While eating disorders can affect people of all ages, teens and young adults are often most susceptible. In addition to biological and psychological risk factors, middle and high school students are highly influenced by peer pressure, the thin ideal set by the media, and the desire to be popular. Read more ›
More people than ever say they’re feeling pressured to look and be the best. It’s taking a toll. Read more ›
According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) annual Stress in America survey, many Americans — both adults and youth — report experiencing significant stress. While some stress is part of everyday life and sometimes helps motivate us to take action, adults can more readily identify feelings and causes of significant stress, and consider ways to manage it. Young people, however, may not recognize signs of stress or know how to respond and cope effectively. Read more ›
Suicide is a difficult topic, but it’s too important to ignore. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Despite a common belief that only teens and adults die by suicide, younger children can also be at risk. Read more ›
Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders. They involve severe problems with your thoughts about food and your eating behaviors. You may eat much less or much more than you need.
Eating disorders are medical conditions; they are not a lifestyle choice. They affect your body’s ability to get proper nutrition. This can lead to health issues, such as heart and kidney problems, or sometimes even death. But there are treatments that can help. Read more ›
More college students are seeking mental health counseling, stressing institutions’ already-strapped services.
Visits to campus counseling centers climbed 30% to 40% between the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2015, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Enrollment, meanwhile, grew just 5% during that time. Read more ›
Regular mental health screenings in primary care and other healthcare settings enables earlier identification of mental health and substance use disorders, which translates into earlier care. Screenings should be provided to people of all ages. Read more ›
Stress and holidays seem to go hand-in-hand. Your busy schedule becomes even busier with preparations and celebrations.
This may be a good time to try to reframe your thinking about the holidays. Instead of dreading the likely stress ahead, you can view the holidays as an opportunity to enhance your psychological well-being. There are a number of helpful steps you can take to lessen holiday stress and feel more optimistic about the season. Read more ›
The amount of time children and teens spend using their devices has become an issue of growing concern, but experts say there is still little evidence as to whether spending time on screens is harmful in itself.
The experts behind the latest study said they wanted to look beyond the time young people were spending on smartphones and instead explore the type of relationship they had with such devices. Read more ›
One minute your teen is laughing and happy and the next they are slamming their bedroom door and seem to be mad at the world. How do you know when your teen is just moody or depressed or even anxious? Attend this parent ed session to learn more about what to look for and how to respond to your teen. Read more ›
