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A recently published study looked at integrated behavioral health services and psychosocial symptoms in children. “Our study was about TEAM UP, which is a model of integrated behavioral healthcare that partners behavioral health clinicians and community health workers with pediatricians to provide team-based care,” study author, Chris Sheldrick, PhD, research and evaluation co-director of TEAM UP at Boston Medical Center told us. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Stress and Health looked at the association between hair cortisol and psychopathology in children with a chronic physical illness. “This study explores how stress, measured using hair cortisol, may contribute to the onset of mental health problems in children with a chronic physical illness (CPI),” lead study author and University of Waterloo PhD candidate in Public Health Sciences, Emma Littler told us. “We were investigating whether hair cortisol could be used to identify children at the highest risk of developing mental health problems.” [More]

A new study published in World Psychiatry looked at cognitive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents exposed to multiple traumatic stressors. “Our study tested whether a talking therapy called cognitive therapy for PTSD works for children and teenagers who have been through many different traumatic experiences,” study author Richard Meiser-Stedman told us. “We wanted to see if this therapy could help in real-world NHS mental health services, where young people often present with not just PTSD but also depression, anxiety, or other difficulties.” [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders looked at comorbidities and emotions of pediatric patients with multiple long-term conditions through social media feedback. “We selected this research topic to address a critical gap in understanding the emotional and psychological burdens experienced by children with MLTCs, a population whose needs are frequently overlooked by healthcare systems predominantly designed for single diseases,” study author Shang-Ming Zhou told us. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Children, Youth Environments looked at the role of family residence green spaces and household chaos on children’s executive function “This study explores how the amount of green space and interactive items around where families live, and how chaotic or calm a household feels, might shape the development of young children’s executive function,” study author Samantha J. Iwinski told us. [More]

Horses could be the answer in addressing the growing mental health crisis among children. Researchers in Australia have found that equine therapy benefits not only children but also the practitioners providing the intervention. [More]

Spending too much time on screens can lead to behavioral and emotional problems in children. Research published in Psychological Bulletin found that those behavioral and emotional problems can in turn lead to even more screen use, perpetuating the cycle. [More]

A new study explores the impact of prenatal exposure to Superstorm Sandy, a post-tropical cyclone that made landfall in New York City in 2012, and extreme ambient heat, defined as at least one day greater than 95 degrees Fahrenheit, on the brain volume of the basal ganglia in school-aged children, a critical brain region that regulates our emotions and behaviors. “We were hoping to find out whether individual and/or combined exposure to these stressors defined above would lead to discernible differences in the volume of the basal ganglia,” study author Donato DeIngeniis told us. [More]

A new review looked at play and children’s health. “This was a scoping review exploring peer reviewed literature from the past 10 years in order to examine what it can tell us about the connection between play and children’s health in healthcare settings,” review author Kelsey Grabor told us. We hoped to better understand recent and relevant evidence that might demonstrate why we should utilize and support the integration of play into a more holistic view of children’s healthcare.” [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Child Development looked at predictors of young adults’ primal world beliefs in eight countries. “This study is about beliefs about the world held by young adults in eight countries,” study author Dr. Jennifer Lansford told us. “We were hoping to discover what experiences during childhood and adolescence predict beliefs about the world in early adulthood.” [More]