Teens misusing prescription painkillers

According to new research, one in eight teens has used painkillers they were not prescribed, including oxycontin and codeine. The research is based on two nationally representative surveys described in this article from MSNBC. Over the past few decades, recreational use of such powerful painkillers has surged across the United States, and consequently deaths due to painkiller overdoses have also increased. In 2008, approximately 14,800 Americans died of opioid overdoses, which is three times the number of deaths from such overdoses 20 years earlier. Fortunately, the majority of teens prescribed painkillers for such ailments as knee and back pain are using the medications as intended. However, the 13% of teens who do misuse prescription painkillers are also more likely to smoke marijuana or cigarettes and to binge drink.

The majority of youth misusing painkillers were previously prescribed them for a medical condition. Teens may then end up using leftover medication for recreational purposes or may get painkillers from family members or friends. The casual attitude held by some youth regarding the sharing of medications is alarming. Also startling is the finding that the majority of teens abusing painkillers begin doing so at age 16 or 17, not after high school as previous research suggested. This is no longer a scary trend only affecting college students. This finding suggests that programs aimed at educating children on the dangers of opioid abuse should begin early in high school. In addition to earlier education in schools, doctors should warn young patients about the abuse potential of painkillers and parents should ensure prescriptions are properly stored and disposed of to avoid misuse.

Reference: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47329424/ns/health-childrens_health/

Diagnosing depression through blood test

A recent study published in the journal of Translational Psychiatry and described in this article from MSNBC explores the idea that simple blood test may be able to predict clinical depression in teens. In the pilot study of 28 teenagers, researchers found that adolescent depression could be diagnosed through a panel of 11 genetic markers.

Researchers developed the test by studying rats, a creature that interestingly shows many of the same signs of depression as humans. Surprisingly, rats also respond well to certain antidepressants. Severe depression is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors and is amplified by trauma or stress. Different responses to stress were observed in normal rats and “depressed” rats. According to the article, researchers found a host of blood markers that differed between the two groups of rats. Next, researchers examined the blood of 14 depressed and 14 healthy teens, paying close attention to the 26 makers of depression that had been identified in the depressed rats. 11 of those markers accurately predicted which adolescents were clinically depressed.

This test, if found to be accurate through future research, may help with both the identification of genes involved with the expression of depression as well as new treatments for this illness. Currently, the diagnosis of depression is subjective and is based upon a patient’s ability to identify and describe symptoms. This can be especially challenging for teens who may be unsure if their affect and emotions are “normal”.

Reference: http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/17/11232468-a-blood-test-for-depression-new-research-points-the-way?lite

ADHD and Autism Rates on the Rise

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of youth in the U.S. with developmental disabilities has increased 17% since the late 1990s. From 1997 to 2008, the number of children with a disability, such autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, stuttering, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities, rose from 8.2 million to approximately 10 million. Although the reasons for the increase aren’t clear, it may in part be contributed to the growing awareness and increasing acceptance of developmental disabilities in addition to better reporting. For example, the availability of early intervention programs may encourage parents to have their children screened for such disorders. However, researchers note that the shift toward having children later in life, more premature births, and greater use of fertility treatments may contribute to the genuine increase in developmental disabilities. According to this the article, in 2008 the most common disabilities were ADHD (7.6%) and learning disabilities (7.2%). Moderate-to-profound hearing loss was the only disability to decrease since the start of the study. Interestingly, it was found that nearly twice as many boys as girls have been diagnosed with a disability. This could be contributed to either some genetic disabilities occurring more frequently in males or because symptoms of ADHD are more obvious, and therefore more likely to be diagnosed, in boys. Additionally, rates of disabilities were substantially higher among children from low-income families. Researchers note that this rise in developmental disabilities points to the need for an increase in mental-health services for children since early intervention is often the key to greatest success.

Reference: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/23/autism.adhd.increase.cdc/index.html

Week of Respect

April 16th – 20th was the Week of Respect in the Upper School. The Week of Respect was a project sponsored by a new student group, Crusaders for Equality, a team dedicated to supporting all students and raising awareness on diversity issues. Wednesday included a special Earth Day Chapel service, small-group discussions about sustainable living, and a school-wide viewing of the documentary Carbon Nation. On Thursday evening, all Upper School students were invited to view and discuss the movie 8 Mile, a film touching on several themes of diversity. Finally, on Friday, students could choose to participate in the Day of Silence which raises awareness for individuals who identify as something other than straight. On the Day of Silence, SP students had the option to wear a sticker that read “I am silent today,” “I am silent today in social situations, ” or “I am not silent today, but I respect the silence” to support LGBTQ rights.

