Transparency: Disclosure of Financial Interests
In keeping with the Journal's policies, we provide a listing of disclosures for all members of the editorial masthead and the ad hoc and guest editors (marked with an asterisk) as of September 15, 2024. This list, based on annually updated signed statements on file in the editorial office, includes all biomedical financial interests and potential conflicts of interest disclosed for the previous 36 months and the foreseeable future.
Invisible Allies: Thanking Our Reviewers
Reviewing manuscripts is hard work. We wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the 441 hard workers listed below, who so diligently served their Journal between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Our additional gratitude to our eleven colleagues (Matthew G. Biel, Michael H. Bloch, Francisco Xavier Castellanos, William E. Copeland, Kathryn Regan Cullen, Benjamin I. Goldstein, Kevin M. Gray, Niranjan S. Karnik, Michael C. Monuteaux, James G. Waxmonsky, and Eric A. Youngstrom) who served as ad hoc and guest editors and helped ensure that all manuscripts, our own included, were treated under the same editorial standards. We also would like to acknowledge the colleagues who are completing their terms on our Editorial Board: Matthew G. Biel, Alice Charach, Laura M. Prager, and S. Evelyn Stewart; Assistant Editor Lesha D. Shah; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Emerging Leaders Fellow Tara Thompson-Felix; and Connect Editor J. Corey Williams.
A National Evaluation of the Impact of Child Access Prevention Laws on Rates of Youth Suicide and Other Youth Firearm Deaths
Rates of youth firearm injury deaths are precipitously increasing, in part because of increases in youth firearm suicides. State policies may reduce youth suicide and other firearm death rates by limiting access to firearms. We evaluated the impact of child access prevention (CAP) laws on rates of youth firearm suicide mortality. We evaluated whether CAP law associated changes in youth firearm suicide rates reflected shifts to non-firearm suicide methods or systematic changes in the classification of suicide deaths.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Placebo Response in Randomized Controlled Trials of Tourette's Disorder Medications
To examine the magnitude of placebo response in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of medications for Tourette's disorder.
Editorial: The Critical Examination of Autism Screening Tools: A Call for Addressing False Negatives
The study by Vivanti et al. represents a significant contribution to research on autism screening. This cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) sought to determine whether the implementation of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) during routine well-child check-ups could improve the early identification and referral rates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The trial included a diverse sample of pediatric practices, randomly assigned to either an experimental group, in which the M-CHAT-R/F was systematically implemented with high fidelity, or a control group that continued with usual care practices.
Identification of Risk Genes for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During Early Human Brain Development
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability. A total of 27 genome-wide significant loci for ADHD were previously identified through genome-wide association studies (GWASs), but the identification of risk genes that confer susceptibility to ADHD has remained largely unexplored.
Which Psychosocial Risks Are Necessary for Developing Depression During Adolescence? A Novel Approach Applying Necessary Condition Analysis
Although many factors predict adolescent depression, risks that operate as necessary conditions (ie, absence of the factor conveys absence of the outcome) have been largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate which psychosocial risk factors might serve as necessary conditions for future onset of depression across adolescence.
Changes in Rest-Activity Rhythms in Adolescents as They Age: Associations With Brain and Behavioral Changes in the ABCD Study
Adolescents with disrupted rest-activity rhythms (RARs), including shorter sleep duration, later sleep timing, and low physical activity levels, are at greater risk for mental health and behavioral problems. It remains unclear whether the same associations can be observed for within-subject changes in RARs.
Celebrating the Mental Health of Indigenous Two Spirit and Gender Diverse Youth and Adolescents in the United States
Indigenous Two Spirit (2S) and gender diverse (GD) youth in the United States are a population distinct for their resilience and joy, despite the legacy of settler colonialism and present-day manifestations of historical traumas. The process of settler colonialism in North America instigated a transition from celebration of 2SGD identities to violence and discrimination, often associated with homophobia and transphobia. As a result of these processes, Indigenous 2SGD individuals disproportionately experience poor health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous GD individuals. Regarding mental health, Indigenous youth-and 2SGD youth in particular-experience mental health challenges due to the persistent impacts of historical trauma and systemic inequity. Mental health providers and professional organizations are responsible for understanding this context and acknowledging their roles within this legacy if they are to meet the unique needs of Indigenous 2SGD youth.
Editorial: The Future of Safety Signal Learning as a Biomarker of Risk and Treatment Target for Trauma-Related Psychopathology in Youth
It's Time to Engage Teens in Suicide Prevention in the Emergency Department
Transdiagnostic and Diagnosis-Specific Morphological Similarity Related Transcriptional Profile in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both highly heritable developmental psychiatric disorders and exhibit a high degree of comorbidity. Our objective is to enhance understanding of the transdiagnostic and diagnosis-specific structural alterations and related cellular and genetic pathophysiological mechanisms between ADHD and ASD.
