Resource Center

In April 2023, the American Psychological Association (APA) surveyed 2,500 American adults about mental health in the workplace. About 1 in 5 workers (19%) rated their workplace as being very or somewhat toxic. These workers were more than twice as likely to have fair or poor mental health (58%) than those who rated their workplace as healthy (21%). And while a majority of respondents are satisfied with the mental health support they receive from their employer, there are significant areas for improvement. Fewer than half of respondents (43%) reported that their employer provides health insurance with coverage for mental health and substance use disorders. To learn more, see the findings from the American Psychological Association. 

Childhood stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively impact the brain development of children as shown in decreased hippocampal volume. However, positive parenting strategies, such as expressions of warmth and support, may help protect against developmental deficits. Researchers compared  brain structures and behavioral health of children aged 10-17, as well as youth- and caregiver-reported positive parenting. Children who reported high levels of childhood stress and positive parenting did not show increased behavioral health concerns or decreased hippocampus volumes, as opposed to children who experienced high levels of childhood stress but not high levels of positive parenting. Notably, caregiver-reported positive parenting did not predict either behavioral concerns or hippocampal volume. The findings suggest that positive parenting can be a protective factor against adverse childhood experiences, and demonstrate the importance of including youth perspectives directly in research. To learn more, read the study in PNAS Nexus.  

The most recent update of results from SAMHSA’s 2021-2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) highlights mental health disparities faced by sexual minority adults, particularly bisexual females. More than half of all bisexual females had any mental illness (AMI) in the past year (53.9%), compared to 38.7% of lesbian and 25.4% of straight females. 43.3% of bisexual males experienced AMI in the past year, compared to 37.5% of gay and 18.1% of straight males. About 1 in 5 (19.5%) bisexual females and 14.4% of bisexual males experienced serious mental illness in the past year. Future surveys will ask respondents about their sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and sexual identity regardless of age in hopes of better capturing the experiences of LGBTQI+ individuals. To learn more, view the report from SAMHSA.