Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Netflix Series '13 Reasons Why' Returns But With New Emphasis On Suicide Prevention Efforts
USA Today: '13 Reasons Why' Should Do More To Stop Teen Suicides, Doctors Say
Medical experts say Netflix and creators of the second season of 13 Reasons Why — streaming Friday — aren't doing enough to curb the increase in teen suicides and may be encouraging copycat cases. Data show the teen suicide rate rose by more than 70% between 2006 and 2016 with black teen suicides increasing far faster. The renewed criticism comes despite the series' new embrace of suicide prevention, which includes a collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). (O'Donnell, 5/19)
The Washington Post: Suicidal? Be Prepared To Wait For Care.
Psychiatric boarding — when patients in need of psychiatric treatment wait for prolonged periods in emergency departments due to shortages in mental-health resources, particularly inpatient beds — has become a catastrophe for the U.S. health-care system. In a 2016 survey, roughly three-quarters of emergency physicians reported that psychiatric patients had been waiting for beds during their last shift. Studies suggest that psychiatric patients wait for hospital beds far longer than other patients in emergency departments, sometimes for days or even weeks at a time. (Morris, 5/19)
