Mental Health and Cognitive Dysfunction: A Multicenter Study at Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinics in North Norway

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Patients referred to pediatric rehabilitation services have often cognitive deficits/intellectual disabilities.Neurocognitive assessment is, hence, important when designing treatment plans. Children and adolescents with cognitive deficits and intellectual disabilities (ID) have a high risk of developing mental health problems. There is lack of knowledge about such comorbid mental disorders in the health service. There are also few validated instruments for assessing mental disorders among children and adolescents with cognitive deficits and ID both in Norway and abroad. The main aims of the current multicentre study are to: Investigate psychometric properties of different psychiatric instruments for children and adolescents. Investigate change and stability of symptoms over time. Investigate user satisfaction. The study will include Pediatric Rehabilitation Services at hospitals in Tromsø, Hammerfest and Bodø and will include in total 320 patients aged 4 to 18. We will use information from parents, teachers and patients, in addition to clinician-rated measures. Patients will be assessed at intake and after six months. We have conducted a pilot study in the period from 2012 to 2013.

Detailed Description
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Investigate psychometric properties of a structured psychiatric interview (DAWBA) and a symptom measure (SDQ) in clinical samples of children and adolescents with cognitive deficits and intellectual disabilities. We will investigate the instruments' reliability and convergent validity with the Aberrant Behavior checklist (ABC), the DBC and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), in addition to the clinician-rated severity of children's mental health problems measured with the CGAS and HoNOSCA. The psychiatric instruments will be administrated at intake and after six months. We will investigate prevalence rates and indicators of disorder severity (comorbidity and persistence), including risk factors (socioeconomic status, parenting styles). Investigate user satisfaction with the health service, i.e., the Pediatric Rehabilitation Services.

Official Title
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Mental Health and Cognitive Dysfunction: A Multicenter Study at Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinics in North Norway

Conditions
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Mental Disorders

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: mental disorders
* Behavioral: screening for mental disorders


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age from 4 years to 18 years Written informed consent to participate Fluent in Norwegian Normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing - Exclusion Criteria: -

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 4 Years
Maximum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| screening for mental disorders<br>screening for mental disorders | Other: mental disorders<br>* mental disorders<br>Behavioral: screening for mental disorders<br>* screening for mental disorders<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prevalence of mental disorders | The Development and Well Being Assessment (DAWBA) is a package of interviews, questionnaires and rating techniques designed to generate psychiatric diagnoses on 5-17 year old according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-IV). | Within the first or second day the patient is undergoing an assessment at the hospital | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prevalence of mental disorders | The Development and Well Being Assessment short-version is re-administered 6 months after taking part in the study (i.e., the basic outcome measure) | within 6 months after the initial assessment |