My Mental Health: Do I Need Help? [downloadable]
First, determine how much your symptoms interfere with your daily life. This fact sheet from the National Institute of Mental Health offers some guidance and next steps. Read more ›
Anxiety & Depression
Children’s Health Council Awarded $2.5 Million to Provide COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis Recovery by Jack Dorsey’s #StartSmall Initiative
Twitter and Square Co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has awarded Children’s Health Council (CHC) $2.5 million to support the Bay Area agency’s COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Initiative to build capacity to respond to the mental health needs of children, teens, young adults and families that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Read more ›
Are the Kids Alright? Teens Speak Out About the Emotional Toll of a Year in Isolation
Nine months into the global pandemic, Riley Capuano told a grid of faces on a Zoom screen why she and her peers needed schools to reopen.
“I’ve never seen this many students struggling with mental health,” the Los Altos High School junior said during a virtual school board meeting on Dec. 14. Read more ›
DBT: One Parent’s Journey
Currently, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the only well-established, evidence-based treatment for self-harming adolescents at high risk for suicide. In this podcast episode, hear one mom’s brave story of helping her teenage daughter through panic attacks, PTSD and self-harming behaviors using DBT skills like mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness and communication, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Read more ›
Computerized Screening May Help Identify Youth at Risk for Suicide
Suicide rates for adolescents have risen over the past two decades. In 2019, nearly 1,600 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 died by suicide. Only about 40% of adolescents who die by suicide have been treated for a mental health concern. To help ensure that at-risk youth receive help, it is important to screen broadly for suicide risk. Read more ›
Dialectical Behavior Therapy — Skills for Taking Control of Your Thoughts, Emotions, and Relationships [web resource]
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) focuses on teaching people strategies to help them live their best and most productive life. DBT is often used to help people with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorders, addictions, eating disorder, and PTSD. Read more ›
The Importance of Practicing ‘Radical Acceptance’
When we try to grasp for “a false sense of control” or fight against situations/emotions that we cannot change, this often leads to suffering. While there are certainly situations or circumstances in life that are within our control, often there are times when we simply are unable to change the reality of a situation. Read more ›
Teens and College Students — Find Help for Anxiety [web resource] [downloadable]
Teens and college students can easily feel anxious trying to juggle school, work, friends, and family while trying to figure out the rest of your life. Most of us bounce back. But frequent, intense, and uncontrollable anxiety that interferes with your daily routines may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Read more ›
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers [downloadable]
High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has developed recommendations for talking about protests, unsettling information and violent events. Read more ›
7 Books To Help Address and Discuss Tough Topics With Kids
2020 was — to borrow a phrase from a popular kid’s book — a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. And for parents, one of the year’s hardest jobs was trying to explain current events to young kids. Read more ›
