Definition
Young people can have mental, emotional, and behavioral problems that are real, painful, and costly. These problems, often called “disorders,” are sources of stress for children and their families, schools, and communities.
Articles
- A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
- Children’s Bad Behavior Gives Insights to Academic Achievement and Later Career Success
- Child Care Linked To Assertive, Noncompliant, and Aggressive Behaviors
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
- BEGINNING TOO SOON: ADOLESCENT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, PREGNANCY AND PARENTHOOD A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INTERVENTIONS
- Toddlers of Teen Mothers Who Smoked During Pregnancy Show Behavior Problems
- Children’s Mental Health Facts Children and Adolescents with Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders
Article Summaries
A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and NeglectThe consequences of child maltreatment can be profound and may endure long after the abuse or neglect occurs. The effects can appear in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, and may affect various aspects of an individual’s development (e.g., physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral). These effects range in consequence from minor physical injuries, low self-esteem, attention disorders, and poor peer relations to severe brain damage, extremely violent behavior, and death.
Children’s Bad Behavior Gives Insights to Academic Achievement and Later Career Success
New research suggests that children entering school with behavior problems, as a rule, can keep pace with classroom learning, but persistent behavior problems can be a strong indicator of how well these students adapt to the work world. Two studies entirely funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Developmental and Learning Sciences program uncovered these results. Researchers working through the Center for the Analyses of Pathways from Childhood to Adulthood (CAPCA) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., conducted both studies. The findings may help parents, teachers and social and behavioral scientists improve educational and occupational outcomes for disruptive students.
Child Care Linked To Assertive, Noncompliant, and Aggressive Behaviors
The more time children spent in child care from birth to age four-and-a-half, the more adults tended to rate them, both at age four-and-a-half and at kindergarten, as less likely to get along with others, as more assertive, as disobedient, and as aggressive, according to a study appearing in the July/August issue of Child Development. However, the researchers cautioned that for the vast majority of children, the levels of the behaviors reported were well within the normal range. In fact, a mother’s sensitivity to her child was a better indicator of reported problem behaviors than was time in child care, with more sensitive mothering being linked to less problem behaviors. Higher maternal education and family income also predicted lower levels of children’s problem behaviors..
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
During the 30 days before the survey, 10.5% of students nationwide had driven a car or other vehicle one or more times when they had been drinking alcohol (Table 5). Overall, the prevalence of having driven when they had been drinking alcohol was higher among male (12.8%) than female (8.1%) students; higher among white male (13.9%), black male (7.5%), and Hispanic male (13.0%) than white female (9.3%), black female (3.9%), and Hispanic female (7.7%) students, respectively; and higher among 9th-grade male (6.8%), 11th-grade male (13.7%), and 12th-grade male (23.6%) than 9th-grade female (4.1%), 11th-grade female (9.1%), and 12th-grade female (13.1%) students, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of having driven when they had been drinking alcohol was higher among white (11.6%) and Hispanic (10.3%) than black (5.7%) students; higher among white female (9.3%) and Hispanic female (7.7%) than black female (3.9%) students; and higher among white male (13.9%) and Hispanic male (13.0%) than black male (7.5%) students.
This report was prepared for and funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Contract No. DHHS-100-92-0015, D.O.08. The contributions of Deanna Cooke, Joy Near, Roxanne Pfister, Nancy Snyder, and Kenneth Thevenin are greatly appreciated. In addition, the helpful comments provided by our Project Officers, Elisa Koff and Amy Nevel, and their colleagues, Barbara Broman and Ann Segal, and other anonymous reviewers are much appreciated. We also appreciate the production assistance of Fanette Jones, Carla Butler, and Cheryl Oakes in the preparation of this report.
Toddlers of Teen Mothers Who Smoked During Pregnancy Show Behavior Problems
New findings from a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health suggest that toddlers of women who smoked during pregnancy begin to show a pattern of behavior problems as early as 18-24 months of age. It is the first study to show a link between smoking during pregnancy and child behavior problems in the first years of life. “We already know that smoking can negatively affect the physical health of children,” said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., NIH Director. “This study tells us we should also be taking a closer look at how it affects development and behavior.”
Young people can have mental, emotional, and behavioral problems that are real, painful, and costly. These problems, often called “disorders,” are sources of stress for children and their families, schools, and communities. Number of Young People and Their Families Affected by Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Is Significant The number of young people and their families who are affected by mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders is significant. It is estimated that as many as one in five children and adolescents may have a mental health disorder that can be identified and require treatment. Mental health disorders in children and adolescents are caused by biology, environment, or a combination of the two. Examples of biological factors are genetics, chemical imbalances in the body, and damage to the central nervous system, such as a head injury. Many environmental factors also can affect mental health, including exposure to violence, extreme stress, and the loss of an important person.