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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Kolkata youth not ok. New study just proves it
Sudeep Chatterjee, coordinator of a Kolkata-based rehab centre says, 'Patients need care and belonging, but are often treated like criminals' A new study by the Institute of Psychiatry, IPGMER shows a sharp rise in suicide and substance abuse among Kolkata's youth, pointing to a dangerous mix of academic pressure, emotional neglect, stigma, and easy access to drugs. According to NCRB 2022 data, over 13,000 student suicides were reported in India, which amounts to nearly one every hour. West Bengal accounted for roughly 2% of these cases. Additionally, 7% of school students in the state use tobacco, 3% consume alcohol, and 2% have used illegal drugs. Over 12% reported suicidal thoughts, and more than 3% had attempted suicide. The data is stark, but the warning is clear. Devdeep Roy Chowdhury, a senior clinical psychologist in Kolkata says, 'Without early intervention, we risk losing more lives to problems that are easily preventable.' CT takes a deeper look into this concerning issue. We've normalised drinking and smoking, but ignored the mental health behind it. That's the real danger – Poulami Sengupta, clinical psychologist Films like Animal and Kabir Singh glamourise addiction. They send the wrong message – that smoking and drinking make you look cool or powerful – Mayank Kumar, assistant professor, Institute of Psychiatry, IPGMER 'They just want to feel like they belong somewhere' With more families going nuclear, children often feel emotionally unanchored. 'In joint families, there were cousins and elders around. In nuclear setups, the sense of connection comes only from peer groups,' says Poulami Sengupta. She adds, 'The need to belong is strong—and sometimes, that means joining in when friends drink or use drugs.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Adolescents and college students remain most vulnerable, a stage that psychologists call the 'age of expression and experimentation. ' 'We don't have enough juvenile rehabs' Despite increased conversation around mental health, support systems remain limited. 'There are several rehab centres in Bengal, but most lack proper infrastructure and an understanding that not all cases should be treated the same way,' said Juhi Sharma, a college professor who has handled student substance abuse cases. Poulami Sengupta, a clinical psychologist says, 'Expecting one psychiatrist to manage it all is like expecting a general physician to treat every disease. We need specialised professionals who understand youth psychology' 'In our homes, distress is brushed aside' Psychologists say that many Bengali families still treat mental health as a taboo. 'In most homes, emotional struggles are dismissed with phrases like 'it's just a phase,'' says Devdeep Roy Chowdhury. 'There's little space to acknowledge vulnerability. This happens especially with boys, where expression is still seen as weakness.' Substance use, he adds, is often treated as a moral failing, rather than a coping mechanism or cry for help.
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell
The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. PHOTO: REUTERS ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell LONDON – ADHD may seem like it's everywhere at the moment, but researchers found its prevalence hasn't changed much in recent years. A review by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience found that the proportion of people with a medical diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder didn't increase meaningfully between 2020 and 2024. The findings published on June 5 are based on four studies only, due to the poor quality of most of the others reviewed by the researchers. The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. The scientists called for more research to guide clinical practice and public-health policy. 'The media has been concerned about a 'surge' in ADHD diagnoses for several years,' said Dr Alex Martin, a psychology lecturer at King's College London and one of the study's authors. 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture.' More people are getting checked for ADHD, which the scientists suggested 'may be reflective of a societal change in the way the condition is conceptualised.' Social media posts and engagement could have contributed to the increased demand as it helped reduce stigma, Dr Philip Shaw, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College who didn't participate in the study, said on a conference call regarding the findings. How social media influences brain function is also unknown. While research is ongoing, it's too early to determine whether platforms including Instagram and TikTok contribute to the development of ADHD, according to Dr Shaw. Scientists don't yet know for certain if social media use is driving some symptoms of inattention, Dr Shaw said, or whether children susceptible to distraction 'are exactly the ones who are going online and multitasking.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Kids may get wrong ADHD diagnosis based on 'arbitrary thresholds', experts warn
