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Free play is essential for children's development and for their physical, mental, and social health. Opportunities to engage in outdoor free play—and risky play in particular—have declined significantly in recent years, in part because safety measures have sought to prevent all play-related injuries rather than focusing on serious and fatal injuries. Risky play is defined by thrilling and exciting forms of free play that involve uncertainty of outcome and a possibility of physical injury. Proponents of risky play differentiate "risk" from "hazard" and seek to reframe perceived risk as an opportunity for situational evaluation and personal development. This statement weighs the burden of play-related injuries alongside the evidence in favour of risky play, including its benefits, risks, and nuances, which can vary depending on a child's developmental stage, ability, and social and medical context. Approaches are offered to promote open, constructive discussions with families and organizations. Paediatricians are encouraged to think of outdoor risky play as one way to help prevent and manage common health problems such as obesity, anxiety, and behavioural issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Young adults in Neither in Employment, Education nor Training (NEET) are at risk of adverse labour market outcomes. Earlier studies often measured NEET status at one time point or compared persistent NEETs with non-NEETs, neglecting other patterns of NEET status. Evidence on early life factors associated with NEET patterns is lacking. This study aims to (i) identify patterns of NEET status over time and (ii) examine whether factors in childhood and adolescence are associated with these patterns. Methods Data were used from 1499 participants of the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a Dutch prospective cohort study with 15-year follow-up. NEET status was assessed at ages 19, 22 and 26. Socioeconomic status of parents (SES), intelligence and negative life events were measured at age 11, educational attainment at age 26 and mental health problems at ages 11, 13.5 and 16. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results Four NEET patterns were identified: (i) non-NEETs (85.2%), (ii) early NEETs (4.5%), (iii) late NEETs (5.7%) and (iv) persistent NEETs (4.5%). Reporting internalizing problems at age 11 was a risk factor for early and late NEETs [odds ratio (OR) 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–6.62; OR 5.00, 95% CI 2.22–11.3, respectively]. Low parental SES, lower intelligence scores and negative life events (≥3) were risk factors for persistent NEETs (OR 4.45, 95% CI 2.00–9.91; OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98; OR 4.42, 95% CI 1.62–12.08, respectively). Conclusions The results highlight the importance of timing and duration of NEET status and emphasize the need for tailored interventions to prevent specific NEET patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many refugee children experience trauma in early childhood. Effective, tailored interventions are needed to improve refugee children's access to preventive mental health. We interviewed refugee-serving stakeholders and parents participating in an evidence-based preventive mental health and wellness intervention adapted for Afghan refugee children and families who may have experienced trauma. Interview guide development was informed by two implementation science frameworks: the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Model for Adaptation Design and Impact. A three-person team coded transcripts via rapid qualitative analysis, and the study team reached consensus on themes. Six refugee-serving facilitators and five refugee parents discussed key determinants of successful implementation. Themes included: (i) modeling cultural humility to promote communication about emotions; (ii) needed linguistic support and referral networks to avoid miscommunications and missed communications; (iii) bridging connections between children, families and schools; (iv) different takeaways, or differing goals and expectations between facilitators and participants; and (v) timely, specific cultural considerations to overcome participation barriers. Overall, we found key determinants of successful implementation of a preventive mental health and wellness intervention for refugee children and families included adaptations to enhance cultural humility and sensitivity to cultural context while strengthening communication among facilitators, children and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children entering foster care have complex health needs that can persist across the lifespan. Efforts to improve access to primary care services exist; however, few have been tested. This study evaluated the Missoula Foster Child Health Program, a tri-agency, community-based collaboration in Montana, to determine its impact on health outcomes for youth in care. Demographic, health outcome, and child welfare data were collected from 485 children (50 percent male, 50 percent female, aged 0–18). At program admission, children had unmet service needs, lacking a primary care provider (30 percent), a dental provider (58 percent), and required vaccinations (33 percent). Three-quarters of children had at least one health condition, and one-third had a behavioral health concern. Overall, children in the program had significant decreases in physical and behavioral health problems from admission to discharge. Older children and those with fewer placements were more likely to have positive health changes. Data are promising, representing positive health outcomes of a community-based model for children in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial determinants of health (CDoH) have a significant impact on the health and well-being of children and young people (subsequently referred to as young people). While most research has focused on the influence of harmful industry