Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Detainees' Mental Health Declining Rapidly Inside ICE Centers, Lawyers Say
The New York Times: ‘People Are Losing Hope’: Suicide Risk Is Rife In ICE Detention Centers
Daniel Cortes De La Valle had been in immigration detention for more than seven months — sleeping in dirty cells, being mocked by guards for his weight and being denied his epilepsy medication — when, in July 2023, he tried to hang himself. “‘I can’t anymore,’” Mr. Cortes De La Valle, 35, recalls thinking. “‘I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s like a horror movie.’” (Goldberg, 9/16)
On youth mental health care —
Axios: Exclusive: Half Of Young People Plagued By Loneliness, Family Problems
Half of U.S. youth say that loneliness has a daily disruptive impact on their mental health, according to Hopelab and Data For Progress survey results shared exclusively with Axios. The big picture: The polls shows two different paths, with over half of respondents reporting good mental health, though that state of well-being strongly correlates with income and LGBTQ+ identity. (Rubin, 9/16)
NPR: RFK Jr. Panned Mental Health Screenings In Schools. Here Are 3 Things To Know
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Education Secretary Linda McMahon want schools to do away with mental health screenings and therapy. Instead, they argue in a Washington Post opinion piece that schools "must return to the natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future." In the op-ed, the two secretaries mention a recent bill signed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, which requires all schools in the state to offer mental health screening tests, starting with third graders. The screenings are standardized questionnaires that ask children about their feelings and well-being. (Chatterjee, 9/16)
WPR: Insurance Company’s School-Based Mental Health Initiative Reaches Students Across Wisconsin
The company that provides health insurance and retirement benefits for Wisconsin teachers has been quietly focusing its charitable efforts on student mental health. The philanthropic arm of WEA Member Benefits has helped facilitate and fund more than $1.6 million for 20 school districts across the state. The money has funded everything from teacher training to co-pays and deductibles for students and educators, said Steve Goldberg, executive director of the WEA Member Benefits Foundation. (Hess, 9/17)
On social media and chatbots —
AP: Parents Of Teens Who Died By Suicide After AI Chatbot Interactions Testify To Congress
Parents whose teenagers killed themselves after interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots testified to Congress on Tuesday about the dangers of the technology. “What began as a homework helper gradually turned itself into a confidant and then a suicide coach,” said Matthew Raine, whose 16-year-old son Adam died in April. “Within a few months, ChatGPT became Adam’s closest companion,” the father told senators. (O’Brien, 9/16)
CBS News: OpenAI Says It Is Rolling Out New Safety Measures For ChatGPT Users Under 18
OpenAI announced Tuesday that it is directing teens to an age-appropriate version of its ChatGPT technology as it seeks to bolster safeguards amid a period of heightened scrutiny over the chatbot's safety. Users of the chatbot identified as under the age of 18 will automatically be directed to a version of ChatGPT governed by "age-appropriate" content rules, OpenAI said in a statement. This under-age edition includes protection policies such as blocking sexual content and — "in rare cases of acute distress" — law enforcement to ensure a user's safety, according to the company. (Cunningham, 9/16)
