Tag: mental health

Zac Brown Band's New Video Tackles Depression, Using Alcohol To Cope

The video chronicles the various stages of a man’s life as he struggles to cope with trauma and depression.

The holidays can be a hard time for many people struggling with depression, and now the Zac Brown Band has released a new video, “Someone I Used to Know,” to help people deal with the “Christmas blues.”

Alexander Ludwig, who played Cato in The Hunger Games, stars in the video which first shows his character in his college football glory days. The character then goes on to join the army where he suffers the traumas of the battlefield. After coming home, he works as a coal miner, drinking to cope with his troubles. While the main character often appears isolated from others during the various stages of his life, toward’s the video’s end, he comes to the realization that there are people all around him who can offer him support.

While Brown told People he doesn’t suffer from holiday depression, he’s well aware that “the holidays are a time when people feel a lot of pressure, and I think it’s good to remind everybody that it’s okay to be human.”

Brown has seen depression take down people close to him.

“I’ve lost dear friends to suicide,” he explained. “Whatever was gnawing at them, whatever was eating at them that we didn’t know and couldn’t see, it obviously felt bigger to them than asking for help and having someone else go through it with them. It made me realize, too, that I don’t want to be that person that can’t face themselves and get to the other side so that I can be well for myself and for everybody else around me.”

Brown also touched on the dissolution of his 12-year marriage.

“I’m definitely in a spot in my life where I’m trying to face things that are hard so that I can be as well and healthy as possible,” he said.”It’s not the struggles that define you; it’s the fact that you can overcome those struggles that define you. It’s what makes you who you are.”

At the end of the video, Brown tells the audience, “’Someone I Used to Know’ is a touchpoint to remind people that they don’t have to be alone in what they feel. . . . Pain and depression doesn’t discriminate. This song is me facing that part of myself of where I want to go and not where I’ve been. I would encourage people that when they feel like they have a need or they have a voice that’s telling them to face something, it’s a sign of strength to ask for help and to face the things that are really hard.”

View the original article at thefix.com

27 December 2018
Kid Cudi Details Why He Hid His Mental Health Struggles

Kid Cudi opened up about his mental health struggles on a recent episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Facebook series, Red Table Talk.

During a preview of Jada Pinkett Smith’s interview series Red Table Talk, Kid Cudi admitted to being “ashamed” to discuss his struggles with mental health. Born Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi in Cleveland, Ohio, the “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper argued that there is a persistent, dangerous stigma around mental health in the black community.

Cudi added, that stigma keeps many people from getting the help they need. “I was really good at keeping my troubles hidden … even from my friends,” Cudi told the Facebook show’s hosts Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Jones and Willow Smith. “I really was good with that. And it’s scary because you hear people say, ‘I had no clue.’ I really went out of my way to keep what I was going through hidden because I was ashamed.”

Jada Pinkett Smith echoed Cudi by revealing her own struggles with mental health. “I was severely depressed, severely, and that was something that I battled with for years. Waking up in the morning was like the worst part of the day. And it would take me hours [to adjust]. By the time the evening time came, I was at least like: ‘Okay, I’m good.’ But then you go to sleep again and you gotta restart.”

Over the last couple of years, Cudi has been open about his mental health struggles. In October 2016, Cudi checked into a rehab facility for “depression and suicidal urges.” The day after he started treatment, he wrote an open letter that detailed his issues.

“I am not at peace,” he said. “I haven’t been since you’ve known me. If I didn’t come here, I would’ve done something to myself. I simply am a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions every day of my life. There’s a raging violent storm inside of my heart at all times. Idk what peace feels like. Idk how to relax. My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I can’t make new friends because of it. I don’t trust anyone because of it and I’m tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace.”

According to data collected by the National Institute of Mental Health, over 6.8 million black Americans had a “diagnosable mental illness” in 2018. Similarly, writer Hafeez Baoku wrote in a blog post for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that the black community’s stance on mental health needs to evolve.

