The recent news and statistics about youth and mental health are very alarming and frightening, especially for parents:
Youth suicide attempts have doubled in the last decade, with some children as young as five years old.
One in five children in the United States has a diagnosable mental illness.
Many people welcome the new year with a fresh set of goals, or more popularly known as “New Year’s resolutions,” to become a better version of themselves. For 2020, many Americans resolve to exercise more, save money, eat more healthily, among others.
Mental health problems affect both men and women equally, but some are more common among women:
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression.
Women are twice as likely to develop general anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and certain phobias than men are.
Many of us think of college as an exciting time to experience new things and find one’s self. But on the flip side, all these new opportunities can cause anxiety. In fact, a 2018 study from the American College Health Association (ACHA) revealed that more than 63% of college students stated that they had felt overwhelming anxiety within the last 12 months.
Although clinical depression can hit anyone, it is almost twice as likely to affect women than men. In fact, it is the most common mental health problem in women.
Clinical depression can impact every area of a woman’s life — physical health, social life, relationships, career, and sense of self-worth.
Tempted to munch on a doughnut instead of an apple? Thinking of heading to the nearby fast food joint instead of the vegetarian restaurant around the corner?
When we make these daily food decisions, a lot of us think that our choices only affect our physical health and appearance.
She was born Joshua Ryan Alcorn, but she felt like a girl trapped in a boy’s body and changed her first name to Leelah. At 14, she revealed that she loved men and told her conservative Christian parents about it. But they were appalled and said that it was just a phase and that God doesn’t make mistakes.
Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental illness in the United States, affecting around 40 million adults — almost one in five people. Characterized by constant, overwhelming feelings of worry and fear, these disorders disrupt people’s ability to function at work or school, interfere with personal and professional relationships, and affect their quality of life.
In the 1994 science fiction film Star Trek: Generations, retired ship engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott asks former Captain James T. Kirk if he finds retirement lonely. To this, Kirk replies, “You know, I’m glad you’re an engineer. With tact like that, you’d make a lousy psychiatrist!”
In a way, this shows why your best friend can never take the place of a licensed therapist.
A new environment. Challenging classes and workloads. Bad teachers. Inconsiderate roommates. Low grades. For many college students, these words are enough to trigger nightmares. They’re also some of the reasons why depression is common in this group.
According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, one in five university students are struggling with depression, a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest.