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Tag: children and mental health

  • Summertime Can Bring Increase In Anxiety For Kids

    Summertime Can Bring Increase In Anxiety For Kids

    A recent parenting column explored the various aspects of summertime that can affect kids in a negative way.

    Despite the widely believed idea that kids live for summertime, those three months away from structured routine can actually be anxiety-inducing for some. 

    A column in the Washington Post’s On Parenting section, written by child and adolescent psychotherapist and parenting educator Katie Hurley, brings up the fact that some children struggle when faced with three months off. 

    For one of her patients, an 8-year-old girl, this anxiety was rooted in having two working parents and having to attend various day camps over the summer, each with its own set of rules and routine. 

    “We think of the summer months as carefree and relaxing, but many kids actually experience an uptick in anxiety during the break,” Hurley writes. “Anxious kids rely on carefully crafted routines, and too little structure or shifting routines can feel overwhelming.”

    According to Hurley, there are various aspects of summertime that can affect kids in a negative way. A common one is over-scheduling children. 

    “Many parents view the summer months as a time for children to ‘catch up,’ improve or gain an edge, and enroll them in numerous classes or activities, leaving little or no time for kids to relax and rejuvenate,” Susan Newman, a social psychologist and author, says. “Piling on and filling time only adds to their stress and anxiety that, ideally, summer break is theoretically designed to reduce.”

    Screen time can also be a minor player in childhood anxiety, according to recent research. 

    “Although it might be tempting to focus on the words “small increased risk” or state that more research is needed (it is), it’s also important to note that any risk is too much when it comes to our kids’ mental health,” Hurley writes. 

    Additional factors that can increase anxiety include changes in eating and sleep habits and worrying about travel plans.

    So what can be done to limit the likelihood of increased anxiety in children over the summer? Hurley suggests focusing on the basics, such as a balanced diet, consistent sleep schedule and water and exercise. 

    “Preserving the sleep routine that your child relies on during the school year can prevent him or her from losing sleep or getting caught in a pattern of constant adjustments,” Hurley writes. 

    Setting screen-time boundaries, planning for travel, not over-scheduling and spending quality time with children can also be helpful. 

    “Doing fun things together — be it a hike or a trip or backyard picnics or even cooking together on a regular basis — is more important for your children’s mental health than sports camps or summer academics to get ahead for the next school year,” Newman said. “You will build bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Jessica Alba Attends Therapy With 10-Year-Old Daughter

    Jessica Alba Attends Therapy With 10-Year-Old Daughter

    Alba opened up about the importance of healthy communication with her daughter during a recent conference.

    Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba recently opened up about attending therapy with her 10-year-old daughter, Honor, to encourage healthy communication and to become a “better mother.”

    Alba was at Her Campus Media’s eighth annual Her Conference at Wanderlust Hollywood last Saturday (June 1), where she discussed women in the workplace, running The Honest Company which she co-founded in 2011, and growing up in Hollywood as a young actress with Mexican roots.

    The mother-of-three talked about going to therapy with her 10-year-old daughter, Honor Marie Warren, to “learn to be a better mother to her and communicate better with her.”

    This is a far different approach to how she was raised, she admits. 

    “I didn’t grow up in an environment where you talked about this stuff, and it was just like shut it down and keep it moving,” said Alba, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “So I find a lot of inspiration just in talking to my kids.”

    “Some people think, like in my family, you talk to a priest and that’s it. I don’t really feel comfortable talking to him about my feelings,” she said.

    Alba is often candid about her life, parenting style and approach to running her business.

    Last month, she revealed the impact that coming of age in Hollywood had on her. “I was meant to feel ashamed if I tempted men. Then I stopped eating a lot when I became an actress. I made myself look more like a boy so I wouldn’t get as much attention. I went through a big tomboy phase,” she said during a panel at the Goop Health summit in Los Angeles on May 18.

    Actresses Taraji P. Henson, Olivia Wilde and Busy Philipps also sat on the panel.

    Being a young woman in Hollywood, Alba became guarded and became insecure about her womanhood.

