A new study from the British Medical Journal found that the death of a close family member in early childhood increased a person’s risk of psychotic disorders later in life. Researchers examined a cohort of more than 1 million births between 1973 and 1985 in Sweden to see if prenatal exposure to extreme maternal grief or postnatal bereavement could contribute to psychosis.

New research out of New Zealand reports that teens that identify as transgender have poor safety and well-being across a number of areas in comparison to their non-transgender peers.

A supportive school environment results in fewer kids using cigarettes and marijuana compared to a school that uses drug testing, according to recent research out of Rutgers University. However, neither strategy is particularly helpful in reducing teen drinking.

“My child hasn’t shown improvement since starting this medication over a month ago! Can we still expect it to work?” We’ve all been asked this difficult question, often by desperate parents—especially those of children taking antipsychotics. Now a recent study provides initial data to answer it.

Sleep complaints are common in children with ADHD, whether they are caused by the disorder itself, the treatments for it, or both. Despite this fact, there are limited studies on treatments for insomnia and other sleep problems in children and adolescents with ADHD.

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The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as nutritional supplements, is common in children with ADHD, despite limited evidence for its effectiveness. Many consumers use these treatments, often without telling their physicians.

The most studied psychiatric medication for children, and arguably the most broad-spectrum medication available, is placebo. It has proven itself repeatedly to be as good or better than a number of FDA-approved medications that are effective in adults.

In recent years the autism diet has increased in popularity. But does it work? Dr. Jennifer Harrison Elder explains the evidence.

Current diagnostic criteria for ADHD involves documentation of impairment in more than one setting. Since most kids receive an ADHD diagnosis during their school years, we greatly depend on teachers to provide us with information on behavior and symptoms.