Editorial: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Related Care
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the established, albeit at times conceptual, standard of care, and understanding its ongoing operational evolution is critical to JAACAP readers. At the center of operationalizing the concept of EBM are the accurate tools for screening, diagnosis, and outcome measurement. Historically, these instruments relied on trained raters assessing the patient's signs and symptoms. The field has evolved over time to the perception that clinician-rated scales need to be complemented with patient- and parent-rated instruments, or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This development and its implications are considered from multiple perspectives.
Editorial: Steps Towards Precision Medicine: The Lessons From Study on Impact of Neighborhood Resources on Youth Response to Reward Omission
Early-Onset Trajectories of Emotional Dysregulation in Autistic Children
Emotional dysregulation (ED) is a common and debilitating problem for children with autism and their families. However, little is known about early-onset patterns of dysregulation, associated risk factors, and child and family outcomes. This study aimed to characterize trajectories of ED in an inception cohort of preschool-age children with autism.
Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis: The Efficacy of Nonpharmacological Interventions for Sleep Disturbances in Children and Adolescents
We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews (SRs) - with or without meta-analysis (MA) - of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing non-pharmacological sleep interventions for children and adolescents across various clinical populations.
Collaborative Outcomes Study on Health and Functioning During Infection Times (COH-FIT): Global and Risk-Group Stratified Course of Well-Being and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents
To identify the COVID-19 impact on well-being/mental health, coping strategies and risk factors in adolescent worldwide.
Dr. Venturo-Conerly et al. Reply
We thank Kumar et al. for their commentary on our meta-analysis of youth psychotherapies in LMICs. We appreciate the opportunity to elaborate on our findings and the points raised by Kumar et al.
Longitudinal Associations Between ADHD and Weight From Birth to Adolescence
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with lower birth weight, but also with obesity in childhood. Findings on the direction of this association are mixed. This study investigated the relationship between weight and ADHD from birth across development.
Reflections on Best Practices for Evidence Synthesis in Youth Mental Health for Low- and Middle-Income Countries
We read with interest the paper "Meta-analysis: The Effectiveness of Youth Psychotherapy Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries" by Venturo-Conerly et al. (2023). The paper presents results on the effectiveness of youth psychotherapies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from a systematic review and meta-analysis using rigorous, highly regarded methods. The authors should be commended for taking on this important subject. However, we feel that the paper needs to be situated in the backdrop of a few concerns that we believe are important for LMIC geographies. In our reply, we mainly focus on the finding that interventions developed in high-income countries (HIC) were more effective if not adapted to local conditions, suggesting that non-culturally adapted interventions had better outcomes than culturally adapted ones. This, as the authors note, seems counterintuitive.
Parent and Peer Racial-Ethnic Socialization Facilitates Psychological Well-Being Via Proactive Coping: A Daily Diary Study
The aim of this study was to assess the promotive and protective effects of parental and peer racial-ethnic socialization (RES) on adolescents' psychological well-being in the context of racial-ethnic discrimination. We hypothesized that RES would buffer the pernicious effects of discrimination on well-being by promoting more proactive coping (problem solving, seeking social support) and less avoidant coping responses.
Life Lessons From a Fishbowl
Through the eyes of a child, owning a Betta fish is a magical experience filled with valuable lessons. From the moment the colorful fish swims into its new home, children learn about responsibility and care. They quickly understand that, just like people, fish have needs-they require clean water, proper food, and a comfortable, enriching environment of SpongeBob SquarePants decor. Beyond practical lessons, children also experience empathy, developing a bond with their fish. This is how my children feel about the newest member of our family, Sparkles. A beautiful, shiny hue of electric blue, Sparkles was an unexpected gift provided in lieu of a goody bag at a 5-year-old birthday party. My initial shock (built on a foundation of dread) transformed into the most pleasant surprise as I watched all 3 of my children cooperate, collaborate, and problem solve to keep Sparkles alive. Each child developed their specific role and purpose in Sparkles' care, from handling the tank cleaning and rearranging of aquarium plants, to providing nurturing support through whispering frequent "I love you's" and never missing a feeding. My children became little caregivers beaming with pride, ingesting the parenting Kool-Aid with reckless abandon. Witnessing this transformation was not only sweet, but wildly amusing, especially when matter-of-fact explanations of fish behavior were provided by elementary school humans.
Editorial: Identifying the Perfect Predictor of Absence of Disease: A Shift Toward Necessary Condition Analysis in Evidence-Based Medicine?
Three-Year Effects of Motivational Interviewing-Enhanced Behavior Therapy for Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Community-Based Trial
This study reports 3-year effects of a parent-teen cognitive/behavioral treatment for adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blended with Motivational Interviewing (Supporting Teens' Autonomy Daily [STAND]), vs Usual Care (UC) in 4 community clinics.
The Impact of Using Standardized Autism Screening on Referral to Specialist Evaluation for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
We tested whether the implementation of standardized, high-fidelity screening for autism during routine well-child check-ups results in the following: increasing the number of children with suspected autism referred to diagnostic evaluation; lowering the age at which they are referred; and facilitating autism diagnosis for children across a more diverse range of demographic backgrounds and clinical presentations, including those with subtle manifestations.
