More than 131 million people live in places with unhealthy air quality, according to the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of Air report. This is an increase of 11.7 million people from the previous year. The report also finds that the number of days with “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” air quality in the United States was the highest in 25 years. [Read more…]
Air Pollution Leads to Brain Changes in Kids
October 14, 2024 By
Recent Research Questions Summer Learning Loss
September 5, 2024 By
For decades, education researchers have warned about “summer slide,” where students forget some of what they learned over the previous school year during summer vacation. [Read more…]
The Psychological Impacts of Donor Conception
August 4, 2024 By
Researchers estimate that there are upwards of 1 million Americans who were conceived using donor egg or sperm. Anonymous donation, in which the donor’s identity is not available to the donor-conceived person, is common in the U.S. and Canada, while many European countries require the donor’s identity be disclosed when the donor-conceived person turns 18.
The Long-Term, Underappreciated Damage of Verbal Abuse
December 9, 2023 By
When out and about, you may have heard parents shouting at their children. In fact, few people make it all the way through parenthood without ever yelling. But a new systematic review finds that regular verbal abuse—including shouting, threatening, belittling, humiliating, and name-calling—has negative consequences for children that can last a lifetime. [Read more…]
What We Know About Youth Mental Health Visits to the ER
August 7, 2023 By
It’s well-established that youth mental health has suffered in recent years—with wide-ranging factors contributing to the problem including the proliferation of social media among young people and the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]
New Evidence on Adolescent Mental Health and Social Media
June 27, 2023 By
A sweeping new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General outlines the best available evidence on how social media is affecting the mental health of youth in the United States. [Read more…]
COVID Learning Loss Is Real
March 22, 2023 By
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on our well-being that linger years after the virus first spread among humans. We already know that mental health declined significantly during the pandemic, especially among young people. The pandemic also led to the increased prevalence of sleep problems and eating disorders. [Read more…]
The Benefits of Mindfulness Education In Schools
February 10, 2023 By
You have heard by now that teens in the U.S. are struggling with mental health more than ever before. A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted in 2021 found 44% of teens experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness that prevented them from participating in normal activities. Almost 20% of teens said they had considered suicide, and 9% said they attempted suicide. Research finds these problems are more pronounced among lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens. [Read more…]
New Guidance Promotes Treating Childhood Obesity
February 9, 2023 By
The American Academy of Pediatricians is recommending a new approach to childhood obesity that addresses the condition as a complex disease and recommends intense behavioral treatment.
Twenty-one of the nation’s top experts in childhood health developed new guidelines after reviewing the body of evidence on childhood obesity; this is the first time in 15 years the group has addressed the topic. [Read more…]
Connecting With Older Adults Is Good For You and Them
January 23, 2023 By
In modern society, most of us live in silos surrounded by people similar to us; this applies across many factors including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age. In fact, young people and even middle-aged adults today have less contact with older adults than ever before in human history. [Read more…]
Youth and Anxiety: Screening Is Essential
October 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Young people ages 8 to 18 should all receive an annual screening for anxiety, according to a new recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer panel of experts who make public health recommendations. [Read more…]
How Kids Learn To Read
August 9, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Even though it’s the dog days of summer vacation, many schools across the country are getting ready to bring students back into the classroom — and that means giving serious thought to the best ways to teach the youngest students to read. [Read more…]
