The mental health crisis that seems to be afflicting many of us has found a new target: our best friends. Veterinarians across the country report rising prescriptions of Prozac for dogs, along with various mood stabilizers for separation anxiety, socialization fears, biting habits or other problematic behaviors.

The phenomenon reflects the ready availability of inexpensive generic medicines and our own mindfulness -- or lack thereof. "The human world has become more attuned to mental health," said veterinarian Melissa Bain. "When we start to recognize things in humans, we recognize it in our dogs too."

Analysts expect the global market for canine psych medicines to continue growing from roughly $11.6 billion in 2019 to more than $18 billion by 2027.

Body of Knowledge

The temple is a juncture where four skull bones meet. It's also the thinnest part of the skull, but it provides cover for a major artery that supplies blood to the outer covering of the brain -- the meninges.

Get Me That, Stat!

The suicide rate among college athletes has doubled from 7.6% in 2002 to 15.3% in 2022, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It's grown so fast that suicide is not the second-most common cause of death in this population after accidents. Division I and II athletes died by suicide at higher rates than those in Division III.

Counts

1 in 7: Number of women in states with abortion bans who say that either they or someone they know has had difficulty accessing an abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. (Source: KFF Health News)

Stories for the Waiting Room

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