Latest news with #YouthRiskBehaviorSurvey
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Childhood verbal and physical abuse leave similar impacts, study shows
Cruel words can leave a mark on a child –– and may have as much of an impact as physical abuse, new research has found . People who experienced physical abuse as a child were at a 50% increased risk of reporting low mental health in adulthood compared with those with no abuse, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Open. Those who experienced verbal abuse had a 60% increase in likelihood of low well-being. The prevalence of physical abuse in people in England and Wales has halved, from 20% in people born from 1950 to 1979 to 10% in those born in or after 2000, according to the study. Verbal abuse, on the other hand, has increased. In the United States, more than 60% of people participating in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported experiencing emotional abuse and 31.8% reported physical abuse. The survey listed emotional instead of verbal abuse, but asked about similar behaviors as the most recent study. In this latest analysis, researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults across seven different studies in England and Wales. The study team evaluated childhood experiences using the Adverse Childhood Experiences tool and components of adult mental health using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. The 'results suggest that verbal abuse in childhood can leave mental health scars as deep and long-lasting as those caused by physical abuse,' said lead study author Dr. Mark Bellis, professor of public health and behavioral sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom. What is verbal abuse? Across the United States and the world, there has been an epidemiological shift of a greater burden of verbal abuse across populations, said Dr. Shanta Dube, professor of epidemiology and director of the department of public health at the Levine College of Health Sciences at Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. She added that emotional abuse is 'often tied to the act of verbal abuse and therefore verbal abuse can often get lost.' The rise of verbal abuse amid the decline of physical abuse highlights a need to raise awareness around spoken abuse, especially given the lasting impact, said Dube, who was not involved in the study. 'Verbal abuse may be eroding the mental health benefits we should expect from successful efforts to reduce physical abuse,' Bellis added. It can be hard to draw the line for sure on what language is harsh and what is verbal abuse, but it can include blaming, insulting, scolding, criticizing or threatening children, said Dr. Andrea Danese, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College London and adjunct clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center. He was not involved in the research. 'Think about the use of derogatory terms or statements intended to frighten, humiliate, denigrate or belittle a person,' he said. 'It is often unintentional.' Comments can sound like 'Johnny can do it. Why can't you?' 'You always make mistakes,' 'You're stupid,' or 'You're worthless,' Dube said. 'Harsh, denigrating words spoken to children have lasting impacts. Children developmentally are concrete thinkers 'it is or isn't,' she said in an email. 'They can take things literally.' Children rely on the language of the adults in their immediate environment to learn both about themselves and the world, Danese said. Therefore, the way children are talked to can be very powerful in both positive and negative ways, he added. 'Being the subject of verbal abuse can twist a young person's understanding of who they are and their role in the world,' Danese said. Is it the impact or how you remember it? The study relies on observational data, meaning that researchers cannot say for sure that verbal abuse in childhood causes poorer mental health in adulthood, only that there is a connection between the two. It could be that people who experience verbal abuse in their younger years have trauma later, but it also could be that adults with worse mental health are more likely to remember their childhood more harshly, Danese said. However, the sample size was large enough and the approach was strong enough to add to the existing evidence around impacts of verbal abuse, Dube said. Language has power –– good and bad It is increasingly important that researchers and individuals pay attention to the factors that impact long-term mental health, Bellis said. 'Poor mental health is a major and growing global public health issue, particularly among adolescents and young adults,' he said. Part of the decline in physical abuse may be attributed to more awareness, data collection and campaigns focused on its reduction over the years, Dube added. 'Improving childhood environments can directly enhance mental well-being as well as helping build resilience to protect against the future mental health challenges individuals may face through adolescence and adulthood,' Bellis said in an email. 'We need to ensure that the harms of verbal abuse are more widely recognised.' Parents and caregivers with more information and support may be better equipped to create better home environments for their children, he said. 'This means helping build emotional regulation skills in parents and children, helping catalyse emotional attachment between them, developing their communication skills and encouraging modelling behaviours in parents so that they demonstrate the type of approaches to problems that they would like to see in their children,' Bellis said in an email. But the issue doesn't stop with parents –– all adults who interact with children need to understand the impacts of verbal abuse, Dube said. And the answer isn't just to shame adults, Danese said. Instead, he and other researchers are looking to support a cultural shift toward everyone being more mindful about the language used toward children and how it might affect them. 'It's not about dramatising times when we could have let negative comments on children slip,' he said in an email. 'It is about being mindful of them and trying to repair them with an apology, a correction, and an explanation.' Editor's note: If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. Dial or text 988 or visit for free and confidential support.
