Year: 2021

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Le Graduate Management Admission Council accueille de nouveaux membres au sein du conseil d’administration

Les nouveaux membres reflètent la perspective mondiale diversifiée de la communauté des écoles de commerce

RESTON, Virginie, 29 juin 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Le Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), une association internationale d’écoles supérieures de commerce de premier plan, a annoncé aujourd’hui l’ajout de quatre nouveaux membres à son conseil d’administration. Katy Montgomery, doyenne associée des programmes des diplômes, INSEAD ; François Ortalo-Magné, doyen, London Business School ; et Giuseppe Soda, doyen, SDA Bocconi School of Management, université Bocconi, entameront leur mandat le 1er juillet. En outre, Yuan Ding, vice-président et doyen de la China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), a été nommé membre du conseil d’administration en janvier de cette année, afin d’occuper le siège laissé vacant par Enase Okonedo, de la Pan-Atlantic University.

« Le nouveau conseil d’administration du GMAC représente des écoles de commerce de premier plan, avec des campus situés dans 10 pays d’Europe, d’Asie, d’Amérique du Nord, d’Afrique et du Moyen-Orient », a déclaré Sangeet Chowfla, président-directeur général du GMAC. « Alors que la mobilité étudiante reprend et se développe dans le monde post-pandémie, je suis impatient de travailler aux côtés de ce groupe diversifié de dirigeants, et des autres membres du conseil d’administration du GMAC, pour continuer à faire progresser la vision du GMAC et faire en sorte que toutes les personnes talentueuses puissent bénéficier du meilleur enseignement commercial. »

Les nouveaux membres du conseil d’administration du GMAC

Yuan Ding, vice-président et doyen, chaire Cathay Capital en comptabilité, CEIBS

Yuan Ding est vice-président et doyen et professeur titulaire de la chaire Cathay Capital en comptabilité à la CEIBS, où il a été récompensé à trois reprises par le prix CEIBS Teaching Excellence Award. Avant de rejoindre la CEIBS, il était enseignant titulaire à la HEC School of Management, Paris (France). Il est membre de l’Association européenne de comptabilité, de l’Association française de comptabilité et de l’American Accounting Association. Il est titulaire d’un doctorat en comptabilité de l’Institut d’Administration des Entreprises de l’université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV (France), ainsi que d’un master en Administration des entreprises de l’université de Poitiers (France). M. Ding est l’auteur de plusieurs ouvrages sur le reporting financier, et ses recherches sont publiées dans des revues universitaires de premier plan.

Katy Montgomery, doyenne associée, programmes des diplômes, INSEAD

En tant que doyenne associée des programmes des diplômes à l’INSEAD, Katy Montgomery est responsable de la direction commerciale du portefeuille des programmes des diplômes de l’INSEAD dans quatre campus : Fontainebleau, Singapour, Abu Dhabi et San Francisco. Ses responsabilités fonctionnelles comprennent la stratégie, le marketing, les ventes, les admissions, l’aide financière et les bourses, les opérations des programmes, la vie étudiante, les services psychologiques et les services d’orientation professionnelle. Avant de rejoindre l’INSEAD, elle a occupé le poste de doyenne associée du développement des étudiants à la Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Katy Montgomery est titulaire d’un diplôme en sciences politiques de la Loyola University New Orleans et d’un diplôme de Juris Doctor obtenu au Georgetown University Law Center.

