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Financial Anxiety is Becoming a Public Health Issue
Economic stress has long been framed as a personal budgeting challenge, or a macroeconomic concern measured in inflation rates, interest hikes, and employment numbers. But for millions of Americans, financial pressure is no longer an abstract concept, it is a daily psychological burden that is...
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Loved for What You Do, Not Who You Are: Emotional Neglect in South Asian Families
Many South Asian adults describe childhoods filled with sacrifice, and high expectations. Parents worked tirelessly, emphasizing education, and pushed their children towards success. On the surface, these families often appear close and supportive. Yet in clinical settings, a quieter pattern...
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The Hidden Face of Methamphetamine Addiction: Why We Need to Talk About America’s Silent Crisis
Methamphetamine addiction doesn’t discriminate. It reaches into suburban homes and rural communities with equal devastation, yet it remains one of the least understood and most stigmatized forms of substance use disorder in America today. While opioids have dominated national headlines and...
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I Wish My Brother Had Been Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Before He Turned 18
Do you ever walk past a person on the streets exhibiting mental health issues and wonder what happened to their family? I have a brother—or at least, I used to. I worry about where he is and hope he is safe. He hasn’t taken my call since 2014. When I was 13, I had a very bad day. I was...
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SAMHSA Announces $231M Funding Opportunity to Administer 988 Lifeline
The SAMHSA-funded 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline received more than 8 million contacts from help seekers in 2025 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced today a $231M funding...
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Teen Drug Use Remains Near Historic Lows, NIH-Supported Survey Finds
For the fifth year in a row, use of most substances among teenagers in the United States has continued to hover around the low-water mark reached in 2021. The findings come from the latest report of the Monitoring the Future Survey, an annual survey of drug use behaviors and attitudes among eighth,...
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Governor Hochul Announces Tools to Improve Digital Wellness Among New Yorkers
With Tech Devices Popular as Gifts, New York State Provides Free Educational Materials Aimed at Safely Navigating the Modern Digital Landscape Online Resources Complement Governor’s Nation-Leading Commitment to Protect Youth Mental Health and Establish Distraction-Free...
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The “Good Son” Trap: How Role Conflict Between Parents and Partners Causes Burnout and Depression
In many cultures, being a “good son” is not just an identity. It is a lifelong obligation shaped by loyalty, sacrifice, and responsibility. For South Asian men in particular, this role often comes with explicit expectations to prioritize parents’ needs, provide financial support, and preserve...
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Stress or ADHD? What Holiday Breaks Reveal About College Students’ Struggles
When college students return home for holiday breaks, families often notice changes that were easier to overlook during the semester. A student who once seemed capable may now appear overwhelmed, disorganized, emotionally reactive, or shut down. Parents begin to ask whether they are seeing typical...
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2025 Behavioral Health Trends Recap – Progress, Setbacks, and the Road to 2026
In early 2025, I called out 10 major trends shaping the behavioral health (BH) landscape: integration of behavioral and physical health, mental health parity, digital health and AI, federal policy shifts, prevention, vulnerable populations, workforce development, and overdose prevention. At...
