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These podcasts are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health. They bridge the gap between rigorous research and practical application, featuring expert discussions on mental health. Each episode highlights cutting-edge studies offering insights into findings, and implications for practice. The series caters to clinicians, researchers, and those interested in mental health. Available on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it’s an accessible way to stay informed about advancements in the field. Visit our website for a host of free evidence-based mental health resources.
In this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), host Mark Tebbs is joined by Dr. Elaine Clark, postdoctoral researcher at the Lifespan Autism Lab, Rutgers University. Dr. Clark shares findings from her recently published paper in JCPP Advances, ACAMH's open-access research journal, co-authored with Dr. Vanessa Ball and Dr. Katherine Lord. Drawing on the Longitudinal Study of Autism (LSA) — tracking autistic individuals from ages 2–3 through to their mid-twenties — the study examines how daily living skills develop across the lifespan in autistic individuals, both with and without a co-occurring intellectual disability. Daily living skills — the practical abilities that underpin independent adult life — are broken down into three domains: personal skills (hygiene, dressing, grooming), domestic skills (cooking, household chores), and community skills (managing money, navigating public spaces, vocational readiness). These are the skills that shape autism outcomes across education, employment, and quality of life, yet they have been chronically under-researched, particularly for autistic individuals with co-occurring intellectual disability. The headline finding is striking: approximately 80% of autistic individuals with co-occurring intellectual disability demonstrated daily living skills equal to or stronger than their measured cognitive ability — directly challenging the widespread assumption that adaptive behaviour in autism is constrained by IQ. Developmental trajectories between groups were indistinguishable up to age five, clearly differentiated by age nine, and those differences strengthened into adulthood. Dr. Clark and Mark discuss why domestic skills represent the most promising early intervention target, why community skills are the hardest to move, and how schools, IEP goals, and caregivers can reshape expectations to create opportunity-rich learning environments for autistic young people. The conversation closes with a look ahead at Dr. Clark's next research phase — examining individual skills for adults with profound autism and the caregivers who support them. A must-listen for anyone working in autism education, autism support, early intervention, or child and adolescent mental health. Read the JCPP paper ‘Relative strengths in daily living skills among autistic individuals and individuals with related developmental conditions who have co-occurring intellectual disability' - https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70124 Elaine B. Clarke, Catherine Lord, Vanessa Hus Bal First published: 28 January 2026 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of the Mind the Kids podcast, host Mark Tebbs sits down with Emma Butler — an occupational therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience in neonates and paediatrics — to explore one of the most pressing questions in child mental health research: can we predict poor mental health in childhood as early as birth? Emma, a PhD researcher working across multiple institutions including Trinity College Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and University College Cork, shares findings from her groundbreaking work using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) — one of the world's leading pregnancy cohort studies — to develop a multivariable prediction model for childhood mental health outcomes at age seven. With children's mental health rising sharply across Europe and England — from one in eleven in 2017 to one in five by 2023 — Emma makes the case for why a preventative, early intervention approach is not just desirable but essential. The conversation covers the growing global burden of childhood mental health disorders, the critical difference between prediction and causation in research, and why psychosocial and socioeconomic factors consistently emerge as the strongest predictors of later poor mental health. Emma also unpacks a striking finding from her PhD: that fine motor skills measured at just 18 months can predict mental health outcomes at age seven — a discovery with significant implications for early childhood development and infant mental health services. From the ethics of predictive modelling and the risk of labelling children, to what a tiered, community-based early intervention system could look like in practice, this episode offers a rich, evidence-based discussion for clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and anyone passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people. Read the paper 'Predicting 7-year-olds mental health in the perinatal period: Development and internal validation of a multivariable model using the prospective ALSPAC cohort' https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70091 Emma Butler, Michelle Spirtos, Linda M. O’Keeffe, Mary Clarke First published: 03 January 2026 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of the Mind the Kids podcast, we explore how adolescents learn from rewards and what this means for depression risk and mental health