marketing on young people, more recent CDoH frameworks have emphasized that a range of commercial systems and practices may influence health and well-being. Focusing on the impact of traditional and digital media, contemporary marketing strategies and corporate production and consumption processes, the following article outlines the impact of the CDoH on the health and wellbeing of young people. The article also provides evidence about how young people conceptualize the impact of corporate actors on health, and their involvement in advocacy strategies to respond. The article recommends that when collaborating with young people to understand the impacts of and responses to the CDoH, we should seek to diversify investigations towards the impact of a range of corporate tactics, systems and structures, rather than simply focusing on the impacts of advertising. This should include considering areas and priorities that young people identify as areas for action and understanding why some young people are more vulnerable to commercial tactics than others. Youth are powerful allies in responding to the CDoH. Public health and health promotion stakeholders could do more to champion the voices of young people and allow them to be active participants in the decisions that are made about harmful commercial practices and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While paediatric care providers are often the first point of contact for children or youth experiencing mental health challenges, they may lack the resources (e.g. access to a multidisciplinary team) or training to adequately identify or manage such problems. This joint statement describes the key roles and competencies required to assess and address child and youth mental health problems, and the factors that optimize outcomes in this age group. Evidence-informed guidance on screening for and discussing mental health concerns with young people and families is provided. Preventive and therapeutic interventions with demonstrated efficacy in community care settings are discussed. This foundational statement also focuses on the changes to medical education, health systems, and health policy that are needed to improve clinical practice and advocacy efforts in Canada, including appropriate remuneration models, stepped-care approaches, targeted government funding, and professional training and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery, as a concept is internationally recognised as a means to empower children to manage their own mental health. Recovery-oriented mental health policy production and service delivery in many Western countries, however, occurs in a discursive field influenced by biomedical and neo-liberal discourses. This article uses Critical Discourse Analysis to investigate an Australian policy—'A National Framework for Recovery-Oriented Mental Health Services: Guide for Practitioners and Providers ' , to critically analyse the competing versions of recovery. The findings reveal ideological slippages at work and show the operation of biomedical, developmental, collaborative, empowerment and responsibilisation discourses that compete in this mental health policy. This article shows how social workers require critical analysis to discern the consequences of different understandings of recovery in the child and youth mental health field. Despite the collaborative and strengths-based language of recovery, the analysis demonstrates the need to recognise the fine line between empowerment and the neo-liberal imperative for children to self-manage their mental health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Obesity and mental health issues increasingly affect children and adolescents, but whether obesity is a risk factor for mental health issues is unclear. Objective To systematically review the association between obesity and mental health issues (ie, anxiety and/or depression) among Mexican children and adolescents. Data sourcing, extraction, and synthesis A literature search of 13 databases and 1 search engine was conducted. Population, exposure, comparison, outcomes, and study design data were extracted, analyzed, and narratively synthesized. The JBI critical appraisal tool was used to evaluate evidence quality. Results A total of 16 studies with 12 103 participants between 8 and 18 years old were included. Four studies focused on anxiety outcomes, 10 on depression, and 2 on both (ie, anxiety and depression). Evidence is unclear about the association of obesity with anxiety. However, most evidence shows that Mexican children and adolescents with overweight or obesity are more likely to have depression or report a higher number of depressive symptoms than normal-weight participants. Such likelihood is greater for females. Conclusion Health promotion interventions to treat or prevent obesity could also consider mental health outcomes. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42019154132 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a well-established connection between housing conditions and children's health. However, little is known on how housing insecurity indicators including, multiple moves, being behind on rent/mortgage, doubling up and crowding, affect child health. The purpose of this paper is to identify how pathways of association between housing insecurity and health may become established during childhood, using evidence from the literature. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework for scoping reviews, a search was conducted using key terms associated with housing insecurity and health among children. Twenty-seven articles were included in the review. Forty-six outcomes related to child health were identified throughout the articles. Physical health was the most commonly examined outcome in these articles. Multiple moves was the most common housing insecurity indicator associated with health. This review identified multiple studies showing negative associations between housing insecurity and poorer health-related indicators among children. Results from this review provide important information on the implication of certain housing insecurity indicators for children's health. Although housing is increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health, it may be particularly important to go beyond physical housing conditions to consider and measure housing insecurity in future work, as a key social determinant shaping health in pediatric populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the psychological impact of food insecurity on children in low-income families, emphasizing the often overlooked emotional toll. Topics include the chronic stress and anxiety caused by uncertainty over meals, cognitive development setbacks due to inadequate nutrition, and negative coping mechanisms leading to social isolation and behavioral issues.

