Mental Health Month: Did You Know?

By Guest Blogger: Kathleen Ashton, Ph.D.

Did you know?

• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population)
• Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.

Every day I see patients with anxiety disorders that have gone undiagnosed, untreated, and interfere with their everyday life.  Fear, uncontrollable worry, muscle tension, poor sleep, poor appetite, difficulty concentrating—people with anxiety can really struggle just to get through the day.  The real tragedy is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet very few people receive treatment.  Even among those receiving treatment, they often are relying on short term medications that only temporarily relieve their symptoms.

We know that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective in treating anxiety disorders.  CBT helps patients identify thoughts that affect their anxiety and lead to changes in behavior.  By working with a psychologist trained in CBT, patients learn to identify maladaptive thought patterns and replace these with more functional ones.  Their anxiety can decrease dramatically, and this may lead to the patient being able to engage more pleasurably in their life.  A psychologist using CBT may also train the patient in methods to control their anxiety symptoms, such as relaxation training.  Psychologists may help the patient develop ways to confront and tolerate fearful situations through gradual exposure.

So why aren’t more patients with anxiety getting CBT?  First, many people still feel stigma about seeing a psychologist.  They worry they will have to go to years of costly therapy, and would like a quicker fix.  However, the reality is that most insurers cover CBT with a psychologist just like they cover medical costs.  Therapy for anxiety is usually brief (4-12 sessions), and the results can include skills that last a lifetime.

What are a few quick techniques that might give me a start on managing my anxiety?

1.       Stop and breathe for one minute.  Taking three long breaths, all the way from your belly can start to reverse the anxiety response and physical symptoms of anxiety.

2.       Ask yourself, “Is this in my control?”  Are you worrying about things that you have no power to change?  Try to focus on what you can do today.

3.       Focus on the here and now. Trying to predict the future is not very accurate.  Avoid “fortune telling.” 

4.       Take a small step outside your comfort zone.  If you’re anxious about heights for example, try taking the elevator to the third floor.  When you master, this, go up a floor every day and build your confidence.

5.       Check out your assumptions.  We worry about things all the time that just aren’t true (“She never talks to me so she must not like me.”)  Ask people what they are thinking rather than assuming.

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Kathleen Ashton, PhD, is a Psychologist in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. She received her doctorate from The Ohio State University, and she completed specialty training in health psychology at the Cleveland VA Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ashton’s clinical and research interests include bariatric surgery evaluation and treatment, binge eating disorder treatment, and behavioral weight management. She has presented extensively on the psychological treatment of obesity and psychological aspects of bariatric surgery, including at the American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery and the International Conference on Eating Disorders.

Guest Blog: Mental Illness and Quality of Care

by Guest Blogger Morgan Shields

Mental illness impacts all sectors and populations across the globe, and exacts heavy costs with regard to both economic and human suffering. However, our mental health care systems do not effectively treat individuals; this is especially true at the acute level. During the 1970s, there was a global deinstitutionalization of long-term-stay mental health care hospitals. With increased effectiveness of psychotropic medication, patients were better able to function independently through the support of outpatient community services. What remains are acute psychiatric wards of hospitals, which largely serve as a stabilization hub for patients who pose a threat to themselves or the community, with the typical stay lasting between three to seven days. Additionally, social workers and providers sometimes work to connect these patients with community services upon discharge, to ensure they receive appropriate long-term treatment. 

However, the experience one has within these wards, and upon discharge, varies drastically depending on insurance, location, and even the occupational culture of the ward. Furthermore, whether patients seek out community services upon discharge is largely dependent upon their ability to pay for these services and their trust of the system.   

While there are many contributing factors to the quality of care within acute psychiatric facilities such as funding mechanisms, policy, and location, it has been suggested that the staff-patient relationship is potentially one of the most important moderators of patients’ perceptions of quality of care and treatment outcome. This makes intuitive sense, as patients interact with the staff workers more than they do anyone else; meetings with a psychiatrist last only two to fifteen minutes a day. The occupational culture of staff workers, or their shared beliefs and norms, shape the way the staff interact and view patients. 

