Here is the latest in mental health news.

We are back for week two and is there a lot to cover. No doubt the public narrative around mental health in the US has shifted the past couple of years. SO MANY athletes, celebrities, and public figures are speaking out openly and honestly about their mental health (more on that below so keep scrollin’ ;)) which has helped destigmatize mental health challenges and encourage others to ask for help. In addition to normalizing the conversation, we’re seeing exciting progress in state and federal politics, business, schools, and more. Gah, we’re so excited - let’s just get into it!

Policy + Advocacy

Nah-nah-nah-nah-hey-hey-hey gooodbyyyee!

Student loan borrowers, rejoice! Yesterday, the Biden administration announced its student loan forgiveness plan which will bring on a huge relief for millions of borrowers.

Many working- and middle-class Americans are being absolved of up to $10,000 in federal student loans, and Pell Grant recipients within the designated income threshold may have up to $20,000 in student debt canceled.

CNBC shares three ways student loan forgiveness could help improve mental health. Check it out here.

$4.7B from Newsom

Last week CA Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $4.7B plan (that’s BILLION with a B!) Master Plan for Kids' Mental Health. This plan lays out proposals to increase access to mental health and substance abuse services, including adding 40,000 new workers in mental health fields.

"Mental and behavioral health is one of the greatest challenges of our time. As other states take away resources to support kids' mental health, California is doubling down with the most significant overhaul of our mental health system in state history," Newsom said.

Tech + Business

Youth wellness and mental health now deemed a $26B opportunity

Telosity, a VC firm funding startups aiming to harness tech to improve wellbeing and mental health, recently released a full market guide demonstrating the urgent and growing demand for mental health solutions for young people. Read the executive summary or download the full report here.

A new spin on the “mood ring”

Is measuring, tracking, and even potentially predicting mental health the holy grail of wearable technology? Some signs point to yes, including the launch announcement of supposed ‘Happy Ring’ created by Tinder founder Sean Rad. Happy Ring makes no claims of being a diagnostic tool. Rather, the company believes it has cracked the code of monitoring wearers’ progress, in a kind of mental health analog to fitness trackers like Apple Watch and Oura. Much like those products, Happy Ring claims to be a method for monitoring vital readings and presenting actionable data to help get the wearer get back on track, whatever that means.

 CO clinic brings alternative treatments for depression 

Rose NeuroSpa, a new clinic in Lone Tree, CO offers patients depression treatments that are not widely available like transcranial magnetic stimulation. TMS is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. This treatment is available alongside other more traditional mental health treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), coaching and mindfulness.

Work

Quiet quitting

Quiet quitting is yet the latest trend in a larger reevaluation of how work fits into our lives and not the other way around. As Gen Z is entering the workforce in droves, the idea of quiet quitting has gained traction as we all look for ways to manage burnout and seemingly never-ending demands.

Some are talking about how this term may send the wrong message, as if it’s up to employees to determine how much work is enough rather than employers setting clear expectations.

And is it really “quitting” when you strive to scale back and simply do the job you’re paid to do?

Is trust lacking in the workplace?

Speaking of bizarre workplace practices we can’t wrap our heads around, The New York Times reported recently on how across many industries, technology is giving employers a means to electronically gauge what their workers are doing — a fundamental change in workplace practice. This reporting has found that tracking software is unexpectedly common, with the information used to make decisions about when and how much employees get paid.

Now we’re pondering if trust in the workplace is on the decline, what does that mean for employee mental health?

Schools

 Michigan schools take steps toward addressing youth mental health challenges  

With continued awareness of mental health challenges students face, schools across Michigan are recognizing that addressing students’ mental health has become part of their job.

“There was once upon a time that schools didn’t believe mental health was their business,” said Susan Benson, supervisor of specialized student services for Oakland Schools. “But we know better now.”

“It would be easy to say, ‘There's no way that we can address these needs,” Benson said. “But I'm just proud of us for saying, ‘No. We're going to step up and we're going to make sure that kids are supported, that districts are supported, that parents feel supported.' And we're going to keep connecting folks to help kids. It's not easy work. It's just incredibly important work.”

Back to school

It is officially back to school szn. For those with children in school (or in school yourself!), here are some ways to proactively recognize and address mental health concerns this school year.

Entertainment

More celebs speak out

Actor and Director Jonah Hill has received lots of praise for openly sharing his decision to step back from promoting his films in order to protect his mental health. Hill has recently wrapped directing and starring in a documentary he shot in secret called Stutz. The title is derived from his therapist, and the film features frank discussions about mental health in general and the progressive worsening of anxiety attacks involving the promotion of films that has made a dream job something of a nightmare for Hill.

Read Jonah Hill’s public letter here.

All the ‘ings

Here is what we’re watch/read/do/listen/explor/consum’ing this week.

Reading

The article A Teen’s Journey Into the Internet’s Darkness and Back Again explores the lived experience of growing up as a digital native and how researchers are still unsure of the link between mental health conditions and social media.

Listening

We are very much into Call for Help, a new podcast from Lemonada Media that explores 988, the recently launched national mental health hotline. Episode 1 is out now and includes mental health advocate, Zak Williams.

Watching

House of the Dragon, of course.

And just for fun

Enjoy this drug free mind trip compliments of the internet (original artist on TikTok @caihuizsx)

That’s all for now. If you love what your read, do us a favor and share it around!