outcomes. Drawing on longitudinal research from the Temple Adolescent Development Study, our guest breaks down the complex science of reward processing, anhedonia, and reinforcement learning in young people. Anhedonia—defined as a reduced ability to experience pleasure—is a key symptom across multiple mental health conditions, including depression, and is linked to poorer long-term outcomes. But what actually drives these changes in reward responsiveness during adolescence? And how do differences in learning from rewards and punishments shape emotional development? We discuss cutting-edge findings using the Iowa Gambling Task and computational modelling to better understand how reward learning evolves between ages 9 and 17. The conversation highlights how adolescents may fine-tune their learning strategies over time, and why subtle differences—particularly in young people at higher risk of depression due to parental history—could have meaningful implications. This episode is essential listening for clinicians, researchers, and anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health, offering evidence-based insights into how reward systems develop and how they may inform early identification and intervention strategies. Read the JCPP paper 'Reward-specific learning parameters change across normative adolescent development and are blunted in youth with high risk for depression' at https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70086 Holly Sullivan-Toole, Jeremy M. Haynes, Helen Schmidt, Bart Larsen, Nathaniel Haines, Thomas M. Olino First published: 22 December 2025 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), host Clara Faria — academic clinical fellow in child psychiatry — is joined by Dr. Karolin Krause , clinical epidemiologist and measurement scientist at the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Université Paris Cité. Dr. Krause shares findings from her recently published paper in JCPP, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The paper — a scoping umbrella review — systematically maps 80 instruments used to measure life impact in youth mental health research across three interconnected domains: functioning, quality of life, and well-being. Despite major international core outcome set initiatives — including ICHOM and In-ROADS — consistently identifying functioning and quality of life as critical outcomes alongside symptoms, no consensus exists on which instruments to use, and the landscape remains highly fragmented. The rationale runs deeper than methodology. Outcomes measurement in child and adolescent mental health is foundational to evidence-based, person-centred care. Symptom severity and life impact do not always move in step — the DSM-5 itself requires both symptom threshold and clinically significant impairment for diagnosis, yet instruments frequently conflate the two constructs, making it difficult to track which improves first in treatment and whether the gains that matter most to young people are being captured. Across the 80 instruments identified, the review found wide variation in informant type, length, age range, and developmental setting. More than a quarter were classified differently across reviews — a consequence of unclear construct definitions, limited co-production with young people, and what the paper terms "jingle-jangle fallacies." A notable gap emerges for the 19–24 age group navigating the transition from CAMHS to adult services, for whom no instrument has been specifically validated. Clara and Karolin discuss why functioning and life impact deserve dedicated measurement separate from symptom scales, the case for self-report over adult-observer-dominated measures, the trade-offs of multi-informant approaches, and a Wellcome-funded project focused on the development of an evidence synthesis platform for patient-reported outcome measure selection aimed at making evidence-based instrument choice more accessible to researchers worldwide” A must-listen for anyone working in child and adolescent mental health, CAMHS outcomes, youth mental health outcomes measurement, functioning measures, quality of life in children and young people, patient-reported outcome measures, or routine outcome measurement in research and practice. The the JCPP paper 'Research Review: Measuring life impact of youth mental health difficulties: scoping umbrella review of 80 instruments' Karolin R. Krause, Sophie Chung, Christiane Konstantopoulos, Terri Rodak, Ana Calderón, Nichol Edwards Snagg, Kristin Cleverley, Nancy J. Butcher, Giovanni A. Salum, Kathleen R. Merikangas, Peter Szatmari First published: 11 March 2026 https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70134 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), host Clara Faria, academic clinical fellow in child psychiatry, is joined by Dr. Tessa Reardon, research fellow in the departments of experimental psychology and psychiatry at the University of Oxford. Dr. Reardon shares findings from her recently published paper in JCPP, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, co-authored with colleagues. Drawing on the My Cats cluster randomised controlled trial, the study recruited children aged four to seven identified as being at heightened risk for anxiety disorders through schools across England. The intervention — known as OSI (Online Support and Intervention for Child Anxiety) — is a parent-led, therapist-supported online cognitive behavioural therapy programme, in which parents work through digital modules of approximately 20 minutes each, supported by brief telephone or video calls with a children's wellbeing practitioner, amounting to around two and a half hours of contact