Living Well January/February 2019

Children & Families

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

A Publication of the

January/February 2019 ~ living well

1

Coming March 6th

Newspapers are living textbooks and valuable education resources.

Our Design An Ad program gives students a chance to use language, arts, math and artistic skills while learning how advertising benefits both buyers and sellers. It’s a great lesson, one that educators like to teach.

Deadline to Participate January 22 2

living well ~ January/February 2019

publisher Jim Strauss missoulian.com

A publication of the

editor Emily Petrovski

Missoulian advertising department

graphic design Dara Saltzman

advertising sales Chris Arvish 406-523-5236 contributors Kevin Joy, University of Michigan, Kate Thayer, WebMD, R. Morgan Griffin, Madison Park, American Psychological Association, Jean Twenge

People in Missoula and western Montana want to feel good, look good and live well. Available at more than 150 newsstand locations throughout the area, Western Montana Living Well is well suited to more than 23,000 readers monthly who want health tips on fitness, nutrition, family, wellness, therapy and beauty.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Missoulian or Lee Enterprises. The author of each article published in this publication owns his or her own words.

No part of the publication may be reprinted without permission. ©2018 Lee Enterprises, all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

january/february 2019 VOL. 50

IN THIS ISSUE children’s health children’s health concerns

Page 4

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

youth sports injuries

Page 7

dealing with bullying

Page 9

good food goals

Page 11

THE RIGHT SNACKS FOR YOUR KID’S SCHEDULE Page 13 WHY IS CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH IMPORTANT? Page 15 KIDS’ SMARTPHONE USE Page 17

January/February 2019 ~ living well

3

Top 10 health concerns for children

By Kevin Joy, University of Michigan

Parents have plenty to worry about when it comes to their kids’ well-being.

And their concerns may vary from what the general population considers a risk to young people, according to a new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan.

For the first time in the poll’s history, findings were presented two ways: children’s healthrelated concerns of all 2,051 adult survey participants — and a separate rundown that only includes parents of children age 0-18.

“There were definitely some things that 4

living well ~ January/February 2019

were different among the two groups,” says Gary Freed, M.D., M.P.H., a Mott professor of pediatrics and the poll’s co-director.

The fear of motor vehicle accidents and school violence ranked fourth and fifth among parents; neither made the top 10 in the overall list. Likewise, child abuse and teen pregnancy were key worries overall, but neither topic ranked in the parents-only subgroup.

Still, many issues were universal: The threat of bullying or cyberbullying was a top concern among all parties.

The list, Freed says, should prompt families to have frank conversations early and often.

After all, “One can’t spontaneously invent a relationship based on trust; it needs to be worked on so a child can survive changes in development and life,” he says.

Freed spoke about parents’ top concerns and tips to address them.

Top 10 concerns of parents 1. Bullying/cyberbullying Whether harassment takes place in person or online, the actions can have deep effects on a child’s mental and physical health. Conflicts may occur out of sight — or on a handheld screen — so families need to watch for warning signs. Those might include a reluctance to talk about school, fear of riding the bus or difficulty in other peer relationships. Open dialogue, Freed says, should follow: “Parents need to talk to their kids daily about what is going on in their lives.”

2. Internet safety Children can put themselves at risk by talking to strangers via social media, chat rooms or message boards — places where anonymity and deception are simple. Says Freed: “People pretending they’re teenagers or preteens may, in fact, be older individuals seeking to prey on young children.” That’s why it’s important to regularly monitor a child’s internet use and stress the value of security (never giving out a phone number, email or home address or a credit card number).

3. Stress Yes, kids can get stressed. But the stressors need not be life-threatening. “It might be regarding schoolwork, peer relationships or athletic or arts performance,” Freed says.

Others, though, could be serious: a divorce, sick relative or financial problems. In any case, conversation is key. “Parents need to find out what is causing a child stress and to try and put their concerns into perspective,” Freed adds.

A school or professional counselor can offer

guidance if needed.

