Category: Mental Health
CDC takes a closer look at kids’ mental health
Somewhere between 13 and 20 percent of kids in the United States experience some sort of mental illness. That adds up to millions of children suffering from disorders like ADHD, depression, autism and illicit drug use. The total annual cost of the illnesses?
About $247 billion a year.
Monday Health Tip: Strategize to subdue stress
This week, consider which tools have worked for you before and perhaps try out some new ones.
Having a few “go-to” stress-reducing techniques up your sleeve can make all the difference.
States tackle mental illness and gun ownership
Some states are moving to severely keep people with a history of mental illness from owning guns event though studies have shown that those with mental illness are only slightly more likely to commit acts of violence than anyone else.
Fewer students smoking and drinking alcohol in Washington state
Cigarette smoking is down in all grades. For example, just 10 percent of 10th graders reported smoking a cigarette at least once in the past 30 days — down from 25 percent in 1999. But percentage of 10th and 12th graders who smoke marijuana is nearly double the percentage of cigarette smokers.
Sequestration spares Medicaid and Medicare but cuts many health programs for low-income Americans
The sequestration’s automatic cuts will make it more difficult for low-income Americans to get maternal and infant care, vaccinate their children, and receive treatment for mental illness.
What will the impact of sequestration be on Washington health programs?
Less money for vaccinating children, providing HIV testing, treating substance abuse and preparing for biological, chemical and radiological disasters.
In wake of Newtown shootings, school psychologists seek greater role in school mental health efforts
School psychologists must be part of the conversation about school safety and mental health services, both nationally and at the local level, says the leader of the National Association of School Psychologists at its annual meeting here in Seattle.
Healthy Monday Tip: Find peace with a pen
Situations and events that are distressing for many might not bother you in the least. Or, you may be sensitive to even minor stressors. The first step in managing stress is identifying your triggers. Knowing when, where and why stress occurs, along with your stress symptoms and how you cope, can help you reduce exposure or come up [...]
How the NRA undermined law to require mental health checks for gun buys
Bush administration proposed legislation that would require all states to share the names of residents involuntarily committed to mental health facilities. The information would be provided to a Federal Bureau of Investigation database. The idea, in part, was to help gun dealers get important information about whether potential customers were mentally ill.
Mental health provisions of Obama’s gun plan focuses on children, teens, and young adults
Mental health advocates are buoyed by the attention given to an issue they say has been ignored for far too long.
Binge Drinking: a serious, under-recognized problem among women and girls – CDC
Binge drinking is not widely recognized as a women’s health problem, but drinking too much – including binge drinking – results in about 23,000 deaths in women and girls each year, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sexually Transmitted Infections in Teens: An overview of an uncomfortable topic
This this first article of a series on sexually transmitted infections in teens, Seattle Children’s Dr. Yolanda Evans begins by first talking about teens and sexuality. “As teens,” she writes, “we start to discover who we are attracted to and what we are looking for in a partner. We also start to experiment with relationships . . .
Connecticut school shooting – Helping kids cope with violence in the news
Studies show that children can suffer long-term emotional damage from exposure to violence in news coverage. Dr. Bob Hilt, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, says parents should be prepared to help their children deal with traumatic events, such as natural disasters and acts of violence.
Washington state moves to address epidemic of prescription painkiller overdose deaths – BMJ
A feature article on efforts in Washington state to address the epidemic of prescription painkiller overdose deaths by LocalHealthGuide editor Michael McCarthy appears this week in the BMJ, the journal of the British Medical Society.
UW researchers seek volunteers for fibromyalgia study
UW researchers are looking for men and women with fibromyalgia to participate in trial to compare of a drug treatment with or without behavioral treatment and a placebo with or without behavioral treatment..
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