Posts

Mindfulness apps with acceptance training can reduce stress

By SHILO REA, Futurity Mindfulness meditation apps can reduce the body’s response to biological stress, new research suggests. Acceptance, or learning how to be open and accepting of the way things are in each moment, is particularly important for impacting stress biology and benefitting from the training’s stress reduction effects, the researchers found. The research […]

‘Connected’ schools have lower rates of suicide attempts

By SCOTT HESEL, Futurity Rates of suicide attempts are lower in high schools where students have better connections to their peers and stronger relationships with adult staff, according to a new study. The study surveyed 10,291 students from 38 high schools to determine social integration through the relationship network structure of each school. Researchers asked […]

How we can help teens with autism in their transition to adulthood

By JESSLYN CHEW, Futurity As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders continues to rise, there has been an emphasis on early diagnosis, intervention, and treatment. However, less attention has gone to children with autism once they reach their teen years and adulthood. Researchers say these young people and their caregivers need more support […]

Teens can teach classmates to recognize depression

POSTED BY KARA GAVIN, Futurity Editor’s Note: How can we encourage and teach youth to help their peers around them? High school students can improve their peers’ understanding of depression, and their attitudes about seeking help for themselves or others, according to a new study. NATIONWIDE, ABOUT 7.5 PERCENT OF TEENS HAVE EXPERIENCED DEPRESSION IN THE […]

Using these emotion words may shield teens from depression

By SANDRA KNISPEL, Futurity Editor’s Note: How can mentors, family, or friends help teach youth to express their emotions using more precise terms to help steer them away from depression during times of adversity? Using these emotion words may shield teens from depression Describing their negative emotions in precise and nuanced ways may protect teenagers from […]

Attention training may ease teen anxiety disorder

By Fred Mamoun, Futurity A simple computer-based program known as attention training may offer relief to teens with an anxiety disorder, according to a new study. Researchers discovered major reductions in anxiety among 64 youths after just four twice-weekly sessions of the attention training program. All the youths had diagnosed anxiety disorders and had completed […]

High staff turnover affects kids in after-school programs

  By Stell Simonton, Youth Today Many out-of-school time programs experience frequent staff turnover, to the chagrin of leaders in the field. Some estimates put the turnover rate at 40%. Children feel the impact. In one middle school youth development program in Boston, fully one-third of kids interviewed said they considered quitting the program when a […]

What should after school programs be doing to help struggling readers?

By Stell Simonton, Youth Today One-on-one tutoring programs like Experience Corps have the most evidence for helping struggling young readers in an after-school setting. Sounding out letter combinations is a crucial step in assisting struggling readers, but this effective teaching method has often been sidelined, according to experts. Nineteen years ago, a panel of experts […]

Program cuts drop-out rate for black male high schoolers

By Carrie Spector, Futurity  Access to an achievement program called “Manhood Development” significantly reduced the number of black male students who dropped out of high school, a new study shows. The study found smaller reductions in the number of black female students who dropped out as well, suggesting a possible spillover effect. School leaders in […]

Phone in pocket, youth mentoring research.

Ambulatory Assessment may be an answer to engaging ‘hard to reach’ youth in research

By Dr. Bep Uink, Society for Research on Adolescence Editor’s Note: In mentoring research, acquiring representative, diverse, samples is very important. Dr. Bep Uink (Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre, Murdoch University, Perth WA, Australia) discusses success to date using Ambulatory Assessment through smartphones to increase the participation of Indigenous youth, who are often underrepresented in research. She […]