Less Screen Time Means Healthier Kids, Families
Smartphones and iPads have made it easy to entertain small children, and teens are hooked on their cellphones.
Since so many children and young adults are spending many hours a day staring at screens, we need to ask: What are they missing? What is it doing to their brains? Will too much screen time harm them?
An internet search for “harmful effects of too much screen time” results in pages of links that leave no doubt that there’s a serious problem. If anyone needs personal verification, all they have to do is listen to the experiences of classroom teachers, pediatricians and child psychologists in regard to how many children’s behaviors have been affected by the overuse of technology.
The good news is there are things parents can do about it. While appreciating the positive aspects of the internet, computers and other new technologies, parents and other caregivers can take advantage of the excellent information available that tells them how to eliminate the dangers of too much exposure.
Encouraging children to play outside, banning electronics during meals and before bedtime, strictly limiting screen time, speaking to and looking at one another more often, doing physical activities together, playing board games as a family — all of those help. It also helps to make available blocks, cardboard boxes and other items so young children can use them to build things. Having art and writing supplies available so they can create art and express themselves helps, too.
And let them be bored. Boredom is the impetus children need to come up with ideas of their own, to enjoy quiet time, to think and to solve their own problems.
Many parents also need to limit their own time on smartphones, especially when their children are present. Parents who cherish the time they have with their children will never regret it.
Daylight Saving Time May Affect Kids with Mental Health Disorders
If you’re the parent of a child with a mental health disorder, the recent change to Daylight Saving Time may have some health impacts you should be aware of.
Pediatricians at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio say the time change can have different negative effects for different disorders.
- Changes in sleep patterns from time change can cause a manic episode in children and teens with bipolar disorder.
- Kids dealing with depression and anxiety may find it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Children with autism already tend to sleep one to two hours less than other kids their age, and they also wake up earlier.
- The time change can affect kids with ADHD. The medication can cause “rebound hyperactivity” close to bedtime, making it difficult for kids to fall asleep.
Doctors have recommendations for better sleep quality — regardless of whether a child or teen has a mental health disorder or not:
- Devices like phones, tablets or televisions should be turned off or removed from the bedroom. An alternative is listening to calming sounds.
- Do not eat heavy meals before bed. A light, healthy snack is acceptable.
- Do not drink caffeinated beverages eight hours before bedtime.
- Keep bedrooms dark and cool with comfortable bedding.
- Do not exercise right before bed.
Source: WLFI.com
Depression and Anxiety Are Major Issues for Teens
According to a recent study and report conducted by the Pew Research Center, most American teenagers – across demographic groups – see depression and anxiety as major problems among their peers.
The survey found that 70 percent of teenagers saw mental health as a big issue. Fewer teenagers cited bullying, drug addiction or gangs as major problems, although kids from lower-income households were more likely to voice concerns about such matters. As reported in the New York Times, researchers found the consistency of the responses across gender, race and income lines as striking, and highlighted academic pressure as a significant worry.
The survey of 920 teenagers ages 13 to 17 in the United States was conducted online and by phone in the fall of 2018. Some psychologists have tied a growth in mental health issues among teenagers to increased social media use, pressure to succeed academically and frightening events like terror attacks and school shootings. Mental health experts offering advice to parents about their kids say listening — while not overloading with advice — is important, as is providing teens the opportunity to talk to a counselor or psychologist if needed.
“This research just validates exactly what we have been seeing at Alta for the last several years,” said Alta Behavioral Healthcare CEO Joe Shorokey. “It seems that there are more things pressing down on our children today than during previous generations, and social media is a huge part of that.”
How to Find a Good Therapist for Your Child
Just as you would never take your child to a medical doctor you didn’t have complete confidence in, you will naturally want to be just as careful in selecting the right professional when your child is in need of counseling or therapy.
There are several questions to ask and things to consider before choosing a therapist. The most basic ones include:
- Who is the therapist going to work with?
Your child will not receive therapy in isolation. Issues involving children will inevitably involve the entire family, not just the child. So be certain the therapist you choose is willing to work with other family members too. - Is the therapist skilled in working with the particular problem your child is experiencing?