    “In Hollywood, you’re really preyed upon,” Alba said. “They see a young girl, and they just want to touch you inappropriately or talk to you inappropriately or think that they’re allowed to be aggressive with you in a way.”

    She continued, “So, then I like created this pretty intense ‘don’t f— with me’ [attitude]. I had to create a harder shell about being a woman.”

    Motherhood allowed her to stop being ashamed of her body, she said. “[After Honor was born] I was like, oh this is what these boobies are meant to do! Feed a kid! And that was the dopest s— I’d ever done. So, I came into my body as a woman finally and I stopped being ashamed of myself.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How Daylight Saving Time Affects Some Kids' Mental Health

    How Daylight Saving Time Affects Some Kids' Mental Health

    Experts break down the impact of daylight saving time on kids with mental health issues.

    Children with mental health diagnoses may be more prone to struggle with sleep around daylight saving time, according to physicians from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. 

    WMBF News reports that doctors there have observed changes in sleeping patterns around daylight saving time in many young patients—especially those with a mental health diagnoses.

    “Sleep is a more complicated issue for patients with a mental health disorder,” Robert Kowatch, child and adolescent psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at Nationwide, said in a news release. “Different conditions affect sleep differently, as do various medications for these conditions and their related side effects. These patients may be more sensitive to time changes than the typical child or teen.”

    Some of the physicians’ observations around daylight saving include the following: 

    • Children struggling with depression and anxiety may struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep.
    • Children diagnosed with autism have the tendency to sleep one to two hours less than their peers and tend to awake earlier in the mornings. 

    Those with bipolar disorder tend to sleep less when experiencing manic or hypomanic episodes, and in some instances any change in their circadian rhythm (such as a time change) can lead to manic episodes. 

    For some children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, taking certain stimulant medications close to their bedtime will make it harder to get to sleep.

    “With many medications, an impact on sleep is a possible side effect, from interfering with falling asleep to resulting in next-day drowsiness,” Kowatch added in the release. “Parents and patients should create a plan with their clinician, and make sure dose schedules and amounts are properly followed, such as taking a longer-lasting dose earlier in the day followed by a shorter-lasting dose later in the day, so a stimulant can wear off—if necessary—in time for bed to allow for restful sleep.”

    Natasha Mero, a sleep technician at Palmetto Sleep Labs LLC, tells WMBF that a lack of sleep can affect a person’s life in numerous ways, some dangerous. She also made a comparison between the effects of daylight savings and those of jetlag. 

    “It can affect memory issues, it can affect alertness, mood,” Mero tells WMBF. “Sometimes people don’t get enough sleep, they can be depressed, help you concentrate. It definitely can affect driving. A lot of people can get in accidents if they don’t get enough sleep. We’ve seen several people come into the sleep lab where they fall asleep at the wheel because they’re not getting enough sleep at night, or get in a fender bender or fall asleep at a stop sign.”

    In order to strive for better sleep, experts from Nationwide Children’s Hospital recommend limiting electronic time in the bedroom, avoiding heavy meals before sleeping, eliminating caffeine eight hours before bed, keeping bedrooms cool and dark, and avoiding any exercise before trying to sleep. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How Daylight Savings Time Affects Some Kids' Mental Health

    How Daylight Savings Time Affects Some Kids' Mental Health

    Experts break down the impact of daylight savings time on kids with mental health issues.

    Children with mental health diagnoses may be more prone to struggle with sleep around daylight savings time, according to physicians from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. 

    WMBF News reports that doctors there have observed changes in sleeping patterns around daylight savings time in many young patients—especially those with a mental health diagnoses.

    “Sleep is a more complicated issue for patients with a mental health disorder,” Robert Kowatch, child and adolescent psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at Nationwide, said in a news release. “Different conditions affect sleep differently, as do various medications for these conditions and their related side effects. These patients may be more sensitive to time changes than the typical child or teen.”

    Some of the physicians’ observations around daylight savings include the following: 

    • Children struggling with depression and anxiety may struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep.
    • Children diagnosed with autism have the tendency to sleep one to two hours less than their peers and tend to awake earlier in the mornings. 