This, of course, is also influenced by the overarching culture of the administration and hospital at large, and also by the patients’ behavior. Additionally, there are no standardized credential-requirements to work within these wards; therefore, some places have workers who lack necessary training, and often carry a good deal of stress due to being underpaid and overworked.

Currently, investigation of psychiatric wards is sparse, with very little integration of patients’ perspectives.  Such lack of input from patients is disconcerting, as these individuals are the sole consumers of this care. Therefore, their insight into the treatment experience should be of unique value. However, it is the unfortunate case that patient-perspectives are not valued at the research level as much as provider and nurse feedback; this is largely due to the stigmatic belief that patients lack insight. This outdated and extreme view only works to oppress individuals who find themselves in need of such services, as it prevents them from having an active voice in the treatment process and to be taken seriously when possible mistreatment is at-hand. Furthermore, it sends the message that society views these individuals as problems to be taken of, rather than humans in need of help and sensitivity, and creates a divide of “us vs. them.”  

I am currently working on a project where I collect personal testimonials from former patients. There are common themes of invalidation throughout the experiences I have listened to and received. One woman stated that she felt like she was treated like a prisoner during her stay on an acute psychiatric ward, and eventually started to view herself as a bad person being punished, instead of a sick person receiving treatment. She explained that she did not have insurance at the time, and was therefore transported to a state–ran facility.  When she arrived, she immediately felt like a prisoner; there were many rules, she could only use the phone for a few minutes a day, and most of the staff workers ignored her concerns. She was never told what type of medication she was on, and when she tried to refuse medication, she was threatened to be restrained and put into a locked room alone. 

Without much choice, she ended up taking the medication, even though it made her ill and eventually paralyzed her neck. It was only when her neck was paralyzed that the staff listened to her complaints by adding a countering medication to her cocktail. After she was discharged, she struggled to rebuild her sense of self and trust of the mental health care system. This story exemplifies disconnected, demoralizing, and dehumanizing aspects of a mental health care system intended to heal. This is not the affect these places are supposed to have on people; it is counterproductive and has serious ethical concerns.

Of course, there are many staff workers and nurses who work their hardest to maintain compassionate interactions with patients, and I don’t mean to insult their efforts. This is not meant to serve as a blanket generalization of the entire system. There are effective and humane wards that serve the community well, but there are also units that have the potential to do more damage than good, and these should not be overlooked. It seems clear that there needs to be more attention given to acute psychiatric care, with an emphasis on increasing its quality and humanity. There needs to be more research of not only patients’ lived-experiences, but also further investigation of staff workers perceptions of their responsibilities and role within the hospital system, in order to better understand the complex interplay between the hospital, administration, staff, and patients. 

I personally believe that stigma underlies most of the disconnect we see within these wards. It is not only the staff workers who can sometimes view patients through stigmatic lenses, but it is also the providers and the community at large. As a society, we have been conditioned to view suffers of mental illness to exist on the periphery of what we consider worthy of acceptance, respect and love. Therefore, not only can a change in policy improve conditions, but so can a change in culture. The latter may be the hardest part to change, but it can be done with time, persistence, and openness. 

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Morgan is currently a senior at Kent State University, majoring in psychology. Prior to college, she served in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, where she traveled the country working for various non-profits and government agencies. During her service, she interacted with the homeless population on a regular basis, and saw our system’s failure in the lives of these individuals. Once she started college, she began working as a Research Assistant in the Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, under Dr. Mary Beth Spitznagel, and the Emotion, Stress, and Relationships Laboratory under Dr. Karin Coifman. She has numerous research presentations under her belt, as well as several manuscripts in the works. This past summer, Morgan was awarded a research fellowship by the National Science Foundation to study under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. While there, she was exposed to research projects that focused on cultivating compassion and empathy. Currently, Morgan is applying for a Fulbright scholarship, to study at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada. If awarded the Fulbright, her project will focus on investigating how the occupational culture of staff workers within acute psychiatric facilities influences the staff-patient relationship. She will collect perspectives from both staff and patients, and hopes to elucidate the enormous value of patient-perspectives. Morgan plans to continue her education and research at the PhD level in a program where she can focus on studying mental health care and stigma. 

