- Mental Health
Increasing Concern Among Community Leaders as Suicide Rates Rise Among Hispanics
The suicide rate for Hispanics in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. The reasons are varied, say community leaders and mental health experts, citing factors such as language barriers, poverty, and a lack of bilingual mental health professionals. (Andy Miller and Molly Castle Work, 1/19 )
NEWS OF THE DAY
KCRA: California Introduces Fresh Mental Health Support for Children and Adolescents
The state of California is now offering free mental health resources to kids, teens and their caregivers with the launch of two, new digital platforms. BrightLife Kids, by Brightline, offers services for children up to 12 years old; Soluna, by Kooth, hosts resources for teens and young adults ages 13 to 25 years old. The platforms, announced Tuesday, are free for all California young people. (Denyer, 1/18)
- Children’s Health
CBS News: Study Reveals Link Between 100% Fruit Juice and Weight Gain in Both Children and Adults
Drinking one glass or more of 100% fruit juice each day is associated with weight gain in children and adults, according to a new analysis of 42 previous studies. The research, published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics, found a positive association between drinking 100% fruit juice and BMI — a calculation that takes into account weight and height — among kids. It also found an association between daily consumption of 100% fruit juice with weight gain among adults. (Moniuszko, 1/16)
The 19th: Research Indicates That Almost 1 In 10 Adolescent Girls Have Resorted To Pills for Weight Loss
Nearly 1 in 10 adolescent girls have used non-prescription pills to lose weight, according to new research. The report, an analysis of English-language research, noted that teenage girls in North America were the most likely group to have used these so-called weight loss aids, and pointed out that these tendencies — and the mindset driving them — raise the risks for eating disorders and overall harm to physical and mental health. (Gerson, 1/17)
Politico: Governor Newsom's Veto Puts an End to Youth Tackle Football Ban
California lawmakers on Wednesday shelved a proposal that would have banned youth tackle football a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom took the unusual step of saying he would veto the bill if it reached his desk. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, the bill’s author and a candidate for mayor of Sacramento, said he would not continue advancing the legislation, which cleared its first committee hearing last week and was expected to get a floor vote as soon as this week. (He and Bluth, 1/17)
- Disparities
Bloomberg: Health Care Disparities Persist for Black and Latino Children
Non-White children in the US receive lower-quality health care, including in emergency settings, where they are less likely to get painkillers for broken bones and migraines, according to a review of recent medical research. From neonatal and primary care, to surgery and endocrinology, the quality of pediatric health care is almost universally worse for non-White children, regardless of their insurance status, according to research published Wednesday in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal. (Denham, 1/17)
Reuters: Analysis Reveals Inadequate Healthcare for Minority Children in the U.S.
The quality of healthcare for minority children in the United States is universally worse than it is for white children, even after accounting for insurance coverage, an analysis of dozens of recent studies found. The pattern was similar across all medical specialties, including newborn care, emergency medicine, primary care, surgery, hospital care, endocrinology, mental health care, care for developmental disabilities, and palliative care, researchers said. (Lapid, 1/17)
KFF Health News: Disproportionate Impact of Medical Misdiagnosis on Women and Minorities
Charity Watkins sensed something was deeply wrong when she experienced exhaustion after her daughter was born. At times, Watkins, then 30, had to stop on the stairway to catch her breath. Her obstetrician said postpartum depression likely caused the weakness and fatigue. When Watkins, who is Black, complained of a cough, her doctor blamed the flu. (Szabo, 1/18)
- Schools
KFF Health News: Schools Disregard Federal Rules on Restraint and Seclusion, Leaving Students Feeling Unsafe
Photos show blood splattered across a small bare-walled room in a North Carolina school where a second grader repeatedly punched himself in the face in the fall of 2019, according to the child’s mom. His mother, Michelle Staten, said her son, who has autism and other conditions, reacted as many children with disabilities would when he was confined to the seclusion room at Buckhorn Creek Elementary. “I still feel a lot of guilt about it as a parent,” said Staten, who sent the photos to the federal government in a 2022 complaint letter. “My child was traumatized.” (Clasen-Kelly, 1/17)
NPR: Study Discovers that Anonymous Tip Lines in Schools Help Prevent Certain Incidents of Gun Violence
"If you see something, say something." ...A concept embraced by the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, started by the non-profit Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. ... A new study, published in the journal Pediatrics Wednesday, evaluated the tip line as it was used by one southeastern state — North Carolina — to see how successful it was at catching firearm-related threats. Researchers found there were more than 18,000 tips submitted during the four years studied, from 2019 to 2023. "What we found is that 10% of tips contain reference to a firearm." (Chatterjee, 1/17)