“If we are unable to remove the negative stigma surrounding mental health in the black community, we are willingly allowing another generation to grow up without access to counseling and mental health improvement resources that can help them live a happy, healthy life,” Baoku said. “You are not alone in your pain and you are not ‘weak’ or ‘less than’ because you are hurting. It’s time we reach out and ask for or offer help — because that’s what it takes to achieve the true healing we need.”

View the original article at thefix.com

26 December 2018
Are Kids With Depression Who Play Football At Higher Risk For Concussions?

Researchers investigated whether kids with depression who play the contact sport are at a higher risk of suffering a concussion.

Kids who suffer concussions while playing football may be at a greater risk of depression than others, Time reported.

Published in The Journal of Pediatrics, the research squares with previous studies concluding that depression is an “all-too-common symptom of concussions,” as young athletes and retired NFL players alike struggle with mental health issues following brain injuries sustained on the football field.

Time, however, turned the situation on its head by asking if kids diagnosed with depression who play football are somehow more susceptible to suffering concussions than others their age.

Surprisingly, new research on the matter says yes, as children who have been previously diagnosed with depression have a “five-fold increased risk” of suffering concussions.

The new study collected data on 863 youth football players (aged 5 to 14) in the Seattle area across two separate seasons. Interestingly, researchers found that 5.1% of those football players suffered concussions — a trend well above the 4.4% range tracked in previous studies. Also, only 16 of the 863 players had been diagnosed with depression (0.02%).

Regardless, researchers felt that their odds of suffering a concussion was “statistically significant” and would color many parents’ decisions to allow their kids to participate in the sport.

Dr. Sara Chrisman, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of adolescent medicine, argued that children with a history of depression are far more inclined to notice concussion symptoms (fatigue and nausea) than other kids. In other words, children who have already been diagnosed with depression are more likely to understand their symptoms, which might underscore the higher rate of reported concussions.

“Often people with mental health issues are very in tune with uncomfortableness in their bodies,” said Chrisman. “They’re more likely to be aware of changes. What’s not as distressing to someone else, might be distressing to them.”

Additionally, Chrisman noted that prior research has linked depression and risky behavior — especially in young men. “In general, depression makes people want to crawl into a hole,” Chrisman said. “But depression is expressed differently in different people.”

Adolescents with a history of depression might play football more aggressively than others, Chrisman suggested, which puts them at a much higher risk for suffering a concussion. Conversely, children who act aggressively are more likely to visit a psychologist, increasing the odds of a depression diagnosis.

Still, while all signs point to a clear connection between concussions and depression, further research needs to be conducted before any definitive conclusions can be made on the subject. “To our knowledge, depression history has not been previously reported as a risk factor for concussions in a prospective manner,” the researchers wrote in their study.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for children wanting to participate in football. “In general, we found that kids weren’t going back to play football until they’ve recovered from their concussions,” Chrisman observed, noting that many schools, parents and doctors have been effectively working together to ensure their kids’ well-being. “That hasn’t been true in some prior studies. Some systems in place are working.”

View the original article at thefix.com

21 December 2018
Rep. Dan Crenshaw Checks On Pete Davidson After Mental Health Scare

After Pete Davidson made a concerning mental health post on Instagram, Rep. Dan Crenshaw called him to offer his support.

Despite being mocked by Pete Davidson about a month ago, Texas Rep.-elect and veteran Dan Crenshaw recently reached out to the comedian after Davidson made a concerning post on Instagram.

According to The Washington Post, Davidson’s post read, “i really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. i’m doing my best to stay here for you but i actually don’t know how much longer i can last. all i’ve ever tried to do was help people. just remember i told you so.”

After seeing the post, Crenshaw called Davidson to check in on him, the Post reports.

“It was pretty devastating,” Crenshaw told NBC affiliate KPRC. “You don’t want to see somebody in that kind of position to the point where they’re actually putting out a cry for help on social media. That’s not a good place to be in.”  

“We don’t go back very far. We’re not good friends. But I think he appreciated hearing from me,” Crenshaw added. “What I told him was this: Everybody has a purpose in this world. God put you here for a reason. It’s your job to find that purpose — and you should live that way.”  

Davidson raised controversy after an SNL segment where he made fun of the fact that Crenshaw wears an eyepatch. Crenshaw wears the eyepatch because he lost his right eye due to a blast during a 2012 tour in Afghanistan.

There was extensive backlash from Davidson’s comments, the Post states, and eventually he apologized on air for his behavior, as well as in person to Crenshaw.

“I made a joke about Lieutenant Commander Dan Crenshaw, and on behalf of the show and myself, I apologize,” Davidson said, according to the Post. “I mean this from the bottom of my heart. It was a poor choice of words. . . . The man is a war hero, and he deserves all the respect in the world.”

This is not Davidson’s first social media post drawing attention to his mental health. He has discussed it openly, including his diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. He recently posted about being the victim of online bullying.

According to Crenshaw, he told Davidson, “Know that you have value and that you do more good than you realize for people.” 

“Especially a guy like that,” Crenshaw told KPRC. “He makes people laugh. Sometimes he makes people mad — but he makes people laugh a lot. And that’s what we talked about. It was a good conversation.”

According to the Post, the NYPD also confirmed making a wellness check on Davidson after being alerted about the post.

Some celebrities and fans also reached out to Davidson. Among them were rapper Nicki Minaj, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, TV personality Meghan McCain and rapper Machine Gun Kelly, according to the Post.

View the original article at thefix.com

21 December 2018
Have Depression Or Anxiety? There May Be Health Risks Down The Line

A new study examined whether people with depression/anxiety could be at higher risks of future health problems.

Could struggling with depression and anxiety put you at risk for more health issues down the road? According to Forbes, new research points to yes.

A recent study determined that those with depression/anxiety could be at the same or higher risk level for future health problems as smokers or those who are overweight.

The study examined data from the Health and Retirement Study, which included the health data of 15,000 older US adults over four years. Of those, 16% reported high levels of depression and anxiety, 31% were considered obese and 14% were smokers.

In comparing individuals with anxiety and depression to those without, researchers found that those with depression and/or anxiety had a 65% higher risk of heart conditions, a 64% higher risk for stroke and a 50% higher risk of high blood pressure. Especially high was the increased risk of arthritis, at 87%.

Lead study author Aoife O’Donovan of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry says these odds are in line with individuals who smoke or are overweight.

“These increased odds are similar to those of participants who are smokers or are obese,” he said, according to Forbes. “However, for arthritis, high anxiety and depression seem to confer higher risks than smoking and obesity.” 

Researchers also discovered connections between depression/anxiety and more mild health issues like back pain, stomach pain and shortness of breath. Headaches were 161% higher in those with depression and/or anxiety in comparison to those who were smokers or obese.

However, the study did not find any links between depression and anxiety and cancer.

“Our findings are in line with a lot of other studies showing that psychological distress is not a strong predictor of many types of cancer,” O’Donovan tells Forbes. “On top of highlighting that mental health matters for a whole host of medical illnesses, it is important that we promote these null findings. We need to stop attributing cancer diagnoses to histories of stress, depression and anxiety.”

A possible limitation of this study, according to Forbes, is that the data used came from self-assessments of individuals versus clinical assessments.

“The methodology in this case relied on in-depth interviews and other survey methods, but the results are still observational, not clinical,” Forbes states.

As these findings are in line with other past studies, researchers are reiterating the importance of mental health care.

“Anxiety and depression symptoms are strongly linked to poor physical health,” the study’s first author, Andrea Niles said, according to Forbes. “Yet these conditions continue to receive limited attention in primary care settings, compared to smoking and obesity.”

