Bullying among American teens remains a big threat, with more than a third (34%) saying they've been bullied over the past year, new government data shows.
According to the report's authors, bullying occurs when a person is "exposed to aggressive behavior repeatedly ove...
Anxiety is driving more children with potentially dangerous food allergies to seek out psychological care, a new study finds.
Focusing on one Ohio hospital, the researchers found a more than 50% jump in psychology referrals for kids with
Pulling your hair out in frustration with your finicky youngster?
Don’t blame your parenting style -- genetics likely played a huge role in their eating habits, a new twins study FINDs.
Fussy eating is mainly influenced by genes, according to findings publish...
Deprivation, neglect and abuse during childhood can increase a person’s long-term risk of health problems, a new study warns.
“Stress is implicated in nine of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States today,” said senior researcher
Many parents worry that their kids aren’t popular enough, or that they aren’t making the right friends, a new survey finds.
About 1 in 5 parents say their child aged 6 to 12 has no friends or not enough friends, according to the results of the University of M...
It’s natural for a parent to want to protect their children and keep them from harm.
But sometimes this understandable desire crosses over into “helicopter parenting,” an overbearing need to be part of a child’s every decision and dilemma.
&...
FRIDAY, August 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Teaching schoolkids to practice mindfulness can boost their mental health — and, maybe, even their grades.
That's the takeaway from a new review of more than three dozen research studies on school-based mindfulness i...
Troubled transgender students are more likely to turn to school staff than their own parents for support, a new study finds.
Trans teen...
A quality physical education program involves more than just getting kids to move for a set amount of time during the school day, experts say.
PE classes can teach lessons not found in any other classroom,
A child at the dinner table talks about trouble at school or an argument with a friend, but parents aren't listening: They're checking their smartphones instead.
It's a scenario that plays out millions of times per day across America, and it could be harming the mental h...
Kids considering suicide after receiving mental health care at a hospital can be helped by automated text messages that help them feel hopeful and supported, a new study finds.
Children receiving the texts as part of a program called Caring Contacts said they felt more p...
Parents are worried that social media and technology will get in the way of schoolkids building meaningful connections with classmates and teachers during the upcoming school year, a new poll finds.
Half of parents (50%) say too much time spent with technology will be th...
Back-to-school can feel like a rushed jumble, as kids leave behind summer fun for the next step in their education.
But there are specific ways parents can help students show up sharper, get young athletes ready to compete, and have anxious kids settled down and ready to...
Want to be a better, more effective mom or dad? Trying sharing a good laugh with your kid.
New research among folks ages 18 to 45 found many citing humor as one of the reasons they had, and continue to have, a positive relationship with their parents.
“My hop...
Using tablets as 'e-babysitters' for toddlers could lead to more tantrums, which in turn can have harried parents trying to calm a child by handing them a tablet, new research shows.
This type of "vicious cycle" played out during the early years of many of the Canadian y...
The kids are not alright.
New data shows a troubling 8% annual increase in the number of American children ages 8 to 12 who died by suicide, with the sharpest increase seen among girls.
Suicide has now become the fifth leading cause of death among both male and fem...
Boredom is the key emotion behind most teens’ use of Instagram, a new study says.
Teens open the app because they’re bored, then sift through its contents looking for interesting bits to relieve their boredom, researchers report.
Then, bored by sloggi...
Defiance, tantrums, aggression: All signs of a condition called conduct disorder, which Mental Health America says affects up ...
Weighted blankets are trendy items, largely based on the idea that the pressure of a heavy blanket will help a person more easily slip into slumber.
But they do little to help troubled children sleep better, a new study has found.
There was no difference in sleep b...
Does advising your teen sometimes feel like talking to the proverbial brick wall?
Don't fret: New research shows that even when your preteen or teen gives your advice a flat "no way," your counsel is probably having an impact.
It may simply be tucked away by your...
The cost to American families of caring for a child with a mental health condition rose by almost a third between 2017 and 2021, a new report finds, to an average $4,361 per year.
Overall, American families spent an estimated $31 billion in 2021 on child mental hea...
Teens have a higher risk of self-injury -- deliberately cutting or burning themselves -- if they have a fraught relationship with a struggling parent, a new study shows.
Teenagers were nearly five times more likely to self-injure if, when they were 6, their moms and dads...
Most parents have experienced it: Your young child wakes up distraught, sure that the nightmare they've just suffered through is real.
Dr. Anis Rehman, an internal medicine specialist and consu...
A study of mental health care in Maryland finds an increasing number of children and teens covered by Medicaid are taking multiple psychiatric meds.
This trend towards "polypharmacy" might be happening elsewhere, prior research suggests.
In the new study, Maryland ...
Kids are more likely to lie to their parents if their parents have been lying to them -- even with positive "white"lies, a new study shows.
