University of Arkansas: Pandemic Leads to Higher Depression, Anxiety and Fear, Studies Show. “The COVID-19 pandemic led to higher levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies and psychological trauma among American adults during the early months of its spread, according to three new studies published by University of Arkansas sociologists.”
mental health
MakeUseOf: 5+ Free Online Tests, Guides, and Resources to Overcome Burnout at Work
MakeUseOf: 5+ Free Online Tests, Guides, and Resources to Overcome Burnout at Work. “Are you feeling too tired to work, or are you suffering from burnout? Take these free tests to find out if you have burnout, and guides to learn how to deal with it. In 2019, WHO officially recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon, so it’s not just ‘in your mind’ anymore. There are signs of burnout to watch out for, and techniques to overcome burnout in your professional life. To begin, there are a few online tests you can take, free ebooks you can pick up, and videos you can watch.”
KUTV: How are you feeling? Utah releases pandemic mental health assessment
KUTV: How are you feeling? Utah releases pandemic mental health assessment. “Utah’s Coronavirus Community Task Force says taking care of your mental health right now is just as important as looking after your physical health. The state’s Department of Human Services launched a new tool to help you do just that.”
Study: Gender inequality increases in media during pandemic (Phys .org)
Phys .org: Study: Gender inequality increases in media during pandemic. “According to the survey of 558 journalists in 52 countries, the COVID-19 crisis had a negative impact on women’s salaries as well as on their work responsibilities, career advancement and private life. As a result, three quarters of the respondents saw their stress level increase while half of the women quizzed acknowledged that their health has been affected, mainly by sleeping problems.”
UCSF study shows health workers grappling with pandemic anxiety: ‘It’s exhausting’ (San Francisco Chronicle)
San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF study shows health workers grappling with pandemic anxiety: ‘It’s exhausting’. “Dr. Robert Rodriguez’s anxiety rises and falls with the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. Fear that he could get infected at his San Francisco General Hospital job, or bring the virus home, affects his sleep. He doesn’t hug his 16-year-old son as much. Other worried family members avoid interacting with him. The stress isn’t sustainable, he said.”
Engadget: App tracks mental health by studying your phone usage
Engadget: App tracks mental health by studying your phone usage. “The smartphone in your hand might be the key to gauging your mental health. Researchers at Dalhousie University have developed (via CBC and Gizmodo) a mobile app, PROSIT, that can detect conditions like anxiety or depression based on how you use your phone.”
Lifehacker: Scream Into Your Phone and Have it Played on a Speaker in Iceland
Lifehacker: Scream Into Your Phone and Have it Played on a Speaker in Iceland. “Have you been so angry, frustrated and/or stressed lately that you just want to scream as long as you can into the void? Us, too. But as it turns out, we now have the option of having our blood-curdling wails echo throughout the land—specifically, Iceland. The small island country, and place where you’ve been meaning to visit for years but something keeps coming up, is sacrificing its soundscape for the greater good.”
NiemanLab: Journalists are suffering mental health consequences from covering Covid-19, according to a new survey
NiemanLab: Journalists are suffering mental health consequences from covering Covid-19, according to a new survey. “Early results from a new study on mental health among journalists covering the pandemic were so worrisome that the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism decided to publish the preliminary data.”
CNET: Snapchat adds a meditation feature with the Headspace mini app
CNET: Snapchat adds a meditation feature with the Headspace mini app. “Snapchat wants to make it a little easier for you to relax with its Headspace mini app. The mini app, which is an app within the Snapchat app, launched on Monday alongside three others including group decision-making app Let’s Do It, future-telling app Prediction Master and study app Flashcards.”
Tubefilter: YouTube Adds Mental Health Information Panels To Videos About Depression, Anxiety
Tubefilter: YouTube Adds Mental Health Information Panels To Videos About Depression, Anxiety. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, YouTube has significantly increased its use of health information panels, which pop up in search results and under videos to provide factual information and updates about specific topics. Now, the platform has expanded these panels to address two common mental illnesses: depression and anxiety. Beginning today, users who search for either illness will see a popup with information and an online screening tool.”
Route Fifty: Your Coping and Resilience Strategies Might Need to Shift as the Covid-19 Crisis Continues
Route Fifty: Your Coping and Resilience Strategies Might Need to Shift as the Covid-19 Crisis Continues. “By looking at how people have reacted to mass traumas in the past—think the terrorist attacks of 9/11 or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—psychology researchers like us can learn about which coping strategies have historically been effective. For instance, people were able to boost their self-esteem and curtail negative thinking in the wake of 9/11 if they engaged in activities that fit their personal values, goals and responsibilities. They could find meaning in what they did, interpreting their actions in a positive manner. So while traumas like these kinds of events can lead to anxiety and depression, they can also pave the way for resilience and recovery. As the coronavirus pandemic situation and stresses change, so do our recommendations for what coping strategies might be most helpful.”
Brookings Institution: A new tool for tracking vulnerability and premature mortality in America
Brookings Institution: A new tool for tracking vulnerability and premature mortality in America. “…we have built an interactive vulnerability indicator that shows the links between state-level trends in well-being (optimism and worry) and county-level trends in deaths of despair. Our indicator allows users to see how these accord with county- and state-level trends in poverty, unemployment, and average household income. As such, the indicator allows users to see how these trends vary by populations, by state and county, and their relationship with trends in well-being (and ill-being).”
WBAL: Therapy in Color helps connect Black Americans with therapists of color
WBAL: Therapy in Color helps connect Black Americans with therapists of color. “A new website is making it easier than ever for people of color to get specialized mental health help. From nationwide protests to the coronavirus pandemic, mental health issues are at an all-time high. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Black Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.”
University of North Carolina: ‘Heroes Health’ mental wellness app launched by School of Medicine and UNC Health
University of North Carolina: ‘Heroes Health’ mental wellness app launched by School of Medicine and UNC Health. “The UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health have launched the Heroes Health Initiative to help support the mental health of first responders and health care workers during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The app is available through the App Store/Google Play Store in the United States, free of charge to first responders, health care workers and their organizations.”
BuzzFeed News: The Government’s Own Experts Say Separating Immigrant Families During The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Add To Their Mental Trauma
BuzzFeed News: The Government’s Own Experts Say Separating Immigrant Families During The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Add To Their Mental Trauma. “A group of medical experts hired by the Department of Homeland Security says separating immigrant children from their parents would ‘exacerbate the physical and mental trauma to detained families who know they are unable to protect themselves from the deadly, rapidly spreading pandemic.'”
