Tag: mental health
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Self-Harm and Social Contagion in Adolescents
Self-harm, defined as the “deliberate destruction or alteration of one’s body tissues without suicidal intent” (p. 2), is strongly associated with suicide in research findings. “Explicit depictions of self-harm are now easily accessible via popular content-sharing platforms such as Instagram and Youtube” (p. 2) lending itself to possible social contagion effects. What are the connections…
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Can a Positive Mindset Be Toxic?
Tragedy is a part of human existence, and no one completely escapes it. We may experience physical, mental, and psychological damage as a result of our own or others’ actions. We may develop diseases and illnesses that are short- or long-term, treatable or untreatable. Built in to our genetic code is the desire to seek…
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Over-Prescribed or Under-Diagnosed?
Psychotropic Medications for Children Psychotropic medications, which can alter mood, perception, cognition, and behavior, have become a commonplace treatment for psychiatric disorders, eclipsing even the use of psychotherapy as a preferred treatment.[1] Children ages 0-18 also receive psychotropic meds to treat a variety of disorders including ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression, psychosis and other disorders. Applying psychopharmacology…
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Elevating Child and Adolescent Mental Well-Being Through Movement
Connections between exercise and healthy psychological functioning are abundant in research on adults and the elderly. As a lifestyle choice, people who choose to exercise can’t go wrong! There is accumulating evidence that exercise can be equally beneficial for adolescents with mental disorders such as depression. What about the role of exercise in promoting overall…
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The Happy Family Blueprint: Training for Bliss
Books, documentaries, websites, even a scholarly journal (“The Journal of Happiness Studies”) are tackling the seemingly elusive construct of happiness and proposing ways that people can get more of it in their lives. The study of happiness is an outgrowth of the field of positive psychology, founded by Martin Seligman. Positive psychology represents an important…
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Mindfulness and Problematic Social Media Use: Are They Connected?
From its origins in Hinduism, Buddhism, and yoga, mindfulness has hit the mainstream and is now the subject of intense psychological research. Mindfulness meditation training, a big business, caters to people seeking to counteract the numerous distractions of modern-day life. Mindfulness describes a person’s ability to focus on the present. It differs from other types…