NIMH Pages about Children and Adolescents

Overview of Children and Adolescents…

Publications about Children and Adolescents

The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction: Learn about changes in the brain that occur during the teen years, and the significance of this stage of development.
Brain Development During Childhood and Adolescence (Fact Sheet): A fact sheet that describes the past, present and future of research on brain development.
Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents (Fact Sheet): A fact sheet that describes the development in our understanding of how bipolar disorder affects children and adolescents and the direction of future research.
Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents (Fact Sheet): Learn about how anxiety disorders affect children and adolescents and the direction of future research.
Depression in Children and Adolescents (Fact Sheet): A fact sheet that describes the development in our understanding of how depression affects children and adolescents and the direction of future research.

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Science News about Children and Adolescents

Pattern Recognition Technology May Help Predict Future Mental Illness in Teens: Science Update • April 02, 2012
Computer programs that automatically spot patterns in data may help predict a person’s risk for future mental disorders.
Computer-Based Treatment Eases Anxiety Symptoms in Children: Science Update • March 13, 2012
Results from a small clinical trial suggest that it might be possible, using computer-based training, to help children with anxiety shift their attention away from threat.
NIH-funded study defines treatment window for HIV-positive children infected at birth: Press Release • March 07, 2012
HIV-positive children older than 1 year who were treated after showing moderate HIV-related symptoms did not experience greater cognitive or behavior problems compared to peers treated when signs of their infection were still mild, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Atypical Antipsychotic More Effective than Older Drugs in Treating Childhood Mania, but Side Effects Can Be Serious: Science Update • January 11, 2012
The antipsychotic medication risperidone is more effective for initial treatment of mania in children diagnosed with bipolar disorder compared to other mood stabilizing medications, but it carries the potential for serious metabolic side effects, according to an NIMH-funded study published online ahead of print January 2, 2012, in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Training Peers Improves Social Outcomes for Some Kids with ASD: Press Release • November 28, 2011
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who attend regular education classes may be more likely to improve their social skills if their typically developing peers are taught how to interact with them than if only the children with ASD are taught such skills. According to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, a shift away from more commonly used interventions that focus on training children with ASD directly may provide greater social benefits for children with ASD.

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Posts about Children and Adolescents

The New Genetics of Autism – Why Environment Matters

By Thomas Insel on April 04, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses how new research may help tie together seemingly disparate findings in genetic vs environmental risk factors in autism spectrum disorders.

Autism Prevalence: More Affected or More Detected?

By Thomas Insel on March 29, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses the CDC's latest report on autism prevalence.

From Paresis to PANDAS and PANS

By Thomas Insel on March 26, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses the connection between mental disorders and infection in light of pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders PANS and PANDAS.

Join the Revolution

By Thomas Insel on March 12, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses the state of science and math education in the U.S., scientific literacy, and Brain Awareness Week.

Highlights in Autism Progress -- for April, Autism Awareness Month

By Thomas Insel on April 01, 2011

Today, the start of Autism Awareness Month, inspires us to focus on the highlights of our research progress, and look ahead to further strengthening our investigative efforts.

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Meeting Summaries about Children and Adolescents

NIMH Workshop on Child Maltreatment and Trauma: Integrating Biological, Cognitive, and Social Trajectories of Development: August 04, 2010 – August 05, 2010
Bethesda, Maryland
In August 2010, NIMH convened a multidisciplinary workshop to discuss the state of empirical knowledge about, and opportunities regarding, the psychological and biological consequences of maltreatment in children.
NIH Workshop on Nonverbal School-Aged Children with Autism: April 13, 2010 – April 14, 2010
Rockville, Maryland
NIH Workshop on Nonverbal School-Aged Children with Autism Meeting Summary
Using Electrophysiological Methods to Understand Neural Mechanisms of, and Treatment Effects in, Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents: September 10, 2009 – September 11, 2009
Bethesda, Maryland
This workshop examined the use of EEG/MEG to understand brain mechanisms of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Participants discussed the advantages of these methods, the limitations, and future directions.
Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents: New Data to Inform Classification: February 26, 2009 – February 27, 2009
Washington, DC
NIMH convened a working group of 24 invited experts to present and discuss data to resolve methodological discrepancies in the approaches used to diagnose bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.
Research Roundtable: Heterogeneity in Child and Adolescent Depression: February 18, 2008 – February 19, 2008
Washington, DC
The purpose of this workshop was to discuss empirical evidence for sources of heterogeneity in child and adolescent depression, evaluate the significance of known heterogeneity, and identify promising research directions in this area.

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Director’s Updates about Children and Adolescents

NAMI Awards Coveted Prize to NIMH’s Dr. Judith Rapoport

November 21, 2008

Judith L. Rapoport, M.D., chief of the NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch, is this year’s recipient of the Mind of America Scientific Research Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

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NIMH Perspective on Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children

September 03, 2007

A recently published research paper (September 2007, Archives of General Psychiatry) reported a 40-fold increase in the rate of diagnosing bipolar disorder in youth over the past decade.

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NIMH Names Director for Division of Pediatric Translational Research and Treatment Development

May 02, 2007

Molly Oliveri, Ph.D., was recently selected to be Director of the Division of Pediatric Translational Research and Treatment Development (DPTR), after a competitive, nationwide search.