Feeling stressed lately? You are not alone. The American Psychological Association (APA) partnered with The Harris Poll survey to look at how people in the US were dealing with stress over the past two years. The original survey took place from Feb. 7-14, 2022 but following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the APA conducted a second poll from March 1-3, 2022. Survey respondents reported high stress due to inflation, and issues related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Top sources of stress were the rise in prices of everyday items due to inflation (e.g., gas prices, energy bills, grocery costs, etc.) (87%), followed by supply chain issues (81%) and global uncertainty (81%).
Stress is a normal part of life that people experience in response to situations considered threatening or dangerous. At times, a small amount of stress can provide the needed push to complete a project or task and perhaps even creates a feeling of being more energized and focused. Stress in itself is not an illness. However, stress that lasts for a long time or is very intense, increases the risk of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use problems.
Remember, May is Mental Health Awareness month, a designation that was started in 1949 by Mental Health America. The goal of the campaign is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health conditions and provide access to affordable, quality mental health services. The stigma around mental health and treatment is starting to change but more work is needed. Too many people across all walks of life hesitate to seek help or even talk about their mental health concerns, which can lead to other problems such substance abuse, family and financial problems.
This Weekend Reading Series begins with Numbers Tell the Story, with current news stories “told” by the numbers. Next, check out the articles in Hard Times, on workplace mental health issues as well as the privacy risk of mental health and other apps. Do not miss Everybody Hurts with a video and articles on the adolescent mental health crisis in the U.S. Last, but not least, check out Ever Wonder? with articles on curious topics and my favorite, The Second Man in Space Had a Wee Wish—That He’d Used the Bathroom Before Blasting Off !
I hope you enjoy the following.
1. Numbers Tell the Story
NPR: This is how many lives could have been saved with COVID vaccinations in each state
WebMD: U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Top 100,000 for the First Time
AHIP: New Research: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans with Employer-Provided Coverage Received Mental Health Support in 2020
AHIP: How Employer-Provided Coverage Improves Access to Mental Health Support
MedPage Today: One in Four Medicare Patients Harmed in Hospitals, Nearly Half Preventable
Becker’s Hospital Review: Imaging dye shortage means rocky 8 weeks ahead for hospitals
2. Hard Times
New York Times: Everyone Is Not OK, but Back at Work Anyway Supervisors are called on to help people navigate personal challenges, whether or not they have the training to do so.
The Verge: Mental health apps have terrible privacy protections, report finds. Prayer apps were also worse than other categories
Mozilla Foundation: Mental Health Apps – Privacy Not Included
CPA Practice Advisor: Businesses Increase Employee Mental Health Support, But Many Workers Are Still Struggling Half of workers still report their mental health has deteriorated since the start of the pandemic, with 58 percent citing increased work hours or workload as taking the greatest toll.
Mental Health America: The 2022 State of Mental Health in America
3. Everybody Hurts
New York Times: Hundreds of Suicidal Teens Sleep in Emergency Rooms. Every Night. With inpatient psychiatric services in short supply, adolescents are spending days, even weeks, in hospital emergency departments awaiting the help they desperately need.
The New Yorker: The Mystifying Rise of Child Suicide: A family tragedy sheds light on a burgeoning mental-health emergency.
New York Times (video): Worried Sick: A Journey Into the Anxious Teenage Mind
4. Ever Wonder?
The Smithsonian Magazine: The Second Man in Space Had a Wee Wish—That He’d Used the Bathroom Before Blasting Off
McGill Office for Science and Society (OSS): Think Twice About Opting Out of Sauerkraut Sauerkraut may not be high up on anyone’s list of favorite foods, but given what it does for the gut, it should be.
The Smithsonian Magazine: How Fraudsters Allegedly Fooled the Art World in 15-Year Scheme. Federal prosecutors say scammers sold fraudulent paintings and memorabilia to collectors and auction houses
JSTOR Daily: Building an Economy on Paper Money A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn’t like it, but the colonists did.
Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
