Behavioral Health News
Children’s Mental Problems Often Overlooked
About 13 percent of American children and young teens suffer from at least one mental health disorder, yet only about half have been seen by a mental health professional, according to a survey funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and published in the journal Pediatrics.
“We need to get these kids the help they need and determine what the best type of intervention to help kids from suffering needlessly,” NIMH researcher Dr. Kathleen R. Merikangas noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
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Medications Linked to Increased Risk of Falls for Elderly
It isn’t uncommon for the elderly to have a fall that can break bones or even leave the individual incapacitated. Now, new research suggests that these falls are easily associated with specific medications the individual may be taking.
This research was summarized in a Science Daily release and found that several classes of drugs were associated with falls, including sedatives prescribed as sleep aids and medications that are used to treat mood disorders.
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Mindfulness Mental Training Eases Anxiety and Depression
Mental training based on mindfulness – or an emotional self-regulating tool consisting of a focus on what we are doing, thinking about or feeling at every moment – helps to fight against psychological diseases such as anxiety, depression, concern or complaints about health.
According to a doctoral thesis from the University of Granada and summarized in a Science Daily post, psychological diseases are very common among secondary education teachers. Mental training based on mindfulness may offer an answer as it has been proven to be very positive for emotional regulation.
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Genes Examined in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can be a debilitating condition for those who suffer from its effects. As a result, scientists continue to examine this condition, its origin, treatment and even potential prevention.
According to a release out of Science Daily, the malfunctioning circadian clock genes could be responsible for bipolar disorder in children. According to researchers in BMC Psychiatry, four versions of the regulatory gene RORB were associated with pediatric bipolar disorder.
SAD Long-Term Treatment Effects Studied
Seasonal affect disorder (SAD) is a very common – and often overlooked – condition. This severe form of depression occurs for millions of people every year in the fall and winter seasons. University of Vermont psychologist Kelly Rohan wanted to study the long-term effects of different treatments of this disorder. Rohans findings were summarized in a recent release in Science Daily.
Certain Antidepressants Change Personality
A new study suggests that antidepressants like Paxil do more than just make people feel less sad and stressed. Such drugs may alter two key personality traits linked to depression—neuroticism and extraversion—independently of their effect on depression symptoms.
“Medication can definitely change people’s personalities, and change them quite substantially,” says the lead author of the study, Tony Z. Tang, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The findings show that “those changes are very important,” he says.
Military Children Suffer More Emotional Challenges than Other Children
A new study shows that children in military families may suffer from more emotional and behavioral difficulties when compared to other American youths. The study also found that when a parent is deployed overseas, older children and girls struggle the most.
Science Daily reports that RAND Corporation researchers found that having a parent deployed for a longer period of time and having a non-deployed parent who has struggled with emotional problems were important factors associated with whether military children would struggle themselves, according to the study, which was published online by the journal Pediatrics.
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New Causes of Childhood Obesity Found
Scientists in Cambridge have discovered that the loss of a key segment of DNA can lead to severe childhood obesity. This is the first study to show that this kind of genetic alteration can cause obesity. The study, led by Dr. Sadaf Farooqi from the University of Cambridge and Dr. Matt Hurles from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, looked at 300 children with severe obesity.
Physically Fit Young Adults Get Higher IQ Scores
A new study by Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital reveals that young adults who are physically fit tend to have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to university.
The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study involved 1.2 million Swedish men doing military service who were born between 1950 and 1976. The research group analyzed the results of both physical and IQ tests when the men enrolled.
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College Requires Obese Students to Take Fitness Course
Students at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week in order to graduate. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate.
The first class to face this requirement is nearing graduation, and the school is now facing criticism from students and others about the fitness class policy, reports CNN’s Elizabeth Landau.
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