Approximately one in six youth ages six to seventeen in the U.S. have a mental illness; depression, anxiety and behavior disorders are among the most common. Data suggest that youth today are five times more likely to experience mental health problems compared to decades past. Today, the uncertainty that comes along with the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly detracting from students’ mental health and well-being. [Read more…]
How to Offer Mental Health Interventions in School
August 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment
The Silver Lining of Virtual Learning During COVID-19
August 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Children are heading back to school this month in many states across the nation. In most school districts, this is the first time that kids have been inside school buildings since COVID-19 spread across the U.S. in March. [Read more…]
What We Know About Summer Learning Loss: An Update
July 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Kids in the U.S. are well into the lazy days of summer.
Summer vacation – and in some cases, distance learning that felt like summer vacation! – started early this year for many youths when schools closed to slow the spread of the corona virus. For most kids, summer vacation marks a time when they are less engaged in educational pursuits like reading, math and problem solving. And with camps and day cares closed in many parts of the country, more kids than ever are spending extra time at home, and likely in front of screens. [Read more…]
Researchers Identify Unwarranted Medical Care Among Kids
February 15, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Of course parents want their children to receive the most comprehensive, up-to-date and highest-quality medical care available. But medical researchers are finding that in a rush to adopt new medical practices and safeguard children’s health, providers may sometimes do more harm than good. [Read more…]
The Latest Evidence on Autism Diagnoses and Treatment
January 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment
The medical conditions we now call “autism spectrum disorders” were first identified and labeled in the late 1930s. This group of disorders result in communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors, sensory issues, and problems with social interaction. The medical community’s understanding of these disorders and the best ways to treat them is constantly evolving. [Read more…]
What We Know About The Measles Comback
December 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The measles is back. This viral illness – one of the most contagious known – can cause serious complications and death among young children. Although eradicated in the U.S. in the year 2000, it has been staging a steady comeback. [Read more…]
What Can We Do About Youth Homelessness?
November 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Somewhere between 1 and 1.7 million youth under the age of 18 are homeless in the United States, with often destructive consequences. Young people who experience homelessness are at high risk for a variety of physical and mental health problems, violence and early death. [Read more…]
How Racism Affects Youth Health and Well-being
August 27, 2019 By Leave a Comment
We’ve written previously about how racism affects the health and well-being of millions of Americans. The evidence demonstrates that people who experience racial discrimination are more likely to have a range of health problems, including poorer mental health and a lower quality of life.
What to Do If a Loved One Self-Injures
February 26, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Research shows that approximately 17 percent of youth intentionally injure themselves at some point – not in an effort to take their own lives, but as a cry for help or an emotional release. Self-injury is most common among teenagers, and more common among sexual minorities and youth with mental health disorders. [Read more…]
The Evidence on Elder Wisdom
December 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
For most people, the approaching holiday season includes more time with the extended family, including the elder generation.
Unfortunately, older adults are often diminished in the popular media and by society as a whole; they are frequently portrayed as sick, frail, unproductive and behind-the-times. Yet there’s an expansive body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of older adults’ wisdom and the value of fostering communication across generations. [Read more…]
Sex Education and Parenting: What We Know
December 12, 2018 By Leave a Comment
When you think of sex education, the first thing that comes to mind may be a classroom full of giggling and blushing middle school students. But there is clear evidence that the foundations for sex education – and much of what determines adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes and behavior – comes from parents and guardians at home. [Read more…]
Parenting Classes: Helpful at Any Age
November 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The early bird gets the worm.”
“Begin as you mean to go on.”
“The earlier, the better.” [Read more…]
