Social networking sites can be great places for teenagers to make friends and find acceptance. But they can also enhance feelings of grief, sorrow and despair.

"Cyberspace is fertile ground for suicide contagion. It provides a forum for prolonged and excessive grieving in a highly charged, emotional atmosphere - precisely the kind of atmosphere psychologists warn to avoid. ... It is also unmonitored by all but the most vigilant parents."

Psychologist and counselor Scott Poland warns that continued exposure to tragedy, especially suicide, puts a teenager at increased risk. It's a healthy warning for parents to pay attention to the social networking worlds in which their children spend so much time.

Labels: depression, influences, internet

It's a title sure to capture the attention of any teen that sees the ad. "Sex... With Mom and Dad" is the name of a new show on MTV feature Dr. Drew Pinsky.

"...the half-hour long show will feature Celebrity Rehab's Dr. Drew, who will discuss certain tips and guidelines when it comes to parent-children dialogue involving teens and topics such as sex, dating and relationships."

The show will also cover specific issues related to sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and other topics. The show was scheduled to premiere on September 29. Source: BuddyTV

Labels: communication, parental_involvement, sex

When Lucy was 14, whenever she felt overwhelmed by pressure or despair, she didn't turn to parents, school counselors or friends - she turned to blades or bottles of pills. Now 21, Lucy admits making at least seven suicide attempts.

"That's an attitude that doesn't surprise Tillie Black Bear, chairman of the Rosebud Suicide Task Force. She is convinced that it exists to a greater extent than many people on her reservation are willing to believe."

Children who grow up on reservations often deal with levels of alcoholism, poverty, and gangs that most kids don't ever experience. This makes them far more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, experts say. Source: Argus Leader (Sioux Fall, MD)

Labels: cutting, drinking, suicide

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed a multi-million dollar plan to curb teen violence and keep kids away from drugs and gangs. At his press conference announcing the plan, Nickels said it's time to "fundamentally change" the model used for dealing with teen violence.

"Locally-run programs will target hundreds of at risk kids in their early teens in central, southwest and southeast Seattle, where the problems are most acute. The programs will help them stay in school and get job training, manage their anger and back away from the cycle of crime after early scrapes with the law."

Community support networks will also be created in the same three areas, and will be coordinated by Southwest Youth and Family Services, The Urban League of Seattle, and the Atlantic Street Center. Source: King5 News (Seattle, WA)

Labels: community, prevention

A study of young teenagers with bipolar disorder found that those who participated in 21 family-focused therapy sessions recovered more quickly than those who had only three sessions during the same nine-month period. Both groups took medications.

Dr. David Miklowitz and his colleagues at the University of Colorado in Boulder divided 58 teens (average age: 14.5) into two groups. Thirty teens and their families participated in 21 50-minute sessions to improve communication skills, problem solving, and knowledge about bipolar disorder. The other 28 teens had only three 50-minute sessions dealing with relapse prevention.

The group that had more psychotherapy recovered from depression more quickly and spent less time in depressive episodes. There were no differences in recovery rates or elapsed time between depressive episodes.

This study appears in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Labels: bi-polar, therapy, treatment_programs

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health links the consumption of energy drinks with substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, and other self-destructive behaviors.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo in New York surveyed 800 college undergraduates for their study. The ones who consumed energy drinks were three times more likely to smoke, abuse drugs, and become physically violent.

More than two-thirds mixed the highly caffeinated energy beverages with alcohol, falsely believing that caffeine counteracts the numbing effect of alcohol.

The researchers speculated that the drinks themselves contribute to the self-destructive behaviors by chemically altering the body.

"Young people's bodies are physiologically not matured yet, so this kind of stuff has a greater impact on them than it does on adults," said Bernie Storms, director of the Family Guidance Center for Behavioral Healthcare addiction treatment services. "Also, when someone comes down off of alcohol and caffeine at the same time, they are not going to feel very well at all."

Labels: desctructive-behaviors, energy-drinks, risky_behaviors

Fewer psychiatrists are offering patients psychotherapy, according to a study from Johns Hopkins University. Instead, they are more likely to prescribe drugs. Patient visits that used to be 45-minute psychotherapy sessions are now more likely to last only 15 minutes.

Dr. Ramin Mojtabai analyzed data from psychiatrists' offices from 1996 to 2005, and found that psychotherapy visits dropped from 44 percent in 1996 to 29 percent in 2005. Other studies have shown that certain patients, including teenagers with depression, have the best chance of recovery if they receive both medication and psychotherapy.

Dr. Eric Plakun, a member of the American Psychiatric Association's Committee on Psychotherapy, said doctors have entered into "the age of the brain," and now focus on the biology of mental illness. He noted that some patients receive therapy from social workers or mental health professionals.

"Either way I'm worried about our patients," he said, because patients should be offered "a range of services," not just medication.

"If all you have is a hammer," he said, "everything looks like a nail."

This study appears in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Labels: mental_health, psychiatric_illness, therapy