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Early 20th Century Closures of U.S. Medical Schools Resulted in Drops in Infant Mortality, Non-Infant Mortality, and Total Mortality
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Early 20th Century Closures of U.S. Medical Schools Resulted in Drops in Infant Mortality, Non-Infant Mortality, and Total Mortality

fforts in the early 20th century to improve the quality of medical education in the United States led to a steep decline in the number of medical schools and medical school graduates. In a new study, researchers examined the consequences of these medical school closures between 1900 and 1930 for the number of county-level physicians,...

The Myth of the 5 A.M. Club: Why Early Isn’t Always Best
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The Myth of the 5 A.M. Club: Why Early Isn’t Always Best

There’s a persistent myth in our culture that success and downright virtue belong to the early risers—those “5 a.m. club” members who rise before the sun and conquer their to-do lists while the rest of us are still snoozing. Social media is flooded with images of pre-dawn productivity, and best-selling books tout the virtues of...

Global Anxiety and the Security Dimension: From Personal Despair to Political Violence
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Global Anxiety and the Security Dimension: From Personal Despair to Political Violence

In our May analysis, The Silent Epidemic: America’s Growing Anxiety Crisis, we explored how uncertainty and despair—born of economic insecurity, social isolation, and widening inequality—have fueled a striking surge in anxiety across the United States. Yet this mental-health crisis is not confined by borders. Across the globe, societies wrestling with depression, poverty, and disillusionment are...

‘Everyday Discrimination’ Linked to Increased Anxiety and Depression Across All Groups of Americans
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‘Everyday Discrimination’ Linked to Increased Anxiety and Depression Across All Groups of Americans

People who most frequently encounter everyday discrimination – those subtle snubs and slights of everyday life – are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. What’s more, that finding remains true no matter the person’s race, gender, age, education, income, weight, language, immigration status or where they live. These are the key takeaways from...

How the FDA Lets Chemicals Pour Into America’s Food Supply
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How the FDA Lets Chemicals Pour Into America’s Food Supply

Joseph Shea, who sells athletic wear in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, wonders and worries about the food he eats. The chemical ingredients with mystifying names. The references on product labels to unspecified natural or artificial flavors. The junk food that fits his budget but feels addictive and makes him feel unwell. Shea, one of 1,310...

The Quest to Extend Human Life Is Both Fascinating and Fraught with Moral Peril
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The Quest to Extend Human Life Is Both Fascinating and Fraught with Moral Peril

“Who wants to live forever?” Freddie Mercury mournfully asks in Queen’s 1986 song of the same name. The answer: Quite a few people – so much so that life extension has long been a cottage industry. As a physician and scholar in the medical humanities, I’ve found the quest to expand the human lifespan both...

Suicide, the Music Industry, and a Call to Action
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Suicide, the Music Industry, and a Call to Action

Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, country music singer Mindy McCready, Keith Flint of The Prodigy, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ Avicii, K Pop stars Goo Hara, Sulli and Moonbin, and many more. This long and heartbreakingly incomplete list of musicians that have died by suicide represents not only tragedies, but cultural reminders...

Daily Cannabis Use Linked to Public Health Burden
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Daily Cannabis Use Linked to Public Health Burden

New study suggests daily users who start in their teens at higher risk of a syndrome that causes vomiting, pain and repeated trips to the hospital A new study analyzes the disease burden and the risk factors for severity among people who suffer from a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Researchers at the George Washington...