time in total. The research sits against a backdrop of a growing gap between the need for child mental health support and access to evidence-based care. CAMHS thresholds are high, and many families cannot access help until difficulties are already entrenched — yet anxiety disorders in children can onset as early as age five and a half. Schools offer a distinctive opportunity to reach families before problems escalate, and England's Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) represent a trained, scalable future workforce for delivering this type of early intervention in child mental health. The primary outcome — anxiety disorder diagnosis at 12 months — showed fewer diagnoses in the intervention group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance. All secondary outcomes were statistically significant, however, including reductions in child anxiety symptoms, inhibited temperament, parental anxiety, and targeted child and parent behaviours. Approximately three quarters of families completed the programme — a notably strong completion rate for a school-recruited, at-risk population who were not actively help-seeking. Qualitative findings, forthcoming, point to broader ripple effects within families beyond the targeted outcomes. Clara and Tessa discuss why schools were chosen as the recruitment setting; why the integrated practitioner calls in therapist-supported online CBT appear central to completion rates compared with fully self-guided approaches; and what the findings mean for scaling school-based mental health intervention. The conversation also turns to a key challenge ahead — addressing inequalities in participation, particularly among families from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, to ensure the benefits of parent-led CBT reach those who need them most. A must-listen for anyone working in child anxiety prevention, early intervention, school-based mental health, CBT for young children, CAMHS, or child and adolescent mental health. Read the JCPP paper 'Parent-led CBT delivered via online and telephone support alongside usual school practice versus usual school practice only for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders through screening in schools: a cluster randomised controlled trial' Tessa Reardon, Obioha C. Ukoumunne, Helen Dodd, Gemma Halliday, Claire Hill, Bec Jasper, Benjamin Jones, Peter J. Lawrence, Fran Morgan, Anna Placzek, Ronald M. Rapee, Mara Violato, Shuye Yu, MYCATS Team, Cathy Creswell First published: 19 February 2026 https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70119 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this Mind the Kids podcast, we explore how early childhood vocabulary links to later educational outcomes—and why socioeconomic inequality continues to shape children’s life chances, even when ability appears similar. Host Clara Faria is joined by Dr. Emma Thornton (University of Manchester) and Professor Danielle Matthews (University of Sheffield) to discuss their research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, they examines whether children with the same early language skills achieve similar GCSE outcomes, and how socioeconomic circumstances influence that trajectory. The findings challenge simple meritocratic assumptions. While stronger vocabulary at age five predicts better educational attainment overall, this relationship varies significantly across socioeconomic groups. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have markedly lower chances of achieving key GCSE benchmarks—even with strong early language skills—while those from more advantaged backgrounds are more likely to succeed regardless of early ability. This conversation unpacks the implications for early intervention, education policy, and equity in child development. It also highlights the need for more targeted, evidence-based support for families and schools, and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking early cognitive skills to long-term outcomes. Read the JCPP paper ‘Unequal educational outcomes for children with similar early childhood vocabulary but different socioeconomic circumstances' https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70117 Emma Thornton, Danielle Matthews, Praveetha Patalay, Colin Bannard First published: 26 January 2026 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), host Dr. Clara Faria — academic clinical fellow in child psychiatry — is joined by Alina Marinca , PhD student in Psychological Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and clinical psychologist, whose research is funded by the London Interdisciplinary School of Science Doctoral Training Partnership. Alina shares findings from her JCPP Advances paper ‘Sleep disturbance as a transdiagnostic marker of children's mental health difficulties: A network analysis of item-level associations between different types of sleep problems and different behavioural and emotional symptoms'. The study draws on data from the Development of Emotional Resilience observational cohort — a school-based sample of over 500 primary school children aged 7 to 12 from East London, one of the most ethnically diverse and economically deprived urban cohorts in UK child mental health research. Using network analysis — a powerful statistical approach that maps relationships between symptoms simultaneously — the study examines how specific sleep problems relate to emotional difficulties (anxiety and depression) and behavioural difficulties (hyperactivity, inattention, and conduct problems) in middle childhood, moving beyond the composite sleep scores that have dominated previous research. The headline finding is striking: