Teachers and parents of children with ADHD know all too well how easily these special children can get distracted. The majority of research has shown that children with ADHD focus better and stay on task more when they are in an environment free from stimulation. But there is some evidence that specific stimulation can have a positive effect on these children. “Other studies have shown that background music significantly improves performance on cognitive tasks for children with ADHD but does not impact or negatively impact the performance of non-ADHD controls,” said W.E. Pelham, Jr. of the Department of Psychology at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University, and lead author of a study on distraction among ADHD boys. “Despite these research findings, classroom teachers and the committees that revise the DSM continue to report and conclude that children with ADHD are more easily distracted than children without ADHD, and that distractors have only negative effects.”

Pelham examined how music or videos affected the attention of boys with ADHD who were non-medicated versus boys who were on methylphenidate (MPH) in a classroom environment. In three separate studies, Pelham found that the boys responded well to only musical stimulus. “Video produced significant distraction, particularly for the boys with ADHD, and MPH improved the performance of boys with ADHD across distractor conditions,” said Pelham. “In the presence or absence of music, MPH improved performance relative to placebo.” However, Pelham noted that although the video distracted all of the children, and specifically the children with ADHD, music had a beneficial effect, improving productivity in the boys with ADHD. “Thus, rather than recommending that children with ADHD perform homework in complete silence, our results suggest that listening to music while studying will not hurt most and may help some children with ADHD.” He added, “Rather than isolating a child with ADHD in a stimulus-free environment, these findings suggest that providing the child with headphones on which he or she could listen to music while working may enhance the classroom productivity of some children with ADHD.”

Reference:
Pelham, Jr., William E., Daniel A. Waschbusch, Betsy Hoza, Elizabeth M. Gnagy, Andrew R. Greiner, Susan E. Sams, Gary Vallano, Antara Majumdar, and Randy L. Carter. “Music and Video as Distractors for Boys with ADHD in the Classroom: Comparison with Controls, Individual Differences, and Medication Effects.” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 39 (2011): 1085-098. Print.

Gay teenagers are faced with the same peer pressures as heterosexual teens. But a new study suggests their sexuality can lead them to be at a greater risk for engaging in unhealthy behaviors. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gay, lesbian and bisexual teens were more likely to take part in seven out of the 10 high risk activities, including drinking, smoking, drug use, attempted suicide, violence, weight management, and risky sexual practices. Director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), Howell Wechsler, said, “This report should be a wake-up call for families, schools and communities that we need to do a much better job of supporting these young people. Any effort to promote adolescent health and safety must take into account the additional stressors these youth experience because of their sexual orientation, such as stigma, discrimination and victimization. We are very concerned that these students face such dramatic disparities for so many different health risks.”

The study also took into account the truancy rates of these teens, bullying, nutritional practices and safe sexual activity, specifically condom use. The researchers believe that better school health and public health policies and interventions should be put in place to lower the level of risky behaviors prevalent in this segment of the teen population. They also believe that screenings for high school age students should include information regarding their sexual preference, in order to better monitor health outcomes. (more…)

Bullying has become a national epidemic with nearly forty percent of youths admitting to bullying at one time or another. But new research shows that parental behaviors, attitudes and mental health can all influence a child’s potential for bullying. Most parents of children who have been victims of bullying often ask what they can do to protect their children from such harassment. However, new research suggests that the real question to address is how a parent can prevent their child from bullying other children.

Rashmi Shetgiri, MD, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, and colleagues conducted a survey that identified trends in bullying over a four-year period. They examined the amount of bullying that was reported, and also the additional factors that influenced the rate of bullying. They discovered that the number of children who bullied others rose from 23 percent in 2003 to 35 percent in 2007. Reasons cited for the increase were feelings of neglect or anger felt by the children from their parents. Also, emotional, behavioral and developmental issues were common among children who bullied. And children who reported a mother with mental health challenges showed more potential for becoming a bully. (more…)

An estimated 40% of students who begin college don’t graduate from their initial school within six years. While some take longer or transfer to a different institution, a great deal of these students drop out altogether. Seeking to learn the causes behind college dropout, Michigan State University analyzed surveys of over 1,000 college freshmen from ten different schools. Students were asked whether they’d recently experienced twenty different “critical events” (ranging from poor grades and money troubles to job recruitment and inheriting money) and were asked whether they planned to withdraw. Of the twenty critical events, depression was the factor most frequently linked with academic withdrawal. Other leading experiences included roommate conflicts, unexpected bad grades, recruitment to a job or different school, and increased financial burden (either losing financial aid or experiencing a drastic hike in tuition or living costs).

Depression has been on the rise in college campuses for the past several years, so it should come as little surprise that it’s influencing students’ decision to drop out of school. University counseling resources are being tapped by an increasing number of undergraduates, many of whom site financial strains on their family as a primary cause of personal angst, pressure and even guilt. The slow economy also serves as a metaphorical cloud over these students’ future plans, who fear meager job prospects upon graduation. (more…)