Publications on Mental Health Topics

Lawmakers push mental health days for kids amid pandemic, by Sopia Eppolitio, Associated Press, Jan 30 2021.

“State lawmakers are increasingly seeking more support for kids. This year, legislation proposed in Utah and Arizona would add mental or behavioral health to the list of reasons students can be absent from class, similar to staying out with a physical illness. Similar laws have passed in Oregon, Maine, Colorado and Virginia in the past two years. ”

People with Schizophrenia May Have Higher COVID-19 Risk, by Karen Veazey, MSN, Jan 29 2021.

“Scientists have known that COVID-19 can be more serious for people with underlying conditions that already compromise their health. A new study from researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine adds another condition to that list: schizophrenia. ”

A Shift in American Family Values Is Fueling Estrangement, by Joshua Coleman, The Atlantic, Jan 10 2021.

“Studies on parental estrangement have grown rapidly in the past decade, perhaps reflecting the increasing number of families who are affected. Most estrangements between a parent and an adult child are initiated by the child, according to a 2015 survey of more than 800 people. A survey of mothers from 65 to 75 years old with at least two living adult children found that about 11 percent were estranged from a child and 62 percent reported contact less than once a month with at least one child.  In these and other studies, common reasons given by the estranged adult children were emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in childhood by the parent, “toxic” behaviors such as disrespect or hurtfulness, feeling unsupported, and clashes in values. Parents are more likely to blame the estrangement on their divorce, their child’s spouse, or what they perceive as their child’s “entitlement.” ”

How to discuss race with Black teens and their families, by Charlotte Huff, APA, Jan 1 2021.

“...[R]acial stressors are common among Black teens, say psychologists who study racial socialization and identity. One study found that Black adolescents experience an average of five discriminatory encounters every day, either online or in person (Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Vol. 66, 2020). These encounters exert a toll: A recent meta-analysis, for example, finds that teens of color who report greater perceptions of racial and/or ethnic discrimination have higher rates of depression, higher psychological distress, and poorer self-esteem. They are also more likely than their counterparts to suffer academically and to engage in risky behaviors such as substance use (American Psychologist, Vol. 73, No. 7, 2018). Meanwhile, Black high school students are more likely than those in other racial and ethnic groups to attempt suicide, with 11.8% reporting at least one attempt, compared with 8.9% of Hispanic/Latinx and 7.9% of White high school students (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 69, No. 1, 2020). ”

AI-designed serotonin sensor may help scientists study sleep and mental health, by John J. Ngai Ph.D., director, NIH BRAIN Initiative, National Institute of Health, Dec 23 2020.

“In an article in Cell, National Institutes of Health-funded researchers described how they used advanced genetic engineering techniques to transform a bacterial protein into a new research tool that may help monitor serotonin transmission with greater fidelity than current methods. Preclinical experiments, primarily in mice, showed that the sensor could detect subtle, real-time changes in brain serotonin levels during sleep, fear, and social interactions, as well as test the effectiveness of new psychoactive drugs. The study was funded, in part, by the NIH’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative which aims to revolutionize our understanding of the brain under healthy and disease conditions. ”

Pandemic relief bill delivers $4.25 billion for mental health services, by William Wan, The Washington Post, Dec 21 2020.

“  The funding is the largest amount behavioral health groups have gotten in a spending bill. Advocates say more is needed to address historic levels of depression, substance abuse.   For almost a year, mental health advocates have urged the U.S. government to address Americans’ historic levels of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts — all of which have worsened during the pandemic. ”

Pandemic demand for mental health care is overwhelming providers, by Jen Rose Smith , CNN , Dec 18 2020.

“  At a time when the ongoing pandemic is straining mental health, many people are going without care altogether. Experts say the pandemic is worsening a shortage of mental health care providers that far predates the current crisis. Even before the pandemic, one in five Americans had a diagnosable mental health condition, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. More than half received no treatment at all, found a report by the nonprofit Mental Health America. A lack of care compounds the consequences of mental illness. With nearly 41% of Americans struggling with mental health issues related to the pandemic, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, treatment is an increasingly scarce resource. ”

COVID-19 impacting mental health of medical professionals, by Jenni Goldstein, ABC News, Dec 12 2020.

