Patrick Kennedy shines light on mental health, addiction

Patrick Kennedy shines light on mental health, addiction

The former lawmaker from Rhode Island sees a role for public policy in battling these problems.

By DAVID COHEN – 05/26/2024 05:33 PM EDT

Kennedy’s new book, written with Stephen Fried, is “Profiles in Mental Health Courage,” a title that plays off President John F. Kennedy’s best-selling 1956 book “Profiles in Courage,” which focused on gallant senators from John Quincy Adams to Robert Taft.

Patrick Kennedy’s book spotlights people trying to confront a range of personal challenges, as well as those around them.

“Often, in these narratives, we focus on the first person memoir, but we lose sight of all the other people who are affected by their illness,” he told host Dana Bash. “And I think that was the consistent theme throughout the book is, we really interviewed all the family members and co-workers, colleagues, because we really don’t have an appreciation for how this illness, which we say is one in four, is really one in one, because it affects everyone around the person who’s suffering.”

Kennedy saw a role for public policy in battling these problems. He lamented that multiple industries have seemingly been given permission to benefit from addiction, including social media.

“As a nation, the adults are letting the next generation down, because here we are having addiction-for-profit industries,” he said. “And it doesn’t just end with social media. Every other ad is from sports betting, and gambling is a major mental health problem. And it’s only going to increase because, like we learned with big tobacco, these companies that make money make money off of getting new subscribers, new people to smoke cigarettes…”

The son of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) added: “Democrats used to be on the side of taking on corporate, big addiction-for-profit companies. And, unfortunately, I think we’re letting down our next generation by letting that all happen.”

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/26/kennedy-addiction-mental-health-00160036

Ahead – Duolingo for emotional intelligence

Ahead is an iOS app built by behavior change experts.

Ahead is described as a “personalized pocket coach that provides bite-sized, science-driven tools to boost emotional intelligence. Think of it as a pocket cheerleader towards a better, more fulfilling, clearer-minded way of life.”

Here are excerpts from the associated website:

1) The journey of change may be long, but our sessions are quick. We get to the point and tell you what you want to know.

2) We help you take concrete small steps towards your goals. Learning just a bit, then immediately springing into action.

3) By managing your goals in a realistic way, we help you avoid tackling too much at once.

4) Effective, memorable exercises (jazzed with a healthy dose of humor) will help you stick to your goals.

A recent blog entry in the website is entitled, “Debunking the Myth: Anger Control Classes Benefit Everyone.”

See: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ahead-emotions-coach/id1570430177

Website: https://www.ahead-app.com/

We All Have Mental Health

“We All Have Mental Health” is a 5-minute animation designed to give young people aged 11-14 a common language and understanding of what we mean by mental health and how we can look after it.

For more information, a behind the scenes video, and to download the free, accompanying teacher toolkit:

https://www.annafreud.org/resources/schools-and-colleges/we-all-have-mental-health-animation-and-teacher-toolkit/

Anna Freud is a world-leading mental health charity for children and families that’s been supporting children and young people’s mental health for over 70 years, combining science with lived experience to changes lives.

How to Deal with Your Emotions

How to deal with your emotions and stop passing them to others

Cassandra Worthy, the author of Change Enthusiasm: How to Harness the Power of Emotion for Leadership and Success, believes emotions can have a uniquely strong influence on our personal and professional lives.

According to Worthy, emotions don’t turn off when we walk into a business setting or turn on our laptops, and we can catch the emotions of those around us, both positive and negative. This phenomenon is called emotional contagion, and it can have a significant impact on our mood and productivity.

Worthy suggests that suppressing emotions can lead to physical ailments and that it’s important to acknowledge and transform them instead of ignoring them. Emotions can be transferred, transformed, or conserved, and by becoming more self-aware of our emotions, we can transform negative thoughts into positive ones. This transformation can help us reach our goals and fuel our personal evolution.

Cassandra Worthy’s practical yet inspiring strategies can inspire anyone to authentically embrace change and find their own unique power of resilience during turbulent times. Using insights gleaned from her life and clients, as well as the tools and exercises she has refined over the years, Cassandra Worthy has written the playbook for anyone leading, influencing, going through, or embarking upon change.

For more about Cassandra Worthy, see: https://cassandraworthy.com/

Ad Council Initiative re: Mental Health Crisis

The Ad Council launched a $65 million multiyear initiative to address the mental health crisis in the U.S.

The new effort will unite brands, marketers, media companies and nonprofits. The initiative encompasses current campaigns below and new efforts to meet the needs of multiple audiences.

The Huntsman Mental Health Institute made a $15 million contribution to the initiative. In 2019, the Huntsman family made a donation of $150 million to create the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to the Ad Council:

4 IN 10 ADULTS: Reported anxiety and/or depression symptoms in 2021, a fourfold increase from 2019. Black and Latina communities report even higher at 48% and 46%, respectively.

56% OF YOUNG ADULTS: Reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder during the pandemic.

95% OF EMPLOYEES: Take time off due to mental health issues but cite another reason.

