Teens Seek More Mental Health Care As Pandemic Persists
Ongoing lockdowns and restrictions throw a spotlight on young people's fraying mental health. Meanwhile readers in our Letters to the Editor section give advice for our pandemic times.
Health News Florida:
Panama City Beach Limits Spring Break Gatherings On Sand
Panama City Beach is limiting the number of people who may gather together on the sand during spring break. It's the only pandemic-related restriction in place at the start of the busy month for tourism. (Crowder, 3/1)
Axios:
Teenagers' Demand For Mental Health Care Skyrocketed During Pandemic
Teenagers' demand for mental health care skyrocketed last year amid the pandemic, even as their overall need for care declined, according to a new analysis by FAIR Health. (Owens, 3/2)
North Carolina Health News:
Is Youth Suicide Increasing In The Pandemic?
The debate to reopen schools for in-person learning has highlighted an alarming idea – that students are not just falling behind academically, but at a heightened risk of death by suicide. (Critchfield, 3/2)
CNN:
Smartphone Addiction: Effects On Sleep And What You Can Do
Addiction to smartphones will result in poor sleep, according to a new study. The study, published Tuesday in Frontiers in Psychiatry, looked at smartphone use among 1,043 students between the ages of 18 and 30 at King's College London. Researchers asked the students to complete two questionnaires on their sleep quality and smartphone usage, in person and online. (LaMotte, 3/2)
In other public health news —
Stat:
Study: Evictions During Pregnancy Tied To Adverse Birth Outcomes
Babies born to people evicted during pregnancy are more likely to have lower birth weights and be born earlier or prematurely than those whose parents were evicted at other times, according to new research. (Gaffney, 3/1)
The New York Times:
Frontier Cancels Flight, Citing Maskless Passengers
A Frontier Airlines flight from Miami to La Guardia Airport in New York was canceled on Sunday night after a large group of passengers, including several adults, refused to wear masks, the airline said. By Monday morning, the airline was facing accusations of anti-Semitism for its treatment of the passengers, who are Hasidic Jews, as well as demands for an investigation from the Anti-Defamation League of New York and other groups. Frontier steadfastly held to its position that the passengers had refused to comply with federal rules requiring them to wear masks. (Fazio, 3/1)
NPR:
Racial Barriers To Alzheimer's Care Hurt Patients And Families
Many members of racial and ethnic minority groups say they face extra barriers when seeking care for a friend or family member with Alzheimer's disease. Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American caregivers were far more likely than whites to encounter discrimination, language barriers and providers who lack cultural competence, according to a report released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association. "Among nonwhite caregivers, half say they've faced discrimination when navigating through the health care system," says Maria Carrillo, the association's chief science officer. Just 17% of white caregivers reported that sort of problem. (Hamilton, 3/2)
KHN:
Readers And Tweeters Dispense Timely Advice For Difficult Times
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. (3/2)