François Ortalo-Magné, doyen, London Business School

François Ortalo-Magné est le neuvième doyen de la London Business School (LBS), un poste qu’il occupe depuis août 2017. Il mène une stratégie axée sur (1) la recherche universitaire et son impact, (2) les innovations en matière d’apprentissage et l’engagement des anciens élèves et (3) l’inclusion, la recherche de la parité des sexes et une plus grande diversité socioéconomique et ethnique. Depuis qu’il a pris ses fonctions, François Ortalo-Magné a dirigé la relance de la marque LBS et le développement des programmes de diplômes, et veillé à une augmentation significative du soutien philanthropique pour les bourses. Ses recherches sur l’économie des marchés fonciers et immobiliers sont publiées dans des revues universitaires de premier plan. Il s’appuie sur ses recherches et ses expériences de leadership pour conseiller un large éventail d’organisations privées, gouvernementales et multi-latérales, et partager ses idées dans des médias de premier plan et dans le cadre de conférences à travers le monde. Avant sa nomination, M. Ortalo-Magné était l’Albert O. Nicholas Dean et professeur Robert E. Wangard en immobilier à la Wisconsin School of Business. Sa première nomination universitaire a été à la London School of Economics.

Giuseppe Soda, doyen, SDA Bocconi School of Management, université Bocconi

Giuseppe « Beppe » Soda est le doyen de la SDA Bocconi School of Management et professeur titulaire en théorie des organisations et analyse des réseaux à l’université Bocconi. Avant de devenir doyen, en 2016, il a notamment occupé les postes de doyen associé pour la recherche (2007-2013), directeur du département de la gestion et de la technologie (2013-2016) et chef du département de l’organisation et de la gestion des ressources humaines (2001-2006). Il sert également l’EFMD (Fondation européenne pour le développement du management) en tant que membre du conseil d’accréditation EQUIS. Les recherches de Giuseppe Soda portent sur les conséquences, en termes de performance, de l’interaction entre les architectures organisationnelles et les réseaux organisationnels. Son travail est publié dans des revues universitaires de premier plan dédiées au management.

Aux côtés des nouveaux membres du conseil d’administration mentionnés précédemment, deux membres ont été réélus pour un second mandat : il s’agit de Martin Boehm, professeur de marketing, ancien doyen de l’IE Business School et bientôt nouveau recteur de l’EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, et de Themin Suwardy, doyen des programmes professionnels de troisième cycle à la Singapore Management University.

Le GMAC reconnaît également ses membres sortants, Leila Guerra, vice-doyenne (enseignement) de l’Imperial College Business School, et Peter Tufano, Peter Moores Dean et professeur de finances à la Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Le GMAC les remercie pour leur service au sein de notre organisation pendant presque quatre ans et pour leur contribution à la communauté de l’enseignement supérieur en management.

À propos du GMAC™

Le Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™) est une association des meilleures écoles supérieures de commerce du monde entier, au service d’une mission. Fondé en 1953, le GMAC crée des solutions et des expériences permettant aux écoles de commerce et aux candidats de mieux se découvrir, s’évaluer et entrer en relation.

Le GMAC fournit au secteur de l’enseignement supérieur en management des recherches, conférences sectorielles, outils de recrutement et évaluations de classe mondiale, ainsi que des outils, ressources, événements et services qui guident les candidats pendant leur parcours dans l’enseignement supérieur. Propriété du GMAC, qui assure sa gestion, l’examen du Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) est l’évaluation pour école de commerce la plus largement utilisée.

Le GMAC détient et administre également l’examen NMAT by GMAC™ (NMAT™) et l’Executive Assessment (EA). Plus de 7 millions de candidats à la recherche de masters en commerce ou de MBA ont consulté le site mba.com du GMAC l’an passé pour explorer les choix d’écoles de commerce, se préparer et s’inscrire aux examens, et obtenir des conseils sur les procédures d’admission. BusinessBecause et The MBA Tour sont des filiales du GMAC, une organisation internationale avec des bureaux en Chine, en Inde, à Singapour, au Royaume-Uni et aux États-Unis.

Pour en savoir plus sur notre travail, rendez-vous sur le site www.gmac.com.

Contact pour les médias :

Teresa Hsu
Responsable principale des relations avec les médias
202-390-4180 (mobile)
thsu@gmac.com

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Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. Anuncia o Preço das Notas Seniores da Oferta Pública de US$125 milhões

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (SNCR) (a “Empresa” ou “Synchronoss”), líder global e inovadora em nuvem, mensagens e produtos e plataformas digitais, anunciou hoje a oferta pública subscrita de notas seniores de US$125 milhões com vencimento em 2026 com valor principal agregado de 8,375%, incluindo o exercício integral pelos subscritores da opção dos subscritores de comprar notas seniores no valor de US$5 milhões adicionais. A oferta deverá ser encerrada em ou por volta de 30 de junho de 2021, mediante a satisfação das condições habituais de fechamento.