Many people are still living with ADHD without a diagnosis or support but an NHS-funded review suggests the real numbers with the condition is not on the rise Diagnosing children with ADHD is based on 'arbitrary thresholds' which could cause the NHS to wrongly prescribe children drugs for the condition, experts warn. Around three million Brits are thought to have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and despite heightened awareness of the condition many remain undiagnosed. But an NHS-funded review has found 'evolving diagnosis criteria' may be in part why more people are being diagnosed but could find no evidence of a real increase in people with the condition since 2020. Leading experts insist the NHS is still playing 'catch up' after generations when there was no recognition of ADHD and many girls in particular remain undiagnosed. Study author Dr Alex Martin, of King's College London, said: 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture. The best data we have suggests that there has been no meaningful increase in ADHD prevalence.' ADHD is characterised by difficulty focusing on things, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A previous study on seven million Brits showed there had been a 20-fold increase in people receiving a diagnosis for ADHD between 2000 and 2018. Among men aged 18 to 29 there was a 50-fold increase. But experts warn clinicians may feel pressured to make 'artificial decisions' as changing cultural norms drive increased demand for children struggling at school to be diagnosed and get support. They warn about the risk of children wrongly being given ADHD drugs and say clinicians should be able to 'undiagnose' them if they improve. Prof Phillip Shaw, director at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, said: 'Giving medications for ADHD to people who don't have it - that's never a good idea. They are generally very safe medications… but they do have side effects and they have to be monitored.' Jamie Oliver bravely reveals kids' health diagnosis as he opens up about 'bonkers' family The NHS is pulling together better national data on ADHD which can significantly interfere with daily life and development. The neurodevelopmental condition can affect things like schoolwork, daily tasks and social interactions. The new paper by King's College London is the first systematic review of ADHD prevalence to be published since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and looked at 40 studies. Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke, of King's College London, said: 'The history of ADHD in the UK is one of chronic under recognition so the increase in diagnoses we've seen over the last ten or so years is really a resetting or a catch up. And there's actually plenty more to do in this regard.' However Prof Sonuga-Barke said diagnosis uses 'essentially arbitrary ADHD thresholds' that are 'not based on any natural, biological or clinical boundary'. He added: 'This forces us to consider how those thresholds are socially determined and culturally dependent. The fluidity around boundaries between ADHD and not ADHD inevitably leave clinicians having to make rather artificial decisions about very fine margins.' Prof Phillip Shaw, who is one of the country's leading experts but was not involved in the research, said: 'For kids who are in the grey area there are three options here; to make a diagnosis or not, or often we just wait and watch. And for those kids in particular we always start educating the family and the child about what ADHD is and seeing if there are strategies they can use at home to help them. We also place an enormous emphasis on accommodations at school for the hyperactive kid [such as]... let them do their work standing up, maybe have preferential seating for inattentive kids, do things to break it [the work] up. You'll find all really good teachers already do this.' People with the neuro-developmental disorder may have trouble concentrating or sitting still, while other symptoms include being easily distracted, forgetfulness, finding it hard to follow instructions or organise time, and making impulsive decisions. Best estimates from a 2018 study suggests true prevalence of ADHD among children could be 5%. Back then 2.5% of boys and 0.7% of girls in the UK had been diagnosed but this is likely to have increased since then. An estimated 2-3% of adults had ADHD but only around 1% had a diagnosis. Prof Phillip Shaw warned children with other mental health problems such as anxiety could be mistakenly labelled as having ADHD. He added: 'My hunch is that there's such a huge awareness of ADHD that it's often used as a language of distress. It's sometimes used to express that children and young people are struggling, particularly at school, and need help. And of course, when a child is having problems that are impacting their life in a sustained way, they deserve a full mental health assessment, even if the final diagnosis doesn't end up being ADHD.' Researchers admitted all but four of the studies included in the review were 'poor quality' and more research is needed. However surveys included did suggest there has been 'no significant rise' in the number of people who actually have the condition since 2020. Social media platforms like TikTok have played a role in raising awareness. Earlier this month NHS England