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
The Teen Mom is Dying Out
While the birth rate has declined in general over the last 50 years, mothers aged between 15 and 19 have seen the most consistently steep fall. In 1975, there were 599,926 teen births in America – more than double the teen pregnancies recorded in 2024 (136,376), according to the U.N. Population Division. Among the teen births that do take place today, "the vast majority occur among folks who are 18 or 19," said Elizabeth Wildsmith, a family demographer and sociologist at Child Trends, a nonpartisan research organization. "Teen births have declined dramatically over the past several decades," she told Newsweek, citing a lower level of sexual activity among teenagers, a higher level of contraceptive use and wider social changes. "No easy answers," said Claire Brindis, co-director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Health National Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco. "No one factor can really explain the reductions," she told Newsweek, citing similar reasons to Wildsmith, along with improved access to education. Brindis also drew on the general trend of having children later, currently taking place across all age groups. "We have to give young people a lot of credit for being pregnancy-free," she said. Some 32 percent of high schoolers said they had ever had sex in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This is a decrease from the 47 percent who said they had ever had sex a decade earlier, in 2013, and significantly lower than in 1991, when 54 percent said they had ever had sex. "I am not sure we have a clear understanding yet of the role that digital/social media is playing in shaping how and when youth form relationships, including sexual relationships, or their thoughts and behavior around parenthood," Wildsmith said. "There is likely a mix of positive and negative impacts. For example, online resources, especially reliable sources that use evidence-based information, may help youth learn about various contraceptive methods and more easily access them," she continued. "Similarly, they can provide access to content around what a safe and healthy romantic relationship looks like." "At the same time, we know that health misinformation on social media platforms is a serious concern," she added. She went on to align the decline in sexual activity with "a decline in the proportion of youth that have ever dated." Brindis also spoke about cultural shifts, pointing to the pandemic when she said: "Perhaps another factor is a residual of COVID, with more young people hanging out in groups, after long periods of isolation, and less likely to end up only in pairs." "Ironically, while more teens are exposed to pornography through social media, they are less likely to feel comfortable talking to each other and being in a relationship," she added. But she went on to speak about the impact of increased education and the choices this has provided. "Clearly, access to education has been shown to be a huge motivator," Brindis said, "as young women are surrounded by role models, including their moms, who have improved their own educational status and who hold great expectations that their daughters can break more glass ceilings than they were able to themselves." "Young women are more likely to explore how to protect themselves, including delaying having sex, having fewer partners, if they are sexually active (which reduces their risk as more steady partners will increase the likelihood of conversations about birth control protection in the context of all their other dreams," she added. While "the dramatic decline in the teen birth rate since the early 1990s has occurred across all race/ethnic and socioeconomic groups," as Wildsmith said, the declines "have been somewhat uneven across groups and there are still large disparities in the teen birth rate across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status." For example, teen birth rates among Native (20.9), Hispanic (20.8), Pacific Islander (21.2), and Black (19.3) teens were more than double that of white teens (8.4) and over ten times higher than Asian teens (1.8) in 2023, according to a Congressional Research Service report published in April, which used data from the National Center for Health Statistics. "We should recognize that there continues to be segments who are more likely to be at risk-young people who are poor or low income, those who live in rural communities, with less education, and with less hope for economic opportunities continue to be more vulnerable," Brindis said. "The risks are that we don't continue to invest in young people across all groups, and especially women, if education opportunities are shut off, if economic options (as an alternative to going to college), if student loans are eliminated or more difficult to get, if families have more economic struggles, if access to birth control or other social support services, for example, many of these positive trends can evaporate," she added. Last month, Newsweek broke down how birth rates have changed across all age groups over the past 50 years. While mothers between the ages of 50 and 54 had no babies in 1975, this number gradually increased to more than 100 over the years and was 159 in 2024. People in their twenties have had fewer babies, often delaying children to their thirties, which has meant the number of births in this age group has increased. America is one of many countries around the world struggling with falling birth rates. Fertility rates are projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest forecast released this year. This number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. Many trying to tackle this issue have focused on public health policies and financial plans, often citing the 2008 financial crisis, its effect on housing, inflation and pay as a major contributor to why people delay having children, have fewer of them or to not have them at all. The Donald Trump administration has made this issue one of its priorities, with the White House exploring the possibility of giving women a "baby bonus" of $5,000, according to an April New York Times report. 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Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
