Monthly Archives: June 2020

NEW HOPE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VerdePharmHealth today announced the signing of an exclusive national agreement with HAI Health for the HealthyDose product line formulated by a highly respected oncologist, Dr. Alberto Bessudo.

There is growing evidence that medical cannabis may be effective in helping patients manage certain types of cancers at various stages, in conjunction with and as an alternative to traditional medical treatments. Medical cannabis may also be effective in managing the side effects of cancer therapies and the symptoms of the disease. Unfortunately, most people wait too long after diagnosis to begin cannabis therapies. They begin looking for alternative therapy when conventional treatments havent worked, and the disease is already advanced, sometimes with a terminal diagnosis, said Dr. Alberto Bessudo, founder & chief executive officer at HAI Health. After careful consideration and diligence, we selected VerdePharmHealth given our alignment of mission and values for patient care, their solid commitment towards innovation in integrative medicine, and robust offering to healthcare providers and their patients.

Dr. Alberto Bessudo has been on the cutting edge of medicinal cannabis in patient care, developing integrative plans with cannabinoids targeted towards specific symptoms, without the numerous side effects of conventional pharmaceuticals and procedures. Dr. Bessudo and his team have designed synergistic formulations, which are comprised of curated ingredients that are specifically designed to work and support the bodys own functions and accelerate health, said Dr, Ralph Boccia, oncologist, board member, & medical director at VerdePharmHealth. As part of their ongoing commitment to quality medical cannabis products, the ingredients are grown without pesticides or herbicides, and several in the product line are organic. Furthermore, several tests are conducted, including testing for heavy metals, pesticides, mold and yeast, microbes, and cannabinoid potency, instilling a higher level of confidence for our provider member network and their patients.

Both companies will further partner around systematic, structured real-world observational studies to better understand and improve the appropriate use of cannabinoids, support cost of care, improve quality of life, and treatment optimization paradigms, with HealthyDose Clinical Premium product made available through HAI Health and the clinical research platform and services, decision-support tools, patient engagement app, and data analytics provided by VerdePharmHealth.

About VerdePharmHealth

VerdePharmHealth, the first organization of its kind in the U.S., provides comprehensive multi-specialty group purchasing, clinical solutions, and healthcare technology designed to drive high-level commitment and affordability for members through accessibility of quality cannabis products from prequalified manufacturers and leveraging of clinical services and robust technology to improve decisions for interventions at the point of care and capture real-world evidence. Utilizing retrospective data and clinical studies for decision-support and standardization of appropriate-use in the care delivery process is a central pillar towards achieving outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.verdepharmhealth.com or follow VerdePharmHealth on LinkedIn.

Contact: contact@verdepharmhealth.com or George Raupp, Chief Operating Officer 610.937.1175

About HAI Health

Our mission is wellness. Our team of biologists, nutritionists, pharma industry experts and medical scientists are committed to deliver clinical grade, GMP-certified products that balance and supplement the endocannabinoid system to make the life of patients with chronic illness, including cancer, better and longer.

Contact: HAI Health, Inc., 1650 N Coast Hwy 101, Suite B, Encinitas CA 92024.

Forward-looking statements

Matters discussed in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts, such as expected savings and other expected benefits to members and suppliers, as discussed herein, are forward-looking statements which may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of VerdePharmHealth and its subsidiaries to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements in the conditional or future tenses or that include terms such as believes, belief, expects, estimates, intends, anticipates or plans to be uncertain and forward-looking. Forward-looking statements may include comments as to VerdePharms beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside VerdePharms control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. VerdePharm undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise that occur after that date.

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VerdePharmHealth Signs Exclusive Partnership Agreement with HAI Health for Oncologist-Formulated Medical Cannabis Product Line - Business Wire

A Falcon who came home to rule the roost at the new health center is leaving the flock.

Dr. Jeffery Swartz has been the medical director and family medicine physician, integrative medicine, for the Bowling Green State University Falcon Health Center on South College Drive for three years.

He was recruited to come back to the area in 2016 to lead Falcon Health Center, which also has Wood County Hospital as a partner.

