Prevention Archives - Page 5 of 7 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)
Mental Health Trial Bringing Mindfulness Program to Schools in England
February 21, 2019 | Emily Taylor
The British Department of Education and Department of Health and Social Care are beginning a three year trial program focused on mental health in up to 370 schools in England. A universal prevention and intervention program, the trials will test five interventions:mindfulness, relaxation, strategies for safety and well-being, and an existing intervention from Canada called “the guide” and another from Sweden known as “youth aware of mental health.” The trials are being led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
Gauging how family, community impact children’s mental health
February 21, 2019 | Emily Taylor
Researchers, Wenhua Lu, an assistant professor of childhood studies at Rutgers University–Camden, and Yunyu Xiao, a researcher at New York University, have co-authored a study looking at factors that help to mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The results of their surveys of parents indicated a “significant direct relationship” between family cohesion and community involvement and lower levels of mental health disorders during adolescence for youth who experienced ACEs.
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.
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.
New Research on Youth Suicide
October 10, 2018 | Emily Taylor
Research published recently in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) , found that 71% of youth dying by suicide did so on their first attempt and 85% of those cases involved firearms.
American Pediatrics Association Statement on Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents
September 19, 2018 | Emily Taylor
This month the American Association of Pediatrics issued a policy guideline with broad recommendations for the field on the Gender Affirmative Care Model (GACM) in which pediatric providers will “offer developmentally appropriate care that is oriented toward understanding and appreciating the youth’s gender experience.” The recommendations for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth and adolescents also point out that “GACM is best facilitated through the integration of medical, mental health, and social services, including specific resources and supports for parents and families.”
Child Trends Research: High-Quality Connections Can Protect At-Risk Youth
August 22, 2018 | Emily Taylor
This Child Trends research, funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), focused on youth with dual involvement with child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and the relationship between child maltreatment and later delinquent and criminal behavior, as well as the impact potential protective factors. The results suggest that increasing the quality of these youths’ connections to their families, schools, and communities can reduce their engagement in criminal behavior, and reduce recidivism.