supports and treatments, as well as health services for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. The conference aims to provide a reflective, evidence-based, and practical learning approach for multidisciplinary professionals interested in the health and care of children and young people with intellectual disabilities. Organised by Child & Adolescent Intellectual Disability Psychiatry Network (CAIDPN).
- Event type
- Day Conference
- Location
- London
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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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Complex Mental Health Needs: When Services Come Together for Service Innovation
The event seeks to emphasize the importance of collaboration among agencies when standard practices fall short in meeting the needs of children and young people (CYP).
- Event type
- Service Innovation
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
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Are we over-pathologising young people’s mental health? CAMH Journal Debate
Building on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) journal debate series, the session will bring together contrasting perspectives on diagnostic trends and their interpretation in child and adolescent mental health. The debate includes Sami Timimi, Professor Kapil Sayal, and Professor Rachel Hiller.
- Event type
- Debate
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
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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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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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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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