Publications - Parenting/Caregiver Advice and Support
For adolescents, social media might be a brain-changer, researchers say, by Madeline Holcombe, CNN, Jan 3 2023.
“Frequent use of social media could be reshaping how adolescents’ brains develop, a new study found. Those who checked their platforms more often were more likely to be sensitive to general social rewards and punishments, according to the study published Tuesday. ”
Justice Department warns of dramatic increase in ‘sextortion’ schemes targeting boys, by Holmes Lybrand, CNN, Dec 19 2022.
“At least 3,000 minors, mostly boys, have been targeted by financial “sextortion” schemes this year, a dramatic increase from previous years, the Justice Department announced in a public safety alert on Monday. Using social media platforms, predators will, in some cases, start communicating with the targeted minor before moving the conversation to a different platform that primarily uses direct messaging, according to the department. Victims are tricked into providing explicit material, and then the perpetrators will demand money – sometimes thousands of dollars – threatening to release the images to family members and friends of the victim, the department says. “The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys — and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. At least a dozen victims have died by suicide as a result of these crimes, according to the department. The schemes, which have primarily targeted boys ages 14 to 17 – though some as young as 10 – largely originated from West African countries, including Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, according to the department. It’s unclear if these cells of perpetrators are connected. Wray said that the FBI needs “parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does.” “Victims may feel like there is no way out – it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone,” the director said. ”
In one first-grade classroom, puppets teach children to 'shake out the yuck', by Cory Turner, NPR, Nov 11 2022.
“The five-minute video students watch is part of a series produced through a new pilot program called Feel Your Best Self, or FYBS. Each video is built around a simple strategy to help kids recognize and manage their feelings – or to help friends who are struggling. "It's taking what we know works," says Emily Iovino, a trained school psychologist who is part of the FYBS team. What works, Iovino says, is something called cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves all sorts of practical skill-building, including learning to change negative thinking patterns, better understand others' motivations and face fears that may fuel unhealthy avoidance behaviors. It may sound simple, but Iovino says, it's a strategy known as "cognitive restructuring, which is teaching someone how to recognize an emotion, name that emotion, and then be able to work to shift thoughts – to feel something different." While the videos may be steeped in research, they sport kid-friendly names like "Float Your Boat" and "Chillax In My Head," and spotlight puppet heroes CJ, Mena and Nico, who are rendered in warm purples and reds, with emotive smiles and saucer eyes reminiscent of "Sesame Street." Denoya, the first-grade teacher at Natchaug Elementary, has seen it firsthand: Kids returned from the pandemic with missing or rusty social and emotional skills. They had trouble sharing, learning how to take turns and dealing with disappointment. "There's just things that they missed out on with not having that socialization, and so we need to find a place to teach it at school too," Denoya says. ”
10 ways to get mental health help during a therapist shortage, by Lindsey Bever, The Washington Post, Oct 29 2022.
“Anxiety and depression have been on the rise in the United States since the start of the pandemic. This has led to a crisis in mental health that has been worsened by the shortage of mental health counselors. A significant number of mental health professionals are not accepting new clients. Others have long waiting lists. The Washington Post asked mental health professionals what advice they would give people who are struggling to find a therapist. About 300 experts from across the country responded with advice on getting an appointment — and tips on what people can do in the meantime to try to help themselves. Here are their recommendations. ”
Youth Mental Health Was Declining in the U.S. Long Before COVID-19, by Brian Mastroianni, Healthline, Sep 26 2022.
“There have been several studies that have zeroed in on the state of mental health for young people today, both in the United States and around the world. Now, a recent report is shedding light on mental health trends for children and adolescents, giving clarity to the fact that a lot of these problems (while exacerbated by the global pandemic) have been present before the emergence of the coronavirus outbreak and likely will continue to be a major issue as it subsides. Experts say research like this is important in providing a pathway for educators, policymakers, and parents and guardians alike to provide better systems of support and interventions for young people as they encounter the realities impacting their mental health today. ”
It’s Science: Preschool play protects your child’s mental health later in life, by Kristen Fischer, Motherly, Jul 5 2022.
“Preschoolers who learn to play well with others have better mental health as they age, according to a recent study. The research looked at “peer play ability,” an indicator of how well kids play with each other. The report provides the first clear evidence that peer play ability “has a protective effect on mental health,” the authors said in a statement. The study appeared in Child Psychiatry and Human Development. Three-year-olds who had better peer play ability consistently had fewer signs of poor mental health when they were 7 years old. That is, their parents and teachers reported fewer emotional issues and conduct problems, they were less likely to get into spats with other kids, and they had lower hyperactivity. ”
What Porn Does to Teen Brains—and How to Keep It Off Their Devices, by Julie Jargon, The Wall Street Journal, Jul 2 2022.
