Sarosh Khalid-Khan

Queen's University | QueensU · Departmet of Psychiatry; Divison of Child and Youth Psychiatry

Shifting motor actions from reflexively reacting to an environmental stimulus to predicting it allows for smooth synchronization of behavior with the outside world. This shift relies on the identification of patterns within the stimulus – knowing when a stimulus is predictable and when it is not – and launching motor actions accordingly. Failure to...

Introduction: In recent years, eye-tracking has been proposed as a promising tool to identify potential biomarkers for mental disorders, including major depression. We will conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on eye-tracking research in adults with major depressive disorder or other clinically diagnosed depressive disorders. Me...

Background Post-secondary students frequently experience high rates of mental health challenges. However, they present meagre rates of treatment-seeking behaviours. This elevated prevalence of mental health problems, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, can lead to distress, poor academic performance, and lower job prospects following the comp...

A recent scoping review found that stressors involved in the military lifestyle (i.e., frequent relocation, parental absence, and risk of parental injury) may be associated with mental health issues among military-children. However, most of the included studies were conducted in the United States with little Canadian representation. To examine the...

The military lifestyle can be defined by a triad of unique stressors: frequent relocation, parental absence, and risk of injury, illness and/or death of a serving member. Research has suggested that this unique triad of stressors can impact the mental health of children and youth living in military families. However, research focusing on the mental...

Background: Post-secondary students are at a greater risk of developing mental health problems than the general population. However, they present meagre rates of treatment-seeking behaviours. This elevated prevalence of mental health problems, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, can lead to distress, poor academic performance, and lower job p...

A recent scoping review indicated military-connected children face stressors that may increase mental health issues. However, the majority of the included literature was American. To examine the experiences of Canadian military-connected children, we conducted in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of Canadian military-connected youth using a...

Background Subthreshold depression is highly prevalent in adolescence, but compared to major depressive disorder, the clinical impact is under researched. The aim of this review was to compare subthreshold depression and major depressive disorder in adolescents by reviewing available literature on epidemiology, risk factors, illness trajectories, b...

Impulsivity and emotional dysregulation are two core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and the neural mechanisms recruited during mixed-strategy interactions overlap with frontolimbic networks that have been implicated in BPD. We investigated strategic choice patterns during the classic two-player game, Matching Pennies, where the...

Background: It has been well documented that social media use among adolescents is rising. However, most research has focused on social media use among typically developing adolescents and less on its use among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The goal of this study was to compare the time spent as well as to identify the purpose o...

When presented with a periodic stimulus, humans spontaneously adjust their movements from reacting to predicting the timing of its arrival, but little is known about how this sensorimotor adaptation changes across development. To investigate this, we analyzed saccade behavior in 114 healthy humans (ages 6-24 years) performing the visual metronome t...

Objective: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent form of psychopathology among youth. Because demand for treatment far exceeds availability, there is a need for alternative approaches that are accessible, engaging, and incorporate practice to reach as many youth as possible. MindLight is a novel videogame intervention that combines evidence-base...

Impulsivity and emotional dysregulation are two core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and the neural mechanisms recruited during mixed-strategy interactions overlap with frontolimbic networks that have been implicated in BPD. We investigated strategic choice patterns during the classic two-player game, Matching Pennies, where the...

Over the past decade, psychiatric research has been on an important hunt for biomarkers of psychiatric disease. In psychiatry, the term “biomarker” is a broad umbrella term used to identify any biological variable that can be objectively measured and applied to a diagnosis; this includes genetic and epigenetic assessments, hormone levels, measures...

BACKGROUND The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has gone far beyond the direct overload of the hospital care system, with physical distancing, financial uncertainty, and the stress of well-being having largely negative consequences on individuals’ mental health. Adding to these stressors is the personal and public trauma of lost lives, with an incre...

Background The considerable rise of mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on the public health sector and economy. To meet the overwhelming and growing demand for mental health care, innovative approaches must be employed to significantly expand mental health care delivery capacity. Although it is not fea...

Background Studies in adult depressed patients have indicated that altered DNA methylation patterns at genes related to serotonin and HPA axis functioning (e.g., SLC6A4, FKBP5) are associated with changes in frontolimbic functional connectivity and structure. Here, we examined whether these associations can be generalized to adolescents. Methods 2...

Objectives: There is growing recognition that borderline personality disorder emerges in adolescence and reaches increasing stability in early adulthood. Although the efficacy of psychotherapy in adults with borderline personality disorder is well-established, it is unclear whether psychotherapy is effective for adolescents with borderline personal...

Background Evidence regarding the efficacy of psychotherapy in adolescents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptomatology has not been previously synthesized. Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in order to assess the efficacy of psychotherapies in adolescents with BPD sy...

