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Tag: mental health issues

  • Mental Illness Isn’t Associated With Gun Violence, Study Confirms

    Mental Illness Isn’t Associated With Gun Violence, Study Confirms

    Researchers say the findings should have implications for public policy as the nation struggles to respond to an epidemic of gun violence. 

    Access to guns, not history of mental illness, is the biggest predictor of whether a person will threaten someone else or commit violent acts with a firearm, a recent study has confirmed. 

    The study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, looked at the behavior of 663 young adults over a period of a few years. Researchers asked participants about their mental health history and symptoms of mental illness.

    They also asked about participants’ access to firearms, whether they carried a gun outside their home (other than for hunting), and if they had ever threatened anyone with a gun. 

    Public Perception Is Wrong

    “Despite the prevailing public and media perception of mental health being associated with gun violence, there is generally a lack of research to support this. We conducted this study to test the link and to provide scientific evidence,” Yu Lu, lead study author and an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, told PsyPost. 

    Researchers wrote that the findings should have implications for public policy as the nation struggles to respond to an epidemic of gun violence. 

    “We found that the majority of mental health symptoms we examined, including anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder, were unrelated to gun violence,” Lu said. “Instead, individuals with gun access were 18 times more likely to have threatened someone with a gun compared to those who did not have gun access, even after controlling for mental health, prior mental health treatment, and demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, race/ethnicity.”

    Lu said that despite discussions about gun control and mental health access, there has been little research that looks at the interplay of gun violence and mental illness. 

    The researcher explained, “There is an overall lack of research on gun violence. We are the first one to look at mental illness and gun access together, we are also the first one to use longitudinal data to look at the relationship overtime.”

    Still, Lu pointed out that more research needs to be done. The study had some limitations. It did not include individuals with schizophrenia, for example. In addition, the study took place in the Houston, Texas area, where gun ownership rates are higher than elsewhere in the country. 

    Lu emphasized what mental health advocates have been saying all along: that people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of gun violence than to perpetrate a gun crime. 

    “The main takeaway from the study is that we should not stigmatize people with mental health problems, not assume they are dangerous, because more than likely they are not dangerous and actually are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence,” Lu said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Doctors Are Prescribing House Plants To Treat Depression, Anxiety

    Doctors Are Prescribing House Plants To Treat Depression, Anxiety

    A new mental health initiative is taking a nature-focused approach to treating depression and anxiety.

    Doctors in the United Kingdom are recommending prescription greens for people with depression, but not the type you might think.

    While some people with depression turn to marijuana and other cannabis products, doctors in the UK say that garden-variety house plants can help improve mood and mental health. In fact, one clinic, the Cornbrook Medical Practice, has begun giving out prescriptions for plants. 

    “The plants we [are] giving people are mainly herbs—things like lemon balm and catmint, which all have mindful qualities,” Augusta Ward, a medical secretary at the practice, told Metro UK.

    Gardening For Mental Health

    In addition to sending plants home with people, the practice has a program where patients can garden with others.

    “The plant is then a reason to come back to the surgery and get involved in all the other activities in our garden and make new friends,” Ward said. 

    The new initiative to integrate plants into medicine is being done in conjunction with Sow the City, a nonprofit that promotes the health benefits of plants and gardening on an individual and social level. 

    “There’s evidence that people who are socially isolated have worse health outcomes,” Jon Ross, the organization’s director, told Fast Company. “We provide a kind of community project within the [doctor’s office] so that people can get together and do the food growing and the gardening together with other patients.”

    Dr. Philippa James, who practices at Cornbrook, said that the idea of health benefits from plants isn’t new. 

    “There’s a lot of evidence now about how two hours a week in a green space can lift mood—and then that too has physical, mental and emotional benefits. That’s something we need to harness,” she said. She added that she has seen patients benefitting from the program already. 

    Green Spaces For Better Moods

    “I’ve seen how our patients relax in the garden—and how they then get involved in wider events like picking litter, which all adds to pride in our area,” she said. 

