Practice-relevant information in the areas of Mental
Health, Education, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Family Involvement,
Youth Development, and Cultural Competence
Even Minor Nonaccidental Skin Injuries in Children Deemed to Represent Abuse
Any intentional skin injury in pediatric patients, beyond temporary reddening, should alert physicians to child abuse, according to a report by the Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Injuries to the skin, including minor bruises that are determined not to be accidental should be considered abuse," committee chairperson, Dr. Steven W. Kairys from Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey, told Reuters Health. To view the complete article, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/441416?mpid=3705 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required)
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Childhood and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder Present Special Treatment Challenges
When treating a young person with bipolar disorder, the clinician should focus on adequate mood stabilization. Treating children and young people with bipolar disorder carries specific challenges not found in adult bipolar disorder. Robert L. Findling, M.D., a child psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio, says that while children may not discuss their disorder in the same terms as adults, they generally know what is going on and will be able to express what is happening to them. To view update go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439682?mpid=2921 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorders: Focus On Bipolar Disorder I And Bipolar Disorder II
There has been increasing recognition that the population of patients with bipolar features to their mood disorders can exhibit a wide variation in the severity of manic and depressive episodes, as well as in the frequency of cycling between such episodes. This has inspired efforts to further characterize subtypes of bipolar disorders and to scrutinize mood disorders generally for links between unipolar and bipolar disease. To view this abstract, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/440094 (MedScape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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OJJDP Bulletin: Juvenile Gun Courts: Promoting Accountability and Providing Treatment
Juvenile gun courts are targeted interventions that expose youth charged with gun offenses to the ramifications of involvement in such acts. This Bulletin draws on the experiences of policymakers and practitioners involved with juvenile gun courts to describe their development. The bullentin (NCJ #187078) is available online at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/court.html#187078.
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OJJDP Bulletin: Modern-Day Youth Gangs
Research findings provide interesting insights into variations in gang problems based on time of onset. The data reviewed in this Bulletin reveal systematic differences between communities with earlier and later onset gang problems. These differences have important implications for those responding to the challenges. The bulletin (NCJ #191524) is available online at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gang.html#191524.
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Learning Disabilities and Learning Problems
As the new school year gets underway and with the discussions related to reauthorization of IDEA, the topic of learning disabilities is of increasing interest and controversy. Learning problems are associated with many mental health and psychosocial problems. The topic and the controversies surrounding it are the focus of the lead article in the UCLA School Mental Health Project/Center For Mental Health In Schools Center's Summer newsletter. If you would like a copy of the newsletter or resource packet, these can be freely downloaded at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu.
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Promoting the Emotional Well-Being of Children and Families – Policy Papers
The National Center on Children in Poverty is pleased to present Ready to Enter: What Research Tells Policymakers About Strategies to Promote Social and Emotional School Readiness Among Three- and Four-Year-Old Children, and Making Dollars Follow Sense: Financing Early Childhood Mental Health Services to Promote Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children. Go to http://www.nccp.org/promoting_emotional_series.html to read the reports.
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Update
What new information do you need to know? To view update, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439440?mpid=3201 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Aggression Management: Childhood to Old Age (CME Credit Offered)
The high rate of violence is a troubling phenomenon. A wide variety of agents have been shown to have some effectiveness in treating aggression. Often, treatment of an underlying condition helps to ameliorate problems with aggression. However, aggressive symptoms sometimes remain, and these must be specifically targeted and treated. To view the entire presentation and the outlined for managing aggression across the life span, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/2013 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required). This presentation is valid for CME credit through September 11, 2003.
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Treatment of Anxiety Disorders With Comorbid Depression (CME Credit offered)
Studies have found that anxiety disorders commonly precede the onset of depression, and childhood anxiety disorders are often antecedents of adolescent or adult anxiety disorders or depression. Identifying high-risk individuals in childhood and successfully treating childhood anxiety disorders may prevent the development of later anxiety disorders and subsequent depression. To view article, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/1925 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Maximizing Antipsychotic Pharmacotherapy (CME Credit Offered)
The new atypical antipsychotics have well-established clinical advantages compared with the older typical agents. Nonetheless, despite these major benefits, several side effects have emerged that may limit the utility of some of these medications. To view update, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/2003?mpid=3201 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Choosing an Antipsychotic and Why (CME Credits offered)
Knowing how antipsychotic drugs work at specific receptor sites on specific neurons helps the clinician select the drug of choice for an individual patient. Individualized strategies of treatment, the clinician's task, cannot be learned from analyzing results of large randomized clinical trials. Such trials tell us about group effects but can give only limited information about what will work for a particular individual. To view this clinical update, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/2014 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Beyond Antidepressants: Bipolar Spectrum Illness Presenting as Complicated or Refractory Mood Disorders in Primary Care (CME Credit offered)
Bipolar spectrum disorders are more common in clinical practice than previously believed, and unrecognized bipolar illness may be a significant source of treatment complications. Bipolar II depression is the most commonly encountered manifestation of bipolar illness and may be overlooked unless patients are questioned carefully for temperamental predictors, hypomanic episodes, and pedigrees, features of longitudinal course and treatment response that are common. To view this clinical update, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/1987 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required).
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Clinical Management of Bipolar Disorder (CME Credit offered)
Paul E. Keck, Jr, MD, reviews the many facets of treatment of bipolar disorder. In clinical practice, evidence of a family history of mood disorder in a first-degree relative, especially of Bipolar I or II disorder, can be useful in pointing to a diagnosis of bipolar illness in a patient presenting with new onset depressive symptoms or psychosis. To view, go to http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/135 (Medscape is a free service provided by WebMD; registration is required)
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