Birth – 18 years.
Immersive virtual reality is a hit with young gamers. A new meta-analysis asks whether VR-assisted psychotherapy can help children and adolescents too, and finds promising but limited evidence across nine trials.
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A new systematic review pools data from 9,620 detained children across 8 countries and finds alarming rates of depression, PTSD and self-harm. The harm rises the longer and harsher the detention, and no form of it is safe.
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Adolescents with mental health conditions spend more time on social media and engage with it differently, especially those with internalising conditions like anxiety or eating disorders. Let’s avoid thinking of ‘mental health’ as one category when it comes to young people’s lives on social media.
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Many young people are clearly struggling but don’t fit any diagnosis. A new meta-analysis asks whether transdiagnostic support can help them before a label arrives.
Transdiagnostic interventions show small but consistent gains.
Around 1% of adolescents have clinically diagnosable trichotillomania, but what role does shame play in how hairpulling connects to anxiety and depression? A recent study explores this largely overlooked question.
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Young people engage more with digital mental health platforms when they feel validated by peer stories, social connection and accessible design. These are the key drivers of sustained youth engagement.
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Two new studies from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort find that the younger a child is when they get a phone, the higher their risk of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep over the following year. For families whose children already have a phone, the most actionable levers are limiting daily use and keeping the device out of the bedroom at night.
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The film I Swear is challenging stigma around Tourette syndrome. But new research shows that awareness alone won’t fix NHS tic services.
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A small Danish qualitative study explores how young people with anorexia experience the shift from family-based treatment in CAMHS to adult mental health services.
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About 1 in 10 teenagers experience severe loneliness. A new 13-year study examines what this means for their future mental health and suicide risk.
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