The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending two new mental health screenings for children.
The independent panel of national experts said children 12 to 18 years old should be screened for depression and suicide risk. It also recommends children 8 to 18 be screened for anxiety. Read more ›
Elementary school-age kids who sleep less than the recommended number of hours per night exhibit differences in brain regions associated with memory, intelligence and well-being, according to a recent study. Read more ›
The new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is already reaching more Americans in distress – and connecting them to help faster — than the old 10-digit suicide prevention line it replaced July 16. Read more ›
Scientists have long recognized that getting enough sleep during childhood can benefit developing brains. However, the underlying brain mechanisms are not well understood. And although experts say that children ages 6 to 12 should get at least nine hours of sleep each day, it’s been unclear how less sleep might affect a child’s brain. Read more ›
Approximately 280 million people around the globe have depression, according to a report from the World Health Organization. The personal, familial, and societal effects of this condition are profound. Especially considering that depression, at its worst, can lead to suicide. Read more ›
School shootings in the U.S. are national tragedies, and the toll they take in lives cut short and traumatized distinguishes the U.S. from other high-income countries. But there is another way that guns are killing American children, and in far greater numbers: suicide. Read more ›
California kids experienced the second-largest increase in depression and anxiety among U.S. states from 2016 to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in lockdown orders and school closures, a national child welfare advocacy group reported. Read more ›
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. Read more ›
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults in the United States. In-person bullying is known to raise the risk of thoughts of suicide and attempts for both victims and perpetrators. Read more ›
The death of a grandmother can have severe and lasting mental health consequences for both her adult children and grandchildren, according to our recently published study.
This finding may be surprising, because the death of a grandparent is a normal, even anticipated, part of life. Yet the effects are profound. Read more ›
