Youth Mental Health
- Psychopathy, a diagnosis reserved for adults, is extremely difficult to treat, but new research suggests there is hope for children who display callous and unemotional (CU) traits, sometimes a precursor to that adult diagnosis. CU traits include a lack of empathy and general low ability to feel or recognize certain emotions, especially negative ones, in oneself and others. Read more here.
- The health of U.S. children has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health problems like depression, a new study says. Much of what researchers found was already known, but the study paints a comprehensive picture by examining various aspects of children’s physical and mental health at the same time. Read more here.
988 Lifeline
- Phone lines that provide mental health support to tens of thousands of Californians say they are on the verge of shutting down or dramatically scaling back as a result of cuts in the state’s new budget. Representatives from the support lines, which are distinct from hotlines that serve people in crisis, say they help thousands of Californians with mental health needs each month. Read more here.
Climate Change and Mental Health
- Central Texas is continuing to recover from devastating rains and "catastrophic" flooding that damaged homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people, many of whom were children. Victims and first responders may suffer physical injuries from natural disasters, such as floods, but psychologists and disaster experts say such events can also exact a heavy mental health toll – and the resources to address that cost may not always be available. Read more here.
- Riding on horseback through brush and over numerous dead turkeys, Margo Mellon scanned the flood-ravaged ground of Texas’ Hill Country for dead bodies. As she and her rescue mates trudged through the muddy terrain, state officials announced that more than 160 people are still believed to be missing. The triumphs of finding people alive ended days ago, while the mission of recovering bodies that might include even more children is far from over. The grim undertaking has prompted questions about how first responders and rescue teams are able to mentally reckon with the work ahead. Read more here.
Research
- The findings of this cohort study suggest that Medicaid reimbursement for PPD screening during well-child visits may increase rates of detection, postpartum mood or anxiety disorder diagnoses, and outpatient treatment among mothers in the postpartum year. Insurance reimbursement for PPD screenings during well-child visits appears to be a promising policy strategy; however, additional interventions may be needed to address barriers to conducting screenings and referrals in pediatric settings and accessing postpartum mental health treatment. Read more here.
- Eating disorders are substantial disturbances in eating or behavior related to eating. Eating disorders may be associated with medical and psychiatric complications, impaired functioning, and decreased quality of life. People with eating disorders have higher death rates than those who do not have these disorders. Read more here.
Medicaid and the ACA
- President Trump's tax and spending bill sets in motion nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health policy changes that could loom over the midterm elections. However, effects likely won't be felt until well after the ballots are cast. Despite negative polls and headlines, bill supporters could be insulated from political blame by a slow drip of policy changes that will play out over the next decade — a contrast to when the GOP tried to repeal Obamacare in 2017. Read more here.
- Republicans just delivered Donald Trump a “big, beautiful” legislative win. Now they’re fretting it will lead to some ugly electoral losses. GOP lawmakers are warning that slashing spending on Medicaid and food assistance will cost the party seats in the midterms — threatening their razor-thin House majority — by kicking millions of Americans off safety-net programs. Read more here.
- Medicaid cuts have received the lion’s share of attention from critics of Republicans’ sweeping tax cuts legislation, but the GOP’s decision not to extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies could have a much more immediate impact ahead of next year’s midterms. Extra subsidies put in place during the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire at the end of the year, and there are few signs Republicans are interested in tackling the issue at all. Read more here.
Manage Cookie Preferences