sleep anxiety and general anxiety emerge as the most central, influential nodes in the network — sitting at the core of children's emotional and behavioural difficulties and functioning as a transdiagnostic mechanism across multiple mental health conditions. Emotional symptoms were found to be more tightly interwoven with sleep problems than behavioural symptoms, a developmentally meaningful finding with direct implications for how we assess and treat sleep disturbances in primary school-aged children. Alina and Clara discuss what this means for school-based mental health intervention, why sleep should no longer be treated as a secondary or peripheral feature of child mental health, and how a modular, targeted approach focusing on sleep-related anxiety could benefit children, parents, educators, and clinicians alike. The episode closes with a preview of Alina's next research phase: a longitudinal network analysis tracking whether these core sleep and anxiety symptoms remain stable over time. Essential listening for anyone working in child mental health, sleep research, school-based intervention, or child and adolescent psychiatry. Read the CAMH journal paper ‘Sleep disturbance as a transdiagnostic marker of children's mental health difficulties: A network analysis of item-level associations between different types of sleep problems and different behavioural and emotional symptoms' Alina A. Marinca, Julia E. Michalek, Alice M. Gregory, Afia Ali, Jennifer Y. F. Lau First published: 04 March 2026 https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70104 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), host Dr. Clara Faria — academic clinical fellow in child psychiatry — is joined by Professor Lauren Kenworthy , Division Chief, Neuropsychology Director, Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders Pediatric Neuropsychologist, at the Children's National Hospital, based in Washington DC. Professor Kenworthy shares findings from her landmark study, ' Executive Function Challenges Persist into Young Adulthood and Predict Mental Health Outcomes in Autism' , published in JCPP — ACAMH's flagship peer-reviewed journal. Drawing on over 300 autistic individuals and more than 900 observations spanning ages 2 to 25, this is one of the most comprehensive longitudinal investigations into executive function trajectories and mental health outcomes in autism to date. The episode unpacks what executive functions are — the brain-based cognitive abilities governing flexibility, working memory, and impulse control — and why they matter so profoundly for the mental health of autistic young people. With approximately 70% of autistic children and 63% of autistic adults experiencing mental health challenges at any given time, Professor Kenworthy explains why understanding the relationship between executive dysfunction and depression and anxiety in autism is not just academically important, but urgent. Among the most striking findings: executive function challenges — particularly cognitive inflexibility — remain clinically elevated from early childhood all the way through young adulthood, persisting even in young people who have had access to clinical support. Anxiety symptoms worsen significantly for autistic girls, with measurable divergence from their male peers emerging around age 12 — a finding with major implications for autism diagnosis, gender differences in autism, and targeted mental health intervention. Professor Kenworthy also shares her work developing Unstuck and On Target, a school-based executive function intervention designed to be delivered by educators — not just clinicians — addressing the urgent need for scalable, real-world, evidence-based autism support in schools. The conversation covers participatory research, the 12-year evidence-to-implementation gap, the limits of existing interventions including ABA, and why autistic voices must be central to the future of autism research and intervention design. Essential listening for clinicians, researchers, educators, and anyone with a stake in autism mental health, early intervention, and neurodevelopmental research. Read the paper 'Executive function challenges persist into young adulthood and predict mental health outcomes in autism ' https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70149 Lauren Kenworthy, Lauren Baczewski, Alan H. Gerber, Cara E. Pugliese, A. Chelsea Armour, Kelsey D. Csumitta, Gabrielle E. Reimann, Caroline Candy, Gregory L. Wallace, Matthew S. Fritz First published: 11 April 2026 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socia l X https://x.com/acamh
This episode of the Mind the Kids podcast features Dr. Joanne Park , clinical psychologist and Principal Investigator of the Parenting Resilient Kids (Park) Lab at Mount Royal University, Canada. Hosted by Clara Faria , the conversation explores emerging research on “climate worry” in early adolescence, drawing on Dr. Park’s recent publication in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Dr. Park examines whether concerns about climate change represent a distinct psychological construct or are simply an extension of generalised anxiety. The discussion unpacks the difference between affective climate worry—emotional responses to climate change—and cognitive climate worry, which reflects more developed fears about future impact. Importantly, the findings suggest that climate worry is not only common among younger adolescents but may also have unique associations with wellbeing, independent of general anxiety. The episode also highlights key developmental, social, and gender-related factors shaping how young people experience climate-related