As a matter of course, you should be certain that any therapist you choose has the proper credentials and licensing. Beyond this, make sure he or she has skills in the particular area your child is having problems with. - Look for a therapist with qualities that are most important to you and your child.
He or she should have a personality and manner that makes your child (and you) feel comfortable, and demonstrate an empathy and understanding of the issues being faced. - Other things to consider.
If possible, choose a multi-service office — one that offers therapy, medication, case management and group work as opposed to just one service. And to ensure everyone will stick with the program, choose a therapist whose office and hours are convenient to you and in an area where you feel safe. - Made sure you feel the connection.
Connection is a big factor in healing for your child and your entire family. Just as in other walks of life, you don’t “hit it off” with everyone you meet. Don’t hesitate to seek out another therapist if the first one just isn’t working.
The above is just a summary of a longer document that expands on each one of these considerations. You can read the entire document by clicking here.
What You Need to Know About Childhood Trauma
Alta Behavioral Healthcare is a leader in our area in dealing with childhood trauma. Our certified Trauma professionals work with children and families who have had significant adversity and/or loss in their lives, helping people overcome negative experiences through individual and group services. Trauma professionals have extensive training to enhance the natural counseling process and promote healing from traumatic experiences.
This professional care is vitally important; however, those who in their everyday lives come into contact with a child who is a victim of trauma — extended family, neighbors, teachers, etc. — still may have difficulties understanding and dealing with the behaviors trauma can bring about.
The website We Are Teachers recently posted a blog entitled “10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs to Know.” While the advice given applies to the classroom, it can be just as valuable for anyone who encounters a child who is a victim of trauma — whether on a regular basis or just casually.
There is a lot of great information in this blog, but one point that stands out is this one:
“The child is not his or her behavior. Typically there is something underneath this driving that to happen, so be sensitive. Ask yourself, ‘I wonder what’s going on with that kid?’ rather than saying, ‘What’s wrong with the kid?’ That’s a huge shift in the way we view kids.”
You can read the blog by clicking here.
Stress and Children — How Not to “Bubble Wrap” Kids
We hear a lot these days about stress and its effect on children and teens. From all the media reports, you may have formed the impression that stress is bad for a child’s physical and mental health, that stress has reached epidemic proportions, and that you need to do everything you can to reduce the amount of stress in your life and your child’s. You may have also seen various products advertised — from supplements to special water to squeeze balls — that will decrease your child’s stress and make them healthy.
But the science says that this isn’t true. In fact, experiencing and learning how to use stress is an important part of having good mental health, and there is no evidence that any of the highly marketed stress reduction products are any more helpful than going for a brisk walk!
In other words, a child with good mental health isn’t someone who avoids or is protected from experiencing stress — but instead, someone who uses the stress they experience to learn and grow.
The website teenmentalhealth.org has prepared a document that addresses this issue in detail. It talks about the different kinds of stress, how our bodies respond to them, and how learning to cope with the daily stresses in all lives (both children’s and adults’) develops resilience and good mental health.
We encourage all parents and teens to download this document by clicking here.
Ten Ways to Help Your Children Look After Their Mental Health
Here are some tips from the website www.believeperform.com:
- Be a role model
Demonstrate positive behaviors your children can learn from you. - Talking
Support your children. Talk about their problems and how they’re feeling. - Coping skills
Help your children acquire skills such as problem-solving and thought-challenging. - Well-being
Promote healthy eating and physical activity. - Sleep
Develop a good sleep environment and help build positive sleep habits. - Play
Promote play and creativity; allow your children to explore. - Relaxation
Teach your child relaxation skills such as deep breathing. - Self-care
Involve yourself in your children’s hobbies. Allow them the time and space to look after themselves. - Autonomy
Help your children build resilience by allowing them to make their own decisions. - Relationships
Help your children build positive relationships with friends and family.
Dogs Can Help Relieve Anxiety in Kids
Interacting with dogs appears to boost mood and decrease stress levels in children and “improve clinically relevant symptoms,” new research suggests.
