Julius Hennig, Ilka Boehm, Katharina Zwosta, Joseph A. King, Daniel Geisler, Hannes Ruge, Maria Seidel, Fabio Bernardoni, Inger Hellerhoff, Arne Doose, Sophie Pauligk, Henri Leschzinski, Veit Roessner, Uta Wolfensteller, Stefan Ehrlich
{"title":"Avoidance habit learning in adolescents and young women with anorexia nervosa: an fMRI study","authors":"Julius Hennig, Ilka Boehm, Katharina Zwosta, Joseph A. King, Daniel Geisler, Hannes Ruge, Maria Seidel, Fabio Bernardoni, Inger Hellerhoff, Arne Doose, Sophie Pauligk, Henri Leschzinski, Veit Roessner, Uta Wolfensteller, Stefan Ehrlich","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70019","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN), often with an onset in adolescence, is a complex eating disorder characterized by distorted body image, fear of weight gain, and extreme food restriction, leading to severe underweight. Excessive goal pursuit and avoidance behaviors have been proposed as key factors in AN, which over time may become over‐trained into habits.MethodsThis study investigated the behavioral and neural correlates of habit learning in AN with an experiment consisting of three consecutive phases: (1) training goal‐directed behavior, (2) avoidance learning, and (3) a habit test. Forty‐five acutely underweight adolescent female patients with AN and 45 age‐matched healthy control participants underwent an fMRI scan.ResultsNo behavioral group differences were evident either during learning of avoidance habits or when testing habit strength. Importantly, however, the AN group showed both generally superior task performance and increased involvement of the frontoparietal brain regions during habit learning.ConclusionsCollectively, our findings provide novel evidence suggesting that excessive goal pursuit may predominate in young AN in an avoidance learning context. Future research should examine if this tendency develops into habit learning over time and investigate the speed and strength of avoidance habit formation in adults with a longer history of AN to further elucidate the intricate dynamic between goal‐directed and habitual processes in the disorder.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144755892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: The pressing need to investigate the effects of media immersion in early childhood on brain and behavioral development.","authors":"Meghan Rose Donohue,M Catalina Camacho,Joan Luby","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70016","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past several years, increasingly younger children are being exposed to significant amounts of media, while at the same time parental monitoring of young children's media exposure is decreasing. Increasing media exposure in young children, including increased exposure to media with aggressive, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content, has potential adverse consequences for social, emotional, and neural development. Adverse effects are potentially greater in early childhood given the high neuroplasticity of this period. Despite this, very little research has rigorously examined potential detrimental consequences of exposure to excessive and/or inappropriate media during early childhood. The purpose of this article is to discuss potential adverse developmental effects of early childhood media exposure and to suggest directions for critically needed future research on these potential effects.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca Cooper, Els van der Ven, Maria Jalbrzikowski
{"title":"Trajectories of psychotic‐like experiences in youth and associations with lifestyle factors","authors":"Rebecca Cooper, Els van der Ven, Maria Jalbrzikowski","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.14179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14179","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundPersistent and/or distressing psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs) during adolescence are associated with poorer subsequent psychiatric outcomes. Modifiable lifestyle factors (such as sleep quality or regular exercise) may improve mental health outcomes; however, it is unknown how lifestyle factors are linked to trajectories of PLEs.MethodsUsing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 10,075, age 9–10 years at baseline), we characterized trajectories of PLEs using latent growth mixture models assessed using the Prodromal Questionnaire‐Brief Child Version. We examined trajectories of Total and Distress scores. We used multinomial logistic regressions to examine associations between baseline lifestyle behaviors (including self‐reported screen time, physical activity and caffeine intake, and parent‐reported sleep disturbances and recreational activities) and PLE trajectories.ResultsWe identified four trajectories of distress‐related PLEs: No Distress (27%), Rapid Decreasing (17%), Gradual Decreasing (36%), and Persistent Elevated Distress (21%). Compared with the No Distress trajectory, individuals in the Persistent Elevated Distress trajectory spent more time using screens (adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.03–2.53), had higher caffeine intake (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.28–2.04), greater sleep disturbance (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.45–1.73), participated in fewer recreational activities (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.68–0.83) and less frequent physical activity (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74–0.89). Greater screen time and sleep disturbances further distinguished the most severe group from all other trajectories. Findings were similar when examining total scores. Results remained statistically significant when we included established risk factors of psychosis in each model.ConclusionsLifestyle factors associate with trajectories of PLE‐related distress, providing novel tools for intervention and risk prediction.