    Ross said that Sow the City aims to set people up for success in caring for their plants and keeping them alive. 

    He said, “We try and make it as easy as possible, and we set it up so that the plants are healthy to start with, and we train them on how to look after them.” 

    Dr. Ruth Bromley, chair of the Manchester Health & Care Commissioning, which oversees health initiatives in the city where Cornbrook is located, said that she is happy to see a practice taking an unconventional approach to care. 

    “So much of what keeps people happy and well isn’t medical,” she said. “That’s why ideas like this one are so wonderfully effective, building on what is best about our communities and supporting patients close to where they live.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Access To Gun Shops Increases Suicide Risk For The Uninsured

    Access To Gun Shops Increases Suicide Risk For The Uninsured

    Over a 10-year period, suicide rates increased 41%.

    Having access to gun shops but lacking access to health care contributes to rising suicide rates among rural Americans, according to a new study. 

    The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that suicide rates are increasing for all Americans, especially those who live in rural areas. Between 1996 and 2016, suicides in the U.S. increased 41%.

    Suburbs vs Rural Areas

    There was a large difference in the risk of suicide in suburban versus rural areas. Between 2014 and 2016, metropolitan residents had a suicide rate of 17.6 deaths per 100,000, while rural residents had a much higher rate of 22 deaths per 100,000. 

    “While our findings are disheartening, we’re hopeful that they will help guide efforts to support Americans who are struggling, especially in rural areas where suicide has increased the most and the fastest,” lead researcher Danielle Steelesmith, a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, said in a news release. 

    Counties with the highest suicide rates were found in Western states including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming; in Appalachian states including Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia; and in the Ozarks, including Arkansas and Missouri.

    Researchers identified factors that contributed to increased risk for suicide. 

    “Suicide is so complex, and many factors contribute, but this research helps us understand the toll and some of the potential contributing influences based on geography, and that could drive better efforts to prevent these deaths,” Steelesmith said. 

    Suicide rates were higher where people had access to a gun store, said Cynthia Fontanella, a study co-author and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at Ohio State. 

    “The data showing that suicides were higher in counties with more gun shops—specifically in urban areas—highlights the potential to reduce access to methods of suicide that can increase the chances an at-risk person will die,” she explained. 

    Service Members

    In addition, areas with more veterans had higher rates of suicide, highlighting the prevalence of mental health issues among former service members. People who had lower socioeconomic prospects and lack of access to resources were also more likely to die by suicide, a trend that was pronounced in rural areas. 

    “In cities, you have a core of services that are much easier to get to in many cases. You may have better access to job assistance, food banks and nonprofits that might all contribute to less desperation among residents,” Steelesmith said.

    The study authors point to ways that suicide risk could be reduced, including increasing social supports in rural areas and community engagement so that residents are aware of these resources. 

    “For example, all communities might benefit from strategies that enhance coping and problem-solving skills, strengthen economic support and identify and support those who are at risk for suicide,” Fontanella said.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Is Wealth Inequality Causing The Rising Rates Of Mental Illness In The US?

    Is Wealth Inequality Causing The Rising Rates Of Mental Illness In The US?

    A review of 27 different studies on the topic found that countries with more wealth inequality had three times as many mental illness diagnoses than those with less.

    Increasing levels of wealth inequality in the U.S. could be driving rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, according to a report published by Truthout.

    The article cites data collected by the United Nations that backs up the existence of a phenomenon many psychologists refer to as “status anxiety”—chronic stress caused by the awareness of class divides in a society.

    “More unequal societies make us more aware of class and status—people become more concerned with issues of superiority and inferiority and worry more about how others judge them,” says social epidemiologist Richard Wilkinson. “Social life becomes more stressful and people start to withdraw from it. As inequality undermines confidence and feelings of self-worth, mental health inevitably deteriorates.”