As Dr. David Chalfoun noted in an email to St. Paul’s students and faculty, “Discrimination based on sexual orientation is one of the few ‘acceptable’ forms of discrimination in the United States today. Legislation aimed at denying basic rights for gay and lesbian couples has been proposed and enacted across the country. Even worse is the corrosive and silencing atmosphere created by the way we treat members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer members of our community – the insults, jokes, and bullying that keeps them from expressing who they are. The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Members of the faculty at St. Paul’s wish to show the students that we support the cause and that we, as allies, are also tired of the silence. The silence is deafening sometimes, when we know that there are things that go unsaid because some feel that the environment is not conducive to an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance. Around the Upper School you will see pictures of faculty gagged with bandanas to symbolize the silencing effect of anti-LGBTQ bullying. As you view these pictures, ponder how you might be perpetuating the silence and what steps you can take to end it.”

Image: http://www.dayofsilence.org/

The Transition to College

On Tuesday, 4/17, Michelle Kriebel presented to the senior class and their parents in the Ward Center on the topic of the Transition to College. Ms. Kriebel’s enthusiastic program included a presentation about the development, freedom, and responsibility seniors will experience as they enter college, small group discussions about the hopes and fears of both students and parents during this period of change, and several practical tips to help students transition smoothly.

Ms. Kriebel noted that identity development occurs during the transition to college in three main areas: Academic Development, Social Development, and Manual Competence. College freshman determine their academic standing within a new group of peers. Socially, they learn how to make friends again, and the process of finding a new, authentic group of friends often takes time and patience. Manual competence refers to teens’ ability to handle the responsibility of caring for themselves that comes with the freedom of college. From learning how to change a tire and book a flight to doing laundry and boiling water, Ms. Kriebel encouraged parents to teach their sons these life skills this summer before they depart.

Several pertinent tips were offered to make the transition from high school to college as smooth as possible:

• Learn how to be a roommate, and know that your roommate doesn’t have to be your best friend
• Delay cutting your first class for as long as possible
• Personally introduce yourself to your professors and teaching assistants
• Go to your professors’ office hours
• Take classes in areas you’ve never been exposed to… you never know what class could spark a passion
• Take healthy risks
• Talk to a lot of different people in a lot of different situations
• Know who you can contact back home for support, including relatives, former teachers, coaches, and friends
• Similarly, know where you can get support on your college’s campus, such as the tutoring center and counseling center
• Remember that you are one piece of your family’s puzzle… don’t forget to call home to tell your parents both the bad AND the good, and make time to keep in touch with younger siblings

Finally, seniors were reminded that they should go to college for the right reasons – to determine what they’re passionate about and to pursue their goals. Determining what one should pursue = finding what you’re good at + what you’re passionate about + what needs to be done in the world. In college, decision-making will take place that will forever change students’ lives. This is a time filled with both great freedom and great responsibility, but when healthy risks are taken and positive identity development occurs, college students learn, grow, and find their passions.

Senior Survey

Seniors – Please click “Take Our Survey!” to complete a questionnaire in regards to Tuesday’s Health & Wellness event on the Transition to College .

Take Our Survey!

Yoga and Mental Health in Teens

Yoga can have positive psychological effects on adolescents, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently found. As part of a study, a group of high school students was split into regular physical education classes and yoga classes. This article summarizes the study. The yoga classes consisted of coupling postures for strength and flexibility with breathing exercises, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation. Following the ten week program, study participants took several psychosocial tests that were compared to a battery of tests they took at the start of the experiment. Those students who had been practicing yoga scored better on tests for anxiety and mood. Researchers feel that yoga may actually serve a preventative role in teens’ mental health, since mental health disorders typically develop during adolescence. In addition to having a positive impact on mood and anxiety, practicing yoga may teach teens a healthy coping strategy to utilize in response to stress. Results of the study appear in the April Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the journal of the Society for Development and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Reference: http://www.golocalprov.com/health/yoga-improves-teens-mental-health/

12th Grade Health & Wellness Night

This is a reminder regarding the upcoming mandatory Health & Wellness event on Tuesday, April 17th. From 7-9 pm on 4/17, Michelle Kriebel and the Health & Wellness committee will meet with senior students and their parents in the Ward Center to discuss the Transition to College. The evening’s meaningful and informative discussions will focus on helping adolescents make the transition from high school to college.  The event will serve as a jumping off point for parents and their children to start having meaningful conversations about the next stage in their lives.

