Today is World Mental Health Day
OCTOBER 10, 2023
What is World Mental Health Day?
According to the World Health Organization, the overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
With nearly one in five adults living with a mental illness, finding innovative new approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are crucial to improving the lives of millions of people.
Investigators at the Mass General Research Institute are working to do just that. Check out some of our most recent stories of mental health research below.
Building Resiliency in Young Adults to Reduce Mental Health Symptoms Early On
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in ten youth in the U.S., aged six to 17 years, have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 10-34.
We interviewed Daphne Holt, MD, PhD, the director of the Resilience and Prevention Program and the Emotion and Social Neuroscience Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH Research Scholar 2018-2023, and an associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Holt and her team are working on ways to identify the early signs of psychiatric disorders in youth and provide them with tools to manage their mental health. Learn more.
Reducing the Burden of Mental Illness on the Homeless Population
Few populations bear a greater psychiatric burden than the homeless population. Studies suggest that a staggering 76% of the homeless population has a mental illness.
Mental illness and homelessness have a bi-directional relationship, in that it is not just that mental illness is a risk factor for becoming homeless, but also homelessness is a risk factor for mental illness because the trauma experienced while homeless can lead to mood disorders, trauma-related disorders and substance use disorders.
Katherine Koh, MD, is part of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Street Team, which provides face-to-face medical care for individuals who are homeless and sleep on the street. This group is known as Boston’s “rough sleepers,” and they commonly face conditions such as extreme weather, violence, and trauma. Learn more.
Growing Up without Growing Old: How Meditation Can Improve Resiliency and Brain Health at Any Age
Have you ever gone to a yoga class, used the Headspace app, or worked on some breathing exercises when you’re feeling stressed, but wondered if it was actually doing anything beneficial for you?
Dr. Lazar has been using advanced imaging technology to scientifically validate the effects of yoga and meditation on the brain. She is also learning more about the connections between meditation and resiliency, which may prevent mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression from kicking in when times get tough. Learn more.
What a Troubling Rise in Depression and Gun Ownership Means for Mental Health and Suicide Risk
While most of the conversations on gun safety come down to the harm that guns can do to other people, the evidence shows that guns are just as deadly—if not more deadly—to gun owners themselves.
In 2020 alone, 54% of all firearm-related deaths were suicides. During the pandemic, there was also an increase in first-time firearm purchases, helping to push record-breaking sales of guns in the U.S.
But it’s not just access to guns that should be alarming. According to Dr. Perlis and other mental health researchers, depression is becoming more common among Americans. Learn more.
Improving Body Positivity During Pregnancy Could Boost the Health of Mothers and Children
Pregnancy is often thought of as a time of excitement and anticipation.
But for some pregnant and postpartum individuals, the normal physical changes that occur with pregnancy can increase the risk of body dissatisfaction.
Defined as a negative subjective view of one’s body size or shape, body dissatisfaction can increase the risk of postpartum depression and eating disorders, both of which can have long term health consequences for mother and child.
A research team led by Rachel Vanderkruik, PhD, MSc, recently conducted a survey to learn more about the prevalence of body dissatisfaction in pregnancy and postpartum; identify the factors that contribute to these feelings; and what type of intervention could help. Learn more.
About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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