FDA Action Needed: Approval of Maintenance Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Depression
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is one of the safest and most effective treatments for major depression. The FDA has approved it to treat teenagers and adults but only for a time-limited course of care. For most people, that is all the treatment they need. For others, they require maintenance (continuation) TMS. This article reviews the research and rationale that shows the need for the FDA to approve maintenance TMS now.
Providing Empathy in Parenting
Empathy is one of the best approaches parents can use to help their kids when they struggle emotionally. Providing empathy maintains parental authority without giving up or giving in. At the same time, it strengthens relationships between kids and their parents, and kids learn essential emotional regulation skills.
A New Treatment for Adolescent Depression: FDA Approves Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
The FDA got it right when they approved TMS therapy for adolescent depression (kids aged 15 and older). TMS is one of the most effective treatments for resistant depression. The decision to approve this treatment for kids is an absolute game-changer and will save many young lives. This article describes the dramatic impact of the FDA’s approval and covers research that shows TMS for kids to be safe, well-tolerated, and effective.
Riding Out the Storm: Dealing with Your Child’s Anger Outbursts
All kids have anger outbursts at some point. If you find yourself frustrated by these outbursts or helpless in creating positive change, you might need to consider a different strategy. Sometimes the best course of action when your child is upset is to give them some time and space to calm down. This article addresses strategies for supporting your child to calm themselves down during anger outbursts, without your immediate intervention, which can make the situation worse.
Controlling Your Emotions in Parenting: Helping Yourself First
While children can be quite wonderful, our kids can also pull emotional responses out of us that leave us feeling exhausted and frustrated. This article covers the importance of taking care of your emotional health as a means of enjoying parenting more and increasing your effectiveness as a parent.
Conveying Love in Parenting
Most parents love their kids tremendously, but it can sometimes feel like there is a disconnect or uncertainty in whether kids actually experience that love. This article addresses the role of effectively conveying love as a core tenet of parenting.
Building Independence: Teaching Your Child When and How to Ask for Help
It’s counterintuitive to many people that requesting and receiving help is a necessary skill in developing and sustaining independence. This article discusses a framework for developing these skills in your kids.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Adolescent Depression
Even though depression rates for youth are rising, the FDA has only approved a few treatments for adolescent depression and has not yet approved TMS for adolescent depression. This article describes TMS for adolescents and covers research that shows TMS for kids to be safe, feasible, and likely effective.
Action Needed from the FDA: Approval to Treat Adolescent Depression with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy, one of the most effective treatments for major depression, has been FDA approved for adults for 14 years. The FDA has not yet approved TMS for adolescent depression even though they approved a TMS device for migraine headaches in children. This article reviews research that shows TMS for adolescent depression to be safe, feasible, and effective.
Universal Screening for Depression and Sustained Sadness in Kids to Prevent Youth Suicide
Screening kids for depression (and sustained sadness) and connecting them with mental health services is an effective step in preventing suicide in youth. This article reviews recent research that supports this intervention and includes other data that shows this approach to be logical, strategic, and a high-yield use of suicide prevention funding.
Positive Communication with Kids
Parents can be extremely frustrated when it seems like anytime they communicate with their kids, it ends in a meltdown. There are basic approaches for enhancing positive communication with your children. This article explains different types of communication between parent and child, helpful strategies and pitfalls to avoid.
Behavioral Shaping: Getting More Positive Behavior from Your Kids with the First Rule of Parenting
Many parents find that trying to convince their kids to have more positive behaviors is either ineffective or backfires. This article addresses the strategy of behavioral shaping for parents to enhance positive behaviors and reduce conflicts when their kids are off-task. This basic parenting strategy, colloquially known as Grandma’s Rule, when consistently applied, can help life at home go more smoothly.
Predators and Unhealthy Peers: Helping Your Teen and Protecting Your Relationship
Unfortunately, many parents’ first response is the wrong one when dealing with a predator or friends who are pulling their teenager into a drug culture or other unhealthy relationships. This article addresses a plan of action for dealing with parental missteps and preserving your relationship with your child as they navigate the uncertain waters of adolescent relationships.
Helping Teach Your Child Social Skills
Some parents are at a loss if their child struggles with social skills because it seems like such a basic, naturally-acquired ability. However, many kids struggle with lagging social skills and this can result in fewer friendships, trouble learning at school or aggression. This article addresses creative strategies for helping your child.
How to Help Your Child Learn from Their Mistake
Sometimes kids make a big mistake. How you deal with it can have a positive or negative impact on your relationship with them and determine their likelihood of repeating the mistake and what lesson they learn from it. This article addresses a strategy for handling your child’s mistake and helping them learn from it.
Is Yelling at a Child the Equivalent of Spanking Their Brain?
All parents and caregivers lose their cool at times when raising kids. There is a continuum of verbal feedback that occurs from parent to child that ranges from calm feedback to the extreme of verbal abuse. This article explains the effects of yelling and offers more effective ways of providing feedback to children.
Changing Your Force Point by Eliminating Bad Habits in Parenting
Imagine taking away an unenjoyable parenting behavior that you use frequently. You would need to create a new solution. Most parents would love more options before they have to “go negative” with their children. This article explains a strategy for finding parenting solutions that you enjoy more.
The FDA’s Duty to Children’s Mental Health
50% of lifetime mental illness starts by age 14 and 75% of lifetime mental illness starts by age 24. It has been conclusively proven that mental illness is a disease of youth, yet the FDA has done little to approve mental health treatments for youth. This article addresses some of the enormous missteps by the FDA and what they – and you – can do today to improve the mental health of children.