Golden Gate Bridge Nets Already Deterring Suicide Attempts

San Francisco Chronicle: Golden Gate Bridge Officials Say Suicide Barriers Are Saving Lives
Officials say the $224 million net erected to deter suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge may also be deterring people from jumping in the first place, with fewer recorded attempted jumps. So far this year, staff successfully intervened in 56 attempted jumps, when at this point in a typical year, officials say they would have expected to see up to 100 already. “The net is working,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, director of public affairs for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. “Suicides have declined dramatically since the net was completed.” (Vainshtein, 7/22)

CNN: Brain Care Score May Also Predict Depression, Study Finds
Scientists announced in December the successful creation of the Brain Care Score, a tool for assessing dementia or stroke risk without medical procedures. That score, which also helps patients and doctors identify beneficial lifestyle changes, may now also be able to predict the odds of developing depression later in life, according to a new study. (Rogers, 7/23)

Fortune Well: Is The 24/7 News Cycle Making It Hard For You To Function? Here's How To Cope
A Democratic campaign shake-up. Political violence. War. Shootings. Supreme Court decisions. Election campaigning. High-profile deaths. If the constant barrage of news is leaving you feeling anxious, stunned, deflated, or paralyzed—particularly when it comes to getting through the regular tasks of your day, from work to childcare—you are definitely not alone. (Greenfield, 7/22)

If you need help —

Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

On dementia and cognitive health —

CBS News: Reducing Dementia Risk May Be As Simple As Putting Down The Phone And Taking A Nap
Want to reduce your risk of dementia? Try turning off your devices and taking a nap. In a new book, a Canadian expert on artificial intelligence says that to nurture our minds and reduce the risk of dementia, we should focus on real intelligence rather than artificial intelligence. In other words, we should put down our smartphones and instead take an afternoon nap to refresh our memories and rejuvenate our bodies. (Marshall, 7/22)

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Night Owls Challenge Early Birds For Cognitive Edge, Study Suggests
The early bird may not always get the worm, at least when it comes to cognitive performance. A study from Imperial College London suggests night owls — those who feel more alert and productive in the evening — tend to outperform their early rising counterparts on brain tests. Researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 participants and found evening people scored up to 13.5% higher than morning people on cognitive assessments. Even those without a strong preference for morning or night still performed better than early risers. (Newmark, 7/22)

On children's mental health —

CNN: 5 Strategies For Families To Ensure Children Are Safe Online, According To A New White House Report
When it comes to the online safety of their children, parents could build a family media plan to set expectations, maintain open conversations with their kids about their social media use, choose content that’s developmentally appropriate for their child, set good examples and balance time with and without devices by creating “screen-free” times. Those are just some of the latest strategies put forth in a first-of-its-kind report released Monday by the White House’s Task Force on Kids Online Health and Safety. (Howard, 7/22)

KFF Health News: California Forges Ahead With Social Media Rules Despite Legal Barriers
California lawmakers are pursuing legislation aimed at protecting children from the dangers of social media, one of many efforts around the country to confront what U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and other public health experts say is a mental health emergency among young people. But California’s efforts, like those in other states, will likely face the same legal challenges that have thwarted previous legislative attempts to regulate social media. (Kreidler, 7/23)

The Washington Post: Teens And Parents Have Wildly Different Views On Kids’ Support Needs
Adolescents and teens are less than half as likely as their parents to say they always receive the emotional and social support they need, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report suggests, with less than 30 percent of young people in a survey reporting that they always have such support. The analysis, released last week, draws on data gathered by the National Health Interview Survey, which queries a representative sample of U.S. residents. Nearly 1,200 adolescents ages 12-17 and some 4,400 parents were interviewed between July 2021 and December 2022. (Blakemore, 7/20)

Other mental health news —

The Washington Post: Are You A Workaholic — Or A Hard Worker? Why It Matters For Your Health.
Every profession has its share of hard chargers and overachievers. But for some people — roughly 15 percent of workers — the job becomes all-consuming. A healthy work ethic develops into an addiction, a shift with far-reaching consequences, says Toon Taris, a behavioral scientist and work researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Taris stresses that the “workaholic” label doesn’t apply to people who put in long hours because they love their jobs. Those people are considered engaged workers, he says. “That’s fine. No problems there.” People who temporarily put themselves through the grinder to advance their careers or keep up on car or house payments don’t count, either. (Woolston, 7/21)

Axios: Why Olympic Silver Medalists Seem Less Happy Than Bronze Winners
Despite their better performances, Olympic silver medalists seem less happy than their bronze-winning counterparts, according to a 2021 study by University of Iowa professors. The findings illuminate how expectations can dampen or elevate our perceptions of ourselves. (Ta, 7/22)