Posted on December 9, 2020
HuffPost
While many people look forward to the holiday months, the “most wonderful time of the year” does not come without its fair share of stressful situations. From family to finances, this season can trigger anxiousness for some people, and exacerbate existing mental health issues. “Holidays are usually a hard time for some people, and part of that is the expectations and advertisement of these idyllic happy families. [This year] you have a higher amount of anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use that’s happening even before the holidays begin,” Ken Duckworth, CMO at NAMI, told HuffPost. Duckworth said that people tend to become more anxious with unknowns, because that’s the “body’s response to uncertainty.” Notably, a main concern experts share is that more people will be socially distancing or quarantining during this typically celebratory season, contributing to greater feelings of isolation. “I think of resilience as coping strategies and strengths that you already have to overcome adversity. The ability to withstand stress is a kind of resilience,” Duckworth said. “You may experience more anxiety, more isolation, more sadness. Those things are true, but what can you do to work against them?” Of course, resilience looks different for every individual. It’s invaluable to cultivate feelings of social connectedness whether through joining online support groups, attending virtual gatherings, or even finding ways to be in nature.
READ MOREPosted on December 9, 2020
Today.com
Ben Smith admitted that being "intentional and aggressive" with therapy has helped him recover after his attempts in 2018 and 2019. When Ben Smith went on his first one-on-one date with "Bachelorette" Tayshia Adams, he revealed that he attempted suicide. While he admitted he shared a lot on the date, mental health experts applaud his willingness to talk about his experience with suicide. That’s why talking about suicidal thoughts and normalizing them can be so powerful. Dr. Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI, believes that Smith’s candor will empower many viewers who have had suicidal thoughts or made attempts, have eating disorders or feel overwhelmed. “The more you can normalize these common human problems, the better it is for people to feel less ashamed and more likely to reach out, to get help, to get connected and participate in a coping program to deal with this as opposed to hiding and silence and shame,” Duckworth told TODAY. “Many of the viewers watching will identify.” Duckworth said Smith sets a powerful example for others. “It’s inspiring for people to see someone actively owning their vulnerability and working to improve their coping,” he said. And, Smith’s experience shows people who attempted suicide recover and live full, happy lives. “Mental health treatment is often effective,” Duckworth said. “It's important to recognize that this is a moment of tremendous pain when people make this decision and this does not have to be the entire future of your life. This is a good example of that. So, this is a person who is on national TV, enjoying his dating life, owning his vulnerability.”
READ MOREPosted on December 3, 2020
TIME
The TIME100 Video series on mental health includes conversations with advocates and thought leaders in the mental health field including Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO of NAMI; Taraji P. Henson and Tracie Jenkins, Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation; and Matthew McConaughey.
READ MOREPosted on November 30, 2020
Boston Public Radio
Dr. Ken Duckworth, CMO at NAMI talked about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health during the holiday season, fielding questions and comments from listeners.
READ MOREPosted on November 13, 2020
Washington Post
Like many others experiencing heightened struggles with mental health amid a turbulent year, Liu found the support she needed through teletherapy. The alternative to traditional in-person sessions has emerged as a critical resource during the pandemic, experts say, helping to reduce barriers to mental health treatment that previously may have deterred people from getting help. “I think of [teletherapy] as a dusty dirt road that no one wanted to take that is now a 16-lane highway,” said Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI. And with experts anticipating that the demand for mental health support will only keep rising even when the pandemic is over, teletherapy is probably here to stay, they say. “This is a ball rolling down a hill,” Duckworth said. “It’s got a lot of momentum. It would take something material to stop it.” But while providers and people in need of support have been buoyed by the positive impacts of teletherapy on mental health care, what those virtual services will look like in the post-covid-19 era remains “a big unknown,” Duckworth said.
