mental

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Uncovering The Genetic Basis Of Mental Illness Requires Data And Tools That Aren’t Just Based On White People – A International Team Is Collecting DNA Samples Around The Globe

Mental illness is a growing public health problem. In 2019, an estimated 1 in 8 people around the world were affected by mental disorders like depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. While scientists have long known that many of these disorders run in families, their genetic basis isn’t entirely clear. One reason why is that the majority of existing genetic data used in research is overwhelmingly from white people. In 2003, the Human Genome Project generated the first “reference genome” of human DNA from a combination of samples donated by upstate New Yorkers, all of whom were of European ancestry. Researchers across many biomedical fields still use this reference genome in their work. But it doesn’t provide a complete picture of human genetics. Someone with a different genetic a...

Men’s Mental Health Supported By Building Healthy Relationship Skills

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, Journalism

Men’s Mental Health Supported By Building Healthy Relationship Skills

Healthy relationships positively influence men’s well-being. Men who are partnered or married live longer lives than single men, and they have better mental health than women and unpartnered men. Marriage appears to offer a protective influence on men’s health, reducing loneliness, depression and suicidality, and is associated with less substance and alcohol use. Despite these benefits, male suicide continues to be a global crisis. As men’s health researchers, our focus has been on men’s suicidality. Much of this work is motivated by the fact that men complete suicide at three to four times the rate of women, and are known to use more lethal methods (guns, asphyxiation) to end their life. While major depression is a contributing factor to suicidality, a recent review concluded that being...

Can Churches Help African Americans In A Mental Health Crisis?

4Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Can Churches Help African Americans In A Mental Health Crisis?

Brad R. Fulton, Indiana University Centuries of systemic racism and everyday discrimination in the U.S. have left a major mental health burden on African American communities, and the past few years have dealt especially heavy blows. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that Black Americans are twice as likely to die of COVID-19, compared with white Americans. Their communities have also been hit disproportionately by job losses, food insecurity and homelessness as a result of the pandemic. Meanwhile, racial injustice and high-profile police killings of Black men have amplified stress. During the summer of 2020, amid both the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, a CDC survey found that 15% of Black respondents had “seriously considered suicide in the pa...

Will There Be Enough School Mental Health Resources For Students Returning To School With Anxiety, Grief And Gaps In Social Skills?

23Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

EDUCATION

Will There Be Enough School Mental Health Resources For Students Returning To School With Anxiety, Grief And Gaps In Social Skills?

Education Sandra M. Chafouleas, University of Connecticut and Amy Briesch, Northeastern University Even before COVID-19, as many as 1 in 6 young children had a diagnosed mental, behavioral or developmental disorder. New findings suggest a doubling of rates of disorders such as anxiety and depression among children and adolescents during the pandemic. One reason is that children’s well-being is tightly connected to family and community conditions such as stress and financial worries. Particularly for children living in poverty, there are practical obstacles, like transportation and scheduling, to accessing mental health services. That’s one reason school mental health professionals – who include psychologists, counselors and social workers – are so essential. As many kids resume instruc...

For Many Black Parents, Barriers To Mental Health Care Begin Before The First Call For Help

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

For Many Black Parents, Barriers To Mental Health Care Begin Before The First Call For Help

Black people who need help during or after pregnancy face hurdles with cultural differences that affect diagnosis, a fear of overpolicing, and medical professionals who may not have the resources -- or interest. Candice Norwood Originally published by The 19th Cinnamon Foster knew something was off after she had her daughter two and a half years ago. She would go from crying uncontrollably one day to feeling inexplicably angry on another. She was anxious and stressed and did not have close family nearby, she said, but the first-time mom swept her feelings under the rug because she felt like she had to be a superhero. It wasn’t until Foster’s obstetrician suggested she might be experiencing postpartum depression that she decided to find a therapist. “I am a firm believer that my mood...

Middle-Aged Americans In The US Are Stressed And Struggle With Physical And Mental Health – Other Nations Do Better

11Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

CULTURE

Middle-Aged Americans In The US Are Stressed And Struggle With Physical And Mental Health – Other Nations Do Better

Frank J. Infurna, Arizona State University Midlife was once considered a time to enjoy the fruits of one’s years of work and parenting. That is no longer true in the U.S. Deaths of despair and chronic pain among middle-aged adults have been increasing for the past decade. Today’s middle-aged adults – ages 40 to 65 – report more daily stress and poorer physical health and psychological well-being, compared to middle-aged adults during the 1990s. These trends are most pronounced for people who attained fewer years of education. Although these trends preclude the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19’s imprint promises to further exacerbate the suffering. Historical declines in the health and well-being of U.S. middle-aged adults raises two important questions: To what extent is this confined to the...

Survivors, First Responders And Millions Of Others Are Left With Emotional And Mental Scars By Mass Shootings

29Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, SOCIETY

Survivors, First Responders And Millions Of Others Are Left With Emotional And Mental Scars By Mass Shootings

The deadly shootings of eight people in Atlanta on March 16 and 10 people in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22 brought heartache and grief to the families and friends of the victims. These events also take a toll on others, including those who witnessed the shooting, first responders, people who were nearby – and even those who heard about the shooting in the media. I am a trauma and anxiety researcher and clinician, and I know that the effects of such violence reach millions. While the immediate survivors are most affected, the rest of society suffers, too. First, the immediate survivors Like other animals, we humans get stressed or terrified when exposed to a dangerous event. The extent of that stress or fear can vary. Survivors of a shooting may want to avoid the neighborhood where the s...

To stop police shootings of people with mental health disabilities, I asked them what cops – and everyone – could do to help

5Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

To stop police shootings of people with mental health disabilities, I asked them what cops – and everyone – could do to help

When Joe Prude called the police on his brother, he was asking for help: Daniel Prude, who suffered from mental health problems, had run almost naked out of his Rochester, New York, house into the snow. When officers arrived, new video footage shows, the March 23 encounter quickly turned violent, and Prude died from asphyxiation under a hood officers had put over his head. Two years prior, in 2018, Shukri Ali Said of Georgia also wound up dead after leaving her house during a mental health crisis on April 23, 2018. Police, called in to help, found Said standing at an intersection holding a knife. Officers shot her five times in the neck and chest, killing her. That same month, in New York, officers answered a 911 call about a black man waving something that looked like a gun. In fact, it...

African American teens face mental health crisis but are less likely than whites to get treatment

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

African American teens face mental health crisis but are less likely than whites to get treatment

Black youth in the U.S. experience more illness, poverty, and discrimination than their white counterparts. These issues put them at higher risk for depression and other mental health problems. Yet Black youth are less likely to seek treatment. About 9% of them reported an episode of major depression in the past year, but less than half of those – about 40% – received treatment. By comparison, about 46% of white youth who reported an episode were treated for depressive symptoms. Instead, some turn to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among Black children ages 10 to 19. That rate is rising faster for them than any other racial or ethnic group. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the rate of suicide attempts for Black adolescents rose 73% from 1991 to ...

Science fiction builds mental resiliency in young readers

11May

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SCIENCE

Science fiction builds mental resiliency in young readers

Young people who are “hooked” on watching fantasy or reading science fiction may be on to something. Contrary to a common misperception that reading this genre is an unworthy practice, reading science fiction and fantasy may help young people cope, especially with the stress and anxiety of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a professor with research interests in the social, ethical and political messages in science fiction. In my book “Medicine and Ethics in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction,” I explore the ways science fiction promotes understanding of human differences and ethical thinking. While many people may not consider science fiction, fantasy or speculative fiction to be “literary,” research shows that all fiction can generate critical thinking skills and emotional intel...