A Synchronoss e as notas seniores receberam uma classificação BB- da Egan-Jones Ratings Company, uma agência de classificação independente e não afiliada. A Empresa solicitou autorização para incluir as notas seniores na lista Nasdaq Global Select Market sob o símbolo “SNCRL” e espera que as notas comecem a ser negociadas no prazo de 30 dias úteis a contar da data de encerramento da oferta, se aprovada.

Todas as notas seniores da oferta estão sendo vendidas pela Synchronoss. A Synchronoss espera usar o produto líquido da oferta, e da oferta de ações ordinárias e venda de Ações Preferenciais Série B (cada uma conforme descrito abaixo), para resgatar totalmente todas as Ações Preferenciais Contínuas Conversíveis Série A em circulação da Synchronoss e para reembolsar os valores em aberto sob a linha de crédito rotativo da Synchronoss.

B. A Riley Securities, Inc. (“BRS”) está atuando como único gerente de contabilidade da oferta. A Northland Capital Markets, a Aegis Capital Corp. e a EF Hutton, divisão da Benchmark Investments, LLC estão atuando como gerentes principais da oferta.

Juntamente com a oferta, a Empresa está oferecendo ações ordinárias com o valor de US$100 milhões, por meio de um suplemento de prospecto separado. Além disso, a B. Riley Principal Investments, LLC (“BRPI”), uma afiliada da BRS, assinou um contrato nos termos do qual a BRPI concorda em comprar Ações Preferenciais Série B da Empresa no valor de US$75,0 milhões em uma transação privada a ser concluída simultaneamente com o fechamento da oferta.

As notas seniores descritas acima estão sendo oferecidas pela Synchronoss de acordo com uma declaração de registro padrão do Formulário S-3 anteriormente arquivado na Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (SEC) e declarado efetivo pelo SEC em 28 de agosto de 2020. Um suplemento do prospecto preliminar relativo que descreve os termos da oferta foi arquivado no SEC e está disponível no site do SEC em www.sec.gov. Os termos finais da oferta proposta serão divulgados em um suplemento de prospecto final a ser arquivado no SEC. Cópias do adendo ao prospeto final (quando disponíveis) e do prospeto que o acompanha relativo a esses valores mobiliários também podem ser obtidas com o envio de um pedido para: B. Riley Securities, Inc., 1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1300, Arlington, VA 22209, ligação para (703) 312‐9580 ou envio de e-mail para prospectuses@brileyfin.com.

Este comunicado de imprensa não constitui uma oferta de venda nem uma solicitação de uma oferta para compra de qualquer um desses valores mobiliários, nem haverá qualquer venda desses valores mobiliários em qualquer estado ou outra jurisdição em que tal oferta, solicitação ou venda seja ilegal antes do registro ou qualificação sob as leis de valores mobiliários de qualquer estado ou outra jurisdição.

Sobre a Synchronoss

A Synchronoss Technologies(NASDAQ: SNCR) cria software que capacita empresas ao redor do mundo a se conectarem com seus assinantes de forma confiável e significativa. O conjunto de produtos da empresa ajuda a agilizar as redes, simplificar a integração e envolver os assinantes, permitindo novos fluxos de receita, redução dos custos e aumento da velocidade no mercado.

