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Mental Health America reports that over 7 million Black people have experienced a mental illness in the past year. And according to a 2022 study from the University of Houston, the highest death rate among Black Americans is between the ages of 25 and 34.

While more are seeking help, negative stigmas remain in the Black community that steers some to avoid it altogether.

“You cannot heal what you don’t reveal,” said Tallahassee marriage and family therapist Jane Marks. “If you cannot put language on a situation, there is no way you’re going to be able to take care of it. We all deserve to be happy.”

Both Black millennials, adults born between 1981-1996, and Gen Z, those born between 1997-2012, are starting to be known as generational curse breakers. Young Black adults have been unlearning so-called toxic traits, one of which is refusing to seek help with mental health issues.

Mama’s “What goes on in the house, stays in the house’’ and grandma’s “pray it away’’ mantras are no longer cutting it. Many minority millennials find themselves going to therapy for the sake of the generation they are raising up behind them.

Black therapists and psychologists also are using social media outlets such as TikTok and Instagram to provide informational posts and videos. Popular hashtags such as #blackmentalhealth and #blackmentalhealthmatters have emerged, and mental health professionals are actively participating in social media challenges to get their points across.

Read more at TheWeeklyChallenger.com.

Guidelines in the US advocate for depression screening in adolescents in the hopes that mental health struggles can be identified early and that this will prevent them from becoming more problematic over time. But a new study found that there was no difference in outcome between those who were screened and those who were not.

The research was led by Kira Riehm at Johns Hopkins University and published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Suppose screening was successful at connecting those who need it to treatment that improves depression. In that case, those who are screened should be less likely to need intensive care, such as ending up in the emergency department or hospitalized, and they should be less likely to attempt suicide.

However, Riehm and the other researchers found no difference between the group that was screened and the group that was not.

They write, “Being screened for depression was not consistently associated with emergency department use, inpatient hospitalizations, or medically-treated suicidal behaviors.”

The one exception was emergency department use specifically for mental health reasons—but screening appeared harmful, not helpful, for this outcome. Contrary to the expectation that screening would help improve depression (and thus prevent worse outcomes), the group who was screened for depression had a 16% higher risk of going to the emergency room because of their mental health.

The researchers suggest that one explanation for this finding is that screening has an iatrogenic effect, actually worsening mental health problems because it causes people to focus on them. They note that similar findings have been found in studies of pain screening, in which people who are screened report worsening pain afterward.

Read more at MadinAmerica.com.

The last few years have brought a torrent of information about our physical health, but doctors, caregivers, and health officers alike agree that the pandemic took a major toll on our emotional health as well. This October, for National Emotional Wellness Month, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (TCPHSS) staff offer tips for staying strong both inside and out. Emotional Wellness Month has been around since 2004 though taking time to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge has always been a vital part of a healthy life.

Though the restrictions and limitations necessitated by COVID-19 are slowing down, its impact remains with us. Many people are struggling to find ways to manage challenges in their personal lives that are stressful and overwhelming. Learning ways to cope with stress in a healthy way will not only help your physical and mental well-being, but it will help those who are around you and aid in the overall success of the community.

Our emotions are more than just behind-the-scenes players. Emotional wellness influences all aspects of our mental and physical health. Having strong emotional wellness allows individuals to have fewer negative emotions and helps them bounce back from difficulties in their life faster, due to having the skills to manage their stress.

TCPHSS suggests some simple ways we can restore, repair, and rebuild our emotional wellness. This can include finding someone to share your feelings and concerns with, setting aside time for wellness activities, building confidence, relaxing, and maintaining a strong support network of people around you.
Check in with yourself, too. Are you feeling anxious or overwhelmed? What do you feel in your body, mind, and emotions when you are experiencing stress? Have you noticed an increase in the frequency or intensity of these feelings? Do you make time to take care of yourself on a daily basis? Are there people in your support system that you can ask for help when needed?

Even little things like reaching out to a friend or loved one for a chat, eating a balanced meal, getting plenty of sleep, doing deep breathing and stretching exercises, and avoiding smoking, drugs, and alcohol will help improve your emotional wellness.

Read more at ThurstonTalk.com.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) is administered by the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NHSC S2S LRP provides loan repayment awards to students pursuing a degree in allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, nursing, or dentistry. In exchange for loan repayment, individuals agree to provide primary health services in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) of greatest need. The NHSC seeks applicants who have an interest in serving the nation’s medically underserved populations and remaining in a HPSA beyond their service obligation. Students with a commitment to primary health care practice in underserved areas throughout the U.S. and who are willing to relocate based on the needs of the NHSC are the best candidates for this program.

Full-time students in the last year of medical, dental, physician assistant, or nursing program who plan to train and become licensed to provide patient care under the following disciplines and specialties are eligible to apply to the NHSC S2S LRP between now and Thursday, December 1, 2022.

Learn more!

The stress of a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming for patients, families, and caregivers. And while each person’s response to hearing the words “you have cancer” may differ, feelings of stress, fear, and unease are common. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, one in three people with cancer experience mental or emotional distress, and these challenges appear most (42%) among women with breast cancer.

Mental health can often take a back seat when a person is prioritizing their physical health, but managing mental health is essential and may even have an impact on living with metastatic breast cancer. Studies have shown that a decrease in symptoms of depression was associated with longer life in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

For Linda Carey, who has been living with MBC since 2006, having a community around her has been key to her well-being. “Your community and loved ones can be valuable sources of support and light in your metastatic breast cancer experience.”

Emotional health is important at every stage of a cancer diagnosis and treatment journey, and each person’s coping strategy is unique to them. “It is important to remember that most people experience some kind of impact on their mental health with a cancer diagnosis. It can be sadness, helplessness, or another stronger feeling. We want anyone experiencing concerns about their mental health to know there are resources available at LBBC.org and elsewhere to help,” said Jean Sachs, MSS, MLSP, Chief Executive Officer at Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization that seeks to create a world that understands there is more than one way to have breast cancer.

Read more at TimesUnion.com.

For the past four months, Servicios de la Raza (NNED’s October 2022 Partner of the Month) has held four different art events to address behavioral health through its El Arte Cura series. The series is geared towards the Latino community and encourages indigenous and holistic practices by bringing people beyond traditional therapy. Using the arts to address mental health hasn’t always been readily available to many in west Denver.

“Some people don’t like speaking in therapy, and just using their hands helps them show how they feel and how their living state is,” said Cuauhtemoc Perez, who attended the session. “Since I grew up in this neighborhood my whole life, and I know it’s never been there. So seeing that it’s there now, it’s a good movement and step towards a different direction.”

This season’s theme was maize, or corn in English, and each project featured the grain in some capacity.

“I think the whole idea is we come from a cultural, artistic background. If you think about indigenous cultures, how creative our culture was, going back to the folk arts and just how important those folk arts are,” said Mandy Medrano, a case manager at Servicios.

Medrano said considering the current climate, a different approach is vital.

“Our community is crying for healing,” Medrano said. “It’s definitely a necessity, definitely a need, and a lot amongst young people lately with the ODs on fentanyl, and we’re having parents and families reach out to us, asking for help, asking for support.”

Read more at CBSNews.com.