Depression

Exercise can play a multifaceted role in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Learn more in this blog post published in partnership with bodybuilding.com.

The current pandemic has unleashed unique stressors on our health care community. While many medical and mental health care workers have responded with resilience, our health care workforce is not immune to the trauma and suffering they face.

The current pandemic has unleashed unique stressors on our health care community. While many medical and mental health care workers have responded with resilience, our health care workforce is not immune to the trauma and suffering they face.

With depression, there’s limited pleasure or interest in day-to-day activities and/or a consistently depressed mood. Because of this, individuals experiencing depression often pull back from life by not engaging in activities they used to before becoming depressed.

More often, people have heard about PTSD in the context of war, with combat-exposed veterans. While combat veterans often return to the normality of the civilian life after deployment, the job of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical services workers involves regular, routine exposure to all types of traumas, for years and decades of their careers.

Thanks to research, we know more about depression in children and adults with autism than we used to. Whereas scientists have studied the rates of depression, risk factors, and ways to diagnose it in people on the spectrum, we know far less about how treatments traditionally used on the general population work for those with autism.

As a young child with autism, Ben had trouble putting his feelings into words, except when he was angry. During one outburst, he told his mother he didn’t want to live. Although she took him to mental health providers, they focused on treating him for anxiety, rather than depression.  

In contrast to more traditional psychological approaches, positive psych concerns itself with the good stuff in life. It strives to understand what makes for a good life and how we can not only maintain average or ‘normal’ functioning but how we can actually surpass it. Positive psychology focuses on building strengths and on maximizing wellbeing. In a word, it’s all about thriving. 

The growing popularity of medical cannabis coupled with increased rates of anxiety, especially in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, has reignited a long-standing conversation about the potential effects of cannabis on psychiatric symptoms.

About 3% of US children aged 2-17 are depressed, and 7% have an anxiety disorder. The good news is, there’s a lot that you can do to help your child if they’re depressed. The first step is to know the signs that may mean that your child is unhappy.