Publications - Depression
As school starts, teachers add a mental-health check-in to their lesson plans, by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, Sep 2 2022.
“As the new school year begins, teachers at many schools across the country are adding a new component to their routines: a mental health check-in with their students. The idea is to open up conversations around how kids are feeling emotionally, and to connect them to help before issues escalate to a crisis. [...] The new approach comes after two and a half rocky years of pandemic, with kids' lives disrupted by bouts of remote schooling and many families in economic stress, which worsened the already shaky state of children's mental health in the U.S. In 2020, the CDC reported a greater proportion of kids showing up at emergency rooms in a mental health crises: serious suicide attempts, eating disorders, aggressive behaviors. "The thing that's most concerned us was really the number of significant self-harm and suicidal ideation that we've seen in an emergency room," says Dr. Smriti Khare, pediatrician and the chief mental and behavioral health office at Children's Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, which saw a 40% rise in visits to the ER after the start of the pandemic in 2020 compared to the year before. ”
Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being, by Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., New England Journal of Medicine, Aug 18 2022.
“Expressions of gratitude have too often been replaced by hostility, anger, and even death threats toward health workers, as health misinformation has exploded, eroding trust in science and public health experts. Yet doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, respiratory therapists, hospital security officers, and staff members of health care and public health organizations continue showing up to battle the pandemic and its sequelae — long Covid, mental health strain, widening health disparities, and 2 years’ worth of deferred care for myriad conditions. The toll on our health workers is alarming. Thousands of them have died from Covid. More than half of health workers report symptoms of burnout,1 and many are contending with insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health challenges.2 ”
How the U.S. Can Solve a Shortage of Mental-Health Professionals, by Lisa Ward, The Wall Street Journal, Aug 14 2022.
“Many sufferers of mental-health issues can’t find the help they need. Often there just aren’t enough providers. More than a third of the U.S. population, about 130 million people, live in areas that have a dearth of mental-health workers. Residents of underserved areas have roughly a quarter of the providers they need, in aggregate, the Kaiser Family Foundation says. The shortage is even more acute in rural areas. About 80% of rural counties lack access to a single psychiatrist, according to a report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, citing data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The pandemic brought the shortage of mental-health services into sharp focus as more adults sought help to deal with the stress and disruption of their daily lives. Children suffered immensely, too, as prolonged school closures weren’t only psychologically damaging, but also caused many children’s mental-health conditions to go unnoticed because teachers and school psychologists are a primary source of referrals. ”
Make space, listen, offer hope: How to help a child at risk of suicide, by Rhitu Chatterjee and Michelle Aslam, NPR, Jul 18 2022.
“As the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the mental health of kids, more families are dealing with their children feeling anxious, depressed and thinking about and even attempting suicide. But mental health professionals say that suicide is preventable and that parents and family members can play an important role. It's hard work that requires parents to listen to their children, acknowledge their struggles and help them find a way out of their darkness. And in the long run, it calls for creating a home environment where kids feel safe sharing their emotional lives and where families solve problems together. ”
Debunking myths about suicide helps encourage compassion and understanding, by Kristen Rogers, CNN, Jul 16 2022.
“Sometimes people who die by suicide get branded as selfish, depressed or attention-seeking. Such myths contribute to the stigma that can prevent those who are suicidal from seeking the help they need and falsify understanding of the motivations behind suicide, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Suicide is a leading cause of death among children and adults, with nearly 800,000 people worldwide dying from suicide yearly, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, cited by the online scientific publication Our World in Data. In 2020, there were 1.2 million attempts globally, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says. Awareness of the realities of suicide can help people view these deaths with more understanding and compassion, realize the importance of helping others get help and address their own mental health problems if they are struggling, NAMI says. ”
The new 988 mental health hotline is live. Here's what to know, by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, Jul 16 2022.
“People experiencing a mental health crisis have a new way to reach out for help in the U.S. Starting Saturday, they can simply call or text the numbers 9-8-8. Modeled after 911, the new three-digit 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional. "If you are willing to turn to someone in your moment of crisis, 988 will be there," said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, at a recent press briefing. "988 won't be a busy signal, and 988 won't put you on hold. You will get help." ”
Many Black children are dying by suicide, doctors say: Understanding the why -- and how to help, by Kelly Livingston, ABC News, Jul 6 2022.
“The suicide rate among Black youth has been increasing along with the number of suicide attempts and the severity of those attempts, according to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released in 2019. That report, tracking suicide trends among students ages 14-18 over the previous 10 years, found that of the 8.9% who reported attempting suicide, Black youth were among the populations with the highest rates of reporting attempts, accounting for 11.8%. By contrast, white youth accounted for 7.9% of those reported attempts and Hispanic youth accounted for 8.9%. The study found there was an even greater difference in reported attempts by race among female students: Black female students accounted for 15.2% of those reporting attempts, white female students made up 9.4% of that population, and Hispanic female students accounted for 11.9%. A separate report from the American Academy of Pediatrics tracking suicidal behavior in youth from 1991 to 2017 found that Black youth experienced significant increases in suicide attempts over that period. And among Black kids ages 5-12, the suicide rate was found to be twice that of their white counterparts in 2017 ”
Myths about abortion and women's mental health are widespread, experts say, by Sandee LaMotte, CNN, Jul 2 2022.
