Teens and college students can easily feel anxious trying to juggle school, work, friends, and family while trying to figure out the rest of your life. Most of us bounce back. But frequent, intense, and uncontrollable anxiety that interferes with your daily routines may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Read more ›
In many ways, college offers a “blank slate” and is the perfect time and place to reinvent yourself. Between the independent living, opportunities to pursue your own interests, new people to meet, and different social scenes to become a part of, it may feel like you can leave your pre-college self behind and start over.
Despite these many ways to reinvent yourself, if you are living with a mental health disorder it’s important to remember that your condition still exists and can’t be ignored or erased as you work on establishing your “new” self. Read more ›
To help put a thoughtful plan into place should a mental health condition arise, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Jed Foundation have created a guide to help start the conversation. It offers both parents and students the opportunity to learn more about mental health, including what the privacy laws are and how mental health information can be shared. Read more ›
While the college years have always been a time when mental health problems can emerge, the problems have escalated according to data from the American College Health Association (ACHA) survey. What actions can parents take in the face of rising mental health problems? Read more ›
College means new freedoms and new opportunities. Making the transition to college isn’t easy for anyone. Classes will be more difficult than high school and you have to plan ahead and motivate yourself to study. Plus you may have the new and stressful experience of living with a randomly-assigned roommate. All these things can impact your mental health. To make sure you succeed in college, know where to find support and how to put your best foot forward. Read more ›
Black students continuously experience, fight against and bear emotional scars from racism, which can lead to increased anxiety and poor mental health outcomes. Some colleges are just starting to address these issues. Read more ›
In an online forum, a message appears.
It contains a threat against a student from an anonymous source. The person spotting it reports it to a school official, the website or police. After a short investigation, the findings are disturbing. The perpetrator who posted it is actually the student engaging in an act of digital self-harm … or cyberbullying themselves. Read more ›
Adolescence is fraught with stressful changes, and the developing body can be one of those challenges, especially if a teen’s body doesn’t meet society’s — or that teen’s — standards.
Negative body image can threaten mental health, according to new research that found teenagers who were dissatisfied with their bodies tended to experience depression as adults.
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In elementary school, it’s common to have social and emotional lessons built into the curriculum, and the research shows that they have a strong, positive impact on student outcomes and school climate. But a 2019 survey of 15,000 K–12 teachers and 3,500 principals confirms what many probably suspect—that by the time kids reach high school, standalone SEL lessons are rare. Read more ›
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, marked by episodes of mania and depression. Bipolar disorder is not the same as the typical ups and downs every kid goes through. The mood swings are more extreme and accompanied by changes in sleep, energy level, and the ability to think clearly. Know the signs and symptoms. Read more ›
