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Welcome to the nexus of ethics, psychology, morality, technology, health care, and philosophy
Showing posts with label Adolescent Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adolescent Issues. Show all posts

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Child euthanasia: should we just not talk about it?

By Luc Bovens
J Med Ethics 2015;41:630-634
doi:10.1136/medethics-2014-102329

Abstract

Belgium has recently extended its euthanasia legislation to minors, making it the first legislation in the world that does not specify any age limit. I consider two strands in the opposition to this legislation. First, I identify five arguments in the public debate to the effect that euthanasia for minors is somehow worse than euthanasia for adults—viz, arguments from weightiness, capability of discernment, pressure, sensitivity and sufficient palliative care—and show that these arguments are wanting. Second, there is another position in the public debate that wishes to keep the current age restriction on the books and have ethics boards exercise discretion in euthanasia decisions for minors. I interpret this position on the background of Velleman's ‘Against the Right to Die’ and show that, although costs remain substantial, it actually can provide some qualified support against extending euthanasia legislation to minors.

The entire article is here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

‘Don’t Tell Coach’: Playing Through Concussions

By Jan Hoffman
The New York Times - Well
Originally published November 5, 2013

Here is an excerpt:

An extensive report about sports-related concussions in young people, released last week by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, made recommendations that included bolstering research, collecting data, examining injury protocols and educating the public. But the report identified one particularly stubborn challenge: the “culture of resistance” among high school and college athletes, who may be inclined to shrug off the invisible injuries and return immediately to the field.

“There is still a culture among athletes,” the report said, “that resists both the self-reporting of concussions and compliance with appropriate concussion management plans.”

The entire story is here.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

U.S. Probes Use of Antipsychotic Drugs on Children

By LUCETTE LAGNADO
The Wall Street Journal
Originally published August 12, 2013

Federal health officials have launched a probe into the use of antipsychotic drugs on children in the Medicaid system, amid concern that the medications are being prescribed too often to treat behavioral problems in the very young.

The inspector general's office at Department of Health and Human Services says it recently began a review of antipsychotic-drug use by Medicaid recipients age 17 and under. And various agencies within HHS are requiring officials in all 50 states to tighten oversight of prescriptions for such drugs to Medicaid-eligible young people.

The effort applies to a newer class of antipsychotic drugs known as "atypicals," which include Abilify, the nation's No. 1 prescription drug by sales. The drugs were originally developed to treat psychoses such as schizophrenia, but some now have Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of children with conditions such as bipolar disorder and irritability associated with autism.

The entire story is here.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Girls Talk: The Sexualization of Girls

By the American Psychological Association

APA's Public Interest directorate invited six middle school girls to sit down and share their thoughts about the images of girls they see all around them and how they feel about the way girls today are portrayed.




The Executive Summary of this report can be found here.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Preventing Childhood And Adolescent Suicide

Medical News Today
Originally published October 12, 2012

Here are some exerpts:

At the beginning of the 21st century, suicide and suicide attempts by children and adolescents continue to be a major public health problem, and topical research and surveys have clearly highlighted suicide as one of the commonest causes of death among young people.

(cut)

Suicide is one of the major causes of death worldwide and suicide rates vary according to region, sex, age, time, ethnic origin, and, probably, practices of death registration. Most people who die by suicide have psychiatric disorders, notably mood, substance-related, anxiety, psychotic, and personality disorders, with high rates of comorbidity.

Suicidal cognitions and behaviours can occur both independently and together. Risk of onset of suicidal ideation increases rapidly during adolescence and young adulthood, and then stabilizes in early midlife. The prevalence rates in adolescents cross-nationally are reported to be 19.8.0% for suicide ideation, and 3.1%.8% for suicide attempts (Nock et al, 2008a).

The entire story is here.

Friday, December 9, 2011

'Sexting' Not Very Widespread Among Kids, Teens

By Todd Neale
Senior Staff Writer
MedPage Today
Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD

Sexting does not appear to be a common behavior in children and teens, and usually does not result in legal trouble when only minors are involved, two studies showed.

In a survey of adolescents ages 10 to 17, less than 10% reported appearing in or creating nude or sexually suggestive images or receiving such images in the preceding year, according to Kimberly Mitchell, PhD, of the University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center in Durham, and colleagues.
Only 2.5% had appeared in or created (as opposed to having received) these images, a percentage that dropped to 1.3% when a strict definition of sexually explicit -- something that could be classified as child pornography -- was used, the researchers reported in the January issue of Pediatrics.

In a separate study, led by Janis Wolak, JD, also at the New Hampshire center, the researchers found that most cases of youth sexting that came to the attention of law enforcement did not result in arrests, except for incidents involving adults.

Although the results are somewhat reassuring, Mitchell and colleagues wrote, "receiving and thus possession of potentially illegal images among young people is widespread enough that education about this and its consequences is strongly warranted."

This story is here.

Abstract: Prevalence and Characteristics of Youth Sexting: A National Study

Abstract: How Often are Teens Arrested for Sexting? Data From a National Sample of Police Cases