Teenagers

National Suicide Prevention Week is September 6-12th, with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th. Suicide currently ranks as the second leading cause of death amongst those ages 10-24. Suicide is a preventable death. We just have to know what to look for in order to provide the help needed.

The rapid digitalization of modern society affects people differently. For parents in particular, this age has added an extra hurdle; they now must endeavor to guide their children through both the real world and the virtual world.

Labor Day: A long weekend of barbeques, trips to the beach, retail sales and vacation. Also, the last weekend of summer and the last hoorah before school and fall schedules begin–YIKES! Labor Day tends to evoke two very different emotions in people–excitement over the former and dread over the latter. For many, summer consists of 2 months of relaxation, lighter workloads, no school and traveling. Transitioning from this lifestyle back to reality (5 day workweeks, school/homework, and a heavier workload) can send anyone into a frenzy!
Test anxiety and the pressure to perform academically or professionally can be detrimental to one's self-esteem. Even some of the most brilliant people can struggle with managing their emotions when it comes to high-pressured situations like presentations, taking tests or speaking in front of others. If your child is showing signs of anxiety around school or if you are feeling overwhelmed about work, the tools in this post will be helpful.
Teens today are savvy–so many know about mental health, and yet, very few are aware of how unhealthy habits impact their mood and their ability to regulate their emotions. Although many teens may look (and act) like young adults, their brains are still developing. These habits may be "normal" for adults, but due to the sensitive nature of the teenage brain, they are very likely interfering with their mood and their overall mental health.
The brains of adolescents react more responsively to receiving rewards. This can lead to risky behavior, but, according to new research, it also has a positive function: it makes learning easier.
The rate of adolescents reporting a recent bout of clinical depression grew by 37 percent over the decade ending in 2014, with one in six girls reporting an episode in the past year, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests. The findings, published online Nov. 14 in the journal Pediatrics, highlight a need to focus on the mental well-being of young people and match those in peril with mental health professionals.

An interesting article in the most recent Monitor on Psychology (July/August 2014) highlighted a problem which we may all be familiar with. The problem, stuttering,...

It is World Cup time! And for many people, that means national pride, excitement and skipping work to catch midday games. As I watch these...

Parenthood is not an easy job.  It is one of the most important jobs, we all know.  Frequently, at Hartstein Psychological Services, we discuss the...