View the original article at thefix.com

21 December 2018
Sarah Hyland Talks About Depression That Came From Chronic Illness

The Modern Family star suffers from kidney dysplasia, and she’s been battling it alongside the depression that comes with it.

Sarah Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy on Modern Family, has gone through serious trials and tribulations with her health. Now she’s talking to Self about how she’s been battling the depression that can come with a chronic illness.

Hyland suffers from kidney dysplasia, an illness she was born with. Her kidneys weren’t fully developed when she was forming in the womb. (Dysplasia causes the kidneys to develop cysts, which stops the kidneys from filtering out waste from the bloodstream.) Hyland has had to endure about 16 surgeries, including six trips to the operating room in the last 16 months, and two kidney transplants.

Hyland got a kidney from her father, but her body rejected the organ and she had to go on dialysis, which she had to do three times a week for four hours each visit. (Hyland also got another kidney from her brother Ian.)

Hyland has been able to fit her dialysis treatments around her Modern Family shooting schedule, and as she told Self, “That’s why I’m so independent. In some areas of my life, I literally have no choice but to be dependent. I’ve been going through this for 28 years, and I still am learning how to let go of control and how to be patient.”

Hyland’s health problems would eventually take a toll on her mental health as well. “I was very depressed,” she explains. “When a family member gives you a second chance at life, and it fails, it almost feels like it’s your fault. It’s not. But it does. . . . For a long time, I was contemplating suicide, because I didn’t want to fail my little brother like I failed my dad.”

Hyland felt like she was a burden to her family, “always having to be looked after, having to be cared for,” which was a distortion because her family didn’t feel that way towards her at all.

Eventually Hyland reached out and talked about her suicidal thoughts with a close friend. “It’s not shameful,” she continues. “For anybody that wants to reach out to somebody but doesn’t really know how because they’re too proud or they think that they’ll be looked upon as weak, it’s not a shameful thing to say.”

In addition to finding comfort with her pet dogs, who give her unconditional love, Hyland also feels, “My work is my therapy. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my work.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 December 2018
Ellen DeGeneres Reveals Depression Struggle

The week of the release of her new Netflix stand-up special, Relatable, Ellen DeGeneres is speaking openly about her struggles with depression.

The talk show host and comedienne told USA Today that she was depressed and felt alienated after she famously came out of the closet, and she fought back against it through “meditation and being quiet. For a long time, there was a lot of fear that (being gay) was going to influence people’s opinions about me and so I didn’t ever have the confidence I should have had. Because whenever you carry shame around, you just can’t possibly be a confident person.”

On the Armchair Expert podcast, DeGeneres said, “Because there was so much talk about [coming out] . . . Even Elton John said, ‘Shut up already. We know you’re gay. Be funny.’ I had never met him and I thought, ‘What kind of support is that from a gay person?”

When her show, Ellen, finally went off the air, DeGeneres spiraled deeper. “I was looked at as a failure in this business. No one would touch me. I had no agent, no possibility of a job, I had nothing.”

DeGeneres said, “It took a while to shake off that judgment and the attacks I felt . . . I was fully honest with myself and that gave me confidence. I think that helps with depression. Depression eats away at your confidence and you get lost in that, and forget that you’re enough just as you are.”

When she moved out to the industry town of Los Angeles, DeGeneres felt more isolated and reluctant to reach out to others for help. “If you ever have experienced depression, you isolate yourself and don’t reach out for help. You don’t say, ‘I’m hurting, I need help’ – you kind of crawl further into that dark hole, so that’s where I was for a while.”

In addition to meditation, DeGeneres told Good Housekeeping she “started seeing a therapist and had to go on anti-depressants for the first time in my life . . . I slowly started to climb out of it. I can’t believe I came back from that point. I can’t believe where my life is now.”

DeGeneres says her new special is called Relatable because even though she’s a celebrity, “we’re all relatable. I didn’t have money for a long, long time. I’ve been doing this (talk) show for a long time and now I do have money, but I’ve always been the same person. Just because we have different experiences, at the core we’re all the same.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 December 2018
Can Internet-Based Therapy Effectively Treat Depression?

