Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Americans Are Internalizing Political Rhetoric About Link Between Mental Health And Violence
Los Angeles Times: Americans Increasingly Fear Violence From People Who Are Mentally Ill
Political rhetoric that blames people with mental illness for spasms of mass violence appears to be seeping into the national psyche. Americans increasingly see people with schizophrenia or major depression as a threat not only to themselves but to others, new research reveals. That wariness even extends to those who have difficulties coping with everyday life but whose symptoms fall far short of a psychiatric diagnosis. (Healy, 10/10)
Reuters: U.S. Urged To 'Turn Off Hate' After Suicide Of LGBT+ Teen
The suicide of a 16-year-old who was cyberbullied over sexually explicit messages he exchanged with another boy shows acceptance - including legal support - is key to improving mental health, LGBT+ advocates said on World Mental Health Day on Thursday. U.S. teenager Channing Smith killed himself on the night of Sept. 22 after being "humiliated" by screenshots of his messages which were posted on social media by fellow students, his brother Joshua Smith told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. (10/10)
Kaiser Health News: Taking The Cops Out Of Mental Health-Related 911 Rescues
Every day that Janet van der Laak drives between car dealerships in her sales job, she keeps size 12 shoes, some clothes and a packed lunch — a PB&J sandwich, fruit and a granola bar — beside her in case she sees her 27-year-old son on the streets. “’Jito, come home,” she always tells him, using a Spanish endearment. There he can have a bed and food, but her son, Matt Vinnola, rarely returns home. If he does, it is temporary. The streets are easier for him. Home can be too peaceful. (Dawson, 10/11)
CNN: Ed Sheeran And Prince Harry Unite In Video For World Mental Health Day
Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran have teamed up in a video to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day -- with a light-hearted jibe at their own plight as Britain's most famous redheads. In the video, shared on the official Sussex Royal Instagram account, the famous duo discuss the issue of mental health, and urge everyone to "look out for anybody that might be suffering in silence." Yet despite the serious message, the video starts on a humorous note. When the pair sit down to discuss their collaboration, Prince Harry explains that Sheeran has the right "skill set" to create a song to help fight the problem. (Robinson, 10/10)
The New York Times: HBO To Tackle Mental Illness Stigma In New Campaign
HBO wants people to talk about mental illness. The network announced on Thursday a campaign to use its shows to increase awareness around mental health issues, highlighting characters’ struggles with conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or substance abuse. (Harris, 10/10)
Business Insider: Lonely, Burned Out, Depressed: The State Of Millennials' Mental Health
Millennials are changing the way people look at and talk about mental health. As part of World Mental Health Day, Business Insider took a look at the mental-health state of millennials (defined by the Pew Research Center as the cohort turning ages 23 to 38 in 2019). It doesn't look pretty — depression and "deaths of despair" are both on the rise among the generation, linked to issues such as loneliness and money stress. (Hoffower and Akhtar, 10/10)
