In UK, More Teens Learning About Sex from School

Now more than ever, a greater number of teens in the United Kingdom are learning about sex from school.

But many students, particularly males, feel they are not getting the information they need as the education is mostly geared toward females, according to new research published in .

“Our results suggest we need a broader framing of sex education in schools that addresses the needs of both young men and women, with a move away from the traditional female-focused ‘periods, pills, and pregnancy’ approach,” said study author Wendy Macdowall, M.Sc., lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Researchers from the University College London (UCL), the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and NatCen Social Research compared data from nearly 4,000 young people, aged 16 to 24, to see how sources of information about sex have changed over time.

They got their data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), the largest scientific study of sexual health and lifestyles in Britain. The researchers also wanted to identify where young people get most of their information and also study sexual behavior and outcomes, such as at what age they first had sex.

The findings showed that for both males and females, school is now the most commonly reported main source of information about sexual matters, having risen from 28 precent in 1990 to 40 precent in 2012.

Parents were the main source of information for just 7 percent of men and 14 percent of women, and health professionals for only 1 precent of males and 3 percent of females. Around half of participants reported getting most of their information from less authoritative “other” sources such as their first sexual partner, friends, siblings, media sources and pornography.

“When asked for their preferred source of additional information, young people most commonly reported school, followed by parents, and health professionals,” said Macdowall.

Participants who learned about sex mainly from school experienced sexual intercourse at a later age than those who got most of their information from “other” sources. They were also less likely to report unsafe sex, or to have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Seventy percent of participants said they felt they “ought to have known more” when they first felt ready for some sexual experience.

Significantly, the findings indicate a gap between the types of information young people wanted, and what they received. Participants specifically said they wanted more information about “sexual feelings, emotions, and relationships,” as well as STIs, and for women, contraception.

“Although our findings show there has been progress in sex and relationships education over the past two decades, we still have a long way to go to meet the needs of young adults,” said study author Dr. Clare Tanton, senior research associate at UCL.

“The terrain young people have to navigate as they are growing up has changed considerably over the past 20 years and it will inevitably continue to do so. This means that whilst we need a more structured approach towards sex and relationships education, we must also be able to adapt to these changing needs.

“The fact that many young people told us they wanted to get more information from a parent shows that parents also have an important role to play. There needs to be a combined approach which also supports parents to help them take an active role in teaching their children about sex and wider relationship issues.”

Source:

Pedersen, T. (2015). In UK, More Teens Learning About Sex from School. . Retrieved on March 8, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/08/more-teens-learning-about-sex-at-school/82035.html

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Nearly Half of Energy Drink Ads Air on Teen-Themed TV

More than 608 hours of energy drink advertisements were aired on 139 network and cable channels during a recent 11-month period, and, of these, 46.5 percent appeared on networks with content themes likely to appeal to teens, according to a new study.

Researchers at Dartmouth College examined the database of television advertisements in 2012 and 2013.

“Although our results do not support the idea that manufacturers intentionally target adolescents with their advertising, ads for energy drinks were primarily aired on channels with themes likely to appeal to adolescents, and adolescents are likely exposed to energy drink advertising via television,” said lead researcher Jennifer A. Emond, Ph.D., Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

Energy drinks, including shots and drops, typically contain caffeine at levels greater than traditional soda and other ingredients meant to stimulate energy. The caffeine content in these drinks can be as high as 200 mg per 16-oz serving.

Although generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, high caffeine intake among teens has been linked to many negative health effects, some of which could be quite serious for individuals with underlying health conditions.

In 2013, both the American Medical Association and the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee supported banning the marketing of energy drinks to teens because of potential health risks related to the consumption of high amounts of caffeine. Until now, there have been very few studies to document the promotional practices of energy drink manufacturers on U.S. television.

For the study, researchers identified the 10 channels that devoted the most airtime to energy drink advertising. Based on audience demographic data reported by a cable advertising trade group, six of the top 10 channels included adolescents as young as 12 years old in their primary target audience.

