health and wellness
Seasonal allergies may increase suicide risk – new research
Research indicates that seasonal allergies may heighten suicide risk, with deaths by suicide increasing by 5.5% on moderate pollen days and 7.4% on high pollen days. The study suggests allergies exacerbate existing mental health vulnerabilities. Addressing allergy symptoms and enhancing pollen monitoring could help mitigate these risks, especially in vulnerable populations.
Seasonal allergies may increase suicide risk – new research
Shooshan Danagoulian, Wayne State University
Seasonal allergies – triggered by pollen – appear to make deaths by suicide more likely. Our findings, published in the Journal of Health Economics, show that minor physical health conditions like mild seasonal allergies, previously thought not to be an immediate trigger of suicide, are indeed a risk factor.
To evaluate the link between seasonal allergies and suicide, my co-authors and I combined daily pollen measurements with daily suicide counts across 34 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Because both pollen and suicide are sensitive to weather conditions, we carefully accounted for temperature, rainfall and wind. We also controlled for differences in local climate and plant life, since pollen levels vary by region, and for seasonal averages that might otherwise obscure results. This allowed us to compare suicide counts on days with unexpectedly high pollen to days with little or none in the same county.
The results were striking. Relative to days with no or low levels of pollen, we found that deaths by suicide rose by 5.5% when pollen levels are moderate and 7.4% when levels are high. The increase was even larger among people with a known history of mental health conditions or treatment. We also showed that on high-pollen days, residents of affected areas experience more depressive symptoms and exhaustion.
Our analysis suggests that allergies exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, pushing some people toward crisis. We suspect that sleep disruption is the link between allergies and suicide rates.
Why it matters
More than 80 million Americans experience seasonal allergies each year.
Symptoms include sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes and scratchy throat. Most people experiencing these symptoms feel sluggish during the day and sleep poorly at night. Allergy sufferers might not realize, however, that these symptoms reduce alertness and cognitive functioning – some of the factors that can worsen mental health and increase vulnerability to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Suicide rates have been growing steadily in the past two decades, by 37% between 2000 and 2018. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 49,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022, and over 616,000 visited emergency departments for self-harm injuries.
Although socioeconomic and demographic factors are the most important predictors of suicide, much less is known about its short-term triggers. Our study adds to growing evidence that the environment – including something as natural as pollen – can influence mental health risks.
This issue is likely to become more urgent as the climate changes. Rising temperatures lengthen pollen seasons and increase pollen volume. Over the past two decades, pollen seasons have grown in both intensity and duration, and projections suggest they will continue to worsen.
That means more people will experience stronger allergy symptoms, with ripple effects not only for physical health but also for sleep, mood and mental well-being.
What we still don’t know
Despite the scale of the problem, there are no national systems in the U.S. to consistently measure and communicate pollen levels. Most communities lack reliable forecasts and alert systems that would allow vulnerable people to take precautions. This gap limits both prevention and research.
Our study focused on metropolitan areas where pollen and death counts were available, but we cannot yet generalize to rural areas. That is a concern because rural communities often face greater shortages in mental health care and pharmacy access – and have seen rising suicide rates over the past decade.
What’s next
For people who are already receiving mental health care, recognizing and treating seasonal allergies is a key part of self-care.
Over-the-counter medications can be highly effective at reducing symptoms.
More broadly, people should be aware that during peak allergy season, reduced alertness, sleep disruptions and mood fluctuations may place an increased burden on their mental health, in addition to the allergy symptoms.
In terms of policy, improving pollen monitoring and public communication could help people anticipate high-risk days. Such infrastructure would also support further research, particularly in rural areas where data is currently lacking. Our next step, supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is to examine the impact of pollen on rural communities.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Shooshan Danagoulian, Associate Professor of Economics, Wayne State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Children can be systematic problem-solvers at younger ages than psychologists had thought – new research
Child psychologists: Celeste Kidd’s research challenges long-standing ideas from Jean Piaget about children’s problem-solving abilities. Her findings show that children as young as four can independently utilize algorithmic strategies to solve complex tasks, contradicting the belief that systematic logical thinking develops only after age seven. This insight highlights the importance of nurturing algorithmic thinking in early education.
Celeste Kidd, University of California, Berkeley
I’m in a coffee shop when a young child dumps out his mother’s bag in search of fruit snacks. The contents spill onto the table, bench and floor. It’s a chaotic – but functional – solution to the problem.
Children have a penchant for unconventional thinking that, at first glance, can look disordered. This kind of apparently chaotic behavior served as the inspiration for developmental psychologist Jean Piaget’s best-known theory: that children construct their knowledge through experience and must pass through four sequential stages, the first two of which lack the ability to use structured logic.
Piaget remains the GOAT of developmental psychology. He fundamentally and forever changed the world’s view of children by showing that kids do not enter the world with the same conceptual building blocks as adults, but must construct them through experience. No one before or since has amassed such a catalog of quirky child behaviors that researchers even today can replicate within individual children.
