High School Seniors: Tired and Depressed

Posted on June 24, 2010

Depression among high school students could be the result of a number of things, including the pressures of their environment, the changes involved in puberty and even an unhappy life at home. Now, new research suggests that depression among this age group could simply be the result of daytime sleepiness.

Factors Affecting Violent Behavior in Teen Girls

Posted on May 24, 2010

Recent news stories about violent behavior among teen girls are both shocking and somewhat unexpected, as traditionally, such violent behavior has always been seen as limited to males. Incidents seem to proliferate lately of several teenage girls viciously beating another girl in a coordinated group attack. What accounts for this apparent explosion of violence among teen girls? New studies may shed some light on the factors affecting violent behavior in teen girls.

Australian Government Funds Depression Prevention Program for Children

Posted on February 16, 2010

The Australian government has taken notice of the impact depression can have on children. As a result, it is funding a new depression prevention program for children aged one to seven.

Study Identifies Growing Risk of Suicide Among Black Teens

Posted on February 14, 2010

Suicide is an alarming threat for teens who may be dealing with mental issues, such as depression or bipolar disorder. New research suggests that teens in specific demographic groups may be more at risk than others.

Psychological Distress Present Before Teen Pregnancy

Posted on February 11, 2010

Physiological distress in teenage mothers and pregnant teens is a common phenomenon. What is often believed however is the distress is a result of the pregnancy. New research suggests distress was present before the pregnancy even occurred. A recent Science Daily piece examines the trend.

Report Examines Receipt of Mental Health Services Among Adolescents

Posted on December 21, 2009

Adolescents receive mental health services in a variety of settings, such as specialty mental health service settings, community mental health centers and non-specialty settings such as schools and general medical practice settings. Non-specialty settings can be especially important in accessing mental health services, leading to the coordination of care produced in specialty and non-specialty settings, creating a no wrong door approach.

Lack of Sleep Adds to Hyperactivity Problems in Young Boys

Posted on December 16, 2009

When a boy is hyperactive, not getting enough sleep can exacerbate the problem. A new research study has been published in Pediatrics and summarized in Science Daily. This study is the first to evaluate a large group of children to examine the link between lack of sleep and hyperactivity.

Childhood Adversity Can Weaken Brain’s Response to Rewards

Posted on July 22, 2009

Childhood adversity can have an impact on a person in ways beyond what is visibly noticeable. According to a new Science Daily release, research suggests that this adversity is associated with diminished neural activity in brain regions that have been implicated in the anticipation of possible rewards.

Study Examines Diagnosis Procedures for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Posted on July 20, 2009

Using irritability as an element of diagnosis can be a challenge in any area of medicine as it can be caused by any number of things, both biological and environmental. Now, a new study out of the Bradley Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, in addition to two other institutions, find that clinicians consider irritability as a symptom when diagnosing pediatric bipolar disorder.

Obese Children Also Likely to be Depressed

Posted on July 6, 2009

Studies have already shown that obesity and depression can go hand in hand in adults. Now, new research supports the same theory in children. A new Science Daily piece examines a new study that connects abnormalities of the stress hormone cortisol with symptoms of depression in obese children.

“There is evidence in adults that abnormal regulation of cortisol plays a role in both obesity and depression,” said the study’s lead author, Panagiota Pervanidou, MD, of Athens University Medical School in Athens, Greece, in the Science Daily. “Our study indicates that cortisol abnormalities may underlie obesity and depression starting in childhood.”