Extracts from the "Other" Journals relating to Children, Youth and
Families
in the fields of health, substance abuse, education, psychology, science
...
March 2008
Genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia revealed
The devastating mental illness schizophrenia may be caused by many different mutations in many different genes that disrupt biological pathways vital to normal brain development, scientists said on Thursday. Schizophrenia is a complex disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations and disordered thinking that appears in about 1 percent of all adults. Experts long have struggled to grasp its causes and the role of genetics and environmental factors.
Two teams of researchers published new genetic insights in the journal Science. Their findings suggest that instead of one crucial gene or a handful, a myriad of different glitches in many genes could be responsible for schizophrenia. DNA deletions and duplications that disrupt genes are far more common in schizophrenics, the researchers found.
These disrupted genes often are related to pathways critical for brain development. They involve creating the infrastructure in which neurons communicate, as well as such functions as neuronal growth and migration and cell death. "You're basically screwing up the way that the regulation of brain growth occurs," said Dr. Jon McClellan of the University of Washington in Seattle, one of the researchers.
Researchers at the University of Washington and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, looked at DNA from 150 schizophrenics and from 268 healthy people. These genetic deletions and duplications were present in 15 percent of schizophrenics and only 5 percent of healthy people.
A team of researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health came up with similar results looking at another group of schizophrenics who developed the disease as children. The tiny genetic glitches were seen in about 20 percent of them.
Schizophrenia that begins in childhood, as opposed to adulthood, is believed to be a more profound and genetically driven version of the disease.
The findings could inspire new drugs aimed at stabilizing brain pathways disrupted by the genetic anomalies, the researchers said. "Identifying genes prone to harboring these mutations in brain development pathways holds promise for treatment and prevention of schizophrenia, as well as a wide range of other neurodevelopmental brain disorders," Dr. Thomas Insel, head of the National Institute of Mental Health, said in a statement.
Treating schizophrenia has been a tricky business. Many medicines are available. They often work in the short term to improve symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, but they generally are less effective over the long term. Also, the drugs treat symptoms and do not cure the underlying disorder.
"It's absolutely true that the genetic causes have been elusive. There's always been recognition that it likely has multiple causes, it's complex and it probably has interactions between both genes and environment," McClellan said. "If anything, our findings may indicate that it's even more complex than what we suspected because there may be literally thousands and thousands of different mutations in many different number of genes," McClellan said.
Will Dunham
27 March 2008
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SARNIA, CANADA
College professor honoured
A co-winner of this area's Woman of the Year Award was honoured at Lambton College on Tuesday. Ruth Geurts has been a college professor for 21 years and impacted countless students in the child and youth worker program, personal support worker program and social service worker program.
"A lot of women in our community are doing some really great work but they don't all get recognized," said Michelle Batty, executive director of the Sarnia-Lambton Sexual Assault Survivor's Centre. The centre began recognizing key local women last year for International Women's Day. Geurts was one of seven co-winners named earlier this month but was unable to attend the ceremony. So it was presented to her in front of students yesterday.
"I'm deeply honoured to get this award from such a great organization," Geurts said.
Before joining the college Geurts served on the board of directors of the Sexual Assault Survivor's Centre for four years, where she helped facilitate the crisis line. She volunteered on the Sarnia Police Services Board and currently volunteers in the bereavement and grief programs at St. Joseph's Hospice. Geurts has worked with her students on numerous projects over the past decade that raised more than $80,000. The most recent student project raised $16,000 for Lambton County Development Services to build greenhouses.
"Education doesn't stop here at the college," Geurts said. "It's ongoing. Being part of a community is fundamental for a social worker. In order to bring about change, you need to step out of your comfort zone and advocate for those who don't have a voice."
Katie van Slack
26 March 2008
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=958123
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Methodist children’s home worker honored
The Methodist Children’s Home sent out this release today: METHODIST CHILDREN’S HOME EMPLOYEE RECOGNIZED FOR 35 YEARS
After 35 years of working with at-risk youth at Methodist Children’s Home, Mary Bilheimer has been recognized with a national award from CORE, the Coalition for Residential Education.
