Tag: American Psychological Association

New US initiative to prevent gun violence welcomed

Volume 402, Issue 10418
9 December 2023 

WORLD REPORT  Thwarted by Congress, President Joe Biden has created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.  

With Congress unable to ban even the most dangerous firearms made for war zones, US President Joe Biden announced a new strategy to deal with gun violence afflicting the nation: creating the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Frustrated by the congressional impasse, Biden essentially conceded that the new Office was not the best solution for reducing the unrelenting toll of gun violence in the USA.

“I’ll continue to urge Congress to take common sense actions that the majority of Americans support, like enacting universal background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines”, Biden said in his announcement. “But in the absence of that sorely needed action, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart.” [Continued here]…

US health experts divided on social media age restrictions

27 May 2023
Volume 401, Issue 10390 

WORLD REPORT  Some medical associations support restrictions on social media use to protect adolescent’s health, while others focus on making companies provide safer platforms. 

Laws intended to protect adolescents from the harms of social media are spreading across the USA but, among some of the nation’s leading medical and public health associations, there is not yet a consensus on limiting social media access for young people. Nearly two dozen states are considering legislation. Several have already enacted a patchwork of age restrictions and partial bans. [Continued here.]

US Surgeon General: loneliness is a public health crisis

Volume 401, Issue 10388   ||   13 May 2023  

 

WORLD REPORT  A new report by the USA’s leading public health advocate calls for widespread efforts to address social isolation. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

The USA has an “epidemic of loneliness”, according to a new advisory from the Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy. “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health”, Murthy warns. “It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” [Continued here.]