4. Motor vehicle accidents There’s more to worry about than keeping one’s hands at 10 and 2. Mobile devices and high-tech dashboards can easily steal a driver’s attention (which could explain why teens were the largest group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes). Parents must stress the importance of distraction-free driving — and model good behaviors themselves. They also must emphasize never to ride with a driver who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

5. School violence Once considered unthinkable, the notion of being injured at school by a classmate or an outside attacker is a fear that’s all too real.

Although schools prepare with drills and staff training, Freed says families can also help alleviate a child’s fears by establishing a communication plan that could be applied in any crisis. “Know who a student should call if they become aware of a dangerous situation,” Freed says. “It’s always good to have a strategy.”

6. Depression Increased stress levels can lead to depression, Freed says. But signs of the mental health condition might not come verbally. Instead, an affected child could become withdrawn, show little interest in friendships or hobbies and decline in academics. Depression, though treatable, is also a risk factor for suicide, which is why seeking assistance needn’t come with stigma. “It’s important to consult your pediatrician to see what kind of help can be provided,” Freed says.

7. Unhealthy eating Sure, kids can be picky eaters or prefer sugary or fatty snacks. But doctors note that bad habits typically begin at home (like a refrigerator and pantry stocked with junk food). Adults, Freed says, hold the key to curbing childhood obesity: “Parents need to be January/February 2019 ~ living well

5

strong in determining what types of food they buy and also in setting an example for their children by making healthy choices.” See page 11 for tips on improving nutrition at home.

8. Not enough exercise Just like diet, parents can help their children shake off sedentary routines that contribute to obesity by making physical fitness a family affair. That might mean gearing up for a shared bike ride, playing Frisbee in the backyard or capturing Pokémon around the neighborhood.

Simple leisure outings can help young people get the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise (and provide a reasonable excuse to get off the couch). Sports leagues are effective, too.

9. Drug abuse The range of drugs available to kids entails far more than illegal substances obtained from a dealer. The home medicine cabinet is

Missoula Manor Homes Retirement Living at Its Best

909 W. Central, Missoula

(406) 728-3210

TTY Relay 711 • www.missoulamanor.com

6

living well ~ January/February 2019

one of the most common sources of abused medications. That’s where many young adults who report such abuse first obtained the drugs.

And it’s why parents and children should speak frankly about the associated dangers. “Your family doctor can provide a portal of entry for a variety of different treatments if a problem is suspected,” Freed says.

10. Sexting It only takes a second to send a sexually explicit photo. But the spontaneous act — especially if sent to a third party — can violate a child’s privacy and, depending on the situation, incite long-term emotional damage (not to mention legal complications, which vary among states). Says Freed: “A sender has no idea where those pictures are going to end up and no idea how widely transmitted they may be.” Although a sensitive topic, sexting warrants family discussion.

Youth sports injuries can turn into chronic problems

By Kate Thayer, Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Leo Anderson was in the middle of a baseball game when he threw a ball he had just caught, heard a crunch in his elbow and fell to the ground.

That sound was a growth plate in his elbow breaking, and it ended the now-15-year-old’s season last spring.

Doctors said the break was caused by overuse, and the Highland Park, Ill., teenager had surgery to place a pin in his elbow to stabilize it. Anderson, a catcher who had been trying out pitching, wore a cast for 12 weeks before his comeback this fall, playing for the Slammers club team in Lake County. The freshman at Lake Forest High School also had physical therapy until November and says he hopes to play for his high school team in the upcoming spring season, in addition to his other team.

But his father, Bill Anderson, said he now closely monitors his son’s play, and that the injury

was a warning. Leo, like many youth athletes, plays baseball 10 months out of the year. “Quite honestly, it just didn’t occur to me that he was overusing his arm” Doctors say overuse injuries in youth sports have increased significantly in the past decade. They blame it on kids focusing on one sport early on and playing it year-round, sometimes on multiple teams at once.

“Sports specialization has led to almost an epidemic in sports injuries,” said Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, surgical director of women’s musculoskeletal health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School.

