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Objective: [1] To highlight the effectiveness of multi-family psychoeducation group therapy (MFPGT) in children with mood or anxiety disorders; [2] to measure change in knowledge and awareness of mood and anxiety disorders in families and children; and [3] to compare the relative effectiveness of online compared to live MFPGT. Method: Participants included families of children (12 years or younger) referred with a mood or anxiety disorder to the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Queen’s University (n=16) who were on a waitlist to see a psychiatrist. Change was measured through questionnaires for all parents before and after the program. Using SPSS v22, comparisons between the online (n=6) and live (n=10) groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U test and within group comparisons were made using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The online and live education groups showed similar overall improvements in knowledge acquisition and expressed emotion in participating families. However, statistical significance must be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. Conclusions: Online MFPGT may be an effective way to increase knowledge, provide resources and support and build on skills thus giving individuals more control and confidence when dealing with a mood or anxiety disorder while on a waitlist. MFPGT showed equal efficacy in live and online groups, indicating that the online program has the potential to be a more convenient and accessible program for families. More research is needed with a greater sample size.

With an estimated lifetime prevalence as high as 5.9% in the general population, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by marked impulsivity as well as difficulties in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects. The burden on the health care system is immense with BPD patients accounting for 10%–20% of the patients in mental health outpatient facilities and 15%–40% in mental health inpatient facilities. Further, while 75%–80% of BPD patients attempt to commit suicide, 10% succeed; this mortality rate exceeds even that of anorexia nervosa which, with a weighted mortality rate of 5.1%, has often been considered to have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder. In order to provide treatment and to implement preventative measures, a risk profile as well as clinical features must be identified within the adolescent population. This is presently crucial, as the current criteria for BPD are not developmentally focused, and as a result, criteria initially developed for the adult population are being applied in diagnoses of adolescents. A population of adolescents (n=80) between 16 and 19 years of age meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria either for BPD traits (n=46) or for BPD (n=36) were included in a retrospective chart review; a control group consisting of n=30 mood and anxiety control subjects were included to allow for further comparisons. Complex significant differences were discovered between the three groups in the following areas: history of sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, internalizing/externalizing symptoms, interpersonal difficulties, impulsivity, pre-perinatal stress, bullying, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, disruptive disorders, and finally, learning disorders.

Objective: Early intervention with evidence-based treatment is important to halt the progression from early manifestations of personality disorder traits to adult personality disorders. The purpose of this study is to evaluate dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) modified for an adolescent population with borderline personality disorder (BPD), offered within a stepped-care model. Methods: Seven adolescents (M=1, F=6, Mage=16.86) diagnosed with either BPD or BPD traits participated in a modified 15-week DBT group. The group was offered within a stepped-care model, which required participants to have previously completed an 8-week distress-tolerance module. Pre/post scores on self-report measures of BPD symptomatology, including impulse control, emotional regulation and awareness, anxiety, depression, and substance use, were collected. Results: Participants showed a post-treatment decrease in anxiety symptoms (large effect size) and disruptive behaviours (medium effect size). There was also an increase in emotional symptoms (medium effect size) and hyperactivity/inattention (medium effect size). Conclusion: The modified DBT group shows promise in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and some of the disruptive behaviours associated with BPD. The increase in emotional symptoms may be due to the expressive nature of DBT, and may contribute to their eventual therapeutic processing in the next step of the program.