Mental, Behavioral and Development Health

In this Contemporary Pediatrics® interview, Benjamin Maxwell, MD, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry, Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, California, details the rise in pediatric mental health concerns, emergency department visits, and the potentially concerning aspects of social media among youth.

The US Department of Education, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Biden-Harris Administration look to increase access to school-based health services, including mental health services, amid the national crisis. 

Up to 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 years reported using a social media platform and more than a third said they use social media, “almost constantly,” according to a new advisory from the Surgeon General.

Thomas R. Young, MD, discusses how important early screening is in children and adolescents with regard to mental health. He believes a reduction in stigma associated with mental health is occurring and that primary care professionals are encouraging youth to discuss what might be bothering them.

Our President and CEO, Mike Hennessy Jr, says now is the perfect time to assess your own mental health in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

"Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular" is just one of the new offerings Sesame Workshop will be presenting to address the national Children's Mental Health Crisis declared by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021.

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering several tips to help a suspected self-harming child.

Pediatric health care providers, as well as teachers, coaches, and parents, must be closely involved in the healthy development of these athletes.

Contemporary Pediatrics® Editorial Advisory Board Member Steven Selbst, MD, gives a glimpse into some research he was involved in regarding physician burnout at the 2023 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting.

Erica Sood, PhD, Nemours Children’s Health pediatric psychologist, discusses her workshop focused on improving the emotional health of children with chronic conditions, which will be presented at the 2023 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting held in Washington, DC from April 27 to May 1.

Candice Jones, MD, discusses the impact and potential impacts social media has on the lives of children and adolescents, and how it can impact pediatric mental health.

Eric Rubenstein, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, explains why continued data collection for public school students with disabilities that experience homelessness is crucial for better support and care in this population.

In part 3 of our obesity series, Candice W. Jones, MD, discusses how obesity affects mental health in children, along with how mental health can be managed in these patients.

A recent report lists the pediatric mental health crisis as the top patient safety concern following increases in anxiety and depression among children.

In a recent study, the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) and the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth (CASSY) tools both showed predictive viability for suicide attempts in adolescents.

What are the psychosocial implications when a student athlete can no longer play their chosen sport?

In a recent study, a poor connection was reported between mental health emergency department discharge and follow-ups through outpatient care.

In a recent study, the rate of suicidal ideation was 1.7 times greater among adolescents with depression who had experienced a violent encounter in the past year.

In a recent study, rates of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic were higher among youths aged 5 to 24 years than expected based on trends prior to the pandemic.

A recent report from the CDC detailed increasing rates of sadness and violence among US teenage girls.

Although it may be hard for us to admit, physicians face the same types of mental health conditions as our patients.

A study examining the COVID-19 pandemic finds that substance use declined substantially across nearly all categories in 2018-2019 vs 2020 among youth and young adults.

Defining burnout and why it has increased among health care providers

The same risk was not found for offspring of fathers with primary immunodeficiencies.

In a recent study, maternal depression during pregnancy was associated with offspring brain age, while recent stress in offspring was associated with a greater aging pace.

The REACH Institute announces its first live mental health training since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent study, the association between poor prenatal diet and adiposity outcomes in children was directly impacted by prenatal psychosocial stress.

In what investigators are calling the largest study of its kind ever conducted in the US, results of the 2-year study, which included more than 300 transgender or nonbinary youth, underline the positive benefits seen with receipt of gender-affirming hormone therapy among this patient population.

Nearly $245 million was awarded in Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services to help health care workers support mental health in youths and families.

A recent study found that children were 7.5 times more likely to visit behavioral health services after positive screening for adverse childhood experiences.