    Societal Health

    Wilkinson and his partner Kate Pickett wrote extensively on this issue in their 2009 book The Spirit Level. In the text, they argue that nations with more intense wealth gaps suffer from more issues across all indicators of societal health. This includes mental and physical health as well as crime, drug use, infant mortality rates, community connection and trust, and childhood wellbeing.

    These issues affect everyone in a society—rich and poor.

    Pickett and Wilkinson published a follow-up book in 2018, The Inner Level, looking specifically at mental health under this phenomenon.

    “In less equal societies we see more [diagnoses of] depression… narcissistic personality disorder, schizophrenia—a wide range of worse mental health outcomes,” said Wilkinson. “Mental illness is [often] triggered or exacerbated by issues to do with dominance and subordination.”

    A review of 27 separate studies on the topic also found that countries with more wealth inequality had three times as many mental illness diagnoses than those with less wealth inequality.

    The differences are striking even when you compare individual U.S. states with different levels of wealth inequality. According to Wilkinson, states with high class divisions have low levels of trust for their neighbors, with as little as 15% saying they felt they could trust others. In more equal states, that rises to “60 or 65%.”

    The Racial Disparity

    This is true for other forms of inequality as well, according to Indiana University Professor of Sociology Brea Perry. And those different inequalities overlap and change in nature depending on how you were born.

    “So for example, although we know that there is a clear social gradient in mental health at each increasing level of education, Blacks get a lower return on their educational investment,” said Perry. “Put differently, social class is not nearly as protective of physical and mental health for Black Americans as it is for white Americans in terms of their physical and mental health. And that’s true across all kinds of outcomes. Marginalized groups tend not to see the health benefits of class advantage to the degree that white, cisgender, straight men do.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Just Between Us" Co-Host And Mom Discus Her Childhood OCD, Mental Health Issues

    "Just Between Us" Co-Host And Mom Discus Her Childhood OCD, Mental Health Issues

    Allison and Ruth spoke to The Fix about the podcast and their hopes for listeners who might be experiencing a situation similar to theirs.

    The comedy-variety podcast Just Between Us continues to deliver frank and honest conversations about mental health with its 20th episode, in which co-host Allison Raskin delves deeply into her own experiences with obsessive behavior and suicidal tendencies during her childhood.

    What makes the discussion even more revealing and poignant is the fact that Raskin is joined by her mother, photographer Ruth Raskin, who talks openly about balancing her fears with the focus needed to provide help for her daughter. Both Allison and Ruth spoke to The Fix about the podcast and their hopes for listeners who might be experiencing a situation similar to theirs.

    Talking OCD

    Allison—who shares co-hosting duties on the Just Between Us podcast and its popular companion YouTube comedy channel with fellow comedian and writer Gaby Dunn, with whom she also co-wrote the best-selling novel I Hate Everyone But You—has often spoken about her experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as both a teenager and adult.

    But in addressing her childhood struggles, she hoped to “highlight the pain that so many children go through, and how crucial it is for parents to intervene and help. Also, not enough people talk about the parental experience of dealing with your child’s mental health, and I knew my mom could speak to that and help raise awareness.”

    In the podcast, Ruth speaks candidly about Allison’s illness, which began to manifest when she was four years of age as obsessive behavior—a fear of touching the floor, for example—and later turned to suicidal thoughts that required Ruth to remain with her daughter at all times. “Allison’s illness came on quickly and dramatically,” she tells The Fix. 

    Trust Your Instincts

    Finding help for Allison required Ruth and her husband, Ken Raskin, to conduct their own research into the resources available to help children with mental illness. With considerable effort and determination, they were able to get their daughter to a psychiatrist within days of her first symptoms. For parents who may be noticing similar changes in their own children, Ruth strongly advocates taking a similar path.

    “Trust your instincts and don’t take, ‘Let’s just see if he/she outgrows this’ if you know your child is suffering,” she says. “Fortunately, insurance often covers mental health care in a way it didn’t 25 years ago. And information is more readily available online. Learn what you can about resources that are available to you.”

