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It can be worrisome or even scary to think of your teen developing a mental health issue. But, just like it’s important to monitor your teen’s physical health, it’s essential to keep a watchful eye on your teen’s mental health. Mental health issues often emerge during the tumultuous teen years. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: “More than 14 million children and adolescents in the United States, or 1 in 5, have a diagnosable mental health disorder....

Smoothies are a quick and easy way to increase your daily servings of fruits and veggies. They offer many health benefits, including decreased mortality risk and reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. When made with a combination of produce, protein, and fat, smoothies offer a boost of fiber and essential nutrients that can be enjoyed on the go, but, without a reliable, easy-to-use blender, you’re unlikely to make smoothies a part of your routine....

What Is a Cross-Sectional Study? A cross-sectional study looks at data at a single point in time. The participants in this type of study are selected based on particular variables of interest. Cross-sectional studies are often used in developmental psychology, but this method is also used in many other areas, including social science and education. Cross-sectional studies are observational in nature and are known as descriptive research, not causal or relational, meaning that you can’t use them to determine the cause of something, such as a disease....

The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a screening tool to help doctors better distinguish between depression and bipolar disorder. It was developed by a team of psychiatrists, researchers and consumer advocates led by Robert M.A. Hirschfeld of the University of Texas, Medical Branch. What Does the MDQ Involve? The questionnaire is self-administered and comprised of 5 questions. It asks: if you’ve experienced any of 13 specific behaviors associated with bipolar disorderif the symptoms you checked in question one occurred at the same timeabout the severity of your symptomsabout your family’s history of mental illnessif you’ve previously been diagnosed with a mental illness You can view the full questionnaire on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance website....

As a marriage dissolves, some parents find themselves asking questions like, “Should we stay together for the kids?” Other parents find divorce is their only option. And while all parents may have many worries on their mind—from the future of their living situation to the uncertainty of the custody arrangement—they may worry most about how the children will deal with the divorce. So what are the psychological effects of divorce on children?...

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a diagnosis bestowed upon those who experience sweeping mood swings that range from depressive lows to manic highs. It’s a disorder that can have a variety of adverse effects on your life, including irritability, psychosis, sadness, low energy, low motivation, or loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. Bipolar Disorder and Your Sex Life In addition to these more general symptoms, however, bipolar disorder can also affect your sex life, leading to a drastically increased libido during periods of mania....

Many people find themselves feeling embarrassed when they look back on mistakes they’ve made, even in childhood. Although social missteps and well-intentioned mistakes are common and virtually unavoidable over the course of one’s lifetime, many of us beat ourselves up over the embarrassing things we’ve done in the past. This can be a significant source of stress, particularly for those who experience some level of anxiety, particularly social anxiety. Many people have found solace with the simple idea that, “someday we’ll look back on this and laugh....

Kegel exercises (or “Kegels”) are an effective, relatively easy way to find and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, rectum, and uterus. By improving pelvic floor muscle tone, you can help prevent and treat several common pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence (UI), fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which may occur due to pregnancy and childbirth. History of Kegels Invented by American gynecologist Arnold Kegel in the 1940s as a nonsurgical treatment for incontinence, the exercise has become a first-line treatment for urinary stress incontinence; vaginal, bladder, or uterine prolapse (sagging); and other pelvic health concerns....

While many people look at adoption as something beautiful—and it can be—the truth is that adoptees may deal with significant mental health effects after being adopted. There are about seven million adoptees living in the United States and approximately 140,000 are adopted each year. Adoption involves placing a child with someone who is not their biological parent—whether this is after being separated at birth or being adopted at any subsequent point....

Tradition 4 of the 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous states that the freedom individual groups have carried with it the admonition to protect the fellowship as a whole. This means that meeting formats can vary from group to group, but it also cautions against straying too far from the usual program. “Tradition 4: Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.” Tradition 4 Grants AA Group Freedom With Responsibility to the Whole Each 12-step group has complete freedom to decide for itself the program content of its meetings and the topics that will be discussed....

What Is Cyberstalking? Cyberstalking refers to the use of the internet and other technologies to harass or stalk another person online, and is potentially a crime in the United States. This online harassment, which is an extension of cyberbullying and in-person stalking, can take the form of e-mails, text messages, social media posts, and more and is often methodical, deliberate, and persistent. Most of the time, the interactions do not end even if the recipient expresses their displeasure or asks the person to stop....

What Is the Stress-Vulnerability Model? Read on to learn more about the vulnerability stress model, some criticism it has received, the impact stress can have on us, and ways to boost protective factors to fight against stress. Stress-Vulnerability Model The Stress-Vulnerability Model is a tool that tells us how and why mental health ailments develop. History of the Stress-Vulnerability Model The Stress-Vulnerability Model was developed in 1977 by Zubin and Spring to explain the development of schizophrenia....

If you have just given birth, you may not be ready to start thinking about birth control quite yet. You might be surprised to learn, though, that you can get pregnant very shortly after giving birth. In fact, you can ovulate before ever having your first postpartum period. And as soon as you ovulate, you are able to conceive. If you are not looking to have a child quickly after birth, you might be considering contraceptive options....

Once your baby starts solids, it can be exciting to watch their reactions as you serve them different foods and flavors. But, feeding your baby something other than breast milk or formula can also bring up questions and concerns about what is safe for them to eat and what is not. Some foods are OK, but not until baby reaches a certain age. Others are healthy in small amounts only....

What Is Suicidal Ideation? If you’ve ever thought “I don’t want to live like this, but I don’t want to die”—you’re not alone. Major life stressors, childhood trauma, or untreated depression are all reasons that someone might feel this way. Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor....

Being pregnant is a special experience, and it’s even more special when you get to go through it with family and friends you love. However, they might not always understand what you are going through, especially on the tough days—and trust us, there’ll be some difficult moments. They might not quite get how bothersome it is to pee so many times a day (or per hour). Or just how bad your back aches....

No matter which summer activity is your favorite—whether it’s surfing, scuba diving, or even swimming—wearing a rash guard while you enjoy the outdoors can help keep you safe from the sun’s harmful UV rays. “Most rash guards have a UV shield, and it’s important to wear one when UV factors are really high,” Thomas Cravarezza, founder of Manly Surf School, says. Rash guards come in a wide range of colors, sleeve lengths, fabrics, and coverage ratings....

As your kids graduate high school or start work or college, getting protected against vaccine-preventable diseases probably isn’t very high on their to-do list. Once you realize that these diseases, like measles, flu, and meningococcal meningitis, etc., might in the best case scenario just keep you out of school for a few weeks, but can also tragically be deadly, you will hopefully encourage them to catch up on all of their vaccines....

We all know that all-too-familiar feeling of a tickle in the back of your throat followed by a coughing fit. Whether it’s due to a cold or allergies, a cough can be irritating at the best of times. But when you are pregnant and potentially battling other ailments like morning sickness or nausea, discomfort caused by your cough can be intensified. Before becoming pregnant, cough drops might have been your go-to cough suppressant....

Birthdays are a big milestone for twins and other multiples. After all, it is one of the first things they share as they begin their life. That said, celebrating birthdays in a meaningful way that makes each child feel special and unique can be a challenge. Here are some suggestions to help make birthdays memorable and happy events for everyone involved. Keep It Simple When you’ve already got a houseful, it can help to limit the number of guests at a birthday party....