READ MOREPosted on November 12, 2020
The New York Times
The social isolation of the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many Americans. But the impact has been especially severe on teenagers, who rely on their friends to navigate the maze and pressures of high school life. A recent study of 3,300 high school students found that nearly one-third reported feeling unhappy or depressed in recent months. Since the start of the pandemic, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has heard from many young adults experiencing anxiety and depression, which the organization attributes partly to social isolation. The group has cautioned parents and teachers to look for warning signs, including severe risk-taking behavior, significant weight loss, excessive use of drugs or alcohol and drastic changes in mood. And whenever possible, teenagers need to see their friends. “Kids need time to be kids again without thinking about all the worries going on in the world,” said Jennifer Rothman, senior manager of youth and young adult initiatives at NAMI.
READ MOREPosted on November 3, 2020
Discover Magazine
COVID-19 is depressing enough, but mental health experts expect to see a rise in seasonal affective disorder (SAD), too. The article provides tips on how to cope. Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI, explains that seasonal affective disorder is now classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a subset of major depression, officially known as “major depression disorder with a seasonal pattern.” Moreover, the effects of SAD tend to go away once the seasons change. Duckworth says this is unusual, as most triggers for depression such as loss of a loved one or stress tend to be unpredictable and harder to control. “If you have noticed that you have a persistent pattern of struggling in November, December, or January, and you live in a northern climate that’s light on sunshine, that is a pattern that is likely to repeat,” Duckworth says. “There’s not that many psychiatric conditions that you know when the trigger is coming.” Duckworth notes one treatment that is uniquely suited to treating SAD is light therapy, where people use light boxes to replicate the impact that sunlight has on the human body.
READ MOREPosted on October 29, 2020
NPR
Rulennis knew that her brother was in crisis and that he needed psychiatric care. Laws in Pennsylvania and many other states make it difficult for a family to get psychiatric care for someone who doesn't want it; it can only be imposed on the person if he or she poses an immediate threat, says Angela Kimball, national director of advocacy and public policy at NAMI. "Law enforcement comes in and exerts a threatening posture," Kimball says. "For most people, that causes them to be subdued. But if you're experiencing a mental illness, that only escalates the situation." People who have a family member with mental illness should learn what local resources are available and plan for a crisis, Kimball advises. But she acknowledges that many of the services she frequently recommends, such as crisis hotlines or special response teams for mental health, aren't available in most parts of the country. "Dialing 911 will accelerate a response by emergency personnel, most often police," she says. "This option should be used for extreme crisis situations that require immediate intervention. These first responders may or may not be appropriately trained and experienced in de-escalating psychiatric emergencies." The National Alliance on Mental Illness continues to advocate for more resources for families dealing with a mental health crisis.
READ MOREPosted on October 28, 2020
USA Today
The fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., 27, in Philadelphia is raising questions about what the officers involved were told before arriving at Wallace's home and whether police officers should respond to mental health crises. About 2,700 of the nation's roughly 18,000 police departments have some or all of their officers go through crisis intervention training (CIT), known as the "Memphis model," which aims to help police recognize mental health problems and get people to treatment, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Angela Kimball, national director of advocacy and public policy at NAMI, said the U.S. needs to focus on intervening further upstream. "When you look at the lack of access to mental health care, it’s clear that that is contributing to people experiencing crises — many of which are inherently avoidable if you get people the right care at the right time," Kimball said. "We shouldn’t wait until somebody is experiencing a crisis. It’s not good for the person. It’s not good for their family. It's not good for the community. And it’s not the job law enforcement signed up for."
READ MOREPosted on October 28, 2020
ABC News
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the stay-at-home measures and disruptions to daily life that aimed to slow the spread of the virus and save lives led many public health specialists to worry that the nation also could see an uptick in suicides, drug overdoses and domestic violence. Nine months later, those grim predictions look like they're coming true. "There is a mental health wave to this pandemic," Dr. Ken Duckworth, CMO of NAMI, told ABC News. "We as a species don't do well with uncertainty." People age 18 to 25 may be the most affected group, Duckworth explained. "We need to take a look at the age impact," Duckworth added. "In the age where identity is developed, young adults are missing college." "This pandemic isn't going anywhere," Duckworth said. "My advice is: Lower expectations, stay connected with people, reach out for professional help when needed, don't skip your flu shot and remain physically active."
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NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).