All Posts in Category: General

Boy with heart shaped paper

Autism Spectrum Disorder: ASD And Anxiety In Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comes with a variety of challenges. For many children, it can mean issues with compulsiveness and repetitive behaviors, learning and social deficits, and a resistance to change. ASD also can manifest with various emotional difficulties – although not specifically linked, we know that ASD and anxiety frequently appear together in children.

Kids with ASD and anxiety can have physical symptoms (example: racing heart or a stomach ache) or their anxiety may also show up in the form of rituals that can help calm them (for instance: shredding paper). Because many autistic children are either non-verbal or have trouble communicating, an outward display of anxiety may be their only way of telling you that they are distressed.

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Intensive Outpatient Therapy Helps Children With Depression And Anxiety

We all have our anxious moments or times when we are depressed. It’s normal to feel these emotions when we are in stressful situations. In children, anxiety and depression can manifest differently than it does in adults. We often see more dramatic signs of frustration, irritability, and even anger. Kids might be restless, withdraw socially, or lose their appetite.

Usually these conditions go away once conditions improve. For many children, however, anxiety or depression can drag on and on. It may get worse over time and might even start to interfere with their school life, social relationships, or daily activities. When it reaches this point, it is likely that the child has an anxiety or mood disorder that requires treatment from a child psychologist. Be assured that these conditions are highly treatable.

Traditionally, children who are undergoing treatment for anxiety or depression will see their therapist once or twice a week for 30-60 minute sessions. These sessions often continue for three to four months, but could go on much longer depending on the severity of the child’s disorder. However, a relatively new concept in psychotherapy, called intensive outpatient therapy, is showing promise for helping kids get better faster.

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The Connection Between Diet And Mental Health

Food And Mental Health – Is There A Connection?

If your child is hungry, be wary of letting them reach for the chips or soda – junk foods could affect their mood. In fact, recent studies are showing that food and mental health are more closely linked than we realize.

Felice Jacka, president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research reports that, “a very large body of evidence now exists that suggests diet is as important to mental health as it is to physical health. A healthy diet is protective and an unhealthy diet is a risk factor for depression and anxiety.”

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Suicide Contagion And The Parkland Tragedy

It’s just one month past the first anniversary of the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School and we have all been saddened to hear that two students who survived the attack recently took their lives within days of each other. Also, the father of a child who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings died this week in an apparent suicide. Now experts are concerned that these deaths may be the result of suicide contagion.

What Is Suicide Contagion?

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child looking at computer screens

Protecting Kids From The Momo Challenge

Recently, the media has been reporting that 2018’s online Momo challenge has resurfaced. They talk about children encountering it in seemingly innocent YouTube videos. Originating on WhatsApp, the reemergence of the scary social media game has prompted schools and police stations to issue warnings about the challenge so that parents can discuss it with their kids.

What Is The Momo Challenge?

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School Violence and PTSD

School Violence and PTSD

This week marks the first anniversary of the school shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. On February 14, 2018, 17 students and teachers were senselessly killed and 14 more were wounded.

Reflecting on the tragedy and remembering those who lost their lives will no doubt bring up strong emotions in some children. Even those who weren’t personally connected to the event may feel sad and re-experience a sense of loss. For some kids, the anniversary may even trigger or worsen symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Distressing events such as school shootings can affect children just like they can affect adults. In fact, it’s normal for kids to go through a range of emotions when they hear about a tragedy – they might have trouble sleeping or may express fear, sadness, anger, and grief.

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Destigmatizing Mental Health Services For Youth

Studies have shown that children in the United States have many mental health needs that remain unidentified. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that about 20% of the nation’s youth have or will have an emotional, mental, or behavioral disorder. Only about 7.4% of these children report having received any type of mental health services, however.

A 2014 National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) study by Jane Burns and Emma Birrell noted that many mental health problems escalate in adolescence and young adulthood. The effects of these under treated childhood mental health issues can be higher rates of substance abuse, anxiety, and depression, as well as suicidal ideation and self harm.

There is a stigma surrounding mental illness and its treatment. This disapproval is a barrier that keeps young people from seeking assistance. The consequence is that they are not receiving appropriate care, which translates to an increased chance of dropping out of school, employment or relationship problems, future incarceration, or even suicide.

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