“Kids are fatigued, and they’re not strengthening the way they should be.”

Matzkin said that, in the past decade, she’s seen overuse injuries in young athletes that she used to January/February 2019 ~ living well

7

see mainly in adults.

“Over the past 10 years, you’d maybe see the occasional high school ACL tear. Now you’re seeing it in 12-, 13-year-olds,” she said. With such injuries at 13, “are you going to have arthritis when you’re 30?”

While doctors and physical therapists say they can treat the injuries, some worry what will happen as these young athletes grow up — when old injuries could turn into chronic problems.

“We can get you back playing your sport … but what we can’t do is prevent your arthritis in your knee,” Matzkin said. Then “you’re seeing young women in their 30s who can’t keep up with their kids in the backyard.”

Doctors say it’s largely up to parents and coaches to try to prevent these injuries through crosstraining and rest.

But that message can be hard to follow in the increasingly competitive field of youth sports, in which more parents seem to have their sights set on college scholarships and even professional play for their kids, said Dr. Andrea Kramer, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute.

Kramer, who treated Leo Anderson, said she’s seen more overuse injuries in recent years, and at younger ages.

“I’m seeing kids from 7 on up for overuse injuries,” she said. The injuries come in the forms of sprains, breaks, stress fractures and other problems that cause “much more increased pain at a much younger age” than she used to see, and span many sports.

Kramer said children are at risk for these injuries because they are still growing and growth plates are shifting. She said she advises these young athletes and their parents to try more variety in sports or cross-conditioning, and stresses the importance of rest. Societal pressures seem to play into the desire for high achievement in sports, often leading to overplay, Kramer said.

“If we could convince people to not specialize in one sport at a young age, it would help a lot,” she said.

For Leo Anderson’s arm injury, the tipping point seemed to be when Leo, a catcher since childhood, 8

living well ~ January/February 2019

started to try out pitching with private lessons, plus his regular team practices, which begin in October and last through July. His dad said rainouts last spring caused more back-to-back games, which he thinks also contributed to his son’s overthrowing.

“Looking back it was pretty obvious,” Bill Anderson said. “As a parent, I’m (now) much more hypersensitive to Leo having a sore arm.”

Anderson said he, along with Leo’s coaches, doctor and physical therapist, is monitoring Leo’s play to make sure the injury is healed and to prevent another overuse injury.

Ed Tolzien, co-owner of the Slammers, said he and his staff “strongly encourage our kids to cross-train and play multiple sports” to prevent overuse injuries. About 70 to 75 percent play a sport other than baseball, he said.

Many baseball leagues and the Illinois High School Association limit the number of pitches players can throw in a game and a season to prevent injuries. Tolzien said his youth players abide by such guidelines, and though there aren’t official limits on high school-level club teams, his coaches keep a close eye on players, who are also given strength and conditioning exercises. The team also partners with Illinois Bone and Joint to make sure players get proper treatment and to learn more about injury prevention, he said.

Matzkin, who is on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons board of directors, said education of coaches and parents is necessary to prevent overuse injuries in kids.

The academy teamed up with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine this year to begin OneSport Injury campaign, which focuses on just that. The slogan is: “Doctors can treat them. Parents and coaches can prevent them.”

The campaign offers materials geared toward coaches, parents and young athletes, providing prevention tips, statistics on injuries and guidelines for specific sports.

“Sports are beneficial, but playing the same sport more than eight months out of the year can be detrimental,” Matzkin said.

What to do when kids are bullied about their weight

From WebMD Reviewed by Renee A. Alli, MD

It’s natural for kids to think about how much they weigh sometimes. But if your child comes home from school and suddenly talks about being fat, he or she might be being teased about their size.

You’ll want to comfort and reassure your child. But you should also talk to him or her

about how he or she feels and how they want to handle the situation.

You may not be able to keep bullies off the playground, but you can let her know that being healthy is the most important thing, not how she looks.

January/February 2019 ~ living well

9

What you can do You can start by making her feel loved.

