A recent survey commissioned by three United Kingdom-based charities – SelfharmUK, YoungMinds and The Mix – investigated the prevalence of self-inflicted injury among 1,009 British teens and young adults aged 16 to 25. The results, released on March 1, 2018, suggested that 36 percent respondents had intentionally harmed themselves at some point in their lifetime. […]

Not all violence stems from mental health problems, yet every macabre incident involving students forces the authorities to be more vigilant and take appropriate action. Broward County Sheriff officials apprehended Zachary Cruz (18), brother of the infamous school shooter Nicholas Cruz, on charges of transgressing the Marjory Stoneman Douglas compound on March 19, 2018. The […]

“Mass gun shootings. Looming nuclear war. Fear of terrorist attacks. Global warming. Humanitarian crises and refugees. Volatile political climate in the United States and globally.” In these tumultuous times characterized by an endless stream of negative news, children and adolescents are among the worst affected individuals. The overexposure to tragic or disturbing national and global […]

Parents often have the tendency to dismiss sibling aggression as normal behavior, with some even considering it a useful tool to teach children how to manage conflicts. As it turns out, such behavior may have serious psychological repercussions. It had been previously shown that sibling bullying was a potential risk factor for depression and self-harm […]

Mortality rates in people with psychotic disorders are much higher than the general population. Life expectancy rates are estimated to be 15-20 years lower among individuals with psychotic disorders. This gap appears to have widened during the last few decades. So far, most concerns regarding premature mortality in patients with psychotic disorders have centered on […]

Many teens, especially those in new relationships, may wrongly assume that physical violence is the only form of dating abuse. The verbal or emotional cruelty in relationships can often be ignored simply because teens do not realize that such exploitation also constitutes dating abuse. To sensitize teens about the adverse impacts of emotional dating abuse, […]

The last few years have seen an increasing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. Among these techniques, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has received greater attention due to its ease of use, low cost, encouraging results and a low rate of side effects. This has led to tDCS being tested in several studies and randomized […]

Although beauty pageants have their fair share of critics and advocates, many young contestants consider them to be life-changing experiences which help them feel empowered. Teen girls consider  taking part in a beauty pageant as a rite of passage. And there are teens like the 17-year-old Tracy McQuiston from Wahpeton, North Dakota, who want to […]

In August 2016, actress Daisy Ridley deleted her Instagram account after reportedly facing significant backlash on an anti-gun violence post. The British actress, who became a global star after essaying the role of Rey in the “Star Wars” movie franchise, recently revealed the real reason behind cutting herself off from social media platforms. “The more […]

Adolescents and teens are increasingly spending more time online, especially on social media platforms. This makes them vulnerable to online risks like cyberbullying, sexual solicitation and exposure to explicit content which can adversely impact their emotional and psychological health. A recent research has suggested that such negative effects last only temporarily, and teens are able […]