Falcon Health Center offers immunizations, travel medicine, skin screenings, lab and radiology services, whole health care, acupuncture, chiropractic care and physical therapy to all of the community, not just BGSU students, faculty and staff.

There have been many changes in the medical field since Swartz started practicing. As time went on, he said he found himself getting back to the basics.

The good is we have great technology and we have great drugs that extend lives, provide comfort and we do things quicker, he said. Theres so much focus on the technology and the whiz-bang stuff that weve discounted the importance of relationships, and its gotten in the way of us focusing on the patient.

To remind Swartz and his staff of Falcon Health Centers main mission, there is a patient, large and in the middle of a board with all of their services. The board fills up a wall in a conference room.

Whole health or integrated medicine using only evidence-based treatments, is the focus of the center.

Ive always said if you give the patient the right information, theyll make the right decision, Swartz said. Were so focused on all the parts, were not looking at the whole.

Treating cancer patients has helped him see different treatments and the whole patient.

Sometimes cancer patients, if you can get them well motivated and relaxed and doing meditation, they take their treatment better, he said. Its all about comfort for the patient.

At Falcon Health, he brought in an acupuncturist and chiropractor.

Its the only place I know about in Northwest Ohio where they work alongside a physical therapist, he said. They help each other on cases.

We do medication reviews. We also think about healthy supplements that not only help to heal the body but also help to heal the mind. Fish oil and magnesium help many folks with anxiety, with sleep and with PTSD.

Swartz graduated from the Medical College Ohio in Toledo 40 years ago this month.

He was the youngest of five boys. In Swartzs late teen years, when his second oldest brother received a kidney transplant, he became interested in physics and dialysis.

That really turned me on to medicine, he said.

Swartz grew up in Perrysburg Township and graduated from Rossford High School.

I was really well prepared for college because I had great teachers and great honors classes there, he said. It prepared me for Bowling Green.

At BGSU, he was a chemistry major, with minors in physics and philosophy/medical ethics. At MCO, he found he liked all his rotations so Swartz decided to become a family doctor.

He practiced in northern Wood County with Dr. Fritz Price for a number of years. Swartz picked up another interest, after being the team physician for Lake High School, and started the sports medicine network at St. Charles Hospital in Oregon.

Medical education has also been one of his interests. In 1996, he helped bring the Mercy family medicine residency to St. Charles and became director of medical education.

Ive always been involved with teaching medical students and residents, Swartz said.

In 2010, he moved to South Carolina to do full-time academics. He was a founding faculty member of the University of South Carolina at Greenville School of Medicine.

His two sons graduated from there and are in residence training. Ben is finishing family medicine training at Ohio State University and Andrew is an oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Daughter Bridget is a BGSU graduate who works for Ohioans Home Health Care, a local company.

Swartzs wife, Terri, has also worked in the medical field, as a physician liaison for Wood County Hospital.

While hes leaving Falcon Health Center on June 30, he is not ready to retire. Swartz plans to join an integrative medicine practice.

Weve started something good here, he said of Falcon Health Center and its future.

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Health director flying the coop | News | sent-trib.com - Sentinel-Tribune

Banderas News Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Those of you who know my work, know that integrative approaches to health and healing go hand-in-hand with social justice. Too often, poor health comes out of social inequities like chronic stress due to bigotry, discrimination, poverty, and food insecurity.

Chronic stress creates inflammation which is the underlying cause of most chronic diseases. Cultural resilience and connection with kindred spirits, combined with self-care and social justice action is essential to restoring personal health and community wellbeing.

Alongside this, we can sustain our commitment to the role of nature and her healing anti-inflammatories. There is a powerful link between social justice and reclaiming natural, traditional, and culture-based foods and medicines.

I also use papaya as the base for a barbecue sauce instead of tomatoes which can increase inflammation. During the American colonial era, Caribbean pirates popularized a dish calledyou canorbuccan, which was meat marinated with allspice berries. Among the Tano people in the Caribbean, the pirates were referred to as theboucaniers, or buccaneers. Buccan is also related to what the Spanish calledbarbacoa, which later became barbecue.

One of my favorite anti-inflammatory fruits is the papaya. We usually eat papaya when it is ripe and then discard the rest of the fruit. But in Mexico, I learned that the milky substance,papain, is an enzyme found just under the unripe skin and it is a powerful anti-inflammatory medicine. In traditional indigenous practices, papain is a meat tenderizer, is used to draw out the pus from an infection, or is applied to a bee sting to soothe the pain.

Try thisdelicious barbecue sauce. I love it because its delicious and is so healthy for us.

Rudolph Rysers Papaya Barbecue Sauce RecipeThis is an exotic and healthy alternative to traditional barbecue sauce. If you want to make an anti-inflammatory, nightshade-free version, just leave out the crushed red chili pepper.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin coconut oil1 medium onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper teaspoon cumin powder1 teaspoon oregano1 cup dark brown sugar5 drops of stevia liquid1 lime (zest and juice) cup apple cider vinegar, to taste2 lbs. papaya, diced teaspoon sea salt3-4 drops liquid smoke1 Lime (zest and juice)

Directions Cook onions and garlic in oil until onions are translucent. Add chiles, cumin, and oregano. Add sugar, stevia, lime, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add papaya and salt. Return to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat and allow it to cool. Puree in a blender until smooth.

You can learn more about papaya and its benefits on my video (above), and more about Traditional Medicine in my book,Natural Woman.

Dr. Leslie Korn has lived and worked in Banderas Bay, Jalisco, since 1973 conducting research in Traditional Medicine of Mexico.

She is a Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health-educated clinician in clinical practice in Mental Health Nutrition, Integrative Medicine and the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline. She is the author of 8 books, includingNatural Woman: Herbal Remedies for Radiant Health at Every Age and Stage of Life.

To learn more about her work, visitDrLeslieKorn.com.She can be reached atlekorn(at)cwis.org.

by Leslie Korn.

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Medicinal Benefits of Papaya - The Yucatan Times

CORVALLIS, Ore. Oregon State University is helping the National Institutes of Health to harness the power of big data in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences is creating a centralized, secure digital enclave for collecting medical record data from COVID-19 patients throughout the United States. The enclave is part of an effort called theNational COVID Cohort Collaborative, or N3C, designed to help scientists expedite their understanding of the disease and to develop treatments.

For example, can we predict who might have severe outcomes if they have COVID-19? What drugs are most likely to exacerbate or be protective against COVID-19?

Vast amounts of clinical data are being generated that can be used to push research forward, but the datasets are hard to meld in meaningful ways, said Melissa Haendel, director of OSUsTranslational and Integrative Sciences Laboratory.

In the United States, there hasnt been a standardized way to collect, harmonize, securely share and reproducibly analyze all the COVID-19 data being generated, she said. N3C is overcoming these varied challenges in order to rapidly transform clinical data into useful knowledge that can improve clinical care and understand the long-term impact of COVID-19.

Haendel stressed that multiple security measures will safeguard patient privacy throughout the data collection process and that the data will not include information such as names or addresses.

The cohort collaborative is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and is a partnership among NCATS-supportedClinical and Translational Science Awards Programhubs and theNational Center for Data to Health, or CD2H.

The N3C platform will enable machine learning approaches and rigorous statistical analyses that require large amounts of data to reveal patterns.

The N3C pulls in extensive capabilities, and by leveraging our collective data resources, unparalleled analytics expertise and medical insights from expert clinicians, we can catalyze discoveries that address this pandemic that none of us could enable alone, said Haendel, who directs the CD2H program at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

In addition to OSU and OHSU, CD2H consists of the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sage Bionetworks, the Scripps Research Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University and the Jackson Laboratory.

The CD2H was created in 2017 by a five-year, $25 million grant from NCATS.

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OSU helping to drive National Institutes of Health effort to harness analytics in COVID-19 fight - myCentralOregon.com

Shot of a young woman wearing a mask and suffering from throat pain in a doctor's office

The novel coronavirus has added a lot of terms to our collective vocabulary. The latest is antigens, and though these proteins may sound similar to antibodies - and both will be key to test as doctors learn more about COVID-19 - they actually play very different roles in the body and the course of the disease. POPSUGAR asked experts for a quick breakdown of these two terms and what they mean for the strategy moving forward.

Contrary to what it might sound like, antibodies actually protect your body! Your immune system produces these little Y-shaped proteins to defend you against invader cells (pathogens). "An antibody is the immunoglobulin (protein) produced by the immune system," Habib Sadeghi, DO, a physician and integrative medicine specialist in Los Angeles, told POPSUGAR.

Fun fact: antibodies are produced by certain lymphocytes. A doctor can check your antibody levels in your blood. For COVID-19, "doctors look for two kinds of antibodies to SARS CoV-2 to determine exposure: IgM antibodies that develop early in an infection and IgG antibodies that appear after levels start to drop about four weeks in," said Dr. Sadeghi. The latter would in theory allow you to develop some level of long-term immunity, but experts still aren't sure if that's the case.

Related: Study Says Shutdowns Put in Place Avoided 60 Million More Coronavirus Infections in the US

Antigens are not produced by the body. "An antigen is any substance that induces a response from the immune system," Dr. Sadeghi explained. This can range from a toxin to simply a foreign substance. Remember the pathogens we just mentioned? Those invader cells? Antigens are part of pathogens - the part that triggers the antibodies to spring into action.

From there, "an antibody is capable of binding with the antigen and neutralizing it," Dr. Sadeghi said. This is typically how your body fights off an infection.

Related: Why You Should Take Symptoms of COVID-19 Seriously, Even If You're Not Running a Fever

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Antigen tests are the latest offering in the fight against COVID-19, designed to help manage the large number of tests needed to detect active cases. Antigen testing is cheaper than nasal swab testing, and blood results come back faster.

"The antigen test looks for actual pieces of protein of the virus itself, where the antibody test looks for evidence of a person's immune system response to being infected," William Kimbrough, MD, of One Medical, told POPSUGAR. "This means that the antigen test is identifying people with active infections (similar to what the more broadly available PCR swabs do), where the antibody tests look for people who have been previously infected."

Your doctor can help you determine which test is right for you. Just remember: a positive result on the antibody test does not necessarily mean you have immunity, so please, keep social distancing and following CDC guidelines until there's a safe and effective vaccine.

POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information about the coronavirus, but details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please check out resources from the WHO, CDC, and local public health departments.

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Confused About Antigen Testing For COVID-19? Here's How It Differs From Antibody Testing - Yahoo Lifestyle

Whitefish, Montana--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2020) - CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the leading media network dedicated to the global legal cannabis, CBD and psychedelics industries, today announces an article discussing psychedelic treatment, aftercare, and Mindleap Health's innovative approach to the practice.

Image 1: Mindleap Health

To view an enhanced version of Image 1, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_001full.jpg

Millions of people have had a psychedelic experience at some point in their life and with new FDA approved medicines and regulatory changes millions more will soon be able to as well. However, without support, it can be challenging to understand and integrate these experiences.

Psychedelic substances are not magic bullets, they are only one tool in the toolbelt of transformational healing and expansion of consciousness. Psychedelics can show people the way and illuminate the pathway towards better mental wellbeing but each person using them needs to be willing to do the work and have the commitment to actually change.

Psychedelic integration is designed to help people plan, prepare, and make sense of psychedelic experiences. Individuals who have participated in a therapeutic psychedelic treatment can benefit from a more comprehensive interpretation of their experience.

Click to hear Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS, share what the ideal integrative process looks like after taking a psychedelic and how to create the conditions to have the most therapeutic experience as possible.

Cannot view this video? Visit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwEmZW7H05g

Psychedelic Therapies will revolutionize mental health

MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder is in Phase 3 clinical trial and is expected to be approved very soon to treat the over 300 million people affected with the condition. Psilocybin for depressive disorders has two drugs in Phase 2 with patient populations over 322 million. All of these treatments are being fast-tracked by the FDA and once approved there will be a major need for a convenient and confidential integration ( psychedelic aftercare ) solution. Currently, there are 90+ psychedelic clinics but that number is growing with companies expanding to be able to meet the upcoming demand.

Mindleap Health: At the Convergence of Tech, Mental Health, and Science

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Image 2: Mindleap Health

To view an enhanced version of Image 2, please visit:https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/325a0daf431fbc791dc0ca421617d222

Mindleap Health is at the forefront of this industry with its digital telehealth platform focused on the psychedelic therapy industry. Mindleap has recognized that there is an unmet need for people to access psychedelic integration specialists and is creating the world's first platform focusing on psychedelic aftercare.

The company's unique strategy was re-affirmed when it was acquired last week by Mydecine Innovations Group (CSE: MYCO) (OTC Pink: MYCOF) a life sciences company focused on the development and commercialization of products and services that contribute to improved health and wellbeing with a specific focus on psychedelic medicine.

The tools Mindleap is building are the first of their kind to allow the patient to monitor, record, and track their mood and habits (both positive and negative) along with providing access to modern health services, namely integrated coaching to translate psychedelic experiences into positive change.

The system is completely secure and compliant with HIPAA and GDPR mandates and is being developed by a world-class development team with a proven track record.

Finally, Digital Mental Healthcare

As a society, we are becoming more familiar with digital healthcare. Electronic medical records are now the norm. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in more usage of video visits to doctors as people sheltered in place to prevent virus spread. A crisis being a catalyst is certainly unfortunate, but it did just make e-visits more mainstream as doctors and patients alike embraced social distancing.

Apropos, already valued at $31.46 billion in 2018, the global telemedicine market is expected to grow at a 19.3% rate by 2025, indicating that adoption is only going to keep accelerating.

Mindleap's comprehensive platform, expected to launch at the end of summer, includes video visits, appointment scheduling and payment solutions.

Mindleap is also capitalizing on the world's love of digital technologies, such as smartphones and connected wearable devices, in a newer science dubbed digital phenotyping. By passively collecting data (e.g. sleep patterns, exercise, social patterns), outcomes can be predicted using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This information subsequently helps healthcare providers optimize support.

Image 3: The Mindleap App

To view an enhanced version of Image 3, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_004full.jpg

Image 4: The Mindleap App

To view an enhanced version of Image 4, please visit:https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/58428_8da51df83422581c_005full.jpg

It is the epitome of the purpose of Big Data to anonymously help the greater cause by aggregating massive amounts of info. It's very valuable from both financial and humanitarian perspectives.

The market opportunity as a first mover is tremendous, to say the least. There are more than 577,000 mental health professionals and over 13,000 behavioral health clinics in the U.S. to treat the more than 45 million Americans that have a mental illness.

To put this market opportunity into perspective, consider Livongo. The company has made a splash on Wall Street ($7.4 billion market cap) with an application connecting diabetics to physicians with the strategy that better engagement will promote better health. There are fewer diabetics (~34 million) in the U.S. than people with mental illness.

We're at a Tipping Point

Thankfully, awareness is growing about the very real medicinal usefulness of psilocybin and other psychedelics. Indeed, they remain illegal as Schedule I drugs currently, but positions are beginning to soften to encourage clinical research. Oakland and Denver have already decriminalized magic mushrooms and over 100 other cities are considering similar action.

Leading research organizations, including Johns Hopkins, have dedicated millions of dollars to study psychedelics, which will only help create tailwinds with every positive development.

The next logical progression is providing patients with the best support possible to help them achieve meaningful changes to their quality of life. That's exactly what Mindleap Health - and now Mydecine Innovations Group - is bringing to the table by changing the shape of the aftercare model.

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What is the Most Vital Part of an Effective Psychedelic Treatment?

Mindleap Health Company Contact:

Nik Vassev

Founder & CEO

nik@mindleap.health

https://mindleap.health/

About CFN Enterprises Inc.

CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) is a digital media and ecommerce company focused on advancing businesses and brands in highly regulated emerging industries across the globe. CFN connects investors with new market opportunities while helping consumers find innovative products that enhance their lives. Learn more at http://www.cfnenterprisesinc.com.

