Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Says 1 In 4 Young Adults Are Seeking Mental Health Care
The Hill: About 1 In 4 Young Adults Getting Mental Health Care: CDC
Almost a quarter of all young adults received mental health care treatment last year, according to recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of adults aged 18 to 44 who received mental health care in the past 12 months saw the biggest increase from 2019, rising from 18.5 percent to 23.2 percent. The percentage of all adults who received mental health treatment also increased from 19.2 percent in 2019 to 21.6 percent in 2021. (Gans, 9/7)
Axios: Kids And Teens Were Hospitalized For Mental Health At Increasing Rates Even Before The Pandemic
Nearly a third of non-newborn pediatric hospital admissions from 2016 to 2020 were linked to mental health needs, according to a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute. (Dreher, 9/8)
Axios: More U.S. Adults Receiving Mental Health Treatment
Nearly 22% of all U.S. adults received some form of mental health treatment in 2021, up from about 19% just two years earlier, new data from the CDC's 2019–2021 National Health Interview Survey shows. (Reed, 9/7)
Cerebral's quality of care is scrutinized —
CBS News: Expert Alarmed By Mental Health App Cerebral's Speedy Sessions And Prescriber Qualifications
More users of Cerebral, one of the largest online mental health care providers, are reporting they have problems with Cerebral's quality of care. In June, CBS News reported on how some users were concerned about how the startup was treating people for conditions such as depression and ADHD. (Werner Wernera and Kegu, 9/7)
CBS News: Video: Former Patient Alleges Mental Health App Cerebral Mishandled Her Case
In a follow-up to a CBS News investigation of online mental health app Cerebral, CBS News’ Anna Werner takes a look at new concerns about how the platform, which offers therapy and prescriptions, handles people experiencing serious mental health issues. We hear from one woman who says Cerebral mishandled her case – with nearly fatal consequences. (9/7)
In mental health news from New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere —
New Jersey Monitor: Report Finds Decrease In Mental Health Help For Black And Latino Students
Over the past decade, access to in-school mental health services has decreased for Black and Latino students while slightly increasing for white and Asian students, according to a new analysis of state data. The report, from left-leaning think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, notes that because of New Jersey’s higher poverty rates for children of color, and the “profound influence” poverty has on mental health, the trends should cause great concern. (Nieto-Munoz, 9/7)
The Texas Tribune: Mental Health Of Texans Affected By Climate Change And Extreme Weather
The first thing Dana Jones, 61, tells you to do when you enter her gray-blue house in Melrose Park is walk along the off-white tile, up and down, through her dining room, while she watches carefully for your reaction. “Do you feel it?” she asks. (Douglas, 9/8)
KHN: At 988 Call Centers, Crisis Counselors Offer Empathy — And Juggle Limited Resources
On a Friday evening at a call center in southeastern Pennsylvania, Michael Colluccio stirred his hot tea, put on his headset, and started up his computer. The screen showed calls coming in to the suicide prevention lifeline from around the state. Colluccio, 38, said he knows what it’s like to be on the other end of one of those calls. “So, I had a suicide attempt when I was about 10, 11 years old,” Colluccio said. “And we do get callers who are about that age, or quite young, and they are going through similar stressors.” (Sholtis, 9/8)
