Monthly Archives: July 2018

If there’s one thing 2018 has taught the world, it’s that we shouldn’t underestimate today’s youth. You’ve probably heard that they’re organizing for gun violence prevention, defending LGBTQ rights, and defining global feminism. What you may know less about is the new generation of activists raising awareness about mental illness and developing innovative solutions to […]

If you’ve ever found yourself in front of the TV after a bad day, mindlessly digging ice cream out of the container with a spoon, you know that mood and food are sometimes linked. But while stress eating is a verified phenomenon, the relationship between food and actual mood disorders, such as depression, is less […]

I’ve spent the last two years talking with parents about the unprecedented stress and anxiety plaguing their adolescents — nearly half of whom, according to recent studies of college students, report feeling “overwhelmed by all I had to do.” Our conversations often end with parents expressing a mournful wish: “I just want her to be […]

January 3, 2018 – During the fall of 2009, each day began in the exact same way: I would be wide awake at 2:00 a.m., nervously shifting around in my bed. As the minutes ticked by and the window gradually gave way to sunlight, I became increasingly consumed with fear. What was this terrifying thing […]

Nearly 450 million people are affected by mental illness worldwide. In wealthy nations, just half receive appropriate care, but in developing countries, close to 90 percent go untreated because psychiatrists are in such short supply. Vikram Patel outlines a highly promising approach — training members of communities to give mental health interventions, empowering ordinary people […]

​​By: Kathleen Berchelmann, M​D, FAAP Most parents don’t realize how much their children drink—research shows that only 10% of parents think their teens drink, yet 52% of teens admit to drinking alcohol. But parents do believe other people’s kids drink—the same study showed that parents estimated that 60% of 10th graders drink. ​It’s our kids […]

Honestly, I was prepared to never work in hockey again. When I went public with my story about struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression last year, I was terrified that people wouldn’t understand. I was worried that no one would want to hire me ever again, and that doors would close on me — and […]

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS that parents can do for their kids is help them build an exercise habit. That might mean dance, yoga, hiking or high school athletics. It should be something they really enjoy, so they’re inspired to keep doing it. Why is exercise so essential for teens? Because physical activity has significant […]