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Inmates who participated in a Bible-based trauma healing ministry program showed enhanced emotional well-being and a significant decrease in the negative consequences of trauma, a recent study by the American Bible Society and Baylor University revealed. [More]

Accenture conducted a global survey of 6,000 employees with disabilities, 1,748 executives (of whom 675 have disabilities) and completed 50 video interviews. Their report (Getting to Equal 2020: Disability Inclusion research) shows that most persons with disabilities feel shut out in the workplace at some point in their careers. Employees with disabilities are 27% less likely to feel “included” in the workplace and 60% more likely to feel “excluded,” compared with the average. [More]

A recent article on APA PsycNet examined how we regulate stress responses. The authors found that “ altering second-level valuation systems—shifting the valuation of stress from “is bad for me” to “can be good for me”—fundamentally changes the overarching goal of stress regulation from reducing stress to optimizing stress responses to achieve valued goals.” However, we live in a culture that tends to view all stress as negative. Can we change the narrative about stress? [More]

Recent research found that “Leisure reading is associated with several important educational and cognitive benefits, and yet fewer and fewer young adults are reading in their free time.” Even though reading has declined for some age groups, mental health providers still practice bibliotherapy, using books as part of therapy to treat psychological disorders. Several experts shared their perspective on the benefits of this practice. [More]

A study by the Medical Journal of Australia found that wearing pajamas when working from home may lead to poorer mental health. Researchers reported that “more participants who wore pyjamas during the day at least one day a week reported that their mental health had declined while working from home.” [More]

A recent study found that BPD diagnosis was higher for the LGB community than heterosexual individuals. “Health care professionals evaluating patients for factors linked to BPD might ignore environmental stressors that LGB persons face or be unable to competently assess the extent to which the behaviors signify BPD or normative reactions to stress.” [More]

Medical providers are referring primary care patients to non-medical sources of support, often for mental health. “One of the popular activities in pilot studies is suggesting patients engage in activities that support the uptake of new hobbies. These activities relate to other leisure activities such as volunteering in that they provide distraction, novelty, cognitive stimulation, belongingness as well as enhancing coping skills and agency and (when engaged in as part of a group) provide social support.” [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]

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]

One-third of people working from home during COVID-19 are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of an Aetna survey with 4,000 people. Three-quarters of employees surveyed feel their decline in mental health impacted their productivity. [More]