General Mental Health Articles
- United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families. Over the last decade, the advisory shows that parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults. Read more here.
- There are nowhere near enough available therapists in health plan networks to serve people seeking care. In addition, although almost all Americans have health insurance, about half of people with a mental health condition are unable to access treatment. Read more here.
- Most Americans — more than 164 million of them — have insurance plans through employers. These are generally regulated by federal law. Although the law requires insurers to offer the same access to mental health care as to physical care, it doesn’t require them to rely on evidence-based guidelines endorsed by professional societies and associations in determining medical necessity for services. Instead, when deciding what to pay for, the government allows insurers to set their own medical necessity standards. Read more here.
- Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) opened up about her experience with depression, revealing she is seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and wants to “de-stigmatize” mental illness. Caraveo said she, “like many Americans, struggles with depression,” and the symptoms became “more severe” in recent months. Read more here.
- There are many crisis centers across the country, including in Texas, but what separates Arizona from everyone else is their ability to send anyone who might be undergoing a mental health crisis to local crisis centers, even without their consent. Travis County in Texas, in partnership with county mental health provider Integral Care, launched the first phase this year of its version of a jail diversion program with a $23 million three-year pilot program. Read more here.
Youth Mental Health
- Childhood sexual abuse leaves enduring damage that can profoundly affect an individual’s life well into adulthood. The signs of trauma can be complex, affecting mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Adults who were sexually abused as children may experience dissociation, PTSD, and various mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Read more here.
Older Adult Mental Health
- First-line antidepressants were associated with a reduced risk of falls and related injuries among older adults, according to a study. Of more than 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnosed with depression, use of first-line antidepressants was associated with a reduced risk of falls and related injuries compared with no treatment. Read more here.
The Opioid Crisis and Addiction Issues
- Since drugs tend to show up in sewage systems before overdoses rise, local officials can discover when a potent fentanyl supply is likely being mixed with other drugs, and alert local residents. One city began an aggressive prescription-opioid-disposal campaign after discovering the drugs in abundance in its wastewater. Other communities have used wastewater tracking to allocate Narcan and study the effectiveness of programs funded by state opioid settlements. Read more here.
Gender-Affirming Care and LGBTQ Issues
- A federal appeals court cleared the way for Florida to enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, blocking a lower court order against the ban while the matter is appealed. The 2-1 decision was issued by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The law revived by the ruling prohibits transgender minors from being prescribed puberty blockers and hormonal treatments, even with their parents’ permission. Read more here.
- With the increasing state legislation restricting health care access for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations in recent years, there has been limited research on how awareness of, and concerns about, legislative restrictions and protections influence mental health outcomes. The objective of a study was to examine whether awareness of, and concerns about, the current policy environment regarding trans individuals are associated with depression symptoms among trans-adults. Read more here.
Manage Cookie Preferences