Let her know that you want to work on the situation together.

“I love you. You’re a beautiful girl. We’ll figure this out and make it better.”

Explain to your child that teasing and bullying is always wrong. Ask if she’d like you to talk to the teacher or principal and explain what’s happening.

“It’s absolutely wrong to make fun of people based on how they look. We’re all different.”

Start a conversation with your child about how the teasing made her feel.

“How did it make you feel when the kids talked to you like that?” Or “What do you think about what they said?”

If your child says that what happened made her want to lose weight, it’s time to switch her focus from shedding pounds to being healthy.

Work together to come up with a plan. When your child is involved in the process — choosing healthy foods and activities, for example —

Retirement Living, Montana Style Independent, Assisted Living, & Respite Services

she’ll be more likely to want to stick with it.

Point out that it’s good for the whole family to make better choices, whether it’s exercising a little more or working on eating a little better.

“What matters is not how much you weigh, but how healthy your body is. What kinds of things do you think we can work on as a family for all of us to be healthier?”

Good habits for the whole family First, plan to talk to your pediatrician or family doctor. Call ahead of time to let her know that you’d like her to talk with your child about healthy weight when you visit. She can also measure your child’s height and weight to figure out her body mass index (BMI) and see if she really is overweight.

Then, take the opportunity to get your whole family to make smart changes. If everyone picks healthier food or exercises more, your child who is worried about her weight won’t feel singled out. Sit down as a family and let everyone come up with ideas. Start small and focus on one new goal every week or two.

Get started with these tips: • Have a vegetable with every meal.

• Go outside and be active every day for 30 minutes.

• Have two pieces of fruit a day.

• Eat fast food no more than once a week.

SOURCES: Janssen, I. Pediatrics, May 1, 2004; vol 113: pp 1187-1194.

Stephanie Walsh, MD, medical director of child wellness, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; assistant professor of pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine.

Marlene Schwartz, PhD, deputy director, Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

Melinda Sothern, PhD, professor, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; co-author, Trim Kids, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2003.

Susan Bartell, PsyD, family psychologist and FIT consultant, Port Washington, N.Y. © 2017 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

225 Coverdell Rd., Bigfork, Montana 59911 (406) 837-2698 • www.risingmountains.com TTY 711 (406) 257-8162 10

living well ~ January/February 2019

Good food goals: help kids eat healthier

By R. Morgan Griffin from WebMD

Are your family dinners usually coming out of take-out bags these days? Or can you not remember the last time you even had dinner together?

It matters. The food you and your kids eat drives how you feel and think each day. It’s the fuel that keeps your bodies going when you want to get some exercise or focus your brain at work or in school.

It’s time to hit the reset button on your family’s eating habits. That means your whole family needs to make some changes, says Natalie Muth, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. But where to begin? Set one or two goals and see how your family does. Here are some good ways to get started.

January/February 2019 ~ living well

11

Goal 1: More healthy food at home Create an environment where your kids make healthy choices naturally, without any nagging from you.

Stock your kitchen with healthy foods. If you don’t want your kids to eat junk food, don’t put it in your shopping cart. Replace chips, cookies and sodas with fruits, veggies, trail mix and milk. If you’re confident your kids are eating healthy at home, you won’t need to stress about the occasional treats they get elsewhere, says Amanda Rauf, PsyD, a psychologist who specializes in helping children with weight issues.

Prepare grab-and-go snacks. After your regular grocery shopping, spend a few minutes prepping snacks. Portion out nuts in baggies.

Wash and cut up strawberries and put them in a bowl in the fridge. It makes healthy eating and portion control much easier. “It’s a pain in the neck,” Rauf says. “But you’ll thank yourself for having all those snacks ready to go.”

Cook more dinners at home. Start by planning to make just one more meal each week. Once that’s part of your routine, make it two more. And get your kids to help. They may be more excited about healthy eating if they play a role in planning and making the meals, says Mollie Grow, MD, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Get everyone on board, including adults. If you want your kids to eat healthier, you need to clean up your diet, too. That means no more secret stashes of junk food for the parents. If one parent resists, Rauf suggests they eat their treats outside the house. “Have your soda and cookies at work,” she says. “But don’t make it harder for everyone else [by having] those foods in the house.”

