November 4th, 2019
By Eileen Weber
Puerto Ricans experience higher rates of depression and anxiety on the U.S. mainland than when at home. After nearly 20 years of research and about 2,000 people interviewed, the Boricua Youth Study discovered that fact. The study compared kids ages five to 13 as they transitioned to early adulthood from 15 to 29 under similar conditions of income and exposure to violence in both Puerto Rico and the South Bronx, a region with one of the highest Puerto Rican populations on the U.S. mainland. Research focused on four categories that influence mental health: environmental/social factors, cultural and minority stress, parent/peer [More]
Tags: depression, anxiety, violence, research, Puerto Ricans, United States, interviews, poverty, tight-knit community
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October 9th, 2019
By Phyllis Hanlon
The benefits of engaging in outdoor activities have been well documented. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that play in an outdoor environment enables children “…to explore both their world and their own minds.” AAP adds that outdoor activity can enhance “…creativity, curiosity and associated developmental advances.” Some residential schools are embracing this message and offer a variety of adventure and wilderness programs for children with behavioral issues. The residential program at Mountain Valley Treatment Center in Plainfield, New Hampshire, accepts children with a variety of diagnoses, from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression to autism, eating disorders, and [More]
Tags: therapy, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, adventure programs, confronting fears, Mountain Valley Treatment Center, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, executive functioning difficulties
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August 26th, 2019
By Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D.
When I was newly licensed and newly in private practice, a patient told me at intake he had to have therapy before he could be granted visits with his young daughter. He seemed heartsick that he couldn’t see her. He said he wanted to be a good dad. He wanted to pay for her braces. They always had good times together. Concerned about what I was getting into, I asked him why he had been referred. He reluctantly admitted that he had been addicted to crack cocaine but also claimed that he was in recovery and his daughter was more [More]
Tags: ADHD, Marijuana, anxiety, substance abuse, dual diagsnosis, mental disorders, opioids, two diagnoses
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July 5th, 2019
By Phyllis Hanlon
Statistics show that women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and several types of anxiety; females are also approximately nine times more likely to have eating disorders than males. But women may present with complexities that require therapy from psychologists who specialize in treating this population. Wendy F. Habelow, Ph.D, owner of Beacon Behavioral Services, LLC in West Hartford, Connecticut, certified mediator and collaborative divorce coach, said that only a woman can truly understand what other women are experiencing. Embracing a feminist perspective on life and in therapy, she believes there is “personal and professional value in [More]
Tags: therapy, depression, anxiety, support, eating disorders, emotional health, women's health, feminist perspective, empowering women, medication
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May 28th, 2019
By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS
One of the worst parts about struggling with mental illness is the loneliness. You feel like you’re the only person on the planet to suffer with these symptoms or stressors. You feel like you’re abnormal, inherently wrong, or “other.” So, when someone truly listens to you, cares, and says “me, too,” it can be transformative. People who have felt alone their entire lives can find connection and purpose, said Peter Starkey, executive director of the Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency (MPS) in Keene, New Hampshire. MPS is one of 10 agencies of this type across the state. Staff was involved [More]
Tags: trauma, mental illness, New Hampshire, depression, anxiety, empathy, MPS, Peer Support Agency, learning environment, bipolar disorder, hearing voices, identity, survivors of suicide, jail support group
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March 25th, 2019
By Susan Gonsalves
Generation Z, individuals ages 15 to 21, feel stressed out about ripped-from-the- headlines topics like school and mass shootings, sexual assault, and immigration according to the annual Stress in America™ survey by the American Psychological Association. The Harris Poll was conducted last summer online among 3,458 adults and 300 15 to 17-year-olds in all 50 states. Although 75 percent of Gen Z members found mass shootings `significantly’ stressful and 72 percent felt that way about school shootings, those kids of voting age were least likely to vote at 54 percent. The overall average had seven in 10 adults expecting to [More]
Tags: Mental health, school shooting, anxiety, Generation Z, stress, Stress in America survey, migrant families
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March 25th, 2019
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
In the depths of winter and longing for spring, I am finding reminders everywhere of how much our lives are consumed by waiting. In the hospital, patients wait to be examined, to be found competent to stand trial, not criminally responsible for the actions that led to their confinement, for the voices to stop, to be allowed to go home. Mothers wait for their babies to be born and people everywhere wait for the results of lab tests, CT scans, and biopsies that will unlock the mysteries of health and illness and give them a glimpse of the future. Every [More]
Tags: anxiety, waiting, uncertainty, optimism, rumination, tolerable
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March 11th, 2019
By New England Psychologist Staff
First responders to emergencies have a heavy burden to bear and often do not ask for emotional support. Massachusetts recently passed a law specifically to help this population. Senator Michael Moore (D-Second Worcester District) was instrumental in passing legislation for mental health services for first responders. It highlights the mental trauma related to specific events on the job. The bill went into effect on January 16 and applies to firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. “When you respond to a fire or a baby dies and you’re trying to save them,” he explained. “I don’t know how you wouldn’t take [More]
Tags: PTSD, depression, police officers, legislation, anxiety, substance abuse, mental health support, first responders, emotional support, paramedics, firefighters
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October 3rd, 2018
By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS
Most people have heard of equine therapy, but the term asinotherapy probably would draw many blank stares. Originally developed in Germany, this lesser-known therapy is actually a successful program that uses miniature donkeys. Since 2009, it’s been an integral part of Latham Centers, a residential care, education, and treatment center for children and adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome on Cape Cod. Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder that affects one in 12,000 to 15,000 births. It is characterized by an insatiable appetite, developmental disabilities, skin picking, and emotional and behavioral problems. “PWS is a spectrum disorder,” said Patrice Carroll, [More]
Tags: anxiety, Prader-Willi Syndrome, asinotherapy, donkey therapy, insatiable appetite, developmental disabilities, skin picking, emotional problems, behavioral problems
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April 9th, 2018
By Phyllis Hanlon
The recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida rocked the country and launched calls for stricter gun laws and better security measures in the nation’s schools. While such events are rare, all schools experience their share of crises on a smaller scale that challenge students’ well-being. To address a spectrum of situations, schools should implement a comprehensive plan that engages students, teachers and parents, and creates an environment of trust in partnership with community agencies. Arlene Silva, Ph.D, NCSP, chair in the school psychology department at William James College, emphasized that proactive measures are the best practice. “Number one is preparation,” [More]
Tags: children, adolescents, Parkland shooting, school shooting, concerned children, anxiety, coping, emotional concerns, student support, psychological skills
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