Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teens Mixed On Whether Meta's Big Changes To Insta, Facebook Will Help Their Mental Health
The New York Times: After Meta Settlement, Teens Divided On New Instagram And Facebook Restrictions
Young people said the platforms could be a space for gathering, but also a waste of time. (Holtermann and Kircher, 8/26)
The Guardian: Meta Agrees To Major Changes To Facebook And Instagram As It Settles US Trial Over Teen Addiction For Up To $18bn
Meta agreed to significant changes to its Instagram and Facebook apps in a settlement that ended a landmark lawsuit on Wednesday. Dozens of US states had accused the tech giant of addicting and harming children with dangerous products. The agreement curtails a major trial in California and will require the social media company to pay up to $18bn. Meta agreed to establish safeguards for teenage users, including daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use nationwide in the US. (Montgomery and Kerr, 8/26)
The New York Times: Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Make Sure YouTube And TikTok Share His Pain
Mr. Zuckerberg has a contingency plan: Level the playing field, so that children can’t just switch to the app of a competitor. If he has to play by new rules, he wants companies like YouTube and TikTok to do the same. Meta built a financial incentive into its deal with the state attorneys general, designed to rope in the other companies. Here’s how it would work: The base line of Meta’s monetary settlement is $12 billion. The company has also agreed to a two-hour daily time limit for children. Meta will reduce that to one hour if YouTube and TikTok also agree to a one-hour limit. And if the other companies also pay $5 billion to the states, Meta will throw in the rest of the $5 billion or so it has promised. (Isaac, 8/27)
More news about mental health —
STLPR: Suicide Survivors Need Postvention, Says St. Louis Researcher
Four years after he lost his 24-year-old son to suicide, worker wellness advocate John Gaal sat down with his wife and daughter to watch a movie. He said it was one of the first times the family gathered in a relaxed way since his son, John Gaal Jr., died. Then, about 20 minutes into the movie, Gaal’s phone blew up. His friend was calling to ask for support because he just lost his own son to suicide. (Woodbury, 8/25)
Newsweek: Depression May Be Early Warning Sign Of Brain Changes, Study Finds
Rising levels of a protein tied to Alzheimer's disease may show up as depression years before memory problems set in, according to a new study that suggests changes in mood could serve as an early warning sign of brain deterioration in older adults. The research, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that as levels of a protein called tau increased in cognitively healthy older people, so did their depressive symptoms. The pattern did not hold in people who already had mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the link between tau and mood may be strongest in the earliest stages of brain change—before other symptoms appear. (Fleur Afshar, 8/26)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Survey Shows Notable Drop In Depression Among NH High School Students
Mental health among New Hampshire’s high schoolers appears to be improving, according to new results from a statewide student survey. Following spikes in depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a drop in the percentage of students who report feeling persistently sad or say they have considered or attempted suicide. (Timmins, 8/26)
MedPage Today: GLP-1 Drugs Could Help Narrow Lifespan Gap In Serious Mental Illness
Starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist was associated with significantly lower risks of death and cardiovascular events in adults with serious mental illness (SMI), a target trial emulation showed. (Monaco, 8/26)
Also —
Military Times: US Navy Eyes Port Stops In Africa, India After USS Abraham Lincoln’s Marathon Deployment
In addition to accounts of scant rations and deteriorating mental health onboard the Lincoln, with at least two reported suicide attempts, sailors and families have spoken out about severe shortages of basic hygiene products, including soap and toothpaste. Navy officials have said resupply had to be prioritized, with hygiene products taking a backseat to food, as the deployment continued. Now, the Navy’s top admiral says the service is changing how it does pre-deployment stocking and resupply and looking at different places to make port calls. (Seck, 8/26)
The New York Times: ‘You’re Ruining My Dreams’: C.T.E. Study Adds To Family Tension Over Football
Many families are engaged in tense debates after a new study found a high percentage of N.F.L. players had developed degenerative brain disease. (Macur, 8/26)
Los Angeles Times: Unseen Autism And Its Mental Health Toll On Young Girls
Ruby Hobbs-Leffler felt things with an intensity that even a smart little girl with a big vocabulary couldn’t put into words. Life was an onslaught of bright lights, loud noises, intolerable textures and tastes. Feelings bubbled up uncontrollably: inconsolable howls in infancy, classroom meltdowns in childhood, rages in adolescence. (Purtill, 8/26)