Diversity and Discrimination

From cyberbullying to the Treyvon Martin case to the release of the documentary ‘Bully’, the theme of bullying, and particularly how it is tied to diversity and discrimination, has not only been bombarding the media but has been a topic of conversation in the halls of St. Paul’s. On Monday, April 2, Mr. Ponce gave a powerful presentation on the topic during assembly. Here is his speech:

For too long has the language of diversity revolved around the concept of tolerance, which is the willingness and ability to allow the existence of something with which we may not agree; think about that for a second, the ability to allow the existence of something with which we don’t agree. Or if we take it to a different realm, the medical definition is the ability to endure continued subjection to something without having an adverse reaction. Once again, let’s think about that for a second, enduring continued subjection without having adverse reactions. Does that sound like what we must do when when it comes to our brothers and sisters? Tolerate them? I personally don’t think so.

If we talk about tolerating our black students, then we are saying that while we may not agree with their blackness, we allow their existence. If we talk about tolerating our differences in religions, then we are saying that while we may not agree with your Judaism or Islamism, or Buddhism or Atheism, we allow your existence. This is an extremely pretentious concept if you ask me, and not only that, extremely offensive and narrow-minded. And if we think about it in the medical sense of the word, then we enter a completely different reality; by tolerating racial diversity we are then enduring their presence without adverse reactions. Adverse reactions? What could happen if I didn’t tolerate those who look, think, and act different than I do? Which by the way is every single one of you in this room, would I then become a little blacker? A little gayer? A little richer? A little whiter? A little more Jewish? A little more Muslim? A little straighter? If you ask me, that doesn’t sound so bad. If that is the adverse reaction I would get, then I would rather not tolerate them. Because learning from each other’s experiences is what makes navigating this world worth it. If we only focus on the world through our own lens then we would only get 0.0000000142% of the story. We are only one of 7 billion after all. We are already isolated enough as it is as individuals, as communities, as countries, as continents to make that isolation even greater by being pretentious enough to allow the existence of those with whom we may not agree. Who are we to decide what is right or wrong? And who are we to allow or deny existence?

Is being straight better than being gay? Some would say that yes, that it is, but if that were the case, and we were all straight then we would’ve never heard Tchaikovsky’s masterpieces or seen the Sistine Chapel or the Mona Lisa or read Oscar Wilde or even have such an iconic teacher in Dumbledore (both the character and the actor) as we did in the Harry Potter saga, I’m sure they didn’t feel like they were worse than their straight brethren. In many regards, they were better.

Is being white better than being black? Unfortunately, while it is not necessarily better, it sure is a lot easier to be a white young man or woman in this country that it is a black young man or woman. Their experiences are not marred by a history of tolerance, in which we, as a country, have allowed (and regrettably, in some cases denied) the existence of those who look different than us, who think different than us, who act different than us. But allowing existence does not equate to being respected, honored, embraced, affirmed and celebrated.

Imagine a United States without Louis Armstrong, without Nat King Cole, without Michael Jordan, without Beyoncé and Jay-Z, without Ray Rice, it just wouldn’t feel right. Not only are they Americans like most of you here, they are also black, and some regards better than their white counterparts. However, they also had to grow up in a country in which we are more quickly judged by the color of our skin than the value of our character, in which walking around in an affluent neighborhood while being not-white qualifies you as suspicious, because you know, you can’t possibly be black, or Hispanic, or Middle Eastern, and have money.

So today I challenge you to stop tolerating our differences. Let’s embrace those differences. Let’s take them up willingly and eagerly as part of our own experience, only then will we be able to look at one another and share a common ground. Love your neighbor as yourself right? Wrong, love your neighbor, as they would like to be loved, find out what that is like, put yourself in their shoes and see the world through their lens. You might learn a thing or two.

Student Support Services in the College Process

St. Paul’s has a proud tradition of offering events for our students/parents concerning special interest topics relating to the college process. Events have included Athletics Night, College Admission and the Arts, Financial Aid Night, Financing College speakers, the AIMS College Fair for Juniors , and many more.

We are proud to invite 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students and their parents to a new program co-hosted by the Student Services and College Counseling Teams entitled “Student Support Services in the College Process.” This program will answer questions such as:

–          How does support differ between high school and college?

–          How do accommodations for standardized tests work?

–          What is in my child’s best interest for success in college vs. admission to college?

If these questions interest you, join us at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18th in Fisher Hall.  

Please RSVP to Mrs. Webster at rwebster@stpaulsschool.org.