Overview
"Childhood and Adolescent Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Vulnerability to Treatment"
Mental illness places an overwhelming psychological burden on individuals and families in the United States. Approximately, half of the individuals with a psychiatric disorder will have a first onset by the age of 14 and three quarters by the age of 24. That is, nearly 75% of all psychiatric disorders are expressed by adolescence or early adulthood, emphasizing the importance of understanding how abnormal development may increase vulnerability for psychiatric disorders.
To focus attention on this important problem, researchers in the Divisions of Brain Research and Imaging Neuroscience and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Wayne State University's School of Medicine will present an open public forum focusing on the latest research and treatment approaches to mental and psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Titled, "Childhood and Adolescent Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Vulnerability to Treatment", the event will be held on Saturday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Margherio Family Conference Center located in the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons at the Wayne State School of Medicine. In addition to informing the public about emerging research, the forum will also provide an opportunity for open discussion.
The forum is one of 35 being held around the country during April and May as part of the "Healthy Minds Across America" campaign organized by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression. The presentations will focus on emerging brain imaging results and their implications for treatment and management, with an emphasis on understanding brain function and neurochemistry in illnesses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
"Mental illness in the United States leads to higher mortality rates, higher health-care costs and is a leading cause of disability among people aged 15 to 44," said Vaibhav Diwadkar, Ph.D., WSU assistant professor and co-director of the Division of Brain Research and Imaging Neuroscience. "Understanding what is happening in the brain during childhood and adolescence will be crucial in informing approaches to treatment and possible prevention."
NARSAD is the worldʼs leading donor-supported organization dedicated to finding the causes, improved treatments and cures for psychiatric illnesses. Its mission is to alleviate suffering from mental illness by raising and distributing funds for scientific research on such conditions as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and child and adolescent disorders, among others. 100% of all donations go directly to research.
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Space is limited
Free parking available
R.S.V.P. at the NARSAD/HMAA website or call 877.460.2003.
Reservations are recommended.
Your generous contributions will help direct more funds to research.
Learn more at www.narsad.org