The Teen Mom is Dying Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. While the birth rate has declined in general over the last 50 years, mothers aged between 15 and 19 have seen the most consistently steep fall. In 1975, there were 599,926 teen births in America – more than double the teen pregnancies recorded in 2024 (136,376), according to the U.N. Population Division. Among the teen births that do take place today, "the vast majority occur among folks who are 18 or 19," said Elizabeth Wildsmith, a family demographer and sociologist at Child Trends, a nonpartisan research organization. "Teen births have declined dramatically over the past several decades," she told Newsweek, citing a lower level of sexual activity among teenagers, a higher level of contraceptive use and wider social changes. "No easy answers," said Claire Brindis, co-director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Health National Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco. "No one factor can really explain the reductions," she told Newsweek, citing similar reasons to Wildsmith, along with improved access to education. Brindis also drew on the general trend of having children later, currently taking place across all age groups. "We have to give young people a lot of credit for being pregnancy-free," she said. Teenagers Are Having Less Sex Some 32 percent of high schoolers said they had ever had sex in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This is a decrease from the 47 percent who said they had ever had sex a decade earlier, in 2013, and significantly lower than in 1991, when 54 percent said they had ever had sex. "I am not sure we have a clear understanding yet of the role that digital/social media is playing in shaping how and when youth form relationships, including sexual relationships, or their thoughts and behavior around parenthood," Wildsmith said. "There is likely a mix of positive and negative impacts. For example, online resources, especially reliable sources that use evidence-based information, may help youth learn about various contraceptive methods and more easily access them," she continued. "Similarly, they can provide access to content around what a safe and healthy romantic relationship looks like." "At the same time, we know that health misinformation on social media platforms is a serious concern," she added. She went on to align the decline in sexual activity with "a decline in the proportion of youth that have ever dated." Brindis also spoke about cultural shifts, pointing to the pandemic when she said: "Perhaps another factor is a residual of COVID, with more young people hanging out in groups, after long periods of isolation, and less likely to end up only in pairs." "Ironically, while more teens are exposed to pornography through social media, they are less likely to feel comfortable talking to each other and being in a relationship," she added. But she went on to speak about the impact of increased education and the choices this has provided. "Clearly, access to education has been shown to be a huge motivator," Brindis said, "as young women are surrounded by role models, including their moms, who have improved their own educational status and who hold great expectations that their daughters can break more glass ceilings than they were able to themselves." "Young women are more likely to explore how to protect themselves, including delaying having sex, having fewer partners, if they are sexually active (which reduces their risk as more steady partners will increase the likelihood of conversations about birth control protection in the context of all their other dreams," she added. Have Teen Pregnancies Changed For Everyone? While "the dramatic decline in the teen birth rate since the early 1990s has occurred across all race/ethnic and socioeconomic groups," as Wildsmith said, the declines "have been somewhat uneven across groups and there are still large disparities in the teen birth rate across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status." For example, teen birth rates among Native (20.9), Hispanic (20.8), Pacific Islander (21.2), and Black (19.3) teens were more than double that of white teens (8.4) and over ten times higher than Asian teens (1.8) in 2023, according to a Congressional Research Service report published in April, which used data from the National Center for Health Statistics. "We should recognize that there continues to be segments who are more likely to be at risk-young people who are poor or low income, those who live in rural communities, with less education, and with less hope for economic opportunities continue to be more vulnerable," Brindis said. "The risks are that we don't continue to invest in young people across all groups, and especially women, if education opportunities are shut off, if economic options (as an alternative to going to college), if student loans are eliminated or more difficult to get, if families have more economic struggles, if access to birth control or other social support services, for example, many of these positive trends can evaporate," she added. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva People Are Having Children Later in General Last month, Newsweek broke down how birth rates have changed across all age groups over the past 50 years. While mothers between the ages of 50 and 54 had no babies in 1975, this number gradually increased to more than 100 over the years and was 159 in 2024. People in their twenties have had fewer babies, often delaying children to their thirties, which has meant the number of births in this age group has increased. America is one of many countries around the world struggling with falling birth rates. Fertility rates are projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest forecast released this year. This number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. Many trying to tackle this issue have focused on public health policies and financial plans, often citing the 2008 financial crisis, its effect on housing, inflation and pay as a major contributor to why people delay having children, have fewer of them or to not have them at all. The Donald Trump administration has made this issue one of its priorities, with the White House exploring the possibility of giving women a "baby bonus" of $5,000, according to an April New York Times report.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Active Minds Statement on Shutdown of 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline LGBTQ+ Subnetwork
