Schoolchildren in Northern Ireland

The Belfast Telegraph reports, “More than one in ten of Northern Ireland’s schoolchildren are suffering from serious mental health problems including anorexia, bulimia, self-harming tendencies and depression – and teachers cannot cope.”

The Ulster Teachers’ Union says these children “need much more support than they are currently receiving.”  All post-primary schools have access to counseling, but this has not yet been extended to the primary sector.

“The UK’s Mental Health Foundation says around 7% of pre-school children are living with a severe mental health problem and 12% of five to 16-year-olds have problems severe enough to need help.”  The Bamford Report estimates 45,000 local children and adolescents have a moderate to severe mental health disorder.

A former teacher says, “These statistics highlight the extent of the problem facing our young people and the need for sustained action by all of us – not just government, but society in general. Children are all our responsibility.”

Original Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/12-of-northern-ireland-pupils-have-mental-health-issues-14139273.html

Linking Emotional and Physical Health

IndianExpress.com reminds us that “poor emotional health can actually weaken the body’s immune system, making you vulnerable to a host of infections.”

A writer asks, “How many of us actually notice that we tend to be more prone to catching cold when emotionally stressed?”

According to the article, a recent (unnamed) report “indicates that people who are depressed tend to be more prone to fractures. Evidently, bone health also depends on mental health.”

The point is: emotional health is important for physical health.

Original Source: indianexpress.com/news/bodymind-link-too-strong/411629/

Teaching Teachers About Emotional Health

Under the headline, “CSI paying more attention to emotional health of students,” KMVT Channel 11 in Southern Idaho reports that “officials at the College of Southern Idaho [have] brought in professionals to teach faculty members the signs of depression, anxiety, trauma, and other disorders.”

A workshop instructor says, “most of us don’t know how to identify them or recognize [when] something is wrong.”

According to the news report, “40 percent of college students will become so depressed at one time or another during the four years they work towards their degree, that many may have trouble functioning.”  What’s more, “officials say 60 percent of students with mental illnesses are not treated.”

Original Source: kmvt.com/news/local/37680389.html

Do you know how to recognize depression, anxiety, and other disorders?

Give an Hour – Free Services

“Give an Hour” is a non-profit organization providing free mental/emotional health services to U.S. military personnel and families affected by the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

As part of its stated mission “to develop national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society…, Give an Hour is asking mental health professionals nationwide to literally give an hour of their time each week to provide free mental health services to military personnel and their families.”

“According to a RAND report released in April 2008, over 18 percent of troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan–nearly 300,000 troops–have symptoms of post-traumatic stress or major depression… RAND also reports that only 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought help over the past year.”

“A major barrier preventing military personnel from seeking appropriate treatment is the perception of stigma associated with treatment. Many fear that seeking mental health services will jeopardize their career or standing. Others are reluctant to expose their vulnerabilities to providers who are often military personnel themselves, given the military culture’s emphasis on strength, confidence, and bravery. Servicemen and servicewomen might be more inclined to seek help if they know that the services provided are completely independent of the military. By providing services that are separate from the military establishment, we offer an essential option for men and women who might otherwise fail to seek or receive appropriate services.”

Plus, “let us not forget: millions of Americans belong to the families of these servicemen and servicewomen. Spouses, children, parents, siblings, and unmarried partners of military personnel are all being adversely affected by the stress and strain of the current military campaign.”

In addition to military personnel, Give an Hour provides “services to parents, siblings, and unmarried partners who are not entitled to receive mental health benefits through the military.”

Give an Hour’s “goal is to provide easy access to skilled professionals for all of the people affected by the current wars. Participating mental health professionals offer a wide range of services including individual, marital, and family therapy; substance abuse counseling; treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder; and counseling for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.”

Give an Hour has been endorsed by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Source and to learn more:  http://www.giveanhour.org/

The Road to Resilience

How do people deal with difficult events that change their lives? How have you dealt with the most trying circumstances in your life?

The death of a loved one, loss of a job, serious injury or illness, being victimized by violence and other traumatic events are some of life’s most challenging experiences. Many people react with a flood of strong emotions and feelings of uncertainty.

