Sunday, September 24, 2023
This article is intended for primary care physicians, neurologists; psychologists; nurses; public health officials, and other members of the healthcare team who treat and manage children.
The goal of this activity is to provide medical news to primary care clinicians and other healthcare professionals in order to enhance patient care.
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
As an organization accredited by the ACCME, Medscape, LLC, requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of an education activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The ACCME defines "relevant financial relationships" as financial relationships in any amount, occurring within the past 12 months, including financial relationships of a spouse or life partner, that could create a conflict of interest.
Medscape, LLC, encourages Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, at first mention and where appropriate in the content.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 0.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Medscape, LLC designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.25
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 0.25 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Awarded 0.25 contact hour(s) of continuing nursing education for RNs and APNs; none of these credits is in the area of pharmacology.
For questions regarding the content of this activity, contact the accredited provider for this CME/CE activity noted above. For technical assistance, contact [email protected]
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this online educational activity. For information on applicability
and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.
This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated on the title page; physicians should claim only those
credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the
activity online during the valid credit period that is noted on the title page. To receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, you must receive a minimum score of 75% on the post-test.
Follow these steps to earn CME/CE credit*:
You may now view or print the certificate from your CME/CE Tracker. You may print the certificate but you cannot alter it.
Credits will be tallied in your CME/CE Tracker and archived for 6 years; at any point within this time period you can print
out the tally as well as the certificates from the CME/CE Tracker.
*The credit that you receive is based on your user profile.
CME / ABIM MOC / CE Released: 12/6/2019
Valid for credit through: 12/6/2020, 11:59 PM EST
processing....
Recent studies increasingly suggest an association between excessive or impairing internet use and depression; however, online communication makes many young people feel better about themselves and more connected, according to surveys and testimonials.
The aim of the recent Child Mind Institute Children’s Mental Health Report by Kimball and colleagues was to provide parents and educators with a context to evaluate these risks and benefits, thereby facilitating guidance for youths regarding screen and online time. It highlights the positive and negative mental health effects of social networking, messaging, photo sharing and multiplayer gaming; presents new findings from a Healthy Brain Network study of the links between mental health outcomes and problematic internet use (PIU); and it describes protective effects of online communities and offers clinically supported guidelines for social media and internet use among youths. An accompanying handout offers a summary of the main findings and suggestions for parents.
Despite common warnings that screen time and social media are bad for children, the effects are likely to be nuanced, according to results from a new report from the Child Mind Institute.[1]
The report, which is a deep dive into the effects of social media and gaming on child mental health, is intended to take a topic popular in the media and important to parents and "provide the best distillation" on up-to-date science, David Anderson, PhD, a reviewer of the report, told Medscape Medical News.
Written for a general audience, it is an easily digestible resource that physicians can use and pass on to parents.
Potential parent concerns, such as screen addictiveness, sleep deprivation, exacerbation of eating disorders, and harm to mental health, are addressed in the report. An accompanying handout summarizes the major findings and parent tips.[2]
"Have those at the ready," recommended Dr Anderson, senior director of national programs and outreach at the Child Mind Institute. "If at the end of a visit when you only have 15 minutes, the high-level summaries could work as talking points and to give as handouts."
Although research for the report shows clear links between technology use and exacerbation of mental health problems, it also shows that screen time has benefits. Some online time improves the child's or teen's connectedness and confidence.
The data show sort of "a Goldilocks effect," Dr Anderson said. "There's a 'just right' dose."
An hour a day can be beneficial, but several hours a day can become problematic, exacerbating sleep and mental health problems.
The report is also useful in aiding healthcare providers to help parents reframe how they think about their child's screen time and technology, said Bradley Grant, DO, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
"There's a misconception that parents are gatekeepers of technology," he told Medscape Medical News, but "navigating online is an essential skill for teens to go out into the world today."
The goal is to work with children and teens so that they develop the skills to use social media and technology in a safe way that enriches their lives, he said.
The report provides guidance on engaging kids regarding their technology and screen time rather than just limiting their access.
Some children, though, may have a lower threshold for problematic gaming and social media use, according to the report. For instance, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disorders are twice as likely to experience cyberbullying, and patients with anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or ADHD are more likely to overuse social media and experience mood variation.
The report may serve as a valuable resource for physicians to identify and address more vulnerable patients who may need more parent involvement.
"Children and teen communication strategies are changing," Dr Anderson said. "Screens are here to stay."
The researchers hope that the report equips physicians to counsel parents on the risks and the benefits of the technology so integral to their children's lives.