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emotional burden in school as a source of mental health problems associated with ADHD and/or autism: Development and validation of a new co-produced self-report measure.","authors":"Steve Lukito,Susie Chandler,Myrofora Kakoulidou,Kirsty Griffiths,Anna Wyatt,Eloise Funnell,Georgia Pavlopoulou,Sylvan Baker,Daniel Stahl,Edmund Sonuga-Barke, ","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70003","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDMental health problems are elevated in adolescents with ADHD and/or autism. Emotion regulation deficits (ERD) have been hypothesised as a key driver of such difficulties. The Regulating Emotions - Strengthening Adolescent Resilience (RE-STAR) programme is examining an alternative pathway from neurodivergence to mental health problems, mediated by elevated emotional burden (EB) resulting from the interplay of increased exposure and an unusually intense emotional reaction to commonly upsetting events (CUEs). We present the development and application of the My Emotions in School Inventory (MESI), a self-report questionnaire co-produced with neurodivergent young people, focusing on EB in schools - a setting thought to be of particular significance in this regard.METHODSThe MESI, containing 25 school-related CUEs rated on their frequency and the intensity of negative emotions they induce, was completed by secondary school students meeting symptom cut-offs on clinically validated scales of ADHD (n = 100), autism (n = 104), ADHD + autism (n = 79) and neurotypical students (n = 452). Psychometric properties were examined. The ability of the MESI to discriminate adolescents with ADHD and/or autism from neurotypical adolescents, and to predict depression and anxiety, independently of ERD, was explored.RESULTSAdolescents in the ADHD and/or autism groups experienced higher CUE frequency and intensity of reaction than their neurotypical peers. Overall levels of EB, most robustly indexed by 24 MESI CUEs, were higher in the three neurodivergent groups, though they did not differ from each other. EB in the autism and ADHD groups was generated by distinctly different CUEs. EB and ERD each contributed independently to the prediction of higher depression or anxiety.CONCLUSIONSOur findings illustrate the potential value of the MESI as an instrument to measure the contribution of EB alongside ERD in relation to adolescent mental health risks in ADHD and/or autism. Future studies need to investigate its role longitudinally.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"114 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144701237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meredith X Han,Ivan Voronin,Margherita Malanchini,Tom A McAdams
{"title":"Examining the association between cognitive ability and emotional problems across childhood using a genetically informative design: could there be a causal relationship?","authors":"Meredith X Han,Ivan Voronin,Margherita Malanchini,Tom A McAdams","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70008","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDEmotional problems co-occur with difficulties in verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability, yet the pathways underlying their association remain poorly understood: It is unclear whether effects may be causal, and to what extent they may run from cognition to emotion, or vice versa.METHODSOur preregistered analyses included 5,124 twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). At ages 7, 9 and 12, emotional problems were assessed through the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, and cognition was assessed using task-based measures. Cross-lagged models examined the influence of cognition and subdomains of verbal and nonverbal abilities on emotional problems and vice versa, across development. Genetic cross-lagged models examined the effect of cognition on emotional problems and vice versa, after controlling for shared genetic and environmental influence.RESULTSCross-lagged paths in both directions were observed between cognitive ability and emotional problems (from -0.11 to -0.05). Cross-lagged associations that persisted after accounting for common genetic and environmental influences were between nonverbal ability and emotional problems. Higher emotional problems at age 7 predicted lower nonverbal ability at age 9, with 22% of the phenotypic association remaining. This, in turn, predicted greater emotional problems at age 12, with 13% of the association remaining.CONCLUSIONSGenetic and environmental factors accounted for a large proportion of the cross-lagged associations. Emotional problems in early childhood could result in a cascade effect, leading to lower nonverbal cognition in middle childhood, which increases the risk of emotional problems in late childhood. These findings highlight the importance of age- and domain-specific interventions.