4 Troubled Teens Blog

Boys who eat more fish than average are less likely to be depressed, according to a new study from Japan.

• Researchers studied 3,067 boys and 3,450 girls ages 12 to 15 years old.
• Based on their scores on a scale from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression, 22% of the boys and 31% of the girls were depressed.
• Having a diet high in fish provided some protection to boys against being depressed, but the same was not true for girls.

The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: depression, diet, nutrition, boys

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

A new program in Memphis aims to keep track of teenagers convicted of gun-related crimes. It’s a step up from previous programs that handed down probation sentences which didn’t do much to deter future illegal behavior.

Police Director Larry Godwin says many of the 150 minors arrested with guns last year were allowed to return home on probation. He says the result is, they don’t fear the system.

The new initiative allows police and court officials to supervise the teen for one year through an ankle bracelet. But unlike some other tracking devices, these would keep a record of everywhere the detainee goes. [Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal]

The Memphis program is part of a $2 million, nationwide effort to reduce violent crime by electronically tracking the perpetrators.

Labels: prevention, criminals

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Studies presented at the American Psychological Association meeting in early August showed that trauma suffered during childhood can trigger a host of challenges.

"Our latest research shows that those reporting multiple adversities could shorten their life span by seven to 15 years," says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a health psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. "What we have is clear evidence that adverse childhood experience may have lasting, measurable consequences."  [Source: DailyComet.com]

More than 130 adult participants completed questionnaires for the study, answering questions about their childhoods. Those whose parents had severe marital problems, witnessed abuse or were victims of abuse were more likely to show symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Labels: depression, anxiety, trauma

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Fourteen-year-old Brooke enjoys teaching Moose the Rottweiler how to obey. She feels accomplished helping Moose learn how to be a service dog for an Iraq War veteran. And in the process of teaching Moose, Brooke learns some things, too.

Brooke and Moose are participating in Teenage 180, a Tennessee-based Christian outreach program sponsored by the husband-and-wife team of Ronnie and Lisa Pollard:

“’It helps the animals, and it helps the teenagers as they work with them because they can relate to not having anyone who cares,’ said Ronnie, who added that some of the youths have been featured on Animal Planet’s ‘Last Chance Highway’ cable-TV series on rescued and adopted pets.” [Source: The Commercial Appeal]

Teenage 180 has several corporate sponsors, and is in the process of receiving is 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

Labels: outreach, animals

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A new study appearing in the American Journal of Psychiatry reports that individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) may have opioid deficiencies and may therefore benefit from that family of drugs. These patients are at risk for alcoholism and substance abuse, including addiction to opiates.

BPD patients have a high suicide rate, have trouble functioning in everyday life, and use up more mental health resources than average psychiatric patients. It is a common disorder, affecting about six out of every 100 people, and characterized by moodiness, overreactions to interpersonal triggers, and psychic pain caused by the inability to become close to other people.

Researchers induced sad and happy feelings in patients with borderline personalities and healthy people, and then compared opioid activities in their brains. There were distinct differences between the two groups, which may be related to a genetic component.

People with borderline personalities often cut themselves. The reason is that cutting releases natural opioid painkillers. This new study may indicate that taking artificial opioids could help these patients.
 

Labels: borderline personality disorder, opioids

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

New research out of China finds that kids who spend an excessive amount of time online are at increased risk of becoming depressed teens. Dr. Lawrence Lam of the School of Medicine in Sydney studied over 1,000 teenagers and their Internet usage for nine months.

Lam studied 1,041 teens aged 13 to 18 from high schools in Guangzhou, China, and measured internet use with the Pathological use of the Internet Test (including such questions as "How often do you feel depressed, moody or nervous when you are offline, which goes away once you are back online?" [Source: Psych Central]

At the end of nine months, depression was two-and-a-half times as prevalent among teens who had “problematic” Internet-use habits. Dr. Lam believes his study shows a more concrete cause-and-effect relationship between excessive Internet use and depression.

Labels: depression, internet

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Country music star Jimmy Wayne can finally go home and rest. His seven-month journey, which spanned 1,700 miles ended on Sunday at HomeBase Youth Services in Phoenix.

“Wayne started the ‘Meet Me Halfway’ campaign Jan. 1 in Nashville with the goal of walking halfway across the country for at-risk youth, specifically for those in danger of aging out of the foster care system with no support or resources.” [Source: Associated Press]

Wayne was sporting a walking cast as he made his way into Phoenix, haven broken his foot earlier in his trek. The issue of youth homelessness is personal to Wayne, who grew up in the foster care system and endured a time of homeless himself.

Labels: awareness, homelessness

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Gang violence is usually carried out with guns, and often by teenagers. Indianapolis, Indiana has been trying to get a handle on teen gun violence this summer, and they have a lot of work to do.

“On 18 separate occasions in the past 30 days, Metro Police have taken guns away from teens. On July 1st, it was an 18-year-old with a .22 caliber. On the same day a 17-year-old with a .38 revolver; July 5th, a 15-year-old with a handgun and on July 17th, two 14-year-olds, a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old were arrested because they were riding in a car with a stolen 9mm handgun sitting on the back seat.” [Source: WTHR-TV (IN)]

Metro Police Chief Paul Ciesielski says the biggest challenge is figuring out where teens are getting the guns. The police patrol known hot-spots, where they weapons are rumored to be purchased, and they also encourage community members to call local police if they have any additional information.

Labels: violence, gangs

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

One in every three children or teenagers undergoing psychiatric care has trouble sleeping, according to a new study from Hasbro Children's Hospital in Rhode Island. Their doctors are very likely to recommend sleeping pills.

• Dr. Judith Owens and her colleagues surveyed 1,273 doctors who belong to the American Academy of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry.
• While the vast majority expressed concern about prescribing medications or recommending over-the-counter drugs for insomnia to children, such treatment was the most common clinical practice.
• The doctors in the survey were less likely to tell pediatric patients to use nondrug approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and sleep restriction.

"The most important rationale for the use of sleep medication among child psychiatrists is to manage the effects of sleep disruption on daytime functioning. It is important to note that concerns about side effects and the lack of evidence regarding their effectiveness were cited as significant barriers to their use," said Dr. Owens.

The study appears in the journal Sleep Medicine.
 

Labels: sleep, sleep problems

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More evidence of the importance of healthy relationships: Social isolation is as harmful to your health as being alcoholic, obese, or smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to new study from Brigham Young University.

Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad and her colleagues followed 308,849 people, average age 64 years old, for over seven years. Those who had strong personal ties to family and friends lived about four years longer than those weaker social alliances.

"This effect is not isolated for older adults," said researcher Timothy Smith. "Relationships provide a level of protection across all ages. ... Constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but also directly to our physical health."

The study appears in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal.

Labels: relationships, health

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