Mental Health: The Role of Well-Being

The mass media and our own stigma would still have us believe that "mental health" is a term that revolves around negative terms: sadness, violence, lethargy, apathy, angst, etc. While those terms may apply to certain types of mental health conditions, mental health also focuses on positive factors.

Carol Ryff's (1989) research on psychological well-being identified six positive factors involved in life satisfaction and happiness. Focusing on these in your daily life may help you not only maintain positive mental health, but create strong coping skills that can act as a buffer when depression or anxiety seem to be overwhelming.

Self-Acceptance
Accepting who you are, flaws and all, can help your overall sense of happiness. Don't try to live up to unrealistic expectations of the media or others, but rather take yourself for who you are and find a positive attitude toward yourself.

Positive Relations With Others
Having empathic, warm and trusting relationships with others is strongly related to positive mental health. In this day and age of social media relationships, it is our personal, face-to-face relationships that continue to offer the strongest boost to emotional well-being.

Autonomy
Independent, self-assertive behavior that allows one to regulate your behaviors from within, rather than externally, is linked to life satisfaction and well-being. Evaluate yourself according to your own standards, rather than the standards of others.

Environmental Mastery
Feeling like you have some control over your environment and managing your everyday affairs can help you maintain positive well-being. Take advantage of external opportunities, or create opportunities for positive experiences.

Purpose in Life
Frankl's (1959) Man's Search For Meaning explored the idea of meaningfulness and purpose in life. If one can find a goal and sense of direction for life, then it seems one can overcome almost anything. "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." ~Nietzche

Personal Growth
Being open to new experiences, realizing your potential, and being able to grow and improve your own sense of self and behavior is one way to maintain positive mental health. Stagnation is detrimental to health in many ways, so continue to grow and reach your potential throughout your life.

Notice that many of these factors are within your control, if you make the effort to mindfully incorporate them into your day. Work at maintaining your positive mental health!

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

Ohio Psychological Association Raises Awareness for Mental Health Awareness Month

Association focuses on Bullying for National Children’s Mental Health Day on May 9

The Ohio Psychological Association (OPA) is taking part in Mental Health Awareness Month to bring public awareness to the critical importance of mental health. This Thursday, the association is joining the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in recognizing National Children’s Mental Health Day.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), systematic international research has shown school bullying to be a frequent and serious public health problem.  Psychologists and other mental health professionals are using this research to develop bullying prevention programs that are being implemented in schools around the world.

Current OPA president, Dr. Jim Broyles launched a task force to examine how psychologists may become a part of the solution to prevent and respond to bullying.

Dr. Broyles said, “As a group, psychologists are very aware and concerned about this topic, and the ongoing issues which continue to spring to light associated with it. Many of us work with children and families who are affected by bullying. Our clients can be individuals who are the target of a bully or in some cases may be the bullies themselves, who have their own unique psychological issues and needs.”

Dr. Kimberly Burkhart chairs the Bullying Prevention Task Force whose mission it is to increase awareness about warning signs that bullying may be occurring and to connect families, as well as school staff with resources.

Children who bully may exhibit the following characteristics:

·         Getting into physical or verbal fights

·         Acquiring new belongings that are unexplainable

·         Increasing aggressiveness and competitiveness

·         Blaming others for his/her mistakes

Children who have been victimized may have some of the following characteristics:

·         Unexplainable injuries

·         Destroyed property

·         Changes in eating habits

·         Decline in academic performance

·         Decreased self-esteem

·         Avoidance of social situations

·         Engaging in self-destructive behavior

·         Frequent stomachaches or headaches

·         Sleep problems

Students who experience bullying may feel depressed or anxious. If your child or student is having trouble at school, problems with relationships, or displaying signs or symptoms listed above as a result of bullying, a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, can help your child develop coping skills to manage negative emotions and to respond to bullying.  Mental health professionals can also work with children who bully to help decrease behavioral problems and better manage anger.   

Located in Columbus, OH, The Ohio Psychological Association is a membership organization of approximately 1,600 Ohio psychologists. Its mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and to improve people’s lives in Ohio. For more information, or for a psychologist referral, visit www.ohpsych.org.

