The aim of this study was to determine the level of self-harm behaviors among adolescents in the general population (students of secondary schools in Zagreb, Croatia), as well as to determine if the level of self-harm behaviors differed according to financial circumstances of the family and marital status of the parents. The study was conducted in 701 adolescents (male and female, age range 14 to 19 years). A specially designed questionnaire that included family and demographic data was used to determine the family financial circumstances. The Scale of Auto-Destructiveness measuring instrument was used to assess the level self-harm. Study results revealed that 87.3% of adolescents indicated average levels of self-harm, whereas above-average and high above-average self-harm was indicated in 12.7% of the adolescents. Results also showed that single-parent families significantly differentiated the level of self-harm among adolescents of both genders, whereas financial deprivation (perception of financial stress) partially differentiated these levels. Practical implications of this study emphasize the importance of social support to parents of adolescents grown up in single-parent and/or financially challenged families.

2,47). We compared 3 groups: 1. MDD without comorbidity (N¼147), 2. MDD with comorbidity (no ADHD) (N¼249), 3. MDD with ADHD with/without other comorbidity (N¼87). Diagnoses were determined by semi-structured interview, quality of life was measured by self-report and parental report. Groups were compared by ANOVA, post hoc comparisons were done in cases of significant differences. Results: The MDD with ADHD group differed from the others in gender distribution, younger age at onset of depression, more frequent hospitalization and/or outpatient treatment. Child reported QL was not different among the groups. Parent reported QL was the highest in the MDD without comorbidity group, somewhat decreased in the MDD with comorbidity group and lowest in the MDD and ADHD group. Conclusions: ADHD worsens the course of MDD in children and adolescents. Quality of life of depressed children decreases further by additional comorbidity, but ADHD has the most negative effect in parents' opinion. It is important to ask both parent and child in examining QL of children.

IntroductionComplex transitional changes in Croatia, lack of employment security and a large number of traumatized and unemployed individuals still strongly influence family functioning, the distribution of family roles as well as the capacity of parents to provide adequate emotional support to adolescents who are growing up in such families.AimsThe aim of our study was to examine how many adolescents in the general population (students of secondary schools in Zagreb, Croatia) show auto-aggressive behaviors and whether their auto-aggressive behavior is dependent upon the financial circumstances of the family in which they grow up.MethodsThe study was conducted on 701 adolescents (both male and female with ages ranging 14-19 years). To determine the family financial circumstances we used a specially designed structured questionnaire with family and demographic data. To test auto-aggression we used the validated 'Scale of auto-destructiveness” (USA).ResultsA significant social factor associated with aggressiveness is the parents financial situation (F(2,548=4,604, p=0,010), since adolescents from financially poorer families show greater aggressiveness. The results showed that adolescents who live in below-average financial conditions demonstrate more auto-aggressive behavior than adolescents living in average or above-average family financial circumstances.ConclusionsFinancial deprivation and perception of financial stress significantly affects the incidence of auto-aggression among adolescents. Through this research we emphasize the importance of social support to parents of adolescents who grow up in financially challenged families as well as to target key preventive interventions related to working in partnership with such families.

IntroductionThe paper discusses the problem of psychiatric treatment of rare diseases and “diagnostic screening” of certain psychic symptoms that affect people with intellectual disabilities. Prader–Willi (PWS) is a genetic syndrome that belongs to a group of rare diseases and is caused by deficiency or loss of function of genes on chromosome 15 inherited from the father. This disease affects both sexes and its main characteristics are: obesity, hyperphagia, mental retardation and hypogonadism. Chronical feeling of insatiable hunger and slow metabolism leads to excessive body weight which is, according to existing date sources and monitoring studies, the primary cause of premature death of patients with PWS. Anxiety, psychomotor agitation, behavioral problems, difficulties with short-term memory, frequent skin injury in the form of wounds and bruises are the symptoms of this disease that hinder diagnosis and treatment. Research suggests that patients with PWS have unusual reactions to the standard drug dosages, specifically anxiolytics.AimWe shall present a multidisciplinary approach of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment of a 16-year-old female patient with PWS.ResultThis patient responded well to a small dosage of quetiapine, at the same time monitoring other physical parametres. Pharmacotherapy, combined with psychotherapy, along with providing counseling and support for parents resulted in decreased psychomotor restlessness and, subsequently, better control of food intake and prevention of weight gain.ConclusionThis paper has emphasis on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, as well as experience from clinical practice in the treatment of complex and rare syndrome diseases.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.