Warning signs can be detected sooner through universal screenings for student mental health

Whenever a massacre takes place at a U.S. school, like the one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, discussions often follow about whether school officials may have missed any “red flags.” As a researcher who specializes in supporting student mental health, I believe these discussions are overlooking important issues. To prevent school violence, the discussion must shift. Rather than what schools missed, the emphasis should be placed on how schools can be more proactive about identifying students with mental health needs before they display signs of distress. Ideally, schools should be…

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Smoking: Sooner you quit the longer you’ll live

Planning to quit smoking? Then do it before you turn 70. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that people aged 70 or older currently smoking were more than three times more likely to die than never-smokers, while former smokers were less likely to die the sooner they quit. In the U.S., the number of individuals aged 70 years and older is expected to increase from 29.2 million (9.3 percent of the population) in 2012, to 63.6 million individuals (15.9percent) in 2050. “U.S. adults aged…

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