Bilheimer began her service at MCH as a secretary in 1972, but during her first year she decided she wanted to work more closely with the children. She accepted a social work position in 1973, beginning a lifelong journey of service to youth. Bilheimer served as a social worker for 34 years, during which she served as “the consummate caseworker†for more than 500 youth. In May 2007, Bilheimer became a unit manager, where she now supervises a team of 10 staff members who care for 10 youth and their families.
Charlsie Whitney, campus administrator and Bilheimer’s supervisor, says that when staff members need to know what to do in a situation, they ask Bilheimer. “She has a wealth of knowledge and she willingly shares it with others,†Whitney said. Whitney said that Bilheimer frequently goes the extra mile in caring for her youth. One of her favorite activities is hosting birthday celebrations for residents, which include full decorations and their favorite cake. In addition, Bilheimer volunteers to assist with driver’s education for MCH youth, and she sponsors a student-led Christmas card company and Student Council.
Bilheimer has earned widespread respect from staff members and youth. She is described as dedicated, caring, compassionate and a “living legend.†A fellow staff member says, “Mary epitomizes all that is good at Methodist Children’s Home.â€
Bilheimer admits she has dealt with a variety of challenges during her career, but she remains committed to helping youth develop hope for their lives. “Seeing the results in the lives of some of the kids that go through the program keeps me going,†she says. “To see a child’s life changed or saved makes the hard work worth it.â€
Bilheimer will be recognized for receiving the Residential Supervisor of the Year award on April 6 in Round Rock, Texas.
Ken Sury
26 March 2008
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Nicotine addiction may take only a single puff; researcher
Sometimes all it takes is one lousy puff, warns a Montreal researcher after mapping the pattern of tobacco addiction in youth. Certain novice smokers are far more susceptible to nicotine addiction and a life-long smoking habit than previously believed, said McGill University epidemiologist Jennifer O'Loughlin. Her novel study charted key points of nicotine dependence from the first puff to full-blown addiction.
With nicotine there's the mistaken belief that you need long-term exposure. The reality is that after one exposure you have some kind of impact. And in those (who are) predisposed, it could be quite powerful,'' said O'Loughlin, whose study was published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
O'Loughlin started with 1,293 students age 12 to 17 from 10 Montreal-area schools, checking on them every three or four months for five years. Of that total, 311 became part of the study they were all non-smokers at the beginning who took up smoking during the course of the study period. Her team followed this group of youths from their first taste of a cigarette shared among friends to the first lungful of smoke, from the first whole cigarette smoked right down to the filter to the next one and onward. "Within two to three months after the first puff, kids can begin to report symptoms of dependence, like mental addiction,'' O'Loughlin said.
The real danger spot is when cravings for cigarettes began to appear, usually by the fourth month, she said. "At this point, the probability of moving on to full time addiction is really high,'' O'Loughlin said. By the fifth month, students reported feeling physical addiction. But they were smoking fewer than two cigarettes a week, O'Loughlin pointed out.
The study suggests that these early symptoms precede and contribute to anchoring the smoking habit. Studies using rats show changes in the brain after a single exposure to nicotine.
While many of the youths were exposed to second hand smoke at home, it's impossible to predict potential smokers because of an environmental or a genetic inclination, she added. So watch out for the first puff, she warned. About 30 per cent of youths dabbling in occasional cigarette smoking will find themselves stuck "with a full-blown addiction for the next 20 years,'' O'Loughlin said. "The outcome we want to prevent is this addiction, when kids no longer have a choice.''
O'Loughlin's study is the first to chart the continuum of nicotine dependence. An understanding of these "milestones'' is expected to provide fresh ammunition to health care professionals and anti-smoking advocates. This research will help create more effective tobacco control programs for young Canadians, said Heather Logan, director of cancer control policy at the Cancer Society.
