Mind & Mood Archive

Once you have taught a child the mechanics of riding a bicycle, the real challenge is teaching them how to ride safely on the streets. Our tips will help instill important safety and awareness practices in your young rider.

Use of mobile devices by children up to age 8 has exploded in recent years. This isn’t necessarily bad, but parents should be aware of how much time their children are spending on devices daily, and make the effort to ensure they are being used responsibly and appropriately.

Spending time every day asking children questions in an open-ended way that encourages them to talk fosters an openness that can help parents know what’s going on in a child’s life outside the home, including any potential bullying issues.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that parents approach feeding their babies based on signs of hunger and fullness, with the intent of preventing obesity.

A little bit of worry and stress is normal — even beneficial. But chronic anxiety may raise your risk for heart problems.

 Image: © grinvalds/Thinkstock

If you feel anxious now and then, that's perfectly normal. In fact, worrying can spur you to take positive action that may benefit your health, such as getting screening tests or doing regular exercise. But excessive worrying can have the opposite effect.

"Small amounts of anxiety and stress can push people to be more productive. The problem happens when anxiety becomes so overwhelming that you're unable to function normally," says Dr. Christopher Celano, a psychiatrist at the Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. That level of worry and stress may represent an anxiety disorder, a group of conditions that affect some 40 million adults in this country.

Research we're watching

A growing number of older adults are misusing opioids, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that the percentage of adults ages 50 and older using heroin or misusing prescription opioids jumped from 1.1% to 2% between 2002 and 2014. In contrast, opioid use in adults ages 18 to 25 dropped from 11.5% to 8.1% over the same period.

Drug use can bring particular risks to the health and well-being of older adults because they are more likely than younger people to have other illnesses and often take medications that can interact with opioids, according Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. "These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages as well as to establish improved evidence-based treatment, screening, and appropriate referral services," Dr. Kimberly Johnson, director for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, said in a written statement.

Parents grappling with whether to allow an adolescent child to get a tattoo may find answers to some of their questions in a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A trio of studies investigated the connection between the ability to accept the negative emotions generated by stressful situations and a person’s long-term psychological health.

How much do you know about car seats, and the guidelines for their safe use in your car? Our quiz has the answers.