CFN Enterprises Inc. Media Contact:

CFN Enterprises Inc.+001 (833) 420-CNFN investors@cfnenterprisesinc.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

Use of Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements from CFN Enterprises Inc. within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and federal securities laws. For example, when CFN Enterprises Inc. describes the potential acquisition of BarNone assets and the related benefits, its pursuit of M&A opportunities, growth in CBD sales and spending on affiliate marketing, and uses other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will" and similar expressions, CFN Enterprises Inc. is using forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of CFN Enterprises Inc. only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the regulatory landscape and enforcement related to cannabis, including political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; we may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products and services; or, loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of CFN Enterprises Inc. to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, CFN Enterprises Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risk and uncertainties affecting CFN Enterprises Inc., reference is made to CFN Enterprises Inc.'s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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What Is the Most Vital Part of an Effective Psychedelic Treatment? - Yahoo Finance

We found that misplaced fears are deflecting attention from other real concerns, resulting in missed opportunities for leveraging technology and online communication to address adolescent mental health problems.

IRVINE, Calif. (PRWEB) June 23, 2020

With or without physical separation due to COVID-19, youth are using social media to connect and support each other, according to a report released today. Three leading researchers have just published Youth Connections for Wellbeing, an integrative review paper that illuminates how teens support each other through digital media during times of stress and isolation.

Leveraging their expertise across the fields of cultural anthropology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology, scholars Mimi Ito, Candice Odgers, and Stephen Schueller discuss the potential of digital media to support youth wellbeing.

The work underlying the paper was completed prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The physical isolation that has resulted from shelter-in-place orders has yielded a seismic shift, making it even more critical to understand and leverage technology in a way that benefits youth.

The position paper summarizes current knowledge and redirects the conversation about adolescent social media use and wellbeing in three ways that are particularly relevant today:

1. Refocusing the debate over the relationship between youth social media use and wellbeing to reflect existing evidence, varied youth perspectives and backgrounds.

2. Identifying teen vulnerabilities and assets that may influence problematic and healthy social media engagement.

3. Suggesting opportunities where youth social engagement might mitigate vulnerabilities and leverage assets.

In the position paper Ito, Odgers, and Schueller highlight the need to move beyond the simple question of whether more time spent using social media causes mental health problems in adolescents. Instead, people should consider the specific forms of social media engagement that amplify or mitigate mental health risks for different adolescents. The team integrates findings from existing large-scale reviews, the voices of youth who have grown up on social media, and a systematic review of digital mental health apps available for youth.

The team finds that adolescents online risks often mirror offline vulnerabilities. They note that it is particularly important for messages, interventions, and strategies to be targeted and tailored to the most vulnerable youth and those underserved by traditional mental health services.

A number of relevant findings, opportunities, and benefits are outlined in the paper, including:

For example, one student interviewed shared how they experienced a supportive community online, saying: I think a lot of my mutuals on Instagram, they're very open to being emotionally vulnerable on Instagram, so they'll actually say, I'm not doing fine. I like it because it's a very nice community, just spreading love whether it be through comments or someone will actually say through messages like, Are you okay?

A freshman adjusting to life away from family shared how online connections made her feel close to them: My mother just started using Messenger. I taught her how to use it. And so she texts me here and there. She's like, Good morning, or, How are you doing?, and then we FaceTime. Then my siblings, we use Instagram because that's where we're mostly at. We send each other videos and memes, and then we kind of comment just to make our day.

Given the rising rates of mental health concerns among young people in the U.S., Ito, Odgers, and Schueller encourage a sense of urgency in focusing research, investment, and public attention on how digital spaces and tools can be better designed and used to support youth's mental health.

The paper, which was supported by Pivotal Ventures (https://www.pivotalventures.org/), a Melinda Gates Company, was published by the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine, and is available at https://youthwellbeing.online/ReportRelease.

About the Authors

Mimi Ito is a learning scientist and a cultural anthropologist of technology use, examining children and youths changing relationships to media and communications. She is Director of the Connected Learning Lab, Professor in Residence and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine.

Candice Odgers is a developmental psychologist who studies adolescent mental health and how digital technologies can be leveraged to understand and support wellbeing. She is the Co-Director of the Child and Brain Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a Professor of Psychological Science at University of California, Irvine, and a Research Professor at Duke University.

Stephen Schueller is a clinical psychologist and mental health service researcher who focuses on using technology to expand access to and improve the accessibility of mental health services. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine.

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Teens' technology use and mental health: New report from the Connected Learning Lab provides insight into Youth Connections for Wellbeing - PR Web