Psychology

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…

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…

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…

Tackling Physician Burnout and Moral Injury
Tackling Physician Burnout and Moral Injury 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Across the United States, burnout and suicide rates for physicians have reached record highs, claiming the life of a doctor a day. What can be done to protect and improve the wellbeing of the people who care for everyone else? Most doctors enter their profession knowing that it is demanding, but believing that it is…

A New Therapeutic Era in Pediatric Functional and Motility Disorders
A New Therapeutic Era in Pediatric Functional and Motility Disorders 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

20 years ago, treatment options were limited for children with functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders. Now, a growing list of drugs, behavioral and dietary care plans, and an advanced, forward-looking technique – neuromodulation – are transforming pediatric GI care. Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are notoriously difficult to diagnose. Virtually all functional and motility-related GI problems…

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

Prodigy and Autism Share a Common Genetic Link, Study Finds
Prodigy and Autism Share a Common Genetic Link, Study Finds 150 150 Tiasha Letostak, PhD

Researchers have discovered the first molecular genetic evidence for a shared etiology between prodigy and autism. A new study published in the journal of Human Heredity last month found that child prodigies share some of the same genetic variations with people who have autism. These findings could help geneticists better understand the molecular genetic underpinnings of autism and prodigy…