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May is Mental Health Month!

Welcome to Mental Health Month. This year's theme is Pathways to Wellness.  For more information, or access to the 2013 Toolkit from Mental Health America, please visit their website.

Key Messages

1. Wellness - it's essential to living a full and productive life. It's about keeping healthy as well as getting healthy.
2. Wellness involves a set of skills and strategies that prevent the onset or shorten the duration of illness and promote recovery and well-being. Wellness is more than just the absence of disease.
3. Wellness is more than an absence of disease. It involves complete general, mental and social well-being. And mental health is an essential component of overall health and well-being. The fact is our overall well-being is tied to the balance that exists between our emotional, physical, spiritual and mental health.
4. Whatever our situation, we are all at risk of stress given the demands of daily life and the challenges it brings-at home, at work and in life. Steps that build and maintain well-being and help us all achieve wellness involve a balanced diet, regular exercise, enough sleep, a sense of self-worth, development of coping skills that promote resiliency, emotional awareness, and connections to family, friends and community.
5. These steps should be complemented by taking stock of one's well-being through regular mental health checkups and screenings. Just as we check our blood pressure and get cancer screenings, it's a good idea to take periodic reading of our emotional well-being.
6. Fully embracing the concept of wellness not only improves health in the mind, body and spirit, but also maximizes one's potential to lead a full and productive life. Using strategies that promote resiliency and strengthen mental health and prevent mental health and substance use conditions lead to improved general health and a healthier society: greater academic achievement by our children, a more productive economy, and families that stay together.

May is Mental Health Month

The theme of this month is "Path to Wellness." For more information, to download the Intro and Media Tools kit, fact sheets, posters and electronic calendar, please visit the Mental Health Month America website. More posts will be coming, so stay tuned!

Taking action to improve our resilience

Why do some people recover quickly from traumatic experiences while others go in to a spiral of negative emotions and reduced functioning? Dr. Donald Meichenbaum, one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of the 20th century,  has some answers in his new book "Roadmap to Resilience: A Guide for Military, Trauma Victims and their Families." Dr. Meichenbaum outlines six different areas of resilience and provides ways that we all can boost ours. For example: exercising regularly, giving back and helping others, expressing gratitude, journal writing, establishing realistic expectations and more. You can find a large list of suggestions on this checklist from the Roadmap to Resilience website.

If you'd like to hear more from Dr. Meichenbaum about resilience, particularly after a trauma, you can hear an interview Todd Finnerty, Psy.D. did with him on the first ever Mental Health Day podcast. Dr. Meichenbaum describes post-traumatic growth and the six domains of resilience. He also talks about ways that you can I can improve our resilience in each area. Check out the podcast now.

Supporting Mental Health - Beyond Your Practice

Psychologists often support mental health through education, practice and research efforts within their job settings. However, there are numerous other ways to support positive mental health for individuals beyond the practice, research or education setting.


Here are some tips for supporting mental health beyond your practice:

1. Provide pro-bono work. 
This can include participating in prevention walks, doing volunteer work in the community, or being a resource for the media regarding psychological issues. For example, the Ohio Psychological Association and Central Ohio Psychological Association has co-sponsored a walking team for the Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walks in Central Ohio for the last 7 years. This year the walking team raised over  $1800 to support direct suicide prevention efforts in the Central Ohio area and prevention research nationally. 

2. Organize community programs.
Psychologists are often excellent resources for health awareness, and can provide community programming within schools, libraries, YMCA's, etc. that target specific psychology topics. One good example is the VA Mental Health Fair, which is held in May during Mental Health Month. Each year the CoSR assist with the organization of speakers and booths so that veterans can increase their awareness of community resources and mental health support networks.

3. Educate colleagues.
Psychologists are often aware of resources and social advocacy efforts that their colleagues are not. Sharing this information, whether through a blog (e.g., OPA Member Kevin Arnold, Ph.D.'s "The Older Dad" for Psychology Today), twitter posts (e.g., @DrFinnerty, @ohpsychassn, @marylewisphd, @stress_doc), or listservs, can educate and assist colleagues in better serving their clients. 

