Teenagers with large amounts of grey matter in the brain at age 14 are more likely to increase their alcohol use over the next five years, according to a whole brain imaging study reported today in eLife. The findings may help scientists understand what makes some teens more vulnerable to developing alcohol use disorders. They […]
To protect kids and teens from firearm harm, answer these question first, experts
Firearm injuries kill more American children and teens than anything else, except automobile crashes. But research on how those injuries happen, who’s most likely to suffer or die from one, or what steps would prevent them, has lagged behind research on other causes of death in young people. Meanwhile, firearm deaths among people age 19 […]
The danger of dietary supplements for teens, Harvard study reveals
The danger of dietary supplements for teens: Harvard study reveals hundreds of young people have been sickened or hospitalized by weight loss and muscle-building products in 10 years A team at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed 10 years of FDA data on reactions to supplements They found young people who take ‘enhancement’ […]
Brain activity in teens predicts future mood health
An imbalance of functioning in attention-related brain systems may help forecast the course of teen depression, according to a study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier. Proper coordination of frontoinsular brain networks help us regulate our attention between external goals and self-focused or emotional thinking. But abnormalities in the coordination […]
Exercise may help teens sleep longer, more efficiently
Getting more exercise than normal—or being more sedentary than usual—for one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night, according to a new study led by Penn State. In a one-week micro-longitudinal study, the researchers found that when teenagers got more physical activity than they usually did, they got to sleep earlier, slept […]
National poll: Most parents concerned about safety of teens using ride-sharing services
As teens prepare to leave home for college or live on their own in a new city, many may also be using ride sharing services for the first time—and that raises safety concerns for many parents—a new national poll suggests. One in three parents say their 18-year-old has used a ride sharing service, either alone […]
Getting teens to follow strict diets in the Fast Track trial is risky, but so is obesity itself
The Fast Track to Health study is a year-long dietary trial in adolescents with obesity. Since it started in Sydney and Melbourne at the end of 2018, it has been criticised for increasing the risk of eating disorders in people who may be especially vulnerable to these conditions. Sydney-based clinical psychologist Louise Adams started up […]
How teens from non-vax families can become vaccinated
When Maya Moses decided she wanted to be vaccinated at age 18, she was nearly put off by the complexity and expense. “I was quite overwhelmed and disheartened because the doctor meant to be specialising in it couldn’t even help me figure out what to get done and when to get done,” Ms Moses said. […]
Does social media push teens to depression? New study says no
(HealthDay)—Time spent on Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook probably isn’t driving teenagers to depression, a new study contends. In fact, Canadian researchers found the relationship worked in the opposite direction—teenage girls who were already depressed tended to spend more time on social media, to try to feel better. These findings run counter to a series of […]
How US children and teens die: Study reveals the widespread and persistent role of firearms
America lost 20,360 children and teens in 2016—60 percent of them to preventable injuries, a new study shows. More than 4,000 of them died in motor vehicle crashes, though prevention efforts and better trauma care have cut the death rate of young people from such crashes in half in less than two decades. Meanwhile, firearms—the […]