    For Allison, her OCD symptoms present themselves today as what she described in the podcast as “something close to allergies,” with flareups on certain days and on others, no symptoms at all.

    “I don’t try to figure out the cause because I know there is no true cause other than my brain acting out,” she says. “Once I stopped trying to assign outside meaning to it, it took on a lot less power. So when I say I’m having a bad day, I know it will pass, and it doesn’t mean my whole world is falling apart and I’m a massive failure—something I would have kept to in the past.”

    For listeners, and especially those who may have or know children with similar issues, the Raskins hope that they come away with a realization that, as Allison notes, “Mental illness is not limited to adults. If parents suspect that their child is ill, they can and should get help.”

    For Ruth, the takeaway for listeners is to try and keep their fears in check and focus on their child’s health. 

    “I just recommend that parents be as concerned for their kids’ mental health as their physical health,” she says. “Listen to them and do whatever you can to help, stigmas be damned!”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Golfer Chris Kirk Announces Leave Due To Depression, Alcohol Abuse

    Golfer Chris Kirk Announces Leave Due To Depression, Alcohol Abuse

    The celebrated golfer took to Twitter to share the news with his fans. 

    Golfer Chris Kirk announced that he is on indefinite leave from the PGA Tour so that he may address depression and alcohol abuse issues.

    Like many celebrities, Kirk used social media to share the news personally with his followers. On his Twitter account, Kirk shared a brightly colored announcement with the preface, “I have already begun a new and better chapter in my life. Thank you to my friends and family for being there for me.”

    The announcement itself said, “I have dealt with alcohol abuse and depression for some time now. I thought I could control it, but after multiple relapses, I have come to realize that I can’t fix this on my own. I will be taking an indefinite leave from the PGA Tour to deal with these issues. I don’t know when I will be back, but for now I need my full focus on being the man my family deserves. Thank you for your support.”

    Kirk debuted in the PGA Tour in 2011, after playing golf at the University of Georgia.

    His career has been full of success, including four PGA Tour wins, with the most recent in May 2015 at Colonial. He won twice on the Nationwide Tour.

    After Kirk’s straightforward Twitter announcement, he was flooded with well wishes from fans and fellow golfers. Kirk’s own father replied, “Son, of all the things that you have done and achieved that made me proud of you, the courage that it took for you to take this battle public is on a different scale of proud for me. I love you, your family loves you, and we will support you forever. You got this!”

    Fellow PGA Tour golfer Brendon Todd tweeted in reply, “The hard times make the good times great. The next 34 will be better than the last 34. I’m here for you. You got this!”

    CBS golf analyst Peter Kostis tweeted his support, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle about which you know absolutely nothing…. so be kind. Best of luck and get yourself well…. you’re a good person.”

    Chris Kirk tweeted the next day in response to the positive words, “The outpouring of love and support I have received today has been more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you to everyone for taking the time out of your day to share your personal stories and words of encouragement.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Britney Spears Leaves Treatment Facility

    Britney Spears Leaves Treatment Facility

    “Britney is back at home and is very happy about it,” said a source close to the Spears family.

    After spending a few weeks in an “all-encompassing wellness facility,” Britney Spears checked out on Thursday (April 25) and has returned home to spend time with her sons and boyfriend. 

    “Britney is back at home and is very happy about it,” someone close to the Spears family told People. 

    The pop icon checked into the facility early April, after having taken time off from work to care for her sick father, who suffered a colon rupture. 

    Despite living at the facility, People reported that Spears has continued to post on social media and even left the facility a few times, for Easter and to get her hair done. 

    Last Tuesday, Spears posted a video on Instagram, in which she spoke about the events taking place in her life. 

    “My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal,” she said. “Don’t worry I’ll be back very soon.”

    She elaborated in the caption, adding, “I wanted to say hi, because things that are being said have just gotten out of control!!! Wow!!! There’s rumors, death threats to my family and my team, and just so many things crazy things being said. I am trying to take a moment for myself, but everything that’s happening is just making it harder for me.” 