4. Be an advocate.
Advocacy in psychology is often seen in the legislative realm, and effectively communicating with legislators on positive mental health legislation is a crucial part of supporting mental health. However, advocacy does not just mean testifying at legislative hearings or signing petitions. Advocacy could include emailing legislators, making phone calls, attending OPA's Legislative Day, or sharing information about relevant legislation with others. 

In today's world, time is precious and limited; however, many of these activities do not require a significant commitment of time and may positively benefit someone's mental health in ways we do not realize.

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This mission of the Ohio Psychological Association Committee on Social Responsibility (CoSR) is to promote and coordinate the involvement of psychologists in programs and projects in the community, including advancing a social justice agenda by applying the science and practice of psychology to human welfare, as well as advocating for the fair treatment of Ohio residents through education, training and public policy.

October 7-13: Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) takes place October 7-13 and is an opportunity to learn more about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Mental illnesses are medical illnesses. 

One in four adults experiences a mental health problem in any given year. One in 17 lives with serious, chronic illness.  

On average, people living with serious mental illness live 25 years less than the rest of the population. One reason is that less than one-third of adults and less than one-half of children with a diagnosed illness receive treatment. 

When mental health care isn’t available in a community, the results often are lost jobs and careers, broken families, more homelessness, more welfare and much more expensive costs for hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes, schools, police and even courts, jails and prisons.

Learn more about mental illness support, education and advocacy at www.nami.org or the Ohio Psychological Association's website at www.ohpsych.org.

 

Healing Trauma's Invisible Wounds

Mental Health Month Raises Awareness of Trauma and Impact on Children, Families, Communities:
Healing the Invisible Wounds 

This May is Mental Health Month, the Ohio Psychological Association's Committee on Social Responsibility is raising awareness of trauma, the devastating impact it has on physical, emotional, and mental well-being, and how therapeutic techniques based in neuroscience can mitigate these effects and create dramatic changes in people’s lives.

A traumatic event—which threatens our lives, our safety or our personal integrity—can affect us profoundly.

“Most people think that “trauma” refers to physical trauma that occurs as a result of a car accident or assault,” said Kathleen Ashton, Ph.D., Psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “But it’s much more than that.”

Trauma includes:

• Interpersonal violence – such as abuse, rape, domestic violence, and bullying;
• Social violence — such as war, terrorism, and living under oppressive political regimes;
• Natural disasters and accidents — such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and auto crashes;
• Serving in combat;
• Chronic social stressors – such as racism, sexism, poverty, humiliation and cultural dislocation;
• Childhood trauma—including physical, emotional and sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect; a parent who’s an alcoholic or addicted to other drugs; a mother who’s been battered; a family member in prison or diagnosed with mental illness; and a loss of a parent through divorce or abandonment.

Trauma has tremendous human and societal costs. Trauma is the leading cause of the death of children in this country. The effect of trauma on productive life years lost exceeds that of any other disease. The economic cost of 50 million injuries in the year 2000, alone, was $406 billion. This includes estimates of $80 billion in medical care costs, and $326 billion in productivity losses. And the predicted cost to the health care system from interpersonal violence and abuse ranges between $333 billion and $750 billion annually, or nearly 17 to 37.5 percent of total health care expenditures.

“As a society, we are just beginning to deal with trauma—bringing it out of the shadows, finding new ways of healing its wounds, and casting off the shame that prevents trauma survivors from seeking help,” said Dr. Ashton.

When children or adults respond to these traumas with fear, horror and/or helplessness, the extreme stress is toxic to their brains and bodies, and overwhelms their ability to cope, Dr. Ashton said. While many people who experience a traumatic event are able to move on with their lives without lasting negative effects, others may have more difficulty managing their responses to trauma.

Unresolved trauma can manifest in many ways, including anxiety disorders, panic attacks, intrusive memories (flashbacks), obsessive-compulsive behaviors, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, addictions, self-injury and a variety of physical symptoms. Trauma increases health-risk behaviors such as overeating, smoking, drinking and risky sex. Trauma survivors can become perpetrators themselves.
Dr. Ashton said unaddressed trauma can significantly increase the risk of mental and substance use disorders, suicide, chronic physical ailments, as well as premature death.