"It (addiction) doesn't take as long as we thought,'' Logan said. Knowing where teenagers are along the trajectory may be critical. "We need to act quicker to be more effective,'' she said.
Smoking rates have dropped to 18 per cent nationally, but Quebec has a higher rate, at about 25 per cent. "And we know if you do start smoking as a teen you have a much greater risk'' of keeping the habit for decades, she said. Smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer and other health problems.
Charlie Fidelman
24 Marh 008
http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=c713294c-8b80-4533-978a-7d4d9f403b87
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Pediatric allergies take toll on kids too
Allergies can not only make children out of sorts during the day, but can interfere with their sleep, too, researchers reported in a study to be released on Monday. The survey of hundreds of parents and doctors found spring was by far the worst allergy season, according to three-fourths of respondents. Sponsored by Sepracor Inc, U.S. marketing partner of Denmark-based Nycomed Co, the survey found some children's allergy symptoms are severe enough to interfere with sleep and daily activities.
Twenty-nine percent of parents whose children had allergies said their children suffer from a lack of sleep, compared with 12 percent of parents whose children did not have allergies.
"We have known anecdotally that children are affected by allergy symptoms similarly to adults, but Pediatric Allergies in America offers the first data quantifying the scope of how allergies interrupt a child's productivity, sleep cycle and daily functioning," said Dr. Jay Portnoy, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Forty percent of parents said their children's nasal allergies interfere with school performance, compared to 10 percent of parents whose children did not have allergies. Nearly half of the children in the study take prescription medication for allergy symptoms, but about 57 percent of parents said they have changed their medication, most often because it was not effective enough, according to the report.
The telephone survey included 500 adults with at least one child with nasal allergies and about the same number whose children did not. It also included a survey of about 500 doctors who treat children with nasal allergies.
Allergies are the most frequently reported chronic condition in children, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Julie Steenhuysen
17 March 2008
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The great big outdoors; New weight-loss camps help kids shed weight, gain skills
When Tony Sparber started running weight-loss camps 30 years ago, the campers were mostly teenage girls, 100 pounds plus overweight. The menu consisted of food like liver, fish and alfalfa sprouts, and the exercise was running and sit-ups. The goal was to lose as much weight in as short an amount of time as possible.
Now, things are a little less extreme: About 40 per cent of the campers are boys. Most kids need to lose between 20 and 40 pounds. Menus offer a broader range of food, and exercise is downright fun, with activities such as tennis and kayaking. The camps emphasize healthy lifestyles and skills the kids can take home with them. In short, so-called "fat camps" are more likely to resemble regular camps that just happen to specialize in teaching good decision-making techniques.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., 16 per cent of children ages six to 19 are overweight or obese - a number that has tripled since 1980. The number of weight-loss camps has remained relatively the same, says Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association. There are about 15 to 20 out of a total of 10,000 camps in the organization. (Some camps have multiple locations.)
Sparber, who used to run Weight Watchers camps, says campers tend to be younger than they used to be. A large number of the 1,500 kids he expects will sign up for his three summer camps over the next few weeks will be between the ages of seven and 12. That age group tends to be more successful because parents have more input on the child's eating and exercise habits, he says. Bad eating habits are also less ingrained in younger children. And camps are all about building habits, not just handing out quick fixes. They offer classes about nutrition, portion control, emotional eating, dealing with situations like pizza and ice-cream parties.
They also teach by example. Sparber said his menus used to offer 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day. Now they are sized more realistically, at 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, with hamburgers, pita pizzas, baked chips and low-fat baked goods.
"The biggest misconception about weight-loss camp is that they don't serve you enough food and that they overwork you," says Daniel Kriss, 15, who was featured in the MTV documentary Return to Fat Camp based on New Image Camp Pocono Trails in Pennsylvania. He lost 40 pounds at the camp. "It's the exact opposite. They feed you the right amount of food and work you out just enough."
