Did You Know?

Spanking can harm children, for example, leading to physical injuries as well as emotional and behavioural problems. Spanking is also ineffective at changing children’s behaviour. Spanking and other forms of physical punishment should therefore not be used. For more information, see Vol. 9, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

How do you persuade busy young mothers to participate in a scientific trial that’s going to last more than two years? The BC Healthy Connections Project achieved this goal by using a number of strategies. These included:

• Offering to perform research interviews on weekends and evenings.
• Changing the type of contact to suit the needs of participants who were aged 14–24 years.
• Making texting the preferred style of contact.
• Personalizing the connection by showing appreciation and conveying genuine interest.

Many of the 739 participants said they enjoyed contributing to research and having their voices heard, through the survey data. They especially appreciated being able to feel that someone was listening and was interested in their lives.

The trial, which started in 2011, was designed as a scientific evaluation of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a landmark US program focusing on children born to girls and young women who are facing disadvantages such as low income. The program starts early — in pregnancy, before children are even born — and involves intensive home visits from public health nurses.

For more information on how the BC Healthy Connections Project maintained its impressive participation rates, see the team’s paper recently published in Trials.

In October, which is ADHD Awareness Month in Canada and around the world, it’s worth remembering the many young people who are frequently labeled as “problem children” rather than children with a medical problem. Research evidence supports the use of three medications — methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine and atomoxetine — for children with ADHD. Careful use of these medications can reduce children’s symptoms and improve their quality of life. For more information, see Vol. 11, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Childhood obesity has more than just physical health implications. Obese children often have higher rates of depression, anxiety and eating Yet steps can be taken to prevent childhood obesity — including restricting food and beverage advertisements that exploit children, and implementing policies that make healthy foods more available and affordable. For more information, see Vol. 4, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

World Mental Health Day occurs Oct. 10. To mark this important day, the Children’s Health Policy Centre notes that comprehensive public health strategy is the most effective way to address children’s mental health in BC and in Canada. This strategy includes addressing social determinants, promoting healthy development for all children, preventing disorders in children at risk, providing effective treatments for all children with disorders and monitoring population outcomes. For more information, see Vol. 1, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

September 30, 2020 marks Orange Shirt Day, in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to Indigenous children. It is a time worth remembering that effective interventions for mental health issues can also be culturally relevant. For example, a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program was adapted to reflect the local culture in a remote Indigenous community in Ontario, with local practitioners receiving training and support to use the program. The adapted program succeeded, suggesting that local cultural values can be embedded within well-researched interventions such as CBT. For more information, see Vol. 10, No. 3, page 7 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

It looks as though research efforts by the BC Healthy Connections Project team have paid off.

When the team began a research trial— involving 739 young mothers and their 731 children — researchers knew it would be a challenge to keep participants fully involved for the two-and-a-half years.

But interview completion rates were high for the five follow-up interviews: ranging from 80 to 91% across pregnancy and through until the children reached age two years.

As well, 99% of participants allowed the team to have access to official provincial data on their children’s wellbeing.

The trial, which started in 2011, was designed as a scientific evaluation of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a landmark US program focusing on children born to girls and young women who are facing disadvantages such as low income. The program starts early — in pregnancy, before children are even born — and involves intensive home visits from public health nurses.

For more information on the study team’s participation strategies, see their paper in Trials.

Three antipsychotic medications — haloperidol, olanzapine and risperidone — are effective for treating schizophrenia. These medications, along with education and intensive social supports, can help young people cope when they have this diagnosis. For more information, see Vol. 3, No. 3 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly. 2009

Every year on Sept 10, people in more than 50 countries connect to work together to prevent suicide. In the spirit of this day, the Children’s Health Policy Centre encourages all people who care for children to understand that hospitalization is not the only option. Multisystemic Therapy offers 16 weeks of intensive community-based treatment, which can reduce mental health problems even more effectively than inpatient care. For example, youth who received this intervention had fewer suicide attempts one year later than those who were hospitalized. For more information, see Vol. 7, No. 3 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly. 2013

Alcohol consumption in pregnancy can cause harm. And for those who need support to stop drinking in pregnancy, there are effective interventions. For example, when practitioners delivered a single 25-minute session to pregnant women and their partners, alcohol use was reduced fivefold — from five days a month to one. For more information, see Vol. 5, No. 2 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.