Child and Adolescent Drug Abuse Statistics
Did You Know Drug Abuse is Still a Major Problem???
An estimated 19.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current users of an illicit drug in 2003. This estimate represents 8.2 percent of the population.
Over half (51%) of America’s teenagers have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school.
An estimated 71 million Americans reported being current users of a tobacco product in 2003, a prevalence rate of 30% for the population 12 years and older.
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in this country. In 2003, 14.6 million people were current users of marijuana.
For the second year in a row inhalant use has increased in 8th graders with 17.3% reporting use at least once in their lifetime. These drugs are particularly dangerous because they can damage the nervous system even after a single use, and they can be fatal.
Vicodin is one of the drugs most commonly abused by high school seniors. Nearly one in ten 12th graders reported non-medical use of Vicodin in 2004; one in twenty 12th graders reported non-medical use of OxyContin.
Child and Adolescent Mental Illness and Drug Abuse Statistics
Child and Adolescent Mental Illness and Drug Abuse Statistics
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD. (Source: NIMH)
Autism Spectrum Disordersare more common in the pediatric population than are some better known disorders such as diabetes, spinal bifida, or Down syndrome. (Source: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (fourth edition, text revision). A recent study of a U.S. metropolitan area estimated that 3.4 of every 1,000 children 3-10 years old had autism
Autism Spectrum Disordersare more common in the pediatric population than are some better known disorders such as diabetes, spinal bifida, or Down syndrome. (Source: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (fourth edition, text revision). A recent study of a U.S. metropolitan area estimated that 3.4 of every 1,000 children 3-10 years old had autism
Mental Illness Screening
Mental Illness Screening Plan A Boon For Drug Makers
Citing recommendations by the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (NFC), George W. Bush wants to launch a nationwide mental illness screening program in government institutions, including the public school system, for all students from kindergarten up to the 12th grade.
The New Freedom Commission was established by an executive order Bush issued on April 29, 2002. According to a July 22, 2003, press release, the commission recommends transforming America's mental health care system.
"Achieving this goal will require greater engagement and education of first line health care providers - primary care practitioners - and a greater focus on mental health care in institutions such as schools, child welfare programs, and the criminal and juvenile justice systems. The goal is integrated care that can screen, identify, and respond to problems early," the commission's press release stated.
According to the NFC, its recommendations are being already being promoted in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The truth is, this is nothing but another Bush profiteering scheme to implement a drug treatment program for use in the public institutions that will generate high volume sales of the relatively new, but inadequately tested, high-priced psychiatric drugs. If all goes as planned, the scheme will generate millions of new customers for the drug companies
The New Freedom Commission was established by an executive order Bush issued on April 29, 2002. According to a July 22, 2003, press release, the commission recommends transforming America's mental health care system.
"Achieving this goal will require greater engagement and education of first line health care providers - primary care practitioners - and a greater focus on mental health care in institutions such as schools, child welfare programs, and the criminal and juvenile justice systems. The goal is integrated care that can screen, identify, and respond to problems early," the commission's press release stated.
According to the NFC, its recommendations are being already being promoted in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The truth is, this is nothing but another Bush profiteering scheme to implement a drug treatment program for use in the public institutions that will generate high volume sales of the relatively new, but inadequately tested, high-priced psychiatric drugs. If all goes as planned, the scheme will generate millions of new customers for the drug companies
Drug breakthrough for fashionable new mental illness:
Drug breakthrough for fashionable new mental illness:
Life-changing new drug Havidol (chemical name Avafynetyme HCl) has just been marketed for the widely under-recognised disorder Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder (DSACDAD).
DSACDAD is a new diagnosis where sufferers experience symptoms such as "worrying about life, feeling tense, restless, or fatigued, being concerned about their weight, noticing signs of aging, feeling stress at work, home, or finding activities they used to enjoy, like shopping, challenging."
The drug targets the recently discovered hedonine hormone to boost the brain's reward system for when "feeling better is not enough".
Havidol joins other next generation drugs Fukitol, Panexa, Progenitorivox and Proloxil as medications that not only affect the brain, but also purify the soul.
DSACDAD is a new diagnosis where sufferers experience symptoms such as "worrying about life, feeling tense, restless, or fatigued, being concerned about their weight, noticing signs of aging, feeling stress at work, home, or finding activities they used to enjoy, like shopping, challenging."
The drug targets the recently discovered hedonine hormone to boost the brain's reward system for when "feeling better is not enough".
Havidol joins other next generation drugs Fukitol, Panexa, Progenitorivox and Proloxil as medications that not only affect the brain, but also purify the soul.
Medications for Mental Illness
SPECIAL MESSAGE
This booklet is designed to help mental health patients and their families understand how and why medications can be used as part of the treatment of mental health problems.
It is important for you to be well informed about medications you may need. You should know what medications you take and the dosage, and learn everything you can about them. Many medications now come with patient package inserts, describing the medication, how it should be taken, and side effects to look for. When you go to a new doctor, always take with you a list of all of the prescribed medications (including dosage), over-the-counter medications, and vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements you take. The list should include herbal teas and supplements such as St. John's wort, echinacea, ginkgo, ephedra, and ginseng. Almost any substance that can change behavior can cause harm if used in the wrong amount or frequency of dosing, or in a bad combination. Drugs differ in the speed, duration of action, and in their margin for error.
This booklet is designed to help mental health patients and their families understand how and why medications can be used as part of the treatment of mental health problems.
