Good morning! ☀️

Last week, we mentioned that we would be starting a small advocacy group to advocate for important causes. For those who responded or who are interested, complete this form and we will send you the slack link via email: https://forms.gle/5H5eUuroK5tJSmhs7

Today’s question: How many people in the United States identify as trans?

News

Trans Athletes

A poll by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland found that:

• 55 percent of Americans oppose allowing trans female athletes to compete in girl’s high school sports and 58 percent oppose this at the college and professional level

• 30 percent of Americans agree that trans female athletes should be able to compete at any sporting level

• 15 percent had no opinion on the matter

Why is there so much disagreement and controversy around this issue? Well, as with many topics we cover here, it’s a complex issue.

On one side, people believe that trans women have an unfair advantage over other women. This is exemplified in a recent ruling by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, which recently passed more stringent laws for trans female athletes. The reason for their ruling, among other things, was that trans women athletes have muscle mass and muscle strength/power advantages which may take years to adapt.

On the other hand, proponents argue that trans women do not have unfair advantages in athletics as they take steps to reduce any advantages by undergoing hormone therapy and other changes. There are other thorny and important discussions around human rights and discrimination.

Other social work-related news

• A social work alum convinced Maine legislators to pass new law regarding prosthetic devices

• Call centers are struggling to hire for the new nationwide mental health crisis line. The same goes for Missouri’s psychiatric hospitals, which continue to be understaffed

• More states are allowing students to take mental health days off

• An open letter to LGBTQIA2S+ kids and youth from NASW during Pride Month. Also, NASW is an official partner of the Poor People’s Campaign, which is working toward “gaining economic justice for poor people in the United States“

Research

Male suicide rates

In 2019, men accounted for about 80% of all suicide deaths in the United States. Furthermore, suicide was the 8th leading cause of death for men who were 10 years of age or older.

A new study analyzed suicides of over 70,000 men from 2016 to 2018 and found that over 60% of people who committed suicide had no Known Mental Health Conditions (KMHC). Risk factors for no KMHC included having less than high school education, being a minority, having substance use problems, and living in rural areas.

This is a big problem because having KMHC can help someone to obtain treatment that may save their life. Unfortunately, we are not yet adept at identifying diagnosable mental health conditions; Over 90% of those who die by suicide were believed to have a diagnosable mental health condition, yet many were not diagnosed.

How do we prevent suicides?

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Other reads on research

• Researchers analyzed data from almost 1,700 children in an Australian longitudinal study, taken at ages three and seven and found those with better peer play ability when younger showed fewer signs of poor mental health four years later

• Lung injuries from e-cigarettes or vaping can lead to long-term issues including respiratory problems, cognitive impairment and mental health issues, according to an Intermountain Healthcare study.

Reads on policy

• What’s in the bipartisan plan for gun control?

  • Mental health interventions like funding for in-school mental health and support services and telehealth services for individuals and families in mental health crises

  • Expansion of community mental health services for children and families

  • Safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools (For example, increasing the number of police officers at schools)

  • Closing the “boyfriend loophole”, which can prevent violent domestic partners from owning firearms. This only applies to spouses, but the plan would extend this to other abusers who are not only spouses

• California may require labels on pot products to warn of mental health risks

Tech, social work, and cool opportunities 😎

• The Federal Trade Commission is investigating mental health startup Cerebral's business practices

• A social work researcher explains why apps are turning people onto therapy

• Various jobs at Daybreak Health, a company building the leading digital mental health system for youth

• DEI Facilitator at Bloom, a company that guides people in their DEI learning and unlearning journies

• Science of Wellbeing Expert at Apple

• Emotional Health Specialist at Delta

• Clinician lead at Practice, a mental health company

Answer: There are about 1 million transgender adults in the United States

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