Martin Pratt
@martinpratt.bsky.social
CEO @ The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health @acamh.bsky.social, disseminating free to access evidence updates every day. Get free ACAMH accredited CPD/CME and certificates @ https://acamhlearn.org
New research highlights promising paths to reduce anxiety in autistic individuals:
✓ Address intolerance of uncertainty
✓ Create sensory-friendly environments
✓ Empower proactive coping strategies
Free access to this important update ☛ tinyurl.com/5azstawx
✓ Address intolerance of uncertainty
✓ Create sensory-friendly environments
✓ Empower proactive coping strategies
Free access to this important update ☛ tinyurl.com/5azstawx
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
New research highlights promising paths to reduce anxiety in autistic individuals:
✓ Address intolerance of uncertainty
✓ Create sensory-friendly environments
✓ Empower proactive coping strategies
Free access to this important update ☛ tinyurl.com/5azstawx
✓ Address intolerance of uncertainty
✓ Create sensory-friendly environments
✓ Empower proactive coping strategies
Free access to this important update ☛ tinyurl.com/5azstawx
Evidence update - Vaping among teenagers: understanding its impact on mental health is urgent. Smoking is a causal risk factor for depression and anxiety. What about e-cigarettes? acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
October 15, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Evidence update - Vaping among teenagers: understanding its impact on mental health is urgent. Smoking is a causal risk factor for depression and anxiety. What about e-cigarettes? acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
This new paper builds on previous research reviewing the effectiveness of the Integrative Holistic Model of Play Therapy. Clinical outcomes collected over 5 years from normal practice settings are analysed using robust statistical testing playtherapy.org.uk/outcomes-and...
October 6, 2025 at 12:36 PM
This new paper builds on previous research reviewing the effectiveness of the Integrative Holistic Model of Play Therapy. Clinical outcomes collected over 5 years from normal practice settings are analysed using robust statistical testing playtherapy.org.uk/outcomes-and...
Simple teacher assessments of language difficulties in first year predict academic struggles throughout primary school. Most children eventually get SEN support, but it's inconsistent & drops off at transitions. Early identification + sustained support needed tinyurl.com/439rm3hr
September 11, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Simple teacher assessments of language difficulties in first year predict academic struggles throughout primary school. Most children eventually get SEN support, but it's inconsistent & drops off at transitions. Early identification + sustained support needed tinyurl.com/439rm3hr
Meta-analysis (19 RCTs, n=1,720): Improvements in constructive parenting, reduced non-constructive parenting & parent–child affection jointly explained concurrent reductions in child #ADHD symptoms, oppositional behaviour & functional impairment. Full article 👇 tinyurl.com/4dc98e5z
September 10, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Meta-analysis (19 RCTs, n=1,720): Improvements in constructive parenting, reduced non-constructive parenting & parent–child affection jointly explained concurrent reductions in child #ADHD symptoms, oppositional behaviour & functional impairment. Full article 👇 tinyurl.com/4dc98e5z
New research reveals school-based interventions can reduce screen time & boost physical activity in students, but we need better studies to guide policy. The variation in findings highlights why local context matters for effective interventions acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 8, 2025 at 7:37 AM
New research reveals school-based interventions can reduce screen time & boost physical activity in students, but we need better studies to guide policy. The variation in findings highlights why local context matters for effective interventions acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Promising #PTSD study result: Online cognitive therapy showed 80% lower odds of meeting PTSD criteria vs waitlist control. 94% participant retention, no therapy dropouts & benefits sustained 38 weeks later. All feasibility thresholds met for larger trial acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
August 13, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Promising #PTSD study result: Online cognitive therapy showed 80% lower odds of meeting PTSD criteria vs waitlist control. 94% participant retention, no therapy dropouts & benefits sustained 38 weeks later. All feasibility thresholds met for larger trial acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#Autistic females face a diagnostic maze: more likely to receive psychiatric diagnoses before autism AND continue needing care for them after. The clinical challenge? Distinguishing true support needs from overlapping presentations to ensure timely, appropriate care tinyurl.com/3zpx26sy
August 8, 2025 at 7:07 AM
#Autistic females face a diagnostic maze: more likely to receive psychiatric diagnoses before autism AND continue needing care for them after. The clinical challenge? Distinguishing true support needs from overlapping presentations to ensure timely, appropriate care tinyurl.com/3zpx26sy
Teacher-reported language difficulties predict academic struggles up to 7 years later across phonics, reading, writing & maths. Concerning: 38% of children with speech/language needs lose their SEN registration when transitioning to secondary school acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
August 4, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Teacher-reported language difficulties predict academic struggles up to 7 years later across phonics, reading, writing & maths. Concerning: 38% of children with speech/language needs lose their SEN registration when transitioning to secondary school acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Research on 4,485 Spanish schoolchildren- air pollution may worsen anxiety/depression symptoms, green spaces reduce behavioral problems. PM10 pollution linked to 6% increase in internalizing behaviors; nearby greenery (100m) associated with 6% decrease in externalizing behaviors tinyurl.com/4c5785bh
July 30, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Research on 4,485 Spanish schoolchildren- air pollution may worsen anxiety/depression symptoms, green spaces reduce behavioral problems. PM10 pollution linked to 6% increase in internalizing behaviors; nearby greenery (100m) associated with 6% decrease in externalizing behaviors tinyurl.com/4c5785bh
💬 "This place works because it feels like a teenager's bedroom" This study has generated important new knowledge specifically with and from young people about their experiences, ideas, and needs for a real-life physical environment to help with their recovery from trauma
tinyurl.com/526c87n9
tinyurl.com/526c87n9
June 25, 2025 at 11:04 AM
💬 "This place works because it feels like a teenager's bedroom" This study has generated important new knowledge specifically with and from young people about their experiences, ideas, and needs for a real-life physical environment to help with their recovery from trauma
