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New Poll: Small Acts of Kindness Make Most Americans Feel Better

As the holiday season approaches, most Americans say that small acts of kindness make them feel better, and that is true for both giving and receiving those acts. And acts of kindness were happening: in the past three months, 93% of Americans reported having done something kind, including 69% who had said hello to a stranger, 68% who reported holding a door open for someone, and 65% who had given someone a compliment. Among other options surveyed:

How Pets Can Protect Cognitive Health in Older Adults

  • Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

Pets offer a range of benefits for our physical and mental health. Several recent studies add to the list, finding that pet ownership can help slow cognitive decline and prevent dementia in older adults.

American Adults Express Increasing Anxiousness in Annual Poll; Stress and Sleep are Key Factors Impacting Mental Health

The 2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll show that U.S. adults are feeling increasingly anxious. In 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%).

New Reports Examine Trends in Youth Mental Health

  • Children and Youth, Patients and Families, Teens and young adults

Several recent national and international reports offer some insights into youth mental health with some encouraging signs along with some concerning trends.

One Quarter of Americans Say They Are More Stressed This Holiday Season Than in 2023, Citing Financial Concerns and Missing Loved Ones

As the winter holidays approach, 28% of Americans say they are experiencing more stress related to the holiday season than they did last year, but the causes of their stress vary. A few of the top stressors identified were affording holiday gifts (46%), grieving a loss/missing a loved one (47%), and dealing with challenging family dynamics (35%). More than half of 18- to 34-year-olds (54%) reported being “very” or “somewhat” worried about affording holiday gifts, whereas only 38% of those 65 and

Overcoming Barriers: How to Help Someone Get Mental Health Care

  • Patients and Families, Serious mental illness, Treatment

When we see a friend or loved one experiencing significant mental health issues, our instinct is to try to help, yet obstacles, including stigma of mental health, are often hard to overcome. A recent commentary by Ken Duckworth, M.D., and Nickki Rashes in the APA journal Focus offers some insights on how to help a loved one reach out for mental health care.

How Do We Cope with Loneliness?

  • Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

With about 33% 0f people saying they report feeling lonely once a week or more, a new APA Healthy Minds survey looks at how people are coping. According to the poll, men and women and older and younger adults are using different strategies to deal with these feelings. Overall, younger adults are more likely to feel lonely than older adults. For example, 43% of young adults aged 18 to 34 feel lonely at least once a week compared to only 17% of adults 65 and older

Mental Health Pathfinders: Amalia Londoño Tobón, M.D., and Hector Colón-Rivera, M.D.

The co-chairs of APA's Spanish Language Working Group, Amalia Londoño Tobón, MD, and Hector Colón-Rivera, MD, join us to discuss LaSaludMental.org, APA's online home for evidence based information and resources in Spanish. The conversation also covers the unique mental health challenges facing the Hispanic/Latino community in the U.S., and how cultural competency can help physicians from any background better engage with and treat patients from this community. 

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