Calls To LGBTQ Youth Crisis Hotline Have Increased With Alarming Speed
As USA Today reports, the 988 LGBTQI+ Subnetwork received about 480,000 calls, online chats, and texts from July 2023 to May 2024. It saw a 12% month-over-month increase from July to April.
USA Today:
LGBTQ Youth Crisis Line Launched In 2023. It's Been Swamped
The numbers are staggering: 39% of young people who identify as LGBTQ+ seriously considered attempting suicide within the last year. The data, from a May 2024 study by the Trevor Project, a crisis intervention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth, also shows that more than 1 in 10 (12%) actually attempted suicide. For transgender and nonbinary young people, it's even worse – 46% report having considered suicide within the last year. And only half of those who wanted mental health care were able to access it, the Trevor Project report said. (Trethan, 6/27)
Medical Xpress:
Children Who Spend More Time In Natural Environments Have Significantly Better Mental Health
The study, which is published in the journal Environment International, found that children who spent just 60 minutes daily in nature had a 50% lower risk of mental health issues. Notably, the benefits were greatest for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in terms of improved behavior and social skills. (6/26)
North Carolina Health News:
Owner Of NC Psych Hospitals Under Scrutiny From US Senate
A U.S. Senate report released last week accused four of the nation’s largest behavioral health companies of putting profits above the safety and treatment of children placed in their care. The blistering report — Warehouses of Neglect — is the result of a two-year investigation by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) into psychiatric residential treatment facilities run by Acadia Healthcare, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Vivant Behavioral Healthcare and Universal Health Services. (Knopf, 6/27)
KFF Health News:
US Judge Finds California In Contempt Over Prison Mental Health Staffing
A federal judge has found top California prison officials in civil contempt for failing to hire enough mental health professionals to adequately treat tens of thousands of incarcerated people with serious mental disorders. Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller on June 25 ordered the state to pay $112 million in fines at a time when the state is trying to close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. (Thompson, 6/26)
Bloomberg:
UN Warns Of Health Dangers In Commercial Psychedelic Drug Use
Investors funding a “psychedelic renaissance” are outpacing scientific research into substances like Ketamine and LSD, putting potential drug users’ health at risk, the United Nations warned. Public interest in and private sector attention to psychedelic therapies are greater than the scientific evidence regarding their effectiveness in improving mental health and cognitive functions, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in its annual report on Wednesday. (Tirone, 6/26)
In related news about the effects of gun violence —
CNN:
Born From The Tragedy Of Gun Violence, This Program Teaches Children How To Stop A Wound From Bleeding Out
“Chances are, you’re never ever going to have to use this. If you do, it’s gonna be scary,” Kate Carleton told the 20 or so 8- and 9-year-olds. “But because we’ve taught you what to do, it makes it a little less scary.” She spent the next 30 minutes teaching them how to stop a wound from bleeding out. The lesson is appropriately titled “Stop the Bleed.” Carleton is a trauma nurse at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, a level 2 trauma center in Rocklin, California, a northern suburb of Sacramento. At the beginning of her 17-year career, she saw a lot of car crashes, motorcycle accidents and falls. More recently, the number of gunshot wounds coming through her hospital has increased, most often from domestic violence or suicide. (Gupta, 6/25)
