Is it just me or does it seem like the politics of health are everywhere these days? We have the attempt to remove the philosophical exemption for childhood vaccines, thwarted in part by the continued perception about the risk of autism.  There are the naturopathic clinicians who (ironically) want to be able to prescribe medications.  There [...]

As the DSM5 moves closer to its anticipated release next year, several areas are generating widespread debate and discussion both in the public and in more academic circles.  One diagnosis certainly getting its share of attention is Autism.  Under the proposed new guidelines, a single Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will replace the different sub-diagnoses of [...]

Several recent studies have reported continued increases in the rates of both ADHD and autistic spectrum disorders. For Autism, a new study from the CDC found an overall rate of 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls).  This rate is much higher than the 1 in 155 reported in 2002.  [...]

21st century neuroscience has done much to bring psychiatry and mental health into the modern age.  Our language, however, still lingers behind.  Four terms in particular deserve our scrutiny and, in the opinion of many in our field, some alterations. ORGANIC Why it doesn’t work :  This word used to be invoked when behavioral symptoms were found to [...]

By Eliza Pillard, LiCSW One of the most important components to our Family Based Treatment Approach to child psychiatric issues here at the VCCYF is to “prescribe” our patients engagement in physical activity. Often this takes the form of recommending that a child be enrolled in a team sport, ideally every season.  For some families this comes [...]

Cannabis use in Vermont youth is extremely high with about a quarter of 11 th and 12 th graders having used it in the last 30 days, according to the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey.  While cannabis is still considered to be relatively harmless by many, the health risks associated with its use are becoming increasingly apparent, [...]

Sensory Over-Responsiveness and Psychiatric Disorders by John Koutras, MD A new study sheds light on the link between children who are hypersensitive to sounds, textures, etc. and the presence of psychiatric disorders.   This condition has been termed sensory over-responsivity (SOR), or difficulties in sensory integration.   While the presence of SOR can clinically be a red flag for the [...]

The recent tragedy surrounding the attempted suicide in Walpole NH reminds us all that the danger of youth suicide remains active in our own backyard.  Drawing upon the recently blogged Vermont Youth Suicide Prevention Platform and the new website http://www.umatterucanhelp.com , it is worth thinking again about some suggestions for parents and primary care clinicians.  Tips [...]

At a recent pharmacology update sponsored by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, John Walkup MD, vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He stated that using a subtherapeutic dose continues to stigmatize children for being on medications and having continued symptoms while not getting the [...]

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHA) recently issued a report based on new survey results.  One area of focus was major depression among adolescents.   Major findings from the survey included the following: 1.9 million youth (8% of the population ) between the ages 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode in 2010, a rate in line with [...]

Traditional models of child emotional-behavioral problems often posit the presence of genetic “vulnerabilities” that can be realized in the presence of specific environmental triggers.  A series of new studies, however, suggest that some genes may make children more sensitive to both negative and positive environments.   Three separate studies that were published together examine the interaction between [...]

Family traditions during the holidays repeated year after year can be a wonderful part of the season.  These rituals small and large can take all forms including…  Holiday services Getting and decorating the tree Preparing holiday cookies Charity work Special foods Reading particular stories or singing carols Making gifts or decorations Of course, holiday traditions won’t by themselves heal troubled families, but they [...]

Compared to the media attention given to what teachers and schools can and should do to improve education, parents have sometimes seemed like an afterthought.  Maybe no more, as a New York Times article highlights a couple reports recently published about how parents can help their children succeed at school.  The article summarizes findings from the Program for International [...]

The Department of Health conducts a survey among high school and now middle school students in Vermont every two years to query about behaviors that are known to contribute to injury and disease.  The 2011 survey has recently been recently released.  Highlights for the 2011 survey in comparison to the 2009 survey include the following.   High [...]

While many child mental health professional stress the importance of obtaining information from multiple sources (child, mother, father, teachers, etc.), it is less clear what exactly one should DO with this information.  This dilemma is highlighted in circumstances where the reports from different informants paint a very different picture of the same child.  In a [...]

  In 2004, the FDA mandated that all antidepressants carry a black box warning related to the risk of new suicidal behavior.  This warning generated a great deal of attention and controversy leading up to the warning and in its immediate aftermath, as data showed a subsequent drop in antidepressant prescription and an 18% increase in [...]

Counseling or psychotherapy is a critical piece of comprehensive mental health care.  Studies have shown than for many conditions it can be at least as effective as medications and may have longer lasting benefits. Many primary care clinicians know that their patient is “in counseling” but often not much more than that. The world of psychotherapy [...]

Back to school season, typically a time of exciting new starts for children, has taken a blow in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, which along with catastrophic destruction in towns across the state of Vermont and region, has caused widespread school closings and delays. Parents and teachers may currently be faced with the challenge [...]

  by David Rettew, MD When many people think about child psychiatric treatment, what comes into their mind is medications.  While it is true that many medications can be an important part of a patient’s overall treatment plan, other areas also need to be considered towards providing comprehensive family-based care. In training medical students and [...]