Until recently, trauma survivors were largely unrecognized by the formal treatment system. The costs of trauma and its aftermath to victims and society were not well documented. Inadvertently, treatment systems may have frequently re-traumatized individuals and failed to understand the impact of traumatic experiences on general and mental health.

“Today, the causes of trauma—sexual abuse, violence in families and neighborhoods, and the impact of war, for example—are matters of public concern,” said Dr. Ashton. “But more needs to be done to recognize the devastating impact of trauma and successful approaches to treatment.

Many trauma survivors have formed self-help groups to heal together. Researchers have learned how trauma changes the brain and alters behavior.

A movement for trauma-informed care has emerged to ensure that trauma is recognized and treated and that survivors are not re-victimized when they seek care.

“It is critical that these efforts strengthened and we heal the invisible wounds of trauma,” Dr. Ashton said. “They are crucial to promoting the healthy development of children and healthy behaviors in families, schools and communities that reduce the likelihood of trauma.”

Mental Health Month was created more than 50 years by Mental Health America, to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all.

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With over 1,600 clinician, academic, affiliate and student members, the Ohio Psychological Association (OPA) is nationally recognized as one of the preeminent state psychological associations. A well-established leader within the field, OPA works hard to ensure the science and professions of psychology remain vital, relevant and at the forefront in Ohio.

Mental Health Blog Party

Mental health affects everyone and everything we do. Yet, mental health is a topic many don’t feel comfortable discussing. Join us on May 16, 2012, to spread the importance of good mental health and reduce its stigma.

How can you help people recognize the importance of good mental health, overcome stigma, and seek out professional mental health services when needed?

• Join APA on Wednesday, May 16, and publish a post on your blog about mental health’s importance, how we can diminish stigma, or the challenges of making lifestyle and behavior changes. Tell your story. Share your experience. Mental health affects everything we do. No matter what you regularly blog about, there’s a way to incorporate mental health.
• Follow @apahelpcenter on Twitter for updates about the blog party and mind/body health. If you want us to easily find your blog or tweet, use the hashtag #mhblogday
• Post an “I’m Blogging for Mental Health” 2012 badge on your blog and help proudly spread the word about the importance of mental health.

• We’ll update the APA blog throughout the day with highlights of what people are writing about and sharing. (Here’s our round-up of links from last year.)
• Share stories, tips, and personal experiences about mental health to reinforce the shared challenges we face when it comes to managing our overall health and wellness.
• Post a video on YouTube, talking about why mental health matters to you. Or maybe you’d like to upload photos to Flickr. Let us know what you’ve done, so we can share it with others.
• Get resources about mental health, mind/body health, and family well-being at:
  www.apa.org/helpcenter
  www.youtube.com/apahelpcenter
  http://www.ymca.net/healthy-family-home/
  http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov/index.html
  http://www.realwarriors.net/
  http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may
• Be a fan of the American Psychological Association on Facebook and share your post there.

Send us a message if you want to take part in it this year and help spread the word.

Event Background

Mental health: it’s the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your life. Having good mental health helps you make better decisions and deal with daily stressors at home, at work, and in your family. Sometimes, you may need help from a professional to take care of your mental health, especially if feelings or problems seem beyond your control.

Congress designated May as Mental Health Month in 1949 to illustrate the importance of mental health issues to the overall health and well-being of American citizens. On May 16, bloggers will come together for a Mental Health Month Blog Party to educate the public about mental health, decrease stigma about mental illness, and discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that promote overall health and wellness.

You can see some of the great blogs that contributed to this year’s event at our 2011 Mental Health Month Blog Party round-up.

If you want to trip down memory lane, here are the posts from the 2010 Mental Health Month Blog Day Party.

Some facts about mental health

• One in four Americans experiences a mental health disorder every year, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
• Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.
• Research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Vol. 41, No. 2) finds that 68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family and 58 percent do not want people with mental illness in their workplaces.