teens
A Downside of Facebook for Teen Mental Health?
Teenagers get sick of “old folks” telling them Facebook is a bad influence. They’re right, in part. Social networking sites keep teens connected to friends, give shy kids a shot at a social life, encourage teens to show empathy, and help teens express themselves.
Learn more about A Downside of Facebook for Teen Mental Health?
Family Dinners Help Teens Stay Sober
If parents want to keep their teens clean and sober, they may need to look no further than the family dinner table, according to a new study shown in the I B Times. CASA recently released a report that shows the importance of having family dinners. Joseph A. Califano, Jr., with CASA, says that parental involvement is key to raising drug-free teens and that family dinners are one of the basic acts of being engaged with your children.
Support Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, 2011 and Help Create a Drug-Free Environment
Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the United States, is coming up soon. This year, the annual week-long event takes place October 23-31, 2011. It’s a time when people and communities can take the opportunity to come together and unite in a visible stand against drugs.
The theme of this year’s event is "It’s Up To Me To Be Drug Free." This couldn’t be more appropriate, as prevention of drug use and abuse certainly begins with individual efforts and commitment. Each of us, in fact, shares a personal responsibility to help create a drug-free environment in which we live, work and play.
Why the Red Ribbon Campaign Started
The origins of the Red Ribbon Campaign began in 1985 when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique ("Kiki") Camarena. Following this brutal and senseless murder, the practice of displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs began. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and highly visible community commitment towards the creation of a drug-free America.
The national sponsor of the Red Ribbon Campaign is the National Family Partnership. This is a group that helps citizens across the United States to work together to keep children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free. They do this through providing parent training, networking and sponsoring the National Red Ribbon Campaign.
Sign the Red Ribbon Pledge
The facts point up how important parental involvement is in preventing drug abuse among our children. Research shows that children of parents who regularly talk to their teens about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t communicate with their children about these dangers. Yet this same research shows that only a quarter of teens report having these conversations with their parents.
How can individuals support Red Ribbon Week? It’s easy.
Everyone can start by taking the Red Ribbon Pledge. Go to the Red Ribbon Campaign website and sign the pledge.
In essence, what we do when we take the pledge is:
Learn more about Support Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, 2011 and Help Create a Drug-Free Environment
Prescription Drug Misuse Is Common Gateway for Injection Drug Use among Adolescents
Initial abuse of prescription drugs such as Vicodin, oxycodone, and other opiates during adolescence has been found to be a common denominator among young injection drug users, according to a new study. Since prescription opioids are now the nation’s leading class of abused prescription drugs among adolescents and young adults, scientists have been concerned over the long-term consequences of this public health problem for younger generations. Researchers at Drexel University’s School of Public Health have discovered that young adults who inject heroin or other opiates tend to have similar histories of prescription opioid misuse during their adolescence.
Learn more about Prescription Drug Misuse Is Common Gateway for Injection Drug Use among Adolescents
Adolescent Eating Disorders Continue into Adulthood
Eating disorder experts are beginning to see a significant increase in the number of adults who are being admitted for treatment. While it is common for eating disorders to develop during adulthood, especially following a traumatic event like a divorce or death of an immediate family member, often the adult is experiencing a resurfacing of eating disorder symptoms that first emerged during adolescence.
Learn more about Adolescent Eating Disorders Continue into Adulthood
Adolescent Binge Drinking Linked to Gene Variation and Emotional Drinking
A new study by researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands examines why some adolescents binge drink frequently and whether there is a possible association with genetics. Although many adolescents drink alcohol, drinking large amounts of alcohol frequently (binge drinking) may indicate a deeper problem.
Learn more about Adolescent Binge Drinking Linked to Gene Variation and Emotional Drinking
Above the Influence Campaign Helps Reduce Teen Marijuana Use
New research shows that the federal anti-drug campaign “Above the Influence” seems to have reduced teenage marijuana use. In a study of more than 3,000 students from 20 communities in the United States, the researchers found that by the end of 8th grade, 12 percent of those who didn’t see the campaign started smoking marijuana compared to 8 percent of students who were familiar with the campaign.
Learn more about Above the Influence Campaign Helps Reduce Teen Marijuana Use
One-Third of LGBT Youth Have Attempted Suicide, Most Don’t Have Mental Health Problems
A new study has found that one-third of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth have attempted suicide in their lifetime. The study is the first to report the frequency of mental disorders in LGBT youth using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Teens’ Excessive Texting Linked to Substance Abuse, Sex
New research from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine Master of Public Health program has found that excessive texting among teens is linked to risky health behaviors, including drinking, drug use, and sexual activity. Scott Frank, MD, MS, lead author of the study and director of the Master of Public Health program at Case Western, presented the study’s findings at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver, Colorado.
Learn more about Teens’ Excessive Texting Linked to Substance Abuse, Sex
Females at Higher Risk of Relapsing After Major Depressive Episode, Study Finds
A new study of adolescents with major depressive disorder found that almost all the participants recovered from their depressive episode after treatment, but nearly half of them relapsed within five years. Females were at a much higher risk of having another major depressive episode, according to the study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Learn more about Females at Higher Risk of Relapsing After Major Depressive Episode, Study Finds
Connect with an Elements Recovery Adviser
newsletter