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fostering positive mental health outcomes in vulnerable children: Pathways to resilience after preterm birth.","authors":"E Sabrina Twilhaar,Dieter Wolke","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70002","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDChildren born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk of mental health problems, and their mental health outcomes have not improved in the past decades. This study aims to (1) determine the degree of mental health resilience in preterm-born children; (2) identify modifiable factors at individual, parent-child, family, peer group, and neighbourhood levels associated with resilience; (3) explore differential effects of factors based on sex and contextual adversity.METHODSPreterm-born children from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS; n = 574) born in Germany (1985-1986) and Millennium Cohort Study (MCS; n = 985) born in the UK (2000-2002) were assessed prospectively at 7 (MCS) or 8 (BLS) years. Resilience was defined as better-than-expected mental health outcomes, using a residuals approach. Potential promotive factors included (1) individual: self-regulation, perceived competence, cognition; (2) parent-child relationships; (3) family: home environment, interparental relationship, social support, sibling relationships; (4) peers: bullying, friendships; and (5) neighbourhood characteristics. Associations between promotive factors and resilience were tested using regression-based methods, with sex and contextual adversity (adverse life events, psychosocial stress, socioeconomic deprivation) as moderators and mediators.RESULTSThe following factors were consistently (in both cohorts) associated with resilience: (1) individual: regulatory abilities, cognition; (2) parent-child: mother-child relationship; (3) family: authoritative and structured climate, interparental relationship; (4) peers: bullying. Regulatory abilities showed independent effect in both cohorts. Collectively, factors explained 30%-41% of the variance in resilience. Effects were similar across sex and contextual adversity, but promotive factors were less prevalent in boys and adverse contexts. Particularly in the UK, promotive resources were scarce amidst contextual adversity, which explained the lower resilience of children living in adversity.CONCLUSIONSThis study identified modifiable factors such as child self-regulation, interparental relationships, and bullying that - if improved - have a high potential for improving mental health outcomes in preterm-born children.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Grace Revill, Norman Poole, Christina Carlisi, Anthony S. David, Vaughan Bell
{"title":"Childhood Mild Traumatic Brain Injury is Reliably Associated with Anxiety but Not Other Examined Psychiatric Outcomes at Two‐Year Follow‐up, After Adjusting for Prior Mental Health","authors":"Grace Revill, Norman Poole, Christina Carlisi, Anthony S. David, Vaughan Bell","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70013","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundEvidence that mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) causes psychiatric problems in children has been mixed. Investigating this issue has been difficult due to the lack of representative longitudinal data that includes adequate measures of mTBI, subsequent mental health symptoms and service use.MethodsWe used data from the ABCD longitudinal cohort study to examine the association between mTBI and psychiatric diagnoses, symptoms and psychiatric service use in over 11,000 children. In both children reporting (i) previous mTBI at baseline and (ii) previously uninjured children reporting new cases of mTBI since baseline, we examined psychiatric outcomes and service use at 2‐year follow‐up. We also compared mTBI cases to a comparison group of participants with orthopaedic injury but without mTBI. Mixed‐effects models were used and adjusted for demographic and social covariates, with missing data imputed using random forest multiple imputation. To account for baseline mental health, we used propensity‐score matching to identify a comparison sample matched on confounding variables and baseline outcome measures.ResultsWhen examined without adjustment for baseline mental health, both lifetime mTBI at baseline and new occurrence of mTBI at 2‐year follow‐up were reliably associated with an increased risk of DSM‐5 anxiety and behavioural disorders, a range of psychiatric symptom scores and increased service use. Controlling for baseline mental health in the mTBI group using propensity‐score matching eliminated all statistically reliable associations apart from anxiety disorder diagnosis and symptoms, which remain associated at 2‐year follow‐up. Evidence for association with medication use was inconsistent.ConclusionsConsistent evidence supporting an association between paediatric mTBI and subsequent anxiety was found; however, similar associations were not observed for other mental health outcomes. Regardless of potential causality, children with mTBI are likely to present with high levels of mental health difficulties, and this remains an important comorbidity that clinicians should be aware of.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research Review: What we have learned about early detection and intervention of borderline personality disorder","authors":"Michael Kaess, Marialuisa Cavelti","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70011","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundBorderline personality disorder (BPD) typically emerges during adolescence and early adulthood and has severe personal, social and economic consequences. Despite significant research efforts on early intervention over the past two decades, delays in diagnosis and treatment are still common, and exclusion of individuals with BPD from mental health services is prevalent.MethodsIn order to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, this review qualitatively synthesises empirical evidence on early intervention for BPD, addressing four key questions: (1) Should BPD be diagnosed in adolescents? (2) How is BPD diagnosed in adolescents? (3) Is adolescent BPD treatable, and how effective are treatments? and (4) Can BPD development be prevented?FindingsEvidence supports diagnosing BPD in adolescents from the age of 12 years, with validated diagnostic measures available. While outpatient, disorder‐specific