Sound It Out uses the power of music to help parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations with their middle schoolers about emotional wellbeing. The album is available at SoundItOutTogether.org and EscuchandoSentimientos.org, where caregivers can also access free, expert-vetted resources to guide conversations with their child about emotional wellbeing.

Learn about emotional wellbeing: https://sounditouttogether.org/emotional-wellbeing

Guide to conversations: https://sounditouttogether.org/prepare-for-conversation

Common emotions and topics: https://sounditouttogether.org/select-an-emotion-or-topic

10,000 Mental Health Apps – Effective?

Mental health apps have become so popular in the last few years that there are now more than 10,000 mental health apps available that generated nearly $500 million in spending last year.

How effective are mental health apps?

Researchers at the University of New England reviewed five different mental health apps to gauge their effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms.

Article: https://scrippsnews.com/stories/how-effective-are-mental-health-apps/

“Calm” is a smartphone app for sleep, meditation and relaxation with over 100 million downloads and over 1.5M+ 5-star reviews.

See: https://calm.com/

BetterHelp, an online counseling service, offers access to licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists (PhD / PsyD), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW / LMSW), and board licensed professional counselors (LPC).

See: https://www.betterhelp.com/

In 2020, the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry published a study, “Clinical or gimmickal: The use and effectiveness of mobile mental health apps for treating anxiety and depression” by Jamie M Marshall, Debra A Dunstan, and Warren Bartik.

See 9-page report: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0004867419876700

Trauma Professionals – Psychotraumatology

Mike Miller is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with the International Association of Trauma Professionals. He works at the Yatra Centre, Asia’s leading trauma care facility, offering evidence-based trauma therapy to clients with a range of mental health concerns.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.

IFS (Internal Family Systems) is an approach to psychotherapy that identifies and addresses multiple sub-personalities or families within each person’s mental system.

CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy).

Earn a TraumaPro CPT Certification in Psychotraumatology: https://www.iptrauma.org/

National Suicide Prevention Week/Month

Suicide PreventionThe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) recognizes the month of September as National Suicide Prevention Month. National Suicide Prevention Week is the week after Labor Day.

“Suicide prevention is important every day of the year. National Suicide Prevention Month gives us an opportunity to shine a special, encouraging light on this topic that affects us all, and send a clear, hopeful message that help is available, and suicide can be prevented.” – AFSP

• For information about AFSP: https://afsp.org

Message from the USO (United Service Organizations):
USO
“Tragically, suicide rates among active-duty service members and veterans have risen dramatically in recent years. Service members are four times more likely to die by suicide than in conflict. Many of the realities of a service member’s day-to-day life, such as time away from their loved ones, dangerous conditions, an uncertain future, isolation and stress, are factors that we know can contribute to depression and thoughts of suicide.

This is a serious problem and not one that can be easily fixed — but by acknowledging it and continuing to do everything we can to support our service members, we can make a difference. Supporting service members’ mental health is at the heart of everything we do at the USO — from building a community, to showing them they are not alone, to creating programs that help them handle and cope with deployment, PTSD, financial management and other challenges.

Having a safe, supportive environment plays a key role in suicide prevention. USO Centers are strategically located in airports and military installations all around the world to give our service members a welcoming space to use however they’d like — from mentally regrouping to calling loved ones to just being themselves — no matter where their service takes them.

Isolation is known to be a key contributor to depressive and suicidal thoughts. Programs like USO Operation Phone Home® and the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program keep service members connected to their loved ones no matter where they are in the world.

USO Warrior and Family Centers offer therapeutic activities tailored to service members recovering from physical injuries, PTSD and other ailments. Classes in art, music, yoga and cooking have been proven to help service members express themselves and reduce anxiety.

By letting our service members know they have the support and gratitude of the American people, we can help build a stronger sense of community and reduce isolation. Right now, this feels more important than ever.”

• For information about the USO (United Service Organizations): https://www.uso.org

Mental Health Care

In this 25-minute video posted on August 1, 2022, John Oliver, host of the TV program “Last Week Tonight” on the HBO network, discusses problems and issues in our mental health care system with his trademark sense of humor. He talks about apps and hospitals and difficulties finding a (good) therapist… who takes insurance… and is available.

The Lifeline and 988

(July 16, 2022) – 988 is the new phone number for the USA’s Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

     See: https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/

People who call, text, or chat 988 are connected to trained professional counselors who listen, understand, provide support, and connect people to resources.

In addition to reaching the Lifeline using 988, toll-free number 1-800-273-8255 remains available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.

The Lifeline’s network of over 200 crisis centers has been in operation since 2005 and has proven to be effective.

The non-profit administrator of the Lifeline is Vibrant Emotional Health. “For 50 years, Vibrant Emotional Health, formerly the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), has been at the forefront of promoting emotional well-being for all people.”

     See: https://www.vibrant.org/

Created by Vibrant Emotional Health, The Safe Space website offers free resources and tools that provide support in an emotionally safe environment.

     See: https://safespace.vibrant.org/

Vibrant Emotional Health