The top network, MTV2, aired 2,959 minutes of energy drink advertisements (8.1 percent of all energy drink ad airtime); the proportion of 12- to 17-year-olds in MTV2’s base audience was 398 percent greater than the average network audience in the United States.

Although this study focused only on TV ads and singled out data from the top 10 networks, the findings are important for nutrition educators and practitioners.

As the energy drink market is rapidly growing with a high volume of advertisements being shown across platforms, researchers believe teens need to be made aware of the potential dangers of drinking  energy drinks and informed of their potential health risks.

Source:

Pedersen, T. (2015). Nearly Half of Energy Drink Ads Air on Teen-Themed TV. . Retrieved on March 7, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/07/nearly-half-of-energy-drink-ads-air-on-teen-themed-tv/82032.html

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Antibodies May Trigger Psychosis in Some Children

The hallucinations and delusions in a subset of children with psychosis may be linked to overactive antibodies, according to a new study published in the journal . The findings add to a growing body of research that supports an “immune hypothesis” for certain types of psychosis.

“The antibodies we have detected in children having a first episode of acute psychosis suggest there is a distinct subgroup for whom autoimmunity plays a role in their illness,” said Dr. Fabienne Brilot, senior author on the article and Head of the Neuroimmunology Group at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney.

In a healthy person, antibodies protect the body against bacteria, viruses, and other invaders. But when the antibodies begin to attack  healthy cells, an automimmune disorder can develop.

In the new study, researchers detected antibodies to the dopamine D2 receptor or the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor in a subgroup of children experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Both are key neural signaling proteins that have previously been implicated in psychosis. These antibodies were not found in healthy children.

For decades, psychiatrists have administered drugs that stimulate dopamine D2 receptors or block NMDA receptors. Sometimes these drugs produce side effects that resemble psychosis, including changes in perception, delusions, and disorganization of thought processes. The current study suggests that people may develop antibodies that affect the brain in ways that are similar to these psychosis-producing drugs.

“This study adds fuel to the growing discussions about the importance of antibodies targeting neural proteins and it raises many important questions for the field. Do these antibodies simply function like drugs in the brain or do they ‘attack’ and damage nerve cells in some ways?” questioned Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.

“Also, are these antibodies producing symptoms in everyone or do they function as a probe of an underlying, perhaps genetic, vulnerability for psychosis?”

Importantly, work is advancing rapidly in this area. Not too long ago, scientists first identified anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a disease characterized by inflammation of the brain. It is known to trigger acute psychiatric symptoms including psychosis, and it is commonly misdiagnosed as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It is far more treatable, however, as it is essentially brain inflammation caused by antibodies that attack the brain’s NMDA receptors.

“The data from this study suggests that better interventions are possible, providing hope that major disability can be prevented for the subset of children experiencing acute psychosis with antibodies,” Brilot added.

“These findings also contribute significantly to an emerging acceptance in the field of the involvement of autoimmune antibodies in neurological diseases. Combined, these investigations are providing a better understanding of the biology of psychiatric and neurological diseases, as well as pointing to novel treatment approaches for children with these debilitating illnesses.”

Source:

Pedersen, T. (2015). Antibodies May Trigger Psychosis in Some Children. . Retrieved on March 7, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/06/antibodies-may-trigger-psychosis-in-some-children/82004.html

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Easy for Parents to Unwittingly Encourage Materialism

According to a new study in the , children who receive more material rewards from their parents grow up to be more materialistic as adults.

“Using material possessions to express love or reward children for their achievements can backfire. Loving and supportive parents can unintentionally foster materialism in their children despite their best efforts to steer them away from relying on material possessions to find happiness or to judge others,” write the authors, Drs. Marsha L. Richins (University of Missouri) and Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois at Chicago).

The authors surveyed 701 adults to measure the long-term impact of material parenting.

Study participants described their current life situation and values, and also reported on a variety of childhood circumstances, their relationship with their parents, and the rewards and punishments they received during three critical ages of childhood (at grades three, seven, and 10).

