Northwestern launches mental health research institute fueled by $25 million donation
The Institute for Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being will bring together researchers across various fields from psychiatry and neurobiology to communication studies and social policy. Housed in the psychology department at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the institute will work to translate findings into wellness programs that directly benefit Northwestern students and 'beyond,' according to a news release.
The launch comes as mental health challenges for teenagers and young adults have continued to increase over the last decade.
A 2023 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 40% of American high school students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
This initiative aims to directly address this issue by uniting researchers across the university to advance research on the mental and emotional health of young adults during a 'critical stage of brain development,' according to the news release.
'Conducting research that leads to better health outcomes and caring for the well-being of our students are two of our University's most important priorities,' Northwestern President Michael Schill said in the release. 'This transformative gift will enable us to further both of these vital pursuits, driving new discoveries that support the needs of our students and young people globally.'
The institute will partner with the university's Division of Student Affairs, enabling researchers to study student mental health while providing staff with the latest insights to implement new mental health programming.
'College students nationwide have shown a growing need for mental health support, and we are finding that the same is true of our students here at Northwestern,' Vice President for Student Affairs Susan Davis said in the release. 'I am eager to partner with our expert faculty to develop new resources that will better serve our student community.'
The donor's gift will also fund student programs, helping translate the latest findings in mental health research into support for Northwestern students.
Recognizing the challenges young adults face, the donor stressed the 'urgent' need to support their well-being, believing Northwestern to be well-equipped to make a substantial difference in this area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
I Prescribed a GLP-1. Now What?
This transcript has been edited for clarity. We've got another really important one today. We're going to discuss the new joint recommendations from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Obesity Society around nutrition and exercise for people prescribed GLP-1 therapy for obesity. This is a critically important area, as GLP-1 receptor agonists and the GLP-1/GIP dual agonist have become one of the most common medicines that we prescribe. These medicines are powerful and can lead to 15% to 22% weight loss with semaglutide and tirzepatide, respectively. A level of weight loss that I'll venture to say we did not imagine could have been possible just a few years ago. But as Spider-Man once famously said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' We need to make sure we're spending the time that it takes to give proper advice to patients about nutrition and exercise if we want our patients to achieve the optimal health outcomes that they can get from this class of medicines. GLP-1 receptor agonists and the GLP-1/GIP dual agonist have absolutely changed the landscape for treating overweight and obesity but also come with powerful side effects, both short- and long-term. On the good side, these medicines are clearly metabolically healthy. They lead to a decrease in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, improvement in HDL cholesterol, decreased blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as decreased vascular events in those with existent ASCVD and even improvement in arthritis pain, resolution of obstructive sleep apnea (in half of the people with OSA and obesity that were studied in an important study), and improvement in fibrosis in MASH. Nonetheless, the GLP-1s need to be used carefully and our advice is critically important if the promise of these medicines is to be fulfilled. Prior to starting weight-loss medicines, a comprehensive weight history should be taken, including asking about identifiable influences to gaining weight. We also need to look for evidence of eating disorders, which would affect the decision of whether to start an appetite-suppressing medicine, as well as influence the way that we're going to monitor people once they're on it. In addition, we should ask about mood disorders because weight loss can either exacerbate or improve depression. Finally, ask about risk of sarcopenia and assess for risk of sarcopenia, which is more common with increasing age, chronic illness, and sedentary lifestyles. Let me now discuss symptomatic side effects. First, after starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist, about a third of people during the first 1-3 months will have some degree of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation, which are usually described as mild to moderate in degree. In order to mitigate those GI side effects, we can remind people of a few tricks. Eat small meals frequently rather than just one or two large meals a day. Avoid greasy or fatty foods. Practice mindful eating — always has been important, still is. Things like eating slowly and making sure to stop eating when you begin to feel full. In addition, it's important to remind people to consciously stay hydrated because along with suppression of appetite, there can be alterations in thirst mechanism, which is particularly important this time of year. For people who are experiencing a lot of GI side effects, a slower dose titration can be helpful. If nausea is a challenging issue, antinausea medicines, such as