Andreas Seierstad, Olivia Schjøtt-Pedersen, Lars-Christian Berentzen, Helen Bull, Daniel Freeman, Erlend Strand Gardsjord, Christer Lunde Gjerstad, Sinead Lambe, Jan Ivar Røssberg, June Ullevoldsæter Lystad
{"title":"Feasibility trial of the virtual reality application gameChange in a Norwegian psychosis participant group.","authors":"Andreas Seierstad, Olivia Schjøtt-Pedersen, Lars-Christian Berentzen, Helen Bull, Daniel Freeman, Erlend Strand Gardsjord, Christer Lunde Gjerstad, Sinead Lambe, Jan Ivar Røssberg, June Ullevoldsæter Lystad","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2693804","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2693804","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and hypothesis: </strong>Individuals with psychosis often experience levels of anxious avoidance comparable to patients with agoraphobia, causing detrimental effects on quality of life and functional outcomes. Automated virtual reality delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may represent a promising treatment approach for addressing agoraphobic avoidance in patients with psychosis. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of using the virtual reality application gameChange as a treatment option for agoraphobic avoidance in people with psychosis in psychosis treatment units in Oslo, Norway.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>This study was conducted as a two arm non-randomized site-based feasibility trial (gameChange plus CBTp and standard care or gameChange plus standard care) across 3 treatment units for patients diagnosed with psychosis. Participants were allocated to intervention arm based on the type of CBTp available at their respective treatment units. It was aimed to recruit thirty patients with psychosis. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-treatment (13 weeks). Outcomes were recruitment-, retention-, and adherence-rates as well as patient satisfaction and a range of self-reported symptom measures.</p><p><strong>Study results: </strong>A total of 32 patients were referred: 28 patients were eligible, and 27 participated. 22 patients (81%) received an adherent dose of gameChange. 21 patients (77.7%) completed the post-treatment assessment. Participants reported high satisfaction with the intervention. gameChange was associated with improvements in symptomatology, most notably in the domains of functioning and depression.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings suggest that incorporating virtual reality delivered cognitive behavioural therapy interventions in a Norwegian health care setting is feasible. Randomised controlled trials are warranted to assess treatment efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"385-394"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Berit M Gustafsson, Magnus Ivarsson, Henrik Danielsson, Marie Proczkowska
{"title":"Structural validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, educator version) in Swedish preschool.","authors":"Berit M Gustafsson, Magnus Ivarsson, Henrik Danielsson, Marie Proczkowska","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2704058","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2704058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Behaviour problems have been described as early signs of mental health problems among preschool children. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a commonly used screening instrument for this, which has demonstrated good validity for older children. Before starting to use SDQ for younger children, there is a need to further examine the underlying structure of SDQ in younger children.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To investigate the structural validity of the teacher-rated SDQ when administered in two different groups of preschool children aged 1-3 and 4-5 years.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Preschool teachers of 446 children aged 1-3 years and 293 in age 4-5 years were administered the educator-rated version of SDQ. Five different confirmatory factor analyses were carried out for two age groups separately, and the fit to the data of the resulting models was compared.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>For 4-5-year-olds, the five-factor (one for each subscale) and the two-factor (a total problems scale and a prosocial scale) demonstrated adequate fit to the data. For 1-3-year-olds, a considerably adjusted two-factor model was the only model with an adequate fit according to most indices, indicating that the total problems scale may be structurally valid in the younger age group and more adequate from the perspective of child development.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results from the present study confirm and expand on findings from earlier studies by demonstrating that structural validity may be acceptable for the SDQ in a sample of children as young as one year.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"422-430"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148592756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sofie Norlin Mølgaard, Louise Birkedal Glenthøj, Runhild Arendt, Ulla Schierup Nielsen, Merete Nordentoft, Ida Marie Ørbech-Grønlund Jacobsen, Mette Ødegaard Nielsen
{"title":"Assessment and treatment of negative symptoms in psychotic disorders - a national clinical guideline.","authors":"Sofie Norlin Mølgaard, Louise Birkedal Glenthøj, Runhild Arendt, Ulla Schierup Nielsen, Merete Nordentoft, Ida Marie Ørbech-Grønlund Jacobsen, Mette Ødegaard Nielsen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2697960","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2697960","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Negative symptoms remain a primary driver of functional disability in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This article presents the official Danish Multidisciplinary Psychiatry Group's (DMPG) national clinical guideline for the assessment and treatment of negative symptoms in psychotic disorders across the lifespan.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A systematic literature search for systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2019 and 2024 was conducted in PubMed and PsycInfo. Studies were screened and extracted by independent reviewers using Covidence. To ensure clinical utility, recommendations were formulated by synthesizing the evidence base with expert consensus, which included extrapolating adult data to formulate guidance for children and adolescents where primary evidence is scarce.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The consensus process yielded 21 specific clinical recommendations. The guideline mandates the assessment of five distinct domains (anhedonia, asociality, alogia, avolition, and blunted affect) using dedicated scales like the BNSS. It provides clear guidance on pharmacological strategies, including a conditional endorsement of modafinil augmentation and a recommendation against cannabinoids. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive remediation, are also recommended.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The guideline establishes a comprehensive, clinically actionable framework for managing negative symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults. Furthermore, it emphasizes that advancing the field requires future research to utilize domain-specific tools to accurately distinguish primary from secondary negative symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"353-365"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anne Mari Steigen, Tonje Holte Stea, Marie Dahlen Granrud, Cecilie Ruud Dangmann, Tore Bonsaksen