estimated for the first time that 2,498,000 people in England may have ADHD, which includes those without a diagnosis. An estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged five to 24. More than half a million people (549,000) were waiting for an ADHD assessment at the end of March 2025, up from 416,000 a year earlier. Catherine Hinwood, NHS England's ADHD Programme Director said: 'This research backs the long-term vision set out in our recently published ADHD data improvement plan to have accurate national data on all aspects of ADHD – and we published our first ever national ADHD data set including estimated prevalence figures last week. Patients are waiting too long for an ADHD assessment and diagnosis and that's why the NHS has also launched an independent taskforce to investigate the challenges facing services and help them manage the rising numbers of referrals, with support from across society.' This study was funded by NHS England and was conducted by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response. It is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Medscape
04-06-2025
- General
- Medscape
Biliary Atresia Linked to Autism and Neurodevelopment Delays
Children with biliary atresia (BA) exhibited neurodevelopmental deficits and increased autism traits, with earlier surgery linked to better general neurodevelopment. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a single-centre observational study to examine general and autism-related neurodevelopment in infants with BA. Surveys on neurodevelopment were completed by 107 parents of children with BA (mean age, 7.8 years; range, 7 months to 12 years; 50% post-transplant). A total of 50 infants with BA younger than 5 years (median age, 2.3 years) were compared with the reference group of 93 age- and sex-matched infants, comprising 50 with a low likelihood (no neurodevelopmental risk) and 43 with a high likelihood (having a first-degree relative with autism and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) for neurodevelopmental conditions. General neurodevelopment was assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS); autism-related behaviours were evaluated using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). Primary objectives were to compare general neurodevelopmental outcomes between infants with BA and two reference cohorts and to examine the relationship of neurodevelopment to key disease-related factors. TAKEAWAY: Neurodevelopmental concerns were reported by 37% of parents in their child with BA, with 47% requiring at least one support service (most commonly speech and language therapy [20%]), and independently noted by professionals in 28% of cases. Boys with BA were disproportionately affected, with 69% of them scored above the cutoff for autism (t(18) = 3.44; P < .001). < .001). Children with BA showed significantly lower cognitive and adaptive functioning than both low- and high-likelihood reference groups (VABS: F = 18.26; MSEL: F = 9.981; P < .001 for both). < .001 for both). Earlier Kasai surgery ( P = .047) and jaundice clearance at 1 month post-surgery ( P = .012) were significantly associated with better general neurodevelopmental outcomes (F = 2.428; P = .042), but not with the presence of autism-related traits. IN PRACTICE: "High levels of neurodevelopmental difficulties in children with BA reveal a need for greater awareness and enhanced surveillance. That early identification and treatment of BA is linked to better general neurodevelopmental outcome and encourages proactive management," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by M. Earl, PhD, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England. It was published online on May 28, 2025, in The Journal of Pediatrics . LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by statistical power and generalisability for subgroup analyses because of the modest sample size. The cross-sectional design captured a snapshot of neurodevelopment but did not account for potential worsening over time. Pandemic-related constraints prevented ADOS-2 assessments in nine eligible infants, potentially underestimating the prevalence of autism traits. DISCLOSURES: This study received funding from MowatLabs, King's College Hospital, National Institute for Health and Care Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, and King's College London. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.
Times
04-05-2025
- Health
- Times
Majority in UK now ‘self-identify' as neurodivergent
A majority of Britons may now consider themselves neurodivergent, meaning they have a condition such as autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia, according to a leading psychologist. Francesca Happé, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, said reduced stigma around these conditions had led more people both to seek medical diagnoses and to self-diagnose. She said: 'There's a lot more tolerance, which is good — particularly among my children's generation, who are late teens and early adults, where people are very happy to say 'I'm dyslexic', 'I'm ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]'.' Happé said there was a risk, however, that behaviour that would have been thought of only as 'a bit of eccentricity' in the past has now
