A research team from Rutgers and Columbia reported that children on Medicaid are more likely than privately insured children to receive anti psychotic medication.  Privately insured children may manage their behavior without resorting to the medicine.  These anti psychotic drugs may have severe physical side effects resulting in lifelong medical problems, according to the New York Times.

Some of the children I represent survive their trauma and abuse better than others.  A researcher at the University of Kansas received a $1.7 million grant to study why some children show exceptional resiliency.

Yo Jackson, associate professor of applied behavioral science and clinical child psychology, will share the five year grant with, among others, Jackson County Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services, the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association in Jackson County, and faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Zoloft plus therapy effectively reduced anxiety in children, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.  Zoloft is a brand name for the anti-depressant drug sertraline.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  It found that either the medication or therapy had benefits when used in isolation.  Still, the best results were obtained by combining the drug with therapy.

Setraline has been linked with suicidal thoughts and behavior in children with depression.  Advice must be sought from a qualified physician before attempting this treatment.

In my law practice, I see the results of untreated anxiety in children and teens.  The untreated disorder may lead to juvenile delinquency,  failure at school and stress on parents.