The Association For Child And Adolescent Mental Health (Acamh)

The causes of depression in children and young people are complex, but it is likely to be caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
Learn more with our FREE evidence based Depression topic guide.

What are the barriers to support for children with anxiety?
Find out in this podcast with Professor Cathy Creswell 🎧

The latest edition of our research digests are brought together in The Bridge, which this month focuses on ‘Forensics in Children and Adolescents’ covering the intersection of science, clinical practice and the criminal justice system.
Our Guest Editor Dr Mark Lovell explains; "Society has long sought to understand through philosophy and science, what makes people commit crimes or engage in antisocial behaviours. This is a specialist area within child and adolescent mental health services with high variation in service provision despite initiatives at a national levels."
Get out this free resource complete with links to free research digests

Tony Attwood, Clinical Psychologist, the world’s foremost expert on autism, and best selling author of 'Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals' is presenting to an ACAMH audience.
Parents/Carers of those with autistic children can access tickets for £74, or via live stream from just £50. There is a limited number of tickets so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Tony will be delivering two talks on the day.
... The first is titled 'Making Friends: Strategies to improve social understanding and friendship skills'. Tony explains the four stages in the development of friendship and strategies to encourage the development of friendship skills and social integration from children as young as three years to young adults. The activities can be applied in the classroom, playground and at home.
Learning outcomes of this talk include; - Understand the social reasoning profile associated with ASD - Identify the key social and friendship expectations at each of the four developmental stages of friendship - Learn strategies to facilitate friendship abilities for children and adolescents with ASD based on clinical experience and evidence-based programmes - Learn strategies to reduce the risk of being bullied and to improve resilience to peer exclusion and bullying
The second talk is titles 'Managing Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to manage anxiety, sadness and anger'. The presentation will explain why children, and adults, with ASD-Level 1 (Asperger’s syndrome) are more prone to have intense emotions and to develop mood disorders. The presentation also explains strategies that can help moderate and manage emotions.
Learning outcomes of the talk Managing Feelings includes: - Identify the reasons why those with an ASD have difficulty perceiving and expressing feelings - Identify activities and resources for the affective education component of CBT - Learn the modifications to CBT to accommodate the cognitive profile associated with ASD - Identify and explore evidence-based CBT programmes to treat anxiety, depression and anger in children and adolescents with an ASD
We hope to see you there on the day either in person or as part of the live stream.
See More

A recent review of 36 meta-analyses looking at the impact of CBT in CYP found that, overall, it was effective for reducing the symptoms of #anxiety, #depression & #PTSD (Crowe & McKay, 2017). Learn more with our FREE Psychotherapies Topic Guide

Infant Mental Health – How do early life influences impact on mental health?
Early influences on the child’s development can have a significant impact on their later lives. Discover up to date research on the intergenerational transmission of vulnerabilities in children.

Self-harm Masterclass: Therapeutic Assessment for adolescents with self-harm
Dr Dennis Ougrin and Dr Toby Zundel lead a masterclass on Therapeutic Assessment for self-harm in adolescents. Therapeutic Assessment is a brief intervention for young people presenting with self-harm in emergency.

Do you know what the 5 main eating disorders are? Did you know that most develop during adolescence? Learn more with our FREE Eating Disorder Topic Guide

How can using personalised goals in therapy change your life? Discover at our National Conference. Fri 9 Nov, Manchester & Live stream from £29

The 2018 Special Issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry brings together a collection of cutting‐edge empirical studies that focuses on developmental trajectories and pathways associated with ADHD, conduct problems and other externalizing behaviors

‘…one of the most inspirational and engaging speakers I have had the privilege of seeing’
Tony Attwood, world expert on autism and author of 'Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals', will present for an ACAMH audience. See how you can be part.

Young, gifted - and ready to tackle the mental illness epidemic
Think Ahead scheme brings almost 100 new graduates into the workforce.

How can we enhance therapy effectiveness in fostered and adopted children? Just one of the questions answered at at National Conference. Fri 9 Nov, Manchester & Live stream from £29

FREE Mental Health Topic Guides.
Forget the fake news and focus on the evidence!
For the latest evidence based research here is your starting point. Our easily accessible Mental Health Topic Guides includes; ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Attachment, Autism, CAMHS, Cognitive Training, Depression, Eating Disorders, Psychotherapies, School-based Interventions, and Trauma.
... Please like and share amongst your networks
See More

People of Ireland, ACAMH is coming to Dublin! Don't miss out on out CPD accredited, Gender Identity event in October.
Hear from; Dr Aileen Murtagh, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist - ‘Gender Diversity in Young People; The Irish Context’
... Dr Ruth Bevan, Consultant in Gender Dysphoria - ‘Gender dysphoria, Autism and Intellectual disability- Overlaps & Impacts’
Dr Aidan Kelly, Clinical Psychologist - ‘Specialist gender assessment of young people in Ireland, the current context’
Vannessa Lacey, TENI - ‘Gender-Identity in Ireland; Viewing the experiences of young-people and their families through a holistic lens’
Dr Anne Keogh, Clinical Psychologist CAMHS – ‘Working with gender variant young people, practical considerations’
Rachel Moore, Speech and Language Therapist - ‘The role of the Speech Language Therapist’
See More

How can we reduce anxiety and mental health problems in schools? National Conference. Fri 9 Nov, Manchester & Live stream from £29

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists seven anxiety disorders (APA, 2013). Do you know what they are? Discover with our FREE #Anxiety Topic Guide

'Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals' author Tony Attwood is speaking for us next year. Tickets already flying, in person and live stream.

Therapeutic Assessment is a brief intervention for young people presenting with self-harm in an emergency. The assessment consists of identifying the vicious cycle of self-harm in the form of a diagram, followed by a collaborative development of an “exit”, a way of breaking the cycle and moving forward. Therapeutic Assessment is linked with improved engagement with treatment compared with usual assessment.