Category: Health

(NEW YORK) — Over the last several days, many Americans have seen upsetting, and often violent, images and videos of protests in Minneapolis amid a flood of ICE agents entering the city for a federal immigration enforcement operation.

Research has shown that images of extreme violence can impact mental health, increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Among the videos and images that circulated widely in recent weeks have been the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens involving federal agents just 17 days apart: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Psychologists and psychiatrists told ABC News that witnessing a death can add an extra level of distress for some people and lead to long-lasting consequences.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression
Studies have shown the symptoms of depression and anxiety can increase when exposed to negative news.

One 2011 study from the University of Sussex in Brighton, U.K., found that people had worsened mood and anxiety symptoms after just 14 minutes of negative news consumption.

Another 2022 study from Rutgers University, focused on COVID-19 news, found that greater daily exposure to news about the virus was linked to higher same-day and next-day worry about the pandemic as well as feelings of hopelessness and general worry.

Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, a psychologist and interim president and CEO of the nonprofit Mental Health America, told ABC News that witnessing any kind of violence whether through news, on social media or in person can lead to psychological effects

“So, people will experience fear, they’ll experience hypervigilance, they’ll experience emotional exhaustion, and they will have effects on their mental health,” he said.

Mancini added that witnessing violent events can activate the body’s “fight-or-flight response” which can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, nausea, irritability and difficulty concentrating, especially when the events happen in one’s own community.

“So, the individuals that are on site where they are witnessing these effects in their neighborhoods get affected at a much higher level, but even those millions more that end up watching it on social media or traditional news sites also have those experiences,” he said.

Witnessing deaths may be especially traumatic
Research has shown that mental health impacts are even more profound when someone’s unexpected death is witnessed and shared.

A May 2021 article looked at emotional and mental health impacts after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed in Minneapolis in 2020 after a white police officer knelt on his neck.

The team analyzed Gallup poll data and found that in the week following Floyd’s death, more than one-third of respondents reported feelings of anger and sadness.

Researchers found a 1.5-fold increase in feelings of anger and a 1.3-fold increase in feelings of sadness compared to poll data for the four weeks preceding Floyd’s death. Increases were seen despite already elevated levels of anger and sadness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Johannes Eichstaedt, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in psychology at Stanford University, told ABC News he sees some similarities between the death of Floyd and the deaths of Good and Pretti, all of which occurred in Minneapolis.

He said there is scientific literature about linked fate, or the sensation someone has that a horrible event could have happened to them or someone they know.

“There is a very real fear response in the human body with lots of physiological consequences that are very real and when something like this happens and it’s recorded like this and then it traumatizes more or less everybody who watches this,” Eichstaedt said. “The problem is not that these things are getting captured in a video. The problem is that these things happen.”

Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, told ABC News that witnessing a death can be distressing to anyone, but that it is important to determine when the stress becomes pathological.

“I think any individual with a moral compass would be distressed by seeing someone die like this on television,” he said. “It’s a very distressing thing to witness. And to feel momentary dismay and stress and sadness or anxiety in response to it strikes me as a normal human response to an abnormal event. Where it becomes problematic is when that stress and that distress doesn’t go away, when it lingers.”

Experts said witnessing deaths on the news, such as what occurred in Minneapolis, can elevate the level of potential mental health impacts, especially among those who are most vulnerable.

“It is extremely traumatic to see someone die,” Mancini said. “Once that sinks in that you witnessed someone lose their life, especially in a violent situation. It’s always traumatic even if you’re next to a loved one who’s passing and you’re expecting it, but when it’s unexpected and when it is violent, it is extremely difficult to watch and to process.”

Mancini said some people may be desensitized to violence, but others can be severely impacted. Witnessing violence can violate a person’s feeling of safety and stability, he said.

“In Minnesota, many people are experiencing that escalating stress,” he said. “They’re experiencing that fear, that violence and uncertainty in their communities. So, it’s gonna make you question everything that you were taught when you were growing up.”

How to protect mental health
For those who are experiencing mental health impacts, experts say there are steps people can take to protect their mental health.

Rather than avoiding the news altogether, Mancini said people can purposely limit the time they spend watching news coverage.

He added that watching the news is important to remain informed, but that it is just as important to have intentional engagement.

“So, for example, it is as simple as maybe … I will watch the news two times a day, and when I’m watching this news, I’m going to set a timer,” he said. “I’m gonna limit the time that I’m to be watching this news. That is the healthy thing to do.”

To limit mental health impacts, people can also take action by getting involved with a group focused on the issues they are most passionate about or joining an affinity group, which are supportive communities of people who share a common identity, experts said.

Feinstein said having psychosocial supports can help people maintain mental well-being and allow them to be more vulnerable as well.

“Peer support is important and there is literature out there that peer support is comforting and it’s protective and it’s helpful when it comes to managing situations like this,” Feinstein said. “Obviously you want to keep your responses within the letter of the law … but being part of a support group is helpful.”

Feinstein added that, in stressful times, it’s important for people to devote sufficient time to things that are healthy and meaningful in their lives, whether it be friendships, hobbies or interests.

“And, by the way, don’t feel guilty by doing it,” he said. “That’s really important. People feel, ‘Well, I’ve got a good life, and I feel guilty that I can go to the cinema and theater with other people.’ No, it’s really important that you hold on to those good positive things, because that’s how you maintain your mental well-being.”

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(NEW YORK) — Tens of thousands of nurses and health care workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities across California and Hawaii went on strike on Monday morning.

