Featured News

Articles from October 2010

• Golf helps teen with autism

  Current research suggests that alternative therapies, such as wilderness programs, are beneficial in the treatment of teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Charlie Bristow, a 13-year-old with an ASD, has been taking golf lessons and practicing at the driving range, news channel WCCO reports. more...

• Adderall abuse on the rise

  According to a study done by the National Center On Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, between 1993 to 2005 teen usage of prescription drugs increased 93 percent. more...

• Pennsylvania transit authority making efforts to curtail DUIs

  In an effort to prevent motorists from driving while under the influence of prescription and over-the-counter medication, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police are launching a campaign. PennDOT will work with state and municipal police departments throughout the week before Halloween to step up impaired-driving enforcement, with increased emphasis on driving under the influence of drugs. more...

• Teen finds relief from anxiety after receiving service dog

  In order to help teens with emotional and psychological conditions, a number of mental health programs are giving adolescents service dogs to help them with their daily routines. For example, Montana native Seth Marshall - a teen who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder - noticed that his life improved drastically after receiving a service dog, news channel KULR8 reports. more...

• Teen with Tourette's raises money for children with special needs

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, findings show that 3 out of every 1,000 children between the ages of six and 17 suffer from Tourette's Syndrome. more...

• Parents start teen music program to promote self-esteem

  Two parents from Needham, Massachusetts founded Plugged In, which is a teen music program designed to promote self-esteem. The Christian Science Monitor reports that over the past nine years, the program has affected the lives of about 400 teenagers. more...

• Research suggests half of U.S. teens have a mental disorder

  According to a new study, around half of U.S. teens meet the criteria for a mental disorder and nearly one in four report having a mood, behavior or anxiety disorder that interferes with daily life. The study, which is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, shows that 51 percent of boys and 49 percent of girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years old have a mood, behavior, anxiety or substance use disorder. more...

• Movie star admits former self-esteem issues

  This week, Rachael Leigh Cook, who rose to fame with the movie She's All That, recently told the media that she is on a campaign against Photoshop. Pop Eater reports that the starlet believes doctored images of celebrities have a potentially negative effect on young people's self-esteem. more...

• Teen with neuropsychiatric illnesses designs successful line of t-shirts

  According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, as many as one in 200 children and adolescents struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). more...

• Study shows teens unlikely to admit illegal substance abuse, even before drug test

  New research by Wayne State University and Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit shows that teens may deny drug use, even in the face of an impending positive drug test. more...

• Youth ministry organization seeks to help troubled teens

  In an effort to help teens who are suffering from severe depression, self-mutilation and addiction, Scott Brinson founded My Broken Place, a youth ministry organization that seeks to offer hope. more...

• Underage drinking still a major issue for many teens

  Underage and excessive drinking by high school and college students has been recognized as a problem for a long time, but recent studies have confirmed that rates of binge drinking are continuing to rise. more...

• CDC reports that sex education may lead to lower rates of teen pregnancy

  According to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a large disparity in rates of teen pregnancy between states, with Southern states often having much higher rates, All Headline News reports. more...

• Long Island parents, police and school officials seek to curb teen drug use

  Each month, parents of Long Island teenagers meet for Drug Free Massapequa meetings. The initiative is designed to curtail the number of teen overdoses and fatalities that are related to recreational drug use. more...

• Program seeks to raise awareness of cyber security among teens

  More than half of American teens worry about safety on the Internet and know someone their age who has been targeted by hurtful electronic communications, according to survey results recently released by the Chicago youth-market research firm TRU. Nearly a third of surveyed teens have been targets themselves, The Christian Science Monitor reports. more...

• Schools across the country are issuing Fat Talk Free Week

  According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as many as 10 million women are living with some type of eating disorder. In an effort to help women improve their self-esteem, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has issued a Fat Talk Free Week, which is a national campaign to eliminate language harmful to body image, KansasCity.com reports. more...

• Study may help doctors more effectively treat children with OCD

  New research is showing doctors how to better predict how a child with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) may respond to treatment. United Press International reports that researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center in Providence, Rhode Island say OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts or obsessions, in addition to repetitive behaviors or compulsions. more...

• Survey shows increase in teen marijuana use

  According to data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more kids and teens are smoking marijuana at younger ages. more...

• Parents can help teens with ADHD stay calm and organized

  Teens who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often need to follow daily rules in order to stay focused and organized. To reduce the daily stress of keeping a routine, parents of ADHD sufferers can follow a few simple behaviors to help their child, ADDitude reports. more...

• Meditation may help alleviate stress and anxiety

  According to researchers from Emory University, a meditation practice invented more than 1,000 years ago may have real health benefits for people today. CNN reports that the scientists are looking at how an ancient Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice called Lojong may help reduce stress. more...

• Apple creates iPhone app to prevent teen sexting

  In an effort to prevent teen sexting, Apple's latest iPhone app will clean up text messages. more...

• Parents have many tools to help their bullied child

  Victims of bullying are often chosen for reasons outside of their control, such as physical appearance, disability, perceived sexual orientation and jealousy, among others. Parents may not be able to prevent teen bullying, but they can address the issue once it occurs, Psychology Today reports. more...

• Teen girls may have increased health risks associated with heavy drinking

  Although alcohol addiction is often seen as a men's issue, this condition is increasingly affecting women across the country. Often this problem begins during teen years, when adolescent girls are exposed to alcohol at parties and social settings. While teenagers may act as though their partying is a passing phase, many cannot escape their growing addiction. This issue has immediate repercussions, but long-term health problems may exist as well. more...

• Children with ADHD may be more likely to become depressed

  Children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have more challenges to overcome than their peers. Recent research shows that these challenges may include depression and suicidal ideation. more...

• Self-injury increasingly common among girls with eating disorders

  In recent years, many specialists have noticed a startling trend among eating disorder patients. Self-injurious behavior is becoming increasingly common among those with these conditions. more...

• Reality TV star "Snooki" admits former eating disorder

  As many as 10 million females suffer from eating disorders in the U.S., and more than half of teenage girls engage in unhealthy weight-control behaviors, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Because of the secretiveness and shame associated with anorexia and bulimia, the conditions often go untreated. more...