Objectives The multidimensional features of intergenerational relationships and the mixed feelings among parents with multiple children complicate how intergenerational relationships shape mental health among older parents. This study explores the patterns of intergenerational relationships among Chinese families with multiple children and their associations with older parents' depressive symptoms. Methods Through 3 waves (2014, 2016, and 2018) of nationally representative longitudinal data obtained from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), we used the k -means clustering method and fixed-effects models to address the research questions. Results The findings revealed that over 41.64% of older parents had different types of intergenerational relationships with their different children. The closest parent–child relationship type was associated with the lowest levels of depressive symptoms among older parents, whereas the most estranged parent–child relationship type was associated with the highest levels of depressive symptoms. The most estranged parent–child relationship type (i.e. the alienated type) involving one child could reduce the psychological benefits gained through the closest type (i.e. the tight-knit type) involving another child. However, this moderation effect only manifested among socioeconomically privileged older parents. Discussion These findings highlight the importance of adopting a systematic view for studies regarding intergenerational relationships. The impacts of a single parent–child relationship on parents can be influenced by other parent–child relationships. Moreover, in the context of the dramatic and uneven social changes throughout China, the interactive features of intergenerational relationships have revealed an emerging strong preference for all-round relational harmony across multiple children, particularly among privileged Chinese families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a systematic review to evaluate combinations of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration (defined as "movement behaviors") and their associations with physical, psychological, and educational outcomes in children and adolescents. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, EMBASE, and ERIC were searched in June 2020. Included studies needed to 1) quantitatively analyze the association of 2 or more movement behaviors with an outcome, 2) analyze a population between 5 and 17 years of age, and 3) include at least an English abstract. We included 141 studies. Most studies included the combination of physical activity and sedentary behavior in their analyses. Sleep was studied less frequently. In combination, a high level of physical activity and a low level of sedentary behavior were associated with the best physical health, psychological health, and education-related outcomes. Sleep was often included in the combination that was associated with the most favorable outcomes. Sedentary behavior had a stronger influence in adolescents than in children and tended to be associated more negatively with outcomes when it was defined as screen time than when defined as overall time spent being sedentary. More initiatives and guidelines combining all 3 movement behaviors will provide benefit with regard to adiposity, cardiometabolic risk factors, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular physical fitness, well-being, health-related quality of life, mental health, academic performance, and cognitive/executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, children are being exposed to intensive marketing for gambling products. This normalizes perceptions that gambling is essentially a harmless form of entertainment, despite mounting evidence of the harms it causes. Young people and their parents are supportive of strategies to protect children from being exposed to gambling marketing. Yet existing regulatory efforts are inconsistent and inadequate, and have not protected children from exposure to the many forms of marketing now being developed and exploited by the gambling industry. We outline existing knowledge about strategies used by the gambling industry to market its products, with a specific focus on the potential impact of gambling marketing on young people. We provide a definition of gambling marketing and outline the different forms of promotion that are currently used to market gambling, current regulatory responses, and the impact of marketing on children and young people. We then argue that a comprehensive public health approach to gambling is urgently required, which must include effective action to limit the influence of marketing for gambling products, while recognizing that it is never possible to insulate children entirely from their reach. Lay Summary: • Gambling marketing has become particularly pervasive and aligned with major cultural activities such as sport. • Evidence clearly shows the normalizing impact of marketing on children and young people's gambling attitudes and consumption intentions. • Current regulatory efforts are inadequate and have not protected children and young people from exposure to a range of