“With the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rising throughout much of the U.S., the mental health of medical professionals is being put to the test. Some health care workers told ABC News they are feeling hopeless amid the pandemic. ”

5 science-backed ways to stop Covid-19 pandemic stress right now, by Sandee LaMotte, CNN , Dec 11 2020.

“Pressure-cooked brains also don't work well, sending less blood flow to such frontal-lobe executive functions as creativity, compassion and emotional regulation. Those are the cognitive functions we need in order to manage uncertainty, take productive action and remain hopeful. But there are ways to short-circuit feelings of panic and helplessness, even in a pandemic. Here are five expert-vetted ways on how to put an end to stress and take back control. ”

ER visits, long waits climb for kids in mental health crisis, by Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press, Dec 5 2020.

“When children and teens are overwhelmed with anxiety, depression or thoughts of self-harm, they often wait days in emergency rooms because there aren’t enough psychiatric beds. The problem has only grown worse during the pandemic, reports from parents and professionals suggest. With schools closed, routines disrupted and parents anxious over lost income or uncertain futures, children are shouldering new burdens many are unequipped to bear. And with surging numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, bed space is even scarcer. By early fall, many Massachusetts ERs were seeing about four times more children and teens in psychiatric crisis weekly than usual, said Ralph Buonopane, a mental health program director at Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston. ”

Pandemic's toll on mental health accentuated in cities, by Kanwal Syed and Naitian Zhou, NBC News, Nov 23 2020.

“Covid-19 hasn't been the only catastrophe sweeping the country this year.  Health experts say Americans are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression made worse by pandemic-related stressors, including job loss, evictions, remote learning, travel restrictions and limits on gathering.  The contentious presidential election, increased racial tensions and natural disasters, in addition to Covid-19, added to Americans' stressors, said Dr. Joshua Gordon, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. ”

Helping children stay mentally well during pandemic starts with adults taking care of themselves: Connecticut panel, by Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, Nov 23 2020.

“The COVID-19 era is taking a toll on children and teenagers, but not necessarily in the way people think it does, said Dr. Alice Forrester, chief executive officer of the New Haven-based Clifford Beers mental health agency. Often it’s the parents’ stress that weighs most heavily on them. ”

Children's Day: Disparities among children of color, by Kristen Rogers, CNN, Nov 20 2020.

“The concept of institutional racism is the systematic distribution of “resources, power and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are White and the exclusion of people of color,” according to Solid Ground, a social justice organization in Washington state. Institutional racism has been blamed for the higher likelihood of poverty, food insecurity, poor overall health, environmental injustice and incarceration among Native Americans in the United States and among Black, Latinx and Asian people in both the US and the United Kingdom. ”

How To Help Your Kids Reframe Their Anxiety — And Reclaim Their Superpowers, by Kavitha Cardoza, NPR, Nov 16 2020.

“Every child feels anxious at times — but for some, that feeling persists and interferes with friendships and schoolwork. It can cause children to be fearful, worried, irritable and angry. And there are physical symptoms: Kids can feel tired and have headaches, stomachaches and trouble sleeping. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns for children. ”

After COVID-19 Diagnosis, Nearly 1 In 5 Are Diagnosed With Mental Disorder, by Laurel Wamsley, NPR, Nov 11 2020.

“New research has found that nearly 1 person in 5 diagnosed with COVID-19 is diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder like anxiety, depression or insomnia within three months.  The analysis was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford, using electronic health records for 69.8 million patients in the U.S. — including more than 62,000 diagnosed with COVID-19.  Compared with patients who had experienced certain other health events this year — such as influenza, kidney stones or a major bone fracture – those diagnosed with COVID-19 were more likely to have a subsequent psychiatric diagnosis in the following 14 to 90 days. ”