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Teen Drug Use Remains Near Historic Lows, NIH-Supported Survey Finds
For the fifth year in a row, use of most substances among teenagers in the United States has continued to hover around the low-water mark reached in 2021. The findings come from the latest report of the Monitoring the Future Survey, an annual survey of drug use behaviors and attitudes among eighth,...
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Governor Hochul Announces Tools to Improve Digital Wellness Among New Yorkers
With Tech Devices Popular as Gifts, New York State Provides Free Educational Materials Aimed at Safely Navigating the Modern Digital Landscape Online Resources Complement Governor’s Nation-Leading Commitment to Protect Youth Mental Health and Establish Distraction-Free...
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Childhood Anxiety Treatment: Should You Choose Pills or Skills?
Finding the right treatment for your child’s anxiety can feel overwhelming. Parents are often faced with the choice between two options: skills-based therapy or medication (pills). Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer as each child’s needs are unique. The best plan will be one that...
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From Childhood Fears to Adult Anxieties: Understanding Anxiety Across the Lifespan
Anxiety is a universal human emotion that we all experience, both children and adults alike. In fact, it is normal to experience some anxiety and worry at times, as anxiety can be adaptive in nature and serve both as a motivator and as a means of keeping us safe. For example, anxiety can indicate...
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Building Resilience: Early Intervention and Prevention Strategies for Youth at Risk of Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Use
A small seed of concern may take root in the mind of a teenager, planted by social pressures, school demands, or deeper struggles. At first, it may seem manageable. But without support and guidance, that seed can grow unchecked branching into anxiety, deepening into depression, or reaching toward...
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The Impact of Childhood Separation: Parallels Between Children of Parents with Mental Illness and Children of Incarcerated Parents
Family separation is a traumatic experience for children, regardless of the cause. When separation occurs due to parental mental illness or incarceration, children face unique psychological and systemic challenges that are often overlooked. Both groups experience disenfranchised grief, attachment...
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Bridging Cultural Gaps in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services
Cultural competence in child and adolescent behavioral health is just as essential as it is in mainstream adult services for effective care. According to the American Psychological Association (2021), while ethnic and racial minorities represent 40% of the U.S. population, they make up only about...
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How to Talk to Your Child About Starting Therapy: A Guide for Parents
Parents consider starting therapy for a number of different reasons. You might be looking into options to help your child or adolescent manage mood challenges like anxiety or depression. Maybe you’re interested in learning new parenting skills to address behavioral challenges and learn how you...
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Understanding Trauma-Informed Care for Young Children and Families in the Shelter
Services for the UnderServed (S:US) is one of the premier and largest community-based social services agencies in New York State. Its mission is to “drive scalable solutions to transform the lives of people with disabilities, people in poverty, and people facing homelessness: solutions that...
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The Kids Are Not Alright: How Seismic Changes in the Childhood Experience Have Undermined the Health of a Generation
Our nation’s youth are in crisis. Such a sweeping characterization of an entire demographic would ordinarily border on hyperbole, but as Robert F. Kennedy proclaimed when he announced his candidacy for the Presidency nearly 60 years ago, “These are not ordinary times.” In October 2021, the...