Adults who had received more material rewards and punishments as children were more likely than others to use possessions to define and express who they are.

Researchers believe parents should be cautious about using material goods to express their love and reward their children for good behavior.

An overemphasis on material possessions during childhood can have long-lasting effects. Adults who received many material rewards as children are likely to continue rewarding themselves with material goods and defining themselves through their possessions.

Parents don’t want their children to use possessions to define their self-worth or judge others, yet loving and supportive parents may use material goods to express their love, say the authors.

Unfortunately, this may encourage their children to be more likely than others to admire people with expensive possessions and judge success by the kinds of things people own.

Source:

Nauert, R. (2015). Easy for Parents to Unwittingly Encourage Materialism. . Retrieved on March 5, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/05/easy-for-parents-to-unwittingly-encourage-materialism/81974.html

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Study Finds Family Therapy More Effective for Depressed Preadolescents

New research suggests Family Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy (FB-IPT) is more effective for treating preadolescent children with depression than child-centered therapy (CCT).

Many are concerned that preadolescents with depressive disorders may be under-diagnosed and go untreated. This occurs because those presenting for outpatient treatment with clinically significant depressive symptoms often do not meet full diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

However, preadolescents with depressive symptoms are at increased risk of experiencing MDD in adolescence.

For the study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine randomly assigned 42 preadolescents (ages seven to 12) with depression to one of two therapy conditions.

The research is important because a “best practice” method of care for preadolescences diagnosed with depression has not been determined.

Researchers compared FB-IPT, an intervention that included parents in the child’s treatment and focused on improving family and peer relationships, to child-centered therapy (CCT), a supportive therapy for children.

Depressive symptoms in children were measured by a clinician-rated children’s depression rating scale, and mood questionnaires that both the child and parent completed.

Preadolescents receiving FB-IPT had higher rates of remission (66 percent vs. 31 percent), a greater decrease in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-treatment, and lower depressive symptoms at post-treatment than did preadolescents with depression receiving CCT.

Children receiving FB-IPT also reported significant reductions in anxiety symptoms than did preadolescents in the CCT group.

In addition, the study demonstrated that FB-IPT helped to reduce social impairment in depressed preadolescents, and these changes were associated with decreases in their depressive symptoms.

“These findings provide strong support for Family Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy as an effective treatment for depression in children between the ages of seven to 12,” said Laura J. Dietz, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study.

“It also highlights the importance of early intervention for depressed preadolescents who are at risk for depression as teenagers.”

The study is ublished in the .

Source:

Nauert, R. (2015). Study Finds Family Therapy More Effective for Depressed Preadolescents. . Retrieved on March 5, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/04/study-finds-family-therapy-more-effective-for-depressed-preadolescents/81917.html

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In High-Risk Kids, Link Between Mild Manic Episodes, Future Bipolar Diagnosis

For high-risk kids, whose parents have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a new study shows s a strong link between having subthreshold manic episodes (milder episodes that come close to but do not reach the criteria for bipolar disorder) and the eventual development of bipolar disorder.

The findings also show that children of parents with bipolar disorder have much greater rates of having subthreshold mania or hypomania compared to their peers (13.3 vs 1.2 percent); manic, mixed, or hypomanic episodes (9.2 vs 0.8 percent); and major depressive episodes (32 vs 14.9 percent). While these results, published in the , may be unsurprising, they could lead to earlier identification, treatment, and preventive measures.

“Mental health practitioners should carefully assess for short episodes of manic symptoms, major depression, and disruptive behavior disorders in high-risk children, as these are risk factors for the future onset of bipolar disorder,” said senior author David Axelson, M.D., medical director of Behavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“This may be particularly important if medication is going to be used for treating mood or behavioral symptoms in the child, because some medications might increase the risk of developing mania or psychotic symptoms in someone who is already at very high risk for developing bipolar disorder. Prescribers might choose different medication options, or use lower doses and monitor for problems more closely.”

For the study, researchers followed high-risk children as well as demographically matched children of community parents. Follow-up interviews were completed in 91 percent of the offspring with a mean follow-up duration of 6.8 years.

