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As per the latest data released by Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and the Policy Institute at King's College London, the number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties tripled. The estimate reveals that around 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles. Of the total, 18% of students reported some kind of mental health issue in 2024.
As per the reports, this estimate is triple what was reported in 2017, where it was at 6%. Experts also say that Covid-19 pandemic is "often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain the ongoing rise in mental health difficulties." Another reason could also be the "changing definition and increasing openness about mental health" which has led to a rise in numbers. The report notes, "This trend pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Although these factors play a part in students' deteriorating mental health, they cannot therefore be the only explanation."
The report drew data collected over the latest Student Academic Experience Survey of 93,212 students. From the survey, it was found that there exist significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties, about 22% as compared to men, at 11%.
The results revealed that students who identified as LGBTQ experienced the highest rates of mental health challenges. This has actually lessened the hope that conditions for LGBTQ students are improving, which may not have been a positive case.
Of them, 42% are bisexual and lesbian students, whereas last year it was 35% and 32% respectively. The report also noted that mental health difficulties among lesbian women and gay men rose three times the rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people, it was twice as high. For trans students, the number jumped from 25% in 2023 to 40% in 2024.
As per the Child Mind Institute, being LGBTQ+ does not cause mental health problems, but because these kids often face factors like rejection, discrimination and violence, they are at a higher risk of challenges including depression, anxiety, and even attempting suicide.
A UTAH Health study quotes Anna Docherty, PhD, LP, assistant professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute that, "likely with any identity, feeling different - or worse, unaccepted as you are is a significant risk factor of mental health struggle." The data reveals that LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. They are also more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and more than four times as likely to attempt suicide. In the US alone, 48% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall population.
TASO's academic lead and professor of public policy at King's College London, Michael Sanders said, "LGBTQ students and women bear the brunt of the rise in declining mental health and urgent action is needed to understand and address these trends."
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India's Supreme Court has revamped guidelines for intensive care units (ICUs) across the country, and the top court has also asked all the states and Union Territories to prepare a “realistic and practical” action plan to implement the guidelines necessary as a minimum standard for intensive care units.
As per the new draft guidelines, set to be implemented from mid-May, patients who are stable and no longer need critical support will be shifted out of ICUs to wards or other care units.
The guidelines, prepared by a three-member court-appointed committee and reviewed by leading medical experts, were endorsed by the apex court as “practical, implementable, and necessary as a minimum standard for an ICU,” The Hindustan Times reported.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan said copies of the guidelines should be shared with all the states and UTs.
“Moving further, as an immediate measure, let all the additional chief secretaries/secretaries … heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs, convene a meeting of all experts involved in this exercise to prepare an action plan for implementation of the guidelines. Such a plan shall be realistic and practical,” the bench said in its order.
They also call for round-the-clock monitoring by resident doctors working in shifts, under the supervision of specialists with postgraduate qualifications recognized by the National Medical Council.
The SC bench had urged for a meeting of all concerned to discuss and prepare a final common guideline, which shall then be circulated to all states and UTs.
“A final report/blueprint/recommendation shall be prepared, which shall be placed before this court on the next date,” it said, adding that the entire exercise should be completed within three weeks.
“Let the Ministry of Health, Government of India, formally issue the guidelines placed before us today, to the states and UTs concerned by way of an advisory. A copy of it shall also be uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Health, Government of India,” the bench said, while posting the matter for further hearing on May 18.
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Amid the continuously rising temperatures in India’s national capital, the Delhi government has launched several measures, from cool roofing to misting systems at bus stops, to ORS support for schoolchildren, and rest periods for construction workers, to beat the heat.
Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, who reviewed the Heat Wave Action Plan 2026 and directed officials to ensure its strict implementation, noted that the action plan this year is more scientific and robust than in previous years.
The action plan comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows no respite from heat for Delhi.
The agency has issued a yellow alert for today, with heatwave conditions likely at isolated places and maximum temperatures expected to reach 43-45°C. On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above the seasonal average.
However, very light rain is likely towards the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies and very light rain are forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, which is expected to bring a slight drop in maximum temperatures.
Schools are likely to administer an ORS solution before children leave school, if required, to reduce the risk of dehydration during their commute.
Workers will also be provided with drinking water, caps, and Gamchas coverings for protection against the sun. First-aid kits and ice packs will be made available at worksites when needed.
High-pressure misting systems will be installed at bus stops, while anti-smog guns will be used to cool densely built-up areas.
Read: Is It Flu or Heat Stress? Delhi Doctors Report Rising Fever, Sore Throat Cases Amid Heatwave
In addition, 39 Quick Response Teams and trained ASHA workers are on standby. Arrangements for cold drinking water and ORS will be made at busy public locations, including bus stops and terminals.
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While psychedelics—psychoactive substances known to alter perception and mood—have long been sidelined, the US President Donald Trump and his administration are bringing them back to mainstream treatment.
In a significant push, Trump last week signed an executive order where he directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite a review of psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine.
The executive order signed on Saturday is designed to fast-track both research on and access to these drugs. It also includes a $50 million investment in state governments to study how psychedelics might help people struggling with mental health illnesses.
Emerging research shows psychedelics can help improve mental health, especially in conditions where traditional treatment approaches have not been useful. However, these drugs also come with several health risks that cannot be overlooked.
According to FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, ibogaine could “soon” be on track to receive FDA approval once the agency reviews data from late-stage clinical trials, CNN reported.
“Once we have them in-house, we’ll be issuing National Priority Vouchers for a review within one to two months instead of the standard one-year time frame. And that’s because this is a national priority,” Makary said.
“These are potentially promising treatments,” he said. “We’ll see how the data reads out when we get the applications, but we don’t want to waste any time, because this is an urgent matter given the mental health crisis,” the Commissioner said.
Makary noted that if ibogaine gets approved, these will be "given in a controlled, supervised setting in a hospital.”
Historical evidence suggests that ibogaine was first used by the Pygmy people in Central Africa as a sacred medium, believed to be a gift from God, which allowed them to reconnect with the divine and the dead.
It was later, during the colonial period, that the communities in the region used the compound for unity and shared experience.
It was in 1962 that Ibogaine was first seen as a potential treatment for substance-related disorders by researchers in the US. While studies back then showed promising results, psychedelics were considered controversial and, broadly, “abandoned” by researchers.
Since 1967, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the US has classified ibogaine as a Schedule I controlled drug. Schedule I substances are those that currently have no accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse. They are also illegal to use.
However, in recent years, ibogaine has garnered several high-profile supporters, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and podcast host Joe Rogan.
As per preliminary research, ibogaine has the potential to alter certain brain pathways, which can improve some mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
The executive order is a “great step,” Dr. Kirsten Cherian, a researcher at Stanford University who led a landmark study on ibogaine, was quoted as saying to CNN. Cherian added that the order may open the door to offering the treatment in US research facilities.
“The first step is to be able to do the research at home,” she said. “And it could open up a lot of research possibilities. It is kind of an exciting time.”
As per the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, Ibogaine’s effects are prolonged, beginning a half hour to three hours after ingestion and can last more than 24 hours.
Individuals who have used ibogaine report experiencing a dream-like state with visual and sensory distortions. After the peak effects of the substance abate, users report going through a period of reflection and report having residual effects lasting up to 72 hours that include heightened awareness, mild stimulation, and disturbed sleep.
The hallucinogen is also known to raise the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which could cause vomiting. This makes the use of the substance particularly risky for individuals with preexisting heart problems. There has been a total of 33 ibogainerelated deaths publicly reported in scientific literature to date.
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