News Mashup for May 2023
In Recognition Of Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month. First commemorated in 1949, Mental Health Month aims to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and its impact on the well-being of children, adults, and communities across the Nation.
This year, the Biden-Harris administration recognized Mental Health Month by recapping the progress made in the past year and announcing additional actions aimed at increasing the mental health workforce, improving system capacity and reach, and strengthening continuum of support efforts.
With regard to children’s mental health, the White House announced actions that include new resources for school-based mental health services and the launch of a 1 million dollar Children and Youth Resilience Challenge fund to support community-led programs promoting “resilience in children and adolescents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters.”
Click on the links below to learn more.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. May 3, 2023. Fact Sheet: Celebrating mental health awareness month 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023 from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/fact-sheet-celebrating-mental-health-awareness-month-2023.html.
The White House. May 18, 2023. Biden-Harris administration announces new actions to tackle nation’s mental health crisis. FACT SHEET. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/18/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-tackle-nations-mental-health-crisis/.
Administration for Children and Families. May 4, 2023. HHS launches the Children and Youth Resilience Challenge. Department of Health and Human Services. PRESS RELEASE. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/media/press/2023/media/hhs-launches-children-and-youth-resilience-challenge.
State Leaders Discuss Youth Mental Health
This month the National Governor’s Association (NGA) released a synopsis of issues discussed during the recent NGA roundtable Strengthening Youth Mental Health. Challenges voiced by the panelists included (paraphrased):
The persistence of “care deserts” where specialized treatment and care facilities could be hundreds of miles away from youth in need.
The existence of “coverage gaps” due to inconsistent enforcement of insurance parity for physical and mental health needs.
Haphazard enforcement the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) mandate and mental health services covered under Medicaid.
The decline in the number of providers due to increasing administrative burden and subpar reimbursement rates.
The roundtable was number three of a four-part series convened under the NGA 2022-2023 Chair’s Initiative focused youth mental health.
Click on the links below to learn more.
National Governors Association. May 9, 2023. Youth mental health: Promoting access and affordability of quality treatment and care. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.nga.org/news/commentary/youth-mental-health-promoting-access-and-affordability-of-quality-treatment-and-care/.
National Governors Association. May 18, 2023. Governors Murphy, Shapiro, Carney join forces to strengthen youth mental health. PRESS RELEASE. Retrieved May 30 , 2023 from https://www.nga.org/news/press-releases/governors-murphy-shapiro-carney-join-forces-to-strengthen-youth-mental-health/.
Anti-Poverty Programs Support Healthy Brain Development
A NIH-funded study published this month in Nature Communications demonstrated the positive impact that anti-poverty programs have on the mental health of children in low-income families. The authors analyzed brain structure disparities in more that 10,000 youth 9-11 years of age using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
As has been previously demonstrated in smaller studies, the researchers found that low income is associated with smaller hippocampal volume and correlative increases in adolescent anxiety, depression, aggression, impulsivity, and inattention.
In a NIH news release, the lead author of the study, Dr David Weissman, said that “the data suggest that policies and programs that work to reduce social and health inequities can directly reach children in disadvantaged environments and help support their mental health.”
Weissman goes on to say that “Children’s brains are undergoing substantial development and have enhanced plasticity or capacity for further change based on their environment. These data suggest that policies and programs that work to reduce social and health inequities can directly reach children in disadvantaged environments and help support their mental health.”
Click on the links below to learn more.
National Institute of Health. May 2, 2023. Anti-poverty programs may help reduce disparities in brain development and mental health symptoms in children. News Release. Retrieved May 26, 2023 from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/anti-poverty-programs-may-help-reduce-disparities-brain-development-mental-health-symptoms-children.
David G. Weissman, Mark L. Hatzenbuehler, Mina Cikara, Deanna M. Barch and Katie A. McLaughlin. May 2, 2023. State-level macro-economic factors moderate the association of low income with brain structure and mental health in U.S. children. Nature Communications. Retrieved May 26, 2023 from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37778-1.
More On Kids And Social Media From The U.S. Surgeon General
This month U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory expressing growing concerns surrounding the adverse impact of social media on youth. The Advisory presents “current evidence on the positive and negative impacts of social media on children and adolescents, some of the primary areas for mental health and well-being concerns, and opportunities for additional research to help understand the full scope and scale of social media’s impact.” In parallel with the Surgeon General’s Advisory, the American Psychological Association released recommendations based on the scientific evidence to date.