different forms of marketing. • Young people and their parents support the implementation of significant restrictions on gambling marketing. • The array of marketing mechanisms used by the gambling industry should be addressed as part of a comprehensive public health policy approach to protect children from gambling harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings on children's mental health promotion at the policy level are scarce, and the perceptions of the municipal administration on factors affecting children's mental health have not been reported. This study describes the perspectives of policymakers and leading officeholders on promotive and risk factors for children's mental health in a socioecological context. The perspectives of Finnish policymakers (n = 15) and officeholders (n = 10) in municipalities were examined using semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis and were categorized according to the five levels of a socioecological model of health promotion: public policy, community, organizational, interpersonal and individual levels. The public policy level emerged strongly in the findings, specifically strategic planning and implementation challenges related to the promotion of children's mental health in the municipality and state administration. At the community level, environmental factors promoting children's mental health as well as risk factors were described. The organizational level consisted of support, requirements and development needs in children's services. The importance of family and close networks at the interpersonal level, as well as the individual basis of mental health, were also evident. The integration and better collaboration of child and family services, the use of child rights impact assessment in political decision-making, and financial support from the state could contribute to improving strategic planning to support children's mental health at the municipal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concerns affecting Canadian children and adolescents. The Canadian Paediatric Society has developed two position statements that summarize current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of anxiety disorders. Both statements offer evidence-informed guidance to support paediatric health care providers (HCPs) making decisions around the care of children and adolescents with these conditions. The objectives of Part 1, which focuses on assessment and diagnosis, are to: (1) review the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of anxiety disorders and (2) describe a process for assessment of anxiety disorders. Specific topics are reviewed, including prevalence, differential diagnosis, co-occurring conditions, and the process of assessment. Approaches are offered for standardized screening, history-taking, and observation. Associated features and indicators that distinguish anxiety disorders from developmentally appropriate fears, worries, and anxious feelings are considered. Note that when the word 'parent' (singular or plural) is used, it includes any primary caregiver and every configuration of family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing (MHWB) have received greater attention in recent years due to increases in mental ill health and reports of decreasing subjective wellbeing. The School Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network (SHINE) was established to create a national infrastructure to support Scottish schools to collect and use health and wellbeing (HWB) data to inform school improvement action planning. This study aimed to evaluate a pilot of SHINE's provision of school-level HWB data reports from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey and their impact on school action planning. Using a qualitative case study design, we collected data in four local authorities across Scotland via pupil and school staff focus groups (n = 23 groups), and from interviews with senior leaders, school SHINE Leads, other relevant school-level stakeholders, local authority (LA) HWB and data leads (n = 30 interviews). Data analysis was supported using Normalisation Process Theory as a guiding framework. Implementation was at an early stage. Participants indicated that the data reports were an accessible and valuable source of local information to support the improvement agenda. SHINE's expertise supported the lack of research capacity and strengthened HWB data literacy skills in schools. At the point of interview, data reports had not been shared widely within the school community, but there was some limited use of the reports to inform action planning around HWB. Through close working and further engagement with schools, SHINE has the potential to support them to deliver national commitments to improving HWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's right to involvement in practices that address their well-being is frequently highlighted, yet how children exercise involvement in face-to-face encounters has remained fairly unknown. To fulfil our aim of identifying, describing and defining children's involvement, we conducted an inductive microanalysis of face-to-face dialogue on audiovisual recordings of naturally occurring therapy sessions with children attending social services departments and mental health clinics. The resulting operationalisation generated six dimensions of children's involvement: participatory, directive, positional, emotional, agentive and narrative. By operationalising how children exercise involvement, we render the abstract concept more amenable to fine-grained analysis, systematic evaluation and criticism. The domains also offer tools to recognise children's involvement in practice. Lastly, the article discusses practical implications and presents a compass for orientation. Since many conversational elements in institutional talks are generic, the dimensions are potentially transferable to other settings, including school counselling, child protection investigation and clinical psychology. A high inter-analyst agreement, together with similar findings on utterance functions and interactional dominance in other types of dialogues, also enhance the dimensions' transferability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study considered whether experiencing the death of a child is associated with subsequent psychological distress in older populations, as well as variation in both exposure and vulnerability to the death of a child among Black, Hispanic, and White older parents. Methods We used multilevel models to link the death of a child with subsequent distress for 9,763 non-Hispanic White, 2,496 non-Hispanic Black, 1,014 foreign-born Hispanic, and 712 U.S.