Objective The relationship between eating disorders (EDs) and substance use (SU) has only been briefly described in literature using mainly adult populations. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of SU among patients of an adolescent ED outpatient treatment program. Method A retrospective chart analysis was conducted to determine...

Background: Limited help-seeking behaviours, among adolescents with mental health concerns and many barriers to accessing mental health services, make innovative approaches to administering mental health therapies crucial. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of e-CBT given via PowerPoint slides to treat adolescents with anxiety and/or dep...

Borderline personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of maladaptive coping skills that involve a triad of unstable sense of self and others. Adolescents with traits of a borderline personality disorder may be ideal candidates for prevention strategies. In this review we synthesize the randomized controlled trial studying the efficacy of psychothe...

22q11.2 duplication syndrome is a recently discovered genetic syndrome with unclear neuropsychiatric sequelae. While its connection to 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is actively investigated, case reports on the neuropsychiatric sequelae of affected individuals have been previously described, largely focusing on comorbid autism spectrum disorder. Here,...

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), a form of psychotherapy for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has long been a controversial topic, hampered in part by a lack of understanding of the neural mechanisms that contribute to its remedial effect. Here, we review current theories describing EMDR's potential neuro...

To increase access to evidence-based care, people with depression and anxiety in a Canadian community hospital were offered internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) or in-person CBT. The iCBT outpatients had a lower attrition rate with similar symptom reduction. Our results suggest that other clinics and hospitals could use iCBT to facilitate care. © 2018 Can...

Objective: Children and adolescents with a range of psychiatric disorders are increasingly being prescribed atypical or second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). While SGAs are effective at treating conduct and behavioural symptoms, they infer significant cardiometabolic risk. This study aims to explore what patient, treatment, and health care util...

Adolescents with anxiety disorders often have low self-esteem, poor problem-solving, and a strong desire to be accepted. Combined, these qualities may predispose them to experience unique stressors when using social network sites (SNSs). Focus groups of adolescent Facebook users who have a primary anxiety diagnosis uncovered narratives describing i...

The prevalence of children and adolescents using second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) has increased significantly in recent years. In this population, SGAs are used to treat mood and behavioural disorders although considered ‘off-label’ or not approved for these indications. Metabolic monitoring is the systematic physical health assessment of an...

Introduction Psychotherapy is one of the most widely investigated and practiced forms of treatment used in the treatment of different mental health problems. However, there are some barriers in delivering this treatment, including long waiting lists, therapist shortage and lack of access to therapists in remote areas. Therefore, using alternative m...

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: Participan...

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%...

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), offe...

Introduction: Primary Care Physicians (PCP) play a key role in the recognition and management of child/adolescent mental health struggles. In rural and under-serviced areas of Canada, there is a gap between child/adolescent mental health needs and service provision. Methods: From a Canadian national needs assessment survey, PCPs' narrative comme...

This study examined the referral patterns of rural/remote primary care physicians (PCPs) as well as their needs and interests for further training in child/adolescent mental health. Surveys were mailed to Canadian rural/remote PCPs requesting participants' demographic information, training and qualifications, referral patterns, and identification o...

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic disorder in need of reliable data to guide long-term treatment. To assess the benefits of 6 and 12 months' treatment of GAD with venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release (XR) in patients who improved after 6 months' open-label venlafaxine XR treatment. After 6 months' open-label venlafaxine XR treat...

Standard questionnaires (eg, Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders [PRIME-MD], Hopkins Symptom Checklist [HSCL]) can be used to assess anxiety and depression in patients. However, such survey tools are typically lengthy and are therefore not used often in primary care. To determine the value of a four-item anxiety and depression screening que...

IntroductionMechanism of action/pharmacokinetic propertiesSedation and psychomotor functionAbuse potential and dependence liabilityToxicity and adverse eventsTherapeutic efficacy in GADTherapeutic efficacy for unapproved indicationsConclusion

Social anxiety disorder (SOC) is characterized by marked and persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny. The person fears that she or he might act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing. Children and adolescents with this disorder often have gre...

Social anxiety disorder (SOC) is characterized by marked and persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny. The person fears that she or he might act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing. Children and adolescents with this disorder often have gre...

The goals of this study were twofold: to examine the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) in a clinical sample of 193 children and adolescents who had received a diagnosis of major depressive or anxiety disorder, and to discriminate between these two groups of patients. Participants had volunteered in ra...

Our objective was to compare the predictive value of early response to treatment outcome in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treated with benzodiazepines, serotonin receptor (5HT-1A) partial agonists, or placebo. Data from two double-blind GAD studies were combined. Subjects were evaluated with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and...