Teen Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts Turned Upward Around 2009–2010, Researchers Find
A 30-year analysis of U.S. high school survey data, presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference, pinpoints 2009–2010 as the turning point when teen suicidal thoughts and attempts began rising after nearly two decades of decline. Persistent sadness, insufficient sleep, obesity, and slipping academic performance all shifted at the same time, suggesting broad societal changes rather than any single cause. The researchers hope pinpointing the timing will guide more targeted prevention strategies.
Source: Medical Xpress
More Daily Steps Linked to Better Teen Mental Health
A King’s College London–led study tracking 5,515 U.S. adolescents with wearable step counters found that the more daily steps teens took around age 11–12, the fewer mental health symptoms they reported a year later — with benefits rising from under 5,000 steps up to 12,000+. Teens with the highest step counts also showed slightly thicker tissue in two brain areas tied to movement and emotion regulation. The study is observational, so it can’t prove walking causes the improvement, but the link held even after accounting for earlier mental health problems.
Source: News-Medical.net
4.1 Million Health Workers Now Have a Safer Path to Mental Health Care
The Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation’s Wellbeing First Champion Challenge reports that more than 4.1 million health workers now practice in states or health systems that removed stigmatizing mental health questions from licensing and credentialing applications. Health workers have long feared that seeking care could cost them their license or career, so this change gives them a more confidential path to help for mental health conditions and substance use. It’s part of a national push to make it safe for the people who care for communities to care for themselves too.
Source: American Medical Association