Mental, Behavioral and Development Health

The study revealed several concerning trends in the utilization of acute mental health care among youth during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recent TikTok “Benadryl challenge” is just one example of the online dangers of shared videos among adolescents. Here is what pediatric health care providers should know—and how they can help.

A new treatment for severe hair thinning for adolescents and adults offers hope for young people struggling with this highly visible disorder.

Links between teenager anxiety and gastrointestinal (GI) issues are the subject of this Contemporary Pediatrics® interview with Julia Anderson, MD, MSCI; and Sara Francis, PhD.

Patients who are highly competitive in sports sometimes drastically restrict food intake in an attempt to outperform their peers.

Investigators state public health strategies should prioritize early detection of mental health needs and equitable access to it, as some Medicaid-enrolled children are not receiving mental health services following a firearm injury.

An increase in outpatient visits that included an anxiety diagnosis was also met with a decrease in treatment visits, while there was no significant change in the overall use of medications in all time periods.

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