Changing behaviour is key to sustaining weight loss, says Ryan Craig, president of Wellspring, which runs 11 weight-loss summer programs around the world, including nine camps and two adult vacations, as well as programs at two boarding schools. Wellspring participants learn to cook, shop, order at restaurants and work with psychologists on stress management, frustration tolerance and emotional eating. "It's not a lack of information," says Craig, referring to the reason kids are overweight. "They know what it means to be healthy. They're resorting to food as an unhealthy coping mechanism."
Some campers want to be there, as opposed to years ago when their parents made them go. Rod Rezvani, 20, who at one point weighed 440 pounds, says his father suggested attending Wellspring Camp last summer. But he says, it was "completely my decision. I was happy I was finally making a change," says Rezvani, who has lost 167 pounds and is enrolled in the Wellspring college program in Reedley, Calif.
Maya Murray, 8, of Long Island, N.Y., who was 112 pounds, attended New Image Weight Loss Camps last summer and came home 16 pounds slimmer, more confident and independent, and making healthier choices. She continued to lose weight, with her family's support, and is now 76 pounds. "I wanted to feel better and look better," says Maya. "I couldn't breathe that well. I couldn't run fast. It was hard to be active."
Wellspring makes sure that parents are part of the process, says Craig, offering family workshops the last two days of camp, a home-transition plan for each child and an after-care program.
Losing the weight does come at a price. New Image Weight Loss Camps cost about $1,100 a week; the camp does give out scholarships. Wellspring Camps cost about $5,950 for four weeks; but insurance covers some of that because of the therapy, says Craig. Still, those costs may put some of these programs out of reach, especially for inner-city youth, who have higher rates of obesity.
There are cheaper options, says Susan Blech, co-author of the weight-loss memoir Confessions of a Carb Queen and the senior care co-ordinator at Brookdale Hospital's childhood obesity program in Brooklyn, N.Y. She recommends parents look into schools or churches that run camps, sports activities or a program similar to hers, which is free.
Megan Scott
8 March 2008
http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=935453
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CANADA
The cost of getting high
Canada is the greatest nation on the globe -- a land of hope and opportunity. We all want our children to be able to take full advantage of everything Canada has to offer, to grow into successful adults who make a valuable contribution to our society. This goal is put at risk when young people are offered drugs before they are mature enough to grasp the consequences of their actions.
The UN Office of Drugs and Crime reports that Canada now has the highest proportion of marijuana users in the industrialized world at 16.8% for those between 15 and 64 years of age. Eight percent of youth report using marijuana daily. The most recent Canadian Addictions survey indicates that while youth alcohol-use rates have stayed relatively consistent since 1989, use of marijuana by youth has almost doubled in the same period. Ecstasy seizures increased from about 180,000 tablets in 2002 to over three million in 2006. In 15 years, youth drug offences quadrupled from under 4,000 reported incidents per year to over 17,000.
Despite all this, Canada has not run a serious or significant antidrug campaign for almost 20 years. Moreover, the debate over whether to decriminalize marijuana has left an entire generation confused over whether or not pot is legal in Canada. It is not. In the absence of clear advice from government, young people often receive their information from the worst sources: "friends" who are giving away drugs at first, then traffickers who are selling it. We have abandoned this ground to heartless pushers who look for young people to hook as their existing clientele sickens and dies.
And they do die: Vancouver had 36 drug overdoses in the first six months of 2007, compared to 26 in the same period of 2006.
Drugs often described as "recreational" are illegal for a reason: They take a terrible toll on human health. A single marijuana joint may cause as much lung damage as up to 20 tobacco cigarettes, and regular use can cause respiratory problems such as recurring bronchitis. Cocaine use can cause increased blood pressure which can lead to a stroke. It also can lead to brain damage. Ecstasy has toxic effects on the liver. Ecstasy pills often contain other damaging substances such as methamphetamine. These health effects come on top of the other devastating consequences of drug use: job loss, family disruption and criminal records.
This is why the federal government's 2007 budget added $63.8-million in funding over the next two years for a National Anti-Drug Strategy. This will help prevent illicit drug use, treat illicit drug dependency and combat illicit drug production and distribution. Two-thirds of the new money is being directed toward prevention and treatment. With this announcement, our government committed more money to combating illicit drugs than has ever been spent in Canadian history.
