A new Waisman study found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—such as abuse, neglect, or exposure to household challenges—can have lasting effects on adults with Down syndrome, including their mental health and ability to cope with life changes. While ACES are known to impact the general population, this research is among the first to show similar—and in some cases heightened—effects in individuals with Down syndrome.
Mental Health
Clinical psychologist explains how ADHD drugs work, addresses unscientific harm concerns
“The evidence is quite clear that the medications that are currently FDA-approved and prescribed to treat ADHD in particular are fairly well tolerated.
Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a ‘wear-and-tear’ effect starting around age 65
Mothers of children with developmental disabilities experience long-term stress, adapting for many years but showing signs of ‘wear-and-tear’ starting around age 65, affecting their physical and mental health.
Childhood maltreatment leads to flattened cortisol rhythms in adolescence, a costly adaptation to an adverse environment
Adolescents who experience sustained childhood maltreatment show high, inflexible cortisol levels that persist throughout the day in different social contexts, a new study shows. This flattened cortisol rhythm may be a pathway for poorer physical and mental health in youth that experience abuse.
The Waisman TIES Clinic, a psychiatry clinic that looks at disability and mental health through a holistic lens
Community TIES (Training, Intervention, and Evaluation Services) is a UW-Waisman Center behavioral support program that serves residents of Dane County with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
UW-Madison researcher working to shed light on the disability community’s experience during pandemic October 24, 2022
Isolation from family and loved ones, along with a forced split from routines and support systems, was part of life for everyone during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — but those changes fell especially hard on the disability community.
UW-Madison es clave en estudio emblemático enfocado en el desarrollo del cerebro infantil y el impacto del abuso de substancias y el estrés en niños e infantes
La Universidad de Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) será una de las 25 instituciones que estudiarán el desarrollo temprano del cerebro y comportamiento, y el impacto de la exposición temprana a substancias – como opioides – y estresores sociales en niños e infantes. Esta nueva iniciativa, Cerebro y Desarrollo Infantil Saludable (HBCD, en inglés), es liderada por los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH, en inglés) y el Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH HEAL InitiativeSM).
UW-Madison is key site on landmark study focused on early childhood brain development and the impact of substance abuse and stress in infants and young children
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will be one of 25 sites to study early brain and behavior development and the impact of early exposure to substances – such as opioids – and social stressors in infants and young children.
Schizophrenia: Illuminating a potential treatment and gene regulation
A new study from the lab of Waisman investigator Xinyu Zhao brings us one step closer to identifying treatments for psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia (SCZ) and illuminates the role of a specific gene in regulating the disorder.
Mental health in pregnancy may affect development of newborns’ brains
By Marianne Spoon, UW Communications Many factors can influence the development of a baby during pregnancy and after birth, but until recently, researchers knew little about the relationship between an expectant mother’s mental health and …