{"title":"Trends in sexual harassment exposure among adolescents in Norway between 2017 and 2023 and associations with depressive symptoms.","authors":"Anne Mari Steigen, Tonje Holte Stea, Marie Dahlen Granrud, Cecilie Ruud Dangmann, Tore Bonsaksen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2694659","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2694659","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this study was to examine trends in sexual harassment victimization and possible changes in the association between sexual harassment victimization and depressive symptoms among adolescents (aged 16-19) in Norway between 2017 and 2023.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used cross-sectional data from the national Ungdata Survey conducted in upper secondary schools in Norway from 2017 to 2023 (total <i>N</i> = 229 417). Descriptive analyses and chi-square tests were used to examine changes in sexual harassment victimization across years by gender and age. Logistic regression analyses were used to study temporal trends and potential changes in the association between sexual harassment victimization and depressive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of any sexual harassment victimization increased significantly among adolescents between 2017 and 2023. Girls reported a higher prevalence of all forms of sexual harassment victimization than boys. When studying the genders separately, the increase in exposure over time was statistically significant only among girls. Sexual harassment victimization was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in all years for both boys and girls. The strength of this association was generally higher among boys than among girls, and this gender difference became more pronounced between 2017 and 2023.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate a significant increase in sexual harassment victimization among girls between 2017 and 2023. Although girls are more frequently exposed to sexual harassment than boys, the association with depressive symptoms tends to be stronger among boys, and this difference appears to increase over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"366-374"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148361870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative response patterns and tolerability of high-frequency rTMS in unipolar versus bipolar depression: a retrospective naturalistic study.","authors":"Muhammet Sancaktar, Gülçin Elboğa, Onur Gürler, Bahadır Demir, Feridun Bülbül, Abdurrahman Altındağ","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2696360","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2696360","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This retrospective naturalistic study compared response patterns and tolerability of high-frequency left-DLPFC repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depressive disorder (BD) under real-world clinical conditions.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A total of 161 patients (95 MDD, 66 BD) who completed 20 sessions of 10 Hz rTMS between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. Diagnoses were established using the SCID-5. Symptom severity was assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Response was defined as ≥50% HAM-D reduction, remission as post-treatment HAM-<i>D</i> ≤ 7. Multivariate logistic regression identified independent predictors of response.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The MDD group demonstrated a significantly higher response rate than the BD group (48.4% vs. 28.8%; <i>p</i> = 0.013), while remission rates were comparable (21.1% vs. 21.2%; <i>p</i> = 1.000). Female patients exhibited higher response rates in both groups, reaching significance in MDD (58.8% vs. 36.4%, <i>p</i> = 0.029). Multivariate analysis confirmed diagnosis (OR = 2.25, <i>p</i> = 0.025), female sex (OR = 2.35, <i>p</i> = 0.014), and lower baseline HAM-D scores (OR = 0.85, <i>p</i> = 0.018) as independent predictors of response. rTMS was well tolerated, with mild transient side effects in 36.6% of participants and only one hypomanic activation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this naturalistic sample, MDD showed a higher response than BD, while remission rates were comparable. Given the retrospective, completer-based design and asymmetric sampling, these findings are exploratory and should inform future controlled studies rather than current clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"375-384"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148387760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Differences between early-diagnosed and late-diagnosed ADHD: a follow-up study of former adolescent psychiatric inpatients.","authors":"Rosamaria Haavisto, Veera Räsänen, Jandeh Jallow, Pirkko Riipinen, Kaisa Riala, Helinä Hakko, Veera Säynäjäkangas, Anu-Helmi Halt","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2700405","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2700405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The study aimed to investigate whether participants with early- versus late-diagnosed ADHD differed in relation to family, school, sociodemographic, and clinical factors.