Latest news with #healthdecline
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds
How to check in on your mental health How to check in on your mental health Only about a fourth of moms in the United States say they have "excellent" physical and mental health, according to a new study. The study, published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at 198, 417 mothers with children age 17 and under, finding large declines in self-reported maternal mental health and small declines in physical health from 2016 to 2023. The health outcomes were measured on a four-point scale, including excellent, very good, good and fair/poor. Within the time frame studied, the prevalence of "excellent" mental health declined from 38.4% to 25.8%. "Good" mental health rose from 18.8% to 26.1%, and "fair/poor" mental health rose from 5.5% to 8.5%. Prevalence of "excellent" physical health declined from 28.0% to 23.9%. "Good" physical health rose from 24.3% to 28.1% while "fair/poor" physical health didn't change significantly, the study found. "Mental health declines occurred across all socioeconomic subgroups; however, mental and physical health status was significantly lower for single female parents, those with lower educational attainment, and those with publicly insured children," the authors noted. The study also looked at changes among male parents, finding declines in both "excellent" physical and mental health within the same eight-year study period — but overall, they still had better health scores than their female counterparts. In 2023, for example, the prevalence of "fair/poor" mental health was 4 percentage points higher among female parents compared to male parents. This isn't the first time parental mental health has been put in the spotlight. Last year, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for changes to national attitudes toward parenting and caregiving in an advisory titled "Parents Under Pressure." "The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society. Additionally, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children," Murthy wrote in the advisory, highlighting his own experience raising children. As the study authors note, their findings are consistent with documented increases in depression and anxiety among pregnant and reproductive-aged women, as well as the general U.S. adult population. "Our findings are supportive of the claim made by some scholars that maternal mortality may be a canary in the coal mine for women's health more broadly," they wrote. Though more research is needed to identify the specific causes of declining mental health, the authors said leading theories include limited access to mental health care, social isolation, rising substance use disorders as well as broader stressors, from inflation and racism to gun violence and climate change.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Chilling video shows cruel impact of deadly motor neurone disease on 57 year-old's body in just a year
A shocking video has documented the devastatingly rapid decline of patients with motor neurone disease—documenting the loss of one sufferer's basic bodily functions in just one year. The Instagram clip, which has been viewed more than 6.3million times, reveals the heartbreaking difference in the health of 57 year-old Darin Nakakihara, from Southern California, who can be seen struggling to speak. 'My voice is almost gone,' he said. 'I am in a wheelchair most of the time. But I am still functioning'. According to the video filmed earlier this month, the father-of-three now relies on a wheelchair to get around and needs assistance in almost every aspect of his life. A clip superimposed over the most recent video show that, this time last year, he was walking and talking easily, like someone without the disease. In May last year, despite getting tired really easily, the teacher was still able to walk, talk and function independently in day-to-day life, he told followers. The progressive disease—which affects the signals sent between the brain and the rest of the body—first struck Mr Nakakihara in 2022. He went from an active person with 'boundless energy' to a sufferer of multiple inexplicable health problems, which were subsequently found to be the result of ALS—the most common type of motor neurone disease, which gradually stops patients being able to move, talk and even eat. ALS claimed the life of Sandra Bullock 's partner Bryan Randall in 2023 and the acclaimed scientist Stephen Hawking famously suffered from it. The first signs of the disease were subtle. In summer 2022, Mr Nakakihara suffered a fall at home in his garage. He fell again when while taking school pictures. By January 2023, he was rapidly losing strength on the left side of his body. He developed 'dropped foot' syndrome and suffered from leg cramps at night and his body was constantly twitching. Doctors initially diagnosed spinal stenosis—a common condition where the canal in the spine that contains the spinal cord becomes narrowed or restricted, causing pain in the lower back and legs, neck, arms and hands. He underwent neck surgery in May 2023 to address his symptoms. However, during his follow-up visits, Mr Nakakihara's surgeon became increasingly concerned about his lack of physical improvement. He was then referred to a neurologist for further tests, who diagnosed ALS in November 2023. Committed to spreading awareness for the devastating disease, he has urged his followers who have newly been diagnosed to record their voice whilst they still can. 