The New York Times (5/9, Taylor) reports across the US, mental health professionals say they have seen a growing number of Black people seek their help in the past year. Following the police killing of George Floyd, “mental health experts across the country say they have seen African-Americans, whose skepticism of therapy has been documented by research, seeking it in growing numbers.”

Related Links:

— “After a Traumatizing Year, Black People Turn to Therapy ” Derrick Bryson Taylor, The New York Times, May 9, 2021

MedPage Today (5/6, Gever) reports, “Just as reports of severe lung illnesses related to vaping began to make headlines in 2019, rates of cannabis vaping among high school students were soaring, according to high-quality survey data.” Data “from the long-running Monitoring the Future study showed that 4.9%…of high school students reported “frequent” vaping of cannabis products – 10 or more times in the previous month – up from 2.1% in 2018.” Meanwhile, “rates of any cannabis vaping in the previous month also increased dramatically, from 7.5% in 2018…to 14.0% in 2019.” The findings were published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Bloomberg (5/6, Wheeler) reports, “Dealing with Covid-19’s physical after-effects are challenging enough, but the virus is also taking a toll on the mental health of survivors with lingering symptoms, who call themselves long haulers.” A new “study reported in The Lancet Psychiatry journal found a third of Covid-19 survivors were diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition in the six months after being infected; 17.4% had an anxiety disorder.” COVID-19 “survivors with physical conditions like heart or lung problems are often able to find in-network specialists with minimum hassle, particularly if their primary care doctor is part of a large health network.” However, “with mental health, however, it’s often a struggle to get help at all.” Health experts say it demonstrates “how the U.S. health-care system is ill-equipped to meet the growing demand for mental health treatment.”

Related Links:

— “‘Pretty Damn Awful’: Covid Long-Haulers Find Mental Care Elusive “Lydia Wheeler, Bloomberg, May 6, 2021

Reuters (5/6, Caspani, Beier) reports “Educators across the country agreed students’ mental wellbeing became a bigger priority after the pandemic forced schools to shut down or operate with a mix of remote and in-person learning.” Teachers saw that “some students struggled to focus, and isolation, worry and depression took a toll on many.” Earlier this year, a Reuters survey of school districts in the US “serving more than 2.2 million students found that a majority reported multiple indicators of increased mental health stresses among students.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. schools turn focus to mental health of students reeling from pandemic “Maria Caspani, Hannah Beier, Reuters, May 6, 2021

The Hill (5/5, Schnell) reports that a new survey, “conducted by CVS Health and Morning Consult, found that 46 percent of women are experiencing significantly more or somewhat more stress compared to this time last year.” Results show “that fears and concerns regarding the effects of COVID-19 are a prime source of the stress felt by women.” The findings demonstrate that “the COVID-19 pandemic has universally amplified levels of stress and anxiety among women, with moms and caregivers most deeply affected,” CVS said in a press release.

Related Links:

— “Nearly half of women say they’re more stressed amid pandemic: survey “Mychael Schnell, The Hill, May 5, 2021

CNN (5/5, Mascarenhas, Marples) reports researchers found “calls to a major child abuse hotline increased in the early months of the pandemic,” exacerbating “worries that hidden child abuse may have been a consequence of school closings and lockdown measures due to the novel coronavirus.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Child abuse hotline calls and texts rose during the pandemic. Here’s how to help “Lauren Mascarenhas and Megan Marples, CNN, May 5, 2021

The Hill (5/5, Coleman) reports US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the US is “still not doing enough” to address the growing mental health crisis. Murthy spoke during The Hill’s “Future of Healthcare: Bold Bets in Health” event and said he was “deeply concerned” about mental health in the US before the pandemic started.

Related Links:

— “Surgeon general: US ‘still not doing enough’ to address growing mental health crisis “Justine Coleman , , May 5, 2021