Goal 2: Get your kids engaged Trying to impose healthy eating on kids can be a battle. So make your kids allies instead.

Grow something. You don’t need farmland or a hoe. Start with just a pot of basil on your kitchen windowsill, Muth says. Kids get excited watching food grow, and it could help 12

living well ~ January/February 2019

them be a little more adventurous with herbs and spices.

Enlist kids to check the ingredients. They can compare lists to find healthier products. “If the ingredients are really long and have a lot of words they can’t pronounce, kids will learn that the food is heavily processed,” Muth says.

And Muth notes that the best foods, like fruits and vegetables, don’t have an ingredients list.

Tune in to dinner. Make an effort to turn off the TV, put away your phones, and connect with each other during the meal. When you’re eating as a family, you eat more slowly because you’re talking. That allows you time to notice you’re full before you overeat, Muth says.

Goal 3: Make healthy eating feel positive Your kids need to see healthy eating as a good thing, so be thoughtful in how you talk about it.

Don’t call it a diet. “I tell parents to discuss healthy eating as a way to fuel the body and feel good,” Muth says. “That’s much more effective than making it about losing weight or a number on the scale.”

Treat everyone in the family equally. So what if one of your kids is a little heavy and his brother isn’t? Treat them the same way, experts say. Don’t allow the skinny kid to eat treats that his brother can’t have. “Everyone in the family benefits from healthy heating, so everyone gets the same access to food,” Muth says.

Go slowly When you’re setting goals to change your family’s eating habits, don’t rush into it.

“Start with the easiest change you can make,” whatever it is, Rauf says. Maybe it’s cutting out sugary drinks or making dinner together once a week. Once you’ve made that change, make another easy change.

“Then you’ll build up momentum,” she says.

“And when you finally get to the hard changes, they may not feel so hard because you’ll have the confidence that you can really make these changes stick.”

The right snacks for your kid’s schedule

By Madison Park, From WebMD

A 2-hour study hall followed by hours of baseball practice or dance class, all after a long day of school? How is your kid supposed to survive from lunch until dinner?

The key is to pack the right snacks to get them through. They provide vital nutrition and energy for your kids, especially when there’s a long, busy gap between meals.

But the quality of the fuel matters. “You want to make sure those are nutritious snacks,” says registered dietitian Liz Weiss.

You may feel like you have little control over what your kids eat, especially when they’re out of sight. But dietitians say you can help your kids avoid sugary, fatty junk food by packing healthy, delicious snacks that will keep their growing bodies and brains going.

Sports vs. non-sports activities Whether your child is going to the library or sports practice, a healthy after-school snack can help get him through the afternoon, dietitians say.

The difference is that the child who’s exercising for hours is going to need more calories than the one who is not.

Jim White, a registered dietitian who works with kids and athletes, says he recommends students who are in sports to have a snack around 10 a.m. and another one around 3 or 3:30 p.m.

“It’s important to have a more substantial snack an hour before substantial exercise,” he says.

This could be a peanut butter or turkey sandwich with a piece of fruit, which are good sources of protein and carbohydrates.

If it’s 30 minutes before exercise, White recommends a smaller snack such as yogurt, or fruit like a

banana to make it easier on the stomach.

Think beyond the bag People tend to think of snacks as chips, crackers, or pre-packaged products you see in vending machines. But these foods won’t fuel kids for very long, especially when they are physically active. Dietitian Katie Ferraro says snacks can be a mini-meal, such as half a sandwich or a small bowl of cereal, to give kids the energy they need.

She suggests a whole-wheat bagel with hummus and sliced cucumbers, which provide protein and healthy fats. This keeps your child feeling fuller for longer than a plain white bagel would.

Peanut butter and banana on whole grain bread, or a nut butter sandwich with apple slices can also help kids feel full, while giving them protein and complex carbohydrates.

