Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rates Of Mental Health Disorders Are Up Nearly 96% Worldwide Since 1990, Study Finds
CNN: Mental Health Conditions Affect 1.2 Billion People Globally
Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide had mental disorders in 2023, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990, a new study has found. The largest increases were in anxiety and depression, which were also the most common disorders in 2023. In third place was a residual category of personality disorders not accompanied by other mental or substance use disorders. (Rogers, 5/21)
On gun violence and mental health —
The New York Times: San Diego Mosque Shooter So Alarmed Police, They Seized Father’s Guns
More than a year before Caleb Vazquez and a friend attacked a mosque in San Diego and killed three people, the police were so alarmed by Mr. Vazquez’s behavior that they secured a court order to confiscate his father’s guns. “Child was involved in suspicious behavior idolizing nazis and mass shooters,” a police officer wrote in a January 2025 protective order. Mr. Vazquez, who was found dead on Monday shortly after the police say he and a friend attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, had at some point been placed in an involuntary psychiatric hold, according to documents filed at San Diego Superior Court. (Mayorquín, Arango and Marcius, 5/21)
In other mental health news —
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Dismisses Hamm V. Smith, On Mental Disabilities, Death Penalty
The Supreme Court on Thursday chose not to weigh in on what standards states should use to assess whether a person who commits a crime must be spared the death penalty because of intellectual disabilities. The high court dismissed on procedural grounds the case of Joseph Clifton Smith, who was convicted of capital murder in Alabama, leaving in place a lower-court ruling blocking his execution. (Jouvenal, 5/21)
The New York Times: Tennessee Calls Off Execution After Staff Can’t Find Prisoner’s Vein
Tennessee called off the execution of Tony Carruthers, convicted in connection with three 1994 murders, after staff members were unable to find a vein to administer lethal injection drugs. The State Department of Corrections said in a statement on Thursday that medical staff members were unable to find a “suitable vein” to administer the drugs after a series of attempts. (Cochrane and Bogel-Burroughs, 5/21)
Iowa Public Radio: New Iowa Behavioral Health Hospital Aims To Address Mental Healthcare Shortage
When people experiencing a mental health crisis arrive at emergency rooms in western Iowa, they can spend hours — sometimes days — waiting for psychiatric treatment because there simply are not enough beds available. A new facility opening soon in Council Bluffs hopes to change that. (Brummer, 5/21)
