May 8, 2020
by Tina Arnoldi
According to a recent study by Cigna, more than half of Americans experience loneliness. While connections are as important to well being as they were a hundred years ago, our modern society has contributed to weaker social connections. The negative consequences of loneliness are physical, resulting in increased inflammation, as well as mental.
[More]
May 1, 2020
by Tina Arnoldi
Our health care workers are at risk. Not just from the physical risks around COVID-19, but also the mental health risks. I invited professionals to weigh in on what we can do for our health care workers to help optimize their mental health and overall well-being.
[More]
April 24, 2020
by Tina Arnoldi
During the 2003 SARS outbreak, health care workers had concerns about infecting others and experienced stigma because they were in close contact with sick patients. A new study in JAMA looked at the mental health of 1,257 health care workers attending to COVID-19 patients in China since COVID-19 is our current concern. A large percentage reported depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress. Findings suggest that these health care workers are at a significant risk of developing mental illness.
[More]
April 14, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
A national survey by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 11.4 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds were depressed in 2014. Ruby Walker was one of them. Her book, Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen is the only book on teenage mental health written by a teenager. It answers the question everyone's been asking her: What happened?
[More]
April 3, 2020
by Tina Arnoldi
A new report by RAND showed that Los Angeles county could potentially divert up to two-thirds of their mentally ill inmates out of jails and into community-based treatment services. Diversion programs benefit individuals by giving them patient centered care while easing the burden on the jail system. But an increase in people with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system and the shortage of beds in outside mental health facilities make this a tough transition.
[More]
March 10, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
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]
March 6, 2020
by Tina Arnoldi
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]
February 17, 2020
by Amy Rollo
I happen to be a therapist who believes we could all benefit from therapy at some point in our lives. Therapy is a place to work on values, define purpose, strengthen relationships, learn coping skills, have a safe place to process emotions, and help with mood. Basically, if we need support, are struggling, or need a strength-based approach, counseling can help us. However, most people do not know where to start when searching for the right fit in a counselor.
[More]
January 27, 2020
by Amy Rollo
I’m not a huge basketball fan, but when the alert that Kobe Bryant died suddenly in a helicopter crash came on my screen, I immediately felt shock. I felt this sense of sadness and tried to make sense of how someone so known and famous, could be taken so suddenly. I have felt similar emotions when other famous actors or athletes passed. It is completely normal to feel sadness or grief when someone famous dies. There are several reasons we might feel these intense emotions.
[More]
January 20, 2020
by Amy Rollo
Exercise, meditation, yoga, breath work, it does not take therapy or a therapy blog for you to know that these practices help with stress. What many people do not yet know is the WHY behind the practice.
[More]