Declaração de Porto Seguro

Este comunicado contém declarações de previsão de acordo com a definição da Seção 21E da Lei de Mercados Mobiliários (Securities Exchange Act) de 1934, e suas emendas, incluindo, mas não se limitando a, declarações quanto ao encerramento da oferta pública e o uso previsto dos seus produtos. Estas declarações de previsão estão sujeitas a uma série de riscos, incluindo a satisfação das condições habituais de fechamento relacionadas à oferta pública e os fatores de risco estabelecidos ocasionalmente nos registros SEC da Synchronoss, incluindo, mas não se limitando aos riscos descritos nas seções “Fatores de Risco” e “Discussão e Análise da Condição Financeira e Resultados de Operações da Administração” (conforme aplicável) do Relatório Anual da Synchronoss no Formulário 10-K do exercício fiscal encerrado em 31 de dezembro de 2020 e Relatório Trimestral no Formulário 10-Q do período encerrado em 31 de março de 2021, que estão arquivados no SEC e disponíveis no site do SEC em www.sec.gov. Além dos riscos descritos acima e nos outros registros da Synchronoss no SEC, outros fatores desconhecidos ou imprevisíveis também podem afetar os resultados da Synchronoss. Nenhuma declaração de previsão pode ser garantida e os resultados reais podem ser substancialmente diferentes de tais declarações. As informações contidas nesta versão são fornecidas apenas a partir da data desta versão, e a Synchronoss não se compromete a atualizar nenhuma declaração de previsão contida nesta versão por conta de novas informações, eventos futuros ou de outra forma, exceto conforme exigido por lei.

Mídia

Diane Rose
CCgroup
diane@ccgrouppr.com

Investidores

Todd Kehrli/Joo-Hun Kim
MKR Investor Relations, Inc.
investor@synchronoss.com

 

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Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. annonce la tarification d’une offre publique de 125 millions de dollars de billets de premier rang

BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey, 29 juin 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (SNCR) (la « Société » ou « Synchronoss »), un innovateur mondial de premier plan en matière de produits et plateformes numériques, de cloud et de messagerie, a annoncé aujourd’hui la tarification d’un appel public à l’épargne par voie de prise ferme portant sur un capital total supplémentaire de 125 millions de dollars de 8,375 % de billets de premier rang arrivant à échéance en 2026, comprenant le plein exercice par les souscripteurs de l’option d’acheter un capital total supplémentaire de 5 millions de dollars en billets de premier rang. La clôture de l’offre est prévue le, ou aux alentours du 30 juin 2021, sous réserve de la satisfaction aux conditions habituelles.

Synchronoss et les billets de premier rang ont tous reçu la note de BB d’Egan-Jones Ratings Company, une agence de notation indépendante et non affiliée. La Société a demandé à coter les billets de premier rang sur le Nasdaq Global Select Market sous le symbole « SNCRL » et prévoit que les billets commenceront à être négociés dans les 30 jours ouvrés suivant la date de clôture de l’offre, s’ils sont approuvés.

Tous les billets de premier rang de l’offre sont vendus par Synchronoss. Synchronoss prévoit d’utiliser le produit net de l’offre, et de l’offre d’actions ordinaires et de la vente d’actions privilégiées de série B (chacun tel que décrit ci-dessous), pour échanger intégralement tous les titres en circulation des actions privilégiées perpétuelles participantes convertibles de série A et rembourser les encours au titre de la facilité de crédit renouvelable de Synchronoss.

B. Riley Securities, Inc. (« BRS ») agit en tant que seul gestionnaire de livres pour l’offre. Northland Capital Markets, Aegis Capital Corp. et EF Hutton, division de Benchmark Investments, LLC agissent en tant que chefs de file de l’offre.

Parallèlement à l’offre, la Société offre, au moyen d’un supplément de prospectus distinct, 100 millions de dollars de ses actions ordinaires. En outre, B. Riley Principal Investments, LLC (« BRPI »), une filiale de BRS, a conclu un accord en vertu duquel BRPI a accepté d’acheter 75 millions de dollars d’actions privilégiées de série B de la Société dans le cadre d’une transaction privée devant être effectuée parallèlement à la clôture de l’offre.

