@article{ScheinerDaunkeSeideletal.2023, author = {Scheiner, Christin and Daunke, Andrea and Seidel, Alexandra and Mittermeier, Sabrina and Romanos, Marcel and K{\"o}lch, Michael and Buerger, Arne}, title = {LessStress - how to reduce stress in school: evaluation of a universal stress prevention in schools: study protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial}, series = {Trials}, volume = {24}, journal = {Trials}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1186/s13063-022-06970-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300393}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background Chronic stress is detrimental to health, and children and young people have had to cope with significantly more stress since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, stress at school and in relation to learning is a major problem in this age group. Studies in Germany have indicated that the pandemic has led to a reduced quality of life (QoL) and an increased risk for psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Schools are an ideal setting for interventions against stress, which is one of the strongest predictors for the development of psychosocial problems. The present study seeks to address stress by means of a short prevention training programme in schools, including emotion regulation, mindfulness, and self-compassion. In addition to information material for self-study, students should have the opportunity to actively deal with the topic of stress and develop coping strategies within a short space of time. In contrast to very long stress reduction programmes that often last several weeks, the programme is delivered in just 90 min. Methods The effectiveness of the short and economical prevention programme LessStress will be examined in a cluster-randomised controlled trial (RCT) encompassing 1894 students. At several measurement time points, students from two groups (intervention and control) will be asked about their subjectively perceived stress levels, among other aspects. Due to the clustered nature of the data, mainly multilevel analyses will be performed. Discussion In Germany, there are no nationwide universal prevention programmes for students against stress in schools, and this gap has become more evident since the outbreak of the pandemic. Universal stress prevention in schools may be a starting point to promote resilience. By dealing with stress in a healthy way, mental health can be strengthened and maintained. Moreover, to reach at-risk students at an early stage, we advocate for a stronger networking between child psychiatry and schools.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheinerGrashoffKleindienstetal.2022, author = {Scheiner, Christin and Grashoff, Jan and Kleindienst, Nikolaus and Buerger, Arne}, title = {Mental disorders at the beginning of adolescence: Prevalence estimates in a sample aged 11-14 years}, series = {Public Health in Practice}, volume = {4}, journal = {Public Health in Practice}, doi = {10.1016/j.puhip.2022.100348}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300404}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Objectives This study aims to provide a deeper insight into mental disorders in early adolescence. We report prevalence rates (mental health problems, depressive symptoms, eating disorders, NSSI, STBs) to be used in future studies and clinical ventures. We also expected to find gender differences, with girls being be more affected than boys are. Study design 877 adolescents (M = 12.43, SD = 0.65) from seven German high schools completed a series of questionnaires assessing their mental health (SDQ, PHQ-9, SEED, DSHI-9, Paykel Suicide Scale, FAS III). Methods We calculated cut-off-based prevalence estimates for mental health issues for the whole sample and compared estimates between genders. Results 12.5\% of the sample reported general mental health problems. The estimated prevalence of depressive symptoms lay at of 11.5\%. Additionally, 12.1\% and 1.3\% of the participants displayed relevant symptoms of anorexia or bulimia nervosa, respectively. A total of 10.8\% reported engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) at least once in their lifetime, of whom 5.6\% reported repetitive NSSI. 30.1\% of the participants described suicidal thoughts, 9.9\% suicide plans, and 3.5\% at least one suicide attempt. Girls were generally more affected than boys, except for bulimia nervosa, suicidal behavior, and partly NSSI. Conclusion Our findings corroborate the established relevance of early adolescence for the development of mental health problems and suggest that a substantial proportion of young adolescents suffer from such problems early on. Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and reported negative mental health consequences, the current findings underline the importance of preventive interventions to avoid the manifestation of mental disorders during adolescence.}, language = {en} } @article{BuergerEmserSeideletal.2022, author = {Buerger, Arne and Emser, Theresa and Seidel, Alexandra and Scheiner, Christin and von Schoenfeld, Cornelia and Ruecker, Viktoria and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Romanos, Marcel}, title = {DUDE - a universal prevention program for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior in adolescence based on effective emotion regulation: study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial}, series = {Trials}, volume = {23}, journal = {Trials}, doi = {10.1186/s13063-021-05973-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265874}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become a substantial public health problem. NSSI is a high-risk marker for the development and persistence of mental health problems, shows high rates of morbidity and mortality, and causes substantial health care costs. Thus, there is an urgent need for action to develop universal prevention programs for NSSI before adolescents begin to show this dangerous behavior. Currently, however, universal prevention programs are lacking. Methods The main objective of the present study is to evaluate a newly developed universal prevention program ("DUDE - Du und deine Emotionen / You and your emotions"), based on a skills-based approach in schools, in 3200 young adolescents (age 11-14 years). The effectiveness of DUDE will be investigated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) in schools (N = 16). All groups will receive a minimal intervention called "Stress-free through the school day" as a mental health literacy