June 2, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics looked at the number of times children visited emergency departments in the U.S. for mental health care. The purpose of the study was to describe the trends in pediatric mental health emergency department visits on a national scale. We know from other studies that often times, low pediatric volume and/or emergency departments located in non-metropolitan areas tend to be less prepared to treat children, as they may only see a few children a day.
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April 30, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
Children of parents with mental illness are at greater risk of injury than their peers.
A study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that the risk is elevated for children of parents with mental illness up until the age of 17.
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March 31, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there can be devastating consequences for the unborn baby if a pregnant woman who is dependent on opioids is not properly treated. The function of the placenta can be comprised and the unborn baby can experience severe episodes of withdrawal. A new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine looked at maternity care and buprenorphine prescribing in new family physicians.
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March 24, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Every industrialized country in the world has a maternity leave policy of 12 weeks or more, except the United States. Currently, women make up 47 per cent of the U.S. labor force. Despite that, only 16 per cent of employed Americans have access to paid parental leave. A new study published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry looked at the impact of paid maternity leave on the mental and physical health of mothers and children.
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March 23, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
Children who blame themselves for their mothers being unhappy are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
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March 18, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
Approximately eight in every 100 children aged between nine and 10 in the US report suicidal ideation. Risk factors include psychological problems and exposure to family conflict.
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March 17, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the BMJ looked at infant sleep and child mental health. “We wanted to find out if infants with very persistent sleep difficulties had increased odds of experiencing mental health difficulties during childhood,” study author Falin Cook told us. “We wanted to know if there were specific types of mental disorders that they were more likely to experience.”
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February 22, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
Adolescents who spend too much time sitting still and engaging in sedentary behaviour are at an increased risk of depressive symptoms.
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February 18, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Marriage is common and so is divorce. Over two million marriages occur in the U.S. per year. By the time a person turns 50 years of age, over 90 per cent of people in the U.S. have tied the knot. According to the American Psychological Association, a happy home gives a child the chance to be a healthier adult in all ways - mentally, physically, and emotionally. So what happens to teens whose parents’ divorce? Is it possible to create a happy home post-divorce? A recent Norwegian study published in the Journal of Public Health aimed to answer that question particularly when it came to divorce and conversational difficulties with parents and the effects on adolescent health and self-esteem.
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January 21, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Imagine this: You’re five years old and you've just been given your favorite treat. Maybe it's a marshmallow or maybe it’s a lollipop. Whatever it is, you want to devour it instantly but are told that if you wait a certain amount of time and don’t eat it until that certain amount of time is up, you’ll get another treat of the same variety, thereby increasing your tally to two treats. What would you do? What would you say a five-year-old would do? And why does it matter?
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