by You Tube | Aug 9, 2019 | ADHD, Advocacy and Policy, Assessment and Diagnosis, Bipolar, Children and Teens, Emergency, Emergency Room, General, Hospital, kids, Mental Health and Wellness, psychiatric hold, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychology and Therapy News, Psychosis, Research, Schizophrenia, Teens
Children without health insurance who present to the emergency department (ED) for mental health issues are more likely to be transferred to another hospital compared to kids with private insurance, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California (UC) Davis Children’s Hospital and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry.
Previous research has shown a significant increase in the number of children and teens presenting to the ED for mental health issues. Between 2012 and 2016, hospital EDs saw a 55 percent jump in kids with mental health problems, according to findings presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018. The increase is highest among minorities.
Transferring a child from one hospital to another creates additional burdens for the patient, family and health care system as a whole. It can add to overcrowding in busy emergency departments, higher costs of care and higher out-of-pocket costs for the family.
For the study, the researchers analyzed a national sample of 9,081 acute mental health events among children in EDs. They looked at the patient’s insurance coverage and a hospital’s decision to admit or transfer patients with a mental health disorder.
“We found that children without insurance are 3.3 times more likely to be transferred than those with private insurance,” said Jamie Kissee Mouzoon, research manager for the Pediatric Telemedicine Program at UC Davis Children’s Hospital and first author on the study.
“The rate was even higher for patients presenting with bipolar disorder, attention-deficit and conduct disorders and schizophrenia.”
The findings, published in the journal Pediatric Emergency Care, reveal gaps in providing equitable and quality care to pediatric patients with mental health emergencies based on their insurance coverage.
According to James Marcin, senior author on the study, there are regulations in place to prevent EDs from making treatment decisions based on the patients’ insurance. Transferring a patient for any other reason than clinical necessity should be avoided.
“Unfortunately, the financial incentives are sometimes hard to ignore and can be even unconscious,” said Marcin, who also is director for the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology and leads the telemedicine program at UC Davis Health.
“What we have found in this study is consistent with other research that demonstrates that patients without health insurance are more likely to get transferred from clinic to clinic or hospital to hospital.”
Marcin is currently looking into how telemedicine — video visits delivered to the children who seek care in remote EDs — might be a solution to the tendency to transfer the patient to another hospital.
Source: University of California – Davis Health
by YouTube | May 31, 2019 | Anxiety, Brain and Behavior, Children and Teens, Depression, Emotion, Fmri, frontoinsular network, General, LifeHelper, Memory and Perception, Mental Health and Wellness, Mood Swings, negativity, Professional, Psychology, Psychology and Therapy News, Research, Students, Technology, Teens
A new study suggests an imbalance of functioning in attention-related brain systems may help forecast the course of teen depression.
Researchers discovered faulty connections between frontal and insular brain networks were associated with development of severe depression among teens. Moreover, researchers discovered the abnormal connection patterns predicted increased depressive symptoms two weeks later.
Proper coordination of frontoinsular brain networks help us regulate our attention between external goals and self-focused or emotional thinking.
“The teen years are a time of remarkable growth and opportunity, as young people forge new relationships, learn how to navigate intense emotions, and make the transition to independence. However, it is also during adolescence that a high and growing number of teens experience clinical depression and related mood problems for the first time,” said first author Roselinde Kaiser, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder.
The study appears in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
“Our challenge as clinicians, scientists, and parents, is: how do we predict which teens will experience mood problems in the near future?”
Dr. Kaiser and colleagues tested the idea of using fMRI to predict future mood health. They measured the activity of frontoinsular networks while adolescents played a difficult computer game involving emotional images. Current prediction tools mostly use self-reporting, which can be unreliable in teens.
“Our results showed that adolescents who showed imbalanced coordination across brain systems — that is, lower coordination among areas involved in goal-directed attention, and higher coordination among areas involved in self-focused thought — went on to report bigger increases in depression two weeks later, bigger mood swings, and higher intensity of negative mood in daily life,” said Dr. Kaiser.
Network functioning provided a better prediction of future mood health beyond current symptoms — a critical distinction, the authors write, as it suggests that frontoinsular network functioning could predict who might develop more severe depression between two teens with the same current symptoms.
“This very interesting study highlights the important role that frontoinsular circuits, measured using fMRI during the processing of emotional stimuli, may play in regulating our mood, and how impairment in the function of this network may underlie present and ongoing negative mood states,” said Cameron Carter, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
Although the study assessed mood health at only two weeks later, the findings indicate that frontoinsular network functioning may be useful to predict future mood health in teens.
Investigators explain that if their findings are confirmed in longer clinical studies, fMRI scans could provide a neurobiological risk predictor to help guide interventions to prevent severe depression.
