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Progress in reducing child deaths slows as 4.9 million children die before age five
An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today. Most of these deaths are preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care.
Potentially toxic ‘forever chemicals’ may harm adolescent bone health
Chemicals called PFAS may lower bone density in adolescents, a new study has found.
The scientist who warned that profit, not science, decides which drugs reach patients
In a Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine, Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Therapeutics for Mental Health, and President-Elect of the Collegium Internationale of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), delivers a pointed warning: the greatest threat to drug discovery is not scientific failure but a financing system that abandons effective, affordable treatments whenever they cannot promise sufficient returns to investors. Across a career that began in central Italy and moved through Sardinia and Montreal, Dr. Gobbi has generated landmark research linking adolescent cannabis exposure to depression, identified novel melatonin receptor mechanisms in sleep and pain, and launched psychedelic neuroscience before it became fashionable. The interview reveals a scientist whose best questions have always begun at the bedside, and whose most urgent fears concern the structures that stand between discovery and patients.
St. Luke’s Episcopal hosts community dinner on youth mental health
Church brings together residents to discuss adolescent well-being, grief, and suicide prevention.
Smith College Alum Dr. Frances Jensen ’78 Explores the Science of the Adolescent Brain
Neurologist and best-selling author credits Smith with her interest in brain science.
Child and Adolescent Firearm Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States
This brief analyzes the latest youth mortality data from the CDC, finding that nearly 22,000 children and adolescents died by firearm in the past decade. More information on trends over time, type of firearm deaths, and how these deaths vary by demographic and state are available in this brief.
Valve Issues Scathing Public Response to New York Attorney General's Loot Box Lawsuit
The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, recently announced that she was taking Valve to court over what she called "quintessential gambling" via loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, and Dota, stating that these loot boxes target children and adolescents, and that they ...
Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
Science of fitting in: Do best friends or popular peers shape teen behavior?
As kids enter adolescence, peer influence splits in two—often in ways adults miss. Following 543 middle schoolers for one semester, researchers found that best friends shape teens’ inner lives, from emotional struggles to academic challenges, while popular peers influence public, status-driven behaviors like social media use and weight concerns. Far from being easily swayed, adolescents navigate peer influence strategically—an insight frequently overlooked by parents and educators.
What the science says about social media addiction in minors
About 95% of teens and almost 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Adolescent Health said
What the science says about social media addiction in minors
About 95% of teens and almost 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Adolescent Health said
READY, SET, IMPLEMENT! Lifelines in Crisis: Prioritizing Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health in Humanitarian and Conflict-affected Settings
Conflict, climate change and displacement are driving a global “permacrisis,” with over half of maternal and child deaths occurring in fragile settings. This PMNCH webinar explores rights-based, resilient approaches to protect WCAH and SRHR, strengthen local systems, and accelerate integrated health action in crisis contexts.
Adolescent Social Health May Foretell Loneliness, Aggressive Behavior, Study Suggests
Teens who are lonely and those who experience conflict in their home life are more likely to act aggressively toward peers or become victims themselves. These are some of the findings in a new University of California, Davis, study that creates a detailed picture of children’s social lives by identifying patterns and predictors of adolescent social health.
Adolescent social health may foretell loneliness and aggressive behavior
Teens who are lonely and those who experience conflict in their home life are more likely to act aggressively toward peers or become victims themselves. These are some of the findings in a new University ...
Study finds association between teen cannabis use and mental health disorders
Kaiser Permanente study of nearly half a million adolescents finds cannabis use may precede onset of serious psychiatric disorders.
Their Transgender Child’s Health Care Had Ended. What Now?
In many ways, the parents whose adolescents had been receiving treatment at NYU Langone Health had been expecting this call. Still, they were stunned.
