Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Suicides Continue On Golden Gate Bridge, Barrier Gets Completion Date
San Francisco Chronicle: Here’s When The Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier May Finally Be Completed, As People Keep Jumping Every Month
Beneath the stately towers and suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, engineers are building a steel net along the span’s northwest corner — the product of a tireless, decades-long campaign that hit significant delays as it inched toward completion. By the end of next year bridge staff expect to finish the $206.7 million barrier, intended to catch any disconsolate person who leaps from the rail. Comprising enough marine-grade stainless steel to cover seven football fields, the net will flank the 1.7 mile suspension bridge on both sides, its webbing gray to match the fog and the choppy water, its supports painted the same ripe-orange hue as the bridge. (Swan, 3/15)
In other mental health news —
Axios: Study: Children's Health Issues Getting Worse
Critical measures of children's health are moving in the wrong direction in the U.S., according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. The pandemic took a large toll on children's mental health and overall household stability, but several of these trends had been building for years. Levels of anxiety and depression among children increased between 2016 and 2020, while daily physical activity decreased. More parents and caregivers reported struggling to cope with parenting demands and dealing with mental health issues of their own. (Owens, 3/15)
The Mercury News: Teen Mental Health: Cost, Stigma And Time Hamper Care
For Nhi Huynh, a University of Berkeley freshman, high school was marked by the constant pressure of trying to manage her life in an academically competitive environment. She was taking college level courses and leading several clubs — and in spring of her junior year campuses closed and cut her off from academic and social support. “I was really burnt out at the end of senior year, and I wasn’t taking care of myself well and my relationships suffered because of it,” Huynh said. She is typical of thousands of Bay Area high school students who spend 30 hours a week in classes and dozens more on sports and activities outside of the classroom. This challenging load can easily lead to sleep deprivation, illness, depression and anxiety. (Nguyen, 3/15)
Columbus Dispatch: Guns Used In More Ohio Homicides, Suicides, Health Report Says
Guns are playing an increasing role in homicides and suicides, which have significantly increased in Ohio over the past two decades, according to a new analysis done by researchers at the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO). In their analysis, researchers at HPIO reported that in 1999 there were 450 homicides and 1,102 suicides in Ohio. Compare that to 2020, when 1,004 homicides and 1,644 suicides were recorded in the Buckeye State, increases of 123% and 49%, respectively. (Trombly, 3/15)
AP: Gov. Baker: Bill Would Expand Mental Health Care Services
Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled a bill Tuesday that he said would help expand access to primary care and mental health services and help control rising health care and prescription drug costs. The Republican detailed the legislation during a stop at a health care center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. (LeBlanc, 3/15)
In other public health news —
North Carolina Health News: Congestion, Fever & Vomit, Oh My! Other Viruses Are Back
As indoor mask mandates drop in some of North Carolina’s most populous counties and schools, other non-COVID viruses are likely to start cropping up. We saw a similar trend in the summer of 2021. The U.S. saw a national spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as people got vaccinated and COVID restrictions loosened for a couple months before the onset of the Delta variant. RSV is a seasonal respiratory illness that usually spreads in the fall and winter, particularly among children who tend to have more severe cases of it. (Knopf, 3/16)
AP: The Big Sneeze: Climate Change To Make Pollen Season Nastier
Climate change has already made allergy season longer and pollen counts higher, but you ain’t sneezed nothing yet. Climate scientists at the University of Michigan looked at 15 different plant pollens in the United States and used computer simulations to calculate how much worse allergy season will likely get by the year 2100. It’s enough to make allergy sufferers even more red-eyed. (Borenstein, 3/15)
USA Today: Early Dementia Sign? Report Shows Memory Loss In More Older Adults
A new report estimates 6.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and more than 1 in 10 older adults have early stage memory or cognitive problems. The Alzheimer’s Association report released Tuesday said 12-18% of adults 60 and over have “mild cognitive impairment,” a category of memory loss or cognitive problems that may be a precursor to dementia or caused by other medical or behavioral issues. Distinguishing dementia from other medical causes of memory or cognitive problems remains difficult, experts say, but perhaps more important than ever with one controversial new Alzheimer's drug available and others in late-stage clinical trials. (Alltucker, 3/15)
KHN: Readers And Tweeters Remain Vigilant On Masking And Billing
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (Byrne, 3/16)
