By Month: December 2008
School-Based Program Can Change Kids’ Lives
A Seattle project was linked to better education, mental health 15 years later
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3 HealthDay News, U.S. News and World Report – Urban kids who took part in a social development program in elementary school had improved mental health, sexual health, and educational and economic success as young adults, a new study finds.
Crime, drug use, teen pregnancy, school dropouts and mental health problems are among the challenges faced by many children and families who live in cities, noted study author J. David Hawkins and colleagues at the University of Washington, Seattle.
View the entire article on the U.S. News and World Report website.
Next Cultural Battleground: Gay Adoption
“It’s pretty much your mundane American family,” said Shelley, 46, over a dinner of barbecue at their comfortable home near the Ozarks.
But not everyone sees their domestic situation as a hefty slice of apple pie. Arkansas residents recently voted to ban people who are “cohabitating outside of a valid marriage,” as Shelley and Ross are, from being foster parents or adopting children as these women did.
Click here to read the entire story from the Columbus Dispatch.
Pediatricians Don’t Routinely Ask About Mental Health
A recent Blog article on the U.S. News and World Report website focused on pediatricians and their inquiry into the mental health needs of their patients. See the exerpt below:
Pediatricians Don’t Routinely Ask About Mental Health
December 15, 2008 03:48 PM ET | Nancy Shute |
Don’t count on your child’s doctor to ask whether you’re worried about mental health issues such as ADHD or bad behavior. Fifty-six percent of parents say their pediatrician or family-practice doctor never asks about mental health concerns, according to a new survey out of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan. Another 22 percent say they get asked sometimes, with 22 percent more saying their doc is always on the ball.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Cash-Strapped States Cut Juvenile Justice Programs
Cash-strapped states cut juvenile justice programs
By JIM DAVENPORT – December 26, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – State budget cuts are forcing some of the nation’s youngest criminals out of counseling programs and group homes and into juvenile prisons in what critics contend is a shortsighted move that will eventually lead to more crime and higher costs.
For the entire AP story, click here.
Study Finds 1 in 5 Young Americans Have Personality Disorder
According to a study funded with grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the New York Psychiatric Institute, almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life. Personality disorders include obsessive, compulsive, anti-social, and paranoid behaviors that interfere with ordinary functioning. The study also found that less than 25% of college-age Americans with mental health problems get treatment. The study was based on interviews with over 5,000 young adults ages 19 to 25 in 2001 and 2002. To read this article in its entirety, please visit MSNBC’s website.
