Returning to School Safely: Managing Anxiety and Fears about COVID-19 and Gun Violence

The start of an academic year can bring fear and uncertainty for many, this year concerns may be compounded by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent gun violence-linked mass casualties. Incidents of school shootings and gun violence have a devastating impact far beyond those directly affected. We are left with several unanswered questions and the lingering fear of future events. As schools reopen, the questions many families now face are: Is my child safe at school? How can I protect my child from the COVID-19 surge AND school shootings? Fortunately, reliable information and useful resources can help address these concerns.

Service Dogs Can Be Invaluable in Helping People with PTSD

​​​​​​​Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects an estimated one in seven adults at some time in their lives and it affects a large proportion of military members and veterans. In addition to the variety of effective treatments available, people often also use complementary interventions, such as the use of trained PTSD service dogs. These service dogs perform specific tasks that help address PTSD symptoms, such as applying pressure to alleviate anxiety and nudging to interrupt flashbacks

Collaboration is Key to Meeting Demand for Mental Health Services

The COVID-19 pandemic has left in its wake a serious mental health crisis, the scope of which is still evolving. Even before the pandemic, demand for mental health care services was extremely high, and increasing by the day. Now, as lockdowns have ended and many pandemic restrictions have lifted in America, COVID is still putting a strain on health care personnel, and the systems they work in. In addition to laying bare the severity of healthcare disparities in our communities, the pandemic has also focused a spotlight on the seriousness of the mental health care shortage in America. In the face of these mounting challenges and unprecedented need, it is clear that the future of mental health care in our country will require an interdisciplinary approach.

Can Mindset Training Reduce Student Stress? 

A person’s mindset refers to a set of beliefs or attitudes that frame how they see the world.  A new study shows that mindset training can help adolescents manage stress and improve resilience and well-being. The online training module used in the study combines two existing interventions covering a “growth” mindset and a “stress-can-be-enhancing" mindset, which target different aspects of people’s experience of stress. 

Heading off to College: How to THRIVE (Not Just Survive) on College Campuses

• By Meera Menon, M.D.

The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on the Youth Mental Health Crisis, released Dec. 7, 2021, shed light on the concerning trend of worsening mental health among children, adolescents, and young adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (1). Indeed, college and university students are experiencing greater frequency and intensity of mental health symptoms than ever before.