Well, here we are again, the last few weeks of the year. Those weeks that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—collectively called “the holidays.” If you’re reading this article, it means that you have survived the last two years – which have included an election, social unrest, and oh that darned pandemic! Instead of enjoying...Continue reading
The onset of the pandemic in 2020 led to a substantial increase in mental health challenges. In their August 2020 report, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that the “prevalence of symptoms” of anxiety and depression were more than three times higher than they were a year before. Roughly 40% of respondents to their...
COVID-19 has not been kind to men. Not only have more men had more severe cases of the infection but more men have died from it than women. Now, a study from a Cleveland Clinic survey took a look at about 1,000 men, age 18 and older, to assess how they are coping with the...
When it comes to gender, alcohol and drug abuse are not equal-opportunity afflictions. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illegal drugs, and they are more likely to end up in emergency rooms or dying as a result of overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Men also have...Continue reading
COVID-19’s isolation may be necessary for physical health, but it’s causing a torrent of mental health problems for boys and young men that are worsening as the pandemic drags on. Family members, friends and work colleagues can play an important part in monitoring the mental health of the men and boys they care about. The...Continue reading
Rural men are likely to experience a sizeable increase in mental health needs during and after the pandemic, whether they had a prior history or not. Chief among these mental issues is depression, as people feel isolated and alone during the pandemic. Men’s Health Network, a non-profit concerned with men’s health issues, convened a conference...Continue reading
Alok Konojia – “Dr. K” to his 370,000 Twitch fans – is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who’s reaching gamers on the livestreaming platform Twitch to talk about mental health issues and lessen the stigma attached to them. His livestream, Healthy Gamer GG, discusses online harassment, depression, suicide, video game addiction and other mental health issues with...
Chronic pain affects approximately 100 million adults in the U.S. and exacts a huge toll on rehabilitation resources, health care costs and lost worker productivity. It also burdens the sufferer and their significant others. One way to help those who suffer chronic pain is with pain-related self-efficacy (PRSE) beliefs, which describe a range of behaviors...Continue reading
Loneliness kills. According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, isolation and weak social connections “are associated with a reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking fifteen cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity.” Even when it’s not fatal, loneliness makes life a lot less pleasant. We’ll talk about...Continue reading
While Men’s Health Month came to end this past week, it’s still important to talk about men’s health issues year-round. As a woman, men’s health might not be at the forefront of our minds but it is increasingly essential that women start talking about depression and suicide in men. Already nationally, there has been increased...Continue reading