MFP/ANA e-Newsletter: September 5, 2025

MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, AND NURSING ARTICLES

Why schizophrenia may be ‘the most devastating of mental illnesses’ (opens new window)

For Henry Cockburn, the onset of schizophrenia felt like pure common sense. It was February 2002, and the 20-year-old art student had strayed from the University of Brighton to satisfy his desire for a life of magic outside the city. He also wanted to take a 70-mile journey (about 113 kilometers) barefoot back to his childhood home in Canterbury. About 15 miles (24 kilometers) into his walk, he heard planes in the distance, and told CNN he believed “that somehow an evil force knew I had left.” Cockburn knew with absolute certainty that he was being followed. Read more (opens new window)

Can a Keto Diet be the GLP-1 of Psychiatry? (opens new window)

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) have taken the world by storm over the past few years. People are losing tremendous amounts of weight and improving certain chronic medical conditions when all else has failed to help. Yet, it was an accident that GLP-1s were rediscovered as a tool for weight loss. Read more (opens new window)

Midlife Brain Power Drops as Artificial Sweetener Use Rises (opens new window)

Consumption of aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-k, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol was tied to faster drops in global cognition, particularly in memory and verbal fluency domains. No link between tagatose, a natural sugar, and cognitive decline emerged. In people without diabetes, the highest level of artificial sweetener use was associated with faster declines in verbal fluency and global cognition. In people with diabetes, the highest use was linked with faster downturns in memory and global cognition. Read more (opens new window)

WHO Releases Landmark Reports On Global Mental Health And Suicide Estimates (opens new window)

WHO releases two major reports—the Mental Health Atlas 2024 and the World Mental Health Today—alongside updated suicide estimates, presenting the most comprehensive evidence yet on the urgent need to strengthen mental health services and prevention worldwide. The World Mental Health Today report shows that over one billion people live with a mental health condition, yet most do not receive adequate care. Mental health conditions are among the leading causes of disability globally, and also impose high costs on households, employers and economies. Read more (opens new window)

Experts raise concerns over worsening trend impacting people's mental health: 'It's vitally important' (opens new window)

People's connection to nature has declined by 60% in the last 200 years and will continue to do so unless we make it a priority to reverse this trend, new research suggests. The Guardian summarized the study, which found that the decline corresponded with the disappearance of nature-oriented words such as river, moss, and blossom from books. Study author Miles Richardson, a professor of nature connectedness at the University of Derby, also used computer modeling to predict that future generations will continue to lose awareness of nature as it disappears from sight in increasingly built-up neighborhoods. Meanwhile, parents will no longer pass on a sense of natural heritage. Read more (opens new window)  (opens new window)

Experts: 1400+ mental health professionals needed on Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast (opens new window)

Sheridan Chester had a hard childhood. She grew up in an abusive home. At just 12 years old, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “My sister attempted suicide when she was 7 for the first time,” Chester said. “We knew we were in trouble. We always knew we were in trouble." Over the years, Gulf Coast News has shared stories of people like Sheridan: people living with mental illness, but struggling to find the help they so badly need. Read more (opens new window)

City of Peabody launches new app for mental health resources (opens new window)

The city of Peabody has launched a new app for residents to have easy access to mental health resources. This all comes after an 8th grader took his own life in May. “It’s about affordability, it’s also about equitable access,” said Joanne Mercaldi, co-founder of BLOOM. Mercaldi is one of a few Gloucester moms who created the app ‘BLOOM.’ It’s a comprehensive digital health platform they launched during the pandemic, and the demand for it is only growing. Read more (opens new window)

HOTLINE RESOURCES

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (opens new window) or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 

The Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (opens new window) provides COVID-19 guidance and resources to assist individuals, providers, communities and sates across the country. The website is updated daily.

The National CLAS Standards

The National CLAS Standards are a set of 15 action steps intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by providing a blueprint for individuals and health and health care organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services. View the standards here (opens new window)