Scientists investigated whether internet-based platforms that offer treatment for depression were actually effective.

Technology may soon have a larger role in treating severe depression, as new research has determined that cognitive behavioral therapy sessions via an app can be effective.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, according to Medical News Today, is a type of therapy that works to change people’s thought patterns over time. When delivered via an app, it is referred to as internet-based CBT or iCBT.

In the past, it has been deemed effective for depression, anxiety and panic disorder, bipolar, substance use disorders and various other mental health disorders.

However, until recently, it was unknown whether iCBT was effective for severe depression or for those struggling with both depression and anxiety/alcohol use disorder.

According to Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, a clinical professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington and lead study author, iCBT is effective in such cases.

Lorenzo-Luaces says the criteria for major depressive disorder is met by about one in four people.

“If you include people with minor depression or who have been depressed for a week or a month with a few symptoms, the number grows, exceeding the number of psychologists who can serve them,” he told Medical News Today.

In the study, Lorenzo-Luaces and his team analyzed 21 existing studies and determined that iCBT apps were, in fact, effective for treating mild, moderate and severe levels of depression.

Many of the existing studies compared iCBT apps to “sham apps,” or apps that are meant to make weaker recommendations to their users. In these cases, the iCBT apps were far more effective for users.

“Before this study, I thought past studies were probably focused on people with very mild depression, those who did not have other mental health problems and were at low risk for suicide,” Lorenzo-Luaces said.  

“To my surprise, that was not the case,” he added. “The science suggests that these apps and platforms can help a large number of people.”

Even so, Lorenzo-Luaces says it’s important that people don’t interpret this evidence as a reason to stop taking a medication and rely solely on iCBT.

In conclusion, Lorenzo-Luaces and his team note that iCBT is on par with other treatment methods for severe depression.

“A conservative interpretation of our findings is that the patient population sampled in the literature on self-guided iCBT is relatively comparable with that of studies of antidepressants or face-to-face psychotherapy.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 December 2018
"Hedge Fund Tycoon" Helps Fund Mental Health Clinic For Vets

The Cohen Veteran’s Network in Tampa, Florida will soon add another clinic to its ranks thanks to a “hedge fund tycoon.”

Veterans in the Tampa area will soon have another option for mental and behavioral health treatment, as the Cohen Veterans Network plans to open a new clinic by March.

The clinic, according to The Tampa Bay Times, is funded by “hedge fund tycoon” Steven A. Cohen. This will be the network’s 12th such clinic, and the concept behind them is to fill in the areas of mental and behavioral health that the Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t reach.

This, according to the Times, will include services for veterans with “less than honorable” discharges as well as members of their families.

The clinic is expected to serve about 500 patients in the first year of operation. To start, the clinic will be funded with $8 million in seed money, the Times states. The network covered the costs for the clinic buildout and the first three years of operation. By the six-year mark, clinic officials are required to have raised 50% of the operating costs.

While both the American Veterans (AMVETS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs have expressed support, others aren’t so convinced. Marvin Southard, who was CEO of the Cohen Veterans Network’s first clinic at the University of Southern California, tells the Times that the clinics avoided treating more difficult patients for “commercial reasons.”

“Both USC and NYU had problems with the Cohen program,” Southard said.

Southard added that he feels “that what is required in a veteran-heavy locality like Tampa is a true convener organization or person who could bring the veterans service community together as collaborators rather than as competitors. I had hoped that the Cohen project could have served that role, but in Los Angeles, at least, they were inclined to do the opposite.”

However, Anthony Hassan, the Cohen Veterans Network CEO and president, says the clinic’s mission is to simply fill the gaps in care. He says that since the first clinic opened in 2016, more than 8,600 patients have been treated through the network, and about half of those were non-veteran family members who were not eligible for treatment from the VA.