While Piaget was certainly correct in observing that children engage in a host of unusual behaviors, my lab recently uncovered evidence that upends some long-standing assumptions about the limits of children’s logical capabilities that originated with his work. Our new paper in the journal Nature Human Behaviour describes how young children are capable of finding systematic solutions to complex problems without any instruction. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qb4TPj1pxzQ?wmode=transparent&start=0 Jean Piaget describes how children of different ages tackle a sorting task, with varying success.
Putting things in order
Throughout the 1960s, Piaget observed that young children rely on clunky trial-and-error methods rather than systematic strategies when attempting to order objects according to some continuous quantitative dimension, like length. For instance, a 4-year-old child asked to organize sticks from shortest to longest will move them around randomly and usually not achieve the desired final order.
Psychologists have interpreted young children’s inefficient behavior in this kind of ordering task – what we call a seriation task – as an indicator that kids can’t use systematic strategies in problem-solving until at least age 7.
Somewhat counterintuitively, my colleagues and I found that increasing the difficulty and cognitive demands of the seriation task actually prompted young children to discover and use algorithmic solutions to solve it.
Piaget’s classic study asked children to put some visible items like wooden sticks in order by height. Huiwen Alex Yang, a psychology Ph.D. candidate who works on computational models of learning in my lab, cranked up the difficulty for our version of the task. With advice from our collaborator Bill Thompson, Yang designed a computer game that required children to use feedback clues to infer the height order of items hidden behind a wall, .
The game asked children to order bunnylike creatures from shortest to tallest by clicking on their sneakers to swap their places. The creatures only changed places if they were in the wrong order; otherwise they stayed put. Because they could only see the bunnies’ shoes and not their heights, children had to rely on logical inference rather than direct observation to solve the task. Yang tested 123 children between the ages of 4 and 10. https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlsbcE6nOxk?wmode=transparent&start=0 Researcher Huiwen Alex Yang tests 8-year-old Miro on the bunny sorting task. The bunnies are hidden behind a wall with only their sneakers visible. Miro’s selections exemplify use of selection sort, a classic efficient sorting algorithm from computer science. Kidd Lab at UC Berkeley.
Figuring out a strategy
We found that children independently discovered and applied at least two well-known sorting algorithms. These strategies – called selection sort and shaker sort – are typically studied in computer science.
More than half the children we tested demonstrated evidence of structured algorithmic thinking, and at ages as young as 4 years old. While older kids were more likely to use algorithmic strategies, our finding contrasts with Piaget’s belief that children were incapable of this kind of systematic strategizing before 7 years of age. He thought kids needed to reach what he called the concrete operational stage of development first.
Our results suggest that children are actually capable of spontaneous logical strategy discovery much earlier when circumstances require it. In our task, a trial-and-error strategy could not work because the objects to be ordered were not directly observable; children could not rely on perceptual feedback.
Explaining our results requires a more nuanced interpretation of Piaget’s original data. While children may still favor apparently less logical solutions to problems during the first two Piagetian stages, it’s not because they are incapable of doing otherwise if the situation requires it.
A systematic approach to life
Algorithmic thinking is crucial not only in high-level math classes, but also in everyday life. Imagine that you need to bake two dozen cookies, but your go-to recipe yields only one. You could go through all the steps of making the recipe twice, washing the bowl in between, but you’d never do that because you know that would be inefficient. Instead, you’d double the ingredients and perform each step only once. Algorithmic thinking allows you to identify a systematic way of approaching the need for twice as many cookies that improves the efficiency of your baking.
Algorithmic thinking is an important capacity that’s useful to children as they learn to move and operate in the world – and we now know they have access to these abilities far earlier than psychologists had believed.
That children can engage with algorithmic thinking before formal instruction has important implications for STEM – science, technology, engineering and math –education. Caregivers and educators now need to reconsider when and how they give children the opportunity to tackle more abstract problems and concepts. Knowing that children’s minds are ready for structured problems as early as preschool means we can nurture these abilities earlier in support of stronger math and computational skills.
And have some patience next time you encounter children interacting with the world in ways that are perhaps not super convenient. As you pick up your belongings from a café floor, remember that it’s all part of how children construct their knowledge. Those seemingly chaotic kids are on their way to more obviously logical behavior soon.
Celeste Kidd, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Child Health
Your Child’s Oral Health: A Foundation for Better Overall Health
Good oral health is essential for children, and Medicaid and CHIP provide accessible dental coverage to eligible families, covering services like cleanings and fillings. Regular dental visits starting at age one can prevent cavities and build healthy habits. Families can check eligibility and find dentists through InsureKidsNow.gov.
(Feature Impact) Good oral health sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy smiles and better overall health. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) help eligible families access affordable and comprehensive care for their children and teens, including regular cleanings, fillings, X-rays, and more to help ensure that eligible kids have access to essential dental services. By practicing good dental habits and seeing a dentist regularly, children can avoid dental problems and maintain healthy smiles as they grow.
Dental Coverage Available Through Medicaid and CHIP
If you’re looking for affordable dental coverage, your child may qualify for free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid and CHIP. Together these programs cover more than 36 million children nationwide.
