A large body of research has reported an association between the pet ownership and better health among children. But a new study that is the largest-ever to explore the issue contradicts the common thinking. Researchers did find that children from pet-owning families tended to have better general health, but those differences disappeared when factors such as family income and family housing were considered.

In the largest functional brain imaging study to date, researchers compared 46,034 brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging studies provided by nine clinics, quantifying differences between the brains of men and women...The brains of women in the study were significantly more active in many more areas of the brain than men, especially in the prefrontal cortex, involved with focus and impulse control, and the limbic or emotional areas of the brain, involved with mood and anxiety.

Each year, some 2 million people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses are arrested for various crimes, inadvertently turning the US correctional system into the nation's primary provider of inpatient psychiatric care. But an eight-year study now offers a solution.

Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral health at the Nisonger Center at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center...says that participating in one can assist others, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. “Everybody benefits,” he says. “You’re helping yourself and everyone else with the same problem. There’s a certain sense of satisfaction of being helpful to other people.”

Researchers in the UF College of Pharmacy determined that a child’s age when diagnosed with ADHD may be a strong predictor of the types and number of medications that are later prescribed to treat psychiatric conditions...Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the study found that preschoolers with ADHD were more likely to receive antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and multiple mental health drugs during a five-year follow-up period compared with children with later-onset ADHD.

Stimulant medications are commonly recommended to help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder manage their symptoms...However, many people with ADHD are eager to explore nonmedication alternatives to treat their disorder or are interested in a complementary approach, which encompasses medication as well as methods such as mindfulness or dietary changes.

Making the transition from elementary to middle school is a huge milestone for all children and their parents. For children with Autism, ADHD, and other “special abilities”, this dramatic change of life is even more traumatic than for their NT (neuro-typical) peers.

Transitions create an opportunity for change. For parents, any shift in the family schedule is a great time to consider what you’d like to do differently. Around ADHD, kids rely even more than peers on parents for structure, whether around school, health, technology, or anywhere else. Naturally, change is hard for all kids, and can be harder for those with ADHD. A new school year is the perfect time to pause, reconsider, and set up new routines.