The main objective of this study is to investigate the multiple relations and to determine the differences between executive functions (EFs), emotion regulation, and behavioral and emotional problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline intellectual disability (ID), and typical development (TD). The sample included 85 children aged 6 to 11 years, 42 with typical development (TD), 27 with ADHD, and 16 with borderline ID. The results emphasized a positive correlation between adaptive emotion regulation strategies and EFs, and no significant relations between the maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and EFs. In addition, the executive function of planning correlated negatively with anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and conduct problems. The performance of both clinical groups regarding EFs was significantly lower than that of the TD group, and they differed significantly from each other only on visual attention. The presence of oppositional-defiant and conduct problems was higher in both clinical groups than in the TD group, and more anxiety symptoms were reported in children with ADHD. This study supports the idea that emotion regulation, Efs, and clinical symptoms are interconnected. It also profiles the deficits in cognitive functioning and emotion regulation in two clinical groups, thus helping future intervention programs.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by clinical diversity, poses diagnostic challenges often reliant on subjective assessments. Metabolomics presents an objective approach, seeking biomarkers for precise diagnosis and targeted interventions. This review synthesizes existing metabolomic insights into ADHD, aiming to reveal biological mechanisms and diagnostic potentials. A thorough PubMed and Web of Knowledge search identified studies exploring blood/urine metabolites in ADHD-diagnosed or psychometrically assessed children and adolescents. Synthesis revealed intricate links between ADHD and altered amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter dysregulation (especially dopamine and serotonin), oxidative stress, and the kynurenine pathway impacting neurotransmitter homeostasis. Sleep disturbance markers, notably in melatonin metabolism, and stress-induced kynurenine pathway activation emerged. Distinct metabolic signatures, notably in the kynurenine pathway, show promise as potential diagnostic markers. Despite limitations like participant heterogeneity, this review underscores the significance of integrated therapeutic approaches targeting amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitters, and stress pathways. While guiding future research, this overview of the metabolomic findings in ADHD suggests directions for precision diagnostics and personalized ADHD interventions.

Suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors have been found to be important risk factors for suicide. The aim of this study was to explore the rates of psychiatric disorders among different groups of patients with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm behaviors and to identify the associated socio-demographic and clinical variables. We conducted a cross-sectional study with emergency-admitted patients presenting with non-suicidal self-harm behaviors, suicide attempts, or suicidal ideation to the emergency room of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Data were collected from the patients’ charts using a questionnaire that contained socio-demographic and clinical variables. A total of 95 patients aged between 6 and 18 years were included in the study. Ingesting medication and cutting were the most frequently used methods to attempt suicide. Depression and mixed affective and conduct disorders were the diagnoses most commonly associated with suicidal behavior. Girls with depressive symptoms were more probable to have suicide attempts than boys, and girls with depressive symptoms and behavioral problems registered more self-harm behaviors. Further research should systematically examine the relationship between self-harm behaviors and suicide attempts and the profile of patients at risk of future suicide attempts.