'Record your voice right now, before it's too late,' he said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I'm serious. ALS can take your voice overnight, no warning, and once it's gone it's gone. 'But if you record it now, you can keep a part of yourself, your real voice, your tone your laugh. Trust me, future you will thank you.' He has since pledged to document his voice every May 19th until it is gone. In a separate video updating his followers on his current condition, he said: 'I had a clinic appointment last week, and it was a tough one. Probably the realest one yet. And not in a good way'. Despite previously making headway with his breathing difficulties, Mr Nakakihara now requires a BiPAP machine to help him breathe. Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow (pictured) died last year at the age of just 41 after a four-and-a-half-year battle with MND 'Everything got worse', he explained in the video. 'We ordered a cough assist and a Hoyer lift because that writing is on the wall for sure. 'I am trying to stay strong, I really am. 'But this one hit different. The reality of how fast things are changing is really starting to sink in'. 'But i'm still here, I'm still me and I still look for joy even when those moments are filled with tears.' His friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help support his family with the finanical burden of an incurable disease, hoping that the funds will enable him to spend as much time as possible with his three daughters and wife. ALS is a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system. Around 5,000 adults in the UK have ALS and there is a one in 300 risk of developing the condition over the course of a person's life. Life expectancy for about half of those with the condition is between just two and five years from the onset of symptoms. But these can worsen rapidly. The most common cause of death for people with ALS is breathing failure. Some people may live for up to 10 years, and, in rarer circumstances, even longer. Along with twitches, cramps and muscle weakness are among the early signs of the condition, along with slurred speech and weight loss. There is no cure but doctors can provide treatments to help reduce the impact it has on a person's life. The exact cause is largely unknown, but current research points towards a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and possibly lifestyle factors—and it often hits seemingly fit and healthy people. Last year, Leeds Rhinos star Rob Burrow, 41, died after a four-and-a-half-year battle with the condition. Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is a rare neurological disorder that can also occur in some progressive cases of ALS.
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Original Sin: book on Biden's health decline reopens Democratic party's wounds
George Clooney 'felt a knot form in his stomach' as a frail and diminished Joe Biden approached him, apparently failing to recognise one of the most famous actors in the world. 'George Clooney,' an aide eventually clarified for the US president. 'Oh, yeah!' Biden said. 'Hi, George!' The excruciating encounter at a glitzy Los Angeles fundraiser last June is one of several damning anecdotes contained in Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, an upcoming book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. Previews of the book gripped Washington this week, exposing the shocking truth of the last year of Biden's presidency as his health declined and reopening old wounds in the Democratic party and White House press corps. The revelations also fuelled questions over what political role, if any, 82-year-old Biden has to play in the future as he strives to redeem his legacy. 'Running for re-election was a disastrous decision and it destroyed a honourable and consequential legacy,' said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. 'Joe Biden is a source of deep disappointment and betrayal with the Democratic party. The fact that he's still out publicly promoting himself and his presidency is further confirmation of the disconnect between Joe Biden and reality.' Based on interviews with more than 200 people including White House insiders, members of Congress and donors, Original Sin presents a scathing account of an elderly, egotistical president cocooned from reality seeking re-election in 2024 despite significant concerns about his declining health and cognitive abilities. Examples included losing his train of thought, struggling to remember names, incoherent speeches and difficulty with physical tasks, Tapper and Thompson write. Aides discussed the possibility of Biden needing a wheelchair if he won re-election due to the severity of his physical slowdown and fears of falls. 'What the public saw of his functioning was concerning. What was going on in private was worse.' Biden's reckless decision to run, enabled by his inner circle, is described as an 'abomination' and an act of 'extended public deception' that ultimately led to the Democratic defeat and made inevitable the fate that Biden feared the most: Donald Trump's return to power. The authors also allege a deliberate effort by Biden's close staff and allies to conceal the extent of his deterioration, though they do not dwell on the question of whether many in the media were complicit. One anonymous aide is quoted as saying: 'We attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn't realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023.' In an appearance on CNN, where he is lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent, Tapper said: 'The White House was lying not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers. They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors, about