Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Overview
Teen Depression Study: Understanding Depression in Teenagers
Join a Research Study: Enrolling nationally from around the country
Mental health is an important part of overall health for children as well as adults. For many adults who have mental disorders, symptoms were present—but often not recognized or addressed—in childhood and youth. For a young person with symptoms of a mental disorder, the earlier treatment is started, the more effective it can be. Early treatment can help prevent more severe, lasting problems as a child grows up.
Latest News
- New Pathways for Implementing Universal Suicide Risk Screening in Healthcare Settings
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• Press Release
A new report provides guidance on how to implement universal suicide risk screening of youth in medical settings. The report describes a way for hospitals to address the rising suicide rate in a way that is flexible and mindful of limited resources.
- Understanding the Brain Mechanisms of Irritability in Youth
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• Science Update
Researchers have identified differences in how the brains of irritable youth react to frustration, findings that could provide new paths for developing treatments for children and adolescents with severe irritability.
- Inflammation in Pregnant Moms Linked to Child’s Brain Development
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• Science Update
High levels of maternal inflammation during pregnancy have been linked to effects in children, including reduced brain circuit communications and altered long-distance brain wiring at birth, poorer cognitive function at one year – and to reduced impulse control and working memory at two years.



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Development of the Young Brain
For more than twenty years, neuroscientist Dr. Jay Giedd has studied the development of the adolescent brain. Decades of imaging work have led to remarkable insight and a more than a few surprises.

National Database for Autism Research
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