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Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a specialized version of multisystemic therapy (MST), called MST-ID, for adolescents aged 10 to 19 with severe behavioural problems from families where the adolescent and/or parent(s) have an intellectual disability (ID). The study compares MST-ID to standard MST to see if MST-ID better reduces rule-breaking behaviour and improves outcomes such as living at home, school or work participation, and reduced parenting stress. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to explore treatment effects and family experiences. The treatments are intensive, home-based programs involving 3 to 5 visits per week over three to five months. MST-ID is tailored for families with ID by using simplified language, visual supports, more structured sessions, and extra practice time to help generalize skills learned. Families were referred to either MST-ID or standard MST through usual channels rather than random assignment. The qualitative part involves interviews or other methods with about 10 adolescents and/or parents to learn about their experiences with MST-ID. Participants complete questionnaires at five time points: before treatment starts (T0), at treatment end (T1), and follow-ups at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 18 months (T4) after treatment start. Both adolescents and parents provide information on rule-breaking behaviour and other outcomes. Routine Outcome Monitoring questionnaires are also collected as part of standard care. The study assesses behavioural changes, parenting stress, and family social support, with safety monitored throughout the follow-up period.

Researchers are investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in older adults, focusing on improving recognition, diagnosis, and access to psycho-education. Despite increasing awareness, autism in older adults remains underdiagnosed in mental health care, partly due to limited knowledge and scientific data for this age group. The study aims to evaluate whether training healthcare professionals enhances ASD detection and whether a tailored psycho-education program benefits older adults diagnosed or likely diagnosed with ASD by improving their mental health and quality of life. The study involves two main interventions: training mental health professionals in detecting and diagnosing ASD in older adults, delivered through two training sessions with ongoing online expert consultation; and an adapted psycho-education (PE) program for older adults with confirmed or probable ASD. The PE program consists of eight weekly group sessions, each lasting two hours, designed to increase understanding, acceptance, coping, and resilience related to ASD. Participants aged 55 and older, diagnosed or with probable ASD, will complete questionnaires assessing quality of life, acceptance of diagnosis, knowledge of ASD, recognition of traits, coping strategies, autistic traits, resilience, and psychological distress. These assessments occur at baseline, before PE, after PE, and at nine months follow-up. A proxy chosen by the participant will also provide reports at two points. The study also monitors the number of ASD diagnoses in participating centers over time, aiming to enhance diagnosis rates and provide valuable experiences from those attending the PE program.

Researchers are investigating whether a generalist treatment approach called Guideline-Informed Treatment for Personality Disorders (GIT-PD) is as effective as specialist treatments, specifically Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) and Schema Therapy (ST), in improving personality functioning in patients with severe personality disorders. The study also aims to identify patient characteristics that predict who benefits more from each type of treatment. This is a pragmatic randomized controlled non-inferiority trial comparing generalist and specialist therapies for severe personality disorders. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either specialist treatment (MBT or ST) or generalist treatment (GIT-PD). MBT and ST are manualized, specialist psychotherapies lasting 12 to 24 months with at least 40 sessions, focusing on different therapeutic approaches. GIT-PD is a flexible, principle-driven treatment lasting 12 to 18 months and includes assessment, modular treatment (group or individual), and a follow-up phase focused on relapse prevention. Generalist treatment is designed to be less intensive than specialist therapies at the same site. During the trial, participants complete various questionnaires and semi-structured interviews at eight time points from enrollment through 30 months after treatment start. The study measures personality functioning using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale - Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF 2.0) and the Semi-structured Interview for Personality Functioning (STiP-5.1). These assessments help evaluate treatment effects and predict patient outcomes. Participants engage in their assigned therapy while researchers collect data before, during, and after treatment to monitor progress and safety.