School performance

anxious-childSpaceships and robots are being used as themes in a set of computer games to boost children’s memory skills as part of a unique research project which hopes to reduce childhood anxiety and improve academic performance. The researchers have been given a grant from children’s charity Action Medical Research.

Anxiety is common during childhood. Evidence suggests up to one in twenty children and adolescents experience an anxiety disorder.[1] Anxious children can worry excessively about all sorts of things – conversations they’ve had, things they’ve done, upcoming events, their health, how good they are at sport or school work, world events and so on.

Children can worry so much that they feel ill and start avoiding everyday activities, such as going to school or out with friends, or taking up a hobby. They may feel sick, breathless, dizzy or panic, and can complain that their tummy hurts. They can also be tearful, irritable or restless, and find it difficult to concentrate or to sleep.

The two-year research project is being carried out thanks to a grant award of £83,282 from Action Medical Research – the leading UK-wide medical research charity dedicated to helping babies and children. [continue reading…]

Sleeping in school

Up to 10% of children starting school suffer from sleep disturbances and these may lead to poor performance or behavioral difficulties. In the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, the child and adolescent psychiatrist Gerd Lehmkuhl and his colleagues present the results of a study from Cologne, Germany. [continue reading…]