When I was an adolescent and young adult, I struggled with depression. As I reflect back on that time, so much of what I was experiencing was deeply tied to coming to terms with my sexuality. Growing up in the 1980’s in a relatively conservative town, I was closeted (even to myself) until I was a young adult. The pain and fear of being different, of not belonging, of being judged or rejected for who I was more than my adolescent brain could wrap its conscious head around.

By Ryan White, Center for Health Journalism, July 23, 2020 Harvard’s Jack Shonkoff, a luminary in the field of early childhood, has spent years showing that events in the earliest years of life have profound implications for how budding brains develop, and in turn, shape a child’s later potential at school and work. Now, Shonkoff says it’s time to connect the brain to the rest of the body. “The message now is to say that there is a revolution going on in molecular biology and genomics and in...

The Lancet: Public Health Published:September 21, 2020DOI: Chandni Maria Jacob, MSc : Despina D Briana, MD : Prof Gian Carlo Di Renzo, MD : Prof Neena Modi, FMedSci : Flavia Bustreo, MD : et al. Summary Resilient societies respond rapidly and effectively to health challenges and the associated economic consequences, and adapt to be more responsive to future challenges. Although it is only possible to recognise resilience retrospectively, the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred at a point in human...

This post argues for the application of the social determinants frameworks to the problems of mental health. What this post misses or underemphasizes are the opportunities to change through social policy some of the social circumstances that help shape the likelihood of mental health challenges.

The Lancet EDITORIAL| VOLUME 396, ISSUE 10263 , P1607, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 Excerpts The prospect of preventing illness and death, and avoiding the harm and misery of extended restrictions, is a cause for optimism. But although it is right to be hopeful and encouraged, we are far from ending COVID-19 as a public health issue. Pfizer and Moderna together project that there will be enough vaccine for 35 million individuals in 2020, and perhaps up to 1 billion in 2021. As a result, many millions...

To achieve racial equity in access, opportunities, and power, communities across the country are having intentional and honest dialogue around needed change in policies, practices, and procedures.

n the midst of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism, people are increasingly engaging in conversations around racial equity.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are being forced to make choices between food and transportation, utilities, and medical care—leaving even more at risk of ongoing food insecurity . Join the webinar on February 16 to learn strategies to address food insecurity from two fantastic guest speakers:

Comparing the two Mosuo communities suggests cultural factors such as gender norms can significantly contribute to differences in men’s and women’s health. Their findings suggest that women’s health improves significantly in matrilineal communities.

Immune evasion, a virological game changer is as important as the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Dealing with immune evasion will require a re-evaluation of public health strategies, and the creation of a new, evidence-based social contracts.

In our Exploring the Connection Between Racial Healing and Health webinar this month, we will discuss how racial healing can improve racial and health equity. Join us for this special event held on the National Day of Racial Healing.

Exposure to childhood adversity is a global public health concern. Meta-analyses have shown that exposure to adverse childhood experiences are directly and intergenerationally associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes and result in considerable economic costs to society. However, the potential role of adverse childhood exposures in associations between social inequalities and poor long-term health outcomes is largely uncharted.

The panelists will share challenges and opportunities before us at the federal, state, and local levels to reimagine a robust, responsive and just public health system.

Creating opportunities for everyone to achieve long, healthy lives requires that we close the racial wealth divide.

One of the largest and, arguably, most successful efforts to “Open Dialogue” differences in community and culture challenges - Peer-supported Open Dialogue (POD) - has resulted in the largest research study yet of Open Dialogue-inspired services. The ODDESSI trial is studying the adoption of Peer-supported Open Dialogue within several of the U.K.’s National Health Service trusts.

“Mental Health Is Political,” a guest essay by Professor Danielle Carr in the New York Times (9.20.2022), asks “What if the cure for our current mental health crisis is not more mental health care?” She argues that what has been called an “’epidemic’ of mental illness” medicalizes what is primarily a social and political problem – that is, it makes it a medical problem to be dealt with through treatment rather than a larger social problem to be addressed through changes in social policy and...

Successful health equity strategies must be inclusive, and focus on all marginalized and minoritized persons and their communities. Any lesser view will continue to yield a faulty health equity equation.

Christina Bethell, Ph.D, MBA, MPH, founder of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI), principal author of the groundbreaking study on positive childhood experiences, and creator of the free Well Visit Planner, among other innovations. Two internationally-respected leaders and innovators in complementary aspects of early relational health and childhood and maternal health equity recently launched a partnership they believe will benefit everyone from newborn babies and...