“While there’s plenty to say about ways porn can affect the development of relationships and sexuality, this is a more focused look at children’s brain chemistry. Research shows that younger people’s brains are more wired for pleasure than adults, with higher spikes of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine released in anticipation of enjoyable activities. Because of this, many researchers believe young people are more vulnerable to compulsive porn use, which can lead to unrealistic views on sex. [...] Psychologists say it’s important to talk to kids about porn without making them feel ashamed. Some exposure to it can be a natural part of development, they say, and porn shouldn’t be shunned in a way that creates a taboo. They do, however, recommend using tech guardrails to reduce the chances that younger kids see things they’re not ready to see. More on how to do that below. [...] Nicole Prause, a research scientist at University of California, Los Angeles, and a licensed psychologist, said she’s more concerned about what parents and authority figures tell kids about porn. She recently surveyed young adult men who had been in porn-abstinence programs and relapsed. Nearly 30% of the 228 respondents reported feeling suicidal afterward; many more said they felt shame because of the societal messages about porn being bad. ”
A Rise in Suicides by Young Children Leaves Families Searching for Answers, by Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, Jun 5 2022.
“The number of children dying by suicide has risen dramatically in recent years. Parents often don’t know that their children are having suicidal thoughts, new research shows. Among females ages 10 to 14, the rate of suicide more than tripled between 2007 and 2020, from 0.5 per 100,000 to 2 per 100,000 according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Among males the same age, the rate jumped from 1.2 per 100,000 to 3.6 per 100,000 over the same period. Although the numbers are tiny compared with the number of older adolescents and adults who die by suicide, it is now the second leading cause of death among children in this age group. Suicidal thoughts and attempts are much more common in younger children than previously thought, new research is finding. Among 9- and 10-year-olds and their parents who were asked if the children had suicidal thoughts or made suicide attempts during their lifetime, 14.3% reported suicidal thoughts and 1.26% reported suicide attempts, according to an analysis of data from a large study of adolescent health and brain development that is following nearly 12,000 youngsters across the U.S. The paper was published in 2021 in the journal Translational Psychiatry. New research is uncovering risk factors in younger children like family conflict and early exposure to alcohol. Depression is most commonly associated with suicidal thoughts in older teens and adults, but in younger children scientists are finding that ADHD and behavior problems are also closely linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. ”
Later school start times eyed to address youth mental health crisis, by Meredith Deliso, ABC News, Apr 3 2022.
“The task force has advocated for later start times for several years as a way to promote healthy sleep habits among adolescents, though Mandelbaum believes the pandemic's toll helped lead to state lawmakers last month introducing legislation that proposes pushing statewide high school start times in New Jersey to no earlier than 8.30 a.m., starting in the 2024-2025 school year. State Democrats said the bill was "beginning the work of addressing this national youth mental health crisis." ”
Mental health crisis in children spurs psychiatric bed shortage, by TAMARA SACHARCZYK, NBC News, Jan 30 2022.
““Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation have been among the most common presentations, but kids are coming in with a lot of different symptoms,” Bradley Hospital child psychiatrist Dr. Tanuja Gandhi said. “I think the pandemic stress has added to existing problems children had pre-pandemic.” ”
Children’s mental health may suffer if they spend too much time on electronic devices, by Shiv Sudhakar, New York Post, Dec 31 2021.
“Increased electronic screen time was associated with worse mental health issues in children compared to those with lower levels of screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent JAMA Network Open paper published this week. ”
Children and teens face unequal mental health realities, by Marisa Fernandez, Yahoo News, Oct 12 2021.
“n the weeks after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 55% of children felt more "sad, depressed, or unhappy," compared to 25% of adults, according to a new report out Monday from the Child Mind Institute. Why it matters: The data offers a glimpse at the differences in children's early psych0logical responses as researchers work to tease out the pandemic's potential long-term effects on the incoming generation's mental health and developmental skills. ”
Root of teen empathy begins with secure relationships at home, study finds, by Sarah Molano, CNN, Jul 15 2021.
“Teenagers who have close, secure relationships with their families are more likely to extend empathy to their peers, according to a new study. More specifically, when teens feel safe, supported by and connected to parents or other adult caregivers, they are better equipped to pass the empathy they receive on to others. "I don't think teens in particular like being told what to do, and I don't think it's going to work to tell teens they should empathize with other people," said Jessica Stern, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychology at the University of Virginia. "But what does work is showing them empathy, and they can pay it forward to the people in their lives." ”
How men hurt and grieve over miscarriage, too, by Matt Villano, CNN, Jul 15 2021.
“What scientists do know: About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, at least according to the Mayo Clinic. Many obstetricians and other experts say this number likely is even higher, since many miscarriages occur so early in a woman's pregnancy that some women don't realize they are pregnant at all. Typically, because women are the ones carrying the fetus, miscarriages are perceived to be biopsychosocial in nature — that is, they affect moms biologically, psychologically and socially. But fathers experience acute loss as well, said Kate Kripke, founder and director of the Postpartum Wellness Center in Boulder, Colorado. Theirs is psychosocial, without the biology. ”
Cash for Kids Comes to the United States, by Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, Jul 14 2021.
“Beginning this week, the IRS will start sending monthly, no-strings-attached cash payments to an estimated 65 million children living in low- and middle-income families, potentially slashing the country’s child poverty rate by 45 percent. The new policy will become tangible when money starts hitting bank accounts this week. An estimated 88 percent of recipients will not need to do anything to get the cash—the IRS will send the money automatically. But an estimated 4 million to 8 million eligible children are at risk of missing out, because their parents or guardians do not need to file taxes or are not filing taxes—and because they might not even know the complicated, obscure-sounding, and scarcely advertised policy exists. ”
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