Behavioral Health

Introducing Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Behavioral Health Learning Library
Introducing Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Behavioral Health Learning Library 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

Access the free educational resource for health care providers interested in evidence-based courses. Jennifer B. Reese, PsyD, is a clinical child psychologist at Nationwide Children’s and manages behavioral health and training at Big Lots Behavioral Health Services. She is concerned about the national shortage of experienced behavioral health support for children. “Because there is a…

Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care
Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care 531 213 Pam Georgiana

New study reports the results of integrating psychologists into primary care clinics. Cody A. Hostutler, PhD, a psychologist in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s, is concerned about the mental health of the children and adolescents visiting primary care centers. “There is a mental health crisis for kids happening right now.…

Building Hope, Recovery, and Life Beyond Substance Use Disorder
Building Hope, Recovery, and Life Beyond Substance Use Disorder 1024 702 Abbie Miller

Five years ago, Pediatrics Nationwide dedicated its fall issue to a comprehensive look at the effects of the opioid crisis on children and families. At that time, Sarah Parker was working hard to stay sober, recovering from the very crisis holding the nation’s attention. Parker grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio, halfway between Portsmouth, Ohio, the…

Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues
Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
Black and white image of teen girl posing outside

Research has documented that adolescents with mental health concerns have a higher need for contraceptive counseling and care because they are at a higher risk for unintended pregnancy.[i] [ii] Unintended pregnancies can make mental health symptoms worse, especially depressive symptoms. [iii] Counseling and use of contraceptives are simple evidence-based strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies. However,…

Evolution of the Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit
Evolution of the Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit 1024 538 Mary Bates, PhD

An alternative to inpatient hospitalization for youth experiencing a mental health crisis and their families sees success at Nationwide Children’s.   The Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit (YCSU) is an inpatient psychiatric setting at Nationwide Children’s for children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis. Over the last 12 years, the YCSU has grown from a…

Addressing the Clinical Challenges of Caring for Children with Cystic Fibrosis and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Addressing the Clinical Challenges of Caring for Children with Cystic Fibrosis and Autism Spectrum Disorder 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

A recent study sheds light on the unique clinical challenges faced by children with cystic fibrosis and autism spectrum disorder and offers potential solutions to these challenges.   Cystic fibrosis (CF) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pose significant clinical and emotional burdens to patients and their families. A concurrent CF-ASD diagnosis presents even greater challenges, but…

Youth Suicide Rates in the U.S. Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Especially Among Particular Subgroups
Youth Suicide Rates in the U.S. Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Especially Among Particular Subgroups 1024 691 Jessica Nye, PhD
teen boy with back to camera reading a book

In the United States, youth suicides increased during COVID-19, with significantly more suicides than expected among males, non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native and Black youth.   Suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 5-24 years in the United States, and a significant public health concern. Data suggest depression, anxiety and social isolation…

Factors Modulating Parenting Stress in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Factors Modulating Parenting Stress in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Parent and child holding hands

Parenting self-efficacy and family resources impact the relationship between behavior problems in children with autism spectrum disorder and parenting stress. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit co-occurring conditions that may increase parenting stress. These include externalizing behaviors, such as tantrums and disruptive behaviors, and internalizing issues, such as anxiety and depression. One factor…

How are Depression, Diabetes Distress and Glycemic Control Related in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes?
How are Depression, Diabetes Distress and Glycemic Control Related in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes? 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

For adolescents with T2D, obesity and attempts at weight loss may contribute more to depression and diabetes distress than the demands of diabetes management. Diabetes distress is a negative emotional response to living with diabetes, a life-threatening illness that requires chronic, demanding, self-management. It is frequently mistaken for depression and the two are interrelated. Previous…

Functional Neurological Disorders: What Pediatric Neurologists Should Know
Functional Neurological Disorders: What Pediatric Neurologists Should Know 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