tinyurl.com/526c87n9
tinyurl.com/526c87n9
My local barbershop is the community hub equivalent of the Cheers bar in Boston; I often bump into people I haven’t seen in years. The wonderful Kosovo Albanian proprietor is probably one of the most interesting people I’ve known.Today he gave me his view on Karl Popper’s The Poverty of Historicism
June 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
My local barbershop is the community hub equivalent of the Cheers bar in Boston; I often bump into people I haven’t seen in years. The wonderful Kosovo Albanian proprietor is probably one of the most interesting people I’ve known.Today he gave me his view on Karl Popper’s The Poverty of Historicism
New research: Neighborhood disadvantage linked to externalizing behaviors in children, but only at low-medium community cohesion levels (β = −.03, p = .004 urban; β = −.09, p = .052 rural). At high cohesion, this association disappears acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
May 29, 2025 at 7:42 AM
New research: Neighborhood disadvantage linked to externalizing behaviors in children, but only at low-medium community cohesion levels (β = −.03, p = .004 urban; β = −.09, p = .052 rural). At high cohesion, this association disappears acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Children receiving the Oral Language for Literacy Intervention programme made significantly larger gains than children in the control group on a preregistered latent variable reflecting standardised measures of oral language ability tinyurl.com/3ww4nmhw
May 22, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Children receiving the Oral Language for Literacy Intervention programme made significantly larger gains than children in the control group on a preregistered latent variable reflecting standardised measures of oral language ability tinyurl.com/3ww4nmhw
Research shows air pollution linked to child internalizing behaviors; greenery reduces externalizing behaviors across all demographics. Cleaner air near schools may prevent childhood mental issues acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
May 20, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Research shows air pollution linked to child internalizing behaviors; greenery reduces externalizing behaviors across all demographics. Cleaner air near schools may prevent childhood mental issues acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
[OpenAccess] The Home Fae Home has profoundly evidenced the need for professionals and services to: proactively rebalance power imbalances with young people; to set aside their own cultural norms and assumptions; to trust young people to be the experts of their own experiences tinyurl.com/du796xy3
May 19, 2025 at 9:30 AM
[OpenAccess] The Home Fae Home has profoundly evidenced the need for professionals and services to: proactively rebalance power imbalances with young people; to set aside their own cultural norms and assumptions; to trust young people to be the experts of their own experiences tinyurl.com/du796xy3
21c here in north London and we have hailstones. What the hell
May 12, 2025 at 4:17 PM
21c here in north London and we have hailstones. What the hell
Research shows child mental health interventions work better when both parents participate, but fathers often engage less. The brief online "Family Man" program proved effective at improving child behavior problems & family outcomes—with equal benefits for both mothers & fathers tinyurl.com/3zcfsr6d
May 6, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Research shows child mental health interventions work better when both parents participate, but fathers often engage less. The brief online "Family Man" program proved effective at improving child behavior problems & family outcomes—with equal benefits for both mothers & fathers tinyurl.com/3zcfsr6d
Those with high levels of #autistic and/or #ADHD traits may require individualised care strategies, in light of the complex interplay between traits of neurodivergence and mental health outcomes acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
May 3, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Those with high levels of #autistic and/or #ADHD traits may require individualised care strategies, in light of the complex interplay between traits of neurodivergence and mental health outcomes acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
JASPER caregivers significantly improved strategies (overall, environment, prompt, communication, mirrored pacing) vs. PEI (p < 0.01) & maintained more at follow-up (p < 0.05). High baseline JASPER caregiver strategy use predicted continued child joint attention gains (p= 0.002) tinyurl.com/3vtujd5z
April 22, 2025 at 1:12 PM
JASPER caregivers significantly improved strategies (overall, environment, prompt, communication, mirrored pacing) vs. PEI (p < 0.01) & maintained more at follow-up (p < 0.05). High baseline JASPER caregiver strategy use predicted continued child joint attention gains (p= 0.002) tinyurl.com/3vtujd5z
Research proposes that prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants and early-life psychosocial stressors can impair neural circuits essential for cognitive processes, increasing risk for learning difficulties beyond just literacy and numeracy skills tinyurl.com/4wezh9bn
April 15, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Research proposes that prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants and early-life psychosocial stressors can impair neural circuits essential for cognitive processes, increasing risk for learning difficulties beyond just literacy and numeracy skills tinyurl.com/4wezh9bn
1/ Research shows we need clearer definitions of emotion dysregulation mechanisms. Studying the full emotional process can improve understanding of multiple pathways, factor interactions, and lead to more targeted youth treatments acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
April 9, 2025 at 7:47 AM
1/ Research shows we need clearer definitions of emotion dysregulation mechanisms. Studying the full emotional process can improve understanding of multiple pathways, factor interactions, and lead to more targeted youth treatments acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Early research suggests threat exposure (but not deprivation) may increase irritability in youth. Clinical implications:
1) assess early life experiences when treating
2) explore transdiagnostic treatments for those with trauma exposure, even without PTSD diagnosis
tinyurl.com/49jw4kku
1) assess early life experiences when treating
2) explore transdiagnostic treatments for those with trauma exposure, even without PTSD diagnosis
tinyurl.com/49jw4kku
April 6, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Early research suggests threat exposure (but not deprivation) may increase irritability in youth. Clinical implications:
1) assess early life experiences when treating
2) explore transdiagnostic treatments for those with trauma exposure, even without PTSD diagnosis
tinyurl.com/49jw4kku
1) assess early life experiences when treating
2) explore transdiagnostic treatments for those with trauma exposure, even without PTSD diagnosis
tinyurl.com/49jw4kku