Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Trying To Reduce Anxiety': Instagram Explores Ways To Take Away Likes, Improve Mental Health
PBS NewsHour: How Removing ‘Likes’ From Instagram Could Affect Our Mental Health
Today, 500 million people will check their Instagram. And many will keep checking, and checking and checking because humans seem to crave the platform’s visual and social rewards. But excessive social media use can be problematic, leading to sleep disruption, productivity loss and interpersonal conflicts. While “social media addiction” remains a highly contested term in the scientific community, the similarities between online interactions and addictive behaviors are raising concerns. (Leventhal, 11/25)
The San Francisco Chronicle: As Group Home Closes, Mentally Ill May End Up In Shelter
Despite City Hall’s efforts to save San Francisco’s board-and-care homes, the facilities for the homeless, mentally ill and drug addicted are still rapidly closing around the city — and officials are running out of places to send the residents. South Van Ness Manor, a board-and-care home for 27 mentally ill and homeless residents, can no longer sustain its expenses and plans to close Sunday. (Thadani, 11/25)
The CT Mirror: Legislators Looking To Expand PTSD Benefits To More Emergency Responders
After striking a landmark compromise this spring on post-traumatic stress disorder benefits for police and firefighters, lawmakers will consider expanding projections next year to cover more emergency personnel. Democratic Sens. Cathy Osten of Sprague and Julie Kushner of Danbury announced they would introduce legislation in the regular 2020 General Assembly session — which begins Feb. 5 — to expand workers’ compensation coverage for emergency medical personnel, dispatchers and state prison guards. (Phaneuf, 11/26)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: CDC Trauma Report: Spend Now On Kids Or Pay For Hospital, Prison Costs
The root causes of incarceration, addiction, homelessness, suicide and poverty often begin with psychological trauma inflicted during childhood. New data is clear on that, which begs the question: How is society supposed to react? (Schmid, 11/25)
Kaiser Health News: A Young Immigrant Has Mental Illness, And That’s Raising His Risk Of Deportation
When José moved his family to the United States from Mexico nearly two decades ago, he had hopes of giving his children a better life. But now he worries about the future of his 21-year-old-son, who has lived in central Illinois since he was a toddler. José’s son has a criminal record, which could make him a target for deportation officers. KHN is not using the son’s name because of those risks and is using the father’s middle name, José, because both men are in the U.S. without legal permission. (Herman, 11/26)
