Almost three quarters of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most being chronic, according to a new study. And preventive strategies outside our clinics are urgently required to address this considerable public health problem facing the nation.

Novel research shows that a reduced neural response to receiving rewards in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidality. This is independent of pre-existing depressive or anxiety symptoms, as well as age or sex, which are already strong risk factors for depression. The study is a step toward using brain science to understand and assess mental health risks.

The majority of children who started smoking tobacco at age 10 years or in their later teens continued to smoke until their mid-twenties. Continuous smoking from childhood significantly increased the risk of premature heart damage, a new study shows.

Teens who think their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favorable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to a new study. The research also reveals that parental monitoring and the closeness of parent-child relationships play crucial roles in adolescents' views about cannabis, often with distinct effects based on the parent's gender.

Adolescents worldwide are spending an average of 8 to 10 hours per day engaging in sedentary activities such as watching television, using electronic devices, playing video games and riding in motorized vehicles, according to a multinational study.

Young people with severe obesity who underwent weight-loss surgery at age 19 or younger continued to see sustained weight loss and resolution of common obesity-related comorbidities 10 years later, according to results from a large clinical study.

A new study, using responses from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, has found that about 6 percent of pregnant women reported using marijuana during the last month, and many did not associate it with health risks.

Using a national survey of 88,183 adolescents in grades nine to 12, findings show marijuana use declined from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021, with first-time use before age 13 dropping from 8.1% to 4.9%. In 2021, use was highest among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%). Notably, in 2021, girls (17.8%) surpassed boys (13.6%) in reported use, reversing previous trends. While Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents saw significant declines, Black adolescents reported a higher usage rate of 20.5% in 2021, revealing ongoing racial disparities in marijuana use.

As cannabis is legalized and is more accessible in various forms across the country, there is increasing concern among health care providers about potential impact on children. Researchers have new findings to add to the existing evidence that cannabis exposure before birth can negatively impact children.

A new study found a strong association between handheld cellphone use and risky driving behaviors among newly licensed teen drivers. The study used a smartphone telematics application to track the driving habits of hundreds of teens and identify potential safety risks.

A recent study found that good physical fitness from childhood to adolescence is linked to better mental health in adolescence. These results are significant and timely, as mental health problems are currently a major societal challenge, affecting up to 25%--30% of young people. These findings suggest that improving physical fitness from childhood can help prevent mental health problems.

The duration of breastfeeding is shorter than average among mothers with a fear of childbirth -- regardless of the mode of delivery, a new study from Finland shows.

A new article finds that prediabetes before conception may significantly increase the likelihood of gestational diabetes during first pregnancy.

Landmark new research shows Ice Age teens from 25,000 years ago went through similar puberty stages as modern-day adolescents.

New research has found that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unusually accelerated brain maturation in adolescents. This maturation was more pronounced in females.

Women with higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy may experience long-term weight gain and heart problems later in life, according to new research.