Latest news with #ruralstudents
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exposure to heat waves may be tied to depression in adolescents, researchers say
Exposure to oppressive and often life-threatening heat waves has been tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents. Chinese researchers found that young males and rural students in the East Asian country may be the most susceptible, suggesting that targeted response strategies should be implemented. 'Our findings emphasize the need to develop public health strategies to protect students from the adverse effects of extreme heat,' the authors wrote in a research paper recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The study's authors were able to estimate exposure to the heat waves by looking at the health data of nearly 20,000 adolescents between the ages of 10 to 18. The data was collected from a national school-based health survey conducted in 2021. Of those, more than half of the adolescents were females and the majority were junior high school students, aged around 15. Measured using a questionnaire and scale, 19.37 percent and 16.27 percent of adolescents reported depression and anxiety, respectively. The students' exposure to heat was assessed by using three heatwave metrics: excess heat, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. They found that there higher odds of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions for each unit increase in the magnitude of the heat wave. Although, when using different definitions of heat waves, the results were not as consistent. The study comes as heat waves become more frequent and intense due to the effect of human-caused climate change. The dangerous heat across the East Coast of the U.S. this week was made between three and five times more likely because of climate change, according to the non-profit Climate Central. Heat alerts were also issued in Beijing this week, the official English-language website of China News Service reported. Research published earlier this year found that the number of people suffering mental health crisis is spiking in areas most impacted by climate change. The authors said young people in southern Madagascar reported extremely high levels of anxiety and depression. In a separate report, authors said that climate change stress is also responsible for symptoms of anxiety. The effects of heat on mental health have also been established, with hot weather disrupting hormones and sleep and resulting in changes to mood and behavior. Last summer, the American Psychological Association urged that policy and infrastructure changes been implemented to safeguard mental health from the impact of high temperatures. 'The way we are headed right now, things are only going to get worse,' Dr. Kim Meidenbauer, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University, told the association then. 'If we don't even understand the scope of the effect heat is having on us, that bodes poorly for our ability to protect people from the negative psychological consequences.' Yizhen Yu, a co-author of the new study and professor at the Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told PsyPost that their conclusions highlight the importance of recognizing the well-being of youth during extreme climate events — and the need for policymakers and others to pay attention. 'Policymakers should integrate heat resilience into public health strategies — for example, by revising school safety protocols during heatwaves. Ultimately, meaningful collaboration across health, education, and environmental sectors is essential to protect and promote youth mental health in the face of climate challenges,' he said.
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Exposure to heat waves may be tied to depression in adolescents, researchers say
Exposure to oppressive and often life-threatening heat waves has been tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents. Chinese researchers found that young males and rural students in the East Asian country may be the most susceptible, suggesting that targeted response strategies should be implemented. 'Our findings emphasize the need to develop public health strategies to protect students from the adverse effects of extreme heat,' the authors wrote in a research paper recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The study's authors were able to estimate exposure to the heat waves by looking at the health data of nearly 20,000 adolescents between the ages of 10 to 18. The data was collected from a national school-based health survey conducted in 2021. Of those, more than half of the adolescents were females and the majority were junior high school students, aged around 15. Measured using a questionnaire and scale, 19.37 percent and 16.27 percent of adolescents reported depression and anxiety, respectively. The students' exposure to heat was assessed by using three heatwave metrics: excess heat, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. They found that there higher odds of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions for each unit increase in the magnitude of the heat wave. Although, when using different definitions of heat waves, the results were not as consistent. The study comes as heat waves become more frequent and intense due to the effect of human-caused climate change. The dangerous heat across the East Coast of the U.S. this week was made between three and five times more likely because of climate change, according to the non-profit Climate Central. Heat alerts were also issued in Beijing this week, the official English-language website of China News Service reported. Research published earlier this year found that the number of people suffering mental health crisis is spiking in areas most impacted by climate change. The authors said young people in southern Madagascar reported extremely high levels of anxiety and depression. In a separate report, authors said that climate change stress is also responsible for symptoms of anxiety. The effects of heat on mental health have also been established, with hot weather disrupting hormones and sleep and resulting in changes to mood and behavior. Last summer, the American Psychological Association urged that policy and infrastructure changes been implemented to safeguard mental health from the impact of high temperatures. 'The way we are headed right now, things are only going to get worse,' Dr. Kim Meidenbauer, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University, told the association then. 'If we don't even understand the scope of the effect heat is having on us, that bodes poorly for our ability to protect people from the negative psychological consequences.' Yizhen Yu, a co-author of the new study and professor at the Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told PsyPost that their conclusions highlight the importance of recognizing the well-being of youth during extreme climate events — and the need for policymakers and others to pay attention. 'Policymakers should integrate heat resilience into public health strategies — for example, by revising school safety protocols during heatwaves. Ultimately, meaningful collaboration across health, education, and environmental sectors is essential to protect and promote youth mental health in the face of climate challenges,' he said.
