Browse by topic to find the latest and best research on healthy child development.

The Centre of Knowledge on Healthy Child Development publishes summaries of systematic reviews on a wide range of topics concerning healthy child development and child and youth mental health.

Browse the list below and click on a title to view the full summary or download it for printing. These summaries are prepared with input from experts in the field and include the authors' descriptions of which studies were included or not and why.

 

Anxiety Problems

	Cognitive behavioural therapy as a treatment for anxiety disorders
	A "whole family" approach to combatting child anxiety
	Which drugs work best for children with obsessive compulsive disorder?
	Research shows behavioural and cognitive behavioural therapy work just as well as medication to treat obsessive compulsive disorder
	Research shows children with reading problems more likely to suffer depression and anxiety
	Teens with poor reading skills at high risk of mental health problems
	Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) shows promise in treating young children with obsessive compulsive disorder

 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

	What treatment works best for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
	Stimulant Drugs and the Risk of Death or Illness (February 2006)
	Ritalin to treat ADHD in preschoolers: Does it work? What are the risks?
	Television viewing by preschoolers: Research shows it can have positive effects
	The Good Behavior Game: A “whole classroom” approach to preventing behaviour problems
	Does a home and school treatment work in ADD?

 

Behaviour Problems - General

	Group-based parenting programs – Do they work for children under the age of 3?
	Learning to manage kids' behaviour – can books, videos and other media be just as effective as a therapist?
	Preventing Youth Violence through Therapeutic Foster Care
	Can schools help to prevent drug use?
	Preventing Drug Use by Youth – Interventions Delivered in Non-School Settings
	Combatting juvenile crime – Do scare tactics work?
	Treat the family, treat the child: Multisystemic therapy as a treatment for social, emotional and behavior problems
	School-based programs can help prevent violence
	Maternal health and child behaviour: The more problems moms have, the greater the risk for their kids
	Antipsychotics for aggressive youth: Are they effective, and are they safe?
	Television viewing by preschoolers: Research shows it can have positive effects
	Success of Incredible Years program shows good parenting promotes good behaviour in children
	Programs aimed at both child and parent work best to reduce behaviour problems and peer rejection

 

Bullying

	"Whole school" approach works best to stop bullying
	How do boys who bully and their victims fare as adults?
	Does bullying in childhood lead to criminal activity in teens?

 

Child Maltreatment

	Research shows cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) works best to treat psychological problems of sexually abused children
	Home visitation may help reduce child abuse and neglect

 

Conduct Disorder

	Can parenting and family interventions help kids’ behaviour and keep them out of trouble?
	Research proves link between conduct disorder in childhood and serious problems in adulthood
	Parent training for child conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder: Does it work, and is it cost-effective?
	The Good Behavior Game: A “whole classroom” approach to preventing behaviour problems

 

Day Care

Choosing the best day care: Research shows a private home setting may not be the best choice

 

Eating Disorders

	Effective treatments and long-term outcomes for people with eating disorders
	Treating teen anorexia with family therapy: Which method works best?

 

Language Problems

Can early intervention help children with speech and language difficulties?

 

Mood Problems

	Are antidepressants safe and effective for children and adolescents?
	Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents – What does it look like?
	Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression in adults – but are they safe and effective for children?
	Depression in children: Treat the mother, treat the child
	Preventing adolescent suicide: What programs exist and do they work?
	Children with depression: What’s the long-term outlook?
	Preventing depression in children and adolescents
	Antidepressants and the Risk of Youth Suicide
	Research shows children with reading problems more likely to suffer depression and anxiety
	Teens with poor reading skills at high risk of mental health problems
	School programs aim to reduce depression – but do they work?
	What works best for depression? Medication, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or a combination of both?
	Is talk therapy effective in treating children and adolescents?
	What works better, medication or CBT?

 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

	Which drugs work best for children with obsessive compulsive disorder?
	Research shows behavioural and cognitive behavioural therapy work just as well as medication to treat obsessive compulsive disorder
	Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) shows promise in treating young children with obsessive compulsive disorder

 

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

	Parent training for child conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder: Does it work, and is it cost-effective?
	The Good Behavior Game: A “whole classroom” approach to preventing behaviour problems

 

Parenting

	Parenting programs that work
	Teaching parenting skills to mothers can improve the long-term health of high-risk children
	Success of Incredible Years program shows good parenting promotes good behaviour in children
	Programs aimed at both child and parent work best to reduce behaviour problems and peer rejection
	Reducing substance abuse: Parents can have an impact

 

Self-Esteem Problems

Exercise to improve self-esteem in children and young people

 

Sleep Problems

Sleep disorders in children and adolescents – How big a problem is it?

 

Substance Abuse

	Reducing substance abuse: Parents can have an impact
	Attacks on many fronts needed to fight the war against substance abuse

 

Suicide Prevention

	Preventing adolescent suicide: What programs exist and do they work?
	Antidepressants and the Risk of Youth Suicide

 

 

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