An organ donation sign is displayed at a blood donation center in London, England. One high-profile case study of a public health nudge gone awry is an “opt-out” policy that makes organ donor enrollment the default choice, which the U.K. adopted for adults in 2020. Families must consent for those under 18.
Summer travel is fueling California’s COVID surge. Labor Day will be big test
There are a number of reasons why this summer’s COVID wave has been surprisingly strong. One is the emergence of successive hyperinfectious coronavirus subvariants. In the spring, some of the subvariants collectively nicknamed FLiRT, including KP.2, began a midyear wave. That was followed by ever-more-contagious successor subvariants — KP.3 (nicknamed FLuQE, pronounced “fluke”) — and the latest, KP.3.1.1 (nicknamed deFLuQE).
Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass
Understanding grief as shattered glass reminds me to accept the sharp edges of being alive. It reminds me that grief is unique and that mine need not look like anyone else’s. It helps me accept that we can never completely clean up what breaks.
Squeezed From Both Sides
Why is neither party happy with higher education?
A new ‘AI scientist’ can write science papers without any human input. Here’s why that’s a problem
There are already bad actors in science, including “paper mills” churning out fake papers. This problem will only get worse when a scientific paper can be produced with US$15 and a vague initial prompt. The need to check for errors in a mountain of automatically generated research could rapidly overwhelm the capacity of actual scientists. The peer review system is arguably already broken, and dumping more research of questionable quality into the system won’t fix it. Science is fundamentally based on trust. Scientists emphasise the integrity of the scientific process so we can be confident our understanding of the world (and now, the world’s machines) is valid and improving. A scientific ecosystem where AI systems are key players raises fundamental questions about the meaning and value of this process, and what level of trust we should have in AI scientists. Is this the kind of scientific ecosystem we want?
Kicked out at 18 to live on the streets – a teenage migrant in Spain
The small amount of pocket money a social worker gave him before he left Ceuta’s migrant minors’ centre paid for the ferry to the Spanish mainland port of Algeciras. There, he was approached by local social workers who recommended he travel 98km (61 miles) up to the city of Jerez where a place in a facility for young migrants was vacant, they said.
IASW welcomes appointment of Chief Social Worker in HSE
The Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) warmly welcomes the appointment of Ms. Amanda Casey as the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) Chief Social Worker and looks forward to working in partnership with the Chief Social Worker and her team to progress the wide range of goals, duties and responsibilities attached to the post.
Study finds high plagiarism levels in ‘hijacked journals’
The two main methods of journal hijacking include: the registration of the expired domain of a legitimate journal in cases where the journal ceased publication or moved to another domain, and the creation of a cloned website of a legitimate journal, according to the study. The phenomenon of hijacked journals was first documented in 2012. Since then, they have proliferated. Figures from the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journals Checker indicate that over 280 hijacked journals have been detected in the period 30 May 2022 up to 31 July 2024.
The Medicare Advantage Influence Machine
The lobbying push by Better Medicare Alliance. The advocacy group, which calls itself “the leading voice for Medicare Advantage,” has ramped up spending on lobbying in recent years.
How organized labor shames its traitors − the story of the ‘scab’
A Demonstration of Working-Class Power
Labor Day began as a demonstration of working-class power. On September 5, 1882, the Central Labor Union of New York City planned a parade around Union Square in Manhattan, followed up by a lavish picnic. Above: A lithograph of the 1882 Labor Day Parade
Eric Adams’s Indictment Creates an Opening for the Left
With the news of Adams’s indictment, the prospect of New York City turning the page on the mayor’s cartoonish corruption and brutal austerity is on the table. But only if the Left and progressive movement of the city take advantage of the moment.
Pain identified as dominant symptom in long COVID
Pain may be the most prevalent and severe symptom reported by individuals with long Covid, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers…. Pain, including headache, joint pain and stomach pain, was the most common symptom, reported by 26.5% of participants.
Austerity Is a Choice
Despite what new Labour prime minister Keir Starmer says, there’s nothing inevitable about another round of austerity — it is a deliberate decision to avoid confronting the powerful and presenting a real alternative for working-class people.
Europe’s Identitarian Movement — old fascism in new clothes
On Wednesday (28 August), German broadcaster RTL screened coverage obtained through investigative documentation into one of Europe’s growing and popular rightwing extremist movements, the Identitarian movement.
Aging population: Public willingness to pay for healthcare hinges on perceived benefits and risks
Public healthcare systems are fiscally burdened due to an aging population. So, governments must find a way to persuade citizens to pay more for health insurance. Now, researchers have examined whether informing people about their future self-benefits from the healthcare system could garner support for higher health insurance contributions. While this approach increased support from those unaware of fiscal risks, the effect disappeared once they became aware, offering significant implications for policymakers and governments.
Maylia and Jack: A Story of Teens and Fentanyl
Police knew she was selling fake Percocet but did not stop her. His mother sought the right treatment for his addiction but could not find it. Two teens got caught up in a system unprepared to handle kids on either side of the drug trade.
High school football has become a public health crisis. It’s time to take action
Six teenagers have now died while playing school football in less than three weeks. This astonishing rash of football-related school deaths should be understood as nothing less than a public health emergency. It is also a clarion call to question why we are exposing our young people to such a dangerous activity at all, much less in institutions designed to care for and nurture them.
Duh.
Cannabis and hallucinogen use among adults remained at historic highs in 2023
Past-year use of cannabis and hallucinogens stayed at historically high levels in 2023 among adults aged 19 to 30 and 35 to 50, according to the latest findings from the Monitoring the Future survey. In contrast, past-year use of cigarettes remained at historically low levels in both adult groups.
Suicide rates in England and Wales reach highest level since 1999
Ministers have been urged to treat suicide as a public health crisis after the rate at which people killed themselves in England and Wales reached the highest level in more than two decades. The official figures, described by the suicide prevention charity Samaritans as “worse than expected”, showed 6,069 suicides were registered in the two nations in 2023, up from 5,642 in 2022 and the highest rate since 1999.
The liberal Renew group in the European Parliament has asked the EU Commission to “urgently investigate“ if Bulgaria’s law is compatible with EU values
Le Bloc: An Account of a Squat in Paris
“This is a building of the people,” the squatter Dominique, who had worked construction, told me, referring to its history as a public health agency and its suitability for heavy use.
‘Only 28’ medical social workers for all of Sabah is ‘clearly inadequate’, says Chief Minister
Sabah’s 28 medical social work officers (PKSP) are insufficient to meet the needs of patients requiring further intervention for optimal social functioning, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Facing Cancer Alone Doesn’t Have to Feel Lonely
MSK social worker Sabrina Feldman checks in with a patient…. Sabrina works to build close relationships with patients, so she knows what’s happening in their lives and can make sure their care team is aware in case it impacts their treatment.
While some cities clear homeless encampments, others are granting a ‘right to shelter’
Estimates from the US suggest that around 653,000 people experience homelessness on any given night. In Canada, the number is around 32,000. The US rate per capita is about 1.5 times that of Canada, though this varies widely across different cities and regions. Makeshift tent encampments providing basic spaces of shelter and safety have been established across North America, acting as stark visual reminders of growing housing crises. Above: A police officer approaching a tent in a park in Grants Pass, Oregon. J
First-Line Antidepressants Linked to Lower Fall Risk in Older Patients With Depression
Compared with adults receiving no treatment, those receiving psychotherapy did not demonstrate any increased or decreased risk of falls or related injuries. However, compared with no treatment, taking first-line antidepressants was associated with a lower risk of falls.
Former councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins announces Detroit mayoral bid
Jenkins, who has a master’s degree in social work, was chief of staff to legendary Councilwoman Maryann Mahaffey from 1999 to 2004.
Some children still failed by council – Ofsted
A council has been told it needs to improve how it looks after homeless young people and children leaving care. Cheshire West and Chester Council was also pulled up by Ofsted for still putting a small number of children in “illegal” unregistered care homes.
People seen as wise share these characteristics
What makes someone seem wise? People view wisdom through the lens of applying knowledge and thinking logically as well as considering others’ feelings and perceptions, according to researchers who looked at perceptions of wisdom across 12 countries and five continents.
Kirklees Council’s Children’s Services get “good” Ofsted rating
The report praises the local authority for providing good quality support to vulnerable children and young people. Its last inspection was carried out in 2019 where the council was found to require improvement across the board.
Mushroom edibles are making people sick. Scientists still don’t know why
There are now more than 140 documented illnesses — including two suspected deaths — all tied to the same brand of mushroom edibles, called Diamond Shruumz, according to the Food and Drug Administration. It’s one of the many varieties of psychedelic-inspired treats that have proliferated online, in smoke shops and convenience stores, often advertising some kind of proprietary mushroom blend, with words like “nootropic,” “magic” or “microdosing” emblazoned on the packaging.
Redlining maps didn’t affect neighborhoods the way you think
Few people concerned with racial equality and the effects of racism on American cities are not familiar with the maps created by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the late 1930s. In recent years, those maps have been repeatedly singled out as a major, or even the major driving force behind today’s patterns of urban racial inequity, whether measured in terms of housing quality, environmental conditions, or health disparities.
U of R professor aims to Indigenize cognitive therapy for people with HIV
Dr. Andrew Eaton, an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Regina, is shown on Aug. 26, 2024 in Saskatoon. He is conducting research on Cognitive Remediation Group Therapy (CRGT) for middle-aged to older people living with HIV in Saskatchewan Indigenous communities.
