Mental Health

7 Things You May Not Know About World Mental Health Day

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Each year, World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th. Here are 7 important facts about this very special day which may not be commonly known. 1) The goal The goal of World Mental Health Day is to “celebrate awareness for the global community in an empathetic way, with a unifying voice, helping those feel hopeful by empowering them to take action and to create lasting change.” 2) The history World Mental Health Day was developed by the World Federation for Mental Health and first observed on October 10, 1992. Since 1994, …

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10 Types of Mental Health Content You Can Share on Social Media

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I’m often asked, “How can I be more active on social media to advocate for mental health?” and “What kinds of content can I share on social media related to mental health that will be of interest?” These are great questions, and I have a few suggestions for you. Here’s my unofficial list of 10 types of mental health content you can share on social media. I’ve tried to include both quick and simple examples for each type of content, …

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Attitudes About Mental Health and Suicide: New Survey Findings

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I was very interested to see the recently released results from a large national survey on attitudes about mental health disorders and suicide conducted by The Harris Poll which was sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA). (Full disclosure: I’m a member of APA and have held several governance positions. However, I had no involvement in this survey.) The survey included 1,006 US adults, who completed a 15-minute online questionnaire. The results were “weighted by education, age, gender, race, ethnicity, …

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5 Ways to “Find” Better Mental Health

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My entire career as a clinical psychologist has been devoted to helping people find better mental health. I’ve tackled this issue in several different settings and in a number of different ways. While employed in a public psychiatric hospital for over 24 years, I worked directly with thousands of patients struggling with mental illnesses, offering therapies and coping strategies to relieve their distress and discomfort. As an educator in a large state university, I trained hundreds of future psychologists to …

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Teaching Mental Health Awareness to Scouts and Other Youth Groups

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I think it’s always great when we can bring positive, accurate information and increased awareness about mental health into mainstream groups, communities, and organizations. So I was excited to learn of a recent initiative to teach mental health awareness to youth groups. Through an initiative led by the International Bipolar Foundation, whose tag line is “a world of hope, resources, and support,” there is now a packet of resources and a structured plan for Girl Scouts and other similar scouting …

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“Owning” Bipolar Disorder

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Recently I had a chance to review a new book called “Owning Bipolar: How Patients and Families Can Take Control of Bipolar Disorder.” I found the book to be very interesting and a good resource. Subsequently, I was able to get some additional information from the book’s author, therapist Michael Pipich. I think you’ll find the conversation with Michael very interesting and illuminating. Why did you decide to focus on bipolar disorder? After over 30 years of therapy practice, I …

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How to Express Your Mental Health Advocacy (part 2: fully dressed)

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So you want to be a mental health advocate. You’re well informed about the issues. You have a passion to make a difference. You want your voice to be heard. You’re ready to take action. Now what? How can you express your mental health advocacy? There are many, many options. If this intro sounds strangely familiar, it should. In a recent post, I covered several ways to get your advocacy groove on while still at home and comfy in your …

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How to Express Your Mental Health Advocacy (part 1: while in your jammies)

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So you want to be a mental health advocate. You’re well informed about the issues. You have a passion to make a difference. You want your voice to be heard. You’re ready to take action. Now what? How can you express your mental health advocacy? There are many, many options. There’s even a lot you can do from your couch at home while you’re still in your pajamas. Or there are other options that might require you to be fully dressed …

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