Posts tagged as:

Mental health

Children’s takes multifaceted approach in support of childhood mental health

by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on May 5, 2010

David DeMaso, MD

David DeMaso, MD

This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week and here in Massachusetts we’ve made great strides in ensuring that children and their families have access to high quality mental health care. The passage of 2008’s landmark Act Relative to Children’s Mental Health was a significant step forward in addressing the unmet needs of an estimated 100,000 children who do not receive the mental health care they need. There’s still a lot of work to do, including improving the coordination of care between mental health professionals and families, teachers, pediatric providers and other adults who regularly interact with at-risk children. Full story »

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Psych meds and children—what parents need to know

by Claire McCarthy on February 23, 2010

Giving medicine to a childWe’ve all heard the stories in the news about Rebecca Riley, the 4-year-old who died in 2006 of an overdose of psychiatric medication. She made her first trip to a psychiatrist when she was two, because she was active and had trouble sleeping. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was only three–her ten-year-old brother and four-year-old sister had already been diagnosed with the same—and put on three different medications. By the time she died, she was taking more than ten pills a day. She got sick, and her mother, who was recently convicted in her death, gave her extra pills to make her sleep. Rebecca never woke up. Full story »

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This week on Thrive: Feb. 8 – 12

by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 14, 2010

Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.

A new study suggests a change in the way we prescribe eyeglasses to children. Another study suggests more youth than ever are dealing with mental health issues. Judy Palfrey, MD, FAAP talks about the First Lady’s new anti-obesity initiative. A pill may just be the answer for individuals with fragile X syndrome. Find out all of the information you need to know about Massachusetts’s new tooth brushing law. A Children’s researcher discovers that people with anorexia have high levels of fat in their bone marrow. Massachusetts restaurants are leading the way in making dining out safer for those with food allergies. Our Mediatrician explores whether vampire fiction can contribute to anxiety. Children’s clinicians reflect on their time in Haiti.

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Do our youth really have more mental health issues?

by Kristin Cantu on February 8, 2010

Suicide postThat’s what a recent study is claiming. This study found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era.

According to Children’s psychiatrist, Stuart Goldman, MD, the interpretation of these findings all depend on how you slice it. Full story »

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Other stories we’ve been reading:

Adolescents taking a certain anti-psychotic drugs are at an increased risk for diabetes. An industrial chemical is being sold as a dietary supplement for autism treatment. Diabetes drugs are helping dieting teens lose weight. [Read Minnie’s story about living with Type 2 diabetes.]

Loving foster homes improves children’s attention and impulsivity. Girls with ADHD are more likely to develop other mental health risks.

Obese boys are more likely to begin puberty later in life. A Girl Scouts’ survey found that the fashion industry pressures girls to be thin. [Read about unrealistic media images and how one teen feels about them.] Boys are treated with growth hormone therapy much more often than girls.

Babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy are much more stressed out. [Read how dangerous secondhand smoke is to children.] Black and Hispanic infants are more likely to have HIV. Expectant mothers can receive pregnancy tips through texting.

Girls who bike to school are in better shape than those who walk or get a ride. The USDA is tightening requirements to assure school lunch safety.[Read about our nation’s fight for kids’ food.]  Overloaded backpacks set your child up for spine strain. [Read about National School Backpack Awareness Day.]

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