In the study, 78 child volunteers were exposed to a stressful task and then randomly assigned to one of three 15-minute interventions. Those who were assigned to play with trained dogs (without the dogs’ handlers present) showed greater improvement scores from baseline on the Positive Affect scale than those who were assigned to a soothing “tactile-stimulation control condition” consisting of a soft blanket or than those assigned to a “sit and wait” control group.
The dog-intervention group also showed significantly lower scores on the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children compared with the wait group.
More research is now needed “to further clarify which features of the interactions produce…benefits and the extent to which interactions with animals offer benefits that exceed the effects of other common coping strategies, activities, and interventions,” the investigators write.
Still, the study “provides a carefully controlled demonstration that unstructured interactions with dogs can improve clinically relevant symptoms in children,” they add.
The study was published online recently in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Getting Back to Basics with Toy Giving
Although Christmas is very near, you may still have some toy shopping to do for the children in your life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) has some things you should keep in mind — not just now, but at birthdays or any other time toys are on your shopping list.
The full article can be viewed at this link. Here are some highlights:
In this day and age, we’re inundated with all kinds of sensory-stimulating noise and light toys, as well as digital media-based platforms with child-oriented software and apps. It can be overwhelming! According to AAP, the best toys are those that match your child’s developmental skills and abilities and encourage the development of new skills.
Most toys tend to fall into one of these categories, each of which can serve different purposes when it comes to your child’s growth:
- Symbolic/pretend — Dolls, animals and action figures, or toy objects like food, utensils, cars, planes, and buildings. Imaginary play with toys such as these is a large part of a child’s social and emotional development.
- Fine-motor/adaptive/manipulative – Blocks, shapes, puzzles, and trains. These types of toys can improve language and brain development and even build early math skills.
- Art – Coloring books, crayons, markers, clay, stickers, etc. All make great gifts, build creativity and help improve fine motor skills.
- Language/concepts – Over the past two decades, many traditional toys are now available in electronic versions. Just remember that digital toys should never take the place of real, face-to-face play. Traditional card games and board games (real-life, not electronic versions) and even toy letters and books create opportunities for you and your child to interact and have fun together.
- Gross motor/physical – Balls, push and pull toys, ride-on toys, and tricycles help physical development and can improve self-regulation and peer-interaction.
The AAP also offers these important reminders:
- Use caution when you see “educational” on the label.
- Be aware of the potential for toys to promote race or gender-based stereotypes.
- Limit video game and computer game use.
- Make sure the toys you buy are age-appropriate for the recipient.
- Always be aware of safety considerations when buying toys.
Grateful Thanks to Project MKC
Independent Living Skills Your Child Needs Before Moving Away from Home
We talk a lot about the many services Alta Behavioral Healthcare provides to children and their families. But we also work with teens and young adults on a variety of issues.
For example, we often help individuals ages 19-21 in dealing with the transition to adulthood and independence. Making the decision to leave home and begin living independently is a pivotal moment in a young person’s life. Issues they face include housing, how to manage a budget, employment, vocational training and more. A child with severe learning and attention issues may find these tasks to be particularly challenging.
A recent article from the understood.com website has some good advice on this subject. Beyond the big items such as employment and where to live, some of the things they recommend focusing on are:
- Personal care
- Laundry
- Money management
- Food preparation
- Getting around (driving or public transportation)
- Shopping
To live on their own, adolescents and young adults must be able to manage day-to-day tasks such as these. They also need to know how to budget and pay for things.
The full text of the article can be seen at this link. As always, we invite you to contact Alta Behavioral Healthcare at (330) 793-2487 if you or a family member need help with this important transition.
Working with Children Who Have Undergone Trauma Affects Those Helping Them Too
We’ve written in a previous blog about Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s Trauma Care programs, which are the most comprehensive in the Mahoning Valley. Under the direction of Meg Harris, LPC, Community Support and Trauma Supervisor, Alta has also developed a Trauma Informed Care Program designed to train other community organizations, businesses and/or schools in how to deal with this sensitive issue in children.
Roughly half of American school children have experienced at least some form of trauma — from neglect, to abuse to violence. Dealing with this is not only the domain of counselors, but others who in their professional lives may encounter children who are victims of trauma.
