UK government recommends maximum two hours of screen time for younger children: What the evidence says

medicalxpress - New UK government guidance recommends that screen time for children under two should be avoided, except for shared activities such as video calls. For children aged two to five, a maximum of an hour a day is suggested. The guidance also outlines that watc…

AI Summary: The UK government updated child‑health guidance recommending strict limits on young children’s screen time, citing evidence linking excessive use to delayed development and poorer sleep. The guidance urges parents and caregivers to prioritize interactive, non‑screen activities and age‑appropriate limits while acknowledging modern practicalities for families.

Scream your way to happiness? Maybe not, but scream clubs promise some relief

medicalxpress - With a gut-wrenching wail that rippled from her body, Amber Walcker joined about a dozen screaming people in West Seattle who let their frustrations float away over the Puget Sound.

AI Summary: Scream clubs tout catharsis and quick emotional relief, but evidence for lasting mental‑health benefits is sparse. Research suggests short‑lived mood boosts largely driven by social bonding and novelty rather than durable therapeutic change. In short: yelling at strangers might feel good for a night, but don’t expect it to replace therapy.

What happens to your brain in nature? The neuroscience explained

medicalxpress - Have you ever felt calmer almost as soon as you step into the woods? Or maybe noticed your busy mind soften as you look out at the sea?

AI Summary: Researchers report that immersive time in natural settings produces detectable changes in brain networks tied to attention, emotion regulation and memory. The findings suggest brief nature exposure can recalibrate neural states and boost mental health — science’s polite way of telling you to go outside instead of doomscrolling.

Lantern Secures $30M to Fuel Growth Across Employers and Health Plans

Marissa Plescia / medcitynews - Lantern’s $30 million raise was led by Morgan Health, a JPMorganChase business unit focused on employer-sponsored healthcare, as well as Echo Health Ventures, a strategic investment platform that invests on behalf of multiple Blues health plans.The post L…

AI Summary: Lantern secured a $30 million investment led by Morgan Health and Echo Health Ventures to scale its employer- and plan-facing digital health platform. The capital will accelerate product development, deepen payer-employer partnerships, and expand deployment of Lantern’s care navigation and benefits tools as it chases broader market traction — because nothing says progress like more tech for paperwork.

'Leaky' brain barrier revealed as driver of chronic brain damage in retired combat and collision sports athletes

medicalxpress - Research, led by teams at Trinity College Dublin and the FutureNeuro Research Ireland Center, has pinpointed the mechanism linking some sports injuries to poor brain health in retired athletes. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, ha…

AI Summary: New research links repetitive head impacts in contact and combat sports to blood–brain barrier breakdown, which appears to drive chronic traumatic encephalopathy and progressive cognitive decline. The studies identify vascular leakage as a key mechanism and suggest that strategies to bolster the barrier could reduce long-term brain damage in athletes and veterans.

Personalized Support Program Improves Smoking Cessation for Cervical Cancer Survivors – UCLA Health

oncodaily - UCLA study shows program doubles quit rates for women and offers a cost-effective approach A new study led by UCLA researchers suggests that a personalized counseling program can significantly help […]

AI Summary: A UCLA-led trial found that a tailored support program for women treated for cervical precancer significantly doubled smoking-cessation rates versus usual care. The intervention combined individualized counseling, follow-up, and survivor-focused resources, proving both clinically impactful and cost-effective — because apparently telling people to “just quit” still isn’t working.

A smartphone app can help men last longer in bed

newscientist - In a randomised trial, men who experience premature ejaculation benefitted from using an app to learn techniques for extending intercourse

AI Summary: A randomized trial shows a smartphone app teaching behavioral and psychological techniques significantly prolonged intercourse and improved sexual satisfaction for men with premature ejaculation. The digital program provided a non‑pharmacologic, scalable alternative to pills, offering clinicians an accessible adjunct or first‑line option for patients keen to try therapy without a prescription.

Universal Health Services buys Talkspace for $835M

Ngai Yeung / endpoints - Universal Health Services, which operates hospitals and mental healthcare facilities, is acquiring Talkspace for $835 million in an area closely watched for consolidation, as virtual mental health companies grapple with falling valuations despite high dem…

AI Summary: Universal Health Services agreed to acquire Talkspace for roughly $835 million to bulk up virtual behavioral‑health capabilities and outpatient telehealth services. The deal aims to expand UHS’s behavioral care footprint and diversify revenue streams, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review — because nothing says mental‑health innovation like a corporate merger.

How springing forward to daylight saving time could affect your health

medicalxpress - Most of America "springs forward" Sunday for daylight saving time. Losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next day; it also could harm your health.

AI Summary: The clock change that robs people of an hour of sleep is back, and so are the predictable health hiccups: disrupted circadian rhythm, deeper sleep loss and more migraine flare‑ups. Experts warn even a single lost hour can nudge vulnerable people toward worse sleep, mood and short‑term cardiovascular risk — so yes, your crankiness is data‑backed.

Telehealth growth hasn’t increased rural behavioral healthcare access: Study

Giles Bruce / beckershospitalreview - The rise in telemedicine over the past several years hasn’t translated to more behavioral healthcare access in rural areas, according to a March 5 study in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from Boston-based Harvard Medical School and Providence, R.I.-based …

AI Summary: A new study finds the rapid expansion of telemedicine did not meaningfully improve access to behavioral health services in rural areas. Persistent barriers—workforce shortages, broadband gaps, and reimbursement limits—keep telehealth from being the miracle fix some hoped for. Turns out, high-speed internet isn’t a therapist.

GLP‑1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people

medicalxpress - A patient of mine, a veteran who had tried to quit smoking for over a decade, told me that after he started a GLP-1 drug for his diabetes, he lost interest in cigarettes. He didn't use a patch. He didn't set a quit date. He simply lost interest. It happen…

AI Summary: A large observational analysis suggests GLP‑1 receptor agonists — the headline-grabbing diabetes and weight-loss drugs — are linked to reduced risk of developing and dying from substance use disorders across multiple substances. Researchers urge cautious optimism: signals are intriguing, but causality remains unproven and more controlled trials are needed before rewriting addiction treatment playbooks.

Parents of gravely ill child refused respite care

bbc - Birmingham Children's Trust refused respite help and suggested training grandparents to help.

AI Summary: Parents of a gravely ill child report being refused respite care, leaving caregivers exhausted and without relief while bureaucratic responses pivot to training relatives. The situation exposes gaps in social and health services for high‑need families and the human cost of systems designed for checkboxes, not real lives.

CFO Mark Kaye to take the helm at Carelon in leadership shake-up at Elevance Health

fiercehealthcare - Elevance Health Chief Financial Officer Mark Kaye will grow his list of duties to include oversight of Carelon, the company announced Thursday.

AI Summary: Elevance Health elevated CFO Mark Kaye to take expanded responsibility overseeing Carelon as part of a broader C-suite reshuffle. The reorganization centralizes oversight of the company’s growth arm and signals a tighter alignment between payer operations and its care-management business amid strategic and operational realignments.

UHS posts 11.5% operating margin in 2025 as net income jumps 30%

Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services recorded a net income of $1.5 billion in 2025, up from $1.1 billion in 2024, according to its Feb. 25 financial report. Eight things to know: 1. The for-profit system reported an operating income of $2 …

AI Summary: Universal Health Services reported robust 2025 financial results and outlined an optimistic 2026 outlook, driven by acute and behavioral health operations. Leadership flagged growth targets for admissions and behavioral services even as staffing and regulatory pressures persist — the usual blend of confidence and contingency planning.