Enrollment is open year-round, and many families qualify even if they don’t realize it. Beyond dental care, Medicaid and CHIP also cover preventive health services, emergency care, vision care, prescriptions, and mental and behavioral health services for eligible children.
To see if your family is eligible and to find dentists in your area who accept Medicaid and CHIP, visit InsureKidsNow.gov and explore the “Find a Dentist” tool.
Start Good Dental Habits Early
Regular dental visits are an important part of your child’s oral health routine. Children should see a dentist by the age of 1 and continue with visits twice a year (every six months) as they get older. Going to checkups on a regular schedule can help catch problems early or before they even start. Cavities (also known as tooth decay) are the most common preventable chronic disease among children in the United States, and more than half of all children have cavities by the time they’re 6 to 8 years old. When left untreated, cavities can cause pain and infections that may affect eating, speaking, playing, learning – and even mental health.
The dental visit will vary depending on your child’s age and milestones, but it can include cleanings, full teeth and gum exams, treatments, and guidance on caring for your child’s teeth. Dental visits also help children become comfortable with the dentist, reducing anxiety, and building a positive relationship with oral health care that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Enrolling in CHIP and Medicaid
Medicaid and CHIP provide free or low-cost health coverage to eligible families and children. You can apply online, by phone, by mail, or in person directly at your state’s Medicaid agency. Learn more at InsureKidsNow.gov.
Provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at U.S. taxpayer expense.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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Lifestyle
How to Practice Thoughtful Grief Etiquette Online
Grief experts advise caution in sharing condolences and loss-related information on social media, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the grieving family’s needs. Thoughtful posting practices include waiting for family approval, reaching out privately first, and avoiding speculation about the cause of death. Compassionate communication is essential in these sensitive situations.
(Feature Impact) News of a death can spread online in seconds – often before families have notified close family members privately. That’s why grief experts urge people to rethink how they share condolences, tributes and loss-related information on social media, particularly during the winter months when grief can feel especially isolating.
“Grief etiquette is about putting the needs of the grieving family first, not our urge to say something publicly,” said Dr. Camelia L. Clarke, National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) spokesperson, funeral director and grief educator with nearly 30 years of experience. “Just because information can be shared instantly doesn’t mean it should be.”
Social media has become a common place for sharing condolences, tributes and memories. However, grief experts caution that, without thoughtful consideration, online posts can unintentionally cause harm. Knowing when to post, what to say and when to remain silent can make a meaningful difference for families experiencing loss.
Consider this advice from the experts at the NFDA.
Grief Etiquette in the Digital Age
Grief etiquette refers to the unspoken guidelines for how individuals acknowledge death, loss and mourning, particularly online.
According to Clarke, one of the most important principles is restraint.
“When a death is shared online too quickly, families can feel exposed and overwhelmed at a moment when they’re still processing the loss themselves,” she said. “Waiting is an act of compassion.”
Best Practices for Posting About Loss Online
As social media continues to play a role in modern mourning, grief professionals encourage users to pause before posting and consider a few key guidelines:
- Let the family lead. Don’t post about a death until the immediate family has made it public.
- Ask permission. Obtain consent before sharing photos, stories or tributes.
- Reach out privately first. A direct message, call or handwritten note can be more meaningful than a public comment.
- Avoid speculation. Don’t ask about or share details regarding the cause of death.
- Offer ongoing support. Grief extends far beyond the first days or weeks after a loss.
What to Say (and Avoid)
When expressing condolences online, experts recommend simplicity, sincerity and sensitivity. Messages that acknowledge loss without attempting to explain or minimize it are often the most supportive.
Helpful phrases include:
- “I’m sorry for your loss.”
- “Thinking of you and your family.”
- “I’m here if you want to talk or need anything.”
By contrast, well-meaning cliches can unintentionally cause harm. Phrases such as “They’re in a better place” or “Everything happens for a reason” may reflect the speaker’s beliefs, but they can feel dismissive to someone grieving.
“Grieving people don’t need answers – they need presence,” Clarke said. “Listening matters more than saying the perfect thing.”
Resources for Families and Friends
As digital spaces continue to shape how people communicate during life’s most difficult moments, experts agree empathy, patience and respect remain timeless.
“Grief is deeply personal,” Clarke said. “When we slow down and lead with compassion, we honor both the person who has died and those who are left to grieve.”
To learn more about how to support a grieving person and access free, expert-reviewed resources for navigating grief, expressing condolences and supporting loved ones before, during and after a loss, visit RememberingALife.com, an initiative of the NFDA.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
<img src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&tid=UA-482330-7&cid=1955551e-1975-5e52-0cdb-8516071094cd&sc=start&t=pageview&dl=http%3A%2F%2Ftrack.familyfeatures.com%2F17832%2F10240&dt=HOW-TO-PRACTICE-THOUGHTFUL-GRIEF-ETIQUETTE-ONLINE" />
<img src="https://erp.featureimpact.com/api/v1/tracking/17832/10240/track.gif" />SOURCE:
National Funeral Directors Association
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