by Margaret Pelleriti, DBHIDS Suicide Prevention Task Force What does it mean to have hope? Hope means a desire for things to change for the better, and to want that better situation very much. Hope carries us beyond the current hardship so that we may have a better future. In today’s world, it seems that hope can be hard to come by and this tends to be the case for anyone who has lost someone to suicide. My name is Margaret and several years ago, I lost my son Michael, [...]
If you’ve ever thought about beginning a gratitude journal, know that there’s no wrong way to do it. Studies suggest writing in a gratitude journal three times per week might have a greater impact on our well-being than journaling every day. The goal of the exercise is to think about a good event, experience, person, or thing in your life and allow yourself to enjoy the good emotions that come with it. Begin small. In your notebook, write three things you feel grateful about. It doesn’t need to be huge things; [...]
Researchers and public health experts continue to collect important data on children’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the full impact of pandemic mitigation measures on child/adolescent mental health may not be known for some time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in addition to pandemic-related stressors, there may be unintended consequences of public health efforts to effectively manage the pandemic, including reduced or modified access to places such as schools and clinical and community agencies where trained adult professionals are able to identify and [...]
by Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) As we approach the anniversary of the onset of COVID worldwide, people all over the world are experiencing a variety of emotions. As a result of COVID, most people have experienced isolation, stress, anxiety, and confusion at some point. Many have lost loved ones. Many others have lost their usual source of income. Reading and hearing about the number of deaths from COVID is distressing. Family and other relationships have [...]
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