November 2016

In the summer of 2015, Greg, Rasheed, and a few of their peers started fighting back against racism on Twitter. They found people who used the n-word and gently admonished them, reminding them that they were harassing and hurting real people. Which is ironic, since neither Greg nor Rasheed were real people themselves. They were bots. They were the creations of Kevin Munger , a politics student at New York University. By programming a variety of Twitter bots to respond to racist abuse against...

This post originally appeared at Truthout . “Always remember the ‘social determinants of health’” is a buzz phrase that I have repeatedly heard throughout my time in medical school. But I’ve rarely heard physicians really ask difficult questions about what leads our patients to become ill. Throughout the medical education process, we rarely discuss the powerful systemic structures that lead to poverty, inequality, environmental degradation and suffering. The medical school system does not...

Computer technology known as machine learning can assess a person’s spoken or written words and accurately identify whether that person is suicidal, mentally ill but not suicidal, or neither. The new computer tool is up to 93 percent accurate in correctly classifying a suicidal person and 85 percent accurate in identifying a person who is suicidal, has a mental illness but is not suicidal, or neither. These results provide strong evidence for using advanced technology as a decision-support...

A difficult childhood may be associated with a risk of poor blood pressure regulation, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016. Fluctuations in blood pressure readings ( blood pressure variability) have been associated in some studies to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and complications from hypertension. Researchers at the Augusta University Medical College of Georgia investigated the impact of "adverse childhood experiences" –...

Growing up in Columbia, Maryland, Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng was a self-described troublemaker in grade school. He even got sent to the principal’s office once for in-class misbehavior. But none of his teachers ever called his parents about his school misconduct. In fact, throughout his K-12 schooling, Cherng can’t recall once when a school staffer reached out to his parents. Meanwhile, even though it was customary in high school for the counselor to personally congratulate parents of students...

Childhood victims of bullying have nearly double the risk of being overweight at 18 years of age compared to non-bullied children, according to a new study by researchers at King’s College London. “Bullying is commonly associated with mental health problems, but there is little research examining the physical health of bullied children,” said Dr. Andrea Danese at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London. “Our study shows that bullied...

Last night, under a full autumn moon and with a light mist in the air, several hundred activists came together for a White House-sponsored evening, “Youth, Trauma and Resilience: Discussion and Film Screening of RESILIENCE.” Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope is a one-hour documentary that chronicles the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) movement in the U.S. With the election outcome undoubtedly on the minds of everyone, Tina Tchen -- assistant to the President,...

Depression is on the rise among American teens and young adults, with adolescent girls showing the greatest vulnerability, a new national survey reveals. Back in 2005, the risk of major depressive disorder for teenage boys was pegged at 4.5 percent, and 13 percent for teenage girls. By 2014, however, boys' risk of depression rose to 6 percent, but for girls it soared to more than 17 percent, the survey found. "These are episodes during which the adolescent experiences five or more depressive...

We woke up on Nov. 9 not fully aware or willing to accept what had just happened in the country. Our morning routine was filled with sadness and confusion about what the future holds with President-elect Donald Trump. We were also fearful for what this country will look like for the young black and brown men we work with day in and day out. But by the time we made it to our office, collectively we were feeling different. Although this election has been a traumatic experience for many...

Better data collection, improved efforts to attract juvenile defenders and well-funded, well-organized defense systems are among the ways to ensure youth charged with an offense have a lawyer by their side when they enter a courtroom, a new report says. The National Juvenile Defender Center released an analysis that details how the group believes federal, state and local officials, as well as law schools and others, could help ensure more juveniles have access to legal counsel. The...

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) invites you to join us on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. EDT for a live Twitter chat and discuss how adverse childhood experiences affect children’s well-being. Film director, James Redford (@jred5562) and educational leader, Jim Sporleder (@SporLin ) will co-faciliate this convening to explore strategies used by educators, therapists, pediatricians, and communities to disrupt cycles of violence and trauma. For those...

I feel crushed like a bug under an over-sized, smelly loafer Obliterated. It's familiar. I feel afraid. As someone with post-traumatic stress, I’m used to being afraid. This is different and not different. This isn’t only a symptom or a fresh new feeling that goes with an old memory. This is reality-based fear. This is the Maya Angelou “When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time” kind of afraid. It’s based on experience, from the election, but also from being a...