prochlorperazine or ondansetron, can be prescribed to help people get through the first few months. If constipation is an issue, increasing fluids and fiber can be encouraged and medications such as polyethylene glycol can be used. Let's move on, now, to potential for nutritional deficiencies. When you decrease the amount you eat substantially, you can decrease the amount of vitamins and minerals that you get. Advise patients to eat nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds. Supplementation can be considered for at-risk nutrients, such as vitamin D, calcium, and B 12 — or just recommend a multivitamin with minerals. Preservation of muscle and bone is critical. Rapid weight loss can lead to loss of both fat and lean body mass (that is, muscle mass). About a quarter of all the weight that is lost on GLP-1s comes from muscle. It is not the medicines, though, that caused the loss of muscle. It's the rapid weight loss. That same thing happens with a very low-calorie diet, bariatric surgery, or medications. To mitigate the loss of lean body mass, two things are important. The first thing is nutrition. The second thing is exercise. When you're in a calorie deficit, your body needs to get sufficient amino acids to preserve and build muscle mass. While the recommended daily allowance for protein in adults is 0.8 g/kg/d, when someone is at a significant calorie deficit, a higher intake of protein is recommended. There's not clarity in the literature as to the correct amount of protein. Some recommendations actually go up to 1.2-1.6 g/kg/d during active weight reduction. Some experts recommend protein needs to be calculated based on total weight; others recommend based on lean body weight. There's a lack of clarity here. As a reasonable compromise to these varied recommendations, I usually recommend that patients take in about 0.4-0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight during weight loss. This means that a roughly 200-pound individual should aim to get about 70 or 80 grams of protein daily. Don't fret over the exact amount, but just make sure that you're not way undershooting the right amount. The reality here is that this often requires planning in order to achieve adequate protein intake. I usually recommend to patients that they can try a protein shake in the morning to help them achieve their protein goals. The advisory emphasizes that lower-volume nutrient-dense protein foods can be encouraged. Things like fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds, chicken. I want to emphasize that protein alone, though, is not going to be enough to help preserve muscle mass. You need to do resistance exercises, as well. As for bone health, the relationship between GLP-1 use and bone density is complex and unclear. There's some evidence that GLP-1s may actually protect bone density, while it is clear, though, that rapid weight loss leads to a loss of bone density. What is clear is that exercise is critical for the preservation of both lean body mass — meaning muscle — and bone density. So, putting it all together: When GLP-1s or dual agonists are prescribed, in order to have optimal outcomes, they should be prescribed with an exercise program, aiming for strength training at least three times weekly, plus at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly, as well, to preserve muscle and bone mass. This is not easy. I'm not saying it is. I am saying it's important. A dietitian can help with nutrition, and a personal trainer or YouTube videos are also resources for learning how to do strength training — that is, resistance exercises. Finally, for a variety of reasons, people often stop taking GLP-1s. It's clear that most people will put weight back on. Maybe not everyone and maybe not all of the weight — that's going to depend on how you approach these lifestyle issues. When you gain weight back, unless you're exercising you will not gain back muscle that has been lost. And muscle is important for health. It's important to utilize the time on the medications to reinforce healthy habits, healthy food choices, and regular exercise, because doing so increases the likelihood of success in keeping at least some of the weight off and diminishes the loss of bone and muscle over time. These are powerful medicines. And to make the best use of them, and for patients to achieve the best outcomes, requires input from us, as clinicians, for a significant commitment on the part of patients to do the work, as long as we provide the knowledge in order to achieve those outcomes. I'm interested in your thoughts. For Medscape, I'm Dr Neil Skolnik.
Atlantic
2 hours ago
- Atlantic
A Dispatch From the MAHA Future
'My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years.' — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'Did you see the game last night?' I ask Greg. The year is 2029 and we are taking the New, Improved Presidential Fitness Test. The Secretary put some special touches on it himself. My wearable (we all have to wear wearables now, since the Secretary's mandate) says that I still have 5,000 more steps to go. If we don't pass our Presidential Fitness Test, we'll have to visit the Wellness Farm to pick turnips and be ' reparented.' 'No,' Greg says. I can sense that Greg is flagging. 'Ever since the Leeches First mandate, I've had to spend most of my time, you know.' He bends down to pluck a leech off his calf. It lolls about, engorged with blood. He deposits it carefully into his leech pack. We both sigh. The leeches are the worst. Before taking what used to be called medicine (it is now, according to the CDC's revised guidance, Just One More Supplement, No Better Or Worse Than Any Other Supplement), the Secretary insists that everyone 'try leeches.' The papers at the time described this new mandate as a Huge Triumph for Big Leech. We walk past a billboard with a reminder from the CDC: Don't Forget to Leech and Bleach! We feel pretty bad most of the time. 