-born Hispanic parents from the Health and Retirement Study, 2006–2016. Results The death of a child is associated with increased psychological distress in mid to later life for Black, White, and Hispanic parents, with greater vulnerability for foreign-born Hispanic parents. Notably, Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged because of the additive effects of their greater exposure to bereavement and their higher distress levels regardless of bereavement status. These effects persist net of additional stressors associated with race/ethnicity. Discussion The death of a child is a traumatic life course event associated with lasting psychological distress for aging parents. Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged in that they are more likely than White parents to experience the death of a child, and foreign-born Hispanic parents may be disadvantaged by greater vulnerability to distress following child death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Most children recover quickly after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but some may have ongoing symptoms. Follow-up studies have been limited by small sample sizes and lack of appropriate controls. Methods We used national testing data to identify children aged 2–16 years with a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test during 1–7 January 2021 and randomly selected 1500 PCR-positive cases and 1500 matched PCR-negative controls. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire about the acute illness and prespecified neurological, dermatological, sensory, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, mental health (including emotional and behavioral well-being), and other symptoms experienced ≥5 times at 1 month after the PCR test. Results Overall, 35.0% (859/2456) completed the questionnaire, including 38.0% (472/1242) of cases and 32% (387/1214) of controls, of whom 68% (320/472) and 40% (154/387) were symptomatic, respectively. The most prevalent acute symptoms were cough (249/859, 29.0%), fever (236/859, 27.5%), headache (236/859, 27.4%), and fatigue (231/859, 26.9%). One month later, 21/320 (6.7%) of symptomatic cases and 6/154 (4.2%) of symptomatic controls (P  = .24) experienced ongoing symptoms. Of the 65 ongoing symptoms solicited, 3 clusters were significantly (P  < .05) more common, albeit at low prevalence, among symptomatic cases (3–7%) than symptomatic controls (0–3%): neurological, sensory, and emotional and behavioral well-being. Mental health symptoms were reported by all groups but more frequently among symptomatic cases than symptomatic controls or asymptomatic children. Conclusions Children with symptomatic COVID-19 had a slightly higher prevalence of ongoing symptoms than symptomatic controls, and not as high as previously reported. Healthcare resources should be prioritized to support the mental health of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Obesity is a global public health concern. Given the widespread disruption caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is important to evaluate its impact on children with chronic health conditions. This study examines the health of paediatric patients with obesity enrolled in a tertiary hospital weight management program, before and 1 year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of patients aged 2 to 17 years enrolled in a paediatric weight management clinic. Mental health outcomes (i.e. new referrals to psychologist, social work, eating disorder program, incidence of dysregulated eating, suicidal ideation, and/or self-harm) and physical health (anthropometric measures) were compared before and 1 year into the pandemic. Results Among the 334 children seen in either period, there was an increase in referrals to psychologist (12.4% versus 26.5%; P=0.002) and the composite mental health outcome (17.2% versus 30.2%; P=0.005) during the pandemic compared with pre-pandemic. In a subset of children (n=30) with anthropometric measures in both periods, there was a lower rate of decline in BMIz score (–1.5 [2.00] versus –0.3 [0.73]/year; P=0.002) and an increase in adiposity (–0.8 [4.64] versus 2.7 [5.54]%/year; P=0.043) during the pandemic. Discussion The pandemic has impacted the mental and physical health of children with obesity engaged in a weight management clinic. While our study provides evidence of a negative impact on mental health outcomes and less improvement in anthropometric measures, future research when patients return to in-person care will enable further examination of our findings with additional objective measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific evidence shows that young people who have been in alternative care are more vulnerable than youth in the general population. This disadvantage is even more pronounced in the case of those who have been in residential care. A main factor associated with this greater vulnerability is low academic attainment, which is reflected in the scarcity of these youth accessing higher education. This qualitative research gathers the voices of twelve youth who have lived in residential care and are studying or have studied at university to explore those elements that have helped them overcome the obstacles to accessing higher education and have better opportunities in all