Publications on Mental Health Topics

Lots of Americans have a fear of flying. There are ways to overcome the anxiety disorder., by Sarah Vander Schaaff , The Washington Post, Oct 12 2019.

“Fear of flying, or aviophobia, is an anxiety disorder. About 40 percent of the general population reports some fear of flying, and 2.5 percent have what is classified as a clinical phobia, one in which a person avoids flying or does so with significant distress.  Fear of flying, according to one overview, is far less studied than other conditions that can be detrimental to relationships and careers such as social anxiety, obsessive compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders. Little is known about what keeps people afraid even after exposure to successful flights.  ”

Hearing aids may help delay dementia, depression in elders, by Vishwadha Chander , Reuters, Oct 11 2019.

“For older adults, hearing aids may delay some forms of mental and physical decline associated with hearing loss and aging, a U.S. study suggests. Among people who’d been diagnosed with hearing loss, those who used hearing aids were up to 18% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, depression or fall-related injuries over the next three years, compared to people not using the devices, researchers report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. ”

How Vaping Nicotine Can Affect A Teenage Brain, by John Hamilton, NPR, Oct 10 2019.

“The link between vaping and severe lung problems is getting a lot of attention. But scientists say they're also worried about vaping's effect on teenage brains. "Unfortunately, the brain problems and challenges may be things that we see later on down the road," says Nii Addy, associate professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular physiology at Yale School of Medicine. Potential problems include attention disorders like ADHD, impulse control issues and susceptibility to substance abuse. ”

Can Three Numbers Stem the Tide of American Suicides?, by Greg Miller, The Atlantic, Sep 23 2019.

“Suicide hotlines are based on the simple idea that a conversation with a sympathetic stranger can save a life. Historically, most suicide hotlines have been run by volunteers without advanced degrees in counseling or related fields, and there’s research to suggest that nonexperts are at least as effective, if not more so, than professionals at helping suicidal callers. [...]   “The hurdle we’ve always had is getting people to know how to find us,” says Dwight Holton, the CEO of Lines for Life, a Lifeline call center based in Portland, Oregon.That might soon change. The Federal Communications Commission recently recommended making it easier to reach the Lifeline, by dialing 988 instead of the more cumbersome current 10-digit number. The thinking is that someone in the midst of a crisis is more likely to remember—and dial—a shorter number. ”

NBA adopts new rules requiring teams to add full-time mental health staff for 2019-2020 season, by Elijah Shama, CNBC, Sep 19 2019.

“The NBA is expanding mental health guidelines it adopted last season. Starting this year, all teams must have at least one mental health professional on their full-time staff. The league adopted the new rules at a meeting in Chicago last week.  ”

Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School?, by Natalie Proulx, New York Times, Sep 12 2019.

“Two states recently passed laws that allow students to take time off for their mental health. Do you wish your school gave you the option? ”

Living near a gun shop or in a rural area puts you at higher risk for suicide, study says, by Jen Christensen, CNN, Sep 6 2019.

“The suicide rate rose 41% in the United States from 1999 to 2016, and the people at the highest risk have a few factors in common, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Friday.  Men had higher suicide rates. Areas with the highest risk were in Western states, and in rural areas. Or, in a city, if there was a gun shop in the neighborhood. ”

Contaminant found in vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses, state and federal labs show, by Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post, Sep 5 2019.

“State and federal health officials investigating mysterious lung illnesses linked to vaping have found the same chemical in samples of marijuana products used by people sickened in different parts of the country and who used different brands of products in recent weeks.  The chemical is an oil derived from vitamin E. Investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the oil in cannabis products in samples collected from patients who fell ill across the United States. ”

How to Manage Your Mental Illness at Work, by Eric Ravenscraft, NYT, Sep 3 2019.

“If you suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD or another mental illness, here are some real-world tips to help you stay happy and healthy at work. ”

HRC Observes National Suicide Prevention Awarness Month 2019, by HRC Staff, Human Rights Campaign, Sep 1 2019.

“This September, HRC observes National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, reaffirming our commitment to supporting the well-being of LGBTQ youth who often feel alone or hopeless simply because of who they are.  ”

Dementia caregiving takes toll on sleep, by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Aug 23 2019.

“Family caregivers for dementia patients don’t sleep as long or as well as other adults of the same age, a new study suggests.  In an analysis of the combined data from 35 earlier studies, researchers found that dementia caregivers slept about 3 hours less per week than age-matched adults, according to the report published in JAMA Network Open.  “Sleep debt is known to have cumulative associations with physical, mental and cognitive health,” the researchers, led by Chenlu Gao wrote. “Therefore, poor sleep quality in dementia caregivers should be recognized and addressed.” ”

The Quick Therapy That Actually Works, by Olga Kazhan, The Atlantic, Aug 21 2019.

“Perhaps to the chagrin of those of us who have sunk entire paychecks into traditional psychotherapy, there is some evidence that extremely brief therapy is indeed effective. Schleider published a meta-analysis of single-session interventions focused on children and teens (not including her own work, which was tested later) that found that a teen who received a single-session intervention had a 58 percent greater chance of having his or her symptoms improve than one who did not. The single sessions worked especially well for decreasing anxiety and behavioral problems. In fact, Schleider says, on these measures, one session of therapy turned out to be about as effective as 16 sessions. ”

Social Media Hurts Girls More Than Boys, by Jamie Ducharme, Time, Aug 13 2019.

“The public and experts alike have blamed social media for a long list of mental health issues, including rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior among America’s youth. But research on the subject is conflicting. ”

Video Games Aren’t Why Shootings Happen. Politicians Still Blame Them., by Kevin Draper, New York Times, Aug 5 2019.

“After two mass shootings over the weekend that killed 31 people and wounded dozens more, powerful Republicans, including the president, blamed video games. ”

Millennials May Be Drinking Less, But Binge Drinking Is On the Rise Among Older Adults, by Jamie Ducharme, Time Magazine, Jul 31 2019.

“Much has been made lately of millennials drinking less—and as America’s younger generations shift toward sobriety, recent research suggests the opposite is happening among its older ones.  A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that, from 2015-2017, more than 10% of adults 65 and older said they had binge drank—defined as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting for men, or four or more for women— in the past month, up from about 7% in 2006. That’s in keeping with other studies that have charted increases in excessive drinking among elderly adults, including one that pointed to a 65% increase in high-risk drinking in this population from 2001 to 2013. ”