Study highlight the importance of understanding associations between PTSD and interpersonal functioning among firefighters. PTSD can affect people who personally experience the traumatic event, those who witness the event, or those who pick up the pieces afterwards, such as emergency workers and law enforcement officers.
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Speaker Aims to Improve Mental Health Access for Older Adults
An estimated one in four older adults experiences a mental health condition, including depression, anxiety and substance use disorder, and individuals age 85 or older had the highest suicide rate in 2020, according to the committee. The opioid epidemic has also severely burdened older Americans. Almost 80,000 older adults died from an opioid overdose between 1999 and 2019.
Stress as a risk factor in older adults can be mitigated with intervention
Researchers found, on average, participants who reported more stress in their lives experienced a steeper decline in functional health over three years, and that link between stress and functional health decline was stronger for chronologically older participants.
However, subjective age seemed to provide a protective buffer. Among people who felt younger than their chronological age, the link between stress and declines in functional health was weaker. That protective effect was strongest among the oldest participants.
Depression on the rise for millennials
According to one national report, major depression is rising at a faster rate for millennials and teens compared with any other age group. In fact, over the past decade millennials have seen a 47% increase in major-depression diagnoses.
Many people thrive following mental health interventions
New research reports that many people who have suffered from mental illness are able to thrive and lead a high-functioning life. This new study compared the mental health conditions tracked in the survey and other data associated with each participant’s quality of life, including their social relationships, positive emotions, perceived quality of life, and functioning (ability to fulfill life roles).
Caregivers focus on positive emotions to reduce anxiety and depression
Caring for family members with dementia — which is on the rise in the U.S. — causes significant emotional and physical stress that increases caregivers’ risk of depression, anxiety and death. A method presented in one study for coping with that stress by teaching people how to focus on positive emotions reduced their anxiety and depression after six weeks. It also resulted in better self-reported physical health and positive attitudes toward caregiving.