Depression Resources for Northern Virginia Youth
Sleep deprivation affects mental health and individuals with depression, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and other conditions are more likely to have sleep disorders like insomnia. A good night’s sleep not only increases emotional resilience, it also can help lessen the symptoms of mental health issues. To …
Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can significantly impact your ability to manage time and leave you with large gaps when you overestimate how long something will take or the need to race to finish an item in the allotted span. …
July is Black, Indigenous and People of Color Mental Health Month (also known as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month). Discrimination; larger family size; low-status, high-stress jobs; poverty; being a single parent and unemployment are all risk factors for depression and studies suggest that racial …
In 1990, the Search Institute, a nonprofit organization that conducts youth development research, identified forty developmental assets which children need to succeed. Developmental assets are internal and external factors that help to produce caring, healthy and responsible adolescents. Internal assets are strengths and values within …
The lack of structure that many families experience during Summer actually can worsen anxiety. For teens, a part-time job not only teaches the importance of having a work ethic and produces income, it also helps prevent boredom. Likewise, taking additional classes and/or having an internship …
Text messages to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Hotline increased by more than 1,000 percent in April 2020. The pandemic has not only caused additional barriers for individuals already experiencing mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders, but also has negatively …
Empathy, the ability to imagine the feelings of others, has a positive impact on mental health. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face communication had decreased in recent years, greatly impacting empathy through compassion fatigue, confirmation bias and detachment. There are three types of empathy, …
During Mental Health Month, it is important to address common misconceptions. While approximately 50 percent of individuals with a mental health condition(s) began experiencing symptoms by age 14, the average delay in receiving treatment is 8 to 10 years. Mood disorders tend to run in …
Depression can cause emotional detachment. Because emotions influence a person’s decision-making, health, motivation and well-being, it is essential to be able to understand and manage them. American Psychologist Robert Plutchik maintained that eight primary emotions, acceptance, anger, anticipation, disgust, fear, joy, sadness and surprise, serve …
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Many individuals with mood disorders self-medicate with alcohol and drinking itself can lead to depression. A central nervous system depressant, alcohol can create serious complications for depressed individuals who use it to alter their moods. Alcohol should be avoided during …