areas of life. Following a communicative approach, the participants were also involved in the analysis. Besides identifying some of the great difficulties faced, the findings reveal that the participants were aware of the opportunities presented by a university degree and encouraged by relevant educators. Furthermore, most of the residential centres of the participants gave priority to their studies and provided extra support in a protective environment. The results provide valuable insights to child welfare decision makers and residential caregivers for improving services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic stress caused by child maltreatment can lead to adverse mental health outcomes in later life, yet unmeasured confounding has been a major issue in many previous studies. To examine the association between child maltreatment and resilience and behavior problems among early elementary school-age children, we used data from a population-based longitudinal survey targeting all first-grade children in 2015 in Adachi City, a ward in Tokyo, Japan. Children whose caregivers provided valid responses during the 2015 (first grade; ages 6–7 years), 2016 (second grade; ages 7–8 years), and 2018 (fourth grade; ages 9–10 years) waves of the study were included in the analysis (n  = 2,920). Fixed-effects regression models revealed that child maltreatment was inversely associated with resilience (β = −0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.05, −0.72) and prosocial behavior (β = −0.03, 95% CI: −0.05, −0.003) and positively associated with behavior problems (β = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.37) over 4 years of follow-up (2015–2018), after controlling for all time-invariant confounders and measured time-varying confounders and survey year. These associations were consistent across sex. Child maltreatment may hamper the development of resilience and prosocial behavior and induce behavior problems in early elementary school children over time. Future researchers should identify modifiable protective factors for better mental health among maltreated children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perinatal experience contains many stressors that can impact parental mental health. We examined the integration of music therapy (MT), an evidence-based health profession, and its stress reduction role in parents during their inpatient maternity and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Stress Numeric Rating Scale (SNRS-11) were used to measure stress reduction in 34 maternity and NICU parents (17 maternity patients and 17 NICU parents). Participants included parents on the antepartum unit (expecting parents on bedrest), laboring parents, pre-operation parents before cesarean delivery, parents of full-term healthy infants on the postpartum unit, and parents of premature infants on the NICU. Results were calculated based upon number of sessions rather than total number of participants and indicated that after one MT session, a 50% reduction in the SNRS-11 was measured in NICU and antepartum parents. The PSS score demonstrated a more modest stress reduction in the NICU parents but failed to achieve a statistically significant decrease in the maternity group. Findings were in line with existing literature in MT-associated stress reduction levels and may be integrated as part of an ongoing continuity of care during pregnancy, delivery, and NICU hospitalization. Earlier screening for stress may benefit parents during their perinatal hospital stay. Further research exploring the benefits of MT, as part of continuum of care and stress management for the inpatient perinatal parent population, may encourage the inclusion of MT services and improve quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Socioeconomic status, especially during childhood, is known as one of the key factors affecting health. This study's objective was to investigate the association between childhood socioeconomic and mental health status in adulthood. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2062 employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Depression, stress and anxiety were measured using the validated DASS-42 questionnaire. A self-rated question was used to assess childhood socioeconomic status. Other variables including age, sex, marital status, and also wealth index, were measured. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results 24.6% of men and 33.8% of women had degrees of depression (mild, moderate, severe or very severe). 32.9% of men and 29.4% of women had mild, moderate, severe or very severe anxiety. 36.3% of men and 45.2% of women also exhibited mild, moderate, severe or very severe stress. Results showed after adjusting for the current socioeconomic status, childhood socioeconomic status has a relationship with the mental health of individuals. Conclusion People with a suboptimal childhood socioeconomic status seem to be a high-risk group for depression, stress and anxiety in adulthood. Strategies need to put into practice to improve the mental health of these people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objectives: Sleep problems, such as accumulated sleep loss and social jetlag (SJL), which is characterized by a discrepancy in a person's sleep pattern between the weekday and the weekend, are associated with physical and mental health problems, and academic performance in young ages. However, sex differences in these associations are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sex on sleep-related factors, mental health (negative mood), and academic performance in Japanese children and adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 9270 students (boys: N = 4635, girls: N = 4635) ranging from the fourth grade of elementary school to the third grade of high school, which typically includes ages 9-18 years in Japan. Participants completed the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire, the Athens Insomnia Scale, self-reported academic performance, and negative mood-related questions. Results: School grade-related changes in sleep behavior (e.g. delayed bedtime, shortened sleep duration, and increased SJL) were detected. Girls had greater sleep loss on weekdays and SJL on weekends than boys. