It's no secret that moving is as stressful (if not more so) for children as it is for parents. But a new study has found that it may be far more harmful that previously thought.

The degree to which frequent moves can inflict psychological damage on young people was the topic of a June 26 article by MSNBC.com contributor Linda Carroll:

Psychologists have known for years that moves can be distressing for kids. But a new study shows that the impact on some adolescents may be far more devastating than anyone thought. The study, published in the Archives of Psychiatry, found that kids aged 11 to 17 were twice as likely to attempt suicide if their families moved three or more times compared to those who had never moved.

And, if the family moved more than 10 times, the children were four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who had never moved.

For the new study, researchers looked at data from 4,160 Danish children who were brought to hospitals after attempting suicide, as well as 79 who had succeeded in their suicide attempts. These children, all between the ages of 11 and 17, were compared to 124,800 adolescents who had not made suicide attempts.

"Adolescence is an inherently turbulent time for children, and moves may be more traumatic in some cases," the study's lead author, Dr. Ping Qin of the University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark, told MSNBC.

Labels: family, risky_behaviors, suicide

They all had their own reasons for dropping out: Megan fell in with the wrong crowd, Jennifer's dad died, Janae was told she wasn't smart enough. And the stories go on.

But at the Life Skills Center in Clearwater, Florida, these stories with different beginnings all had the same ending: a high school diploma.

"Life Skills is a charter school under Pinellas County that offers students an alternative school setting where they can attend school for three to five hours a day year-round to help work around work and family obligations," the Clearwater Beacon reported. "Specialized teachers supervise the class and offer one-on-one help for students struggling with the material."

On August 20, 2008, the Life Skills Center opened with just six students. Today there are more than three hundred. Janae not only has her diploma, but also her CNA (certified nursing assistant) certificate, the Beacon reported. Her goal is to attend college, get a bachelor's degree, and become a registered nurse. Though she was once homeless, she now has a cottage apartment of her own.

Labels: education, students

Parents, school administrators, and other concerned individuals are searching for answers in the wake of two teen suicides and a suicide attempt by a third, all of whom were students at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif. A June 5 article by NBC Bay Area reporters Owen Thomas and George Kiriyama provided the following details:

A month ago, JP Blanchard, a junior at Gunn, walked in front of a Caltrain. This week, 17-year-old Sonya Raymakers also killed herself by crossing in front of a commuter train. She was due to graduate in two weeks. Her parents are holding a funeral service on Friday.

At 8:30 p.m. [June 4], the third Gunn student, who has not been identified, was caught by his mother attempting to cross the Caltrain tracks. ...

This latest suicide attempt took place even as parents and students attended a meeting at a community center in Palo Alto to discuss suicide and depression.

"It sets up a kind of pattern where somebody has been having thoughts about it might find it easier to do," said Dr. Bruce Bienenstock, a child psychiatrist. "I think it puts us all higher on alert to be sensitive to what's going on with them right now."

Teen suicide has been associated with a number of causes, including teen depression, anxiety, poor self-image, bullying, and drug and alcohol abuse.

Labels: suicide, teenagers

He helped lead the U.S. military through Operation Desert Storm, and later led the nation's diplomatic effort as Secretary of State. Now, according to a June 18 CNN article, retired four-star general Colin Powell is taking aim at another major challenge: the high dropout rate among U.S. high school students:

A 2008 study by America's Promise Alliance, a group founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, concluded that only 52 percent of students in the nation's 50 largest school systems graduate in four years.

About 57 percent of Hispanic and 53 percent of African-American students graduate with a regular diploma in four years, according to the study, which puts the national graduation rate at 70 percent.

"Finishing high school is absolutely basic to being a success at any place in our society. We can't afford this," Powell said.

"If we lose these youngsters from our educational system, it doesn't mean they're all going to jail," Powell said. "It just means they're not going to have the same earning potential as they would if they finished school. And ultimately that will affect them, and it will affect the nation."

America's Promise Alliance hopes to hold 100 dropout prevention summits throughout the United States, CNN reported.

Labels: dropouts, prevention, schools

Law enforcement officials in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are have seen enough cases of teenage prescription drug abuse to consider it a major threat. The fight against prescription drug abuse, however, is aimed at not at the teens themselves, but at their parents. A June 21 article by Daniel Victor of the Patriot News provides details:

"We're seeing more and more prescribed drug abuse among young people, and part of it is the accessibility," said Dennis McMaster, police chief at the East Pennsboro Police Department. "They're stealing it from mom and dad, grandma and grandpa." ...

Some teenagers tend to think the drugs are safer than street drugs because they've been prescribed to someone, said [Lt. Gary Seefeldt of the Lower Paxton Police Department]. But experts say they carry just as much risk.

"They sometimes carry the veneer of safety, but when kids are abusing them and using them recreationally, these are highly addicting medications," [Elizabeth Planet, who manages Columbia University's annual teen survey] said. "They're not safe when used not as prescribed."

A recent media campaign by the White House helped increase awareness of prescription drug dangers among parents from forty to eighty percent.

A 2008 survey by Columbia University found that teenagers feel prescription drugs are easier to get than beer. It also found that 65 percent of prescription drugs that teens abuse came from parents or parents of friends.

Labels: parental_involvement, police, prescription_drug_abuse, teenagers

A new survey of teenagers reports that they are experiencing an increase in teen dating violence and other types of abuse from within their peer groups.

About one-third of surveyed teens told researchers that they have experienced sexual or physical abuse and threats. Almost half said their girlfriend or boyfriend has shown overly controlling behaviors, and one in four has been a victim of abuse through technology. The survey was conducted by the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Liz Claiborne Foundation.

Some experts believe that dating violence and peer abuse is increasing because of stress caused by the current economic recession.

Since 2007, all public school districts have been required to have dating violence policies and education for students in grades seven through 12.

Labels: dating, teen_issues, violence

Three drug companies have asked the Federal Drug Administration's review board to approve the use of antipsychotic drugs for children as young as 10 years old who have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

A June 5 Reuters article by Lisa Richwine and Susan Heavey provided the following details about the request:

The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to approve AstraZeneca's Seroquel, Pfizer's Geodon and Eli Lilly and Co's Zyprexa for children and teens with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. All three are blockbuster medicines already sold for adults.

An FDA panel meets next week to make recommendations on the companies' bids to promote the drugs for children and teens.

Doctors can already prescribe them for children, but FDA approval would allow companies to promote the drugs, with combined sales of over $10 billion a year, more widely.

The request was followed by criticisms from organizations who are concerned about the effects of antipsychotic drugs on children.

"The studies done so far on these drugs provide almost no information about the long-term effects of them on children," said Diana Zuckerman of the National Research Center for Women and Families.

Labels: antipsychotic, bipolar, children, fda, medications, schizophrenia