APA Blog

 
Category : Anxiety

What Happens When You Quit, or at Least Really Cut Back, Your Social Media Use?

For many people, checking social media regularly and spending a lot of time on it is a part of everyday life. But what is the impact on your well-being if you just quit for a while, or at least significantly cut back? You’ll probably be at least a little bit better off, according to a couple of recent studies. Substantial research over the past few years has linked social media use with reduced well-being, sleep problems and increased loneliness, depression and mental distress.

Support for Mental Health in the Workplace: Employee Perspective

An estimated one in five working age adults lives with a mental health condition, yet more than 60 percent do not receive treatment. When employees do receive effective treatment for mental illnesses, it also leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and decreased disability costs. Many companies are increasingly providing resources and programs to support employee mental health and well-being. So how do employees think their employers are doing with these efforts? That is the question addressed in a recent national survey of employees conducted by the Harris Poll for the American Heart Association.*

Improving Treatment for Common Phobias

Specific phobias are a type of anxiety disorder affecting between 3 and 15 percent of the population. While effective treatments are available, most people don’t seek treatment; an estimated 10 to 25 percent of people with a specific phobia seek treatment.

Humor in Therapy

Humor and laughter, in addition to being fun and enjoyable, have many health benefits. Laughter can help people cope with stress, reduce anxiety and tension and serve as a coping mechanism. Humor may allow a person to feel in control of a situation and make it seem more manageable. By helping to reduce fear, anger and stress, humor can help minimize the potential harm they can have on the body over time.

Taking Care of the Caregivers

More than 17 million individuals in the United States are family caregivers, providing care and support to an older adult because of physical, mental or cognitive challenges. Many of them care for a parent, a spouse or a friend with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.

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