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Optimism Protects Teens From Depression, Health Risks
Tweet Share on Facebook January 13, 2011 Comment (2)Parents are always telling kids they need to be optimistic, but there hasn't been much evidence that optimism really does them any good. Looking on the bright side may even hurt teenagers, say some experts, because it can make them downplay the risks posed by smoking and drug abuse. That's in stark contrast to older adults, who are generally healthier and happier the more optimistic they are.
But researchers in Australia say that optimism may help protect teenagers against depression. That news, reported in the journal Pediatrics, could matter to many teens, since 10 to 15 percent of adolescents have symptoms of depression at any given time. Depression is a huge risk factor for suicide and increases the risk of substance abuse, trouble in school and relationships, and physical illness.
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How to Be a Better Parent in 2011
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2011 Comment (1)If getting kids back in the groove after the holidays has you about to tear your hair out, you're not alone. I'm sure I could be a better parent if I wasn't working, cooking, commuting, paying bills, and doing all the other super-fun things on my to-do list.
But I took heart from David Palmiter, a clinical psychologist and father of three children in Clarks Summit, Pa., whose new book, Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies that Make a Difference (Sunrise River Press, $16.95), focuses on how hectic parents with limited time and energy can do better by their kids in 2011. Here's an edited version of our conversation:
