COP26: A Critical Juncture on Climate Change and Global Mental Health

All eyes are on the global leaders who are convening in Glasgow at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, to focus on strategies for cutting carbon emissions across the world. The risks and ongoing impacts of climate change are clear, summarized by The American Psychiatric Association’s position statement on the subject: “climate change poses a threat to public health, including mental health.”

10 Steps to Help Your Child Prevent and Address Cyberbullying

• Patients and Families

In this digital era, technology has become intertwined with socialization, education, creativity, and play. And it is always available. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the use on virtual social interactions as the main form of interacting among peers. Close friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, and even bullies have constant access to them through digital devices.

My Writing an Op-Ed Didn’t Seem Possible, Until I Got Some Help

• By Samuel Jackson, M.D.

One of the great opportunities of the APA Fellowship is to learn from national leaders about the writing tools at our disposal and how to use them. If there’s something you strongly believe in or an injustice you know needs to be addressed, learning how to advocate through opinion writing is an invaluable skill to have.

Is the Over-Organization of Youth Sports Taking Away from Their Benefit?

• Patients and Families

Although sports undoubtedly contribute to the positive health and well-being of student athletes, recent cultural changes in youth sports including overtraining, early sport specialization, and increased parental pressure are contributing to burnout and pushing student athletes out of sports.

Treating Sleep Problems May Help Prevent Depression

• Depression, Sleep Disorders

Sleep problems and depression are closely interconnected and have a bidirectional relationship. In The American Journal of Psychiatry, authors David T. Plante, M.D., Ph.D., with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, suggests that there is important “opportunity to prevent depressive episodes using evidence-based treatments for insomnia.” Plante highlights several factors contributing to the potential for broad public health impact.