In the current issue of Time Tiffany Sharples asks the question why do some teens behave recklessly? Is it as a new study published in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics would suggest because of the belief that they’re doomed to die young anyway?
In a long-term analysis of 20,594 American teens in grades 7 through 12, researchers interviewed the youngsters on three different occasions: first in 1995, again in 1996, then a final follow-up from 2000 to 2001. At the first interview, 1.4% of participants thought there was “almost no chance” that they’d reach their mid-30s; 2.4% thought it was possible, but hugely unlikely; and 10.9% believed they had only about a 50-50 shot of celebrating their 35th birthday. Researchers discovered that those who believed they were likely to die young were more likely to make potentially life-threatening choices — such as getting into violent fights or having unprotected sex with multiple partners — than teens who weren’t expecting an early death. Link to continue reading
Source: Time
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Here’s a pretty worrying statistic a new national study 1 in 5 young adults need treatment for alcohol or illicit drug use. The study also showed that 1 in 10 young adults needing treatment receive it.
Nearly 7 million Americans aged 18 to 25 were classified as needing treatment in the past year for alcohol or illicit drug use according to a new national study. The study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also shows that that 93 percent of these young adults did not receive the help they needed at a specialty treatment facility. These levels have remained relatively stable since 2002. [continue reading…]
Does your teen have a bedtime? Did you? How do you enforce it?
According to a study led by Columbia University Medical Center researcher James Gangwisch teens whose parents let them stay up after midnight on weeknights have a much higher chance of being depressed or suicidal than teens whose parents enforce an earlier bedtime, the research is being presented today at a national sleep conference Link to continue reading
Source: USA Today
Image: iStockphoto
Although teen depression poses a widespread problem for which proven treatments exist, few depressed teens receive any care.
Why don’t they undergo treatment? The answer depends whether you ask parents or the adolescents themselves, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Medical Care.
“With teenagers, treatment decisions greatly involve other parties, especially parents. For instance, teenagers often rely on adults for transportation. Doctors need a sense not just of what the teen thinks or what the parent thinks, but what both think,” said Lisa Meredith, Ph.D., lead author of the new study.
The ability of their physicians to address all the perceived barriers “affects the teenager’s own ability to acknowledge their depression and do something about it,” said Meredith, a reseacher at RAND.
Teens with untreated depression more often have social and academic problems, become parents prematurely, abuse drugs and alcohol and suffer adult depression and suicide.
[continue reading…]
