Current State of Research on Surf Therapy and its Possible Application as an Intervention for Adolescent Depression Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders experienced in adolescence. Because of its high prevalence rates and significant impact on affected individuals, alternative and complementary interventions are being explored. In recent years, physical activity has received increasing attention as a form of treatment. Current reviews highlight the potential benefits of this therapeutic approach in reducing depressive symptoms. Surf therapy is an innovative approach in the field of physical activity that additionally utilizes the therapeutic effects of the ocean. It combines surfing with structured exercises to promote mental and physical well-being. Internationally, surf therapy is already being applied to children and adolescents dealing with mental health problems as well as to adults diagnosed with conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Initial studies suggest positive effects of surf therapy in terms of symptom reduction, although the research is limited and requires further investigation. We present our pilot study investigating the feasibility and effectiveness of surf therapy for the treatment of adolescent depression in Germany.

Recommendations for the Medical Treatment of ADHD in Comorbid, Substance-Related Disorders: Statement of the Joint Addiction Commission of the German Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society and Associations Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder (SUD) often occur together in adolescents. The available guidelines give the group of children and adolescents with ADHD and comorbid SUD little consideration. The Joint Addiction Commission of the German Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society and Associations has drawn up a statement with treatment recommendations intended to provide orientation as a best-practice approach. Early treatment with stimulants in adolescents with ADHD and SUD may.

Employing Emotional Virtual Characters for Teaching in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Communication and interaction are central to teaching child and adolescent psychiatry, with practical exercises often needing more access to actual patients or actors. Virtual reality (VR) offers an innovative solution by enabling simulation-based learning. With the help of computer-generated, interactive characters, students can practice repeatedly and in a standardized way how to conduct a medical interview and acquire communication skills. Initial tests with students show a high level of acceptance and believability despite the need for optimization of the voice input and the student's desire to use such new technology in teaching in the future. The next step will be to evaluate the benefits of the VR application regarding learning success and the influence of the teaching method on motivation and enjoyment of learning.

Autoimmune psychosis (AP), defined as an isolated schizophreniform psychosis with no or only minimal neurological abnormalities stemming from autoantibody-associated cerebral processes, is a very rare and potentially underdiagnosed disorder in children and adolescents. This article reports the case of a 13-year-old boy who became acutely ill with a psychotic disorder following a respiratory infection. We describe the diagnosis and course of treatment in detail. Following an extensive interdisciplinary workup, a probable glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-associated AP was diagnosed that ultimately remitted completely with treatment. Autoimmune psychoses remain a relatively uncharted territory for the specialty of child and adolescent psychiatry. Good interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for patients with somewhat atypical psychotic symptoms, both in terms of diagnosis and treatment.

Participation in the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Do Personality Traits Affect the Difference Between the Desire and Experience of Participation? Participation and codetermination are important rights of children and adolescents. The present study examined discrepancies between the desire and experience of participation, their relationship with treatment satisfaction, and which patient-related variables are associated with the reported discrepancies. Forty adolescents from the inpatient unit or the day clinic of the university clinic of Ruppin-Brandenburg answered a questionnaire concerning their desire for and experience of participation. Additionally, we assessed sociodemographic data and personality traits. Patients experienced less participation than desired. The highest discrepancy was found in items concerning communication with family and friends. Two personality traits had significant positive effects on the discrepancy of desired and experienced participation: "suspicious schizotypical" and "loyal-dependent." Minors want more participation than they actually experience. We need flexible concepts, especially concerning communication with family and friends, to reduce the discrepancy between the desire and the experience of participation. Giving patients the possibility to participate and encouraging them to do so should be emphasized, especially with patients with the personality traits "suspicious-schizotypical" and "loyal-dependent."

