The New York Times (11/28, Kim ) reported, “Australia has imposed a sweeping ban on social media for children under 16, one of the world’s most comprehensive measures aimed at safeguarding young people from potential hazards online.” However, “many details were still unclear, such as how it will be enforced and what platforms will be covered.” According to the Times, “after sailing through Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, the bill passed the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “said that it puts Australia at the vanguard of efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of children from detrimental effects of social media, such as online hate or bullying.”

The AP (11/28, McGuirk ) reported, “The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.” The social media “platforms have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.”

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— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (11/27) reported, “This year, nearly a third of Americans (28%) say they anticipate more holiday-related stress than last year, according to the latest APA Healthy Minds Monthly Poll.” However, “the holidays also remain a season of joy for many: Nearly two-fifths (38%) of adults say the holidays positively impact them.” APA President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, MD, Dr. Med. Sc., said, “Although there are several different holidays we celebrate in December, many of us share the same anxiety and excitement about preparing for them. … Holiday stress is normal, and as psychiatrists, we understand that the social determinants of mental health can and do influence the experience of the winter holidays.”

Related Links:

— “Holidays Bring Anxiety for Some but Continue to Be a Source of Merriment for Many, Psychiatric News, November 27, 2024

HealthDay (11/26, Thompson ) reports, “Preschoolers prone to tantrums appear to have a higher risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by the time they reach school age, a new study says.” Investigators found that “young children who struggle to control their emotions and behavior have more ADHD symptoms by age 7.” The study indicated that “their conduct is more likely to be poor and they are more apt to suffer from emotional problems like sadness or worry by that age.” The findings were published in Development and Psychopathology.

Related Links:

— “Preschoolers’ Tantrums Can Be Early Sign of ADHD,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, November 26, 2024

HCPlive (11/26, Derman) reports, “A new study indicated high-dose antipsychotic use for schizophrenia was associated with increased mortality risk.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing data on “32,240 patients aged 17 – 64 years…diagnosed with schizophrenia between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2012.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Can Antipsychotics Increase Mortality Risk? A New Study Shows It Might,” Chelsie Derman, HCPLive, November 26, 2024

The New York Times (11/25, Lewis) reports that following an incident last January on an Alaska Airlines flight in which “one of the plane’s doors had blown off,” over “30 other passengers from the Alaska Airlines flight are suing the carrier and Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, citing ‘severe stress, anxiety, trauma, physical pain, flashbacks and fear of flying and also objective physical manifestations such as sleeplessness, PTSD, hearing damage and other injuries.’”

Such “harm inflicted on passengers who experienced in-flight emergencies…ha s not been as researched or recognized.” The Times adds, “Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the National Transportation Safety Board has policies or recommendations regarding passenger mental health after emergencies.”

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— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)