Faculty Bibliography

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder among all ages; unfortunately, however, child and adolescent insomnia is infrequently addressed. Given the importance of adequate sleep for proper brain development, pediatric populations are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of insomnia. Therefore, proper clinical assessment and treatment of pediatric insomnia is crucial. This article is the result of a comprehensive literature review and serves as a guide to the disorder and how it presents differently across child development.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Internet overuse is an emerging public health emergency, especially for college students in the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess college students' internet usage and interest in learning healthy internet usage skills as part of a college curriculum. STUDY DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:Participants completed an online anonymous questionnaire which included the short version of the Internet Addiction Test, a modified Youth Health Movement survey, and questions regarding their interest in healthy internet use coursework. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:A total of 402 participants were recruited via an email LISTSERV of current undergraduates and recent graduates who had taken at least one class within a child and adolescent mental health studies minor while enrolled in a large university. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Overall, 70% of participants reported that they use the internet excessively, and a majority of participants reported that internet use has negatively affected their sleep and increased their anxiety. Seventy percent of participants reported that they would benefit from instruction on healthy internet usage via formal courses for credit or online modules. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Students are aware of the difficulty in managing their internet use in college and are motivated to engage in novel courses on healthy internet usage. Academic institutions should consider developing courses or modules on healthy internet use.

Initial research has indicated that college students have experienced numerous stressors as a result of the pandemic. The current investigation enrolled the largest and most diverse sample of college students to date (N = 4714) from universities in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ), the epicenter of the North American pandemic in Spring 2020. We described the impact on the psychological, academic, and financial health of college students who were initially most affected and examined racial/ethnic group differences. Results indicated that students' mental health was severely affected and that students of color were disproportionately affected by academic, financial, and COVID-related stressors. Worry about COVID-19 infection, stressful living conditions, lower grades, and loneliness emerged as correlates of deteriorating mental health. COVID-19's mental health impact on college students is alarming and highlights the need for public health interventions at the university level.

Occasional sleeplessness in children is common, with as many as 25% of all healthy children experiencing a problem sleeping at some point over the course of their childhood. Occasional sleeplessness is poorly understood, has a significant impact on quality of life in children and their families, and is often challenging to manage. There is substantial evidence supporting the safe and effective use of the widely available dietary supplement melatonin for children with chronic conditions. This article summarizes the views expressed in a recent Consensus Panel meeting convened to evaluate the use of melatonin in children, as well as the published scientific literature related to the effectiveness and safety of melatonin, with a focus on occasional sleeplessness in healthy children. We provide an evidence-based framework for the implementation of a standard process to effectively manage occasional sleeplessness in children and adolescents. Unsubstantiated concerns in the past may have limited melatonin's use in children with conditions for which the supplement may support a better sleep pattern and, by doing so, may help to improve quality of life. Melatonin dietary supplements using high quality standards may be provided to children together with cognitive-behavioral therapy after proper sleep evaluation and after improved sleep hygiene, family education, and sleep diary activities have failed to resolve sleep difficulties. [Pediatr Ann. 2021;50(9):e391-e395.].