Les billets de premier rang décrits ci-dessus sont proposés par Synchronoss conformément à une déclaration d’inscription préalable sur le formulaire S-3 précédemment déposée auprès de la Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) et déclarée effective par la SEC le 28 août 2020. Un supplément de prospectus provisoire connexe et décrivant les conditions de l’offre a été déposé auprès de la SEC et est disponible sur le site Web de la SEC à l’adresse www.sec.gov. Les conditions finales de l’offre proposée seront exposées dans un supplément final du prospectus qui devra être déposé auprès de la SEC. Des exemplaires du supplément de prospectus final (lorsqu’il sera disponible) et du prospectus qui l’accompagne concernant l’appel public à l’épargne pourront également être obtenus en envoyant une demande à : B. Riley Securities, Inc., 1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1300, Arlington, VA 22209 ou en composant le (703) 312-9580 ou en envoyant un e-mail à l’adresse prospectuses@brileyfin.com.

Le présent communiqué de presse ne constitue ni une offre de vente ni la sollicitation d’une offre d’achat de quelconque de ces titres, et aucune vente de ces titres n’aura lieu dans un État ou une juridiction au sein duquel ou de laquelle une telle offre, sollicitation ou vente serait illégale avant son enregistrement ou sa qualification en vertu des lois sur les valeurs mobilières dans un tel État ou une telle juridiction.

À propos de Synchronoss

Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ : SNCR) est un développeur de logiciels permettant aux entreprises du monde entier de se connecter à leurs abonnés de manière fiable et pertinente. Sa gamme de produits contribue à rationaliser les réseaux, simplifier l’intégration et interagir avec les abonnés afin de créer de nouvelles sources de revenus, réduire les coûts et accélérer la mise sur le marché.

Énoncés prospectifs

Le présent communiqué de presse contient des énoncés prospectifs au sens de l’article 21E du Securities Exchange Act de 1934, tel qu’amendé, y compris, mais sans s’y limiter, les énoncés concernant la clôture de l’offre publique et l’utilisation prévue du produit de celle-ci. Ces énoncés prospectifs sont assujettis à un certain nombre de risques, comprenant la satisfaction des conditions de clôture habituelles liées à l’offre publique et les facteurs de risque énoncés de temps à autre dans les documents déposés par Synchronoss auprès de la SEC, incluant, sans s’y limiter, les risques décrits dans les sections « Facteurs de risque » (Risk Factors) et « Rapport et analyse par la direction de la situation financière et des résultats opérationnels » (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) (selon le cas) du Rapport annuel sur formulaire 10-K de Synchronoss pour l’exercice clos le 31 décembre 2020, ainsi que du Rapport trimestriel sur formulaire 10-Q pour le trimestre clos le 31 mars 2021, déposés auprès de la SEC et disponibles sur le site Web de la SEC à l’adresse www.sec.gov. Outre les risques décrits ci-dessus et dans les autres documents déposés par Synchronoss auprès de la SEC, d’autres facteurs inconnus ou imprévisibles pourraient également affecter les résultats de Synchronoss. Aucun énoncé prospectif ne peut être garanti et les résultats réels peuvent différer sensiblement de ces énoncés. Les informations contenues dans le présent communiqué de presse sont valables à la date des présentes uniquement, et Synchronoss décline toute obligation de mettre à jour tout énoncé prospectif contenu dans ce communiqué que ce soit à la suite de nouvelles informations, d’événements futurs ou autrement, sauf si la loi l’impose.

Médias

Diane Rose
CCgroup
diane@ccgrouppr.com

Investisseurs

Todd Kehrli/Joo-Hun Kim
MKR Investor Relations, Inc.
investor@synchronoss.com

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The Globe and Mail’s Sophi.io Wins Digiday Media Award

Digiday awards Best Publisher Platform to Sophi.io, a suite of artificial intelligence-powered automation, optimization and prediction tools developed by The Globe and Mail

TORONTO, June 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-based automation and prediction engine, won the 2021 Digiday Media Award for Best Publisher Platform, which recognizes technology that is most successful in helping publishers achieve their goals.

