News
What’s The Connection Between Phone Addiction And Teen Depression?
Most adults spend too much time on their phones, and it is harming their mental health. Dr. Charles Raison, psychiatrist and director of the Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation Center, attributes some of the cause for rising depression and suicide rates to phone addiction. He wants to build a study at the center to examine how removing phones from the hands of teens may help their mental health.
Phone addiction contributes to rising depression, suicide rates
The average American spends over five hours per day looking at their mobile device. A recent study out of the University of Texas at Austin showed that adults who blocked mobile internet from their smartphones (but not texting or calls) for two weeks improved their mental health, subjective well-being and attention span. Of the more than 450 participants, 71% reported improved mental health. “The data that over the last 15, 20 years, depression has been increasing in the United States, I think it’s robust,” Raison said.Rates of suicide have also climbed. “That really suggests something is going wrong,” Raison said. “If you look at the rising suicide rate, it’s all in younger people. People under the age of 35, but especially … teenagers under the age of 24. Late adolescence, early adulthood — something is going wrong there.” Raison attributes the rising rates of depression and suicide, in part, to the mental impacts of phone use. “Studies are beginning to show that the phone is like a drug,” Raison said. “These phones are really, really addictive. They’re designed to be addictive.”
Read the full article >
More News
-
New!
More
The Bitter Truth About Sugar
We are a nation of sugar addicts. In 1900, the average American consumed 4 pounds of sugar each year. The current average sugar consumption in our country is an astronomical 150-170 pounds per person each year. This hard truth has contributed to an obesity rate that is 35.7% for adults.
-
New!
More
Body Composition: Why It Matters More Than a Number on the Scale
In the world of health and fitness, weight often steals the spotlight. We celebrate weight loss milestones, obsess over numbers on the scale, and let weight loss/gain dictate how we feel about our progress. But there's a far more accurate and meaningful indicator of health and fitness: body composition.
-
More
Chronic Inflammation: What It Is, Why It’s Harmful and How to Reduce It
Inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs. We can see it, feel it and measure it as local heat, redness, swelling and pain. Inflammation is the body’s way of getting more nourishment and immune activity into an area that needs to fend off infection or heal.