Background Previous studies have demonstrated the prevalence of social media use and identified the presence of high-risk behaviors among adolescents, including self-harm and sharing of sexually explicit messages. Objective This study aimed to identify patterns in the amount of time spent on social media by adolescents who engage in high-risk behavior and the extent to which they use social media as a platform for sharing such behaviors. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 179 adolescents seen in a pediatric clinic at an urban medical center. We used an anonymous self-report survey to obtain demographic characteristics, rates of self-harm thoughts and behaviors, sharing of sexually explicit messages, and social media use as determined by total hours spent on social media per day and the number of applications used. Results Most adolescents reported spending 3 to 5 hours on social media each day and using 3 or more social media applications. Almost 1 in 8 (22/179, 12.3%) adolescents self-reported having ever engaged in self-injury with a mean age of onset of 11.8 years. Over a quarter (49/179, 27.4%) of adolescents reported sharing sexually explicit messages. Relative risk of engaging in self-injury and or sharing sexually explicit messages increased with the use of 4 or more social media applications (1.66; CI 1.11-2.48). Conclusions Results show a relationship between the number of social media applications used and increased rates of high-risk behaviors. We identified relevant risk factors that clinicians can use to screen for high-risk behavior and parents can monitor to encourage education about healthy online practices.

Although physicians believe that PCM increases with decreasing GA, parental report suggests that PCM is not associated with GA. Parents of full-term infants in particular may experience more PCM and desire for discussion than is currently recognized.

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Purpose of Review This paper seeks to explore the definitions of quality of life and its application to pediatric research and clinical practice. This paper also highlights some of the imperfections in evaluating patient-reported outcomes designed to measure quality of life in pediatrics. Additionally, this paper explores some of the unique challenges in promoting quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent Findings There are numerous different measurement scales to examine quality of life in children of different ages, and with a variety of disease states. Summary Despite the number of quality of life measurement tools, not every patient population has a validated measure, including patients with palliative care needs. There is no consensus on how to incorporate findings from patient-reported outcomes into clinical practice recommendations. Professional organizations offer guidance and resources for families to encourage focus on quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prevalence estimates of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in the pediatric population are highly variable, due in part to the evolution of terminology and diagnostic criteria used to define the illness. The likelihood of encountering patients with somatic symptoms is quite high regardless of specialty, as it is well-established that SSD is associated with significant health care use across all settings. The diagnostic uncertainty inherent to SSD can lead to frustration and distrust of the health care system, creating substantial challenges in maintaining a strong therapeutic alliance. Mental health consultation concomitant with medical testing can expedite the diagnostic process, foster a therapeutic alliance, and help build trust with the team of providers, while providing support for children and their families. The recommended treatment is a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on symptomatic relief and return of function, while avoiding any excessive medical testing or treatment. [ Psychiatr Ann. 2017;47(10):507–511.]