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Tag: Mental Health Resources

  • NFL To Focus On Treating Mental Health Issues, Offering Resources

    NFL To Focus On Treating Mental Health Issues, Offering Resources

    Doctors, trainers and directors gathered at a summit where the mental health needs of the league was a main focus. 

    The National Football League has decided to take a closer look at how it can treat mental health issues in the league, according to Sports Illustrated.

    Recently the NFL held a Player Health Summit, which was led by Nyaka NiiLampti, a psychologist who is now the vice president of wellness clinical services for the league.

    Physicians, trainers and directors of player engagement gathered at the summit with the goal of ensuring that the mental health needs of the 2,000 players in the NFL were being met.

    Resources

    In recent years there have been more mental health resources and regulations added to the NFL, but some players still aren’t aware of the help that’s available. Just as the NFL has emergency protocol set up in the event of player injuries, the goal is to have a strategy for mental health emergencies as well.

    While more mental health resources are available to players than ever before, there is still a stigma that keeps some players from seeking help.

    Stigma Lives On

    As Solomon Thomas of the San Francisco 49ers explains, “Some guys won’t sit at the same lunch table as our team therapist, because they are like, I don’t want anyone to think something is wrong with me… There’s a huge stigma about that. People are still afraid of therapists, still afraid of getting help.”

    Thomas lost his older sister to suicide, and has been an active supporter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “I realized what I can say can really help other people, or really help myself, or get a conversation started.”

    In the high-pressure world of professional sports, a lot of athletes are also terrified of being cut or traded. “Guys are fighting for their job every day,” Thomas said. “So they don’t want to have anything seen as a disadvantage or a reason to not be the one chosen. ‘Oh, both of them have the same amount of yards and TDs (touchdowns), but he has mental health problems.’ That’s scary to some guys, but it’s something that needs to change.”

    Thomas saw a big change in his performance once he started seeking help. “That’s all due to my head clearing up, or being able to freely live… If our brain’s not working, our bodies aren’t going to work.”

    Thomas is also hoping the stigma against seeking help will change. “If guys do it more openly, and the culture of mental health changes in the NFL, I think that is going to change a lot. Because it is a very masculine, tough sport. If we start that change, it will echo throughout the whole league and society as well.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Taraji P. Henson Gets Emotional About Black Mental Health

    Taraji P. Henson Gets Emotional About Black Mental Health

    “The number of black children ages 5-12 who have died by suicide has doubled since the 1990s. This is a national crisis,” Henson said.

    During a speech for Variety’s Power of Women New York lunch, Taraji P. Henson of the critically acclaimed series Empire began tearing up while talking about the plight of black mentally ill youth in the U.S.

    “The number of black children ages 5-12 who have died by suicide has doubled since the 1990s,” she said. “This is a national crisis.”

    Henson was recently honored by Variety for the work she has done on and off the screen. In addition to becoming the first black woman to win the Critics Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, she launched the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in 2018 in order to battle the stigma against mental illness within black communities. The foundation is named after her father, who suffered mental health issues after returning from a tour in Vietnam.

    “I named the organization after my father because of his complete and unconditional love for me; his unabashed, unashamed ability to tell the truth, even if it hurt; and his strength to push through his own battles with mental health issues,” Henson said in September. “My dad fought in the Vietnam War for our country, returned broken, and received little to no physical and emotional support. I stand now in his absence, committed to offering support to African Americans who face trauma daily, simply because they are black.”

    One of the foundation’s goals is to support Black students majoring in mental health-related fields in order to increase the number of mental health professionals who intimately understand the difficulties of being black in America.

    According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), only about 25% of black Americans seek out mental health services, while white Americans do so 40% of the time. Much of this gap can be attributed to discrimination as well as barriers caused by racial wealth gaps.

    “Misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment and lack of cultural competence by health professionals cause distrust and prevent many African Americans from seeking or staying in treatment,” reads NAMI’s page on African American mental health.

    Henson also drew attention to cultural stigma within the black community and fears of being labeled as “weak” or “inadequate.” Due to the long history of racial oppression in the U.S. going back to slavery, black Americans have passed down what Henson’s foundation calls a code of silence through the generations. Because much of mental health treatment requires opening up about one’s issues, creating a group of “culturally competent” mental health professionals is key to ending the national crisis of black mental illness and suicide.

    “Often, we are asked to seek help from someone who does not look like us, who cannot relate to our stories. We fear we are seen, but not heard because the listener cannot relate to our problems. But, the ability to relate to one another helps us feel understood, helps us to heal. How does one do that if we are branded before we even speak?”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Students Take Action To Get Mental Health Resources

    Students Take Action To Get Mental Health Resources

    Students in need of mental health resources formed a group to solve the issue for themselves and their peers.

