Mental Health

Children who were bullied and sexually abused were more likely to smoke and excessively drink alcohol as adults, according to findings recently published in BMC Public Health.

As a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, I did an elective rotation with Dr. John Greene at Moffitt Cancer Center. I was awestruck as I saw the fellows and Dr. Greene make incredible diagnoses based on details from the patients’ histories. We conversed with radiologists, pathologists, other internal medicine subspecialists and surgeons; a constant busy mission to determine what kind of infections patients had. Their knowledge was superior, having to understand different cultures, practices and hobbies that could lead to the diagnosis. I witnessed the way that the infectious disease physicians conversed with others; their pleasant demeanor toward patients and staff was infectious. Most compelling of all was the microbiology lab, where you came face to face with your patients’ foes: Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Fusarium, Cryptosporidium, etc. This to me was the defining moment: looking into the viewing ocular pieces of the microscope to view something that was a millionth our size and had the potential to cause incredible pathologic havoc. This experience, which I also had during my internal medicine residency, is what led me to my interest in host-pathogen responses and to choose a career in infectious diseases.

There are now more evidence-based psychosocial interventions for ethnic minority youth than a decade ago, according to an updated review.

Adolescent cannabis use was associated with increased risk for depression and suicidal behavior later in life, results from a meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry revealed.

Treatment with daily dasotraline 4 mg significantly improved ADHD symptoms and behaviors in children aged 6 to 12 years, according to a 6- week, placebo-controlled study.

An estimated 7.7 million American children have depression, anxiety or ADHD, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. However, nearly half of these children do not receive treatment or counseling for their condition.

Tobacco use appeared to be associated with psychotic experiences — such as paranoia and hallucinations — during adolescence, largely due to shared genetic influences, according to study findings.

Parental stress caused by the longest government shutdown in U.S. history may affect stress levels of children in the household, a researcher from Virginia Tech suggested. Pediatricians are in a unique position to counsel families who may be experiencing hardship during this time.

U.S. counties that have shortages of mental health care providers and higher rates of long-term unemployment also have higher rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, according to research published in JAMA.

The results of a longitudinal cohort study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggest that a direct relationship exists between screen time and poorer developmental outcomes for children aged between 18 and 60 months.