The diagnosis is common, yet this group of disorders has been subjected to confusion and stigma throughout history. Functional neurological disorders are a collection of disorders in which patients experience neurological symptoms, such as numbness, weakness, seizure-like events, or abnormal gait or movements, but without a visible underlying pathology. Underlying mechanisms for these disorders are…

What Psychosocial Interventions Are Well Established for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Youth?
What Psychosocial Interventions Are Well Established for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Youth? 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Clinical psychology researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently published a comprehensive review of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorder in youth.  Bipolar spectrum disorders (BPSDs) are chronic, recurrent conditions characterized by episodic mood disturbance alternating between periods of depression and (hypo)mania. These conditions are associated with considerable impairment, reduced quality of life, high rates of…

Stress Increases Systemic Inflammation and Anxiety in Mouse Model of IBD
Stress Increases Systemic Inflammation and Anxiety in Mouse Model of IBD 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Exposure to stress did not induce a relapse in colitis in the mice. In a new study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Abigail Wexner Research Institute tested whether exposure to stress would lead to flares of intestinal inflammation in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease. They found stress did not exacerbate colitis…

Making Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan: Play Strong for Children With ASD
Making Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan: Play Strong for Children With ASD 150 150 Deborah L. Ungerleider, MD, FAAP

How can clinicians use exercise in their treatment of behavioral and mental health disorders? Experts share lessons learned from the Play Strong program.   It is well-known in the medical world that exercise is good for the mind and body, both for children and adults. However, although health care providers may recommend that exercise be…

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals
Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Mental health boarding durations significantly exceed standards by the Joint Commission, and youth receive minimal mental health services in these acute care settings. This study calls for increased awareness, dedicated resources and research to improve mental health care for youths in these settings. According to the results of a national survey conducted, in part by…

Validity of the WISC-V Intelligence Testing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Validity of the WISC-V Intelligence Testing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD

Evaluating thinking and reasoning abilities for children with autism using conventional intelligence tests can be done, but with some caution. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) is one of the most widely used intelligence tests for children. However, little is known about the validity of this test in children with autism spectrum…

Impulsivity, Not Inattention, Predicts Externalizing Disorders
Impulsivity, Not Inattention, Predicts Externalizing Disorders 1024 683 Natalie Wilson
Black and white image of five smiling kids/adolescents

Without early intervention, children with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may be vulnerable to developing other externalizing behavior disorders. Contributing to a small but growing body of litera­ture evaluating trait impulsivity theory, a team of researchers led by Mary A. Fristad, PhD, ABPP, director of Academic Affairs and Research Development in the Division of Child…

Featured Researcher — Leena Nahata, MD
Featured Researcher — Leena Nahata, MD 150 150 Natalie Wilson

Pediatric endocrinologist Leena Nahata, MD, is the founder and medical director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. Although fertility-related decisions can seem far away for children, adolescents and their families, many…

Can Neurocognitive Functioning Tests Help Predict Future Suicide Attempts?
Can Neurocognitive Functioning Tests Help Predict Future Suicide Attempts? 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Sad black teenage girl

Researchers identify sex-specific deficits in measures of working memory and affective processing associated with suicidal behavior in youth with depression. To prevent youth suicide, researchers are working to identify factors associated with suicide attempts in adolescents at elevated risk for suicidal behavior. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s examined neurocognitive functioning in suicidal…

One Year Reflection: Behavioral Health Pavilion Adds to Industry-Leading Model of Care During Pandemic
One Year Reflection: Behavioral Health Pavilion Adds to Industry-Leading Model of Care During Pandemic 1024 538 Kaitlin Hall

The full impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health likely won’t be known for some time. But even before the pandemic, pediatric mental health was in a national crisis, with one in five children living with a mental illness, and suicide the second leading cause of death for children 10 and older. That means the…

Investigating Youth Suicides Among Children Involved With the Welfare System
Investigating Youth Suicides Among Children Involved With the Welfare System 1024 683 Natalie Wilson
silhouette girl portrait

