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Ghrelin hormone released during chronic stress may predispose people to PTSD

About a dozen years ago, scientists discovered that a hormone called ghrelin enhances appetite. Dubbed the "hunger hormone," ghrelin was quickly targeted by drug companies seeking treatments for obesity - none of which have yet panned out.

16 Oct 2013

Study: Social media can become early warning system to help prevent suicide tragedies

Heart-breaking accounts of cyber bullying and suicide seem all too common, but a new study offers hope that social media can become an early warning system to help prevent such tragedies.

11 Oct 2013

Study reveals sadists seem to derive pleasure from behaviors that hurt others

Most of the time, we try to avoid inflicting pain on others - when we do hurt someone, we typically experience guilt, remorse, or other feelings of distress. But for some, cruelty can be pleasurable, even exciting. New research suggests that this kind of everyday sadism is real and more common than we might think.

13 Sep 2013

Safety and health checklist to help kids avoid emergency room

With the school year underway, Children's Hospital Los Angeles experts have developed a safety and health checklist to help kids avoid the emergency room and develop productive extracurricular and learning activities to enhance the classroom experience. What do parents need to consider? Many symptoms of childhood conditions are often discovered in the classroom.

7 Sep 2013

Potential drug target to treat depression and other mood disorders may lie in GABA neurons

A new drug target to treat depression and other mood disorders may lie in a group of GABA neurons (gamma-aminobutyric acid -the neurotransmitters which inhibit other cells) shown to contribute to symptoms like social withdrawal and increased anxiety, Penn Medicine researchers report in a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience.

30 Aug 2013

International conference to focus on concepts of 'imperfection' in children

The word 'imperfection' is contentious, whether applied in a contemporary or historical sense and especially when used in the context of children; it assumes normative standards of behaviour, physical appearance, mental capacity or way of living, at the same time as it means very different things in particular ethnic, geographical or historical contexts.

22 Aug 2013

'Bully-victims' are at greatest risk for health problems in adulthood

A new study shows that serious illness, struggling to hold down a regular job, and poor social relationships are just some of the adverse outcomes in adulthood faced by those exposed to bullying in childhood.

20 Aug 2013

Health concern for children varies based on racial and ethnic backgrounds

Adults across the U.S. rate childhood obesity as the top health concern for children in 2013, but priorities vary based on racial and ethnic backgrounds, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

20 Aug 2013

GSA policies have positive effect on students' binge drinking

Canadian high schools with anti-homophobia policies or gay-straight alliances (GSAs) that have been in place for three years or more have a positive effect on both gay and straight students' problem alcohol use, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

16 Aug 2013

Tool kit for parents of children with epilepsy and mental health problems

Parents of children with epilepsy and mental health problems have a new go-to resource. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic have created "What you should know about mental health in youth with epilepsy," an information booklet and CD that answers questions about children's medical and psychological issues.

13 Aug 2013

New study explores connection between physical fights, cognitive decline

A new Florida State University study has found that adolescent boys who are hurt in just two physical fights suffer a loss in IQ that is roughly equivalent to missing an entire year of school. Girls experience a similar loss of IQ after only a single fighting-related injury.

3 Aug 2013

Researcher receives grant to study how exposure to social stress impacts the brain and behavior

Dr. Kim Huhman, a researcher in the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at Georgia State University, has received a federal five-year, $1.8 million grant for research that may lead to improved strategies for treating and preventing mental health problems associated with exposure to social stress.

1 Aug 2013

Exposure to childhood trauma is linked to psychotic experiences

Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have demonstrated that exposure to childhood trauma (physical assault and bullying) is linked to psychotic experiences, (such as hearing voices), and in turn the cessation of traumatic experiences led to a significant reduction in the incidence of psychotic experiences.

11 Jul 2013

YES workshop for adolescents to manage stress and control impulsive behavior

In May 2013, the Los Angeles school board voted to ban suspensions of students for "willful defiance" and directed school officials to use alternative disciplinary practices. The decision was controversial, and the question remains: How do you discipline rowdy students and keep them in the classroom while still being fair to other kids who want to learn?

11 Jul 2013

Exposure to political violence may have long-lasting effects on children's behavior

Even short-term exposure to political violence may have long-lasting effects on children's adjustment and behavior, says a new study by a team of researchers from Kenya, Italy and the United States.

1 Jul 2013

Research identifies risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior in youth being bullied

New research out of the University of Minnesota identifies significant risk factors for suicidal behavior in youth being bullied, but also identifies protective factors for the same group of children.

20 Jun 2013

Study says public health strategies can be applied to prevent bullying and suicide

Recent studies linking bullying and depression, coupled with extensive media coverage of bullying-related suicide among young people, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assemble an expert panel to focus on these issues. This panel synthesized the latest research about the complex relationship between youth involvement in bullying and suicide-related behaviors.

19 Jun 2013

New study finds that sibling aggression associated with worse mental health

Fights between siblings - from toy-snatching to clandestine whacks to being banished from the bedroom - are so common they're often dismissed as simply part of growing up. Yet a new study from researchers at the University of New Hampshire finds that sibling aggression is associated with significantly worse mental health in children and adolescents.

17 Jun 2013

Teenage victims of cyberbullying at higher risk for psychological, behavior health problems

Teenage victims of cyberbullying, defined as the use of the internet or cell phones to send hurtful and harassing messages, are more likely to develop symptoms of depression, substance abuse and internet addiction, reports a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

13 Jun 2013

Employees who face high emotional demand, conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress

Employees who face high emotional demand and conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress—placing them at higher risk of mental health disorders and reduced productivity, reports a study in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

4 Jun 2013