It is important for you to be well informed about medications you may need. You should know what medications you take and the dosage, and learn everything you can about them. Many medications now come with patient package inserts, describing the medication, how it should be taken, and side effects to look for. When you go to a new doctor, always take with you a list of all of the prescribed medications (including dosage), over-the-counter medications, and vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements you take. The list should include herbal teas and supplements such as St. John's wort, echinacea, ginkgo, ephedra, and ginseng. Almost any substance that can change behavior can cause harm if used in the wrong amount or frequency of dosing, or in a bad combination. Drugs differ in the speed, duration of action, and in their margin for error.
Wearable Technology Helps Monitor Mental Illness
Wearable Technology Helps Monitor Mental Illness
Psychiatric researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine will report important new findings from a study of patients with bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia at the upcoming meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, to be held in San Diego May 17-20.The patented approach developed at UCSD, using a novel device called a “LifeShirt” – a computerized vest that continuously monitors the patient’s movements – shows that patterns of movements differ between patients with the two disorders. The device, manufactured by VivoMetrics©, monitors hyperactive and repetitive movements, and collects data on respiration, heart rate and other physiological measures.
While wearing the vest, subjects’ movements were also recorded by a camera embedded in the ceiling, and the film of their exploratory behavior converted into movement patterns that characterize the manic phase of the disorder. Patients with bipolar disease exhibited hyperactivity and a wide range of exploration when in a novel environment, according to the researchers. Schizophrenic patients, on the other hand, exhibited much more restricted movements.
“When patients are highly symptomatic, it is sometimes difficult for physicians to diagnose whether an individual is exhibiting signs of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder,” said William Perry, Ph.D., UC San Diego professor of psychiatry, who is leading a five-year study of bipolar disorder funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health. “In our first report from the study, we find that patients in the two groups show different patterns of exploration in new environments.”
The “behavioral pattern monitor” research in patients is based upon parallel studies with rats and mice, conducted by co-investigators Mark Geyer, Ph.D., and Martin Paulus, M.D., both UC San Diego professors of psychiatry. When rodents are given drugs such as amphetamines, or have genetic abnormalities that change brain chemistry, they exhibit distinctive, abnormal movement patterns and difficulties in filtering information. The medications that are used to treat bipolar disorder normalize these behaviors and thoughts.
“The LifeShirt and our analyses of their exploratory movements allow us to take precise measurements while the person moves freely,” said Perry. “It offers a promising approach to helping us learn about the underlying function of patients with bipolar disorder.”
While wearing the vest, subjects’ movements were also recorded by a camera embedded in the ceiling, and the film of their exploratory behavior converted into movement patterns that characterize the manic phase of the disorder. Patients with bipolar disease exhibited hyperactivity and a wide range of exploration when in a novel environment, according to the researchers. Schizophrenic patients, on the other hand, exhibited much more restricted movements.
“When patients are highly symptomatic, it is sometimes difficult for physicians to diagnose whether an individual is exhibiting signs of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder,” said William Perry, Ph.D., UC San Diego professor of psychiatry, who is leading a five-year study of bipolar disorder funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health. “In our first report from the study, we find that patients in the two groups show different patterns of exploration in new environments.”
The “behavioral pattern monitor” research in patients is based upon parallel studies with rats and mice, conducted by co-investigators Mark Geyer, Ph.D., and Martin Paulus, M.D., both UC San Diego professors of psychiatry. When rodents are given drugs such as amphetamines, or have genetic abnormalities that change brain chemistry, they exhibit distinctive, abnormal movement patterns and difficulties in filtering information. The medications that are used to treat bipolar disorder normalize these behaviors and thoughts.
“The LifeShirt and our analyses of their exploratory movements allow us to take precise measurements while the person moves freely,” said Perry. “It offers a promising approach to helping us learn about the underlying function of patients with bipolar disorder.”
Antisocial Behavior May Be Caused By Low Stress Hormone Levels
Antisocial Behavior May Be Caused By Low Stress Hormone Levels
A link between reduced levels of the 'stress hormone' cortisol and antisocial behaviour in male adolescents has been discovered by a research team at the University of Cambridge.Levels of cortisol in the body usually increase when people undergo a stressful experience, such as public speaking, sitting an exam, or having surgery. It enhances memory formation and is thought to make people behave more cautiously and to help them regulate their emotions, particularly their temper and violent impulses.
The new research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, shows that adolescents with severe antisocial behaviour do not exhibit the same increase in cortisol levels when under stress as those without antisocial behaviour. These findings suggest that antisocial behaviour, at least in some cases, may be seen as a form of mental illness that is linked to physiological symptoms (involving a chemical imbalance of cortisol in the brain and body).
The scientists, led by Dr Graeme Fairchild and Professor Ian Goodyer, recruited participants for the study from schools, pupil referral units, and the Youth Offending Service. Samples of saliva were collected over several days from the subjects in a non-stressful environment to measure levels of the hormone under resting conditions. The young men then took part in a stressful experiment that was designed to induce frustration. Samples of saliva were taken immediately before, during and after the experiment to track how cortisol changed during stress.
The new research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, shows that adolescents with severe antisocial behaviour do not exhibit the same increase in cortisol levels when under stress as those without antisocial behaviour. These findings suggest that antisocial behaviour, at least in some cases, may be seen as a form of mental illness that is linked to physiological symptoms (involving a chemical imbalance of cortisol in the brain and body).
The scientists, led by Dr Graeme Fairchild and Professor Ian Goodyer, recruited participants for the study from schools, pupil referral units, and the Youth Offending Service. Samples of saliva were collected over several days from the subjects in a non-stressful environment to measure levels of the hormone under resting conditions. The young men then took part in a stressful experiment that was designed to induce frustration. Samples of saliva were taken immediately before, during and after the experiment to track how cortisol changed during stress.
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