Youth with child welfare involvement are at an elevated risk for suicide but may benefit from suicide prevention interventions targeting health care settings and family-preservation. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 5 to 21 years in the United States. Between 2010 and 2019, suicide rates among this group increased 40%.…

Does Psychosocial Functioning Differ Among Children With and Without Differences of Sex Development?
Does Psychosocial Functioning Differ Among Children With and Without Differences of Sex Development? 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Parent and child holding hands

A multidisciplinary team of researchers recently found that children with differences of sex development (DSD) appear to be at greater risk for psychosocial problems relative to children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and unaffected peers. The study, which was published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, highlights the increased need for integrated interdisciplinary care with…

The New Emergency Department — for Behavioral Health
The New Emergency Department — for Behavioral Health 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

How pediatric hospitals are creatively tackling the unique care needs of a growing population of youths in crisis. From attention deficit disorder to anxiety or depression, mental health conditions affect about 1 in every 5 children. While some of these cases resolve, many children go on to adulthood with mental or behavioral health disorders, and…

How Practical COVID-19 Education for Community Providers Sprang From a Pediatric Behavioral Health Project ECHO
How Practical COVID-19 Education for Community Providers Sprang From a Pediatric Behavioral Health Project ECHO 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

When Partners For Kids® (PFK) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital launched Project ECHO in 2018, they did it to help community providers cope with common behavioral health conditions in their patient populations. Unexpectedly, it became a tool to supply Ohio physicians with some of the most proactive education in the nation about adapting their business practices to accommodate COVID-19-related…

Study Finds Rising Rate of Mental Health Visits Among Youth to Emergency Departments
Study Finds Rising Rate of Mental Health Visits Among Youth to Emergency Departments 480 320 Kaitlin Hall

Highest jump was among 15- to 17-year-olds and more pronounced in girls; Dramatic increases in self-harm and substance use as reasons for ED visits. While the number of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits across the nation has remained stable over the last 10 years, visits for mental health disorders have risen 60% and the rate…

Using an Evidence-Based Parenting Program to Engage a Community
Using an Evidence-Based Parenting Program to Engage a Community 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Given the similar size and distribution of Asian and Hispanic populations in central Ohio, Michael Flores, PhD, clinical team coordinator in the Big Lots Behavioral Health Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was puzzled about why significantly fewer Asian families were seeking mental and behavioral health services at Nationwide Children’s. Roughly 4.9% of the Columbus population…

Finding the Reasons Why: Looking for Answers in Trends of Child and Youth Suicides
Finding the Reasons Why: Looking for Answers in Trends of Child and Youth Suicides 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood

Epidemiological studies are the first step to learn how to prevent suicide attempts and deaths. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds. And even as awareness grows, the suicide rate continues to climb, according to national statistics. But those national statistics don’t tell the whole story. For decades, researchers around the…

A Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides
A Narrowing Gender Gap in Youth Suicides 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Teen girl with backpack

Recent data show a disproportionate increase in the suicide rate among female relative to male youth, highlighting a significant reduction in the historically large gap in suicide rates between sexes.

Addressing Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Primary Care
Addressing Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Primary Care 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Primary care providers play an important role in recognizing the disorder and in providing a bridge to mental health care providers.

Why Preteens in the ED Should be Screened for Suicide Risk
Why Preteens in the ED Should be Screened for Suicide Risk 480 320 Kevin Mayhood

Screening revealed that 7% of 10-to-12-year-olds who came to three children’s hospital emergency departments for medical complaints such as headache, back pain or seizures, were at risk for suicide, a recent study found. More than half of children in the same age group presenting to the emergency department with psychiatric complaints such as depression, violent…