More veggies and fruits Fruits and vegetables are important sources of the nutrients that all kids need, so they can be a key part of balanced snacks. The trick is to make them more accessible.

“For my kids, I tried to make fruit easy,” says Weiss, a mother of two. “It’s nature’s best fast food. I’d pack something like a clementine or a mandarin orange that’s easy to peel.”

She also suggests packing strawberries, berries, grapes left on the stems and sliced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice, since they tend to turn brown.

Since no one wants to eat a warm piece of fruit that’s been sitting around in a locker all day, add an ice pack to the lunch box so the fruit holds up, Weiss says.

You can also dress up vegetables. Instead of just plain January/February 2019 ~ living well

13

baby carrots, add a single-serving container of hummus, which adds protein and more fiber, or guacamole. A dip makes vegetables more enticing and filling, she says.

“The veggies I’d pack are baby carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, anything that’s firm enough, it could be perfect for dip. Snap peas are firm, they hold up, and they taste great,” Weiss says.

Get hydrated What your kids drink makes a difference in how much energy they have for a packed schedule, too. Water and low-fat milk should be what they sip most of the time for meals and snacks.

How much should they drink every day? It varies, depending on age, gender and how active they are. But overall, kids and teens should have at least six to eight cups per day — and more when it’s hot outside. Make sure kids have reusable bottles they can fill throughout the day.

What about other drinks at snack time — sodas, juices, or coffee? If your kids have these, they should be occasional treats, not a regular thing. To mix up their drink routine, try serving 100% fruit juice or a smoothie made without added sugars every once in a while.

And Weiss recommends no sports drinks at all.

“It’s just basically sugar water,” she says.

SOURCES: Liz Weiss, registered dietitian.

Jim White, registered dietitian; spokesman, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Katie Ferraro, registered dietitian; assistant clinical professor, University of San Diego and University of California, San Francisco.

Mayo Clinic: “Healthy Snacks for Kids: 10 Child-Friendly Tips.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture: “A Guide to Smart Snacks in School,” “Why is it important to eat fruit?”

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: “Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020.”

CDC: “Progress on Children Eating More Fruit, Not Vegetables.”

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “Water: How Much Do Kids Need?”

Living Well 14

living well ~ January/February 2019

Why is children’s mental health important?

From the American Psychological Association

Mental health — an essential part of children’s overall health — has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside.

For instance, an overweight young boy who is teased about his weight may withdraw socially and become depressed and may be reluctant to play with others or exercise, which further

contributes to his poorer physical health and as a result poorer mental health. These issues have long-term implications on the ability of children and youth to fulfill their potential as well as consequences for the health, education, labor and criminal justice systems of our society.

All children and youth have the right to happy and healthy lives and deserve access to effective care to prevent or treat any mental health problems that they may develop.

January/February 2019 ~ living well

15

However, there is a tremendous amount of unmet need, and health disparities are particularly pronounced for children and youth living in low-income communities, ethnic minority youth or those with special needs.

How many children have mental health disorders?

An estimated 15 million of our nation’s young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to risk factors in their biology or genetics; within their families, schools and communities; and among their peers. There is a great need for mental health professionals to provide the best available care based on scientific evidence, good clinical expertise and that takes into account the unique characteristics of the child or adolescent. However, it is estimated that only about seven percent of these youth who need services receive appropriate help from mental health professionals.

What does psychology have to offer?

Research in psychology has contributed to the development of more effective treatment and prevention of mental health disorders in children, youth and families, including programs targeting expectant mothers, children in school settings and youth transitioning into adulthood and programs working at the following levels: • Individual — e.g., therapy or counseling for those with mental health disorders • Peer — e.g., peer-assisted learning programs aimed at improving reading, math and science • Family — e.g., parent education on the needs of children at each stage of development • School — e.g., strategies for teachers for effective classroom management • Community — e.g., violence prevention programs administered through community/ recreational centers or churches • Systemic — e.g., coordination of services in the health, juvenile justice, education and child protection systems.

