Depressed Teens Who Self-Medicate Could Develop More Serious Mental Illness

Millions of American teens report experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in normal daily activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse, according to a new White House report.

The report, from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), reveals that marijuana use can worsen depression and lead to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety and even suicide.

Read the complete story on the ONDCP website.

 

Researchers Link Trauma in Youth to Smoking

Young adults and adolescents who experience traumas are more likely to develop a lifelong smoking habit, according to a Duke University Medical Center study.

“When people suffer a traumatic event, they can experience an emotional shock to the system,” said Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D, one of the lead researchers. “Sometimes people turn toward substances like nicotine because they feel that it helps them cope,” he said. “There is a great need to intervene early, especially among those who might be at high risk.”

Read more by clicking on the Duke Health website.

Sleep–a Tool For Preventing Childhood Obesity

Sleep is important when it comes to keeping kids healthy and at an appropriate weight, according to a new study by researchers at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). They found with each additional hour of sleep, a child’s risk of being overweight or obese dropped by nine percent. The results are published in the February 2008 edition of “Obesity.”

“Desirable sleep behavior may be an important low cost means for preventing childhood obesity and should be considered in future intervention studies,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, senior author of the study. “Our findings may also have important implications in societies where children do not have adequate sleep due to the pressure for academic excellence and where the prevalence of obesity is rising, such as in many East Asian countries,” he said.

Read more by going to the JHSPH website.

Test Your Caffeine IQ

Here are some things that you might not know about your morning cup of joe. According to researchers at Duke University, it takes 10 to 15 minutes for caffeine to appear in the bloodstream and 60 to 90 minutes for it to reach peak levels.

In addition, it takes three to five hours for the body to reduce caffeine levels by half, and 10 to 12 hours to clear caffeine out of the system, researchers said.

To learn more about caffeine and its impact on the body, click here and go to the Duke University website.

What Kids Worry About And How to Help

When kids worry, it is most likely about the health of a loved one, according to a new KidsHealth KidsPoll that surveyed 1,154 kids ages 9 to 13 on what they worry about most often.

About 55 percent reported health of a loved one as a top concern. Other top concerns included your future–43 percent; schoolwork, tests or grades–37 percent;  your looks or appearance–37 percent; making mistakes or messing up–26 percent; war or terrorism–25 percent; your friends and their problems–24 percent, and the environment–10 percent.

For more information about what kids worry about and how to help them, go the KidsHealth website.

Using Rituals to Come Together as a Family

Holidays can be difficult, especially in families where major changes have occurred, such as death, divorce, separation or remarriage. But the potential discomfort of these issues can be worked out through the planning of and the actual holiday ritual process within these families, according to experts at the Cleveland Clinic.

Rituals provide us with the place to be playful, to explore the meaning of our lives and to rework and rebuild our family relationships, the experts said. Rituals reconnect us with our past, define our present and point the way for our future.

To read more, go to the Cleveland Clinic website.

Naps–Good for Parents and Kids

People who take a 30-minute nap at least three times a week have a much lower risk of dying from heart disease, according to a new study by Greek researchers.

“The dramatic reduction in events seen–over 60 percent–in working men suggests that factors related to stress and stress reduction are of major importance in global cardiovascular risks.  They also add to the growing appreciation of a physiological link between the heart and the central nervous system–what is becoming known as the ‘heart-brain connection,’” said Stanley L. Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic.

Click here to read more of the story from the Cleveland Clinic.

Drugs Combined with Therapy Offer Best Benefit to Depressed Teens

A combination of antidepressant drugs and cognitive behavior therapy is the most effect approach when treating teens suffering from major depressive disorder, according to a long-term study led by a Duke University Medical Center psychiatrist.

The findings of the study, “Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study,” published in the October issue of “Archives of General Psychiatry,” indicate that combination therapy improved depressive symptoms and reduced the level of suicidal thinking and behavior in adolescents.

To read more information about the Duke University study, click here. 

Tuned-In Parents Help Ease Student Stress

Parents who stay tuned in to their kids at the beginning of the school year can do a lot to ease the stress kids may be feeling, according to mental health professionals.

They recommend parents take time each day to ask about what happened in school and provide positive feedback about these new experiences. They also suggest parents make an effort to learn about how the child is developing socially and emotionally, as well as physically. This is another way for parents to identify when things aren’t right with the child.

Click on this National Mental America website to read the story, “Back to School.”

How to Conquer Back to School Stress

The start of a new school year is stressful for parents as well as kids. For parents, there are a variety of  stressors such as Time Stress, having to find time to tend to homework and activities; Money Stress—the expenses that accompany even public schools; Health Stress—worrying about children getting nutritious food during the day and Clueless Stress—the unsettling feeling that comes when kids start bringing home different attitudes and beliefs. This story on the KeepKidsHealthy.com website offers suggestions to parents on how to cope.Read the complete story at KeepKidsHealthy.com