mental health

Every night, I—like millions of others—put on a noise machine to help me sleep. Mine offers several types of noise: white, pink, green, and brown. I’ve noticed something strange, though. After about 30 minutes of the noise pumping into my head, I start to hear things. Sometimes it’s music, like a full orchestral score. Other times it’s people having a conversation just out of the range where I’d hear actual words. Occasionally, it sounds like my husband playing a video game.So I do what most people would do when a random…

Wyatt Flores can pinpoint the exact moment he says the party ended in country music. After a decade-plus of tailgating, beer-drinking songs clogging up playlists, the pandemic struck and forced artists and fans alike indoors with their thoughts. And shit got real, fast. “They got trapped inside of wherever they were and they had a lot of time to sit down and think, and that flustered up their minds,” Flores says. “People felt emotions that they hadn’t felt before.” Emotional songwriting just happened to be…

Virginia high school teacher Joe Clement keeps track of the text messages parents have sent students sitting in his economics and government classes:— “What did you get on your test?” — “Did you get the field trip form signed?” — “Do you want chicken or hamburgers for dinner tonight?”Clement has a plea for parents: Stop texting your kids at school.Parents are distressingly aware of the distractions and the mental health issues associated with smartphones and social media. But teachers say parents might not realize how…

Research reveals that disturbances in sleep and internal body clocks significantly contribute to psychiatric disorders, suggesting that integrative treatments focusing on sleep-circadian health could innovate mental health care, especially for vulnerable young populations.Difficulties with sleep and our internal biological clocks may initiate or exacerbate a variety of mental health issues, according to a new review of recent research evidence.The review, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of…

Maternal mental health is a critical, under-recognized factor in the rising maternal mortality rates in the United States, with conditions such as depression and overdose significantly contributing to new mothers’ deaths. Immediate action is required to prioritize and address maternal mental health in healthcare policies.Policy changes, resources essential to reverse public health crisis driving “demise of mothers.”Painting a sobering picture, a research team led by Children’s National Hospital culled years of data…

Colorado’s legal psychedelic therapy industry is beginning to take shape as regulators recently unveiled the first rules regarding facilitator education, training and licensure. In late February, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released a draft of these rules, which was informed by recommendations from the 15-member Natural Medicine Advisory Board, The board spent the better part of a year researching and discussing what they think are best practices for facilitators — the people who guide or advise people…

New Delhi: The Union government has taken note of the growing addiction to online gaming, and has decided…

In a video posted on TikTok, Fort Collins resident Rachel Pastor outlines the key ways to benefit from microdosing with psilocybin. Take care of your physical body, she says, and be sure to set an intention when taking the substance. Have a consistent microdosing routine and, most importantly, make time to reflect on the experience and apply any lessons learned to other aspects of life. Pastor’s video, which has been viewed more than 10,000 times, is like many others on the social media platform that tout the benefits of…

Maybe you’ve seen the ads on social media: “Crush depression with Animal Crossing”; “Meet with a therapist while playing Stardew Valley.”Advertisements for Hero Journey Club’s gamer-focused mental health support groups have flooded the internet in recent months, drawing a mix of skepticism and enthusiastic intrigue from those who have been targeted by them. “Struggling with loneliness? Come join us,” the ads beckon. For some people who already turn to video games as an antidote to the difficulties of everyday life, Hero…

For a place with a reputation for buttoned-up stoicism, Britain is remarkably open about mental health. The British are more likely than people in any other rich country to think that mental illness is a disease like any other. Only the Swedes are more accepting of the idea that a history of mental-health problems should not disqualify someone from public office. The importance of good mental health is a cause vigorously championed by everyone from the Princess of Wales to the opposition…