News from the Field Archives - Page 21 of 47 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
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.”
Lessons Learned When Building the Evidence for a Child Welfare Practice Model
August 21, 2019 | Emily Taylor
Child Trends recently issued this brief for the child welfare field to highlight lessons learned from the evaluation of Success Coach, a post-reunification program developed by Catawba County, North Carolina. The authors also discuss the implications for other jurisdictions who may want to implement and evaluate similar post-reunification services. According to the authors, the new Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) “offers an opportunity for agency leaders and practitioners to begin to build evidence of success.”
Research on New Approach to Reduce Stress in Parents and Children
July 10, 2019 | Emily Taylor
Two recent studies led by Philip Fisher at the University of Oregon Center for Translational Neuroscience focus on combining neuroscience, psychology and biology to address childhood mental health. One study used video-coaching to help caregivers recognize child-supportive behavior and the other looks at the relationship between oxidative stress and psychological disorders in children.
Study on Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care
July 10, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A study published in the July 2019 issue of Pediatrics tested an integrated behavioral health model in a large, primary pediatric care network in the Boston, MA area for five years. The findings suggest that integrating behavioral health (BH) in the pediatric setting can increase access to quality BH services without adding substantial costs.
How Coaching Boosts Family Engagement
June 11, 2019 | Emily Taylor
This brief from the Global Family Research Project describes some of the results of the Family and Community Technical Assistance (FACE-TA) project’s TA to Early Head Start sites in California. The brief includes short case studies highlighting the changes implemented as a result of the TA, such as including families in the planning of family engagement activities.
CHDI IMPACT Report: Helping Young Children Exposed to Trauma
June 6, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A new IMPACT report from the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc. (CHDI), provides a summary of the research on the effects of early trauma exposure and outlines Connecticut’s approach to early intervention, which can be useful for other programs. The report notes there are unique challenges in identifying the effects of trauma in very young children. Many young children not enrolled in early education programs and trauma symptoms are often misinterpreted as developmental delays or behavior problems. The report includes case studies on interventions in different settings and outlines key elements of trauma-informed systems.
More Research on Pervasive Effects of Childhood Trauma
June 6, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A research study published recently provided further evidence of the long-term negative impact caused by growing up in poverty and experiencing traumatic events as a child. The study’s senior author Ruben C. Gur, Ph.D., a professor of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology, and director of the Brain Behavior Laboratory, said “Parents and educators should become more aware of the special needs of children who are exposed to either adversity. Additionally, mental health professionals should be particularly on notice that traumatic events are associated not only with PTSD, but with elevations across domains including mood, anxiety, and psychosis.”
Study Finds Suicide Rate for Girls Increasing Faster than for Boys
June 6, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A recent NPR story reported on the results of a study analyzing changes in suicide rate trends. Based on analysis of more than 85,000 youth suicides between 1975 and 2016, researchers found a major shift occurred after 2007.The “increase was highest for girls ages 10 to 14, rising by nearly 13% since 2007. While for boys of the same age, it rose by 7%.”
In the commentary by Joan Luby and Sarah Kertz that accompanied the journal article, the authors conclude: “Increasing rates of suicidality may be the ‘canary in the coal mine’ signaling important health concerns arising from the increased and pervasive use of social media affecting child and adolescent development. Such a signal in general health would raise great alarm and calls to action, and it must not go unheeded in mental health.”
New Spanish Language Resource for Parents from NIMH
May 14, 2019 | Emily Taylor
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has published a Spanish version of their brochure, “Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?”
This resource is designed to help families and caregivers identify symptoms, treatment options and resources to help their children.
Child Trends Brief: How to Implement Trauma-Informed Care to Build Resilience to Childhood Trauma
May 13, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A recent Child Trends brief summarizes current research on childhood trauma and outlines a framework for implementing trauma-informed care in programs and services for children and families.