But researchers found a difference between encouraging white lies and "instrumental"lies that involve false threats or promises.
Kids with emotional problems or ADHD can find the holidays a very challenging time, as all the routines that provide a sense of order are jumbled in a whirl of activities.
The kids are home from school and restless, their parents are hauling them along to Christmas shopp...
More patience. Less time on phones. Healthier habits. Better grades.
Parents and kids alike are making resolutions for the New Year, setting personal goals for themselves in 2024, a new poll has found.
Nearly three in four parents say they will adopt a resolution o...
A pregnant woman's mental health might have profound effects on the mind of her unborn child, a new evidence review warns.
Children appear to be at higher risk for mental health and behavior issues if their moms were highly stressed, anxious or depressed during pregnancy...
Whether or not you have loved ones in the Middle East, the horrors of the violence and suffering in Israel and Gaza are heart-wrenching and difficult to bear.
"It's important to be informed, but don't stress yourself out," said
As kids grow up, their desire to venture out on their own and gain some independence is natural.
And a new national poll suggests that most parents say they're fine with that.
The problem? The poll highlights a pretty big gap between what parents say and w...
Raging wildfires, droughts, floods and record-breaking heat brought on by climate change are taking a toll on kids' already fragile mental health.
Young children who are close to their parents are more likely to grow up to be kind, caring and considerate. These kids may also have fewer mental health problems during early childhood and adolescence, a new study finds.
By contrast, children whose early relationships w...
As many as 1 in 4 teens with autism may be undiagnosed, new research suggests.
"Autism is much more prevalent than people assume,"said lead researcher Walter Zahorodny, a...
In yet another reminder of the psychic toll the pandemic has taken on young people, new research shows spending on mental health services for U.S. children and adolescents has risen sharply since 2020.
It climbed 26% for youths aged 19 and younger between March 2020 and ...
While the start of the school year can give kids and teens the chance to reconnect with friends and enjoy school sports and activities, it can also trigger stressors that send many to the emergency room for mental health woes, a new report shows.
Among children aged 5 to...
So much for the powerful feminist messaging in the new Barbie movie.
Director Greta Gerwig's feminist interpretation of Barbie depicted the fashion dolls as judges, surgeons, naval officers, astronauts and U.S. Presidents in Barbie World, and it resonated. The Barbie mov...
Just like adults, kids face daily stressors.
Luckily, a new study suggests that teaching them creative thinking can help them manage it all.
Researchers found that when school-age children learned some "narrative creativity" techniques -- such as shifting your pers...
A stressful or traumatic childhood experience -- anything from parents divorcing to a sibling's drug problem -- may have long-term effects on a woman's sexual health.
These adverse childhood experiences may be linked to sexual inactivity and dysfunction in women later in...
If your child is acting out and you're looking for solutions, researchers at the University of Georgia's Youth Development Institute suggest better sleep might be the answer.
Getting more hours of slumber could reduce impulsive behavior in kids, their new study showed.
When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.
Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National
Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Erin Okawa works in a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood and sees many parents worried about their kids' height.
"I have a clinic in Manhattan Beach, which was appar...
The use of antipsychotic medication in children is continuing to plummet, likely because of better policies and education, new research shows.
The study found a 43% drop in antipsychotic prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children in 45 states, a stark contrast from the...
Young children may be fascinated by electronic devices, but a new study suggests that old-fashioned reading may help them grow into better adjusted middle schoolers.
The study, of more than 10,000 U.S. "tweens," found that those who'd begun reading for fun early in child...
Could high-quality child care for young children translate into better grades in math and science?
Yes, says new research that found children with caregivers who provided both warmth and mental stimulation go on to do better in science, technology, engineering and math (...
About one in every seven American kids aged 5 to 17 underwent some form of mental health treatment in 2021, the latest year for which statistics are available.
So finds a new report from...
Kids with poor impulse control -- a common characteristic of ADHD -- may be at higher risk for health, social and criminal problems as adults, a new study indicates.
Researchers found that having attention and behavior problems in childhood was linked to less money, low...
U.S. gun deaths and injuries in children have risen at astronomical rates. Yet, among kids on Medicaid, only about two of every five children who get shot receive mental health care within six months of these traumatic incidents, researchers say.
The need is great,...
Summer vacation has begun for some families and screen use may already feel like too much.
A psychiatrist from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers some tips for making sure smartphones and tablets are put to good use and not used to excess.
Kids who devote some of their free time to volunteer work may not only help others, but also themselves.
That's according to a new study that found U.S. kids who spend time in community service are often thriving, physically and mentally.
Overall, kids who'd volunt...
From their first smile to their first step to the first day of school, children go through a remarkable transformation on their way to adulthood.
Here, experts explore the five developmental stages, from infancy to adulthood, and take a deeper look at the developmental m...