Study: Remote Work Is Putting Pressure On Parents’ Mental Health
A new study says even though remote work is praised for a better work life balance, it's taking a toll on some parents' mental health. About 1 in 4 people say they sometimes go days without leaving their own house. Remote worker day drinking and drug use is also reported.
USA Today:
Remote Work Jobs Are Taking A Toll On Some Parents Mental Health
Though the rise of remote work has been praised for providing greater work/life balance, many parents are finding that being away from the office can also have serious drawbacks, according to a new study shared exclusively with USA TODAY. Roughly 4 in 10 parents say that when they work from home, there are times they go days without leaving their house, while 33% say they "feel very isolated,'' when working remotely, according to the ninth annual Modern Family Index, conducted by The Harris Poll for Bright Horizons, a global provider of early education, child care and workforce education services. (Jones, 5/13)
In related news about remote workers' health —
Bloomberg:
Remote Work Comes With Daytime Drug And Drinking Habits
Drug recovery firm Sierra Tucson concluded from a November 2021 survey that about 20% of US workers admitted to using recreational drugs while working remotely, and also to being under the influence during virtual meetings. Digital recovery clinic Quit Genius found in August 2022 that one in five believe that substance use has affected their work performance, also according to a survey. (Cohen, 5/13)
More on mental health care —
Politico:
Sorry, The Government’s Not Paying For Your Therapy App
New treatments for chronic conditions like opioid addiction, ADHD and insomnia are here and they’re on your smartphone — not in a pill bottle. But the government won’t pay for them, even as tech entrepreneurs insist to Congress and the Biden administration that their digital therapeutics are the next big thing. (Reader and Leonard, 5/14)
USA Today:
Students Are Increasingly Refusing To Go To School. It’s Becoming A Mental Health Crisis
The police were in her driveway. They wanted her son. Jayne Demsky’s teenage son was not a criminal. He never stole, used illegal substances, or physically hurt anyone. He just didn’t go to school. It started in the middle of 6th grade when he began staying home from school on days his anxiety was too difficult to manage. Those days became more frequent, turning into weeks and months, until he stopped going altogether. Now an officer was at her house, waiting to take her son to school. (Rodriguez, 5/15)
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Politicians Were Worried About Children At Psychiatric Facility, Emails Show
Politicians in Nye County were concerned about the well-being of children at Never Give Up Youth Healing Center as early as July 2021, according to internal emails from the Department of Child and Family Services, but the department assured elected officials that the children were not in imminent danger. (Schnur and Newburg, 5/13)
Detroit Free Press:
Proposed Intake Center At Macomb Co. Jail Would Address Mental Health
Macomb County officials are proposing a new $228 million central intake center at the county jail complex, with services for those brought to the lockup with mental health and substance abuse issues. County officials, who for years have discussed renovations at the Mount Clemens facility and even the possibility of a new jail, say the proposed center would be a model for jails in Michigan and possibly beyond. (Hall, 5/12)