Exposure to fires and smoke can increase rates of anxiety and depression. June 8, 2023, 5:57 PM ET 5 minute read Smoke from the record-breaking Canadian wildfires continues to blanket much of the Northeast and impact air quality. Plumes of smoke composed of fine particles and toxic gases can negatively impact our physical health, causing damage to the lungs and heart and aggravating underlying conditions, such as asthma. However, experts have said that thick fog and foggy conditions, such as those seen in areas like New York City, can also…
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Children’s mental health becomes a ‘public health emergency’
MEMPHIS, Tenn. The mental health crisis among children has gotten so bad that local medical experts are sounding the alarm. They call it a health emergency. Over the past decade, mental health problems in children have steadily increased. Then the pandemic struck, ushering in a new set of challenges such as social isolation, devastating losses, and sudden family financial hardship. The CDC reported that 55 percent of children experienced emotional abuse from parents or caregivers during the pandemic. 11% experienced physical abuse. Schools, normally there to protect children and connect…
Read MoreWhat type of exercise is best for mental health?
When you go to your weekly yoga class or lift weights at the gym, you’re doing something good for your physical health: get fitter today and protect your body in the future. What you may not always think about, however, is that you’re also protecting yourself from anxiety and depression just as much as you would if you went to therapy or took medication. At least that’s the conclusion of a very large new study that synthesizes decades of research on exercise and mental health. The study not only provides…
Read MoreWhy do Idol characters call mental illness sexy?
When Britney Spears came out Blackouts, the album that many critics and fans would argue is the superstars best record, music came in the wake of chaos. Not even a year earlier, Spears was photographed shaving her head, an event that sparked millions of forum comments, media harassment, and fan concern. Despite all the hubbub, Spears still managed to craft an album full of self-referential robotic electropop. Of course, nearly every review, good and bad, mentioned Spears’ public struggle with her mental health. THE Rolling stone the review opens with…
Read MoreBurnout threatens the primary care workforce and the mental health of physicians
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988” or the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. Melanie Gray Miller, a 30-year-old doctor, wiped away her tears as she described the isolation she felt after losing a beloved patient. “It was at the end of a night shift, when bad things always seem to happen,” said Miller, who is training to be a pediatrician. The boy had been ill for months in the Medical University…
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