child and adolescent

Birth – 18 years.

Our child and adolescent Blogs

Practical ideas for tackling teenage pregnancy

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Caroline De Brún
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Condoms and contraceptive pills

Introduction Tackling teenage pregnancy has been high on the political agenda since 1999, when the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was published. Teenagers who become pregnant probably need more support than older mothers-to-be. Young women often become pregnant because they come from unsupported backgrounds and have no ambition or self-belief, and where they have access to alcohol [read the full story…]

The role of siblings in children’s mental health

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Profile photo of Eva Alisic
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Brother and sister

When you were young(er), did you also engage in personality predictions with your peers based on order in the family? For example, that the oldest of three siblings would be the bossiest and the youngest the most spoiled? Almost everyone (90% of us) have one or more siblings. And we know they play an important role [read the full story…]

Commissioning a good child health service

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Caroline De Brún
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Child with doctor

Introduction When a child becomes ill, the first clinician they meet is most likely to be their GP. This report is the result of a collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Department of Health to identify how to [read the full story…]

Neglect may be as harmful as physical and emotional abuse, according to new systematic review

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Stephen Wood
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Upset girl facing the wall

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), somewhere between 25 and 50% of people may have been physically abused at some point during their childhood, an experience defined as the use of physical force that harms the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity. Childhood maltreatment does not stop at physical abuse, however – children may [read the full story…]

The difference of a few weeks in the womb: do early-term infants have poorer developmental outcomes?

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Joanna Martin
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New born baby

Human pregnancy is considered to be full-term when it lasts between 37-42 weeks. Anything shorter is considered to be a pre-term birth and anything longer is considered post-term. Longer pregnancies can be a risk to both the mother and infant and so labour tends to be induced if a pregnancy goes on past 42 weeks. [read the full story…]

NICE publish first guideline for conduct disorders and antisocial behaviour in children and young people

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Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
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Angry young boy

Conduct disorders are the most common reason why children are referred to mental health services and it’s estimated that around 5% of all UK children aged 5-16 have a diagnosis of the condition. Around half of the young people affected by conduct disorders go on to have a serious mental health problem as an adult. [read the full story…]

New systematic review finds limited evidence for non-drug treatments for ADHD

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Profile photo of David Steele
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shutterstock_86980295

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common with a prevalence of between 5 and 8%. It is often thought of as a problem with young people and is most commonly diagnosed in individuals while they are attending school. Unfortunately ADHD can have disruptive effects across the lifetimes of those affected. It can be and is [read the full story…]

New framework to help staff protect vulnerable people

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Caroline De Brún
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Hands holding paper cut-outs of people

Background This document provides guidance for people working to prevent and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect of adults. It is aimed at NHS staff and their partners in education and social care and has been developed in partnership with the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the NHS and the social care [read the full story…]

Improving health services for people living in secure accommodation

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Caroline De Brún
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Prison gates

Introduction From April 2013, the NHS Commissioning Board will take on more responsibility to ensure that all patients receive better outcomes from the NHS. As part of this, they will be responsible for planning, securing and monitoring health services for victims of sexual assault, and people in prison and other secure settings, including children’s homes [read the full story…]

Physical activity a promising treatment for depression in children and young people, but more research is needed

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Elly O'Brien
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Teenagers playing basketball

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems, with around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffering from depression during their lifetime (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2012) including an estimated 4% of children (NHS Choices, 2012).  Treatments for depression are different in children and young people, for example some antidepressant medications used [read the full story…]