psychotherapy has shown efficacy in reducing BPD symptoms and self‐harm in youth, the evidence is limited by the small number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), small sample sizes, heterogeneous inclusion criteria, varying control interventions and high risk of bias. Indicated prevention targeting subthreshold BPD symptoms shows promise, but further research is needed on selective and universal prevention strategies.ConclusionsEnhancing healthcare professionals' knowledge about early diagnosis and treatment for BPD appears necessary in order to reduce the reluctance to diagnose the disorder in adolescence, which is recommended by many national treatment guidelines today. Additionally, large‐scale, rigorous RCTs are necessary to establish the superiority of disorder‐specific treatments over standard care and explore novel service models that offer easily accessible and scalable evidence‐based care for young people with BPD features.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel L Wechsler,Emily J H Jones,Greg Pasco,Tessel Bazelmans,Jannath Begum-Ali,Mark H Johnson,Tony Charman,
{"title":"Parent-child similarity on autism and ADHD traits and children's social functioning and psychological well-being at 3 years.","authors":"Daniel L Wechsler,Emily J H Jones,Greg Pasco,Tessel Bazelmans,Jannath Begum-Ali,Mark H Johnson,Tony Charman, ","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70014","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDThere is a pressing need for research on neurodevelopmental conditions to focus on predictors of resilient or positive outcomes, rather than core symptoms and impairment. One promising avenue is to consider whether child-parent similarity contributes to a protective family environment. For instance, investigations of the similarity-fit hypothesis have shown that parent-child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) trait similarity is associated with more favourable parent or child ratings of parenting and parent-child interaction. However, very little similarity-fit research has focused on autism, and none to date has investigated whether parent-child trait similarity is more broadly predictive of children's outcomes beyond parent-child interaction. We assessed whether parent-child autism and ADHD trait similarity predicted children's social functioning and psychological well-being in early childhood in a family history cohort.METHODSOur analytic sample comprised 222 children (45.5% female) and their parents from a longitudinal family history (autism and/or ADHD) cohort. A novel parent-child trait similarity measure was computed for autism and ADHD traits in each parent-child pair, and robust hierarchical regression was used to assess whether mother-child and father-child autism and ADHD similarity predicted children's social functioning and psychological well-being at age 3 years, after accounting for the main effects of parent and child traits.RESULTSMother-child autism trait similarity positively predicted both social functioning and psychological well-being in children, while mother-child ADHD trait similarity positively predicted children's social functioning (but not well-being). Furthermore, father-child autism trait similarity positively predicted children's social functioning, though it fell just short of statistical significance in outlier-robust regression.CONCLUSIONSOur findings suggest that parent-child neurodevelopmental trait similarity may act as a protective or promotive factor for children's early social functioning and psychological well-being. Further work is warranted to determine whether there are similar effects in later childhood and to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying similarity-fit effects on children's outcomes.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144613056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ryann C. Tansey, Marc D. Ferger, Hilary A. Marusak, Leah M. Mayo
{"title":"Research Review: What we have learned about the endocannabinoid system in developmental psychopathology","authors":"Ryann C. Tansey, Marc D. Ferger, Hilary A. Marusak, Leah M. Mayo","doi":"10.1111/jcpp.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70006","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundThe endocannabinoid (eCB) system, the primary target of cannabis, has gained significant attention as a potential novel therapeutic approach for treating a range of psychiatric disorders characterized by dysregulation of stress, emotion, and social behavior. The use of cannabis itself as a pharmacotherapeutic in children and adolescents is limited due to various constraints, including legal status, stigma, and real or perceived negative side effects. Thus, compounds that target the eCB system without the notable unwanted effects of cannabis may offer a more viable approach for developing populations.MethodsIn this narrative review, we provide an overview of the eCB system, summarizing its function throughout development and its potential contribution to psychopathology in children and adolescents. We highlight evidence of its behavioral role and the dysregulation of this system in various psychiatric disorders. Finally, we summarize current investigations into pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions designed to target the eCB system.ConclusionsThe eCB system may offer an innovative target for treatments of various psychiatric disorders in child and adolescent populations. However, more research is needed to understand the nuanced developmental trajectory of this system and to determine whether existing compounds are safe and effective for use in these populations.","PeriodicalId":187,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144603232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}