“"There's so much misinformation, so many myths about abortion. Abortion will lead to substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts; abortion is bad for your health; every woman is going to regret it," said social psychologist Brenda Major, a distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In reality, decades of research has shown "the vast majority of women feel they made the right choice, and they don't experience regret," said Major, who led a 2008 American Psychological Association task force exploring the science on abortion and mental health. ”
AAP now recommends screening all kids 12 and up for depression and suicide risk, by Sarah Pool, MA, LPC, NCC, Motherly, Jun 13 2022.
“Depression and suicide risk in children has reached unprecedented levels. Last year, amid the pandemic, youth mental health was declared a "national emergency" by a coalition representing over 77,000 physicians and over 200 children's hospitals. Additionally, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued a 53-page advisory warning in 2021 of a growing mental health crisis among young people. The CDC also released a 2022 report revealing a worsening mental health climate—asserting that 21% of teens experienced a major depressive episode before the pandemic, and 9% of children and adolescents experienced anxiety problems. The pandemic has only exacerbated these issues. In response to this growing crisis, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued a draft recommendation urging that pediatricians help screen for mental health issues such as major depressive disorder and anxiety. They are also now proposing that all adolescents are screened for suicide risk. ”
More states are allowing students to take mental health days off, by Giles Bruce, NPR, Jun 10 2022.
“The state allows K-12 students in public schools to have five excused absences per school year for mental health reasons, another example of the growing acknowledgment among lawmakers that emotional and physical health are intertwined. The new policy, which went into effect at the beginning of 2022, passed both chambers of the state legislature unanimously. But such novel policies are, in many ways, a half-step toward addressing the crisis of teenage mental health that has been highlighted and exacerbated by the educational interruptions caused by the pandemic. Many parts of the country are woefully short of therapists who can work with students to address mental health problems. Seventy percent of schools that responded to a federal survey in April said more students had sought mental health services since the pandemic started. The National Center for Education Statistics' polling also showed that only 56% of schools said they effectively provide mental health services to all students in need and just 41% reported hiring new staff members to help address students' mental health needs. Nearly half the nation lives in a designated mental health worker shortage area, according to government data, and an estimated 7,550 new professionals are needed to fill that void nationwide. Even in places where mental health professionals are more plentiful, they often do not accept public insurance, making them inaccessible to many kids. ”
Schools are struggling to meet rising mental health needs, data shows, by Laura Meckler, The Washington Post, May 31 2022.
“A survey released Tuesday documents the toll the pandemic has taken on students’ mental health, with 7 in 10 public schools seeing a rise in the number of children seeking services. Even more, 76 percent, said faculty and staff members have expressed concerns about depression, anxiety and trauma in students since the start of the pandemic. Yet only about half of all schools said they were able to effectively provide needed services. The results come as an enormously stressful school year draws to a close. They add to the evidence that the pandemic is leaving this generation of students with significant mental health challenges. Anecdotally, teachers report that students’ emotional growth was stunted during months or longer of remote schooling, and that many returned to the classroom without coping skills that would be typical for their ages. ”
Hugs help women face stress, study says. Men, you are out of luck, by Madeline Holcombe, CNN, May 23 2022.
“You have a big test, a difficult conversation or a stressful day ahead -- how much of a difference could a hug from your partner make on your state of mind? A hug can make a big difference for women, according to a new study. Unfortunately, the effect is not as powerful when it comes to men. Researchers analyzed how 76 people responded to stress after a hug from a romantic partner in a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Women who got to hug their significant other showed a decrease in the production of cortisol -- a stress hormone -- compared with those who did not. Cortisol can have an impact on memory recall, which could make the stressful task ahead even more difficult, said senior study author Julian Packheiser, a postdoctoral researcher with the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. ”
Adolescent suicides increased in 5 US states during the pandemic. Why parents should be concerned, by Kristen Rogers, CNN, Apr 25 2022.
“The mental health of Americans has suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, and new research shows the damage wasn't limited to adults. The number of suicides among adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 increased in five states during the pandemic, according to research looking at 14 states published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics on Monday. "Suicide-risk screenings have yielded higher positive rates" during the pandemic than beforehand, the authors said. And in 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a state of emergency concerning children's and adolescents' mental health. ”
Exercising even half the recommended amount can help prevent depression, by Linda Searing, The Washington Post, Apr 24 2022.
“Already known to help ease depression, regular exercise may also help prevent it, with people who exercised just half the recommended weekly amount lowering their risk for depression by 18 percent, according to research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. However, those who were more active, meeting at least the minimum recommended physical activity level, reduced their risk for depression by 25 percent, compared with inactive people. The findings stem from the analysis of data from 15 studies, involving 191,130 adults who were tracked for at least three years. Those who met activity guidelines did at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, as recommended in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. ”
With students in turmoil, US teachers train in mental health, by JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press, Apr 4 2022.
“Since the pandemic started, experts have warned of a mental health crisis facing American children. That is now playing out at schools in the form of increased childhood depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, fights and thoughts of suicide at alarming levels, according to interviews with teachers, administrators, education officials and mental health experts. ”
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