Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Longer Work Hours Can Trigger Depression
Fox News: Workaholics At A Greater Risk Of Depression, Study Finds
If you are a workaholic, depression or a lack of sleep, could be in the offing according to a new study. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reports that workaholics -- described as people with "a compulsion or an uncontrollable need to work incessantly" -- are twice as likely to be depressed and have poorer sleep quality than normal employees. The international group of researchers examined the work habits of 187 French workers and found that people in jobs with strong demands were five times more likely to be prone to work addiction. (Best, 1/14)
CIDRAP: Vision Problems Arise In Young School Kids In COVID-19 Quarantine
The prevalence of near-sightedness, or myopia, increased 1.4 to 3 times in Chinese children aged 6 to 8 years during COVID-19 quarantine, according to a study today in JAMA Ophthalmology. (Van Beusekom, 1/14)
AP: Disneyland Ends Annual Passes 10 Months After Virus Closure
Disneyland is ending its annual pass program 10 months after the theme park shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, the theme park said Thursday. The park in Anaheim, California, said it would begin issuing pro-rated refunds to eligible passholders. (1/14)
The New York Times: U.S. Figure Skating To Pay $1.45 Million To Ex-Skater Who Says He Was Abused
U.S. Figure Skating has reached a $1.45 million settlement with a former skater who had accused the organization of failing to protect him from sexual abuse by Richard Callaghan, a once-prominent coach of Olympians. The former skater, Adam Schmidt, had filed a lawsuit in San Diego in 2019 that said that Mr. Callaghan had repeatedly abused him from 1999 to 2001, beginning when Mr. Schmidt was 14 years old. (Levenson, 1/14)
KHN: When Covid Deaths Aren’t Counted, Families Pay The Price
On Sundays, Bishop Bruce Davis preached love. Through his Pentecostal ministry, he organized youth parades and gave computers, bicycles and food to families in need. During the week, Bruce practiced what he preached, caring for prisoners at a Georgia hospital. On March 27 he began coughing, and on April 1 he was hospitalized. He’d tested positive for covid-19. The virus swept through his household, infecting his wife and daughter and hospitalizing their disabled son. Ten days after landing in the hospital, Bruce died. (Bailey and Cahan, 1/15)
KHN: Journalists Examine How Covid Polarizes Communities
California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester discussed public health backlash on WABE’s “Did You Wash Your Hands?” on Jan. 5. ... KHN Colorado correspondent Rae Ellen Bichell dissected how covid-19 exacerbates tensions between counties in Colorado on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” on Jan. 9. ... KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner talked about mental health care and the pandemic on WAMU/NPR’s “1A” on Jan. 11. (1/15)