Source: Elsevier
by YouTube | May 24, 2019 | Brain and Behavior, Cognitive Development, Environment, General, Health-related, Learning, LifeHelper, Memory and Perception, Mental Health and Wellness, Physical Activity, Professional, Psychology, Psychology and Therapy News, Research, Sleep, Social Psychology, Stress, Students, Teens
Getting good sleep is especially important during adolescence as teens are developing cognitive skills, learning to mitigate stress and formulating lifelong health behavioral habits.
While previous research suggests that adolescents need eight to ten hours of sleep a night, recent estimates suggest that as many as 73 percent of adolescents are getting less than eight.
In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Penn State researchers discovered that getting more exercise than normal — or being more sedentary than usual — for one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night.
Investigators performed a one-week micro-longitudinal study and found that when teenagers got more physical activity than they usually did, they got to sleep earlier, slept longer and slept better that night.
Specifically, the team found that for every extra hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, the teens fell asleep 18 minutes earlier, slept 10 minutes longer and had about one percent greater sleep maintenance efficiency that night.
“Adolescence is a critical period to obtain adequate sleep, as sleep can affect cognitive and classroom performance, stress, and eating behaviors,” said Lindsay Master, data scientist at Penn State.
“Our research suggests that encouraging adolescents to spend more time exercising during the day may help their sleep health later that night.”
Furthermore, the researchers also found that being sedentary more during the day was associated with worse sleep health. When participants were sedentary for more minutes during the day, they fell asleep and woke up later but slept for a shorter amount of time overall.
The paradox between obtaining additional physical activity and being a couch potato is revealing. Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, said the findings help illuminate the complex relationship between physical activity and sleep.
“You can think of these relationships between physical activity and sleep almost like a teeter totter,” Buxton said.
“When you’re getting more steps, essentially, your sleep begins earlier, expands in duration, and is more efficient. Whereas if you’re spending more time sedentary, it’s like sitting on your sleep health: sleep length and quality goes down.”
Previous research has also found that people who are generally more physically active tend to sleep longer and have better sleep quality. But the researchers said less has been known about whether day-to-day changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior affected sleep length and quality.
For this study, the researchers used data from 417 participants in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a national cohort from 20 United States cities. When the participants were 15 years old, they wore accelerometers on their wrists and hips to measure sleep and physical activity for one week.
“One of the strengths of this study was using the devices to get precise measurements about sleep and activity instead of asking participants about their own behavior, which can sometimes be skewed,” Master said.
“The hip device measured activity during the day, and the wrist device measured what time the participants fell asleep and woke up, and also how efficiently they slept, which means how often they were sleeping versus tossing and turning.”
In addition to finding links between how physical activity affects sleep later that night, the researchers also found connections between sleep and activity the following day.
They found that when participants slept longer and woke up later, they engaged in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior the next day.
“This finding might be related to a lack of time and opportunity the following day,” Master said. “We can’t know for sure, but it’s possible that if you’re sleeping later into the day, you won’t have as much time to spend exercising or even being sedentary.”
Buxton said improving health is something that can, and should, take place over time.
“Becoming our best selves means being more like our best selves more often,” Buxton said.
“We were able to show that the beneficial effects of exercise and sleep go together, and that health risk behaviors like sedentary time affect sleep that same night. So if we can encourage people to engage in more physical activity and better sleep health behaviors on a more regular basis, it could improve their health over time.”
In the future, the researchers will continue to follow up with the participants to see how health and health risk behaviors continue to interact, and how sleep health influences thriving in early adulthood.
Source: Penn State University
by YouTube | Nov 23, 2018 | Brain and Behavior, Children and Teens, Diet & Nutrition, Dinner, Eating Habits, Emotion, family, General, Health-related, LifeHelper, Mental Health and Wellness, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology and Therapy News, Research, Social Psychology, Teens
A new Canadian study shows that teens and young adults who sit down for family dinners — even when the family unit is less than functional — tend to have healthier eating habits than if they graze or fend for themselves at dinner time.
Lead researcher Kathryn Walton, dietitian and Ph.D. student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, conducted the study with family relations and applied nutrition professor Jess Haines.
“Gathering around the dinner table is sort of a magical thing,” Walton says. “It’s a time when families can slow down from their busy days to talk, spend time together and problem-solve. It’s also a time that parents can model healthful eating behaviours.”
The findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, reveal that when families sit down together, adolescents and young adults eat more fruits and veggies and consume fewer fast-food and takeout items.
The study involved more than 2,700 participants between 14 to 24 years old who were living with their parents in 2011. The young people were asked how often they sat down for dinner with their families, how well their family functions, and about their consumption of fruit and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food and takeout food.
The study found that family dinners are associated with better dietary intake for adolescents from both high and low functioning families.
