Mental Health

Recreational ketamine use and availability have increased in the U.S. in recent years, despite still being an uncommon drug, according to study results published in American Journal of Public Health.

More than one-third of children on Medicaid in the foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medications, a higher amount than children on Medicaid outside the system, according to an AAP National Conference & Exhibition presentation.

Researchers found a decrease in depression and suicidality among transgender and non-binary youth receiving puberty blockers or gender-affirming care, according to a presentation at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition.

College age students reported issues with distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, including trouble concentrating, limited access to technology, food insecurity, and mental health issues, according to researchers.

Individuals who were bullied by their siblings in early adolescence had increased risk for poor mental health later in adolescence, according to a prospective longitudinal study in Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

How infants spontaneously play in their daily environments may help them develop everyday learning faculties and grow cognitive, social and language abilities, according to a study published in Child Development.

Teen girls who experienced sexual abuse were more likely than their peers to be cyberbullied, according to a study published in Nature Human Behavior.

Young people with intracranial hypertension had an increased prevalence of disordered eating behaviors, according to study results published in Pediatric Neurology.

Cyberbullying, as well as content related to drugs, depression and violence, were major risk factors for subsequent youth suicide-related behavior, according to results of a matched case-control study published in JAMA Network Open.

Each September marks National Suicide Prevention Month, an observance meant to raise awareness around suicide and ways in which to mitigate its risk.