Mental Health
Mental Health
Everyone feels worried or anxious or down from time to time. But relatively few people develop a mental illness. What's the difference? A mental illness is a mental health condition that gets in the way of thinking, relating to others, and day-to-day function.
Dozens of mental illnesses have been identified and defined. They include depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and many more.
Mental illness is an equal opportunity issue. It affects young and old, male and female, and individuals of every race, ethnic background, education level, and income level. The good news is that it can often be treated.
Signs and symptoms of mental illness depend in part on the illness. Common symptoms include
In some people, symptoms of a mental illness first appear as physical problems such as stomach aches, back pain, or insomnia.
Individuals with a mental illness can often ease their symptoms and feel better by talking with a therapist and following a treatment plan that may or may not include medication.
COPING WITH DEPRESSION
In the early months of 2020, the world was in the throes of the pandemic. At that time, the number of adults with depression in the United States tripled—jumping from 8.5% pre-pandemic to 27.8% during the height of the coronavirus.?New research from Boston University?School of Public Health reports that the elevated rate of depression has persisted into 2021, and even worsened. Today 1 in every 3 American adults—or 32.8%—is impacted by depression.
The Impact of Stress
Suicide?is still a major issue, especially for adults over 45.?Anxiety and depression?affect all parts of our lives:?sleep,?work, and home life.
领英推荐
COVID-19: The Intersection of Physical and Mental Health
As the pandemic and related iterations of the virus continue to ravage communities far and wide, it's impossible to deny the?impact of COVID-19 on suicide rates, Many have found the information they need to address their lingering stress and?post-vaccination anxiety?on?Psycom?as well.
Mental Health: Finally Having a Moment
When treatment news makes news, we’re on it.?Psycom?has explored controversial new treatments like?psychedelic-toad medicine?(aka bufo alvarius) through the lens of a practitioner?and?a psychiatrist.
We don't shy away from challenging the norms. In?How to Respond to "Are You Okay?" When You're Not Okay?a therapist explains why we often pretend we're okay when we're actually crumbling inside.
Psycom's?friendly voice can be lighthearted, too.?9 Memes That Explain Bipolar?looks at how a serious mental illness can be treated on social media. The slideshow debunks bad information and persistent yet unfair myths.
The last?25?have seen treatment advances and the normalization of mental health struggles but we've still got a way to go. Here's to hoping the next quarter-century will give us a world where mental health really does come first, and?everyone?receives effective treatment when they need it.
Content That Makes You Think
Psycom?works hard to be part of the cultural conversation. Here's a look at our intellectual side.
In 2019,?Psycom?received a Digital Media Award (gold) for?Inside America’s Psychiatrist Shortage, a special report, and in 2021 a silver for?Why Aren’t We Talking About Schizophrenia in Black People??a collection of articles exploring mental health and people of color.
In an attempt to explain the good, the bad, and the broken, our three-part series on the mental health care system—or lack of it ran throughout 2021. You can read it all here:
It's impossible to know what the future holds but rest assured?Psycom?will be along for the ride—reporting on the good news and the bad and providing you with the information you need to keep your brain healthy.