APA Blogs
80 Results
What Happens When You Quit, or at Least Really Cut Back, Your Social Media Use?
For many people, checking social media regularly and spending a lot of time on it is a part of everyday life. But what is the impact on your well-being if you just quit for a while, or at least significantly cut back? You’ll probably be at least a little bit better off, according to a couple of recent studies. Substantial research over the past few years has linked social media use with reduced well-being, sleep problems and increased loneliness, depression and mental distress.
Genetic Testing to Improve Psychiatric Medication Choice
Genetic testing is being marketed and used for a variety of different purposes, such as confirming or ruling out a suspected genetic condition or helping determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. It is also being marketed to improve the selection of medication for mental illness, such as depression. However, several recent expert reviews caution that while it holds much potential, the evidence does not yet show genetic testing is effective in improving psychiatric medication choices.
Support for Mental Health in the Workplace: Employee Perspective
An estimated one in five working age adults lives with a mental health condition, yet more than 60 percent do not receive treatment. When employees do receive effective treatment for mental illnesses, it also leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and decreased disability costs. Many companies are increasingly providing resources and programs to support employee mental health and well-being. So how do employees think their employers are doing with these efforts? That is the question addressed in a recent national survey of employees conducted by the Harris Poll for the American Heart Association.*
Choice and Control over Mental Health Services Can Lead to Better Outcomes
When people have some choice and control over their mental health care, they have better outcomes. That is the conclusion of a couple of recent studies looking at different aspects of choice in treatment and care.
Preventing Depression Among At-Risk Youth
Depression is common among adolescents worldwide, affecting an estimated 4–5 percent of adolescents each year. It can lead to serious social and educational difficulties and is also a major risk factor for suicide. Despite effective treatments, only about one in four youth with depression receive treatment. There are effective ways to prevent youth depression, yet few at-risk youths have access to prevention services.