The findings showed that the cumulative rate of bipolar spectrum disorders at age 21 was 23 percent in the high-risk group, compared to 3.2 percent in the comparison group. The mean age of onset for a bipolar spectrum disorder was 12 years, with the earliest manic episode being documented at eight years.

“Most children who have a parent with bipolar disorder will have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder, such as attention-deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, an anxiety disorder or depression, at some point during their youth,” said Axelson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Ohio State University.

“However, most children who have a parent with bipolar disorder do not develop bipolar disorder.”

Among the high-risk children who did go on to develop bipolar disorder, nearly all had identifiable mood episodes and other psychiatric disorders before the onset of full-fledged bipolar illness.

“Short, distinct episodes of manic symptoms were the most specific predictor of developing bipolar disorder in high-risk offspring,” Axelson said. “But so far, many children with these short manic episodes have not progressed to full-fledged bipolar disorder.”

“I am continuing to collaborate with researchers on the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study,” Axelson said. “We expect to find more exciting results that will impact the diagnosis and treatment of high-risk children as we follow the participants into young adulthood.”

Source:

Pedersen, T. (2015). In High-Risk Kids, Link Between Mild Manic Episodes, Future Bipolar Diagnosis. . Retrieved on March 5, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/04/in-high-risk-kids-link-between-mild-manic-episodes-future-bipolar-diagnosis/81908.html

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Why Are More Kids on Antipsychotics?

More children are being prescribed antipsychotic medications — drugs designed to treat such mental illnesses as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder — and pediatricians and psychiatrists at the University of Vermont conducted a study to find out why.

Specifically, the researchers wanted to find out “whether the right youth are being prescribed the right medications at the proper time in their treatment,” they state in the journal . Their findings, for the first time, delve into the clinical decision-making process of doctors who prescribe these drugs to children.

“There are risks associated with using these medicines,” said David Rettew, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics. “At the same time, I think they’ve saved lives.”

Research has shown increasing use of antipsychotic medications in pediatric patients. In fact, treatment with such drugs climbed 62 percent for children on Medicaid between 2002 and 2007, reaching 2.4 percent of those youth, according to The Agency for Healthcare Research.

Rettew and fellow members of a Vermont state task force that keeps watch on use of psychiatric medications for young people wanted to answer the question: “Is this a reasonable thing, or are these medications potentially being overused?”

From Medicaid claims data, the researchers sent a survey to the prescriber of every antipsychotic medication — most commonly risperidone, quetiapine, and aripiprazole — issued between July and October 2012. Relevant surveys were received by 147 physicians who wrote prescriptions for 647 patients.

The  American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) advises that kids who haven’t been diagnosed with major mental illness such as schizophrenia but who have other types of behavioral problems, such as aggression, eating disorders, or oppositional defiant disorder, receive treatment with these drugs only after other medications or nonpharmacological therapies are tried.

“Part of our concern is that these medicines may be getting pulled out too early in the treatment planning for things like oppositional behavior, ahead of things like behavioral therapy that could be tried first,” says Rettew, director of the Pediatric Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical Center and the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families.

In half of the cases, the results show, doctors veered from the guidelines. The most common problem was not prescribing lab tests to monitor cholesterol and blood-glucose levels before and after the patient began taking the medicine. The AACAP recommends the lab work because of the risk for using these drugs in patients with high cholesterol and diabetes.

Nearly 92 percent of doctors prescribed the drugs under the proper circumstances. While they did try antipsychotics as secondary treatment for aggression and mood instability, they did not prescribe them for low-level problems — for example, to help a child sleep or control temper tantrums, Rettew says.

“I’m not anti-antipsychotics; I just want to make sure they’re used very carefully,” says Rettew. “These findings could help us design a game plan for measures to improve best-practice prescribing.”

Source:

Pedersen, T. (2015). Why Are More Kids on Antipsychotics?. . Retrieved on March 3, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/03/why-are-more-kids-on-antipsychotics/81862.html

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