Video games and their influence on teens
There is growing public concern about the use of increasingly violent and realistic adult games by children. The amount of time spent playing video and computer games (especially by boys, often in groups) has reached new highs. At the same time, young teens are more able to gain access to games with extremely violent or sexual content—often without parental awareness.
Since violent media are one price we pay for a free society, it’s important to find ways to buffer potentially harmful effects of violent games on children. We are studying the relationship between video game play (including games with violent content) and children's behavior. We recently completed a two-year research program, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (U.S. Department of Justice). Our overarching goal was to identify what types of kids, playing what types of games, under what circumstances are most likely to be at risk of harm—or most likely to benefit. This research included a multistate survey of 1,254 middle school youth, a survey of 500 parents, focus groups with parents and boys, a survey of game developers, and an experimental neurocognitive study using event-related potentials.
A popular book based on this research, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do, was published by Simon & Schuster in April, 2008.
Assisted Reproductive Technology and families
The status of A.R.T. is rapidly shifting from scientific wonder to everyday occurrence. We have received private funding to research and develop materials to help parents talk effectively to their children born via A.R.T. in ways that address their developmental needs. A secondary goal is to provide information to the general public, including public policy makers and journalists, to counteract myths and negative press coverage that stigmatize A.R.T. children. This pilot project includes a multimedia web site to provide information to preadolescent and adolescent children, as well as their parents, about the emotional issues involved in being a child who was conceived through A.R.T. In order to make parents, journalists and the public aware of this Web site, we will promote it through a targeted media campaign.
Improving science literacy
The goal of this television and Web-based project is to increase the science literacy of the public and journalists. We are researching, producing and distributing (via The NewsMarket) a series of 40 news stories, plus collateral video and Web material, to local television stations across the country. The first set of stories focuses on stress—including what stress does to our brains and bodies, and destructive ways of coping with stress (such as substance use disorder). The stories can be used as a weeklong special health/science feature series, a month-long set of linked reports, or as dictated by local needs.
Each year, we will also produce a related Web-based short course for journalists (in partnership with The National Press Foundation) to make maximum use of our research and materials. This can be used as a resource by reporters and producers from the TV stations that air our stories, and to teach and inspire journalists from other stations and other media. The four-year project is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, under its Science Education and Drug Abuse Partnership Award (SEDAPA) program.
Mental health and the transition to college
Across the nation, growing numbers of students are struggling with mental and behavioral health problems that can undermine their success at college, harm their health, or even end their lives. The Center is developing an integrated multimedia program that will (1) address the emotional and practical needs of high school seniors, college freshmen and their parents, and (2) help colleges prevent student mental and behavioral health problems—from normal stresses of college life to severe depression and suicide attempts.
This "transition to college" program will deliver consistent information, at low or no cost, to students, parents, high school teachers and college faculty. As a "proof of concept" for the program, we have produced a DVD on depression and suicide.
Diagnosing teen depression in a pediatric practice
Mental health problems are a routine feature of pediatrics practice. Studies suggest that over any six-month period, 11% of children aged 9 to 17 will suffer from a serious mental or addictive disorder. However, for most young people, mental health and substance use disorder problems are either unrecognized or inadequately treated. Primary care pediatricians have the potential to diagnose and treat (or make appropriate referrals) for many of these neglected youngsters.
With funding from the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the Center for Mental Health and Media collaborated with the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Mass General Child Psychiatry Service to produce a video on diagnosing adolescent depression. This video was created as a proof-of-concept pilot for a proposed national curriculum for pediatricians and pediatric residents, on common mental and behavioral health problems of childhood and adolescence.