The loneliest generation: Inside the Gen Z mental health crisis
Since I can't keep the dates straight. Gen Z’s were born between 1997-2012. iPhone and 9/11 among many historical moments for them. Me too. They are an exceptionally diverse cohort with 50% being racial and ethnic minorities. 1 in 4 identify as hispanic.
The data in this piece is telling. They perceive the worlkd as more dangerous than older counterparts, extreme weather, active shooter drills, and deeply anxious about employment, and housing. The good news is they are active in politics and social causes.
From my work as a crisis counselor they have no problem speaking and expressing themselves. I will say some of the most deeply aware and insightful folks I've spoken with.
How Arizona’s crisis response network became a model for mental health hotlines
"Since the launch of 988 — that's the three-digit dialing code for the national suicide and crisis lifeline — millions of people have made contact with crisis counselors. Call volume has jumped 40 percent compared to when the hot line was a 1-800 number.
But the supports and services available after someone calls 988 largely depend on the state where one lives."
Read how Arizona created a different model and how it works. A great read.
How Neuroimaging Could Change Mental Health Care
In general we do not look at the brain when we make mental health diagnosis. Clinicians rely on the Manual of Mental Disorder to match what fits best with the patient based on symptoms and behavior
New work is being done using MRI to help diagnose conditions and validate treatment.
"One randomized study of 14 participants reported that 70% of patients with panic disorder showed visible healing in their brains after four therapy sessions, compared to 7% in the control group. Comparably, a randomized study of 59 patients found that those who received therapy for depression had increased amounts of gray matter in the cortex compared to those who did not receive therapy."
The Ugly Stain of Ageism on Smart Home Technology
I'm an old fuck so this caught my attention because of what it showed technology companies saying when marketing these products to the elderly. The technology creates infantilization and a lack of choice for the elderly.
Mental health seen as a top health threat in Axios-Ipsos poll
"Overall, 17% said mental health was the top threat to public health, while 19% said obesity, 24% said opioids and fentanyl, and 15% said it was access to guns."
The data is well presented and telling. Here is one gem "84% support the government more aggressively wielding anti-monopoly powers to prevent pharmaceutical companies getting too large or dominant, including 55% who strongly support that." Yes indeed
AI Is Turning Social Media Into the Next Frontier for Suicide Prevention
As a crisis counselor I'm active in suicide prevention as well as speaking on the crisis of suicide and prevention. I've read a great deal about how social media is a driver of teen suicides and other mental health crisis's. So this headline was a head scratcher.
Researchers believe there is promise in going to the source (users of SM) to detect those in distress in real-time. Yet there is doubt about its effectiveness.
"Predicting who is likely to attempt suicide is difficult even for the most highly trained human experts, says Dr. Jordan Smoller, co-director of Mass General Brigham and Harvard University’s Center for Suicide Research and Prevention. There are risk factors that clinicians know to look for in their patients—certain psychiatric diagnoses, going through a traumatic event, losing a loved one to suicide—but suicide is “very complex and heterogeneous,” Smoller says. “There’s a lot of variability in what leads up to self-harm,” and there’s almost never a single trigger."
I agree with that from my experience speaking to those considering suicide. There is no single trigger. It can take a lot of talk and listening to help that individual find the calm to be safe.
This is a good review and well balanced and my wish is that it proves effective.
A Beginner’s Guide to Trauma Responses
Just an excellent guide to trauma and how to respond. I learned so much that will help me when I am doing my volunteer crisis counseling. Excellent tips here. Excellent
"Traumatic experiences are unique and individual,” says Mauro. Nonetheless, many psychologists consider it helpful to think about trauma responses as falling into general categories that correspond with basic survival strategies found throughout the animal kingdom: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Here are some uniquely human ways this self-protection impulse might manifest. You might have behaviors from several categories depending on the situation or respond in your own unique ways."
Psychological Issues in Palliative Care: Elissa Kozlov and Des Azizoddin
I've written about Donna and how when her third treatment for cancer was not effective and her plural cavity was filling with fluid that needed to be drained she entered the hospital for treatment.
The staff was unable to drain the plural cavity. The fluid kept returning. Her oncologist set up a meeting with Donna and I and the palliative care team. I saw her reaction to hearing about palliative care. I saw the moment she surrendered to the reality of her terminal diagnosis. For in her mind palliative care was equal to death. A few days later she was moved to in patient hospice and died 21 days later.
My experience for those 21 days with the palliative care team was meaningful. They were there for Donna and me. They supported us when we felt all was lost.
Training Bartenders, Barbers and Divorce Attorneys as Counselors Could Reduce Gun Suicides
A brilliant idea and one that can yield positive outcomes for gun deaths and suicide. In my crisis counseling work I've spoken with many who are in throws of suicidal ideation and have guns present. On a few occasions I've been able to have these individuals find a safe way to separate from the means. They offered to give the guns to a trusted family member. This program achieves the same at the community level.
"Project Safe Guard is about training not only clinicians but also community members to talk with firearm owners about the ways they can store their firearms securely and the circumstances in which they should consider doing so. The idea behind it is to make the environment safer so that when someone is in a difficult place, they're less likely to have click-and-ready access to their firearms."