Cases of burnout have been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years among millennials and Gen Zers. It’s a growing problem in today’s workplace because of trends like rising workloads, limited staff and resources and long hours.
a recent study by Mind Share Partners, Qualtrics and SAP reveals that half of millennials and 75% of Gen Zers have left a job for mental health reasons.
Another recent study, by the American Psychological Association, found the percentage of young adults experiencing certain types of mental health disorders has increased significantly in the past decade. In particular, the percentage of people dealing with suicidal thoughts increased 47 percent from 2008 to 2017.
Jean Twenge, author of iGen, a book about the effect technology has on this generation, says that “the rise of the smartphone and social media have at least something to do with it.”
But Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College, said that it’s not social media or young people’s fractured attention spans that are causing their anxiety; it is school itself.
What’s the link between smartphone use and teens’ mental health? Experts disagree, with some arguing that the threat is overblown. https://t.co/XXLDbYWt5k
The relationship between teens, screens and mental health is complex and multidirectional
Abby’s mom has sent her articles about research linking teen depression and suicide to screen use. A 2017 article in The Atlantic magazine — “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” — drew a link between negative trends in teens’ mental health and the rise of smartphones and social media.
The negative relationship between teens’ mental health and technology use is real — but tiny, the researchers found. “A teenager’s technology use can only predict less than 1% of variation in well-being. It’s so small that it’s surpassed by whether a teenager wears glasses to school.”
How to strike a balance? To start, try mentoring, not monitoring
Heitner’s work emphasizes a concept that’s also put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics in its guidelines for parents: media mentoring.
Look for the good in your kids’ media interests
For Benji, Minecraft is a social space where he plays with other kids and pulls pranks. He says he wishes his parents understood more about his screen use — “why it’s entertaining and why we want to do it. And also, for YouTube, why I watch other people playing games. When you watch sports, you’re watching another person playing a game! Why is it so different when you’re watching a person play a video game?”
Mental health of college students and Lee’s new book: “Delivering College Mental Health”
Join Bryan Alexander and Lee Keyes, executive director, Counseling Center at the University of Alabama, and author of Delivering Effective College Mental Health Services for an engaging live discussion on the future of mental health in higher education.
Bryan plans to ask Lee about unfolding trends in college student mental health and his thoughts around the rise in anxiety and stress. We will explore how universities are changing their approaches to student mental health and what roles technology may play in harming or helping psychological well-being.
What questions or thoughts do you have? Join and take part in the discussion!
Lee about “Mobile First” – like First Aid. Often by text and email. after Bryan asked how Adjuncts can deal with such situations, if
Counseling Centers need those additions.
Mobile First apps.
most crisis situations are a form of panic. if addressed quickly, one can prevent growing and turning into a major episode.
mindfulness can be different for the different type of issues of students.
libraries as the campus community center.
can be done on
conflation of immaturity and irresponsibility with stress and panic. Latter might be expressed in a way it is immature, but one has to meet them where they are, not judgement and denial, which will make it worse. Tough love will not help. Upholding classroom expectations and rules, but can be supportive at the same time. When pressed by time
Daniel Stanford De Paul. Cohort fundamentals of good teaching. instead of “fail safely”
In the mid-1990s, the first Global Burden of Disease study noted that of the top ten causes of disability worldwide, five were mental illnesses. Mental health researchers had little to offer at the time in terms of proven inexpensive treatments. But researchers since then have demonstrated that diseases such as depression and substance abuse can often be accurately identified and treated by community health workers with talk therapy.
It is estimated that 13% to 20% of children living in the United States has experienced a mental health disorder in the last year. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, one in five adolescents between 13 and 18 years old has or will have a serious mental illness, and suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24.
A nationwide shortage of school psychologists and counselors disproportionately affects these students as well, as they often attend more crowded, under-resourced schools, though they have the greatest need.
Some districts and universities are working to train staff to identify and, in some cases, assist students with mental illness on campus. Teachers21, a nonprofit subsidiary of William James College, a graduate college of psychology in Newton, Massachusetts, is working with classroom, school and district leaders and other school staff to build mental health treatment into their pedagogy. Trauma-informed teaching has become a popular concept, feeding into the idea of restorative justice
Most of these efforts — and a focus on social-emotional learning in general — are concentrated in elementary schools, and by the time a student reaches middle school, the emphasis begins to fizzle out. And by the time a student gets onto a college campus, efforts are all but non-existent, said Williams James President Nicholas Covino, who is a practicing psychologist.
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Report calls for national strategy to help schools prevent suicide, substance abuse
The Trust for America’s Health and the Well Being Trust created a joint policy paper that calls for a national strategy to improve childhood resilience and school responses to crises involving suicide, drugs and alcohol, District Administration reports.
The issue is relevant to schools, where students spend about half their year, because suicide is now the third leading cause of death in children ages 10 to 14, and more than 1 million middle school and high school age students have a substance abuse disorder, the authors note.
The policy paper details four main areas of concern that need to be addressed on the school level: the need to partner with community-based organizations, such as Communities that Care; the need to improve school climate through such programs as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS); the need for proactive screening for mental health risk factors and potential substance abuse; and increased staffing of mental health workers and training of teachers.
In a time of growing and increasingly complex challenges, too many top administrators, leadership teams and boards are focusing on tactics rather than strategy
how should presidents begin to think strategically about the content and the pedagogy of the education their institutions will offer going forward? How should they lead their institutions to take concrete steps to eliminate systemic inequities on their campuses? How can they facilitate a commitment to combat racism not only on their campuses but also in their local communities and beyond? How can they manage all this as many face daily threats to their institution’s financial health?
Some of the presidents with whom I talked, along with several trustees and faculty members, have inspired the following suggestions for how at least some campus leaders may begin to think about the future.
Move even more online.
Rethink goals in light of demographic realities, concerns about costs and shifting student interests.
Reconceptualize and streamline institutional structures to better serve faculty and student realities.
Consolidate student support services.
Embrace the virtue of the out-of-doors.
Budget for mission, with long-term strategies in mind.
Address systemic racism, sexism, homophobia and other biases.
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Responding to Susan Resneck Pierce’s excellent Views piece, “Beyond Incrementalism.”
Well-being is more than just living a healthy lifestyle. It is the complex combination of your physical, mental, emotional, and social health factors. Women often focus on the needs of those around them first, putting their own well-being on the back burner. This can result in a range of health issues – both physical and mental.
During this webinar, three experts will provide guidance to help you improve your overall well-being:
– 5 Easy Strategies to Boost Your Happiness at Work – Presented by Shelly Ryan, WHEN BEING and CAREER Advisor®, WHEN Manager
– Well-Being in the Workplace and at Home – Presented by Nancy Friedman, PsyD, Chief Being Officer
– What is Well-Being
The Key Elements of Well-Being
How Well-Being Impacts Your Life
4 Key Tools Proven to Increase Your Well-Being
– Healthy Living and Well-Being – The Art of Loving and Caring for Yourself – Elaine Stewart, ND, WHEN Chief Health Officer
– Finding Your WHEN® – Lisa Miller, VP of Strategic Development & Partner Liaison