Over the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2 to 5 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, and it has more than tripled for children 6 to 11 years of age (Institute of Medicine, 2005). At present, approximately 9 million children over 6 years are considered obese (Institute of…

This document is a description of the National Children's Study, the largest long-term study of children's health and development ever to be conducted in the United States. The National Children's Study reaffirms the federal government's commitment to the health and well being of children by drawing together the nation's top experts on child…

At the request of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Research and Education Foundation of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy organized a series of 12 panels that focused on family issues in adolescent treatment. In these workshops, panelists discussed the importance of involving the…

Service-planning issues necessary for successful implementation of an indirect needs-assessment model to estimate geographical differences in the prevalence of needs for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services are discussed. The issues include selection of need categories as target groups, estimation model selection, and understanding…

The Office of United States Senator Daniel Inouye requested information on state minimum licensing and certification requirements for physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses who work directly with patients in state mental hospitals. To obtain this information, the General Accounting Office called the offices of the…

This report represents the testimony of Dr. Mary Ann Hutchison, Project Director of the mental health demonstration and research discretionary grant, "Strengthening Head Start Families: Reducing High Risk Through Mental Health Prevention/Intervention," who discusses the importance of reauthorization of Head Start's mental health…

Providing housing and supports for people with psychiatric disabilities, particularly those who are homeless, is a major public policy challenge. Summarizes ways in which the concept of these needs is rapidly shifting in the mental health field. This population is increasingly seen as capable of full-community participation and integration. (AF)

Evaluation of 170 boys, aged 6 to 11 years, who were referred for serious emotional disturbance (SED) indicated they were typically characterized by limited mental health and educational intervention, noteworthy family stressors, and externalizing psychiatric disorders, especially attention deficit disorder. Findings support revision of Public Law…

Although many California children are growing up in circumstances favoring school performance, many others are inhibited by poor health, poverty, low-quality child care, and other factors external to schools. This report assembles a set of indicators depicting California children's quality of life. Data are included on physical and mental health,…

A summary is provided of a large-scale needs assessment research project in Colorado that tested the validity of several statistical procedures or models for indirectly estimating the need for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services across geographic subregions using a Colorado Social Health Survey sample of 4,745 adults. (SLD)

Leading experts in infant/toddler development have contributed succinct essays drawn from research, theory, clinical case studies, and carefully documented practice. Each essay represents current thinking in the field of infant/toddler development and care. Individually and as a collection, the essays provide a springboard for reflection,…

This report proposes creation of a flexible and coordinated system for delivery of comprehensive community-based services to Minnesota children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The proposal calls for the state to support multiagency Local Collaboratives with: (1) legislation that grants local communities certain powers in exchange for…

This set of seven issue briefs considers six important community-based services for children with serious mental or emotional disorders that some states provide as mandated rehabilitation services under the federal Medicaid law. The materials are designed to help state policymakers develop appropriate rules for covering community-based services…

Recent research suggests that approximately one-third of homeless single adults suffer from severe mental illnesses. Discusses federal initiatives undertaken by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) to encourage research and improve services for this subgroup. Describes the target population, NIMH research findings, and current mental…

A stratified probability sample of 4,745 adults in Colorado was surveyed to determine the need for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services. Findings that variation in need prevalence across 48 subareas of the state substantially challenge the assumptions of a uniform rate of need in a state. (SLD)