Yet, over time, people are generally able to adapt well to life-changing situations and stressful conditions. What enables them to do so? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the answer is resilience, an ongoing process that requires time and effort and engages people in taking a number of steps forward.

To learn more, download a seven page brochure, “The Road to Resilience” (3.5 MB, .pdf), from the APA and the Discovery Health Channel. This colorful brochure includes a series of questions to ask yourself and describes ten ways to build emotional resilience.

Original Source: apahelpcenter.org/dl/the_road_to_resilience.pdf

Types of Emotional Healthcare Professionals

Here are basic descriptions for four types of emotional healthcare professionals.

1) Psychologists have a doctorate degree (Ph.D, Psy.D, or Ed.D.) with a specialty in psychology. They attend college for approximately eight years of training and education.  In addition to providing therapy and counseling, psychologists are mental health professionals who specialize in the administration of psychological tests and assessments and carry out psychological research.

2) Psychiatrists are medical doctors. They attend medical school and complete a three to five year psychiatric residency. They are trained to assess the need for, and are able to prescribe, medication.  They are sometimes trained as surgeons.

3) Social Workers have a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare (MSW) which requires four years of education and training in human behavior, social support systems, and organizational, community and political social services. Often, they are public advocates.

In order to practice private therapy, Social Workers are required to be directly supervised by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for approximately seven years and pass a state administered test to become an LCSW.

4) Counselors who have earned a Master’s Degree with specialized training in particular areas include Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT).

Read more at “SoYouWanna choose a therapist”:

http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/therapist/therapist2.html

Questions About Counseling?

The American Counseling Association offers answers to eight common questions about counseling:

1 – When should you seek counseling?
2 – What is professional counseling?
3 – Who are professional counselors?
4 – Will my health insurance cover counseling?
5 – How much does counseling cost?
6 – How long does counseling take?
7 – Is everything I say confidential?
8 – How do I find a counselor?

Answers were originally posted to: www.counseling.org/Home/Faq.aspx

Counseling vs Prison

The Associated Press reports, “State budget cuts are forcing some of the nation’s youngest criminals out of counseling programs and group homes and into juvenile prisons in what critics contend is a shortsighted move that will eventually lead to more crime and higher costs.”

Original Source: foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2008Dec26/0,4675,MeltdownJuvenileJustice,00.html

What’s more beneficial to young people and society at large – counseling programs and group homes or prison?

How and where are young people more likely to learn socially beneficial life skills and develop an improved ability to make socially beneficial life decisions – in counseling programs and group homes or in prison?

The Look On Your Face

Carroll Izard, University of Delaware Distinguished Professor of Psychology, has received a $2.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for work on an intervention program to help save children from lifelong emotional problems.

The project includes over 250 children in Head Start’s preschool program in Wilmington. Most of the children, ages 3 to 5, are minorities living in low-income households. Izard believes stresses associated with living in tough neighborhoods can lead children to become aggressive or depressed because they do not learn to read facial expressions.

“If they can’t read the angry face, they might get into a scrap,” Izard said. If aggression becomes a pattern, it can develop into a conduct disorder that is very difficult to cure.

Izard’s intervention program includes hand puppets and kid-friendly pictures that show what it looks like when someone is happy, sad, angry, and a range of other emotions. The next stage involves teaching parents how to reinforce the lessons at home.

Source: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2009/dec/izard120908.html

Emotions are Socially Contagious

In a study published online (December 4) by the British Medical Journal, scientists from Harvard University and UC San Diego indicate that happiness spreads through social networks of family, friends and neighbors – even three degrees removed.

The scientists, who examined the relationships of 4,739 people for a period of twenty years (1983 – 2003), concluded that happiness is like a contagious disease.

Co-author, James H. Fowler, an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego is quoted in one report as saying, “If your friend’s friend’s friend becomes happy, that has a bigger impact on you being happy than putting an extra $5,000 in your pocket.”

Fowler added that he feels “so much more responsible [now] that I know that if I come home in a bad mood I’m not only affecting my wife and son, but my son’s best friend or my wife’s mother.”  As a result, he now intentionally listens to his favorite song while on his way home from work.

Author your happiness and share it with others.

Study Source: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/dec04_2/a2338