Tag Archives: Children

Dieting Book for Children Causes Controversy

The childhood obesity problem has caused many eating disorder experts to caution parents about proper guidelines for implementing healthy changes. Instead of talking about dieting, losing weight and counting calories, say experts, the focus should be on getting more active, eating healthy and improving general well-being.

American Academy of Pediatrics Releases Childhood Eating Disorder Data

Those in the eating disorder treatment industry have known anecdotally that there are increasing numbers of children being enrolled in treatment for eating disorders. However, recent information released by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that the prevalence of eating disorders in children is increasing at shocking rates.

Children’s Unhappiness Linked to Risk of Alcohol Use, Sexual Activity

Several studies have shown that intervening with troubled youth is the best strategy to prevent future mental health disorders or substance abuse problems in adulthood. Most chronic behavioral and psychiatric disorders—including alcoholism, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and schizophrenia—can be rooted in adverse events that are experienced during childhood, yet children who are generally most in […]

Researchers Identify Significant Proportion of U.S. Children Have Mental Disorders

At least 20% of American children will suffer from a mental disorder that will impede their performance and achievement abilities sometime during their young lifetime, according to a new national study. Researchers have found this prevalence of poor mental health among adolescents to be evidence of the fact that most mental health issues in adulthood […]

Childhood Abuse or Neglect Can Lead to Elevated Stress Response Later in Life

If an individual was abused or neglected during childhood, he or she may have an elevated inflammatory response to stress later in life, according to a new study. The research was led by Linda Carpenter, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University who also treats patients with mood disorders at Butler Hospital.

Domestic Violence Perpetuates Cycle of Abuse in Children

Every year, millions of children witness a parent abusing another parent in their home. The abuse doesn’t have to be physical; it can also involve verbal abuse or ongoing manipulations. Many people may not be aware of the ramifications of domestic violence on children, both long and short-term. In addition, research shows that children who […]

Troubled Children Can Increase Parents’ Stress, Even as Adults

Addiction and mental illnesses have been called “family diseases” because these types of behavioral health problems affect the well-being of the entire household. Now, researchers have proven that children who have led poor lifestyles—such as substance abuse, chronic behavioral health issues, problems with the law, or financial troubles— well into adulthood still pose a major […]

Parents Sedating Their Children with Drugs Called Child Abuse

A new U.S. study has found that malicious use of drugs on children by their parents or caregivers is an under-recognized problem and should be classified as a form of child abuse. Dr. Shan Yin from the University of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Poison Drug Center investigated the prevalence of the national problem over […]

Children Who Lose a Parent to Suicide More Likely to Commit Suicide Themselves

Losing a parent to suicide makes children more likely to die by suicide themselves and increases their risk of developing a range of major psychiatric disorders, according to a study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center that is believed to be the largest one to date on the subject. A report on the findings will […]

Recognizing Signs of Mental Illness in Your Child

When something just doesn’t seem right with your child, your first reaction is most likely to check to see if there’s something physically wrong. But once you’ve ruled out, or taken care of, any obvious physical reason for your child behaving markedly different, you may wonder if there’s a psychological cause. While there’s usually another […]

Childhood Stress Contributes to Depression

New research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect, in particular when combined with genetic factors, can result in structural brain changes, rendering these people more vulnerable to developing depression. The study led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin has just been published in the international scientific […]

Children More Prone to Stress Thrive Depending Upon Home Environment

There are so many negative things about stress, it is a wonder it doesn’t have a more prominent focus in medical research. A new study by scientists at the University of British Columbia, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley and featured in Science Daily, examines the role of stress […]

Childhood Abuse Identified as Culprit in Higher Risk for Osteoarthritis Later

There are a number of problems that can emerge in an individual’s life as a result of abuse they suffered as a child. The latest research into this field demonstrates that adults who experienced abuse as a child have 56 percent higher odds of osteoarthritis compared with those who have not been abused.

Depression in Pregnancy Linked to Children’s Antisocial and Violent Behavior

Children from urban areas whose mothers suffered from depression during pregnancy are more likely than others to show antisocial and violent behavior later in life. Furthermore, women who are aggressive and disruptive in their own teen years are more likely to become depressed in pregnancy, so that the mothers’ history predicts their own children’s antisocial […]

Comparing Psychological Distress among Those With Kids and Without Mental Illness

Mental illness can have a profound effect on parenting. When parents are struggling with psychological distress, their children suffer the secondary behaviors. Parents can be hostile, insensitive and use harsh methods of discipline. Additionally, 23 to 50 percent of adults with psychiatric disorders also have substance use problems. The children of the parents who suffer […]

Ambidextrous Children More Likely to Have Mental Health Problems

Children who are mixed-handed, or ambidextrous, are more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems in childhood than right- or left-handed children, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. The researchers behind the study, from Imperial College London and other European institutions, suggest that their findings may help teachers and health […]