Beyond Survival: Improving Social Development in Preterm Infants
Beyond Survival: Improving Social Development in Preterm Infants 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Breaking the Cycle: Preventing and Treating Addiction in Youth
Breaking the Cycle: Preventing and Treating Addiction in Youth 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Virtually all addictions begin during adolescence. And nearly 4 million 12-25 year olds in the United States have a substance abuse problem, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Substance abuse in adolescents is not restricted to opioids, but in the midst of this national crisis, too many young people are finding…

Difficult, But Essential Conversations: Talking With Kids About Suicide
Difficult, But Essential Conversations: Talking With Kids About Suicide 1024 575 Gina Bericchia

Experts say open conversations with kids about suicide could save lives. As kids head back to school this year, many of them will be struggling. According to national statistics, we lose more than 2,000 children and teens per year to suicide. Experts say parents who check in regularly with their child could have a life-saving…

Age-Related Racial Disparities in Suicide Rates Among Youth Ages 5 to 17 Years
Age-Related Racial Disparities in Suicide Rates Among Youth Ages 5 to 17 Years 150 150 Abbie Miller

Under the age of 13, suicide rates are roughly double for black children compared with white children. Suicide rates in the United States have traditionally been higher among whites than blacks across all age groups. However, a new study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and collaborators published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that racial disparities in suicide…

How Primary Care Providers Can Help Justice-Involved Youth
How Primary Care Providers Can Help Justice-Involved Youth 1024 683 Deena Chisolm, PhD

Deena Chisolm, PhD, shares how primary care physicians can support youth who may experience behavioral health issues related to justice involvement. For most people in the United States, the law enforcement and criminal justice systems support a sense of safety and security.  However, for some populations, particularly people of color, perceptions of and interactions with…

The Pediatrician’s Role in Health and Hope after Trauma
The Pediatrician’s Role in Health and Hope after Trauma 150 150 Anna Kerlek, MD

A primary care provider’s ability to identify and treat symptoms associated with trauma can increase positive outcomes for patients and families. Almost two-thirds of the children and their caretakers in your office have experienced at least one trauma. Many have experienced more. As a primary care provider, you can provide early intervention and support for…

How Primary Care Providers Can Address Suicidal Youth and Self-Harming Behaviors
How Primary Care Providers Can Address Suicidal Youth and Self-Harming Behaviors 150 150 John Hofmeister

Pediatricians are in an optimal position to see early warning signs and recommend treatment. Pediatricians are often in an optimal position to see early warning signs of suicidal and self-harming behavior in their patients, to diagnose and recommend treatment, and to provide referrals depending on individual presentation and symptom severity. To help providers who may…

Considerations for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care
Considerations for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care 150 150 Cody Hostutler, PhD

As increasing numbers of pediatric patients require behavioral health care, primary care providers look to integrate behavioral health providers in their practice. You know the story. It’s the middle of a busy Friday afternoon, you just finished up an adolescent well-visit, your hand is on the door and you hear, “Doc, one more question?” The…

8 Ways You Can Support Families in Need of Behavioral Health Services
8 Ways You Can Support Families in Need of Behavioral Health Services 150 150 Nancy Cunningham, PsyD

Long wait times and difficulties accessing behavioral health services cause stress for many patients and families. As awareness grows about the prevalence of behavioral health challenges for children and adolescents, more patients and families are seeking specialized care. However, due to a shortage of behavioral health specialists, wait times can seem daunting. As the pediatrician,…

Emergency Departments Can Help Prevent Suicide
Emergency Departments Can Help Prevent Suicide 150 150 Brianne Moore

Secondary screenings, safety plans and phone follow-ups are key to reducing death by suicide. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and has increased in incidence 27 percent from 1999 to 2015. Interestingly, up to 40 percent of individuals who die by suicide visit an emergency department (ED) in the…

Managing Depression, Anxiety and Other Behavioral Health Issues in Primary Care
Managing Depression, Anxiety and Other Behavioral Health Issues in Primary Care 1024 575 Rachael Hardison
Teen girl with backpack

