The number of American teenagers becoming addicted to opioids is on the rise, yet fewer are being prescribed a medication that can help them, a new government study finds.

Between 2015 and 2020, the proportion of teens receiving buprenorphine prescriptions fell by 45%. Buprenorphine is one of three medications approved to treat opioid addiction.

The decline in prescriptions is "conc...

As numerous U.S. states move to restrict transgender health care, a new study shows that such care can substantially improve teenagers' mental health.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed transgender and nonbinary teenagers who received "gender-affirming" hormones -- either estrogen or testosterone -- for two years.

During that time, researc...

By the time they're teenagers, babies born prematurely may be getting poorer school grades than their non-preemie peers.

Researchers found that babies born before 34 weeks of pregnancy had lower scores on math and language tests during their teen years compared to kids born at 40 weeks.

However, the study did not find a significant difference in later brain function in babies born b...

Cannabis use in U.S. states where recreational use is legal could be contributing to children's asthma, according to new research.

A study found increases in asthma in teens where cannabis is legal, compared to states where it remains banned for medicinal and recreational use. The study a...

When teenagers feel good about themselves and their lives, it may also do their hearts good in the long run, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that teenagers who generally felt happy, optimistic and loved went on to show better cardiovascular health in their 20s and 30s, versus kids who lacked that level of mental well-being.

Overall, they were more likely to maintain a healt...

An antidote to teenage depression might be found in school gymnasiums and on sports fields, a major new review argues.

Supervised exercise programs are associated with significant reductions in symptoms of depression among children and teenagers, according to the analysis of data from 21 studies involving more than 2,400 kids.

“This is the first time that we've been able to put en...

For teens who are obese, weight-loss surgery can be life-changing — but not always in a good way.

A new study finds a troubling downside to weight-loss surgery among 13- to 19-year-olds: They're at increased risk of alcohol use disorders. And their risk stays higher for up to eight years after their surgery.

“We have to be honest about both the risks and benefits of these proced...

The United States could see a huge rise in diabetes among young people over the next several decades, a new modeling study finds.

As many as 220,000 young people under the age of 20 could have type 2 diabetes in 2060, which would represent a nearly eight-fold increase, a research team that included scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. Type 1 diabetes ...

It's a scenario no parent would ever want to witness: Their child suffers a mental health crisis and is taken to the emergency room, only to have to wait 12 hours or more for the right medical care.

Sadly, it is what 1 in 5 of these young patients now face, new research finds.

"For kids with mental health conditions, long waits in the emergency department have been a compounding pr...

Young adults with cancer, especially those who are Hispanic or Black, had better outcomes because of coverage available to them under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

New research explored the impact of Medicaid coverage under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, linking it to with better survival for 18- to 39-ye...

Preteens who spend much of their free time watching online videos or playing video games may have a heightened risk of developing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 9,200 9- and 10-year-olds they assessed, the odds of developing OCD inched up ...

Deaths of teens from drug overdoses soared starting in late 2019, and though they appear to be on the decline, they remain much higher than in 2019, U.S. health officials report.

Most of these deaths are due to illegally made fentanyl mixed with other drugs, said study author Lauren Tanz<...

Homicide has become a leading killer of children, with guns being the most common weapon used in their deaths, a new study shows.

The overall rate of homicides in children has grown about 4.3% each year for a decade, with a steep rise seen between 2019 and 2020, when the number of kids who died by homicide rose 27.7%.

Firearm-related homicides rose 47.7% between 2019 and 2020, acc...

Final exams are stressful for students, but it is possible to ratchet down the pressure with some planning and self-compassion.

A psychologist from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers a few suggestions for helping teens manage the pressure.

Start with the basics, including making sure the teen is getting sufficient sleep, eating nutritiously without skipping meals and main...

Shortages of the ADHD drug Adderall are expected to continue for months, forcing families to scramble for ways to deal with their children's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The shortage has caused headaches and hassles for parents like San Diego mom Jackie Meader, who has been "flustered, rushed and out of sorts" since her 16-year-old son's prescription ran out about a mo...

An attempt to block California's flavored tobacco ban was stopped Monday when the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

That now means the ban will go into effect on Dec. 21.

The ban includes everything from candy flavors to menthol in a wide range of tobacco products including vape ...

A high number of preteens and teens in the United States have viewed pornography and many have also sent or received nude or seminude photos -- sexting -- over their smartphones, a new study reveals.

“The prevalence rates we found in this study suggest that school counselors must be prepared to talk about sexting and pornography use with students, and to change the narrative about the...

American kids are drinking to excess less and abusing marijuana more, a new study finds.

Marijuana abuse among 6- to 18-year-olds has increased 245% since 2000, while child alcohol abuse has steadily declined over those years, say researchers who analyzed poisonings over two decades.

"This dramatic increase does coincide with this huge wave of decriminalization in the U.S.," s...

Firearm injuries traumatize children, saddling them with mental health issues that include stress disorders and drug or alcohol use, according to a new study.

In all, 35% of kids injured by firearms receive a new mental health diagnosis in the following year, the

A simulator may make driving safer for teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by training them to take shorter glances away from the roadway.

Focused Concentration and Attention Learning (FOCAL) is a computer-based program that teaches teens to keep their eyes on the road. For this study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, a driving simulator was added to give ...

Teenagers and young adults who use benzodiazepines to treat insomnia may be at heightened risk of overdose, a new study finds.

Benzodiazepines include anxiety medications like Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax, as well as prescription sleep aids such as estazolam (ProSom), triazolam (Halcion) and temazepam (Restoril).

In the