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study population consisted of 508 adolescents (aged 13-17) hospitalized in a psychiatric unit at Oulu University Hospital between 2001-2006, with follow-up until 2023 <i>via</i> the Finnish Care Register for Healthcare. Participants were grouped as follows: early-diagnosed ADHD (diagnosed before the age of 18) (<i>n</i> = 29), late-diagnosed ADHD (diagnosed after the age of 18) (<i>n</i> = 55), and no ADHD (<i>n</i> = 424). Differences between ADHD groups were assessed using chi-squared, Fisher's exact, one-way ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Associations were analyzed with logistic regression using late-diagnosed ADHD as the outcome and comparing it separately with the no-ADHD and early-diagnosed ADHD groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Early-diagnosed ADHD was more prevalent in males, while late-diagnosed ADHD was more common in females. The late-diagnosed ADHD group had more psychiatric comorbidities and was found to report fewer ADHD symptoms in adolescence than the group with no ADHD diagnosis. Female sex combined with anxiety disorders increased the likelihood for late-diagnosed ADHD, whereas conduct disorder was associated with early-diagnosed ADHD. The study also revealed a sharp rise in new ADHD diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021-2022.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study suggests that female-majority late-diagnosed cases may represent a distinct often underdiagnosed clinical group in adolescence. The debate over whether late-diagnosed ADHD is equal to late-onset ADHD and it could reflect a genuine neurodevelopmental variation or arises from comorbidities and life circumstances highlights the need for further longitudinal research.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"404-412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148430868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nationwide time trends in co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults: differences in diagnoses, age, sex, and educational attainment between 2010 and 2022.","authors":"Josefine Skou Jakobsen, Katrine Schepelern Johansen, Birgitte Thylstrup, Solvej Mårtensson","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2680604","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2680604","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to describe time trends in dual diagnosis occurrence among adolescents and young adults (ages 12-25) treated in mental health services throughout Denmark between 2010 and 2022. It also aims to describe how incident cases are distributed by age, sex, diagnoses, educational attainment, and enrollment in substance use treatment services.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The study used diagnostic data on every admission to public mental health services in Denmark linked with data from other national social service- and educational registers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our analyses show a substantial increase in dual diagnosis occurrence in 2010-17, followed by a declining trend. When distributed by sex, age and diagnoses, dual diagnosis was most frequently occurring among males; young adults (ages 22-25); adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders; neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders; as well as cannabis related disorders across the study period. Our analyses also show an increase in the proportion who were enrolled in substance use treatment at the time of their first dual diagnosis contact with mental health services, but a decreasing trend in the proportion who enrolled within a year after their first dual diagnosis contact. Finally, our analyses show a slight increase in the number of adolescents and young adults with dual diagnosis above 16 years of age who had completed primary school (9<sup>th</sup> grade) during the study period.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"299-307"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148194926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johanna von Knorring, Ilya Baryshnikov, Pekka Jylhä, Tiina Talaslahti, Erkki Isometsä
{"title":"Self-reported antidepressant side effects in psychiatric patients with depressive disorders.","authors":"Johanna von Knorring, Ilya Baryshnikov, Pekka Jylhä, Tiina Talaslahti, Erkki Isometsä","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2686197","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2686197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Antidepressants (ADs) are an essential depression treatment option, but may cause side effects that affect treatment outcome, patient function, and quality of life. AD side effect assessment may be insufficient in both clinical trials and practice, potentially distorting the understanding of their prevalence and tolerability. We examined AD self-reported side effects (SRSEs) in psychiatric settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated AD SRSEs in 128 psychiatric out- and inpatients from the Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacogenetics of Antidepressant Treatment for Depressive Disorders (PEGAD) study at baseline, two- and eight weeks, using the Antidepressant Side-Effect Checklist (ASEC), and the Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Rating (FIBSER) scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Predominantly mild to moderate SRSEs with a low burden on daily activities were reported by over 90% at each evaluation, and 45% of study completers reported occasional severe side effects. Nonetheless, only 6.5% of study completers consequently discontinued their AD, and symptom attribution to the ADs varied, indicating different perceived reasons for SRSEs. Depression severity was the main predictor of SRSEs, and higher depression, anxiety, and age predicted functional impairment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>When systematically evaluated, most antidepressant-treated patients with depression report multiple perceived side effects, some rated severe, that rarely result in discontinuation of their pharmacotherapy. Patients often attribute potential side effects to factors other than pharmacotherapy, and SRSEs affect overall functioning less than depression itself. Our findings highlight the difficulty of reliably ascertaining causes of perceived side effects in the absence of mechanistic biomarkers.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"327-339"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148239892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Andry Budianto, Najlatun Naqiyah, Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah, Bakhrudin All Habsy, Budi Purwoko
{"title":"Improvement and deterioration trajectories in psychotherapy for depression: results from an RCT with cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic therapy.","authors":"Ahmad Andry Budianto, Najlatun Naqiyah, Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah, Bakhrudin All Habsy, Budi Purwoko","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2666056","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2026.2666056","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"347-349"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148016518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}