Teen Health News & Features

October 9, 2023 — Approximately 1 in 5 youths in the U.S. had clinical depression during 2021, the first full year of the pandemic, yet fewer than half received care for the mental illness.

October 3, 2023 — Starting romantic relationships or going through a breakup can have a negative impact on adolescents’ sleep patterns, according to a new study.

September 27, 2023 — Some kids pick up their smartphones only a couple of times a day, and others check their notifications up to 498 times in 24 hours. Daily usage ranges from a few minutes to 16 hours, according to new research based on Android phone data tracked with permission.

July 10, 2023 — Almost half of teenagers with obesity taking the popular drug semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) lost enough weight over almost a year and a half to move to an overweight or healthy body mass index, or BMI, category.

May 18, 2023 — Teenagers who use marijuana recreationally are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression and suicidal thoughts than those who don’t use it.

May 1, 2023 — The number of teenagers being treated for eating disorders is increasing, experts say. From 2018 to 2022, health care visits for eating disorders in people younger than 17 went up 107.4%, according to a report released by Trilliant Health.

January 4, 2023 — Teenagers who frequently check their social media accounts develop heightened sensitivity to feedback from peers, according to new research from the University of North Carolina. Those teens who frequently checked their Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat feeds at 12 became more sensitive to receiving social rewards from their peers.