    When a 15-year-old girl in England reached out for mental health assistance and was placed on a waiting list, she and her friends decided to take matters into their own hands. 

    According to The Guardian, Molly Robinson had been battling unexplained pain and worry over what was causing it, creating overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It eventually got to the point where she couldn’t even go to school. 

    So, Robinson and some friends decided to create a group called We Will, to focus on gaining understanding and support for adolescents struggling with mental health. 

    The seven members say aspects, such as the push to do well academically and the pressures of social media, play into their mental health. 

    “It’s very different being a teenager now,” Chloe Wilson, 17, tells The Guardian. “Especially parents; they want their child to be fine. They’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s just hormones.’”

    Jasmine Dean, 17, adds that she has heard a friend talk about suicide and wonders why the lack of mental health resources is justifiable. “How is being in crisis with a mental health issue any different from being in crisis with a physical issue?” Dean said.

    Because the students knew they would need assistance, they reached out to Kate Whitmarsh, who serves as a development worker at Ewanrigg Big Local. Ewanrigg Big Local is community group with “a mandate to grow grassroots initiatives proposed by anyone resident in the area,” according to The Guardian.

    Whitmarsh says that in the area, child poverty rates have climbed, public services and work opportunities are limited, and the statistics regarding health are not positive.

    “It’s tough growing up here on the western edge of Cumbria,” says Whitmarsh. “This isn’t the affluent Lake District: lots of young people live in rural deprivation.”

    Whitmarsh has helped the group in their efforts to create their own video, speak to local businesses about putting out mental health awareness posters, speak to the media, and reach out to leadership in their schools. 

    The students also encouraged 80 students and staff members at their school to participate in a mental health first aid class that covered recognizing a person in emotional pain, but also realizing they are not responsible for solving someone else’s problems. 

    Going forward, the school plans to offer the same course to governors and parents of students, which could be a significant financial investment according to The Guardian.  

    “My argument is: how can we afford not to?” assistant head Steve Milledge tells The Guardian. “Thresholds for Camhs (child and adolescent mental health services) are getting higher. There’s been an increase in the number of children talking about suicide. Without a counsellor, there are children who wouldn’t be able to be in school. A culture of listening and being listened to is really important in people feeling well and healthy.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Lack Of Mental Health Resources A Global Issue

    Lack Of Mental Health Resources A Global Issue

    “All countries can be thought of as developing countries in the context of mental health,” says a new global mental health report.

    A lack of resources for those dealing with mental health issues is a major problem around the world, a new report has found. 

    The report by the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health, which took three years to compile, was released last week at a London summit. 

    The report, which is 45 pages long, details the state of mental health treatment around the world. According to the authors—28 mental health researchers, clinicians and advocates from five continents—there are “pitifully small” levels of financial support from governments and assistance groups when it comes to mental health research and care. 

    Low-income communities, according to NPR, are being hit particularly hard. The report states that in developing countries, only one in 27 people with depression receive the necessary treatment. And in countries with more money, the care isn’t necessarily better. In fact, the report states that “all countries can be thought of as developing countries in the context of mental health.”

    The financial aspect, according to the report, is the main problem. The Lancet Commission states that funding availability is “alarmingly low” when compared to what was spent on other diseases in 2013 in comparison to mental illness.

    For example, for every year of healthy life lost to mental illness, the report found that global health donors had provided $0.85. But for HIV/AIDS, they had provided $144 for every year, and $48 for TB and malaria.

    According to psychiatrist Julian Eaton, part of the reason for the lack of funding has to do with cultural differences. 

    “In the academic world there has been an ongoing sometimes quite angry debate about whether it’s appropriate to export Western ideas about mental ill health to other countries,” Eaton told NPR.

    The stigma surrounding mental health issues also plays a role. Janice Cooper, who runs the Carter Center’s mental health center in Liberia, tells NPR that stigma is a problem in developing and developed countries. 

    “There’s ignorance, there’s the perception of contagion, there’s the notion that in some quarters this is not important,” she said. 

    According to NPR, the Commission recruited 15 youth leaders from around the world to spread messages about mental health on social media and get younger generations discussing it.

    Twenty-five-year-old Grace Gatera of Rwanda is one of the 15. She says the conflict in the country resulted in PTSD for her, as well as two suicide attempts. She tells NPR that the government doesn’t make mental health a priority. 

    “It’ll be like let’s deal with this crisis and deal with the crisis that comes after that and maybe when we get time we’ll talk about mental health,” she said. 

    Eaton says that despite the report’s findings, she and other commissioners were excited to receive the support for the summit from some international and British government organizations in addition to some private ones. They were also encouraged when royals Prince William and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, attended the summit. 

