Have you been wondering how you can obtain mental health services for yourself or others? A web search for the words “professional care for mental health”, though can yield a plethora of results making the world of mental health services particularly difficult to navigate. Here are a few tips, to get you on the road to finding the appropriate support you or your loved ones may need: Look up your local hospital’s website and search for doctors who specialize in Psychology and/or Psychiatry –...

Thanks, Lakshmi, for this useful post. Very helpful!

The author James Baldwin states that “an identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or when the stranger enters the gates, never, after that, to be a stranger: the stranger’s presence making you the stranger, less to the stranger than to yourself” (Baldwin, 1976 p.537). The quote by Baldwin emphasizes the importance for people to be cognizant and confident of their distinctiveness and the multiplicity of identities...

September is Healthy Aging Month, the month recognized to promote ways people can stay physically, mentally, and socially healthy as they age. The National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging observed significant increases of mental health conditions in older people, disproportionately affected by loneliness, social isolation, and loss. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief, in 2020 approximately 25-30% of older adults (1 in 4) reported increased anxiety and depressive...

(Note: Today I’ll be talking about suicide, which can be a really painful topic. I’ll be focusing on suicide prevention.) September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Prevention means doing something before the crisis happens. We’ve talked about all sorts of ways to manage stress and be SAFER ( S leep, be A ware of your stress levels, F ocus on positives and gratitude, E at well and drink water, R each out to talk to someone)—these are all ways to reduce the risk of emotional distress and...

The pandemic and its aftermath have brought about new and intensified stressors for many people. Coping strategies that have worked in the past might not be as effective in the current situation. Self-assessment and self-care are essential in times like these. Here are some steps you can take to address these challenges: Self-Assessment: Take time to reflect on your current state of well-being and baseline resilience. Ask yourself how you're feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Agriculture can be filled with unique stresses, from fluctuating market prices to unpredictable weather events. As a result of these unique stressors, it's no surprise that agricultural communities have experienced increases in mental health challenges and suicide. Here to Help NM is an innovative initiative resulting from a collaborative partnership between the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico State University, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to help farmers and...

This is an excellent video! Thank you to "Here to Help NM" for such a thoughtful product. I hope we all keep growing our mental health resources for farmers and ranchers.

I tend to closely monitor the statistics on the number of mental health providers per capital in each state, particularly the Midwest states. According to Mental Health America (Reinert, Fritze, & Nguyen, 2021) most of the Midwestern states tend to fall in the bottom half of this state-by-state ranking. This means the need for mental health care is rapidly overtaking the workforce’s ability to provide it. So how can Extension bridge this gap? To be honest there is little we can do to...

Have you ever stopped to think about the power of saying "thank you"? Gratitude is more than just good manners. It's a science! Explore the fascinating world of gratitude and how it can affect your brain and life. So what is gratitude? Gratitude is that feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in our lives. Recognizing when something good is happening can have a measurable impact on our brains when we articulate it to ourselves or others. Let's learn how gratitude works...

What is mental health stigma? Are there different types of mental health stigmas? Are you aware of the specific type of mental health stigma you experience and its potential impact on you? Kalichman (2019) defines mental health stigma as “the disgrace, social disapproval, or social discrediting of individuals with a mental health problems.” Additionally, research has identified four types of mental health-related stigma (Subu et al., 2021), Self-stigma – Often referred to as internalized...

Well darn--I made a mistake scheduling this blog post so we missed the day: March 2nd is World Teen Mental Wellness Day. However, I have been trying to celebrate mistakes and not let good work go to waste over something small like a deadline. And now I know you have to hit "publish" to schedule your upcoming posts! Read on to learn about World Teen Mental Wellness Day...in preparation for next year! World Teen Mental Wellness Day was established in 2020 to bring awareness and attention to...

Guest pot by Jane Schuchardt, Executive Director (ret.), Extension Committee on Organization and Policy What do you do when your handsome, talented, and accomplished son in his early 20s, one you thought you had a close relationship with, suddenly pulls away, acts in ways that seem out of the ordinary, causes you immense concern? Seek help — someone who will listen without judgment, skillfully take you down a path of discovering insights and ways of coping, and walk beside you to celebrate...

As concerns about mental health and substance use continue to rise, yet the challenges of navigating mental health treatment access persist, many workplaces want new or expanded resources to support their employees’ mental health and well-being. Employers increasingly recognize the impact that mental health and substance use can have on employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention, but also struggle to foster recovery-friendly workplace cultures. In a comprehensive needs assessment...

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines Individual trauma as resulting from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. (SAMHSA, 2022). Sundborg (2019) describes that the purpose of a trauma-informed care approach is to...

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Community of Practice (MHWB CoP) had a significant presence at the 2024 National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) in Greenville, NC, held from May 13-15. Both presentations submitted were accepted and received strong engagement at the conference. A team comprising Jennifer Park-Mroch, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin Madison), Bobbie Jo Bensaid, M.A. (Mississippi State University), and Calandra Lindstadt, Ph.D. (Colorado State University), with assistance from...

September is Suicide Prevention Month . If you suspect someone may be considering suicide, watch for signs such as substance abuse, frequent discussions about death, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, impulsive or destructive behavior, changes in sleeping and eating habits, excessive shame or guilt, intense emotional swings, withdrawal from daily routines, unexplained disappearances, or changes in communication patterns. As a parent,...