Teen Health News

December 1, 2023

Top Headlines

High Levels of Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Linked to Children's Behavior Problems

Nov. 16, 2023 — Children whose mothers are highly stressed, anxious or depressed during pregnancy may be at higher risk for mental health and behavior issues during their childhood and teen years, according to new ...

Higher Risk of 17 Cancers After High BMI in Late Teens

Nov. 6, 2023 — Men who are overweight or obese at age 18 have a higher risk of 17 different cancers later in life. This has been shown in a study at the University of Gothenburg. The research also describes how the youth obesity epidemic is expected to affect the ...

Connectivity Scans Could Serve as Brain 'Blueprints' for Adolescents, Researchers Find

Nov. 7, 2023 — Two new studies highlight how brain imaging can be used to predict and identify cognitive outcomes and psychiatric risk in young ...

Less Physical Activity in Adolescence Likely Rooted in Biology

Nov. 2, 2023 — The slowdown of physical activity during adolescence is not likely caused by lifestyle and environment but by energy demands placed on the body as it grows and sexually matures, according to a new study. ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:00pm EST

Hormonal Contraceptives in Teens May Alter Risk Assessment, Rat Study Suggests

Nov. 13, 2023 — Hormonal contraceptives taken by adolescents may influence development of the brain in a way that alters the recognition of risks, a new study in ...

In Breakthrough Study, Researchers Map Converging Trajectories of Cognitive Development Through Adolescence

Oct. 31, 2023 — Cognitive skills underlying the ability to plan, switch from task to task and resist tempting distractions usually matures by the time an individual ...

Contraceptive Pill Users Less Likely to Report Depression

Nov. 1, 2023 — A new study has shown that women who are taking the oral contraceptive pill are less likely to report depression. The research, which analysed data from 6,239 women in the United States aged 18-55 ...

Marijuana Use May Damage Brain Immune Cells Vital to Adolescent Development, Study Suggests

Oct. 25, 2023 — In a mouse study designed to explore the impact of marijuana's major psychoactive compound, THC, on teenage brains, researchers say they found ...

Early Behavioral Health Problems Need Earlier Interventions

Oct. 16, 2023 — Data from more than 15,000 lower-income children ages 2 to 6 reveals higher-than-expected levels of significant behavioral dysfunction. Co-authors urge increased screening, prevention programs in ...

Sleep-Wake Therapy Gives New Hope for Teens With Depression

Sep. 8, 2023 — School systems aren't built for kids who fall asleep and wake up late, the so-called 'night owls,' which may help explain why this group of teens is more prone to ...

Benefits, Risks in State-Mandated School-Based BMI Assessments

Sep. 12, 2023 — A resource economist finds mandated in-school Body Mass Index assessments adopted in varying forms by 24 states to combat childhood obesity have the potential to improve the health of some students ...

Perils of Not Being Attractive or Athletic in Middle School

Aug. 10, 2023 — Life is harder for adolescents who are not attractive or athletic. New research shows low attractive and low athletic youth became increasingly unpopular over the course of a school year, leading to ...

Researchers Identify Plasma Biomarkers of Mental Health Risk in Adolescents

Aug. 1, 2023 — Researchers have identified plasma protein-based biomarkers capable of identifying adolescents at risk of developing mental health ...

New Study Links Contraceptive Pills and Depression

June 12, 2023 — Women who used combined contraceptive pills were at greater risk of developing depression than women who did not, according to a new study. Contraceptive pills increased women's risk by 73 per cent ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

Heavy Drinking, Handgun-Carrying Linked Among Rural Youth

Aug. 23, 2023 — Alcohol use and subsequent handgun carrying were positively associated during adolescence and young adulthood among individuals who grew up in rural areas, similar to findings in urban areas. ...

Researchers Comprehensively Assess the Safety of Using Your Head in Youth Soccer

May 24, 2023 — Repeatedly heading a soccer ball has been previously associated with negative long-term brain health for professional players. However, a new study found that a small number of repeated soccer ...

Researchers Find Strong Adolescent-Parent Relationships Lead to Better Long-Term Health Outcomes in Young Adults

Mar. 21, 2023 — Researchers have found that adolescents who report strong relationships with their parents have better long-term health outcomes. Study findings suggest that investments in improving ...

