Mental Health

Black children between the ages of 5 and 12 years were nearly two times more likely to die by suicide when compared with white children of the same age, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Last year’s release of “13 Reasons Why,” a Netflix show that depicts the suicide of a teenaged girl and the reasons she believed to be responsible for her death, triggered an unprecedented debate among audiences, parents and mental health professionals over the portrayal of suicide in the media and its impact on adolescents and young adults.

Exposure to medical marijuana advertising may play a role in the formation of adolescents’ opinions regarding marijuana, while simultaneously contributing to increased marijuana use and related negative consequences, according to  recently published study results in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Findings published in Pediatrics showed the annual percentage of hospital visits for suicide ideation and suicide attempts nearly doubled from 2008 to 2015 among U.S. children and teenagers.

Multiple studies have found children’s participation in physical activities can make them healthier. At least several researchers have suggested engaging in team sports may bolster children’s social skills and also provide psychological benefits.

Obesity is a prevalent condition experienced by Americans, with the CDC reporting obesity in 36.5% of adults and 12.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 years.

Numerous interventions focused on improving self-regulation in children and teenagers exist, with published studies demonstrating the highlights of incorporating curriculum-based, personal skills and exercised-based programs, according to a review published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Children born very preterm and had very low birth weights to mothers with diabetes were not at increased risk for death compared with those born to mothers without diabetes.

NEW YORK — Though the association between fictional depictions of suicide and imitative self-harm is not new, recent trends in media content and viewer habits, specifically seen with the television phenomenon “13 Reasons Why,” has misrepresented and possibly sensationalized suicide to adolescents, according to a presentation at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Eye tracking was found to be a feasible tool for measuring word comprehension in young typically developing children and those with profound expressive language delays, according to research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2018 Meeting.