Child & Adolescent Related Content

Podcast: Addressing and Preventing Self-Harm in Kids & Teens

Scott talks to Dr. Michael Hollander about identifying and addressing self-injurious behaviors in kids and adolescents. Michael shares signs and symptoms that there may be self-harm occurring in a child or teen, offers methods to teach loved ones better coping mechanisms, provides insight into when...

Video: Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Disorders in Teens

Being a teenager isn’t easy in today’s fast-paced, demanding world, and neither is being an adult helping a teen navigate the many social and emotional challenges of adolescence. Distinguishing between so-called “typical” teen behavior and signs of emerging mental health disorders can be especially...

Podcast: Understanding ADHD in Kids & Teens

Scott talks to Dr. Roberto Olivardia about what attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is and how it can impact children and adolescents. Roberto explains how we can help support the kids and teens we look after who have ADHD, addresses the stigma associated with ADHD diagnoses, and answers...

How To Set Up Your Kids for Success: Focus on Their Mental Health

Did you know that 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14? Statistics like this make McLean Hospital clinicians, like Dana B. Sarvey, MD, want to spend every possible minute educating parents, pediatricians, and other adults who care for children about the importance of mental...

Everything You Need To Know About Teen Use of Drugs & Alcohol

Growing up can be difficult. Oftentimes, adolescents are curious, stressed, emotional, and looking for ways to escape boredom. Adolescents are also more likely to experiment with substances due to the way the brain develops. Sometimes, when given the opportunity, they’ll find an escape through drugs...

Video: Building Confidence in Kids & Teens

We all want to help our kids in every stage of life, whether it’s cutting up food for a toddler or helping a teen navigate college applications. At certain ages, though, children and adolescents should feel confident in their abilities to do some things for themselves. That’s confidence and self...

Understanding Child Abuse and Its Effects on Mental Health

Children are among the most vulnerable people in our society. This is true across continents, cultures, financial situations, and ethnicities. Our youth are a precious resource and one we should guard carefully. Unfortunately, many kids are at risk of or are currently experiencing child abuse. While...

Podcast: Navigating Autism Through Childhood Years

Jenn talks to Laura Mead about identifying and addressing the needs of children and teens with autism spectrum disorder. Laura provides examples of signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in kids and teens, shares ways to support the needs of our loved ones as they get older, and answers...

Understanding Anxiety in Kids and Teens

As a parent, teacher, babysitter, or even neighbor, you may notice behavior that concerns you. Though you may not be able to immediately identify it, you know something is not right. Anxiety in children can show up in different ways, such as avoidance of activities or experiences, irritability, and...

5 Ways Parents Can Help Teenagers Adjust to Change

Teens face many age-group-specific challenges as they navigate adolescence. From changes in biology to school to peer interactions, it can be overwhelming for some young people. However, parents help their kids develop strategies to cope during challenging times. Keep Reading To Learn Why structure...

Podcast: What Is Validation and Why Is It So Important?

Jenn talks to Dr. Blaise Aguirre about the importance of validating the thoughts and feelings of kids and teens. Blaise provides examples of what validation looks and feels like in kids and teens, shares ways to support our loved ones’ thoughts and feelings, and answers audience questions about...

Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Q&A With Daniel P. Dickstein, MD, FAAP

Daniel P. Dickstein, MD, FAAP, newly minted chief of McLean’s Nancy and Richard Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, has a big vision. His enthusiasm and passion are contagious. Dickstein, a physician-scientist who is uniquely triple board-certified in pediatrics, adult psychiatry...

McLean Offers Support and Expertise to Massachusetts Schools

After a two-week stay at a psychiatric facility, a ninth-grader was scheduled to return to school. But she begged to be allowed to stay home that first day, and her parents acquiesced, worried that returning too soon would trigger a rehospitalization. A day turned into a week, and the school...

Improving Child and Adolescent Care With “Big Data”

All too often, getting to the right diagnosis and treatment plan for a mental health disorder is a time-consuming, confusing, and stressful progression of guesswork, trial and error, and missed opportunities. This painful scenario is only intensified when it’s a child who is struggling. Dr. Alex De...