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sleep loss and SJL were more associated with negative mood and higher insomnia scores in girls than in boys, but not with academic performance. Conclusions: Sleep loss and SJL in Japanese girls had a higher correlation to their negative mood and tendency to insomnia than in boys. These results suggest the importance of sex-dependent sleep maintenance for children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concussion in children and adolescents is an important health concern. Most paediatric patients fully recover in 1 month or less following an acute concussion. However, some experience prolonged or persistent concussion symptoms for months. Those with prolonged post-concussion-related symptoms may have impaired quality of life, and limited involvement in social, academic, and physical activities with associated mental health implications. In this review, we share key updated clinical recommendations from the Living Guideline for Diagnosing and Managing Pediatric Concussion that will improve the way general paediatricians and family doctors diagnose and manage paediatric patients with suspected concussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to disrupt the lives of families and may have implications for children with existing sleep problems. As such, we aimed to: (1) characterize sleep changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in children who had previously been identified as having sleep problems, (2) identify factors contributing to sleep changes due to COVID-19 safety measures, and (3) understand parents' and children's needs to support sleep during the pandemic.Methods: Eighty-five Canadian parents with children aged 4-14 years participated in this explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study using an online survey of children's and parents' sleep, with a subset of 16 parents, selected based on changes in their children's sleep, participating in semi-structured interviews. Families had previously participated in the Better Nights, Better Days (BNBD) randomized controlled trial.Results: While some parents perceived their child's sleep quality improved during the COVID-19 pandemic (14.1%, n = 12), many parents perceived their child's sleep had worsened (40.0%, n = 34). Parents attributed children's worsened sleep to increased screen time, anxiety, and decreased exercise. Findings from semi-structured interviews highlighted the effect of disrupted routines on sleep and stress, and that stress reciprocally influenced children's and parents' sleep.Conclusions: The sleep of many Canadian children was affected by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the disruption of routines influencing children's sleep. eHealth interventions, such as BNBD with modifications that address the COVID-19 context, could help families address these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, effective risk communication is essential to mitigate the mental health impact on children and their families. Effective risk communication involves being honest but yet reassuring, framing issues in an actionable way, and modeling realistically reassuring communication among adults. Health care providers may discuss with families principles of modeling good media consumption habits to mitigate misinformation on social media. In addition, health numeracy and health literacy need to be integrated into proper risk communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health problems are common during pregnancy and after birth and are therefore often addressed in the context of antenatal and postnatal care. The project is an update of previous work and aimed at identifying and summarising screening and counselling recommendations from evidencebased guidelines. Mental health was defined broadly and included topics such as substance use and domestic violence. Methods: Relevant guidelines were identified by searching 2 databases (G-I-N, TRIP Database) and websites of relevant institutions and professional societies. Guidelines, that were published or updated within the last 5 years and fulfilled methodological quality criteria, were included. Results: A total of 52 guidelines from 16 different institutions fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The guidelines (predominantly) advocate the following mental health screenings: Interviewing about psychosocial stress factors and support needs during pregnancy and after birth; screening for postpartum depression and anxiety disorders; interviewing pregnant women about substance use (smoking, alcohol, drugs) and appropriate counselling. With regard to domestic violence and child welfare risks, some guidelines recommend routine screening and some recommend increased awareness of signs and symptoms by health workers. Routine screening for specific mental and behavioural disorders in children is not recommended by included guidelines; however, if there are indications and symptoms, clarification should take place and attention should be paid to signs and symptoms during preventive examinations. Conclusions: The included guidelines recommend screening and/or counselling for the majority of the topics addressed. The results of the report can be used as a basis for decision-making for updating national antenatal care and screening programmes. Key messages: The majority of the included evidence-based guidelines strongly recommend addressing mental health issues during pregnancy and after birth by offering screening and/or counselling. The recommendations from evidence-based guidelines can serve as a decision support for developing national antenatal and postnatal care programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]