Theravive Home

Just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US, parents are reporting worsening mental health in their teenagers. The CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine found that almost half of parents have noticed a worsening or new mental health condition in their teenagers since the start of the pandemic. Three in four say the pandemic has negatively impacted the social interactions of their teens. [More]

“Be mindful”. But does that guidance really help? It has become common advice and there are proponents of mindfulness. However, a recent study in PLOS Medicine found that while mindfulness programs may have specific effects on some common mental health symptoms, they are no better than other interventions. [More]

Many believe in the perfect lives of those perceived to be at the top live perfect, effortless lives. The top 1%. Bystanders have a tendency to equate monetary wealth, good looks, good connections, and charisma with “happily ever after”. Many of these observers would deny that there is any disadvantage to holding a position at the summit of the pedestal. [More]

A new study published in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, looked at how maternal stress triggers preterm birth. “Our study focused on uncovering the cellular mechanisms underlying preterm birth triggered by maternal stress,” study lead author and co-principal investigator, Ozlem Guzeloglu-Kayisli told us. [More]

Lab based studies of emotional and wellbeing may be missing real world anxiety. A study from Duke published in PLOS One found that the background level of anxiety a person may normally experience could change how they behave in a lab setting. This could have important implications for research into wellbeing and emotional health. [More]

A new study published in the British Journal of Social Psychology looked at how people who frequently try to impress or persuade others predicts receptivity to various types of misleading information. “On a basic level, it’s investigating some of the ways that misinformation is spread (intentionally and unintentionally) and evaluated by people when they encounter it,” study author Shane Littrell told us. [More]

Time spent outside and nature-based activities could counteract some of the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adolescents. Researchers from North Carolina State University found that outdoor based activities helped teens cope with major stressors, and restricting such opportunities could have negative mental health implications. [More]

A study found that fans of horror films “exhibit less psychological distress during COVID-19.” The hypothesis is those films simulate actual experiences which help with coping skills." I invited mental health experts and movie buffs to weigh in on whether this makes sense or is a stretch. [More]

Understanding how the pandemic and the lockdown is affecting the mental well-being of people is crucial for researchers and scientists to understand as well as government and health care practitioners. A new study published in PLOS ONE Journal looked at COVID-19 and mental health deterioration by ethnicity and gender in the UK, specifically looking at how the mental health of UK women and ethnic minorities are being affected by the pandemic. [More]

A nation-wide Maternal Mental Health Month is coming up in May. Utah advocates say they hope other states will follow their initiative to focus local efforts on helping mothers, and bring more awareness to postpartum health issues and resources. [More]