Shared Links (weekly) Oct. 6, 2024
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This is some interesting reading from Susannah Cahalan related to the closing of mental hospitals in the US. I already knew from my own reading that the closing, while supposedly meant to help patients who were being mistreated in some of those hospitals, created a much worse problem because they were released to be treated…
Ben points out that the Child Tax Credit was expanded to assist poor families with pandemic-related economic hardships in 2021.
The rate of childhood poverty dropped to historic lows.
Then it went away. And, well, what else would you expect?
According to NPR, “…A year ago, child poverty hit a historic low of 5.2%. The latest figures [a year after the child tax credits expired] put it at 12.4%, the same as the overall poverty rate. The surge happened as record inflation was rising and a lot of pandemic relief was running out, but Census officials and other experts say a key was the child tax credit.”
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has developed, and is continuously updating, a digital toolkit for COVID-19. AFSP encourages everyone to engage in an open, honest dialogue with their friends and loved ones, to demonstrate compassion and kindness, and to practice self-care by exercising, meditating, and consuming the news in measured doses. And, reach out…
This is another reminder that there’s no excuse to dismiss the damage done to human beings when they are abused. Kids do not get over it, or barely remember it. They are impacted in myriad ways well into adulthood. Not doing everything we can to limit trauma, let alone arguing for policies that create more trauma for certain groups of children, cannot be tolerated.
Dr. Franklin shares some really good information, about warning signs, and resources for help with suicide prevention, but maybe the best reason to read, and bookmark, the article is this one: Now is the best time to start building a collection of resources that you may need one day for yourself or a loved one….