An estimated 20 percent of children struggle with mental health illness. As awareness grows, the call for primary care physicians to play a leading role in care grows louder. One in five children will struggle with a mental health illness by the age of 12, but a recent survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics…

Novel Practice Pathway Addresses Problem Behaviors Among Patients With Autism
Novel Practice Pathway Addresses Problem Behaviors Among Patients With Autism 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Pediatricians urged to investigate underlying causes. Issues causing children with autism spectrum disorder to be irritable or belligerent can be difficult for parents, teachers and other care providers to uncover. And, wait times to see a specialist may leave a child frustrated, distressed or in physical pain for months. Primary care physicians who see the…

Personal, Familial and Social Factors Surrounding Child Suicide
Personal, Familial and Social Factors Surrounding Child Suicide 150 150 Brianne Moore

As suicide rates among children climb, researchers publish the first study exclusively focused on the precipitating circumstances of children and young adolescents who die by suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 11 in 2014. This was the first…

Study Finds Genetic Loci Associated With Anxiety and Aggression in Dogs: What Does It Mean for Kids?
Study Finds Genetic Loci Associated With Anxiety and Aggression in Dogs: What Does It Mean for Kids? 150 150 Carlos E. Alvarez, PhD

Principal investigator Carlos Alvarez, PhD, reports the genome wide mapping of nine fear and aggression traits in dogs and discusses the implications of the findings. Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. They are associated with increased risk of schizophrenia, depression, addiction and other psychiatric disorders. While much…

Boosting Research With a Down Syndrome Biobank
Boosting Research With a Down Syndrome Biobank 150 150 Abbie Miller

A new biobank for Down syndrome blood samples will enable clinical and translational researchers everywhere to shed light on conditions related to Down syndrome, including Alzheimer’s disease. Certain conditions such as congenital heart disease, childhood leukemia and epilepsy are more common in patients with Down syndrome than in the general population. Other conditions, including solid…

Suicides Rising Among Young Black Children, Rural Adolescents
Suicides Rising Among Young Black Children, Rural Adolescents 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Researchers are parsing data for trends and intervention targets. Researchers in central Ohio are gaining surprising insights they hope will lead to fewer children and adolescents committing suicide. While the suicide rate among white children 5 to 11 years old has declined since 1993, the rate among black children in the same age group has…

Racism in Our Hospitals and Communities: Everyone Matters
Racism in Our Hospitals and Communities: Everyone Matters 150 150 Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH

Let’s touch all families by erasing racism from children’s hospitals. Here at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we are engaged in an important new initiative: Everyone Matters. The idea is simple — we each have effects that ripple far beyond us through our everyday actions and attitudes toward each other, our patients and our community. Those effects can be…

Early Detection of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders in High-Risk Children
Early Detection of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders in High-Risk Children 150 150 Abbie Miller

A new study finds key symptoms are associated with the development of bipolar disorder among children of parents with the condition. New research published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry indicates a strong link between subthreshold manic episodes and likelihood of developing bipolar disorder in children of parents with bipolar disorder. The study’s findings could…

Stressed Out: Toxic Stress and Child Brain Development
Stressed Out: Toxic Stress and Child Brain Development 150 150 Dave Ghose

Stress, in small doses, can be good for children. When they argue with another child over a toy or attend a new school or daycare, the experience can teach them valuable coping skills. Even a more intense event, such as the death of a loved one or a frightening accident, can be beneficial developmentally with…

Witnessing a Parent’s Injury Can Leave Kids with PTSD, Study Suggests
Witnessing a Parent’s Injury Can Leave Kids with PTSD, Study Suggests 150 150 Tiasha Letostak, PhD

When parents have an injury, their children are more likely to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. What can pediatric health professionals do to help these families? In June, Pediatrics published the first-ever study examining the effect of civilian parents’ injuries on their uninjured children. Researchers from the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center at…