Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Focus On Kids' Mental Health, Social Media After Surgeon General's Warning
The New York Times: Is Your Child’s Relationship To Social Media Unhealthy? Here’s How To Tell
Every parent who has watched their child robotically scroll through social media feeds bathed in blue light has wondered about the effects it may be having on their mental health. And in the past two weeks, both the United States surgeon general and the American Psychological Association have issued warnings about the risks of social media to young people. So what are parents supposed to do? “Families need to take this seriously,” said Dr. Gary Small, the chair of psychiatry at the Hackensack University Medical Center. (Pearson, 5/23)
Forbes: How Parents Can Combat Social Media’s Risks To Kids’ Mental Health
There is no single cause and countless factors contribute to someone’s mental health; but research has been growing around what seems to be the concurrent rise in social media and smartphone use by children at younger ages. In fact, U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek H. Murthy on Tuesday issued an advisory warning of the risks social media poses to youth’s mental health. But there are steps parents can take to protect their children from those risks. (Bhargava, 5/23)
The New York Times: A History Of U.S. Surgeon General Warnings: Smoking, TV, Safer Sex And More
A warning issued by the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, on Tuesday provided guidance about an issue that has been front of mind for American parents for years: the negative effects of social media on the mental health of young people. These types of public health advisories are infrequent, but sometimes become turning points in American life. (Tumin, 5/23)
In other mental health news —
CIDRAP: Youth—Especially Girls—Had More Psychiatric Diagnoses In First 2 Years Of COVID
Among about 1.7 million US youths, both girls and boys experienced increases in some common mental illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but girls were particularly affected, with more than a doubling of eating disorders among adolescent girls, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 5/23)
News Channel 5 Nashville: Researchers Say Allergy Symptoms Can Be Linked To Mental Health Disorders
May is both peak seasonal allergy time and mental health awareness month and research shows the two may be linked. Doctors said the more severe your allergy symptoms are, the more they see increased rates of depression and anxiety. Researchers said this may be due to how inflammation chemicals impact the emotion centers of our brain. (Hamblin, 5/24)
The Washington Post: Eating More Vegetables May Improve Your Mental Health
Years of research underscores that eating more vegetables is not only good for your physical health, but it can improve mental health as well. It doesn’t take much. Even adding just one more serving of fruit or vegetables to your plate each day can improve your mood. (Zaraska, 5/23)
Nature: A Mental-Health Crisis Is Gripping Science — Toxic Research Culture Is To Blame
There is a mental-health crisis in science — at all career stages and across the world. Graduate students are being harassed and discriminated against, paid meagre wages, bullied, overworked and sometimes sexually assaulted. It doesn’t get much better for early-career researchers struggling to land long-term employment. And established senior researchers face immense pressure to win grants, publish in high-profile journals and maintain their reputations in highly competitive fields. (Hall, 5/23)
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