Many U.S. Teenagers Report Significant Anxiety, and Care Often Lags Behind
About one in six adolescents in the United States aged 12 to 20 reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12. The reporting around the study highlights a gap between need and support, with many young people not receiving mental health care. The findings underline how common anxiety symptoms are in adolescence and how important timely, accessible help is for young people and their families.
Source: Apex News (study published in JAMA Pediatrics, October 12, 2026; reported October 30, 2026)
Maldives First Lady Calls for Mental Health to Count as Much as Physical Health
Speaking at the opening of a regional psychiatry conference in the Maldives on November 1, First Lady Sajidha Mohamed said a society cannot be truly healthy unless mental wellbeing is treated with the same importance as physical health. She pointed to stigma, silence and fear of judgement as barriers that keep many people from seeking help, and stressed listening without judgement and responding with care, especially for children and young people facing academic, family and online pressures. She also outlined the country's current efforts, including a national mental health action plan running to 2029, a dedicated mental health department, and a round-the-clock helpline.
Source: Byline.mv (November 1, 2026)
Northern Ireland Psychiatrists Raise Concerns as Police Step Back From Some Welfare Calls
Northern Ireland's police service begins a new phase of its Right Care Right Person approach on November 1, under which officers will no longer attend some concern-for-welfare calls that do not meet their thresholds, with more of those calls directed to health and other services instead. The police handle more than 35,000 such calls a year and say officers remain the right responders where a crime has occurred or there is an immediate risk to life or serious harm. The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has welcomed the principle of health-led care but raised significant concerns about whether health and social care services are ready and resourced enough to take over, warning that no one in a mental health emergency should fall between services or face delays in getting help.
Source: The Irish News (October 31, 2026)
About one in six adolescents in the United States aged 12 to 20 reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12. The reporting around the study highlights a gap between need and support, with many young people not receiving mental health care. The findings underline how common anxiety symptoms are in adolescence and how important timely, accessible help is for young people and their families.
Source: Apex News (study published in JAMA Pediatrics, October 12, 2026; reported October 30, 2026)
Maldives First Lady Calls for Mental Health to Count as Much as Physical Health
Speaking at the opening of a regional psychiatry conference in the Maldives on November 1, First Lady Sajidha Mohamed said a society cannot be truly healthy unless mental wellbeing is treated with the same importance as physical health. She pointed to stigma, silence and fear of judgement as barriers that keep many people from seeking help, and stressed listening without judgement and responding with care, especially for children and young people facing academic, family and online pressures. She also outlined the country's current efforts, including a national mental health action plan running to 2029, a dedicated mental health department, and a round-the-clock helpline.
Source: Byline.mv (November 1, 2026)
Northern Ireland Psychiatrists Raise Concerns as Police Step Back From Some Welfare Calls
Northern Ireland's police service begins a new phase of its Right Care Right Person approach on November 1, under which officers will no longer attend some concern-for-welfare calls that do not meet their thresholds, with more of those calls directed to health and other services instead. The police handle more than 35,000 such calls a year and say officers remain the right responders where a crime has occurred or there is an immediate risk to life or serious harm. The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has welcomed the principle of health-led care but raised significant concerns about whether health and social care services are ready and resourced enough to take over, warning that no one in a mental health emergency should fall between services or face delays in getting help.
Source: The Irish News (October 31, 2026)