While recognizing tangible benefits, both the Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association urged families to set limits on their children’s use of social media and called on tech companies and the federal government to set standards that protect the health and well-being of young people.
Click on the links below to learn more.
Vivek Murthy. May 23, 2023. Social media and youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf.
American Psychological Association. May 2023. Health advisory on social media use in adolescence. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use.
Matt Richtel, Catherine Pearson, and Michael Levenson. May 23, 2023. Surgeon General warns that social media may harm children and adolescents. The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/health/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health.html.
The White House. May 23.2023. Biden-Harris administration announces actions to protect youth mental health, safety & privacy online. Fact Sheet. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/23/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-actions-to-protect-youth-mental-health-safety-privacy-online/.
Claire Cain Miller. May 24, 2024. For one group of teenagers, social media seems a clear net benefit. The New York Times, The Upshot. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/upshot/social-media-lgbtq-benefits.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare.
Arianna Prothero. May 24, 2023. The U.S. Surgeon General’s warning about social media and what it means for schools. Education Week. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-u-s-surgeon-generals-warning-about-social-media-and-what-it-means-for-schools/2023/05.
Lauren Camera. May 25, 2023. Surgeon General’s warning on social media and kids bolsters school leaders’ lawsuits. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved may 30, 2023 from https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2023-05-25/surgeon-generals-warning-on-social-media-and-kids-bolsters-school-leaders-lawsuits.
Alice Park. May 26, 2023. The U.S. Surgeon General fears social media is harming the 'Well-Being of Our Children'. Time Magazine. Retrieved may 30, 2023 from https://time.com/6282893/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-interview-social-media/.
Jesse Greenspan. May 26, 2023. Social media can harm kids: Could new regulations help? Scientific American. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/social-media-can-harm-kids-could-new-regulations-help/.
Grace Gedye. May 1, 2023. Lawmakers want more social media regulation. Here are the legal hurdles that could face. CalMatters. Retrieved May 1, 2023 from https://calmatters.org/economy/2023/05/social-media-addiction/.
Julie Lynem. May 11, 2023. As lawmakers struggle to act, California schools turn to the courts to combat social media. CalMatters. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/05/schools-courts-combat-social-media/.
More Stories in May: For kids with disabilities, child care options are worse than ever The Hechinger Report — 05.04.2023; Despite their promise, school mental health screenings face resistance Education Week — 05.05.2023; After a traumatic year, Asian Americans make healing a family matter: Here’s how they’re talking about mental health across generations CNN — 05.05.2023; Fostering youth transitions 2023: State and national data to drive foster care advocacy Annie E. Casey Foundation — 05.08.2023; California should keep its $60 million budget commitment to foster care children Cal Matters. — 05.09.2023; Youth violence rocks San Francisco: Where does the city go from here? The San Francisco Standard — 05.08.2023; Experts suggest youth courts to reduce juvenile crime The Center Square — 05.08.2023; What is special education? A guide for educators and families We Are Teachers — 05.09.2023; Gavin Newsom restores some funding for foster care after pressure from advocates and lawmakers The Sacramento Bee — 05.15.2023; What it’s like teaching through a youth mental health crisis Education Week — 05.15.2023; Protecting youth mental health: How employers can support young people now Forbes — 05.16.2023; Five years in with millions unclaimed, is Family First helping kids and families yet? Youth Today — 05.16.2023; HHS announces additional $200 million in funding for 988 suicide & crisis lifeline SAMHSA — 05.17.2023; Why are teens in crisis? Here’s what the evidence says The New York Times — 05.17.2023; UC disability services understaffed, students say CalMatters — 05.22.2023; Religious leaders may benefit from training on mental health support MedPage Today — 05.22.2023; Why this psychologist is hopeful about teen mental health The New York Times — 05.23.2023; Black kids face racism before they even start school: It's driving a major mental health crisis AP News — 05.23.2023; Colleges must play larger role in improving student mental health, report finds EdSource — 05.23.2023; New York charter schools write their own rules for when to call 911 on students having a mental health crisis ProPublica — 05.23.2023; To help youth mental health, redefine and expand the support pipeline U.S. News & World Report — 05.23.2023; High stakes, silent systems The Imprint — 05.23.2023; Few people know about the 988 lifeline – and many who do fear calling it will lead to a police response MindSite News — 05.26.2023; How California’s big effort to help abused children left some with nowhere to go Los Angeles Times —05.28.2023;
