How Racism Affects Health

Paolese/Adobe StockRace is at the forefront of our national consciousness this week as many mourn the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and protests and riots have erupted across the country. [Read more…]

Reduce Stress and Anxiety Levels With Journaling

areebarbar/Adobe StockStress and anxiety levels are high among many people across the globe as they cope with illness, death, isolation and job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no magic eraser for those difficult feelings, there are steps you can take – even while stuck at home – to help to relieve anxiety and improve your mental well-being.

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The Evidence on Loneliness and What To Do About It

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As governments tell huge numbers of Americans to stay home to stop the spread of coronavirus, it’s natural for some people to experience feelings of loneliness – especially those who live alone and may go for days without seeing another human in person. [Read more…]

The Evidence on Alcoholics Anonymous

More than 15 million Americans have an alcohol-use disorder, and overuse of alcohol leads to nearly 90,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. [Read more…]

How Do Smartphones Impact Youth Mental Health?

Brian/Adobe StockMore than 80 percent of teenagers now have smartphones in the U.S. In fact, half of all U.S. youth get their own personal phone by age 11 – up nearly 20 percentage points from four years ago, according to a national survey.

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Clear Evidence: What You Eat Affects Your Mental Health

If there’s one concept health researchers have come to agree on it’s this: What you eat matters. Although they don’t always agree on what constitutes a healthy diet, medical experts have long understood that while certain foods can help to improve your physical well-being, others have the opposite effect. [Read more…]

The Myth of the Holiday Blues

For many people, the holiday season inspires feelings of joy, gratitude and charity. For others, the added duties of shopping, cooking, wrapping and hosting lead to feelings of stress, anxiety and loneliness. (In, all likelihood, most people experience both happiness and increased stress levels in November and December.) [Read more…]

What Interventions Help to Prevent Suicide?

Every suicide is heartbreaking, leaving loved ones wondering what went wrong and how they could have prevented such a tragedy.

And yet suicide rates are currently at their highest level since World War II, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In 2017, there were more than 47,000 recorded suicides in the U.S. – a 33 percent increase compared to 1999.

But what can we do about the devastating problem of suicide? [Read more…]

Early-life Conditions Identify People at Risk for Suicide

Suicide is devastating for those it touches. Family members and friends of those who die by suicide are frequently left wondering why their loved ones would take own lives. [Read more…]

The Complex Links Between Social Media and Mental Health

Over the past decade, social media platforms have completely transformed how billions of people interact with each other.  Of the 7.7 billion people on the earth, approximately 3.3 billion have at least one social media account. The average person spends nearly two hours a day on social media apps or web sites. [Read more…]

What to Do If a Loved One Self-Injures

Research shows that approximately 17 percent of youth intentionally injure themselves at some point – not in an effort to take their own lives, but as a cry for help or an emotional release. Self-injury is most common among teenagers, and more common among sexual minorities and youth with mental health disorders. [Read more…]

How To Treat the Growing Problem of Childhood Anxiety

Whether it’s feeling nervous to attend a new school, afraid of a scary looking bug, or scared of the dark, most children experience some form of anxiety. But up to one in three children experience more severe anxiety that affects their ability to learn and socialize. [Read more…]

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