This includes teachers, law enforcement, trauma doctors and nurses, child welfare workers, as well as therapists and case managers. It is now understood that encountering children in trauma — learning about their stories of hardship and supporting their recovery — can have far-reaching emotional effects on the person who hears these stories.
This condition has been given several names: secondary traumatic stress (STS), vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, etc. The symptoms are similar in some ways to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): withdrawing from friends and family; feeling unexplainably irritable or angry or numb; inability to focus; blaming others; feeling hopeless or isolated or guilty about not doing enough; struggling to concentrate; being unable to sleep; overeating or not eating enough; and continually and persistently worrying children, at when they’re at home and even in their sleep.
A website maintained by the Harvard Graduate School of Education recently posted an article that explores STS in detail. You can read it at this link.
Coping with Grief This Holiday Season
With the coming of the holidays, you and your family may be experiencing joy recalling years of wonderful memories — or the dread of facing this season differently than you have in the past.
If you’ve lost a loved one or experienced another tragedy this year, you may find the holidays to be a difficult time. They can be a time of sadness, pain, anger or dread. It can be difficult to cope, especially when you see the sights and sounds of holiday happiness all around you. The grief you’re experiencing can also magnify the stress that is often already a part of the holidays.
But there are some strategies that you can employ to help you get through this time. They include:
- Offer Yourself Some Grace
- Be Kind to Yourself
- Ask For and Accept Help
- Find Support
- Make a Difference in Others’ Lives
- Stop Making Comparisons with Others
Full details about each of these strategies can be found in this article from the VeryWellHealth.com website. It was written by Angela Morrow, a Registered Nurse.
Please Vote YES on Issue 2 (Mental Health and Recovery Levy)
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6.
We urge everyone to vote YES for Issue 2, which supports the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board. This is a 1.35-mill (0.85-mill renewal and a 0.5-mill increase) levy for five years for current expenses that will raise $5,429,527 annually.
This funding is vital to support many social services in Mahoning County — including Alta Care Group.
Please vote YES on Issue 2.
Be Aware of Suicide Warning Signs — and ACT
by Sarah Babyak
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is an opportunity for a difficult topic to be more widely discussed in our society and communities. It’s a time to highlight resources, share stories and provide facts in an effort reduce the stigma on this emotional and personal topic.
We use this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition.
Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 according to recent data by the Centers for Disease Control. Suicide is preventable, so it is imperative that we take the time to learn the warning signs and what do to if we know a child or teen at risk.
Warning sides of suicide include:
- Talking about suicide or posting/following suicide related content on social media.
- Making statements about feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless, such as “Nobody would care if I was gone” or “Nothing will ever get better.”
- A deepening depression which could include chronic sadness and increased irritability.
- Preoccupation with death.
- Risky behavior and/or engaging in negative coping skills such as drinking, substance abuse or self-injury.
- A loss of interest in the things one cares about.
- Giving prized possessions away.
If you hear a friend or loved one make a suicidal statement, a helpful tool to utilize is a model the Linkages Program teaches in the schools — ACT:
- Acknowledge the person is going through something serious and ask them “Are you thinking about taking your life?” Don’t minimize or ignore the issue or change the subject.
- Care. Let them know you are there for them. Say something caring like “You matter to me.” Give them a hug.
- Tell a trusted adult that you are worried. Keeping this information a secret is risky and dangerous. Even if you don’t believe your loved one would ever follow through with suicide, it is better to be safe than sorry. Parents can instruct their children or teen that if they ever have concerns about themselves or a friend, they will be there to listen and take it seriously.
Always offer support and empathy with those struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings. Let them know that they can come to you if needed without fear of judgment, and that no matter how alone they feel there are trained and caring people out there to help at any time.
Educate yourself on the resources in your community as well as nationwide. Call 1-800-273-TALK to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741 741. Both of these resources are available 24/7 nationwide.
There is help, and there is hope.
Sarah Babyak is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who has been a part of Alta’s Linkages Program for five years. Linkages brings depression education and suicide prevention to Mahoning County middle and high schools.