Another Possible Reason for the Rise in Youth Mental Health Issues

Another Possible Reason for the Rise in Youth Mental Health Issues

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.”

Shared Links (weekly) March 6, 2022

Shared Links (weekly) March 6, 2022

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute
Sharing – What American Mental Health Care Is Missing

Sharing – What American Mental Health Care Is Missing

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

We actually know the things that can offer hope, we just don’t have a system that can deliver them. Our system is broken, the medical community can offer medicine and some limited treatment options but the day-to-day support and the work to reach a state of something more than symptom reduction doesn’t actually exist for most people.

This has to change. Go read more of what he has to say, I think for many of you it will seem familiar, but maybe provide some hope that we are not alone in seeing it.

Now if we can just find enough of us to care enough to fix it. We should all want to, mental health issues will happen to someone we all know and care about, eventually. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to offer a system that does not involve homelessness and prison time for far too many?

It’s The Time of the Year When We Need to Talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder

It’s The Time of the Year When We Need to Talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

As I realize that those of us in the US will be turning the clocks back to standard time this weekend, and those of you in other Northern Hemisphere countries may have done the same last weekend, it’s important to remind ourselves of what that time change, and change in the amount of daylight to follow, can mean for folks.

So, I’m sharing a link and an image from the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) to remind us that SAD is a thing, and it can be mild and treated by taking some small actions, or it can truly interfere with living our lives and might require something more than eating healthier. Either way, keep this handy and know when the season might be affecting you.