ACAMH Website Content Types
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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.
- Event type
- Introductory session
- Location
- 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
- Location
- 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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Autism and Co-occurring Conditions: Adapting Psychological Therapies
There remains a significant gap in both research and clinical practice concerning the treatment of co-occurring conditions in autism. Although evidence-based protocols are widely used in mental health care, findings suggest that their effectiveness may be reduced when applied to autistic individuals without modification.
- Event type
- Intermediate level
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
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Ask Attwood – Autism & Anxiety
Are you a parent looking for trusted, practical advice on supporting your child with anxiety? For the first time in this new “Ask Attwood” format, world-renowned Clinical Psychologist Professor Tony Attwood will offer a short introduction to the key themes of anxiety in young people, before answering your questions live.
- Event type
- Talk with Q&A
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
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Rethinking reading disorders
We are lucky to have one of the Titans, Professor Maggie Snowling, deliver this session on the role of language in literacy development, and address the specific challenges faced by children with language disorder.
- Event type
- Ask the expert
- Location
- LIVE STREAM