On the Covid ‘Off-Ramp’: No Tests, Isolation or Masks
In the fifth summer of Covid, cases are surging, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported “high” or “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater in almost every state. The rate of hospitalizations with Covid is nearly twice what it was at this time last summer, and deaths — despite being down almost 75 percent from what they were at the worst of the pandemic — are still double what they were this spring. As children return to schools and Labor Day weekend travel swells, the potential for further spread abounds. Above: A crowded restaurant in Manhattan in June.
Four “youth village” abuse victims make formal police complaints
Four adults who were taken into care and placed with families in a special village in the 1980s and 1990s say they were physically and sexually abused during their time there, the Telegraaf reported… The four have all made formal police complaints about their mistreatment, said to be at the hands of one man who worked in the De Glind village near Barneveld, in the heart of the Dutch Bible belt.
Socioeconomics shape children’s connection to nature more than where they live
There is a general concern that, with urbanisation, people have lost contact with nature. According to research, less contact means lower engagement with nature and poorer health outcomes as people spend less time outdoors. How we might strengthen or rediscover our connection to nature is therefore a topical question. This is particularly important for children, partly because of the impact on their health, but also because it is in childhood that our relationships with nature are formed.
‘Baffling’ abuse teaching is failing social workers
“I remember having a one-hour lecture on domestic abuse, I had pretty much no mention of coercive control during my training,” says social worker Cintia. “It didn’t prepare us for what was coming. You feel like you’re thrown into the deep end.”
Chlamydia can settle in the intestine
People who are infected with chlamydia can transmit these bacteria to other people during unprotected sex. The pathogens usually cause no or only mild symptoms at first, such as itching in the vagina, penis or anus. If the infection is noticed, it can be easily treated with antibiotics. If this does not happen, the bacteria can cause serious problems, including infertility and cancer.
Feds Killed Plan To Curb Medicare Advantage Overbilling After Industry Opposition
A decade ago, federal officials drafted a plan to discourage Medicare Advantage health insurers from overcharging the government by billions of dollars — only to abruptly back off amid an “uproar” from the industry, newly released court filings show.
Exclusive: A Military‐Style School for Troubled Teens Became a “Living Nightmare”
Robert Land Academy promised to reform boys into “good citizens.” Former students allege it subjected them to years of humiliation, degradation, and abuse
The Complainant: A Historian Crafts a Title IX Case Against Her Abuser
On the morning I depart Berkeley, my friend Rose suggests I leave Daniel a letter telling him not to contact me for at least six months. I sit at her kitchen table, choosing words to cauterize the growing rupture in my heart. I write that I will never stop loving and caring about him, but since his violence toward me will never stop, it’s better for both of us to be apart. After sealing the envelope, I block him on my phone.
The Unequal Effects of School Closings
With enrollment dropping in its district, School 10 in Rochester, New York, has been closed, replaced in the century-old building by a Montessori school, whose students have a lower rate of poverty.
Faculty Members Are Burned Out—and Technology Is Partly to Blame
A new report shows instructors feel like they’re always on the clock and that many believe the use of technology, in and out of the classroom, is pushing higher ed in the wrong direction.
France’s Left Still Needs to Broaden Its Base
Lucie Castets (L), candidate of the New Popular Front for prime minister, walks alongside MEP Manon Aubry in the southeast of France, August 24, 2024.
Unvaccinated survivors of severe COVID saw rise in mental illness in year after, study suggests
A study of nearly 19 million adults in England reveals a higher rate of mental illness among survivors of COVID-19 hospitalization—particularly among the unvaccinated—for up to a year. A team led by University of Bristol investigators evaluated the incidence of mental illness in patients before and after COVID-19 diagnosis within the past year in three groups.
People with physical and mobility disabilities need to work out, but there are a lot of obstacles in their way
Although wheelchair users, visually impaired people and others with mobility and physical disabilities need consistent exercise, it’s often hard for them to work out. In many cases, they can’t get access to “adaptive” exercise and sports equipment – meaning machines, weights and other devices that have been modified or engineered for ease of use by people with disabilities. High costs, steep learning curves and limited access constrain their use.
What is mental imagery? Brain researchers explain the pictures in your mind and why they’re useful
As neuroscientists in the fields of physical therapy and psychology, we think about the ways people use mental imagery. Here is what researchers do know so far.
What We Know About Kamala Harris’s $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far
No one making less than $400,000 a year would see their taxes go up under the plan. Instead, Ms. Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. Congress has previously rejected many of these tax ideas, even when Democrats controlled both chambers.
The new Covid vaccine is out. Why you might not want to rush to get it.
The FDA has approved an updated covid shot for everyone 6 months old and up, which renews a now-annual quandary for Americans: Get the shot now, with the latest covid outbreak sweeping the country, or hold it in reserve for the winter wave?
How to build a better life Do you really want a divorce? Or are you just ‘getting divorcey’?
Whether it’s your partner that’s getting on your nerves, or your friends, or even your pet, sometimes you just want to burn everything to the ground and start over. But will you feel the same way tomorrow?