I nstagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1, teens and young adults. Out of five social networks included in the survey, YouTube received the highest marks for health and wellbeing and was the only site that received a net positive score by respondents. Twitter came in second, followed by Facebook and then Snapchat—with Instagram bringing up the rear. From February through May of this year, people answered questions about how different social media platforms impacted 14 different issues related to their mental or physical health. There were certainly some benefits associated with social networking. All of the sites received positive scores for self-identity, self-expression, community building and emotional support, for example.
Discrimination may harm your health -- ScienceDaily
The past few weeks have brought on an avalanche of police brutality cases in the news. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks were a few of the black Americans who have died this year at the hands of white officers. Their deaths have shocked and outraged much of the nation, reigniting support for the Black Lives Matter movement and calls for justice reform. These violent events as shocking as they are are disturbingly common.
Mental health concerns increasingly common among young Australians, report finds
Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender LGBT youth is significantly higher than among the general population. The passage of laws that discriminate against LGBT people have been shown to have significant negative impacts on the physical and mental health and well-being of LGBT youth; for example, depression and drug use among LGBT people have been shown to increase significantly after the passage of discriminatory laws. Bullying of LGBT youth has been shown to be a contributing factor in many suicides, even if not all of the attacks have been specifically regarding sexuality or gender. Research by the Family Acceptance Project has demonstrated that "parental acceptance, and even neutrality, with regard to a child's sexual orientation" can bring down the attempted suicide rate. Numerous studies have shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have a higher rate of suicide attempts than do heterosexual youth.
Laura Santhanam Laura Santhanam. Suicides are on the rise among young Americans of all races, part of a grim national trend that has contributed to lower life expectancy overall , according to new federal data. But a separate study suggests that there are racial disparities in youth suicidal behavior, due in great part because some children lack access to vital resources. While suicide was the 10th most common cause of death among Americans of all ages in , it was the second leading cause of death among young Americans age 15 to 24, according to new data released Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Heather Kelly, a clinical psychologist with the American Psychological Association, there is an urgent need for more research to seek out evidence-based ways to prevent suicide and help those who struggle with thoughts of self-harm, especially among veterans, the LGBTQ community, youth and young adults.