Epistemological Misunderstandings of the German Federal Court of Justice in Criminal Cases Regarding the Null Hypothesis: Verification in the Credibility Assessment The article deals with the decision of the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) in criminal matters regarding credibility assessment dated 30 July 1999 (1 StR 618/98, BGHSt 45, 164). Regarding criminal matters, the BGH formulated specific requirements for credibility assessments based on two published scientific expert reports. We analyzed conflicting postulates of scientific theory in the expert reports and the reception of these principles in the BGH judgment by examining the original quotes. Given the central importance of this BGH decision, we analyzed the original expert reports for their epistemological content. The BGH formulated the scientific approach of starting from the assumption that the statement is untrue - the so-called "null hypothesis". In doing so, it referred to Popper's deductivism, albeit without addressing the rules of hypothesis testing. Based on the second expert report, which argues for inductive.

In 2018, Herwig Czech (2018, 2020) and Edith Sheffer (2018) accused Hans Asperger of complicity in the Nazi child euthanasia program also because of his participation in the Gugging Commission. We reviewed all documents related to the Commission to clarify Asperger's role. The Commission consisted of officials from Vienna and Lower Danube and had the primary task of determining which children admitted to Gugging could attend an auxiliary school. As part of the investigations, a group of children was also diagnosed as incapable of learning and developing normally based on a list prepared by Gugging's Director. According to two documents prepared for the Commission, these children were to be assigned to the "Aktion Jekelius". The two authors imply that "Aktion Jekelius" was a cover term for the murder of these children and was known as such. However, this designation was communicated only within the Reich Governor's Office in Lower Danube. According to the available documents, there is no indication that Hans Asperger, as a member of the Vienna delegation, knew about "Aktion Jekelius" and its hidden murderous intentions. He therefore had no reason to refuse to participate in the Commission. Analysis of the subsequent transfers of children to Spiegelgrund showed no direct connection with the Commission's activities.

The situation of patient's relatives is still not broadly studied in psychiatry. Their needs are often overlooked. We developed a digital questionnaire concerning the patient's sociodemographic, disease-related, and family-related data and had the patient's therapist fill it out. The patients included ( = 1766) were persons hospitalized on a selected date. One-third of patients had at least one relative with mental illness, prior treatment, or need for treatment. The main diagnoses in relatives were affective, substance use, and somatoform disorders, often in concordance with their index patient. Teenage patients had the most affected relatives. The therapists of the minors included were better informed about their familial situation, whereas the therapists of the 30-59-year-olds knew the least. The comparably lower rate of affected relatives in adults stems most likely from underassessment and needs further investigation.

Adolescents with Gender Incongruence - Special Case Constellations Adolescents with gender incongruence and gender identity variants have a high rate of accompanying mental disorders, such as depression, autism spectrum disorders, or eating disorders. Yet, the interaction between gender incongruence, gender dysphoric distress, and accompanying mental disorders is complex and varies considerably from case to case. We need an individualized approach and careful professional assessment to help those affected and their guardians make informed decisions regarding possible treatment steps in complex case constellations. Maintaining careful process support and planning of the treatment steps can help to resolve blocked development processes in adolescents with gender incongruence and accompanying psychological disorders or in young people with unstable gender identity development.

Digital Beacons of Hope? The Challenges and Potentials of Digital Health Applications for Children and Adolescents with Mental Disorders in Germany With the Digital Healthcare Act, Germany has taken a decisive step toward promoting high-quality, evidence-based digital health applications (DiHAs). Presently, there is a significant gap in the provision of mental health services throughout Germany, particularly regarding children and adolescents and especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. DiHAs as low-threshold, location- and time-independent additional mental health services - may offer a way to address this situation. Particularly in the emerging generation of digital natives, there is a high demand for digital mental health services. However, despite the rapidly growing supply of DiHAs for adults, there is a lack of approved DiHAs for children and adolescents with mental disorders. Rather, the demand for care is left to the unregulated market of diverse internet- and mobile-based interventions; early studies have questioned the evidence base, safety, and quality. This discrepancy arises from various specific challenges and risks that reduce incentives to develop DiHAs for this particularly vulnerable target group, including (1) limited evidence, (2) high complexity in study execution, (3) high complexity in the development of applications, (4) poorly researched specific risks, and (5) high regulatory requirements. This article discusses these challenges and risks and outlines the perspectives for a high-quality, safe, and evidence-based digital mental healthcare for children and adolescents.