COVID-19 Pandemic Has Long-Lasting Effects on Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use

Mar. 14, 2023 — The COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on adolescent mental health and substance use, according to a new population-based study based on survey responses from a sample of over 64,000 13- ...

Hair Analysis Shows Child Drug Use Could Be Twice as High as We Think

Mar. 6, 2023 — Hair analysis could be the key to understanding adolescent drug usage, as a new study uncovers almost double the number of children were found to be using substances than those who admitted to in a ...

New Study Identifies Risk Factors Associated With Low Birthweights

Feb. 15, 2023 — Multiple births, a short interval between pregnancies and mothers with a maternal physical or mental health condition are more at risk of having a low birth rate baby. Every year 20 million children ...

Young Chimpanzees and Human Teens Share Risk-Taking Behaviors

Jan. 23, 2023 — Adolescent chimpanzees share some of the same risk-taking behaviors as human teens, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts, according to new research. The study gets at age-old ...

Feeling Loved, Optimistic or Happy as a Teen May Lead to Better Health in Adulthood

Jan. 11, 2023 — Teens who reported feeling optimism, happiness, self-esteem, belongingness and loved were more likely to reach their 20s and 30s in good cardiometabolic health compared to teens with fewer of these ...

Today's Adolescent Substances of Choice May Be Harder for Adults to Detect

Dec. 9, 2022 — The past decade has seen a global surge in adolescent use of e-cigarettes/vaping, cannabis, and prescription opioids not-taken-as-prescribed. Relying on detection through informal observation is ...

Pregnant Moms' Stress May Accelerate Cell Aging of White, Not Black, Kids, Study Finds

Dec. 2, 2022 — Does stress during pregnancy impact children's cell aging, and does race matter? The answer is yes, according to a new ...

Online Learning in COVID-19 Detrimental to Teen Mental Health, School Satisfaction, Performance

Nov. 30, 2022 — The unprecedented shutdown of classroom learning caused undue stress, low levels of social inclusion and low satisfaction with school for many -- and mental health issues for some, according to a new ...

How Hormonal Birth Control May Affect the Adolescent Brain

Nov. 15, 2022 — One aspect of hormonal contraceptives' effect on the teenage body remains a mystery -- whether and how they modify the developing brain. New research in young rats links synthetic hormones found ...

Financial Strain Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Took Significant Toll on Adolescent Mental Health, Researchers Find

Nov. 15, 2022 — Financial stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic took a distinct toll on adolescent mental health and contributed to depressive symptoms, according to new research. The study found the effect was most ...

School Policing and Disciplining May Lead to Student Substance Abuse

Oct. 26, 2022 — Public health researchers have found that the prevalence of school discipline and school policing -- core elements of the school-to-prison pipeline -- predict subsequent school-average levels of ...

Teen Drivers Often Unsafe on the Road With Speeding and Handheld Cellphone Use

Oct. 7, 2022 — Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescents, and risky driving behaviors like speeding, rapid accelerations, and cellphone use can contribute to crashes. New research finds many ...

COVID-19 Pandemic Cancellations Took Harsh Toll on Teen Athletes, Whose Mental and Physical Health Improved Significantly After Sports Resumed, Study Finds

Oct. 7, 2022 — High rates of depression and anxiety reported by adolescent athletes whose sports were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic improved significantly a year later when they were able to resume playing ...

Prenatal Acetaminophen Use Linked to Sleep, Attention Problems in Preschoolers

Oct. 4, 2022 — Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with sleep and behavior problems consistent with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new ...

Researchers Find Ways to Help Teens Get More Sleep

Oct. 3, 2022 — Newly published research sheds light on how adolescents can get more ...

Birth Weight Could Help Identify Children at Higher Risk of Psychological Issues

Sep. 29, 2022 — New research has found that babies with larger birth weights tend to have fewer mental health and behavioral issues in childhood and ...

Air Pollution May Spur Irregular Heart Rhythms in Healthy Teens

Sep. 14, 2022 — A first-of-its-kind study examining the impact of air pollution on healthy teenagers found that air pollution may trigger an irregular heart rhythm within two hours after exposure. Reducing the risk ...

Wednesday, August 23, 2023