More than 31,000 workers across at least two dozen hospitals and hundreds of clinics run by the non-profit health care system walked off the job at 7 a.m. PT, marking the largest strike of health care professionals so far this year.

The striking workers, who are members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), said they are fighting for safe staffing levels and fair wages and compensation.

UNAC/UHCP said many Kaiser facilities are currently experiencing staffing shortages, which is leading to delays in care and a risk of errors, as well as burnout and turnover.

The union also states that Kaiser is seeking wage cuts and a reduction in benefits and retirement, including active medical coverage and pension benefits.

“Kaiser’s own communications to employees reveal exactly why we are striking,” Charmaine Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in a statement. “Instead of addressing unsafe staffing and patient care concerns, Kaiser is issuing messages that pressure workers not to strike, exaggerate the risks of participation, and encourage employees to report one another. That is intimidation.”

The union argues that Kaiser is engaging in unfair labor practices by stalling negotiations and attempting to bypass “the established national bargaining process.”

Both sides have been negotiation since May but are currently in a stalemate. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Kaiser of walking away from the bargaining table in December.

Additionally, UNAC/UHCP released a report earlier this month, accusing Kaiser of earning a net income and surplus above what is traditional for a non-profit health care system.

The report also criticized Kaiser for allegedly investing in private prisons and ICE detention centers, which the union claims raises “urgent ethical questions.”

“Kaiser isn’t strapped for resources. It’s making choices — and those choices are hurting people. It’s time for accountability,” Morales said in a statement at the time.

In a statement, Kaiser referred to the strike as “unnecessary when such a generous offer is on the table” and said the strike has occurred despite a recent agreement to return to local bargaining.

Kaiser said that as health care costs rise, and many Americans risk losing access to health insurance, it is committed to delivering fair and competitive pay for its staff while protecting affordability for patients.

“Despite the union’s claims, this strike is about wages,” the statement read, in part. “The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve.”

The health care system said that all of its hospitals and nearly all of its medical offices will remain open during the strike and that contingency plans have been put in place to ease disruptions.

Kaiser said that some in-person appointments may need to be virtual instead and some appointments, elective surgeries and procedures may need to be rescheduled.

This is not the first time Kaiser workers have gone on strike. In October, thousands of workers participated in a five-day strike across California and Hawaii to demand safer staffing and fair compensation. 

Kaiser’s strike comes amid the largest nursing strike in New York City history with nearly 15,000 nurses walking off the job at five hospitals across the city.

The strike, which began two weeks ago, has shown some signs of progress with the New York State Nurses Association — the union representing the workers — saying at least two hospitals have agreed on maintaining health benefits for nurses.

However, nurses have indicated that the strike will continue until at least tentative contract agreements are reached.

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(NEW YORK) — Long-term alcohol use has been linked to higher risks of colorectal cancer, according to a study published Monday in the journal Cancer.

Researchers found that those with heavy lifetime alcohol consumption have up to a 91% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with those who drank very little. That risk significantly increased with consistent heavy consumption, whereas those who quit drinking may have demonstrated decreased risk of precancerous tissue.

“The longer someone drinks, the longer their colon and rectum are exposed damage and impaired repair, both major mechanisms of cancer,” Dr. Lynn M O’Connor, section chief of colon and rectal surgery at Mercy Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital in New York, told ABC News.

The study followed more than 88,000 adults with no prior history of cancer. Participants reported their alcohol use beginning in early adulthood and were followed for nearly a decade to track cancer outcomes.

Compared with those who averaged one drink or less per week over their lifetime, those who consumed over 14 drinks a week had a 25% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. The link was even stronger for rectal cancer, where one’s risk nearly doubled.

Rectal cancer is “often more difficult to treat and more involved clinically, which makes screening and early identification all the more important,” Dr. Jeffrey Farma, a colorectal cancer specialist, told ABC News.

The results come as colorectal cancers are on the rise, especially in younger people.

“We’re seeing an uptick in rectal cancers. If alcohol affects the lower part of the colon differently —we need to understand why,” Dr. Fola May, a GI specialist and associate director of the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, told ABC News.

In the study, researchers found the highest risks among people who drank heavily at every stage of life. Those who consistently exceeded recommended drinking limits across each stage of adulthood had a 91% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared with lifelong light drinkers or those with gaps in heavy drinking.

“These numbers are not guarantees, but signals to do something before it’s too late,” May said. “Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers we can actually prevent or catch early, but fewer than 70% of eligible people get screened.”

The study also looked at adenomas —polyps that can develop into cancer. While heavy drinking was not strongly linked to adenoma risk, those who quit drinking had significantly lower odds of developing nonadvanced adenomas compared to light drinkers.

“These are modifiable risks. The choices people make over time matter, and the body can respond when those risks are reduced,” Farma said.

The results align with a growing body of evidence linking alcohol, a well-recognized carcinogen, to colorectal cancer.

Colorectal screening is recommended for all adults starting at age 45 according to the United States Preventative Services Task Force. Screening tools include annual stool tests, CT scans every five years, or colonoscopies every 10 years.

“Everyone should be screened. It saves lives, and people are dying unnecessarily when they put it off,” May said.

Those who may be at higher risk may need to be screened at an early age or more often than typically recommended.

“If you’ve had prolonged heavy drinking and you develop symptoms like bleeding or persistent changes in bowel habits, you need to be evaluated — even in your 30s,” Farma said. “That’s how we catch this early and save lives.”

Tyler Beauchamp, MD, is a pediatric resident at UNC Children’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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