Is Mental Illness Genetic? Genetic Factors Explored
Are mental illnesses inherited or are they a result of a person’s environment? This question drives scientific investigations, shapes conversations in society, and affects how people view mental health. But finding the answer isn’t simple. Below, we’ll explore this issue, considering how genetics, environment, and personal experiences all play a role. What is Mental Illness? […]
How To Parent A Teenager With Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder in teens is marked by a host of symptoms. There’s emotional instability and extreme bouts of moodiness. Identity issues. Chaotic relationships. Self-harming behavior and suicidal ideation. While many of these issues sound like they’re common in teens, adolescents with borderline personality disorder experience them much more intensely than others. “Their emotions can […]
Teen Marijuana Use: Compared to Adults, What’s the Risk of Addiction and Mental Health Disorders?
Twenty years ago, recreational cannabis products were illegal in almost every state in the country. Twenty-one states allowed the medical use of cannabis, and in 14 states, possession of small amounts of cannabis was decriminalized. However, marijuana was completely illegal for medical and recreational use in most states, and cannabis use among teenagers was at […]
Association Between Substance Use and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents
Adolescence is a critical period in life, characterized by drastic physical, mental, and psychological changes. Young people between the ages of 13 and 19 begin to gain a sense of independence and determine their place in the world. These developmental years typically set the stage for the remainder of their lives. It’s also a time […]
The Link Between Pollution and Depression in Teens
In the United States, rates of teen depression are on the rise. The pandemic increased awareness about the increase in teen mental health issues in general. Experts on adolescent development warned the accumulated stressors of stay-at-home orders, virtual school, and uncertainty/fear of disease and illness would exacerbate existing mental health issues among teens already diagnosed […]
Preventative Psychiatry for Teen Mental Health
Teen mental health is a primary concern in our society right now. The pandemic significantly disrupted the end of the 2019-2020 school year and the entire 2020-2021 school year. So far, the 2021-2022 school year – fingers crossed – appears to be a return to our regularly scheduled programming. Or, at very least, most high […]
How Stress Affects the Adolescent Brain
For centuries, our practice of medicine and understanding of disease was limited by one simple factor: we couldn’t look inside the human body. When pioneers began peering inside the human body, that always happened after a person was deceased – and that practice itself was considered heresy by the dominant powers of the time. Fast […]
Mental Health Treatment for Teens: Anxiety, Depression, and Behavioral Disorders
Over the past two and a half years, everyone from politicians to public health officials to teachers to family, friends, and peers gave parents of teens an endless stream of free, unsolicited advice. Parents heard from all sides – including dozens of articles on our Parent Tips and Advice page – that the pandemic and […]
Teen Mental Health Treatment in California: High School Programs for Mental Health Support
It’s been two years since officials issued the first shelter-in-place orders in California. Schools went virtual, businesses adapted to the new circumstances, and everyone wondered how long the pandemic would last and what the consequences would be. Adolescent development experts and mental health professionals warned the public health safety and COVID-19 mitigation measures would have […]
Hope In Recovery: Good News for Teens in Depression Treatment
We have some good news for teens in depression treatment. It works. Three New Studies Show Treatment is Headed in the Right Direction When we read about mental health issues in the news these days, almost everything we encounter is negative. Headline and stories are filled with dire warnings about the precarious state of teen […]