Mental Health

Social Media’s Concerning Effect on Teen Mental Health

CUR­RENT LEV­ELS OF TEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE Vir­tu­al­ly all teens (95%) ages 13 to 17 use social media, with more than 1 in 3 report­ing that they use it ​“almost con­stant­ly.” While most U.S. social media plat­forms require users to be at least 13 years old, near­ly 40% of kids ages 8 to 12 use social media. … Read More

The Indivisibility of Parental and Child Mental Health and Why Poverty Matters

Child mental health difficulties are common, with approximately one in five young people across all ages globally experiencing them. This is a major cause for concern, as child and adolescent mental health problems have deleterious effects, not only on social … Read More

Mental Health Emergency Response

Introduction It is estimated that 7% to 10%1 of all police encounters involve a person who has mental illness. Most of these encounters do not involve any violence, and some don’t involve a crime at all. People with mental illness … Read More

New CDC Report Highlights Youth Risk Behavior Challenges

What is included in the YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report? The YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report includes data on behaviors and experiences for 29 variables across Download Report Additionally, this year’s report includes data on social determinants of health, such as unstable … Read More

Containing Trauma: Closing the Wounds that we Open

Flashbacks.  Nightmares. Distractability.  Mood changes.  Hyper-arousal.  Developmental arrest.  We are taught about the signs and symptoms of traumatic wounding through books and articles, trainings and conferences, symposiums and panels.  We have learned how to adeptly detect our clients’ injuries—the moral, … Read More

A Review of State Efforts to Enforce Mental Health Parity: Lessons for Policymakers and Regulators

By JoAnn Volk, Rachel Schwab, Maanasa Kona and Emma Walsh-Alker Executive Summary The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) aims to remove insurance-related obstacles to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. However, federal and state regulators have … Read More

Behavioral Health Resources for Youth

Americans are facing mental health and substance use challenges at alarming rates. These conditions were already on the rise before the pandemic, but the toll of COVID-19 on people of all ages has been significant. Following President Biden’s State of the … Read More

Disrupting Stigma: How Understanding, Empathy, and Connection Can Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use and Mental Disorders

Stigma specifically related to child abuse, neglect, and prenatal substance exposure affects the attitudes of healthcare and treatment professionals; child welfare and court professionals; social service agencies and workers; as well as family, friends, and most notably, the person with … Read More

Increasing Action & Awareness on Prevention of Substance Use Disorders and Positive Mental Health with Adolescents

This year the SAMHSA-sponsored initiative strives to: Get communities involved with implementing prevention strategies and showcasing effectiveness of evidence-based prevention programs Foster partnerships and collaborations with federal agencies and national organizations dedicated to improving public health Promote and disseminate quality … Read More

Juvenile Justice Resource Hub Adds Racial-Ethnic Fairness Section

Juvenile Justice Resource Hub Adds Racial-Ethnic Fairness Section Developed by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange and the National Juvenile Justice Network with support from the MacArthur Foundation, the Juvenile Justice Resource Hub provides timely research and information on juvenile justice issues and trends. In addition to sections on mental … Read More