Our government is concerned about the damage that drugs cause families. This is why our National Anti-Drug Strategy placed particular emphasis on educating youth and their parents. We are very pleased to report that the first parent-focused component of this communications campaign has launched this week, with the youth campaign to follow shortly.
We will provide youth with the plain truth on the harms of illicit drug use: There are no "safe" amounts, and there are no "safe" illicit drugs. We will highlight the fact that for young people, having impaired judgment is a safety issue. The decision by a young person to experiment with these drugs is not merely a "lifestyle choice." It is a decision to put at risk the opportunity to build the happy, prosperous life that Canada can offer them.
We think it's time young people were told the plain truth about the real cost of getting high.
Tony Clement
6 March 2008
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=356549
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Happiness can be inherited, research finds
You can't buy happiness but it looks like you can at least inherit it, British and Australian researchers said on Thursday. A study of nearly 1,000 pairs of identical and non-identical twins found genes control half the personality traits that make people happy while factors such as relationships, health and careers are responsible for the rest of our well-being. "We found that around half the differences in happiness were genetic," said Tim Bates, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh who led the study. "It is really quite surprising."
The researchers asked the volunteers -- ranging in age from 25 to 75 -- a series of questions about their personality, how much they worried and how satisfied they were with their lives. Because identical twins share the same genes and fraternal twins do not, the researchers could identify common genes that result in certain personality traits and predispose people to happiness.
People who are sociable, active, stable, hardworking and conscientious tend to be happier, the researchers reported in the journal Psychological Science. "What this study showed was that the identical twins in a family were very similar in personality and in well-being, and by contrast, the fraternal twins were only around half as similar," Bates said. "That strongly implicates genes."
The findings are an important piece of the puzzle for researchers trying to better understand depression and what makes different people happy or unhappy, Bates said. People with positive inherited personality traits may, in effect, also have a reserve of happiness to draw on in stressful times, he said.
"An important implication is that personality traits of being outgoing, calm and reliable provide a resource, we called it 'affective reserve,' that drives future happiness" Bates said.
Michael Kahn
6 March 2008
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Teen boys want more than that one thing
The image of the testosterone-fueled teenage boy is a familiar one. But a new report in The Journal of Adolescence this month suggests that when it comes to sex, girls and dating, boys are more complex than they’re typically given credit for. Psychology researchers from the State University of New York at Oswego recently examined data collected from 105 10th-grade boys, average age 16, who answered questions about a number of health behaviors. In questions put to them about girls (most of the boys self-identified as heterosexual), the teenagers were asked to note their reasons for pursuing a relationship. The top answer, marked by 80 percent of the boys: “I really liked the person.â€
Physical attraction and wanting to get to know someone better were tied as the second-most-popular answers. Boys who were sexually active were as likely to say they pursued sex out of love as they were to say they simply wanted to know what sex feels like or to satisfy a physical desire. Wanting to lose their virginity barely registered, with just 14 percent of boys checking that answer.
Researchers said the findings show that teenage boys really are motivated by love and a desire for meaningful relationships. But many people still don’t buy it. “Based on my past experience as a teenage boy, this study just reinforces my view that teenage boys are horny liars,†wrote John, one of about 170 people who submitted comments about the study to The New York Times’ Well blog last week.
“Grown men often deny how dependent they are on women,†said Dr. Michael Thompson, a psychologist specializing in children and families. “The idea that you could pine for a girl, and be devastated by a girl makes an adult man uncomfortable. It reminds them of how profoundly attached they get to women.â€
None of this is to say that teen boys aren’t interested in sex. But the widespread skepticism about teenage boys is worrisome, some psychologists say, because it may mean that boys ultimately will fulfill our low expectations of them. “The stereotype reduces boys to one-dimensional beings who just want sex and nothing else,†said Dr. Andrew Smiler, an assistant professor of psychology at SUNY-Oswego and author of the recent study. “But there are certainly other things boys want. They want to play baseball. They want good grades and to go to good colleges. But if we insist all boys want is sex, in any context, that’s one dimensional, and it really limits boys and how we think of boys.â€
There are reasons that Smiler believes the boys in his study were telling the truth. The overall survey asked about more than just relationships and took about 45 minutes to complete. The answers the boys gave relating to things like alcohol use and sexual activity were consistent with data collected from other national surveys.