16

living well ~ January/February 2019

Psychologists working with children and youth are also trained to take into account developmental considerations on: • Identity, • Emotional, • Social, • Cognitive and • Biological bases.

Culture, ethnicity and language also mediates the behavior of children and adolescents in numerous ways and as a result affects the methods of prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.

Psychologists have developed tools to assess the risk and protective factors for the mental health of children and youth, to test them for behavioral or emotional problems, and to continually monitor treatment progress.

Psychologists have also designed programs that effectively engage families, schools and communities, that is, the critical social supports that can guarantee lasting wellbeing for children and youth. For example, one successful family-centered program aimed at decreasing alcohol use in preteens engages parents and caregivers by training them on parenting skills such as setting limits, expressing clear expectations about substance abuse, communication and discipline while also simultaneously training youth on resistance skills and how to develop negative attitudes toward alcohol.

How does one find a psychologist for children and youth?

Psychologists working with children and youth can be found in many settings: • In schools • In community health centers • In hospitals working in partnership with pediatricians and psychiatrists • In research centers • In private practice You can find a psychologist in your area.

You can also call 1 (800) 964-2000 or visit the APA Help Center.

Worry over kids’ smartphone use is more justified than ever before

Jean Twenge, San Diego State University

Parents who fear their kids are spending too much time in front of screens now have more reason for concern.

New research funded by the National Institutes of Health found brain changes among kids using screens more than seven hours a day and lower cognitive skills among those using screens more than two hours a day.

When studies find links between screen time and negative outcomes, some have argued that this is just the latest moral panic over technology.

After all, didn’t the parents of baby boomers and Gen Xers worry that their kids were watching too much TV or talking on the phone too much?

Those kids turned out OK, right?

So how are portable electronic devices, the

chosen technology of today’s kids and teens – a generation I call “iGen” – any different?

New research I’ve conducted on the relationship between portable device use and sleep provides some answers.

Everywhere, all the time It almost goes without saying that today’s portable devices – including smartphones and tablets – are fundamentally different than the living room television sets and rotary phones of the past.

Since researchers have been tracking TV watching habits, the average U.S. teen has never spent more than two-and-a-half hours a day watching TV. Yet as of 2016, the average teen spent about six hours a day immersed in digital media – July/August 2018 ~ living well

17

more than twice as much time.

This large amount of time spent using digital media is enough to crowd out time once spent on other activities, such as interacting with friends face to face, reading or going out.

And unlike the telephone, digital media apps are designed to hook you. As former Silicon Valley executive Tristan Harris said of smartphone apps, “Your telephone in the 1970s didn’t have a thousand engineers … updating the way your telephone worked every day to be more and more persuasive.”

Second, unlike TV or landline phones, portable devices can be carried everywhere: to school, where teachers say they are a near-constant distraction, and into social situations, where a conversation can instantly be upended by reaching for a buzzing phone. (There’s even a word for this: phubbing, a portmanteau of “phone” and “snubbing.”)

Sure enough, people have reported enjoying a restaurant dinner with friends less when their phones were available, compared to when they weren’t.

The sleep factor Across many studies, kids and teens who spend more time with screens – including both TV and portable devices – also sleep less.

That could be because they spend so much time engaged with their devices that it’s coming at the expense of sleep. But there’s also a physiological reason: The blue light emitted by electronic screens tricks our brains into thinking it’s still daytime, and then we don’t produce enough of the sleep hormone melatonin to fall asleep quickly and get high-quality sleep.

Once again, some might argue that TV is just as bad: After all, it also takes up time and emits blue light.

But in a new paper, my co-authors and I decided to parse the two. We studied links between sleep and TV watching as well as links between sleep and portable device use. Then we compared the results.

Drawing from a large survey of parents administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, we found that 2- to 10-year-olds who spent four or more hours a day on portable electronic devices – versus 18

living well ~ January/February 2019

no time – were twice as likely to be significantly sleep deprived. TV time was also connected to less sleep, but not as strongly or consistently.

