Brain Development Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
Parental Trauma Leaves Biological Traces in Children
September 23, 2022 | NWI
Parental adverse experiences may influence the next generation through multiple pathways. The most apparent route runs through parental behavior, but influences during gestation and even changes in eggs and sperm may also play a role. And all these channels seem to involve epigenetics: alterations in the way that genes function. This article from Scientific American reviews research and implications.
Challenges for Families of Special-Needs Children Adopted from Overseas
August 7, 2022 | NWI
For years, evangelical Christians were enthusiastic supporters of adoption by sponsoring conferences, targeting adoption-friendly Sundays and staging adoption fairs in parish halls. Thousands of overseas children got new homes. Leading the way were evangelical luminaries such as recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman (three daughters from China) and then-Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore (two sons from Russia). Enthusiastic parents took up the challenge, traveling overseas for one or more children, even adopting special needs kids whose home countries were not interested in their care. More than a decade after this movement peaked, many families who went overseas are in crisis mode.
New Resources to Teach Children Coping Skills
April 4, 2022 | NWI
The Child Mind Institute has released a series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills.
Loneliness Damages Children’s Mental Health and Their Grades
April 4, 2022 | NWI
Children who feel lonely are more likely to leave school with worse grades than classmates who never experience loneliness. Even a temporary bout of loneliness at age 12 puts children at risk of worse qualifications when they leave school up to six years later, according to a new study.
Childhood Stress and Adult Chronic Disease
February 24, 2022 | NWI
How is ongoing, severe stress and adversity in early childhood connected to chronic disease in adults? And, what can we do about it? In this animated video from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, learn what the latest science tells us about how early experiences affect not only early learning and school readiness, but also lifelong health.
Living Near Woodlands Is Good for Children’s Mental Health
September 12, 2021 | NWI
Analysis of children and young people’s proximity to woodlands has shown links with better cognitive development and a lower risk of emotional and behavioral problems, in new research that could influence planning decisions in urban areas.
Contribute to Understanding of Mental Health and Neuroscience While Playing Phone Games
May 9, 2021 | NWI
Brain Explorer is an app produced by neuroscientists from University College London (UCL). The app presents games exploring outer space and questionnaires that will help gather information about how the brain works and how it is linked to mood and behavior.
Study: Aggressive Video Games Are Not a Risk Factor for Mental Health Problems
January 15, 2021 | NWI
A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that aggressive behavior was predicted by having deviant peers and specific personality traits, especially low agreeableness. Violent video game exposure had no long-term effects on aggressive behaviors.
Screen Time and the Mental Health of Children
March 9, 2020 | Maria Hermsen-Kritz
Researchers studying the results of questionnaires filled out by thousands of children ages 9 to 11 and their parents have found associations between electronic media use and mental health, although they say the magnitude of the impact they measured is statistically small.
Study: Possible Genetic Link between Children’s Language and Mental Health
August 21, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A recent study led by the University of York found a possible genetic link between children with language disorders and poor mental health. The researchers analyzed genetic data from more than 5,000 children, clinical assessments on children’s language ability, and questionnaire responses from parents. The lead researcher, Umar Toseeb, said, “If our findings are confirmed in future work, it could mean that, rather than wait for children with developmental language disorder to show symptoms of poor mental health before intervening, mental health support is put in place as soon as language difficulties become apparent, as a preventative measure.”