    The singer also took time to acknowledge her fans and ask for their support during this time.

    “You may not know this about me, but I am strong, and stand up for what I want,” she wrote. “Your love and dedication is amazing, but what I need right now is a little bit of privacy to deal with all the hard things that life is throwing my way. If you could do that, I would be forever grateful.” 

    Initially, when Spears checked into treatment, a source told People that she had made the decision to do so fully on her own. 

    Around the same time, another source added that her father’s health was the main factor in Spears seeking help. 

    “Her dad being sick has taken a toll on her,” the source told People. “He nearly died and actually had another surgery a few weeks ago. He’s not doing well. They’re so close and it has been a lot. There is nothing dramatic going on with her—she just realized she needs to make sure to take time to care for herself.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Unwanted Sexting Linked To Mental Distress

    Unwanted Sexting Linked To Mental Distress

    A new study found that men had more adverse effects when they got unwanted sexts even though women receive more.

    Getting unwanted sexual pictures messaged over texts or dating apps has become so common that it’s joked about and laughed at, but new research shows that receiving unwanted “sexts” can contribute to depression and other mental health effects. 

    The Australian study, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, found that engaging in coerced or non-consensual sexts contributed to youth ages 18-21 feeling worse. 

    “Receiving unwanted sexts, or sexting under coercion, was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and lower self-esteem, and these two sexting experiences were independent predictors of psychological distress,” study authors wrote. 

    Interestingly, the researchers found that men seemed to have more adverse effects when they got unwanted sexts, although females were more likely to receive unwanted messages. 

    “The relationship between these sexting behaviors with poor mental health was moderated by gender, with poorer outcomes for males receiving unwanted sexts,” researchers wrote. “This is contrary to popular belief that females are more adversely impacted than males by sexting activity. However, it is important to note that both genders were adversely affected with regard to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem when sending a sext under coercion.”

    While previous studies have linked all sexting with poorer mental health outcomes, this study was careful to separate consensual sexual exchanges with unwanted or coerced ones. 

    “Our results showed no association between receiving or sending sexts overall,” researchers wrote. 

    Researchers said that their findings about the impact of sexting could have widespread implications. 

    “When receiving or sending unwanted but consensual sexts, respondents reported higher depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower self-esteem,” researchers wrote. “Another significant finding was that receiving unwanted sexts and sending sexts under pressure were independent predictors of poorer mental health. This suggests that they affect mental health in unique ways, and that there is an additive impact for these two sexting phenomena on mental health.”

    They said that unwanted sexting can be a risk factor for intimate violence under certain circumstances. 

    “This finding is important as the nature of this sexting behavior has been likened to intimate partner violence,” they wrote.

    “That is, the findings of our study may shed light on why some researchers conceptualize sexting as simply a normative sexual behavior, while others see it as a potential risk behavior, including for sexual violence. Indeed, our findings indicate that both can be true. Sexting behaviors can range from consensual sexting as a normative behavior exploring one’s sexuality to non-consensual sexting which is associated with negative mental health outcomes and more closely resembles a form of intimate partner violence.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Photo Exhibit Shows "99 Faces" Of People With Mental Illness

    New Photo Exhibit Shows "99 Faces" Of People With Mental Illness

    “We have champions in all walks of life. I was like, where are the champions of schizophrenia and bipolar?” said the exhibit’s creator.

    An art exhibit in New Hampshire is aiming to break down the stigma around mental illness by displaying 99 life-sized portraits of people who have been touched by mental illness—33 with bipolar disorder, 33 with schizophrenia, and 33 family members.

    The photographs, part of an exhibit called “99 Faces,” were taken by Boston-based artist Lynda Michaud Cutrell, according to The Valley News. They are on display at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire’s largest hospital, from April to September.

    Cutrell wanted to give people with mental illness a chance to advocate for themselves and their loved ones. 

    “We have champions in all walks of life,” she said. “I was like, where are the champions of schizophrenia and bipolar?”

