Mental Health

In This Edition

From the Editors 👋 - Topic in Focus 🎯 - Popular on LinkedIn 🔥 - Featured 🔝 - Footnote 💡

From the Editors 👋

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Week, and Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, in this issue we focus on the impact of mental health on society. Join us as we explore how to maintain mental well-being so that each of us can make the best contribution in our personal and professional lives, improving the communities we are a part of. Do you have a personal story about the importance of mental health that you would like to contribute? Share it in the Comments section. 

We hope you enjoy reading as much we enjoyed creating the content.

Your "Beyond Science" Editorial Team 🙌

Nesrin, Victoria and Fabian

Topic in Focus 🎯

What is mental health? 

Mental health encompasses mental, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and it also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.  

Mental illness encompasses several conditions including but not limited to, depression, anxiety, dementia, addiction, as well as less common illnesses that can be more severe such as schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), having a severe mental illness reduces life expectancy 10-20 years, increases the risk of suicide, and the risk of experiencing human rights violations. Having a mental illness also impacts a person's ability to be productive, reach their full potential, be creative and innovative, and make meaningful contributions to society. This can significantly impact many facets of life, including financial success. 

In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated that almost 1 billion people were living with a mental disorder, and depression and anxiety were the most common. These two disorders increased 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic. with young people and women being the most affected by the social isolation. Males on the other hand, die by suicide at twice the rate of females, with males in high income countries having the highest suicide rates. 

Therefore, maintaining good mental well-being is crucial. Let’s delve into the factors that can improve mental health including: 

1. Healthy Relationships: Nurturing positive relationships with family, friends, and peers can provide support and promote mental well-being. 
2. Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Regular exercise, nutritious diet, adequate sleep, spending time in nature, and avoiding harmful substances like drugs and excessive alcohol can all contribute to good mental health. 
3. Stress Management: Learning how to cope with stress effectively is crucial. Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, hobbies, and evening having a pet can help manage stress. 
4. Seeking Support: It's essential to reach out for help when needed. This could involve talking to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional if you're struggling with your mental health. 
5. Self-Care: Taking time for yourself and engaging in activities that you enjoy and find fulfilling can boost your mood and overall mental well-being. 
6. Balancing Work and Life: Maintaining a healthy balance between work, personal life, and leisure activities is important for mental health. 
7. Professional Help: If you're experiencing persistent or severe mental health issues, seeking help from a mental health professional, such as a therapist or counsellor, can be incredibly beneficial. They can provide therapy, medication, or other treatments tailored to your needs. 

In times of rapid change and uncertainty, maintaining mental well-being is critical for a good quality of life and better coping with life's challenges. 

Popular on LinkedIn 🔥

• Dr. Tasnim Atatrah shared that WHO launched a digital health promoter empathic response (S.A.R.A.H.) that uses generative AI trained to provide information across major health topics, including mental health, to help people optimize their health and well-being. 
• Sara Schulting Kranz wrote about the importance of mental well-being for optimal performance, decision-making, and maintaining healthy interactions in the competitive business world. 
• Diane Lang provided 10 tips to improve mental health both at work and at home. 
• Pascale E. Nakhlé wrote about the signs to look for in order to address and support maternal mental well-being. 
• Nicolas Behbahani shared some data analytics that showed that organizations that support maternal mental health have a much greater chance of attracting and retaining female employees. 
• Natalie Schneider wrote about the value and importance of parental and caregiver roles in the child and adolescent mental health care crisis. 
• Wendy Norfleet wrote about ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and the experience of self-doubt in high achievers and leaders that can impact mental health and hinder effective leadership.  
• Susan J. Baumgaertel wrote about the impact of ageing on mental health in a society that predominantly values youth. 
• Oumaima Khouildi shared her latest research that highlighted that a connection to nature can have a positive effect on mental health. 
• Jeannette Ferran Astorga posted about the benefits of the human-animal bond in fostering mental health.  
• Sue Abderholden wrote about how people suffering from mental illness experience not stigma, but rather discrimination. 
• Khanyi Tshabalala wrote about enabling an integrated culture of well-being in organizations in order to destigmatize mental health challenges. 
• Matthew Milios shared a post from the Pew Charitable Trusts about the growing mental health crisis in the US.  
• Bertalan Meskó, wrote about the most common mental illness, anxiety, and how technology can both exacerbate and ameliorate mental health. 
• Jennifer Oaten wrote about how digital devices are impacting mental health and reducing attention spans in students. 

Featured 🔝

From the homeland of Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytic psychology, hails Dr. Anita Riecher-Rossler, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and Professora emerita of Psychiatry at the University of Basel , Switzerland. She has specialized in psychiatry, psychotherapy/psychoanalysis, consultation/liaison psychiatry, and geronto-psychiatry. She was the first woman to be appointed to a full chair for psychiatry in a German-speaking country. She wrote about what inspired her to go into the field of mental health, the importance of early detection and prevention, sex and gender influences on mental disorders, and a personalized approach for treatment of mental illnesses.

Social media has a definite impact on mental health, particularly for young people. Christiane Büttner, a psychology PhD candidate at the University of Basel in Switzerland, received the 21st Steven Karger Prize, awarded by the Faculty of Psychology, for her publication “Why didn’t you tag me?!: Social exclusion from Instagram posts hurts, especially those with a high need to belong” in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Learn more about the impact of this technology on mental health.

Footnote 💡

If you are in the field of psychotherapy and would like to submit a research paper, check out this Call for Papers on a mechanistic approach to psychotherapy.

In the field of psychiatry, we have a Call for Papers on biology, genomics, and epidemiology of mental health problems related to COVID-19.

The signs of mental illness can be difficult to spot, here is one example of how to check in on those that may be suffering in silence and become more aware from the Norwich City Football Club.

The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) has numerous additional resources for mental health eduction, including a HelpLine.

In this Researchpod podcast episode, Dr. Dianne Wepa , Associate Professor at Charles Darwin University in Australia, and Prof. Haaken Strand of the Charles Darwin University Faculty of Health discuss what is meant by wellbeing in different cultures, and when facing different challenges, be they personal, professional, or global.

In this Researchpod podcast episode, Dr. Jennifer Silk and Dr. Kiera James from University of Pittsburgh are talking about the use of social media and similar technologies, and their impact on the wellbeing of teen girls during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Below is a collection of research articles published in various Karger journals on the topic of "Mental Health".