distress. Dr. Park discusses why girls and gender-diverse adolescents may report higher levels of climate worry, and considers how clinicians, educators, and parents can respond without over-pathologising what may be a rational reaction to the climate crisis. This conversation is essential listening for clinicians, researchers, and educators interested in child and adolescent mental health, particularly those working with anxiety, emotional development, and the psychological impact of global challenges. It also offers practical insight into how to support young people in managing climate-related concerns through adaptive coping and resilience-building strategies. Read the CAMH journal paper ‘Prevalence, conceptual distinctiveness, and cross-sectional correlates of climate worry in Canadian adolescents’ - https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70076 Joanne L. Park, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Brae Anne McArthur, Suzanne Tough, Sheri Madigan First published: 18 February 2026 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of the Mind the Kids , Clara Faria speaks with Professor Nathalie Auger and Professor Howard Steiger about new research exploring how maternal anorexia nervosa may influence children’s mental health and neurodevelopment. Using a large population-based cohort, the study examines links between maternal eating disorders and outcomes such as anorexia nervosa, attentional difficulties, and other psychiatric risks in offspring. The discussion highlights the role of genetic vulnerability, environmental exposure, and epigenetic mechanisms, offering a nuanced understanding of how risk is transmitted across generations. The episode also considers important clinical implications, including the benefits of early treatment, the importance of reducing stigma, and how supporting maternal mental health can improve outcomes for future generations. A must-listen for professionals in child and adolescent mental health, psychiatry, psychology, and anyone interested in eating disorders and developmental research. Read the CAMH journal paper ‘Maternal anorexia nervosa and risk of mental and neurodevelopmental morbidity in offspring' Sam Amar, Gabriel Côté-Corriveau, Mimi Israël, Howard Steiger, Nancy Low, Nicholas Chadi, Émilie Brousseau, Nahantara Lafleur, Nathalie Auger First published: 02 December 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70051 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids , Clara Faria is joined by Dr. Ariadna Albajara-Saenz and Dr. Amirah Wahdi to discuss adolescent mental health in low- and middle-income countries, drawing on findings from a major cross-country study published in JCPP Advances . The conversation explores mental health measurement across 12 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, the challenges of comparing data across cultures, and why issues such as food insecurity, gender, and service access matter for global child and adolescent mental health research. Together, they examine the importance of culturally sensitive mental health measures, the complexities of conducting large-scale international surveys, and what future research should prioritise to improve understanding and support for young people worldwide. Read the paper ‘Mental health measures among adolescents in 12 low- and middle-income countries: Measurement invariance and cross-sectional analyses of Disrupting Harm survey data’ - https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70087 Ariadna Albajara Sáenz, Sebastian Kurten, Jennifer Saxton, Daniel Kardefelt-Winther, Tamsin Ford, Amy Orben, Simon R. White First published: 04 December 2025 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Welcome to Mind the Kids, exploring cutting-edge child and adolescent mental health research. In this episode host Clara Faria , a child psychiatry fellow, welcomes Professor Tamsin Ford , University of Cambridge to discuss over diagnosis. The episode covers key surveys from Tamsin's group looking at data including ADHD and autism trends. Plus Clara and Tamsin talk about emotional disorder increases, rigorous multi-informant assessments, NHS waiting lists, school-based supports, private sector challenges, and AI's potential for equitable care. Don't miss this evidence-based discussion for parents, teachers, and professionals! Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Welcome to Mind the Kids , the ACAMH podcast where research meets real-world practice in child and adolescent mental health. In this episode, 'Anxiety, does the apple fall far from the tree?', Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb explore whether anxiety runs in families, what the latest research says about clinically anxious parents and children’s anxiety disorders, and how genetic, environmental, and family factors may shape risk. Joining them is Dr Sigrid Elfström , lead author of a population-based study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry . The conversation also looks at why diagnosis is not destiny, why prevention matters, and how to communicate risk without parent blaming. They discuss whether anxiety can be transmitted through family processes, what the findings mean in practice, and how clinicians and parents can think about risk without assuming it is deterministic. This episode covers: Children’s anxiety disorders. Clinically anxious parents. Parent-child mental health. Genetic and environmental influences. Family processes and prevention. Evidence-based child mental health research. Read the paper 'A detailed investigation of anxiety disorders in children of clinically anxious parents: a population-based study' - https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70085 Sigrid Elfström, Susanne Wicks, Christina Dalman, Johan Åhlén First published: 04 December 2025 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
