International FemNAT-CD Conference: Conduct Disorder in Female Adolescents - Underlying mechanisms and innovative interventions

Conduct Disorder in Female Adolescents: Underlying mechanisms and innovative interventions

International conference on conduct disorder in female adolescents: Findings from the FemNAT-CD European multicentre study

Friday, 26 January 2018, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (CET)
Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main
Casino - Campus Westend
Nina-Rubinstein-Weg 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Members of the FemNAT-CD consortium will present to the public the findings of their studies after four and a half years of intense research. The European multicentre study has explored the mechanisms of conduct disorder (CD) in girls from late childhood to young adulthood and is aiming to develop improved treatments for this disorder. The European Commission awarded the project six million Euros over the course of four and a half years.

Conduct disorder in an European context
CD is characterised by rule-breaking, antisocial and aggressive behaviour. The prevalence of CD has risen over the last two decades, notably in western societies such as the European Union. About two percent of girls suffer from CD. Typical problems related to CD in girls are early alcohol and drug abuse, involvement in prostitution, teenage pregnancies, difficulties integrating into working life, delinquency and chronic mental and physical health problems. Many girls with CD are under the care of social welfare services, which differ considerably across Europe. Female specific risk and prognostic factors have rarely been studied to date.

Searching for factors underlying conduct disorder
The FemNAT-CD consortium has conducted an unique, large scale, multidisciplinary study to explore the underlying mechanisms of this disorder and set the stage for the development of new therapies. The partners have examined genetic and environmental risk factors, changes in brain structure and function, and whether girls with CD have problems in controlling and recognising emotions. In addition, the efficacy of an evidence-based intervention aiming to improve emotion regulation in girls with CD placed in youth welfare institutions has been investigated.

Study results presented to the public and interested professionals
“This conference is a great opportunity, to collectively discuss the results of the study with a broad range of patients, families and carers, and professionals involved in treating CD, including social workers, psychotherapists and psychiatrists. Together, we aim at identifying ways to improve the existing healthcare and youth welfare systems in Europe”, says Prof. Christine Freitag, director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Goethe University Frankfurt and coordinator of the project. “Over the past four years we have gained a deeper insight into the underlying genetic and neural mechanisms and now know more about the roles of the autonomic and stress hormone systems in conduct disorder - short: CD. We are able to describe how CD presents in the girls (aggression or non-aggressive behaviours), and the needs of adolescent girls with CD. These findings are real cornerstones for the development of new therapies and we are proud to present them in Frankfurt in January.”

Panel and open discussion
The conference will be divided into two parts: An introduction to the FemNAT-CD study and a talk on differences in available intervention models for adolescents with CD across Europe in the morning and an open panel discussion with experts in the field in the afternoon. Anyone who is interested in or working in the field of CD is invited: patients and their families, psychiatrists, psychologists, staff at welfare institutions, researchers, patient or parent support organisations, and politicians. Please find the detailed agenda and registration link below.

As this public awareness day is an international event, the presentation and discussion language will be English. Nevertheless, information and materials will also be provided in German and, if needed, a live translation of questions and answers will be provided.

European Funding Programme
The FemNAT-CD study has been supported by the European Union’s FP7-Health-2013-Innovation Programme since September 2013. Project partners are: Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, University Hospital Aachen, Stichting VUmc Amsterdam, University of Southampton, University of Basel, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Birmingham, University of Regensburg, University of Bath, Fundación Vasca De Innovación E Investigación Sanitarias (BIOEF/Osakidetza), Szegedi Tudományegyetem, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Varionostic GmbH, DAACRO GmbH & Co KG, Cardiff University, ARTTIC SAS, and GenXPro GmbH.

For further information:
In order to register, please click here
In order to open the agenda, please click here
In order to open the itinerary, please click here
Project website: www.femnat-cd.eu
FemNAT-CD via Twitter: www.twitter.com/femNATCD

Project:
Prof. Christine M. Freitag
Project Coordinator
Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
Phone +49 (0) 69 63 01 – 54 08
Email C.Freitag@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Conference Organisation:
Dr. Monika Maaß
Project Management
ARTTIC S.A.S.
Phone +49 (0) 89 248 83 03 – 38
Email maass@arttic.eu
Internet www.arttic.eu

ARTTIC
Oskar-von-Miller-Ring 29
D-80333 München
Tel: +49 89 248 83 03-40
Email: scharfenberg@arttic.eu
www.arttic.eu – Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ARTTIC_RTD

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This release was published on openPR.