    “But people are yet to sign the checks,” Eaton said.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demand For Mental Health Resources Not Being Met On College Campuses

    Demand For Mental Health Resources Not Being Met On College Campuses

    One mental health professional estimates that almost half of colleges students who need services are not receiving them.

    College is a stressful transition for many—that’s apparent from recent mental health numbers. 

    According to Deseret News, greater numbers of college students are facing mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety, and as such, the number of students seeking help on campuses has increased.   

    Ben Locke, executive director of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University, tells Deseret News that the demand for mental health services is growing rapidly—about five to six times faster than enrollment. He says that since enrollment numbers help fund such services, it’s difficult for some colleges to fulfill the demand.

    The Center for Collegiate Mental Health has found that of the students seeking help, 70% have anxiety. Of those, 25% consider anxiety their main concern. These numbers, according to Deseret News, are based on 2017 data covering 160,014 students at 160 colleges.

    Additionally, a 2017 American College Health Association Survey of 63,000 students discovered that 2 in 5 students would say they are so depressed that they “struggled to function,” and 3 in 5 had felt “overwhelming anxiety” in the previous year.

    According to experts, college students may be particularly prone to such mental health struggles because of the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

    And it isn’t just the volume of students that’s an issue. According to Daniel Eisenberg, professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan and director of the Healthy Minds Network, students’ symptoms are growing more severe.

    According to Eisenberg’s data, almost half of students who need services are not receiving them.

    Randy P. Auerbach of Columbia University and lead author of a study about mental health in college students worldwide, says the problem needs to be addressed. 

    “We are seeing debilitating levels of anxiety that are more and more common—where, by the time they get to college, students are so worried about different aspects of their lives it can be a real problem. Students struggling with very severe symptoms who don’t get treatment are likely to have consequences.”

    On some campuses, students are taking the matter into their own hands. At the University of Michigan, student body president Bobby Dishell and some of his peers had begun a program called the Wolverine Support Network. The idea was that students could form small groups and offer one another support. 

    Sam Orley, whose brother George took his own life when he was a student at the university, served as the executive director of the program. Orley said that rather than being a program for mental illness, the Wolverine Support Network is a “holistic mental health and well-being effort.”

    In some cases, the struggles college students are facing may be downplayed, according to Kelly Davis, director of peer advocacy, supports and services for Mental Health America.

    “There’s a lot of condescension—dismissal of how hard that period of life is,” Davis told Deseret News. 

    Last spring, Deseret News sat down with students to discuss their fears and worries. Topping the list were fear of missing out, fear of failure and job competition.

    “The bar is just so high for everything,” one student said in conclusion.  

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • British Royals Launch "Mental Health At Work"

    British Royals Launch "Mental Health At Work"

    The new online resource for both employers and employees seeks to take the taboo out of discussing mental health at work.

    Continuing their campaign to promote mental wellness in the UK, the British Royals have launched a new effort to support workers’ mental health.

    According to a survey of more than 44,000 workers conducted by the mental health non-profit organization, Mind, nearly half of workers in the UK (48%) have experienced mental health problems at work. On top of that, only half of these individuals have addressed their issues with their employer.

    Mental Health at Work, the new online resource for both employers and employees on improving mental well-being in the workplace, seeks to bridge this gap and take the taboo out of discussing mental health at work.

    According to the Mind survey, by training employers on how to promote workers’ mental health, they will feel more confident in supporting their staff. In turn, staff who had a supportive employer or manager reported that they were far more comfortable opening up about their mental health at work.

    The goal of the new online resource is to provide information, resources and training for employers and employees who wish to address mental well-being in the workplace.

    “We know that employers want to do more and are starting to see mental health as a priority, but often don’t know where to start. The new online Mental Health at Work gateway will change that,” said Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, in a statement. “Even small changes to policy, approach and workplace culture can make a really big difference to the mental health of those around us. No matter the size of your workplace, and no matter where you work, Mental Health at Work can help you find what you need to start or continue your journey to better workplace well-being for everyone.”

    The website offers a variety of toolkits pertaining to different situations—some of them include “Promoting a positive culture” and “Tackling Stress in the Workplace.”

    Mental Health at Work is just another arm of the British Royals’ campaign for mental wellness. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry launched Heads Together in 2016 to change the conversation about mental health in the UK and urge Brits to be more vocal about their struggles with mental health.

    “There are times when, whoever we are, it is hard to cope with a challenge—and when that happens being open and honest and asking for help is life-changing,” said Prince William last year. “Talking to someone else is a positive and confident step to take, but for too long it has been a case of ‘Keep Quiet and Carry On.’ As a result, too many people have suffered in silence for too long, and the effects of this can be devastating.”

    View the original article at thefix.com