Among teens ages 14 to 17, those who spent four or more hours a day on portable electronic devices – versus no time – were 44 percent more likely to not sleep enough. However, once portable device time was statistically controlled, watching TV or playing video games on a console had little link to sleep time.

Why would portable devices be more strongly associated with losing sleep?

For one thing, TV is simply not as psychologically stimulating as a portable device like a smartphone, which, unlike a TV, doesn’t exist to simply consume media. Smartphones have also become a huge part of social life, whether it’s texting with friends or interacting with them on social media.

And unlike TV, smartphones and tablets can be silently carried into the bedroom or even the bed, resulting in some teens using them throughout the night – what some call “vamping.”

That might explain why sleep deprivation among teens spiked after 2012 – just as smartphone use became common.

The lesser of two evils?

To be clear, we did find that watching many hours of TV was associated with less sleep, especially among elementary-school age children.

Watching over three hours a day of TV is also associated with depression – though more weakly than portable device use.

So parents were right to worry about kids watching too much TV in the 1970s and 1980s.

But their worries might not have been as justified as today’s parents’ concerns about smartphones.

So what is a parent – or anyone who wants to sleep well – to do?

First, it’s best for smartphones and tablets to stay out of the bedroom after “lights-out” time.

It also isn’t a great idea to use the devices within an hour of bedtime, as their blue light influences the brain’s ability to produce melatonin. Finally, as a general rule, two hours a day or less spent on portable devices is a good guideline. These rules apply to parents, too – not only kids.

Just don’t binge-watch TV instead.

125 Years 1 t · Page 1927, Sa 21 May 18 · ) 20 a 3, n ta ay , Mon ded on M (Mis s oula Downloa

Missoulian

oulian is siss htt ://m eM Thps oulian.newspap er s.c om/image/3 48e 69 1 9759 Sat · Pag

The Miss o

Missoulian

1927, · 21 May 2018 ontana) on May 3, soula, M nloaded is ow (M D n ia ul so is htt ps M ://m he iss T oulian

.news papers.co m/image/34869 9759

The Miss oulian (M

iss oula, Monta

)· W ntae n1a , M·noP(M la lao ag iss ouD u o s 3 lia 193 Thne(MMisiss6,ou 018 s oulia ed, Dec y 3, 2

Missoulian iss oulian.news Missoulhttiapsn://m

is The Mntana) ·

age/348700236 papers.com/im

is The M

sou

W

a on M 19 aded · Thu, Jan 20,

nlo ntana) owMo la, Mo is s ououlian (Miss ouDla, ane(MMiss liTh

Downloaded on

236 m/image/348700 .news papers.co https ://miss oulian

9402 5210 age/3

m/im ul i an r s .c o 9402 paagpee/35210 sm Maisnso w e an.n m/i

uli rs .c o uli is sso pape Misso https :/n/m .new s oulia ://mis https

Want to check out your uncle’s unbelievable tale?

Explore Missoula’s history. ergh ergh Relive special moments!

m/image/3500 02170

m/image/35000 2170 ditor956 1, 2018 ue, May

ditor956 1, 2018 ue, May

d. s Res erve . All Right ers.com ap sp ew 2018 N

The Miss oulian

(Miss oula, Monta na)

The Miss oulian

· Thu, May 17 , 1979

· Page 9 (Miss oula, Down Mon loade tan d on a) Ma · Th y 3, u,20 18y 17 Ma

missoulian.com/archives

s erv ed. ights Re om. All R .c rs e p a p ws 2018 Ne

Mi ssoulian

, 1979 · Page 9 Downloaded on May 3, 2018

https://missoulian.ne wspapers.c om/ima ge/352109402

Mi ssoulian

The Mis soulian (Misso

https://mis soulian .news papers .com/i mage/352109402

ula, Mo ntana)

· Wed, D Dow

The Misso ulian nloa (Mi

January/February 2019 ~ living well

19

20

living well ~ January/February 2019