February 2018

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris had one of those rare and amazing "aha!" moments a decade ago when reading a scientific paper. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had found that the more traumatic events a person suffered in childhood - things like physical, emotional or sexual abuse, mental illness in a parent, divorce, neglect and domestic violence — the more likely he or she was to also suffer from chronic stress-related health problems like heart disease, obesity...

"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." Mother Teresa February's emphasis on love and friendship is a great time to ponder how our relationships with family and friends can affect our personal health, both for better and worse. Until fairly recently, the medical field has under-appreciated the connection between nurturing relationships and health. The impact of close personal relationships on health now is moving to the forefront in medical practice, particularly in...

With the Trump administration's blocks on arrivals from certain countries, the number of refugees resettling in San Diego County so far this fiscal year dropped 96 percent from last year. San Diego has resettled 40 refugees so far in fiscal 2018. During the same time last year, more than 1,100 refugees arrived in the county. To read more of Kate Morrissey's article, please click here.

Black male students in rural counties and those in foster care are suspended at some of the highest rates in California, a new report has found. The report also found that the disparity in suspension rates among black male students compared to all students is greatest in kindergarten through the 3rd grade. The report, titled " Get Out! Black Male Suspensions in California Public Schools ," looked at suspensions through the 2016-17 school year. It was authored by J. Luke Wood and Frank Harris...

Just like physical agility, emotional agility is important to overall health, well-being and successful relationships at work. But in a fast-paced world fraught with so much stress and upheaval, how do you achieve it? Psychologist Susan David, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, offers insights in a new book titled Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life . She spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about the "critical skill set" needed to achieve emotional...

One morning, my father died at home. I awoke to a call for help - my name shouted once, loudly, desperately, fearfully, by my mother - ran into my parents' bedroom, and found my father convulsing in the throes of a massive heart attack. His body bucked on a deadly trampoline, his chest heaved, spittle flecked his lips and the sides of his mouth as he desperately sought to fill his lungs with air. By the time our friendly family doctor arrived, stethoscope and black bag in tow, my father was...

You're at a cafeteria, you've got your lunch ... and then you just don't know where to sit. You don't want to sit alone, but you also don't know who would be friendly and let you sit with them. Sixteen-year-old Natalie Hampton has been there. She's an 11th-grader from Sherman Oaks, Calif., and the creator of a new app called Sit With Us. Hampton recently spoke about the app with All Things Considered host Audie Cornish. A transcript of their conversation follows, edited for clarity. To read...

For the past week, the East County Chamber of Commerce has been giving out wristbands to local homeless shelters and first responders. Their goal is to better connect homeless people to services and resources. People can text "ConnectEC" to 77453, which then gives them options for help covering basic needs such as health and shelter. The idea is to refer them to local resources, like the Crisis House in El Cajon. The East County Chamber of Commerce said they worked with people who are...

Anyone who lives with bipolar disorder knows life is filled with unexpected ups and downs. After I was diagnosed with bipolar 2, it took me some time to figure out what my triggers are and what I need to do to stay well. The more I have learned about the illness and myself, the easier it is to manage day-to-day. Everyone is different, but these are some things I have found helpful. To read more of Katie Gallo's article, please click here.

If you live with anxiety , you might be familiar with some of the seemingly “harmless” but incredibly hurtful things people often say to those struggling with it. Sometimes these “harmless” comments come in the form of a question. ( Have you tried meditating? ) Sometimes they come with a “solution” via personal anecdote. ( Becky used to get panic attacks, and once she started exercising again, her anxiety totally went away. ) Most often, they come from a place of misunderstanding mental...

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Authorities in San Diego have confiscated twelve guns from campuses across the county since the anonymous hotline “Students Speaking Out” was implemented in 1999. That’s according to Dep. Adriana Uribe with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, who helps manage the county’s anonymous tip hotlines. “That’s twelve potential school shootings that didn’t happen because somebody said something,” said Uribe. To read more of Matt Boone's article and to watch the accompanying video,...

So much of our nation's history – and our present – is rooted in the institution of slavery. Yet, America's schools are woefully unprepared to teach children about American slavery and all of the history related to it. That's what the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance project discovered after a yearlong investigation that included surveys of more than 1,000 high school seniors, an examination of state standards and textbooks, and questionnaires to more than 1,700 social...