09/23/2025
There's been a lot of news lately regarding mental health and treatment. I encourage you to employ your critical thinking when evaluating these stories. Some of the news stories from and policies of the current administration are based on inconclusive and/or tenuous relationships that do not reflect cause and effect. Tylenol has not been shown to cause autism, although the relationship has been studied for years with inconclusive results. It is true that Autism has been diagnosed more frequently in the past twenty years, a phenomenon more likely attributed to greater understanding of the disorder and increased screenings for it. The current administration also recently suggested that mental health screenings ought to be discontinued in schools over concerns that individuals may be stigmatized. There is research that demonstrates support for targeting the mental and physical health of children with early interventions provide the greatest impact for treating and resolving many issues our children face today. The real issue is removing the stigma of mental illness, screening for it, and obtaining treatment. Again, please use your critical thinking skills when reviewing the latest news and consider information from a variety of sources. Your mental health care provider is one of those sources and can offer information that is supported by current research and thinking. Be informed and be well.