What does it take to support children’s mental health and learning when their classrooms are in the middle of a conflict zone? In this Mind the Kids episode ‘Delivering School Intervention: Culture, Context and Conflict’ we explore how research can really work for children and young people in the real world, not just on paper. Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb sit down with Professor Jean Francois Trani to delve into a classroom based psychosocial intervention delivered in rural Afghan primary schools during a period of political upheaval. Together, they unpack how an international research team and local community partners co designed and delivered a universal, school based programme that aimed to improve mental health, boost learning, and reduce stigma in a setting marked by decades of conflict. They discuss what it means to adapt activities to local culture, the difference between accumulated and intergenerational trauma, and why task shifting to trained community members can be so powerful in low resource settings. If you’re interested in community led interventions, global South research, or how universal school provision can support both wellbeing and inclusion, you won’t want to miss this. Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Why do so many studies – and headlines – focus on what goes wrong in childhood, when some young people go through adversity and still find ways to thrive? In this episode of Mind the Kids , 'Protecting Mental Health, the Power of Positive' , Dr. Jamie Hanson talks to hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof Umar Toseeb , about how early life adversity, positive affect, and internalizing difficulties like anxiety and depression are connected over time, using data from the large ABCD cohort in the United States. They unpack what counts as “early life adversity” beyond classic ACEs, what psychologists really mean by positive affect (and why it is not just the absence of negative mood), and how different trajectories of positivity across middle childhood may help explain which young people are most at risk – and who might be buffered. The conversation moves from theory to practice: why optimism and joy are trainable, how strength‑based programmes and everyday passions (sport, music, clubs, “the best apple I’ve ever had”) can support resilience, and what this all means for schools, policymakers, and anyone trying to help children grow after difficult early experiences. You can read the main JCPP paper discussed in this episode, “Positive affect as a developmental mediator of early adversity and internalizing psychopathology" at https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70104 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Why do some teenagers seem permanently jet lagged, wide awake at midnight and exhausted at 8am? And what does that actually do to their mood, their learning, and their long term mental health? In this episode of Mind the Kids, titled ‘Regular sleep, the balm of hurt minds ’, Dr. Konstantin Drexl joins hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb, to unpack the science of adolescent sleep: from what terms like chronotype, circadian rhythm and REM sleep really mean, to how sleep loss and anxiety feed into each other in everyday life. Together, they explore why regular sleep can act as a protective factor for some young people, why others seem especially sensitive to even small disruptions, and what this might mean for school start times, smartphones at bedtime, and whole family sleep hygiene. Whether you are a parent, teacher, clinician or researcher, this conversation offers clear, practical insights into how supporting teenage sleep could be one of the simplest ways to support teenage minds. You can read the main JCPP Advances paper discussed in this episode, “Toward an idiographic understanding of the role of sleep-mood dynamics in adolescents' internalizing symptoms” https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70082 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Children with mild intellectual difficulties are often overlooked, but the evidence suggests they may face real challenges in emotional wellbeing, behaviour and education, especially when support is patchy or late. In this Mind the Kids episode, Dr. Foteini Tseliou joins hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof Umar Toseeb to discuss the paper 'Factors Associated with Better Emotional, Behavioural and Educational Outcomes in Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities'. They highlight three big messages: many children with mild intellectual difficulties are in mainstream schools and may not be formally identified; peer relationships emerge as one of the strongest protective factors across outcomes; and it is the accumulation of support across home, school and friendships that seems to matter most, rather than any single intervention on its own. At the same time, the conversation makes clear that outcomes are not fixed by IQ. With the right support, many children with mild intellectual difficulties can do well, and the protective factors that help them often help other children too – which makes a strong case for universal, inclusive provision rather than waiting until problems become severe. You can read the main JCPPA Advances journal paper discussed in this episode, “Factors associated with better emotional, behavioural and educational outcomes in children with mild intellectual difficulties” https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70072 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