“AI is an essential technology for helping publishers add authentic value to stories — extending their measure of success beyond page views and virality. For example, Sophi is able to provide data on how much each article on The Globe and Mail contributes to subscriber retention, acquisition, registration potential and advertising dollars. Additionally, to effectively deploy machine learning, around 10% of The Globe and Mail’s workforce is now data scientists and engineers, hired to develop Sophi and grow the strategy even further,” Digiday said.

The awards honour companies, technologies and campaigns that have stood out throughout the media over the past year. “This year, the competition was fierce and the programs robust. Innovation and big ideas expanded the playing field for many of the winners, even in a year when quarantines limited where and how people could work — and play,” according to Digiday.

Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail, commented: “It’s an honour to be chosen as the winner of Digiday’s Media Award for Best Publisher Platform. We aren’t often up against companies in both the media and marketing industries but our investments in Sophi have been driven by the understanding that our technology can directly drive performance and economic growth for companies across a large range of industries.”

The other finalists in the Best Publisher Platform category were: Piano, Connatix, Insticator, Duration Media and Adapex LLC.

Sophi is an artificial-intelligence system that helps publishers identify and leverage their most valuable content. It has powerful predictive capabilities – using natural language processing, Sophi Dynamic Paywall is a fully dynamic, real-time, personalized paywall engine that analyses both content and user behaviour to determine when to ask a reader for money or an email address, and when to leave them alone.

Sophi Site Automation autonomously curates digital content to find and promote the most valuable articles. It places 99% of the content on all of The Globe and Mail’s digital pages, including its homepage and section pages. Sophi has been so successful that it is now being used for print laydown as well. Sophi is available to publishers across the globe to enable their content producers to focus on creating the best content possible.

Earlier this month, Sophi won the 2021 International News Media Association (INMA) Global Media Awards for Best in Show in North America and Best Use of Data to Automate or Personalize. Sophi has also won the Online Journalism Award (OJA) for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism, handed out by the Online News Association (ONA), and both the World Digital Media Award and the North American Digital Media Award awarded by The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in the category of Best Digital News Start-up.

About Sophi.io

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) is a suite of AI-powered optimization and prediction tools that helps content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. Sophi solutions range from Sophi Site Automation and Sophi for Paywalls to Sophi Analytics, a decision-support system for content publishers. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to any business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume.

Contact

Jamie Rubenovitch
Head of Marketing, Sophi.io
The Globe and Mail
416-585-3355
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com
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COVID-19 Leaves Long-Term Scars on Europe’s Youth

PARIS – European borders and economies are opening up this summer, thanks to falling coronavirus cases and rising vaccination numbers. But experts warn the pandemic’s scars could be long term and profound—especially for young people, a generation Europe cannot afford to lose.

Things are looking up for young Parisians. Bars and restaurants have reopened, also schools and universities, for the last weeks before summer vacations.?

At a community room with other students, Sorbonne University student Katarzyna Mac is studying for final exams. She is grateful that months of coronavirus confinement are over.?

At a community room with other students, Sorbonne University student Katarzyna Mac is studying for final exams. She is grateful that months of coronavirus confinement are over.?

With France’s rolling lockdowns, Mac says, it was difficult and stressful to be alone all day in front of the computer. Like other students in France, she spent most of her academic year taking online classes from home.?

Experts point to multiple ways the crisis has and continues to hit Europe’s youth — causing economic, social and mental distress. Many, like Mac, already live on the edge.?

Shuttered businesses, especially in sectors like hospitality, wiped out job opportunities on which many depend.? European Union statistics estimate more than 17% of people under 25 are out of work — more than twice the regional average. Youth poverty and homelessness are on the rise. So is depression.?

Sarah Coupechoux is Europe studies head for French nonprofit the Abbe Pierre Foundation. She says there is a segment of Europeans today, including young people, who are merely surviving. With the pandemic and job losses, huge lines of young people have been seeking food, and are hungry. A recent report by the charity also explores the growing difficulties Europe’s youth face in finding housing.?

