Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology

Problem

The presence of psychiatric and psychological disorders with varying degrees of severity is observed in approximately 15% of children and adolescents. This means that 15 out of every 100 minors experience psychiatric and psychological difficulties at a time of vital importance, when the psychological traits and functional bases of the future adult are in the process of being formed.

Studying the characteristics of disorders at these ages and their possible treatments is of primordial importance in early diagnosis and intervention in order to improve their prognosis.

Approach

The group investigates the most common psychiatric and psychological diseases among children and adolescents: disorders related to eating, depression, anxiety, emotional upsets, attention deficit and hyperactivity, autistic disorders, and psychotic disorders, among others.

The studies include children and adolescents with a very high risk of developing mental disorders.  This enables the group to study disorders before they develop and above all, to detect their symptoms in advance and take preventive action.

The group’s objectives also include the study of genetic bases and of clinical, cognitive, and neuroimaging characteristics.

Impact

In recent years the research group has made important progress in researching risk markers related to the development of psychotic disorders, in the characteristics and prognosis of minors with psychotic symptoms