CBS News
23-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Texas teacher who built speech program from scratch surprised with $100,000 gift
A West Texas speech and debate coach who has spent her own savings to help rural students compete in national competitions received a surprise $100,000 gift at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Deb Garoui, who teaches and coaches in Post, Texas, was recognized during the tournament for her dedication to students from low-income families. The gift from design company Canva came as Garoui faces medical debt from caring for her son, who has a severe form of epilepsy. "I'm just in disbelief," Garoui said after receiving the surprise. "We're $4 million in medical debt right now." Garoui, a breast cancer survivor and single mother, has paid for hotel rooms, meals and entry fees for her students using money from her own pocket. Many of her students come from families living in poverty. "One kid didn't even own a suitcase before we started traveling," Garoui said. "They have dirt floors. We have students who don't have heat or water. This is true poverty." Her son Noah, who sometimes travels with the team, has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and requires about two dozen medications daily. He recently spent five months in the hospital, with Garoui and her daughter Noor taking turns at his bedside. Garoui said she also hopes to use the $100,000 to repair her son's wheelchair, get him a shower chair and repair plumbing that broke in their house while her son Noah was in the hospital for five months. Despite financial struggles, Garoui's teams have reached both state and national competitions. Her daughter Noor was the top performer on her previous team. The surprise presentation was made by CBS News contributor David Begnaud, who served as master of ceremonies at the national tournament. The National Speech and Debate Association also received a $100,000 donation from Canva. Scott Wunn, executive director of the National Speech and Debate Association, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. "These kids, especially the kids that I teach that are in the middle of nowhere, get that opportunity to use their voices and advocate for themselves," Garoui said of the association's impact. The documentary "Speak." features Garoui and highlights the speech and debate community's role in empowering students. David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive "CBS Mornings" series, "Beg-Knows America." Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rural students' transport woes disrupt education
Rural sixth form students have complained a lack of public transport is threatening their education because getting to college is concerns have been raised after Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, discussed the issue in parliament and called for changes in funding rules to allow more rural colleges to offer travel a 17-year-old student from Welshpool, is one of 10,000 taking courses with the Shrewsbury Colleges Group and said she had considered dropping out because of unreliable student, George,17, from Craven Arms, said he was worried his grades would suffer because of difficulties getting to Shrewsbury. James Staniforth, Shrewsbury College Group principal, said he was seeing the number of students because his college offers both A-level and Further Education courses, it misses out on some government money available to colleges that offer one or the said this "anomaly" was especially a problem for rural institutions, which combined the two types of said that was because "smaller schools have closed down their sixth forms, leading to a centralisation in the county". Shrewsbury Colleges Group takes students from all over Shropshire, as well as Wales, Herefordshire and said trains from her home in Welshpool were often delayed or cancelled and as a result she had missed out on "quite a bit of learning"."I've considered dropping out of college because it's so hard to get in sometimes," she others in Welshpool she knows "have just given up on college" because of rural transport issues."I came to college to learn and it's hard not to be able to get in, to get higher education just because of transport," she said his trains from Craven Arms were also "quite unreliable" and he found he could not arrive to lessons on only alternative, he said, was "to arrive two or three hours early for an hour-and-a-half lesson". 'Poverty of opportunity' Buckley said there were "geographical barriers" for rural students aged 16 to 18, who face limited railway access while the number of bus services is in a result, she said there was "poverty of opportunity, where young people reduce their aspirations to match their transport options".Education minister Stephen Morgan, responded to questions raised during the parliamentary debate on rural promised the government would "ensure that everyone can access education and training opportunities".But he said local authorities had the statutory responsibility for providing transport to education and training establishments. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
