Mainstream Mental Health Radio with Dr. John Huber

Mainstream Mental Health Radio with Dr. John Huber 

Study Finds That 50% Of Young People Have So Many 'Emotional Problems' They Cannot Focus At School 

Half of young people have so many emotional problems they cannot focus at school, a study has found. Some 48 per cent of youngsters said that they experienced problems during their school years that prevented them from concentrating on their academic work. Of these, 46 per cent did not talk to anyone about their problems, mainly because they did not want other people to know that they were struggling. More than half (58 per cent) did not think that asking for help would solve the problem. 

Growing up in poverty exposes children to greater levels of stress, which can lead to psychological problems later in life, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Cornell University reported that kids who grow up poor are more likely to have reduced short-term spatial memory. The study also reported that such kids seem to be more prone to antisocial and aggressive behavior, such as bullying. Poor children are also more likely than kids from middle-income homes to feel powerless, the study authors suggested. Of course, the findings don’t mean that all children growing up in poverty will have these problems, only that the risk is higher, the researchers said.

Gayani DeSilva, M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. She is the author of the coming book, A Psychiatrist's Guide: Helping Parents Reach Their Depressed Tween. Dr. DeSilva welcome to the program.