AI chatbots can feel warm, human and tailored, but this brings real risks when the advice is wrong or incomplete, especially for vulnerable young people with eating or body-image concerns. In this Mind the Kids episode “Adolescence and Appearance. AI eat your words”, Dr. Florence Sheen talks to hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof Umar Toseeb. They highlight three big issues: we rarely know what sources the chatbot is drawing on; there is no built‑in safeguarding link back to parents, schools or services; and its list‑style “here’s what to do” responses may particularly appeal to perfectionistic or rigid thinkers, potentially fuelling disordered behaviours rather than challenging them. At the same time, young people are using AI alongside social media and official sites in quite a savvy way – they might go to the NHS for physical symptoms, but to chatbots for lived experience and emotional validation – so opinion and evidence are constantly blended. The Florence, Jane, and Umar argue this makes digital literacy crucial: talk openly with young people about what they see, encourage them to check information against other sources, and model responsible use rather than banning AI outright. They also call for independent, transparent evaluation of any AI tools aimed at youth mental health, and for developers to work with researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience so that future systems are both safer and better able to support real-world wellbeing. You can read the main CAMH journal paper discussed in this episode, “How do Artificial Intelligence chatbots respond to questions from adolescent personas about their eating, body weight or appearance?” https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70047 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
Trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care are at the heart of this thoughtful conversation about how we support children and young people who have experienced adversity. In this Mind the Kids episode 'Trauma responsive care: It's all about me' , hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb , talk with Dr. Sarah Parry , University of Manchester, about what trauma actually is, how it overlaps with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and why simply “totting up” ACEs scores can miss the individual context and meaning of events for each young person. They explore the principles that should underpin good practice with all children and adolescents – consistency, curiosity, low emotional tone, and sensitivity to triggers – and ask whether these should be seen as core to high-quality care rather than an “add‑on” labelled trauma-informed. The discussion moves from definitions to practice: Sarah unpacks the difference between being “trauma-aware”, “trauma-informed” and “trauma-responsive”, arguing that truly responsive care must be embedded across whole organisations and systems, not just in the therapy room. Drawing on her work in residential care and with young people who hear voices, she highlights the importance of framing, coping strategies, choice, safety, and timing in talking therapies, as well as the potential harms of blame and poorly timed debriefing after traumatic events. The episode also touches on intergenerational and indirect forms of trauma, links with cultural humility, and how environments can be shaped so that all young people – including those in care or from marginalised communities – can engage and recover. Whether you are a clinician, researcher, educator, or caregiver, this conversation offers a nuanced, practical look at moving beyond buzzwords toward everyday, trauma-responsive environments that genuinely support young people’s mental health. Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
In this episode of Mind the Kids, hosts Dr Jane Gilmour , honorary consultant clinical psychologist and Child Development Programme Director at UCL, and Professor Umar Toseeb , Professor of Psychology at the University of York, explore what happens when children and young people with severe or complex mental health difficulties are admitted to hospital. Drawing on a powerful real-world case that sparked Umar’s interest, they ask: when is inpatient care really needed, what does a good ward environment look like, and how does admission affect young people and their families over time? Jane and Umar are joined by Dr Dawn Cutler , Principal Clinical Psychologist, and Guy Larrington , Principal Family Therapist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, who discuss: Which kinds of difficulties typically lead to admission (including mood disorders, suicidality, eating disorders, and functional symptoms) How clinicians weigh up risk, severity, and functioning when considering admission What day-to-day life on a child and adolescent inpatient ward looks like, including education, structure, and relationships with staff The role of nursing, family involvement, and “shared care” in creating a therapeutic environment How goal-based outcomes can capture what matters most to young people and their families The episode also touches on neurodiversity in inpatient settings, systemic inequalities in who is detained, and the transdiagnostic skills and therapeutic relationships that can support recovery across diagnoses. This is a practical, reflective conversation for clinicians, researchers, and anyone wanting to better understand inpatient child and adolescent mental health care. Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh
