Mental Health Impact Of Pandemic Comes Into Focus

AP: 7-Year-Old Alabama Girl Helps To Fund Her Own Brain Surgery
Liza Scott, 7, started a lemonade stand at her mom’s bakery last summer so she could buy some frills like toys and sequined high-heel shoes. The bouncy little girl is still in business months later, yet the money is going toward something entirely different: surgery on her brain. Last month, doctors determined a series of seizures that Liza began suffering were caused by cerebral malformations that needed repair, said her mother, Elizabeth Scott. Always eager to help out and with an eye toward entrepreneurship after a childhood spent around a small business, the little girl volunteered to help raise money for her upcoming operation. (Reeves, 3/4)

CIDRAP: Teens' Mental Health Claims Skyrocket In Pandemic
Mental health insurance claims for US teens roughly doubled early in the COVID-19 pandemic over the same period in 2019, according to a Fair Health report released yesterday. The white paper, the New York nonprofit's seventh in a series on the pandemic, is the result of analysis of more than 32 billion private healthcare claims filed on behalf of people aged 0 to 22 from January to November 2020 compared with those filed during the same period in 2019. (Van Beusekom, 3/3)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: People Feeling Pandemic Stress, Mental Health Panelists Say
Arkansas experts discussed mental health care during the covid-19 pandemic at a free virtual event Tuesday evening hosted and moderated by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Panelists said they've seen a rise in depression and anxiety related to pandemic stressors in people who are dealing with other trauma and also in those who have never experienced significant mental health issues before. "The past 12 months have been filled with stress, fear and uncertainty, and many people are wondering about the short- and long-term effects on mental health due to covid," Managing Editor Eliza Gaines said. "To have these questions answered by Arkansas experts is a great service to our readers and community." (Eley, 3/3)

North Carolina Health News: Surviving College With Cancer 
Aimee Comanici was never allowed to dye her hair funky colors. But the day after being discharged from UNC Hospitals, her mom, Julie Gorham, gave the go-ahead. Barely a week later, Aimee ran her fingers through her wet, soapy hair and a clump of newly-purple locks came out. (Tate, 3/4)

CIDRAP: Hotels Found Effective For COVID Isolation, Quarantine For Homeless People
The use of five isolation/quarantine (I/Q) hotels in San Francisco County may have contributed to better public health outcomes among people experiencing homelessness, according to a JAMA Open Network study published yesterday. The I/Q hotels were created so that people who were experiencing homelessness and who had suspected or confirmed COVID-19 could have a place to recover and physically distance. Staff and provided resources took care of residents' general health, dietary, hygiene, and child (eg, diapers, formula) needs, and those who had substance use disorders had access to methods for reducing harm. (3/3)

Axios: The Future Of Workplace Benefits 
The pandemic exposed how workplaces across America are inhospitable to parents. But it could also spur companies to make changes. Well over a million parents have left their jobs due to child care responsibilities during the pandemic. Now, companies — large and small — are attempting to reimagine workplace benefits and add flexibility to help those parents come back. (Pandey, 3/3)

CNN: How To Help Your Kids Get Enough Sleep, Especially During The Covid Pandemic 
Getting enough sleep was tough even before the pandemic. With disrupted routines, extra screen time and the incredible amount of stress most people face now, sleep routines seem to have gone quickly but quietly downhill. And from what I'm seeing in my child psychiatry practice — kids are suffering especially hard. (Chaudhary, 3/3)