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Nearly 20 years ago, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study changed how we understand trauma’s effect on children. It analyzed the cumulative and long-term impact of abuse and trauma suffered during childhood. The ACE Study inspired countless studies, intervention innovations, training and program assessments aimed at helping our kids be healthy, safe and successful. [For more of this story, written by Tami Silverman, go to ...

More than two-thirds of incarcerated women in America reported having a history of mental health problems — a far higher percentage than their male counterparts, according to a study released Thursday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Although the prevalence of mental health disorders among people in prisons and jails is a well-known problem, the dramatic gender disparity exposed in the new report has been less discussed. [For more of this story, written by Manuel Villa, go to ...

NTHP is for when there is conflict between who we truly are and who we have become. We all have them; negative patterns that creep into our lives that prevent us from realizing our full potential. It could be anything from a chronic condition; an addiction, or simply failing to live the joyful life we know we are capable of. This shows us we are somehow out of alignment with our authentic self. The Neuro Trauma Healing Process is a person centered process that allows direct contact with the...

When the horrors of child maltreatment, torture, sexual abuse, or starvation strike our community, we tend to quickly look for someone to blame. The recent deaths of two 16-year-old girls in Central Iowa, Natalie Finn and Sabrina Ray, underscore the value each of us has in weaving a safety net that strengthens families and protects Iowa kids. We all have a role to play in the development of our children. This includes becoming involved in situations where children’s well-being is or can be...

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have high levels of brain inflammation, a discovery researchers say could lead to new treatments. In OCD, people typically have frequent, upsetting thoughts that they try to control by repeating certain rituals or behaviors, such as washing hands or checking door locks. Canadian researchers compared 20 OCD patients and a control group of 20 people without the condition. In the OCD patients, inflammation was 32 percent higher in six brain...

For the first time in my career as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I binge-watched a television show for work. The Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” tells the story of a high school student who commits suicide, and the 13 tapes she leaves behind to explain her motivation. Since its release in March, the show has received a wide range of kudos and criticisms—kudos for raising awareness about teen suicide and criticisms, rightly, for glamorizing suicide. Glorifying what is essentially a...

When you’re anxious, all you can see is your anxiety . It feels urgent, serious and overwhelming. You wonder if you’ll always feel this way. You wonder, Why me? Why now? Why won’t it stop? You feel frustrated and hopeless—like there’s nothing you can do. Thankfully, there is. There are many strategies to help manage and minimize anxiety. Below are five excellent ideas from the new book Stop Anxiety from Stopping You: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Panic and Social Anxiety . It’s...

Drug and alcohol abuse are not bound by geography, economics or culture – anybody could be affected by addiction, directly or indirectly. Pathways, a treatment facility in St. Helens, is helping people get clean and sober and hopefully stay that way with the assistance of health local agencies. For decades now, Pathways has offered rehabilitation services. Two years ago, Bridge to Pathways, a detox center in the Pathways facility, was opened to provide a local in-patient setting to treat...

This past year, I served as a co-principal of Tindley Preparatory Academy, an all-boys charter school in Indianapolis. If you have ever worked in a school you understand how boys can be. Also, anyone who has worked in a middle school understands how difficult middle school can be. Imagine having both middle school and boys. Oh, did I also mention that I was a first-year principal. There were a lot of stressful, anxious days until I found mindfulness. Then it was mindfulness that helped me...

A study released in May by Voices for Utah Children found black, Hispanic and American Indian students have been disproportionately disciplined in schools throughout the state. The report looked at the 2013–14 school year and found 6 percent of all students of color received a disciplinary action, compared with 3 percent of their white counterparts. In Northern Utah area school districts, the Weber School District was among those to have higher-than-expected discipline rates for students of...

For the first time in nearly a decade, Hawaii's homeless population is falling. Data released last month shows that, while the archipelago still has the highest homelessness rate in the United States, in the last year the number of homeless people across the state has fallen by 9 percent, from 7,921 to 7,220. The implementation of " Housing First " strategies played a significant role in the drop, according to the statewide Point in Time count. In the nearly two years since Governor David...

During President Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address, he declared that “in this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” The populist right would do well to apply that formulation to the street violence associated with the drug trade. The War on Drugs is a decades-old federal effort that has failed as consistently and completely as any government initiative in American history. A generation has passed since National Review declared it...