Nearly All Younger Americans Have Mental Health Challenges: Survey
A startling set of figures is reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, covering a Harris Poll/Blue Shield of California survey: nearly 90% of teens and young adults say they have regular mental health issues. Separately, a study reported in Stat links childhood stress with old-age problems.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Nearly 90% Of Teens And Young Adults Have Mental Health Challenges
Nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. teens and young adults say they experience mental health challenges regularly, according to a national survey released Thursday by the Harris Poll and health insurer Blue Shield of California. Eighty-seven percent of people ages 14 to 25 say they have mental health challenges on a regular basis, the survey found. It was conducted May 31 to June 13 and included responses from 1,368 people, including 318 in California. (Ho, 8/3)
Stat:
Study Links Childhood Stress With Decline In Older Age
Stressful experiences during childhood could have more far-reaching effects than previously thought, contributing to issues with daily tasks like getting dressed or preparing meals in older age, according to a new national analysis. (Castillo, 8/3)
USA Today:
Moms For Liberty, Bucking DeSantis, Says No School Mental Health Care
In a social media post last week, Moms for Liberty wrote, “Health care has no place in public schools,” as a response to President Joe Biden announcing his new strategy to improve mental health care by adding more providers and expanding access. “Mental health care is health care Mr. President. That’s why it has NO place in public schools. #ParentalRights,” Moms for Liberty also posted. In Florida, mental health care has been a top bipartisan priority since 2018, when a shooter killed 17 children at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. (Goñi-Lessan, 8/3)
NPR:
Petting Other People's (Friendly) Dogs Can Boost Your Health
"Absolutely. I think it is safe to say that animals are beneficial to our mental and physical health," says Nancy Gee, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University. Gee says evidence is accumulating that levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in people after just 5 to 20 minutes spent interacting with dogs — even if it's not their pet. "Also, we see increases in oxytocin, that feel-good kind of bonding hormone," she says. (Godoy, 8/3)
If you are in need of help —
Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
In other health and wellness news —
CBS News:
20-Year-Long U Study Shows Link Between Artificial Sweeteners, Increased Body Fat
A decades-long research study from the University of Minnesota has linked the long-term consumption of artificial sweeteners to increased body fat. The study, from the U's Medical School and School of Public Health, set out to study the relationship between the intake of sweeteners, like aspartame and saccharin, and the risk of cardiovascular disease. (8/3)
WLRN:
Are Phones Causing More Kids To Be Nearsighted? Here's What A Miami Optometrist Sees
Increased exposure to screens, like smartphones and tablets, is causing myopia, or nearsightedness, to become more common among children at younger ages. "Myopia occurs when your eye actually grows too long," said Vicky Fischer, a pediatric optometrist in Miami. "Children are supposed to be born with a very short eye, because children are short, their eyes should be short, and then they should grow to a normal size when they're adults." Fischer sees patients as young as 6 months old with vision issues. (Zaragovia, 8/3)
KFF Health News:
Teens With Addiction Are Often Left To Detox Without Medication
When Denver Health wanted to open an inpatient opioid detox unit specifically for teens, doctors there searched high and low for a model to copy. They didn’t find one. Teens who land in emergency rooms with an opioid overdose generally receive naloxone to reverse the effects of dangerous drugs in their system and are sent home with a list of places they can go for follow-up care. But too often, those teens never seek additional help. They are left to suffer through the agony of withdrawal with no medications to ease their cravings. As a result, many, seeking relief, go back to opioids, often with tragic consequences. (Hawryluk, 8/4)