    Those with bipolar disorder tend to sleep less when experiencing manic or hypomanic episodes, and in some instances any change in their circadian rhythm (such as a time change) can lead to manic episodes. 

    For some children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, taking certain stimulant medications close to their bedtime will make it harder to get to sleep.

    “With many medications, an impact on sleep is a possible side effect, from interfering with falling asleep to resulting in next-day drowsiness,” Kowatch added in the release. “Parents and patients should create a plan with their clinician, and make sure dose schedules and amounts are properly followed, such as taking a longer-lasting dose earlier in the day followed by a shorter-lasting dose later in the day, so a stimulant can wear off—if necessary—in time for bed to allow for restful sleep.”

    Natasha Mero, a sleep technician at Palmetto Sleep Labs LLC, tells WMBF that a lack of sleep can affect a person’s life in numerous ways, some dangerous. She also made a comparison between the effects of daylight savings and those of jetlag. 

    “It can affect memory issues, it can affect alertness, mood,” Mero tells WMBF. “Sometimes people don’t get enough sleep, they can be depressed, help you concentrate. It definitely can affect driving. A lot of people can get in accidents if they don’t get enough sleep. We’ve seen several people come into the sleep lab where they fall asleep at the wheel because they’re not getting enough sleep at night, or get in a fender bender or fall asleep at a stop sign.”

    In order to strive for better sleep, experts from Nationwide Children’s Hospital recommend limiting electronic time in the bedroom, avoiding heavy meals before sleeping, eliminating caffeine eight hours before bed, keeping bedrooms cool and dark, and avoiding any exercise before trying to sleep. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How To Tell If A Child Is Battling Anxiety

    How To Tell If A Child Is Battling Anxiety

    Though child anxiety can sometimes take longer to diagnose, it is very treatable once diagnosed.

    What initially appears as bad behavior in children can actually be signs of an underlying issue — anxiety disorders. 

    According to the Washington Post, anxiety disorders are increasing in youth, especially during the school year.

    A study recently published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics makes the estimate that about 2 million children and adolescents in the U.S. have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. 

    When it comes to anxiety in children, it can be difficult to diagnose since it can present as negative behaviors. 

    “We tend to think of anxious children as these delicate little butterflies, but when kids are scared, they can be ferocious about trying to escape or avoid anxiety-provoking situations,” Eileen Kennedy-Moore, child psychologist and author of Kid Confidence, told the Post. 

    Susan Newman, psychologist and author of The Book of No, explains that sometimes children can have feelings of anxiety for the first time and don’t always know how to react.  

    “Children today are stressed on so many fronts: challenged socially, academically, having to cope with physical changes and development, the demands and influence of social media, trying to fit in and be accepted. It’s no wonder they show evidence of anxiety,” Newman told the Post. “Parents should ask questions about anything they notice or want to understand to show their interest and love for their child. Children want to be heard and listened to, even if they tell you to stop being nosy.”

    When it comes to anxiety in children, there are some warning signs, though all children differ. One, according to the Post, is psychosomatic complaints. 

    “Kids don’t usually come home from school saying, ‘I felt really anxious at school today,’ but they do say things like, ‘I have a terrible stomachache; I can’t go back to school tomorrow,’” the Post notes. “Frequent stomach aches, headaches and unexplained muscle aches and pains can all be symptoms of anxiety.”

    Other signs include anger and irritability, sadness, isolation and avoidance, fatigue, poor concentration, school refusal and frequent questions.

    Just like signs of anxiety can differ from child to child, so can triggers. Triggers can include genetics, academic pressure, bullying, big transitions, loss and violence or abuse. 

    Though child anxiety can sometimes take longer to diagnose, it is very treatable when that diagnosis is made, according to the Post. Through identifying triggers and learning coping skills, children and parents can learn to take control of anxiety. 

    “A pediatrician is a good first stop to rule out or diagnose possible medical issues and to refer a licensed mental health practitioner who specializes in working with children,” the Post reads. “Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy can be very effective treatment options for children with anxiety.”

    View the original article at thefix.com