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About Janine Monico

Janine Monico is a digital marketing consultant who has managed the Healthy Minds Philly initiative website since 2015.

It’s Not Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder

Daylight saving time is coming fast. If you are like many, the thought of an extra hour of sleep seems glorious. Plus, the fall brings pretty colors, fun holidays, crisp air, and pumpkin spice lattes. For others, fall brings with it feelings of depression—seasonal depression. This type of depression is called seasonal affective disorder or SAD - a type of depression that happens seasonally. Its symptoms usually last through fall and winter, about four to five months each year. For some individuals, SAD occurs in summer. However, this is not [...]

2023-11-01T08:31:18-04:00November 1st, 2023|Depression, Mental Health|
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LGBTQIA+ Ancestors

LGBTQIA+ ancestors inspire and encourage Queer people. LGBTQIA+ communities need this inspiration and encouragement, as they suffer higher rates of mental illness, often brought on by discrimination and oppression not impacting other straight and cisgender individuals.   LGBTQIA+ ancestors can be activists who won rights and freedoms—and still fight that fight—for this community. They are a noble part of the history of LGBTQIA+ rights. The community also takes inspiration from the history of great Queer artists. William Shakespeare, who is known as the English language’s greatest playwright, wrote 126 love poems [...]

2023-10-26T12:38:18-04:00October 16th, 2023|LGBTQIA|
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The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Mental Health

In a time where we have near instant connections with people, it’s strange to think that as a society, some have never been lonelier. Loneliness is a subjective emotional state, often resulting from social isolation and lack of social connections, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Loneliness and social isolation can negatively impact mental and physical health. Some of these effects include depression, decreased quality of sleep, poor cardiovascular health, and decreased brain health or cognitive functioning. Among older adults, chronic loneliness and social isolation are [...]

2023-10-03T11:49:24-04:00October 3rd, 2023|Depression|
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Need to Know for Women: Behavioral Health Screenings

In recent decades, women’s mental health has been on a decline. Nearly 1 in 5 women have a common mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. In addition, 53 percent of women experiencing a mental health challenge have experienced abuse. However, many of us are often unable to find and access appropriate resources during a mental health crisis. This is particularly alarming since 36 percent of women who have experienced extensive physical and sexual violence have attempted suicide and 22 percent have self-harmed.   Behavioral health screenings are one of [...]

2023-09-18T09:28:19-04:00September 18th, 2023|Women's Health|
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Healthy Minds Philly is an initiative of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, City of Philadelphia

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