“To reap the many benefits of family dinners, the meal doesn’t have to be a big drawn-out affair,” said Haines. “Even if it’s something you pull out of the freezer, add a bagged salad on the side and you’ll have a decent nutritional meal.”
Walton said many teens and young adults living at home are busy with evening extracurricular activities or part-time jobs, which makes it difficult to find time for dinner with family members. But finding that time once a day — even if it’s breakfast together — can be just as effective.
In addition, adolescents who help prepare food are more likely to eat it. Getting the whole family involved helps cut down on prep-time and teaches young people important food skills. Every meal together counts, start with one and sit down together more frequently as the family schedule allows.
Walton, who is currently working as a post-doctoral researcher at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, said she hopes to study ways to make it easier for busy families to have meals together. She said prepping weekday meals over the weekend can help families avoid last-minute fast food runs when bellies start to grumble.
“Our research found that family dinners are a great way to improve the dietary intake of the whole family, regardless of how well the family functions together,” said Walton. “Preparing and enjoying a meal together can also help families bond. It’s a win-win.”
Source: University of Guelph
by YouTube | Jul 27, 2018 | Advocacy and Policy, Anxiety, Assessment and Diagnosis, benefits of yoga, Biofeedback, Brain and Behavior, Children and Teens, Emotion, General, Health-related, LifeHelper, Meditation & Yoga, Memory and Perception, Mental Health and Wellness, Mindfulness, OCD, Panic Disorder, Phobias, Psychology, Psychology and Therapy News, PTSD, Research, Stress, Students, Teens
Anxiety affects approximately one in three American teens, with more than eight percent experiencing severe impairment in daily functioning. But according to a new review published in The Nurse Practitioner, mind-body therapies, such as mindfulness, yoga and hypnosis, can play a vital role in reducing the very common problem of adolescent anxiety.
“Mind-body therapies encompass self-regulation and positive thinking…to help promote self-control, physical health, and emotional well-being,” write Bernadette Fulweiler RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, and Rita Marie John DNP, EdD, CPNP-PC, DCC, of Columbia University School of Nursing, New York.
“A growing body of evidence supports the implementation of mind-body therapy as a low-risk and cost-effective strategy in the management of anxious teenagers.”
The researchers also emphasize the role of pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) in integrating screening and treatment for adolescents with anxiety. NPs can screen young patients for anxiety at every health visit and help create a personalized plan to treat it.
And while NPs are often highly supportive of alternative medicine practices, they need ongoing education regarding the benefits and methods of integrating mind-body medicine into patient care, according to the researchers.
“Whereas anxiety and fear are typical reactions to the academic, social, and developmental challenges common during the adolescent years, clinical or pathological anxiety is excessive, persistent, and disruptive,” according to the authors.
So while anxiety is often situational and temporary, many teens develop chronic anxiety lasting six months or longer.
But the recommended treatments for adolescent anxiety — cognitive behavioral therapy and/or antidepressant medications — have important limitations. They are expensive, often difficult to obtain, and in the case of antidepressants, can have side effects. In fact, research shows that most teens with mental health disorders, especially anxiety, do not receive any form of mental health care.
For the study, the researchers reviewed and analyzed published research on mind-body therapy for anxiety in teens, focusing on four approaches: mindfulness, yoga, hypnosis and biofeedback.
Mindfulness techniques involve aspects of meditation, body scanning, and mindful breathing to help focus attention on the present moment and separate from negative thoughts. Six studies showed positive effects of mindfulness approaches for teens with anxiety, including school-based programs in high-risk populations.
Yoga is one of the most popular mind-body therapies, with positive physical and mental effects including reduced anxiety. The researchers cite five studies, including four randomized trials, reporting positive effects of yoga in school settings.
Hypnosis involves using imagery and relaxation techniques to help control stress responses. The review identified three studies of hypnosis techniques to lower stress in adolescents, including a tele-hypnosis intervention to reduce anxiety-related absences in high school students.
Biofeedback involves becoming mindful of your body’s involuntary reactions (such as the feeling of anxiety arising in the body) through electrodes attached to the skin. Then through the power of your mind, you can gain more control over such reactions. The review identified four studies of biofeedback approaches, showing significant reductions in anxiety and stress in teens receiving heart-rate variability (HRV) monitoring and video game-based biofeedback.
The researchers conclude by saying that mind-body therapies can help to meet the “dire need” for affordable and accessible mental health strategies in pediatric primary care.
Source: Wolters Kluwer Health
by YouTube | Jun 10, 2018 | adolescent, Counseling, Depression, Psychology and Therapy News, Teens
Need an adolescent psychologist or therapist? Need a therapist for adolescent, teen or child counseling in Chicago? Live on the North Side in Lakeview, Uptown, Edgewater or the Gold Coast? Hoping to help your son […]
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