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Active Minds is deeply concerned by the recent decision to discontinue the LGBTQ+ subnetwork of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, known as the "Press 3 option." This decision represents a significant and dangerous step backward in our collective commitment to prioritizing mental health for all young people and will result in the termination of a vital support system for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults by July 17. At a time when we are facing an escalating youth mental health crisis, we need to lean into the evidence-based solutions that work. According to data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 41% of LGBTQ+ high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, compared to 13% of their cisgender and heterosexual peers. LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges and suicidal ideation, often driven by systemic discrimination, identity-based violence, and social isolation, making specialized, culturally competent crisis services not only beneficial, but essential. The "Press 3" option was created in recognition of this critical need, providing identity-affirming support from trained counselors who understand the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ young people. These services are not arbitrary; they were established to provide culturally competent, identity-affirming support that general crisis lines are often unequipped to deliver. Eliminating this specialized support will cost lives. The fact that this announcement was made during Pride Month makes it especially pointed. Particularly alarming is the omission of the "T" from the "LGBTQ+" acronym in its public messaging dismissing an entire identity, an identity that has historically faced disproportionately high rates of mental health concerns; especially among younger trans and nonbinary individuals. Data from The Trevor Project shows that transgender and nonbinary youth are two to two-and-a-half times more likely than their cisgender LGBTQ+ peers to experience depression, consider suicide, or make an attempt. Taking away the "Press 3 option" created to provide affirming, identity-understanding care poses a direct threat to the lives and wellbeing of especially vulnerable youth. As the nation's leading nonprofit mobilizing youth and young adults to improve mental health norms for all, Active Minds calls on lawmakers and constituents to take action. We encourage Congress to restore funding for identity-affirming crisis services and ensure all crisis counselors are equipped to serve LGBTQ+ youth with empathy and competence. Every young person deserves access to mental health care that is safe, responsive, and tailored to their lived experience. Our movement has always been about amplifying diverse voices of youth and young adults positioning them to change how mental health is valued and prioritized. The voices of these trailblazers are clear: specialized mental health support saves lives, and no young person should ever be left behind. Now is the time to take action and here is what our youth and young adult network is doing: Learning about upcoming state and federal legislative efforts aimed at protecting mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults; engagement is essential to ensure these vital services are preserved and expanded. Becoming legislative advocates with Active Minds and joining us and our partners in the fight for mental health equity at every level of government and community. Mobilizing as advocates, allies, and community members against this harmful decision by signing The Trevor Project's national petition here: Protect the 988 Lifeline for LGBTQ+ Youth. We will continue to uplift the voices and stories of LGBTQ+ youth and advocate for mental health systems that recognize, respect, and protect every person, and champion a new era of mental health that truly values and prioritizes the wellbeing of all youth. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. For LGBTQ+ youth, The Trevor Project's trained crisis counselors are available 24/7: Call 1-866-488-7386 Chat at Text START to 678678 To learn more about Active Minds, visit us online at For media inquiries, please contact: dante@ About Active MindsActive Minds is the largest nonprofit in the United States mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms across society. For more than 20 years, we have equipped the next generation of peer mental health advocates through a variety of programs, including the Active Minds Chapter Network, A.S.K., and Send Silence Packing. Our advocacy, initiatives, and campaigns foster lasting change in how youth view and discuss mental health, encouraging them to use their voices to influence broader conversations and inform mental health supports within their communities. Together, we are building a diverse movement of champions committed to improving mental health for all. To learn more about Active Minds, visit active Contact: Dante Worth dante@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Active Minds, Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
18-06-2025
- Health
Trump administration to close LGBTQ+ suicide hotline program next month
The federal government said on Tuesday it is ending the national suicide hotline's specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth next month. In a press release, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) -- which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services -- said the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline would close the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program on July 17. "The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option," SAMHSA said in statement. "Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress," the statement continued. "Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help." In September 2022, 988 launched a pilot program to specifically address the needs of LGBTQ+ Americans under age 25 by providing services with a counselor trained to support LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. In March 2023, the program expanded to 24/7 services. SAMHSA data shows more than 1.2 million LGBTQ+ people contacted 988 between July 2022 -- the beginning of the new three-digit number for the national suicide hotline -- and February 2025. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth, was among those providing support for the specialized program. The organization said on Wednesday that it received notice the program was ending. "This means that, in 30 short days, this program that has provided life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people will no longer be available for those who need it," Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project, sad in a statement. "The fact that this news comes to us halfway through Pride Month is callous -- as is the administration's choice to remove the 'T' from the acronym 'LGBTQ+' in their announcement." Studies show that youth who identify as LGBTQ+ -- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or another non-heterosexual identity -- report higher rates of poor mental health and higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. In 2023, more than three in five LGBTQ+ high school students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to a 2024 report of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report also found that 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and one in five did attempt suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide -- free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.