    Cutrell said that people who see the person behind a diagnosis are more likely to support that person, and less likely to ostracize or “other” them. When attitudes toward mental illness change, “it’s usually because you meet a person,” she said. 

    Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center provides psychiatric services and hosts support groups for people with mental illness and their family members. Marianne Barthel, arts program director at the hospital, said that the exhibit can give hope to patients and to the people who come to the hospital for support groups related to mental illness. 

    “It was really in an effort to de-stigmatize mental health and help give inspiration to those living with mental illness that there are others out there like them who are living successful lives with jobs and families,” Barthel told NHPR. “It really breaks down barriers when you can have a discussion about a serious or personal issue by looking at art.” 

    Dartmouth’s Director of Psychiatry, Alan Green, had similar thoughts. “We hope this exhibit will help people understand (that). As a society, we need to realize that this is part of our responsibility,” he said. 

    Cutrell was inspired by a family member who is grappling with mental illness. She connected with many of the portraits’ subjects through the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

    “Once I found one family member, I realized there were other family members,” she said. 

    Most people she spoke to were excited to be involved with the project. 

    She said, “I think how open people became when I gave them this space to be part of something important. It was kind of like a new social value.”

    In addition to highlighting her subjects with mental illness, the exhibit makes a nod to the genetic components of the diseases by displaying an artistic representation of a DNA strand from a person with schizophrenia. 

    “Whoever it would be, there are some genes that contribute,” Cutrell said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Can Poor Mental Health Reduce Life Expectancy As Much As Diabetes, Smoking?

    Can Poor Mental Health Reduce Life Expectancy As Much As Diabetes, Smoking?

    Experts were surprised with the findings of a new report on healthy communities.

    A new report says that poor mental health can have as strong an impact on life expectancy as diabetes, smoking and even a lack of physical activity.

    These new findings are part of the Healthiest Communities rankings by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation.

    The rankings examined almost 3,000 different communities across 81 different health-related spectrums, like nutrition, housing and education, CNBC reports. 

    According to Aetna Foundation President Garth Graham, the link between people’s perception of their own mental health and life expectancy being almost as strong as the link between smoking and diabetes and life expectancy was surprising.

    “I at first wanted us to double check,” said Graham, according to CNBC. 

    In 2018, the link between mental health and life expectancy was not as apparent as it was in 2019, Graham says.

    “We often think about health as the four hours we spend in a doctor’s office a year, but health is about so much more than that,” Graham said.

    Of the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory, the report states, 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska. Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25. 

    Of the nearly 3,000 communities involved in the report, Douglas County, Colorado was reported the healthiest community in the country. Colorado as a whole performed well, with seven communities making the top 20 results. In those seven communities, CNBC reports, nearly all adults reported exercising, which has been known to improve mental health. 

    Nancy VanDeMark of Mental Health Colorado says that the connection between mental health and life expectancy makes sense, since last year’s CDC data pointed to increased opioid overdoses and suicides—also referred to as “deaths of despair”—negatively affecting life expectancy. 

    VanDeMark adds that it is vital for people to be screened for mental health issues, just as they are for physical health. 

    “We have a screening site on our website so people can go in and complete a number of screenings to see if they’re high risk for some sort of mental health or substance use concern,” said VanDeMark. 

    Colorado resident Kristin Gibowicz says that monitoring her mental health is something she keeps at the forefront of her life. “Just getting out, breathing fresh air and slowing your mind down a little bit, putting your phone down disconnecting,” Gibowicz said. 

    Also worth noting is that among the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory specifically, the report states 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska.

    Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25.

    In addition to Douglas County in Colorado, other communities in the top 10 overall include Los Alamos County, New Mexico; Falls Church, Virginia; Loudoun County, Virginia; Broomfield County, Colorado; Teton County, Wyoming; Hamilton County, Indiana; Carver County, Minnesota; Delaware County, Ohio; and Howard County, Maryland.

    View the original article at thefix.com