Non-suicidal self-injury in Shanghai inner bound middle school students

Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviour is very common among adolescents. Its prevalence and behavioural characteristics may vary according to regional and cultural differences. Investigation of NSSI locations and diagnosis of adolescents with NSSI are relatively lacking in China. Aims The study objective was to determine the prevalence and features of NSSI among middle school students in Shanghai. Methods The participants were from grade 6 to 8 selected from three junior schools in Jing’an District. Consenting students completed the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to determine the prevalence and characteristics of NSSI. Those who indicated NSSI within the past month were administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents to assess for emotional disorders. Result The result shows 510 participants (21.7%;mean age 13.51 (0.97) years old;56.7% female) reported at least one instance of NSSI during the previous 12 months. NSSI was significantly more common in girls than boys (24.9% vs 18.5%;χ^2=14.03, p=0.00). Commonly reported reasons for NSSI were for internal and external emotion regulation (87.9%, 82.3%) and social influence (57.8%). Anxiety disorders were the most common (28.9%) disorder associated with NSSI. Conclusion The rate of NSSI of middle school students in Shanghai inner bound is similar to those reported in North American and European youth. It is essential that school mental health professionals are aware of how to manage NSSI within the school setting.

Development of a psychological first-aid model in inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan,China

Background Facing the social panic and substantial shortage of medical resources during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreak,providing psychological first-aid to inpatients is essential for their rehabilitation and the orderly operating of medical systems.However,the closed-ward environment and extreme shortage of onsite mental health workers have limited the use of traditional face-to-face diagnosis and psychological interventions.Aim To develop a mental health intervention model for inpatients that can be applied during a widespread epidemic,such as COVID-19.Methods In a medical team stationed in Leishenshan Hospital,Wuhan,China,we integrated onsite and online psychological support resources to implement a graded psychological intervention system.The onsite psychiatrist established trust with the patients and classified them into categories according to their symptom severity.While face-to-face evaluation and intervention are critical for effective online support,the online team effectively extended the scope of the'first-aid'to all patients.Conclusion This integrated onsite and online approach was effective and eficient in providing psychological interventions for inpatients during the crisis.Our model provides a realistic scheme for healthcare systems in or after the COVID-19 epidemic and also could be adopted in areas of the world with insufficient mental healthcare resources.

Adolescent anxiety disorders and the developing brain: comparing neuroimaging findings in adolescents and adults

Adolescence is the peak period for the incidence of anxiety disorders.Recent findings have revealed the immaturity of neural networks underlying emotional regulation in this population.Brain vulnerability to anxiety in adolescence is related to the unsynchronised development of anxiety-relevant brain functional systems.However,our current knowledge on brain deficits in adolescent anxiety is mainly borrowed from studies on adults.Understanding adolescent-specific brain deficits is essential for developing biomarkers and brain-based therapies targeting adolescent anxiety.This article reviews and compares recent neuroimaging literature on anxiety-related brain structural and functional deficits between adolescent and adult populations,and proposes a model highlighting the differences between adolescence and adulthood in anxiety-related brain networks.This model emphasises that in adolescence the emotional control system tends to be hypoactivated,the fear conditioning system is immature,and the reward and stress response systems are hypersensitive.Furthermore,the striatum’s functional links to the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex are strengthened,while the link between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala is weakened in adolescence.This model helps to explain why adolescents are vulnerable to anxiety disorders and provides insights into potential brain-based approaches to intervene in adolescent anxiety disorders.