how bad things had gotten.' Biden's doddering debate performance against Trump on 27 June 2024 was the moment the grand deception was exposed. The president clung on for more than three weeks before finally stepping aside and endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris. David Plouffe, an adviser for Harris, told the authors that Biden's belated withdrawal 'totally fucked us'. Unusually for a political book, Original Sin soared to number one on Amazon's new releases list and put the media spotlight back on Biden. Congressman Ro Khanna has admitted Biden should not have run while the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, has suggested he should have dropped out sooner. Some have questioned why Democrats are still furiously debating what happened even as his successor threatens democracy itself. But a line from the book is telling about a perceived betrayal of public trust and a need to learn lessons for the future: 'Democrats deceived the country about Biden's abilities and, Clooney said, 'that's how Trump won'.' There is still disagreement over when, or even whether, Biden should have abandoned his bid for re-election. Allies continue to defend him, pointing out that no evidence has come to light that his decision making was impaired or he jeopardised national security, and highlighting his robust performances in last year's State of the Union address and Nato summit in Washington. Ron Klain, a former White House chief of staff, told the Guardian via text messages: 'I do not think he should have dropped out at all. We are all in decline. But the president was mentally sharp and capable of serving. I think his press conference after the Nato meeting in July proved that.' Others contend that the president who had called himself a 'bridge' to the next generation should have quit far sooner. Adam Green, cofounder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said: 'Even in 2021 and 2022 Biden was likely not fit to run for re-election. He could not get sentences out. He could not barnstorm the country. He could not make a case like Barack Obama could. He couldn't skewer false Republican talking points like other Democratic politicians could. He shouldn't have run again.' He added: 'The incorrect takeaway from this book is that Biden should have gotten out a few weeks earlier so that Kamala Harris would win. The better take is that he should have gotten out earlier so that the Democrats could have a primary and select a better candidate.' Norman Solomon, national director of a progressive group that launched a 'Don't Run Joe' campaign in November 2022, said: 'The book verifies everybody's concern who was speaking out privately. I talked to congressmen in early 2023 who said, God, this guy's going to drag us down. But the fear element was there. 'It documents convincingly that the Democratic party establishment took a dive when they should have put up a fight and – this is very sad to say – almost every Democrat in Congress was culpable. It was not rocket science or political science to know that Biden should not run again. It was hidden in plain sight.' Yet Biden, who reportedly remains convinced he could have beaten Trump, is not going away any time soon. He signed with Creative Artists Agency for representation and, aware that Original Sin and a slate of other damaging books were on the way, he hired the communications strategist Chris Meagher to defend his reputation. Last week he gave high-profile interviews to BBC Radio 4's Today programme and the ABC talkshow The View. He told the latter he was writing a book and said: 'I'm trying to figure out what's the most significant and consequential role I can play, consistent with what I've done in the past.' Frank Luntz, a political and communications consultant and pollster, said: 'He has every right to speak up as a president, as a vice-president, as a senator for roughly 30 years, as a leading force in American politics. He has every right to be heard. 'If that's what he chooses to do, that is absolutely his right as an American political leader for half a century. He was elected at the age of 29. If he has something to say, he should say it and he should be welcomed and, if it hurts the Democrats, it's their own fault.' Like his fellow one-term president Jimmy Carter, Biden may have to wait a long time before his reputation recovers. He left office with just a 36% approval rating, according to a CNN poll, and faces continued opprobrium not only over his decision to run again but his handling of issues such as inflation and the war in Gaza. Democratic candidates are unlikely to be clamouring for his endorsement in next year's midterm elections. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, suggested: 'He should step back, at least for a while, certainly through the midterm elections, and then let the nominee in 2028 determine whether he's brought back in. 'If the nominee thinks he can help he'll ask him and if he doesn't he won't. We'll know what the answer is in terms of whether Biden gets an evening slot at the Democratic convention or an early morning slot when we're all suffering from hangovers.' Solomon of added: 'The best thing he can do is to get off the stage. As awful as his impacts have been on facilitating Trump's return, he still is unrestrained and he's compounding the felony. 'I don't think it's a completely unfair comparison to King Lear. The storm is coming and he's in the winter of his life and he's trying to to vindicate himself but it's too late. It's impossible. He's a walking risk factor for any Democrat who wants to win election next year.'
