News

In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) is pleased to announce the launch of the OVMA Resiliency Program (ORP) in partnership with Falk College and Hendricks Chapel. The ORP is an innovative wellness program tailored to meet the unique needs of veterans pursuing higher education and aims to enhance the overall well-being of veteran and military-connected students throughout their academic journey.

According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report earlier this year, almost 70% of student veterans who are patients in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals received services for mental health care, compared to just 40% of all other veterans who received mental health care from the VA. Aside from seeking services to address concerns regarding post-traumatic stress disorder, the report shows a rising trend over a six-year period of student veterans seeking out care for depression and anxiety-related disorders more than their non-student veteran peers.

The program will officially launch on Aug. 26, the first day of classes for the fall 2024 semester, with more details to come later this summer on how to access the program. Aside from standing as a beacon for the University’s resolve to create an inclusive and supportive environment for student veterans, the ORP will support military-connected students with concierge-style support to help them thrive academically during their transition to post-service life.

Read more at News.Syr.edu.

A recently published study led by Dr. Peter Schofield found that refugees living in a neighborhood with a higher proportion of co-nationals were less likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study is published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Refugees are at an elevated risk of some mental disorders with studies highlighting the contributing role of post-migration factors. Studies of migrant groups show neighborhood social composition, such as ethnic density, to be an important factor. However, despite the potential relevance of social composition, only one neighborhood ethnic density study to date has looked specifically at refugees.

The researchers examined three aspects of neighborhood social composition, including the proportion of co-nationals, refugees and first-generation migrants. This was then compared with data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, including all psychiatric in-patient admissions and, since 1995, all out-patient visits.

“In our study we look at the type of places where refugees end up living and how this can influence their mental health. We found that refugees in neighborhoods with more people from their own country were noticeably less likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was noticeable that simply living in an area with other migrants made little difference,” said Dr. Schofield.

Read more at MedicalXpress.com.

Since 2023, a Burges High School student has set up a listening table in the school’s courtyard every Friday during lunch to invite his fellow students to talk with him about anything. He simply listens without judgment and doesn’t offer advice.

Ortega was inspired by the Listening Table movement founded by Orly Israel, who became an internet sensation through his Instagram account @Orlyslisteningtable, which has 154,000 followers. Ortega said before beginning his table, he reached out to Israel.

“I saw his reels on Instagram, and I was like I want do my own,” Ortega said. “I texted him and he said he wanted to spread the listening tables around the country, and I was like down to help you with that mission.”

The staff at Burges helped Ortega follow his mission by lending him the table and chairs and providing materials for posters. Student Activity Manager Ruth Bohlin said that Ortega’s passion for the project was a key reason the school approved it.

While wrapping up his sophomore year, Ortega is looking toward the future and plans to keep his table when he goes to college. He is also currently training his younger sister to take over the Burges table when she starts high school.

Read more at Borderzine.com.

Mental health conditions can affect anyone regardless of race and ethnicity, yet according Health data collected by the KFF organization in 2023 found that among adults with any mental illness, Black (39%), Hispanic (36%), and Asian (25%) adults were less likely than White (52%) adults to receive mental health services. 

The African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities are among the groups least likely to seek mental health services, whether due to socioeconomic status, inaccessible healthcare, or cultural stigmas.  

Acknowledging minority mental health is crucial in addressing the unique challenges faced by diverse communities.

Navigating barriers to mental health resources has historically been challenging for certain minority groups. However, Freeman says hope is on the horizon as resources become more widely available and future generations are beginning to break down cultural and generational stigmas surrounding mental health. 

Read more at News.LLU.edu.

Growing up in Santa Clarita, Ellie Magsaysay was one of the few Asian American kids in her neighborhood, and certainly one of the few Filipino Americans. Some people seemed confused by her background, she said, and assumed she wasn’t Asian.

It’s affected her sense of identity and, at times, her self-esteem. Was being Filipina or having darker skin, she wondered, why boys didn’t seem interested?

Over a couple of weeks during the summer, a dozen people met regularly In Historic Filipinotown in a light-filled multipurpose room at Search To Involve Pilipino Americans, which developed the program.

A handful of college-age facilitators trained by the community organization taught eight teenage students about signs of depression and anxiety — and ways to cope through journaling and breathing exercises.

But just as Asian Americans are incredibly diverse, so are the mental health needs of different ethnicities. The facilitators made sure to discuss issues familiar to the Filipino diaspora such as colorism and cultural expectations. One exercise had the teens thinking up of comebacks to harmful statements like “I can only be a nurse to be successful.”

The organization, which offers youth leadership training and afterschool programs among its services, created Walang Hiya to help teens who may be struggling with the stress of being bicultural. Three years into running the program and refining it with tweaks, the group hopes to share the curriculum with more Filipino American communities outside of Historic Filipinotown.

Read more LAist.com.

There are 1.5 million LGB adults age 65 and older in the U.S. For all seniors, aging poses many mental health issues — but for these LGB as well as trans and gender-nonconforming elders, mental health is an even more pressing matter.

Due to a lifetime of discrimination, LGBTQ elders are more likely than their straight cis peers to lack proper community support, adequate health care, and financial security, thus putting them at higher risk for mental health issues, according to a report from SAGE. LGBTQ seniors are at higher risk of being diagnosed with depression and anxiety and experiencing social isolation. Thirty-nine percent of LGBTQ elders have experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime, and 31 percent have symptoms of depression — two to three times higher than the general older adult population in the U.S. These stats are higher for transgender elders: 48 percent have experienced symptoms of depression and 71 percent reported a history of suicidal ideation.

SAGE combats these unique mental health stressors by offering LGBTQ seniors resources to help them find reliable housing and financial support. They also recently launched HearMe, an app dedicated to connecting seniors with somebody to listen.

Read more at TheGAVoice.com.