According to the Times, US Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Trinity), who is the vice chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is giving the clinics the benefit of the doubt.

“Any entity serving the veteran community … should be held accountable for meeting the highest standard of care,” his spokesperson, Summer Robertson, told the Times via email. “If the Cohen Network helps meet an unmet need by providing mental health services in the Tampa area, that could potentially be a good option for some veterans.”

Like the other clinics, Hassan tells the Times that the Tampa clinic will work with the VA and other local services to find patients needing care. He also says the clinics are not a method of privatizing care or profit-making.

View the original article at thefix.com

12 December 2018
Mental Health Specialists Strike Over Staffing, Resource Issues At Kaiser Permanente

Approximately 4,000 mental health specialists are expected to strike over Kaiser Permanente’s lack of mental health staff and resources in California.

Thousands of mental health workers began a five-day strike on December 10, 2018 to protest what they view as shortages in patient resources at Kaiser Permanente facilities across California.

Approximately 4,000 psychologists, therapists, nurses and addiction specialists are expected to picket the non-profit HMO’s medical centers in Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton and other locations in an attempt to demand increased staffing for mental health patients, whom the union claims often have to wait more than a month for appointments due to a lack of medical professionals.

Kaiser Permanente condemned the strike as “disheartening,” especially at the holidays, when patients may need more mental health assistance.

The strike was organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which has reportedly been locked in conflict with Kaiser for years. At the heart of the union’s concerns is what they described in a statement as a “long history of forcing patients to endure extensive waits for therapy appointments.”

The union cited a 2013 fine imposed on Kaiser by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DHMC) for violating the state’s Mental Health Parity Act, which requires insurers to provide equal coverage for physical and mental health conditions and Timely Access to Care standards, which limits wait time for access to care. The statement also claimed that in 2017, the DHMC required Kaiser to accept outside monitoring of its mental health services.

Though Kaiser patients can now see physicians within state-appointed timeframes, the union stated that many have to wait one month or more for a follow-up appointment. It also claimed that 1/3 of patients in Southern California are sent out of Kaiser’s network for therapy and must find quality, affordable treatment on their own while dealing with what the union said are serious mental health issues. Addressing these concerns would require the HMO to reduce follow-up wait times for appointments, the number of patients sent to non-Kaiser treatment and balance the number of returning patients to intake patients.

“When you delay treatment appointments, it substantially delays recovery times, and it increases morbidity rates and mortality rates,” said Fred Seavey, the union’s research director, to USA Today. “It has huge implications for people’s lives . . . It has impacts on their incomes, their families and their relationships with loved ones.”

In response to the union’s claims, Josh Nelson, vice president of communications at Kaiser, called the strike “completely unnecessary” and pointed to a 30% increase in the number of mental health professionals statewide since 2015 as evidence of its compliance with patient needs. “When necessary, we contract with community providers to further ensure its members have access to the care they need,” he added.

A statement from Michelle Gaskill-Hames, chief nurse executive for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, claimed that the strike was “particularly disheartening” during the holidays, “when many of our patients with mental health needs may be at their most vulnerable.” But Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane is galled by the notion that Kaiser would decry a five-day strike as harmful to patients.

Zane’s husband struggled with anxiety and depression and sought treatment with Kaiser therapists in 2010. He was instead sent to an anxiety group and finally saw a therapist in late December of that year. After two appointments, the therapist told him that he was ineligible for a follow-up for two months. Three days later, Zane’s husband took his own life.

Zane, who told USA Today that Kaiser asked her to remain neutral in the strike, said, “They’re making the point that somehow or other, this is irresponsible for therapists to leave their patients for five friggin’ days. They could put a patient on a five-week waiting list and not blink an eye, and then they’re worried about five days?

“My husband’s dead, my kids don’t have a father, my grandkids don’t have a grandfather,” she said. “I’m glad these therapists are striking.”

View the original article at thefix.com

12 December 2018