Youth Mental Health
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are critical mental health issues faced by college students, stemming from traumatic events (e.g., campus shootings, sexual assault, physical violence, and natural disasters). PTSD features persistent symptoms (e.g., intrusion symptoms, avoidance) lasting more than one month after trauma, whereas ASD features similar symptoms within a 3-day to 1-month post-trauma duration. Read more here.
- “How do we help kids who may not be insured or have access to therapy, or with parents who don’t know how to access services? How do I create a way for these kids to get help?” Now, Santiago has helped create the Youth Mental Health Corps, a first-of-its-kind initiative that will launch this fall, initially in four states, to address the country’s youth mental health crisis. Read more here.
- Ahmed Othman isn’t on TikTok and doesn’t want to be. He and his younger sister got iPhones when they were in eighth and seventh grade respectively, but with no social media, just iMessage. Their parents, who are both computer scientists, spent the next year teaching them about social media, bombarding them with studies about its effects on teen mental health. Read more here.
The Opioid Crisis and Addiction Issues
- Every year, more than 100,000 people fatally overdose in the United States. While evidence suggests deaths from overdose have been declining overall, each death plunges loved ones left behind into a deep well of loss and grief. “For every person who actually dies, there are lots of people involved in that person’s life,” said Dr. Anita Everett, who directs the Center for Mental Health Services within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Read more here.
- Throughout the country, most states are collecting data on how to effectively curb opioid overdose deaths. The problem — few are improving their treatment systems for people living with substance use disorder, according to a new report from Pew Charitable Trusts. Read more here.
- The CDC recently released its yearly examination of deaths attributed to drug overdose. This year's results were a sobering reminder of the continuing impact that illicit drugs have had on our society, though an encouraging trend may have emerged. According to the report, more than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2023. Of those deaths, over 81,000 were from opioids, and more than 76,000 were due to synthetic opioids. Read more here.
Medicare
- Traditional Medicare is accepted at practically every doctor’s office and hospital in the U.S. However, it can be expensive. Most Americans will pay $679 a month just for hospital and medical coverage, with the potential for more costs if they get sick. With monthly premiums of $18.50 per month on average, Medicare Advantage often looks like a frugal alternative. However, private insurers keep premiums low by limiting providers and using byzantine cost containment tools such as prior authorization. Read more here.
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