“School Conflicts for LGBTQ Youth”

by | Aug 16, 2015 | Uncategorized

LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) youth often avoid school due to the lack of feeling safe there. School avoidance is often a predictor of later dropping out, and limits opportunities for further education and a stable future. (Darwich et al, 2012) These teens are often verbally or physically abused during their high school years, based on their orientation. Harassment can lead to dropping out of school, which reduces their chances of having a good career. (Kaufman, 2008) School personnel should ensure that all students have equal access to education and mental health services. The climate of the school is particularly important, because questioning and undisclosed LGBTQ youth are not identified for services, but they do require support. They may not ask for help due to fear of being harassed or hurt. (Hansen, 2007) LGBTQ youth feel often lonely and ostracized. The age of adolescence comes with an increased reliance on peer support and friendships. Unfortunately, this kind of support is often missing for LGBTQ youth. Social isolation and marginalization in the school environment are harmful for LGBTQ students. Negative school experiences, such as harassment, verbal or physical abuse, isolation or rejection not only damage social relations, but can have a negative effect on academic achievement as well. According to one study, 53% of LGBTQ students experience a drop in grades, and 28% of them dropped out of school. On the contrary, 20% of them experienced an improvement in academic performance, and they had better grades after coming out. Other studies found that the majority of LGBTQ students excelled in school, only a minority of them reported problems...

“Hints for Parents of Depressed Children”

by | Aug 16, 2015 | Uncategorized

Depressed children and teenagers are very vulnerable and often very difficult to handle. Parents and siblings need to learn how to deal with them. Here are some ways in which parents, caretakers, siblings and teachers can handle depressed children: • Learn about depression: Parents ought to do research, and know everything about depression in order to recognize the signs of depression early. The earlier the parents know about depression, the better they will know how to react and help their children deal with depression. • Parent-child talk: This is perhaps the most important of the things a parent needs to do in order to understand their children better. Parents should encourage their children to open up and talk to them about their feelings, as concealed thoughts are the harbinger for depressed moods. Even if the child has not been diagnosed with depression, it is useful for parents to talk to their children about a wide range of issues, including sexuality. • Emotional support to the depressed children: Children with depression are easily irritable and therefore are easily angered. Most of them feel awkward to talk or consult their parents concerning their problems. Parents ought to wear an “approachable face,” remain calm, but firm and fair, and yet considerate and consistent to not lose control. These children cannot handle false accusations, and therefore if a parent is wrong about anything concerning the child’s behavior, it is better to admit it. • Active as opposed to passive listening: It is said that “a problem shared is a problem half-solved.” This is true in teenagers who are depressed. They do look for...

“Is your Doctor an Addict?”

by | Aug 16, 2015 | Uncategorized

The website Impaired Physicians, reports a rate of 13-15% of alcohol dependence among physicians. 15% of them abuse drugs, and up to 20% suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder. According to the data of Serebrenic Jungerman et al (2012), anesthesiologists most often abuse alcohol (50%), but their misuse of anesthetic agents is a greater concern among them. These substances have high dependence potential, and the consequences of use are often fatal. The most common drugs they abuse are opiates (33%, such as fentanyl and sufentanil, propofol and inhalation anesthetics, but also stimulants (8%) and other substances (9%). They report impairment among physicians to be at 10 to 12%. According to estimates, 14% of the doctors become addicted to alcohol or drugs during their professional life. A study with 904 participating physicians who were monitored for drug abuse, reported that more than half of them were from five specialties; namely family medicine, anesthesiology, internal medicine, psychiatry and emergency medicine. A study examining anesthesiology residency programs between 1991 and 2001 reported that 80% of the programs had experience with impaired residents, and 19% of them reported at least one fatality. Although preventive strategies exist, the mortality rate is still between 10 and 19%. According to Lembke (2012), there are 2.4 million opioid abusers in the United States. Physicians, who often know that the patients abuse these medications, prescribe sixty percent of the substances. Scottish data shows an increase in the problematic use of opiates and benzodiazepines. The prevalence in the general population is 2%. The guidelines of UK Department of Health acknowledge the complex needs of illicit drug users and...