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Children who blame themselves for their mothers being unhappy are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. [More]

In a recent Cigna survey, almost half of the respondents reported feeling lonely “always” or “sometimes”. One hypothesis drawn from the research is that these feelings of loneliness are generated partly by inflammation and previous research indicates inflammation impacts our thinking and behaviors. [More]

Approximately eight in every 100 children aged between nine and 10 in the US report suicidal ideation. Risk factors include psychological problems and exposure to family conflict. [More]

A new study published in the BMJ looked at infant sleep and child mental health. “We wanted to find out if infants with very persistent sleep difficulties had increased odds of experiencing mental health difficulties during childhood,” study author Falin Cook told us. “We wanted to know if there were specific types of mental disorders that they were more likely to experience.” [More]

Some faiths are more advanced in their approach to mental illness than others. In a previous article, I highlighted the work of the Presbyterian church and invited experts to comment on the role of churches in addressing mental illness. Adventists are another faith community that set an example for how congregations care for their mentally ill members. [More]

A new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine looked at whether peer-delivered cognitive behavioral training could improve functioning in patients with diabetes. “We wanted to test an intervention that did not rely on opioids to relieve pain, improve functioning, and increase exercise in people with diabetes and chronic joint pain,” study author Dr. Monika Safford told us. “This is a very common combination that affects up to 70 per cent of people with diabetes. We also hoped that diabetes parameters like blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol would also improve as a result of increased physical activity.” [More]

The top two mental health barriers for members, church leaders, and mid-council leaders were “not knowing how to respond to an individual showing signs of a mental health condition” and “lack of knowledge about mental health issues.” These responses are not uncommon in faith communities as many do not know how to respond to mental illness, both from a lack of knowledge and misperceptions. [More]

While the COVID-19 virus will not have the same impact as the plague, there are things we can learn from the nursery rhyme. Many children are listening to the news, they are hearing people talk about the “scary Corona virus” and maybe even hearing that we can die from it. These things can increase anxiety for children (and adults). Parents need to initiate the conversation with their children and be direct in order to reduce the anxiety and fear. [More]

Stressed-out parents take heed! It would seem running after the kids, having a full time job, getting the gym, and making time for a social life all count as a diversity of activities that are actually good for your brain. Now if you can just remove the 'stress' part. A new study published in the Journal of Gerontology found that change is good for the brain and that a diversity in activities helps with cognitive function across adulthood. [More]

A study from the University of Arizona examining the habits of teenage girls who take selfies found that taking and distributing selfies on social media isn’t associated with poor body confidence. But selfies can become a problem if teenage girls spend a lot of time debating what photo of themselves to share, or heavily editing photos before sharing. [More]