Like many other young Europeans, Mac was too poor to leave home. But she recently managed to find subsidized housing, at a building for young students and workers on the edge of Paris.?

Her apartment has just enough room for a bed, desk and small kitchen. Dirty dishes are piled high in the sink. The refrigerator is mostly empty.?

She gets student aid and a small government stipend. But it’s not enough live on. Her parents don’t always have enough to help her out.?

Days of studying alone have also taken a psychological toll.?

Even before COVID, the disease caused by the coronavirus, she said, she had problems with stress and suicidal thoughts. It got worse with the pandemic. It was especially stressful not to be able to go to class normally.?

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. The pandemic has compounded hardships for other young people — especially, studies find — those from disadvantaged neighborhoods.?

In the working-class Paris suburb of Bobigny, youth activist Stanley Camille says?students had a hard time accessing the internet, which they needed to follow online classes during lockdown. Families are poor in his town, he says. Often there’s only one computer for four or five children.?

Last year, France rolled out a multi-billion-dollar initiative to help its youth get the jobs, training and education they need. Student canteens offer lunches for just over a dollar. European leaders vow to fight against poverty. But experts like Coupechoux say much more is needed.?

Coupechoux says on national and local levels in Europe, institutions must be alerted on the importance of supporting this young generation.?

Mac agrees. She is getting psychological help — but says demand is high and state services are understaffed. She and her neighbors have started a support group — and share basics like milk to get by. Long walks in parks like this one, also help.?

Mac also landed a summer job doing civic service. Mac says she hopes life will finally get back to normal. But with threats of new variants spreading, nothing could be less certain.

Source: Voice of America

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Mental Health Toll From COVID-19 Isolation Affecting Kids on Reentry

After two suicidal crises during pandemic isolation, 16-year-old Zach Sampson feels stronger but worries his social skills have gone stale.

Amara Bhatia has overcome her pandemic depression but the teen feels worn down, in a state of “neutralness.” Virginia Shipp is adjusting but says returning to normal “is kind of unnormal for me.”

After relentless months of social distancing, online schooling and other restrictions, many kids are feeling the pandemic’s toll or facing new challenges navigating reentry.

A surge in teen suicide attempts and other mental health crises prompted Children’s Hospital Colorado to declare a state of emergency in late May, when emergency department and hospital inpatient beds were overrun with suicidal kids and those struggling with other psychiatric problems. Typical emergency-department waiting times for psychiatric treatment doubled in May to about 20 hours, said Jason Williams, a pediatric psychologist at the hospital in Aurora.

Other children’s hospitals are facing similar challenges.

In typical times, the activities that come as the school year ends — finals, prom, graduations, summer job-seeking — can be stressful even for the most resilient kids. But after more than a year of dealing with pandemic restrictions, many are worn down and simply don’t “have enough in the tank of resilience” to handle stresses that previously would have been manageable, Williams said.

“When the pandemic first hit, we saw a rise in severe cases in crisis evaluation,” as kids struggled with “their whole world shutting down,” said Christine Certain, a mental health counselor who works with Orlando Health’s Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. ”Now, as we see the world opening back up … it’s asking these kids to make a huge shift again.”

At some children’s hospitals, psychiatric cases have remained high throughout the pandemic; others have seen a more recent surge.

At Wolfson Children’ Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, behavioral unit admissions for kids in crisis aged 13 and younger have been soaring since 2020 and are on pace to reach 230 this year, more than four times higher than in 2019, said hospital psychologist Terrie Andrews. For older teens, admissions were up to five times higher than usual last year and remained elevated as of last month.

At Dayton Children’s Hospital in Ohio, admissions to the mental health unit increased by 30% from July 2020 through May, totaling almost 1,300. The hospital doubled the number of available beds to 24 and dropped the minimum age for treatment to 9 years from 12 years, said Dr. John Duby, a hospital vice president.

“The overwhelming demand for pediatric mental health services is putting an unprecedented strain on pediatric facilities, primary care, schools and community-based organizations that support kids’ well-being,” said Amy Knight, president of the Children’s Hospital Association.

Dr. Alison Tothy, medical director of the pediatric emergency department at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, said her ER has seen kids in crisis daily since last year, struggling with suicidal thoughts, cutting and other self-harm behaviors, depression and aggressive outbursts. Kids are stabilized and referred elsewhere for treatment.

“Families are coming to us because we are, in some cases, the last resort. Outpatient resources are scarce,” and parents say they can’t get an appointment for two months, she said.

In Florida, waits for outpatient treatment are even longer and many therapists don’t accept kids insured through Medicaid, Andrews said.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, emergency department visits for behavioral health problems were up 90% in April 2021 over April 2019 and remained high in May. Though the pace slowed in June, hospital authorities are concerned about another spike when school resumes.

Williams said issues the hospital is treating are “across the board,” from children with previous mental health issues that have worsened to those who never struggled before the pandemic.

Like many states, Colorado doesn’t have enough child and teen mental health therapists to meet demand, an issue even before the pandemic, Williams said.

Children who need outpatient treatment are finding it takes six to nine months for an appointment. And many therapists don’t accept health insurance, leaving struggling families with few options. Delays in treatment can lead to crises that land kids in the ER.

Those who improve after inpatient psychiatric care but aren’t well enough to go home are being sent out of state because there aren’t enough facilities in Colorado, Williams said.

Sampson says “just a lot of stuff” triggered his first crisis last August. The Jacksonville, Florida, teen struggled with online education and spent hours in his room alone playing video games and scrolling the internet, drawn to dark sites that “made my brain hurt.”

He revealed his suicidal thoughts to a friend, who called the police. He spent a week in the hospital under psychiatric care.

Both his parents have worked in mental health jobs but had no idea how he was struggling.

“We had realized he had been spending more time isolating, not really tending to showering and that type of stuff, but we were in the middle of a pandemic. No one was really doing those things,” said his mother, Jennifer Sampson.

The teen started virtual psychotherapy but in March his self-destructive thoughts resurfaced. Hospital psychiatric beds were full so he waited a week in a holding area to receive treatment, his mother recalled.

Now on mood stabilizers, he’s continuing therapist visits, has finished sophomore year and is looking forward to returning to in-person school this fall. Still, he says it’s hard motivating himself to leave the house to go to the gym or hang out with friends.

“I definitely find my social skills are rusty,” Sampson said.

“I feel that this is going to be something that we’re dealing with for quite a while,” his mother said.

That’s likely true, too, for those who haven’t reached a crisis point.

Bhatia, a 17-year-old self-described “stereotypical introvert” with clinical anxiety, also worries about returning to the classroom for senior year.

The Oakland, California, teen says the pandemic began as almost a welcome change. Being social takes effort, and isolation allowed her to recharge. Still, she had bouts of depression, got frustrated with virtual school and missed her friends.

She used to be a hugger but has become “a bit more of a germaphobe” and says the few times she’s been hugged since social distancing restrictions lifted, she froze.

The pandemic has left her worn down, “like running a marathon, and I’m finally reaching the end and I’m just getting so tired at this point.”

“I think I don’t have the energy for happiness,” she said.

For 18-year-old Shipp, also of Oakland, the pandemic hit in her senior year as she was planning a trip to Europe and anticipating college in the fall. Neither happened and she described 2020 as a year of negative thinking, stuck in her room alone with her thoughts.

“I felt depressed and anxious and very scared for the future,” she said.

As a Black woman, she wanted to join marchers protesting George Floyd’s murder but decided close contact with strangers was too risky.

She doesn’t know anyone who got very sick or died, but says she worried about COVID-19 “every single day.” Shipp used meditation to help relieve stress.

She recently got vaccinated and learned college at Cal Poly in Pomona will be in person in the fall. But she’s not sure she’s completely ready.

“It’s still a little weird because now, all of a sudden … you don’t need to wear the mask? It’s like jumping into the water too fast,” Shipp said. “The normalcy is kind of unnormal for me.”

Source: Voice of America