'Have you had your Anti-Lemon yet today?' I ask. All the government funding that used to help with vaccines was rededicated to invent the Anti-Lemon, a fruit with all the same properties as a lemon except it can give you scurvy. The Secretary thinks everyone should try scurvy once, to build character. Like every idea he has (he claims they are all his, but I think some of them come from the worm in his brain), it was a good idea. (I am allowed to think only good thoughts about him since the ban on negative energy. The wearable claims to be able to pick up on it, using a technology that is described as 'mood ring–adjacent.') 'Oh, right!' Greg says. He fumbles in his leech pack and pulls out the Anti-Lemon. 'Cheers.' 'Cheers,' I say. I wiggle one of my teeth with my tongue. They wiggle more since the scurvy initiative. I glance at my wearable. Just 4,800 more steps to go. 'How's your job?' 'Great!' Greg says. I can tell Greg is trying very hard not to think a bad thought. He looks wan and greenish, like a seasick pickle. Greg used to be a veterinarian but he isn't allowed to be one anymore. He's a Taurus. The new surgeon general just announced that Tauruses can't be vets. The energies would be all wrong. Greg's would be especially wrong because of where his moon placement is. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I have accepted that it's because I'm a Pisces. Pisces are famous for their inability to understand what is currently considered cutting-edge science. Greg has been selling crystals instead. There is big demand for crystals now. 'How's yours?' 'Mine's great too!' I say, quickly. This is not, strictly speaking, true. I've been a lot less productive without my Supplement That Is No Better Or Worse Than Any Other Supplement. It used to help my brain work. Some months I can obtain it, but other months when I go to get it it's been replaced by a sugar pill. The Secretary calls this a randomized trial, but I don't think it is. Classic Pisces of me! Anyway, I get a lot more headaches than I used to. I reach into my pocket for my roadkill sandwich. A part of the Fitness Test is whether we can successfully consume what the Secretary calls Gold-Standard Meat. He says it will 'rewild' our stomachs. For too long, humans have been coasting along digesting 'indoor food,' which he says is why nobody is sailing ships around Cape Horn anymore or constructing good Chichén Itzás, like they used to. ('When was the last time you saw Christopher Columbus?' he asked on the radio recently. 'We're going to bring all of that back.') 'Bear?' Greg says, hopefully. I shake my head. 'Mystery.' We chew hesitantly, the same way we embark on the now-mandatory annual Wastewater Plunge. 'Yours has lettuce,' Greg says. I look at it. 'I hope,' I say. We squint into the sandwich for some time. 'I bet the Secretary would be excited to see that in his sandwich,' I say diplomatically. I wonder if the wearable can sense my fear. I try to eat around the green object. I can feel a negative thought forming. Hopefully the wearable doesn't pick it up. Sometimes if your heart beats too fast, the wearable thinks you are making bad energy. If too many people with bad energy get together and think bad thoughts, it can create a deadly miasma. Miasma can cause you to have COVID-like symptoms. Also food-poisoning-like symptoms and polio-like symptoms. It's amazing how much havoc miasma has wreaked since we stopped authorizing new vaccines. Greg looks like he's about to say something. Quickly, I offer him some Apple Jacks, which are now colored without artificial dyes and, somehow, are also full of beef tallow. (The sugar content is the same.) We all have to eat a lot of these natural, healthy foods. Much better than carrot cake. The effort of chewing silences him briefly. While he chews, I stare at his neck. There's an irregularly shaped mole there that resembles the state of California. I don't remember it. 'New mole?' I ask. 'Yeah,' Greg said. 'You should get that checked out,' I say. 'Insurance won't cover it. Too woke.' Greg shakes his head. 'Besides, the sun can't harm us, the Secretary says.' Greg sighs. The Secretary has told us not to sigh on the grounds that Gold-Standard Science, dating back to the time of Shakespeare, found that each sigh killed your heart a little bit at a time. There aren't any statistics on it, but that's good; evidence has long been the ally of Big Pharma. Big Pharma was corrupted long ago because people were willing to pay them more money for medicine that 'worked' than medicine that didn't work. This was a scam, and fortunately the Secretary has gotten to the bottom of it. Better than data is when you can tell a story about something that happened to a guy you knew, or better yet, a guy your cousin knew. That is how most of the CDC recommendations happen now. Greg looks hard at me. I can tell he's about to utter some negativity aloud. I am afraid that he is thinking about the people who have died for no reason. All the people who are going to die. Once you start to think about that, it is hard to keep your energy positive. 'Do you ever think,' Greg asks, ' No, I've drunk all the fermented-soybean enzyme I want to drink. I don't think it's helping, and I don't want to drink any more? ' I look around anxiously. My head hurts. My stomach also hurts. I look at my wearable. Just 4,600 more steps to go. The Secretary has promised that he will whisper the true cause of autism to whoever gets the best Fitness Test score. 'No,' I say, quickly. 'I don't.'
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Washington Post
How this 80-year-old still runs ultramarathons — and breaks records
Bob Becker has long thrived on competition, even in snowball fights as a child. Now that he's 80, his competitive edge has only gotten sharper. Even his doctors have taken note. 'Many have said, 'You're crazy,'' said Becker, who visits doctors every few months to check on his health. 'But they've never said don't [run].'