program to prevent burnout in school. The treatment group (N = 1600; 8 schools) will additionally undergo the universal prevention program DUDE and will be divided into treatment group 1 (DUDE conducted by trained clinical psychologists; N = 800; 4 schools) and treatment group 2 (DUDE conducted by trained teachers; N = 800; 4 schools). The active control group (N = 1600; 8 schools) will only receive the mental health literacy prevention. Besides baseline assessment (T0), measurements will occur at the end of the treatment (T1) and at 6- (T2) and 12-month (T3) follow-up evaluations. The main outcome is the occurrence of NSSI within the last 6 months assessed by a short version of the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI-9) at the 1-year follow-up (primary endpoint; T3). Secondary outcomes are emotion regulation, suicidality, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, and comorbid psychopathology and willingness to change. Discussion DUDE is tailored to diminish the incidence of NSSI and to prevent its possible long-term consequences (e.g., suicidality) in adolescents. It is easy to access in the school environment. Furthermore, DUDE is a comprehensive approach to improve mental health via improved emotion regulation.}, language = {en} } @article{BuergerVloetHaberetal.2021, author = {Buerger, Arne and Vloet, Timo D. and Haber, Lisa and Geissler, Julia M.}, title = {Third-wave interventions for eating disorders in adolescence - systematic review with meta-analysis}, series = {Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation}, volume = {8}, journal = {Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation}, doi = {10.1186/s40479-021-00158-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260545}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Context: Third-wave therapies have demonstrated efficacy as a treatment option for EDs in adulthood. Data on the suitability for EDs in adolescence are lacking. Objective: To estimate the efficacy of third-wave interventions to reduce ED symptoms in adolescents in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and uncontrolled studies. Data sources: We systematically reviewed the databases PubMed (1976-January 2021), PsycINFO (1943-January 2021), and the Cochrane database (1995-January 2021) for English-language articles on third-wave therapies. References were screened for further publications of interest. Study selection: RCTs and pre-post studies without control group, comprising patients aged 11-21 years (mean age = 15.6 years) with an ED diagnosis (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, eating disorder not otherwise specified) investigating the efficacy of third-wave psychological interventions were included. Efficacy had to be evaluated according to the Eating Disorder Examination or Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, the Eating Disorder Inventory-3, or the Structured Interview for Anorexic and Bulimic Disorders for DSM-IV and ICD-10. The outcome assessed in the meta-analysis was the EDE total score. Data extraction: Independent extraction of data by two authors according to a pre-specified data extraction sheet and quality indicators. Data synthesis: We identified 1000 studies after removal of duplicates, assessed the full texts of 48 articles for eligibility, and included 12 studies with a total of 487 participants (female 97.3\%/male 2.6\%) in the qualitative synthesis and seven studies in the meta-analysis. Articles predominantly reported uncontrolled pre-post trials of low quality, with only two published RCTs. Treatments focused strongly on dialectical behaviour therapy (n = 11). We found moderate effects of third-wave therapies on EDE total score interview/questionnaire for all EDs (d = - 0.67; z = - 5.53; CI95\% = - 0.83 to - 0.59). Descriptively, the effects appeared to be stronger in patients with BN and BED. Conclusion: At this stage, it is not feasible to draw conclusions regarding the efficacy of third-wave interventions for the treatment of EDs in adolescence due to the low quality of the empirical evidence. Since almost all of the identified studies used DBT, it is unfortunately not possible to assess other third-wave treatments' efficacy.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheinerSeisKleindienstetal.2023, author = {Scheiner, Christin and Seis, Christian and Kleindienst, Nikolaus and Buerger, Arne}, title = {Psychopathology, protective factors, and COVID-19 among adolescents: a structural equation model}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {20}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {3}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph20032493}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304475}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 and the associated restrictions, mental health in children and adolescents has been increasingly discussed in the media. Negative impacts of the pandemic, including a sharp increase in psychopathology and, consequently, reduced quality of life, appear to have particularly affected children and young people, who may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of isolation. Nevertheless, many children and adolescents have managed to cope well with the restrictions, without deterioration of their mental health. The present study therefore explored the links between COVID-19 infection (in oneself or a family member, as well as the death of a family member due to the virus), protective factors such as self-efficacy, resilience, self-esteem, and health-related quality of life, and measures of psychopathology such as depression scores, internalizing/externalizing problems, emotion dysregulation, and victimization. For this purpose, we examined data from 2129 adolescents (mean age = 12.31, SD = 0.67; 51\% male; 6\% born outside of Germany) using a structural equation model. We found medium to high loadings of the manifest variables with the latent variables (COVID-19, protective factors, and psychopathology). Protective factors showed a significant negative correlation with psychopathology. However, COVID-19 had a weak connection with psychopathology in our sample. External pandemic-related factors (e.g., restrictions) and their interaction with existing psychopathology or individual protective factors appear to have a greater influence on young people's mental health than the impact of the virus per se. Sociopolitical efforts should be undertaken to foster prevention and promote individual resilience, especially in adolescence.}, language = {en} }