Maybe what worries fathers is that they know, from experience, that boys really do have more than sex on their minds. “This is only a surprise to women,†wrote Brad, another reader of the Well blog. “Any male knows that he was desperately in love at 15 in a way he never would be again.â€
Tar Parker-Pope
24 February 2008
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/291439.html
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Scots doctors claim anorexia breakthrough
Research into the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia is being pioneered in Scotland.
Doctors at the Huntercombe Hospital in West Lothian , have devised a series of tests which they believe could revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. They have uncovered evidence of subtle abnormalities in brain function which become apparent before anorexia develops. These affect how patients perform in mental tests. The researchers hope the tests – known as the Ravello profile – will lead to greater understanding of what makes some people more prone to eating disorders, and help speed up diagnosis. It could also help to develop new psychological treatments. More than 40 children and young people have used the tests and are starting treatment based on the results.
Professor Bryan Lask, a leading expert in eating disorders and medical adviser to the Huntercombe Hospital, said patients with anorexia struggled with cognitive flexibility skills.This meant they were unable to screen out unwanted information or intrusive thoughts when placed in a particular situation. Prof Lask said: "We believe we have found one of the most important underlying factors that contribute to anorexia. The causes are multiple but we think we have clear evidence that these cognitive problems are a critical factor. We know that society and genes are also contributing factors to anorexia, but they are harder to change."
The patients in West Lothian are starting treatment with a new psychological method called cognitive remediation. Prof Lask said this involved teaching them to alter their thinking processes to help tackle their eating disorder.
Susan Ringwood, chief executive of the eating disorders charity B-eat, said: "We are learning more about what the underlying causes of eating disorders may be and what particularly helps patients is knowing it is not just their fault."
Care system criticised
Lindsay Weddell weighed just 6st when she died after a long
battle with anorexia. The 20-year-old died from an infection at St
John's Hospital in Livingston in September 2004. She had been shunted
between nine different treatment centres in Scotland and as far away as
the south-east of England in the six years she suffered the condition.
Ms Weddell's problems began at the age of 14 when she was treated for
obsessive compulsive disorder. She went on to develop severe anorexia.
In 2006, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman concluded that Ms Weddell, from Currie, Edinburgh, had been failed by the system during her care. The report criticised the lack of care available to anorexia sufferers after they reach adulthood.
Lyndsay Moss
1 March 2008
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Scots-doctors-claim-anorexia-breakthrough.3833078.jp
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Bullying 'a problem in schools'
Nearly half of teenagers think bullying is a problem in their school, a survey has found.
Abuse and intimidation by race, religion and skin colour are serious issues for significant numbers of pupils, the British Council report found. Stephan Roman, from the British Council said: "Research out earlier this week showed that bullying is endemic in schools." He added: "By working with young people we are finding ways to change this. They know - as we do - that learning about other people and understanding different cultures is the key to a better school experience for everyone."
The study of 3,500 pupils across Europe, including 1,500 in the UK, found 48% of children in England thought bullying was a problem at their school. The figure was 43% in Scotland and 32% in Wales. Nearly a third of pupils said they had been "made fun of" due to their skin colour, while 29% thought it was because of racial differences.
Across Europe, first generation migrants were 50% more likely to have been made fun of in the three months before being questioned for the survey than other pupils, the British Council said.
The study followed findings from the charity Beatbullying that suggested seven out of 10 pupils had bullied someone.
2 March 2008
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDGfjAbd6An_QELPKIBWj-MZZJnw
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