Advancing Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: Key Advocacy Messages for the 39th African Union Summit
At the 39th African Union Summit, PMNCH underscores urgent priorities to advance women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health across Africa, where preventable deaths remain disproportionately high despite longstanding commitments. In 2023, more than 70% of global maternal deaths occurred on the continent, with an estimated 182,000 women dying from pregnancy-related causes, alongside nearly 58% of global under-five deaths, almost half of newborn deaths and a stillbirth rate of 21.7 per 1,000 total births. PMNCH’s key messages call for accelerated implementation of existing commitments, stronger financing for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, prioritization of fragile settings, and reinforced partnerships to translate political will into measurable progress.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day: Hailey Bolander
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The love for competition came to Hailey Bolander from a young age, as she found herself competing in various sports in her adolescent years.
Integration of health check-ups into school and healthcare systems can improve adolescent health in LMICs
Nature Medicine - In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), adolescents have limited access to healthcare. A study in urban Zimbabwe demonstrated that routine check-up visits integrated within...
County Health Endorses American Academy Of Pediatrics 2026 Child And Adolescent Immunization Schedule
Santa Barbara County Health Department endorses American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule
Parental firearm injury linked to increased mental health burden in children
Each year, 20,000 children and adolescents across the U.S. lose a parent to gun violence, while an estimated two to three times more have a parent who has been injured due to a firearm. To better understand ...
Scientists found hidden synapse hotspots in the teen brain
Scientists have discovered that the adolescent brain does more than prune old connections. During the teen years, it actively builds dense new clusters of synapses in specific parts of neurons. These clusters emerge only in adolescence and may help shape higher-level thinking. When the process is disrupted, it could play a role in conditions like schizophrenia.
RFK Jr.’s war on antidepressants is coming — and it will cost lives
“Kennedy’s antidepressant rhetoric is not only based on bad science, it fuels distrust in mental health treatments” in the midst of a crisis for adolescents, experts write.
This is your teen’s brain on phones and social media, according to science
A wave of new studies is shedding light on the risks of early smartphone access and heavy screen use for adolescent mental health and development.
This is your teen’s brain on phones and social media, according to science
A wave of new studies is shedding light on the risks of early smartphone access and heavy screen use for adolescent mental health and development.
19 states and D.C. sue HHS over effort to ban transgender care for minors
The declaration issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria.
For teens, any cannabis use may have impact on emotional health and academic performance
Using marijuana just once or twice a month was associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens, according to a large national study of adolescents led by Ryan Sultán, an assistant ...
Youth Mental Health Spotlighted at U.S. Launch of the Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing | Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health
In October 2025, global health leaders, policymakers, youth advocates, and researchers convened in the nation’s capital for a two-day A Call to Action for Youth Mental Health. The event served as the U.S. launch of the report of the Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, an international effort to address the urgent and escalating challenges facing adolescents worldwide. Hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health, the convening followed the World Health Assembly launch in May 2025. The next steps will be to continue collaborating with partners across the U.S. and the world to support the actions responsive to youth needs, including, Integrate youth lived experience expertise into mental health research, policy, and practiceApply data-driven accountability for equitable access to quality careShape urban environments to promote youth mental healthUnderstand gendered drivers and tailored responses to support youth mental healthCatalyze intersectoral engagement for youth mental health: health, education, and social support systems
UT Health East Texas child psychiatrist weighs in on Australia’s under-16 social media ban
As Australia welcomed the world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 on Wednesday, a UT Health East Texas child and adolescent psychiatrist weighed in on the ban.
Most countries make progress towards universal health coverage, but major challenges remain, WHO–World Bank report finds
A new joint report from WHO and the World Bank Group reveals that most countries – across all income levels and regions – have made concurrent progress in expanding health service coverage and reducing the financial hardship associated with health costs, since 2000.
Smartphones could be putting your kids at risk
A new study on smartphone use and its effect on adolescents’ health may be one more reason parents should hold off on getting their kids the devices.
Smartphones could be putting your kids at risk
A new study on smartphone use and its effect on adolescents’ health may be one more reason parents should hold off on getting their kids the devices.