News from the Field Archives - Page 27 of 49 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
Research on Benefits of Mindfulness Education in School
February 1, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A recent study compared groups of sixth graders in a Boston-area school: one group participated in an eight week mindfulness curriculum taught by Calmer Choice, a Massachusetts nonprofit, and the other group took computer coding during that time.The mindfulness group reported being less stressed and and having better self control after the program. About half of the participants agreed to brain scans as well. The results indicate that the mindfulness group responded less to negative stimuli after the course.
Youth Suicide Screening
January 16, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A report published online in September 2018 in Psychosomatics, “Suicide Risk Screening in Pediatric Hospitals: Clinical Pathways to Address a Global Health Crisis,” authored in part by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), offers guidance on implementation of suicide risk screening in medical settings. According to an NIMH news release about the report, “studies have found that a majority of youth who died by suicide visited a health care provider or medical setting in the month prior” to their deaths. The report outlines a clinical pathway model, which includes using an NIMH-IRP screening tool with all youth.
Federal Commission on School Safety Resource Guide
January 16, 2019 | Emily Taylor
The Federal Commission on School Safety issued a 177-page report on school safety in December. Based on months of research including site visits to successful programs and expert testimony, the report offers findings and recommendations in three sections: Prevent; Protect & Mitigate, and Respond & Recover. The Prevent section includes recommendations on incorporating mental health programs in schools with details on existing programs and research based practices.
Rate of Children in Foster Care Increased in 39 States in 2017
January 3, 2019 | Emily Taylor
A new Child Trends post on the 2017 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data shows that in 2017 the number of children and youth in foster care in the U.S. rose for the 5th consecutive year, to 443,000, with 39 states experiencing an increase in the rate of children in foster care.
Prevalence and Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and Conduct Problems in US Children
December 12, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Research published recently in the Journal of Pediatrics analyzed data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), in which parents provided information on whether their children aged 3-17 years old had ever been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and/or conduct problems. Survey results show that among children aged 3-17 years, 7.1% had current anxiety problems, 7.4% had a current behavioral/conduct problem, and 3.2% had current depression. Treatment rates were higher for those with depression diagnoses (nearly 80% of those with depression received treatment in the previous year) and lower for those with anxiety and behavioral/conduct diagnoses (59.3% of those with anxiety diagnoses, and 53.5% of those with behavioral/conduct problems had received treatment in the previous year).The researchers concluded the results indicate a prevalence of these conditions and existing treatment gaps to be addressed.
SOAR Online Course Available
December 5, 2018 | Emily Taylor
The SOAR Online Course: Child Curriculum, launched by SAMHSA and Policy Research Associates, Inc., is designed to train case managers to assist children and youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder to apply for the Social Security Administration’s disability program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Parent Survey Shows One in 40 Children in U.S. Receive Autism Diagnoses
November 27, 2018 | Emily Taylor
An analysis of parent survey data for about 43,000 children aged 3-17 from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health showed that 2.5 percent of parents reported their child had received a diagnosis of autism. In addition, parents of children with autism were 44 percent more likely to report difficulty getting their children needed mental health treatment.
Mental Health Diagnoses Among US Children Continue to Increase
November 16, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Research presented this month at the American Academy of Pediatrics based on an analysis of Pediatric Health Information System data from 45 children’s hospitals around the country, showed that from 2012 to 2016 the number of emergency department visits due to mental health concerns went from 50.4 per 100,000 visits, to 78.5 per 100,000 visits. In addition they found that non-Latino black children and adolescents were seen in emergency department visits for mental health related issues at nearly twice the rate of non-Latino white children and adolescents.
Research: How Early Head Start Prevents Child Maltreatment
November 1, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Child Trends has published a research-to-practice brief on a study on the role of programs that serve families with infants and toddlers like Early Head Start (EHS) in reducing child abuse and neglect. The study found that participating families had positive short-term outcomes that led to lower risk of child welfare involvement in the future. The brief also includes recommendations for early childhood programs.
New study—reduced screen time for young highly recommended for well-being
October 31, 2018 | Emily Taylor
An article published this month in Preventative Medicine Reports focused on recent research on screen time and wellbeing. The study, which used a large national random sample of 2 to 17 year old children and teens, found that more than one hour per day of screen time was connected with “lower psychological well-being, including less curiosity, lower self-control, more distractibility, more difficulty making friends, less emotional stability, being more difficult to care for, and inability to finish tasks.” In addition, high screen usage (7+ hours per day) correlated with increased anxiety and depression diagnoses.