Tag: anxiety

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How to take the anxiety out of children’s news consumption

How to take the anxiety out of children's news consumption

As a new report shows young people are anxious about world events, Lindsay Nadin andHelen Care set out some tips for supporting interest while reducing worries

As a new report shows young people are anxious about world events, Lindsay Nadin andHelen Care set out some tips for supporting interest while reducing worries

Lindsay Nadin

Director of primary, Pearson

Dr Helen Care

Clinical psychologist and founder, A Confident Start

31 Jul 2022, 5:00


Our new Pearson School Report, shaped by the views of almost 7,000 teachers in England, reminds us all that schools do not operate in isolation. They are very much microcosms of the wider world, affected by broader global events themselves and by how they are represented in the news. And in an age when young people have access to social media, this is increasingly impacting on them and their expectations.

Teachers in both primary and secondary schools across the country have told us they’ve seen a rise not just in pupils’ awareness but in their levels of anxiety over this past year. Issues like the invasion of Ukraine, Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change are among the causes. So too is worry about their own and their peers’ mental health. And the summer break is unlikely to ease things; Pupils will return in September just as a new prime minister is announced.

There is clearly risk here, but also opportunity. In their efforts to develop active citizens, schools will want to harness their learners’ interest in emerging issues. But they need to do so sensitively in order to manage their anxiety at the same time.

So this year we’ve supplemented our work on the school report with some additional free resources founded in clinical psychology. Here are some of our top tips for striking this difficult balance.

Approach topics openly and honestly

As the Pearson report shows, today’s learners are curious and care about what’s happening in the world. Many are accessing information through social media platforms – which are great for raising awareness and facilitating conversation but can also drive up anxiety by disseminating unhelpful information or misinformation.

It is therefore important not to try and pretend things aren’t happening or to lie to your pupils. When broaching these subjects, focus on providing the facts honestly, in a neutral way and tailoring them to your learners’ developmental age.

Allow children and young people to bring their issues to the fore too. If they feel they are being shut down or are unheard, they may be confused or angry. If it is not appropriate to talk about the issue at that time, it is OK to say so. But try to always provide an alternative opportunity for them to be open about their worries.

Avoid overwhelming them

Not all children will be at the same level of awareness or capacity to cope with these global issues.  So it may be useful to provide opportunities for choice about how much they are engaged in discussions. For example:

  • Allow pupils to remove themselves from conversations without judgment if it becomes too much.
  • Start small and provide space for greater discussion out of normal class time, like in a lunchtime focus group.
  • To avoid anxiety overwhelming information, contain discussions to certain specific times like when a member of staff is available to support discussion. All queries or outside of those times can then be directed back to that opportunity.

Empower action

Young people are not apathetic. They are engaged, interested and want to make change.

We know that a lot of anxiety about global events is driven or exacerbated by a sense of lack of influence and control. Helping young people channel their interest and engagement in practical action is key.

Think about fundraising and partnering with local charities or organisations who are practically involved in these issues. You could appoint student ‘champion’ groups who can be supported to read up, find out facts, present assemblies or reports in school newsletters and run campaigns at school.

Some schools have done wonders to welcome refugees this year. When such direct involvement isn’t possible, the simple act of sending letters or messages of support can be very powerful.

Being part of the solution, even in the smallest way, makes a difference. We always feel better if we feel we are trying. And it’s the cumulative effect of all these small acts that results in big changes in the end.

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Anxiety in America: COVID ‘Takes a Backseat’ to Global Events

Anxiety in America: COVID 'Takes a Backseat' to Global Events

With two years of COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, anxiety among US adults has turned instead toward global events, results from the annual Healthy Minds Poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) show.

“It’s not surprising that recent events, such as the war in Ukraine, racially motivated mass shootings, or the impacts of climate change, are weighing heavily on Americans’ minds,” APA President Vivian Pender, MD, said in a news release. 

“COVID-19 in a way has taken a backseat, but the pandemic and its mental health effects are very much still with us. It’s important that we are cognizant of that and continue to work to ensure people who need psychiatric care, whether the causes are tied to the pandemic or to other issues, can access it,” Pender added.

Results from this year’s poll were released yesterday during the APA 2022 Annual Meeting.

Record Low COVID Anxiety

The poll was conducted by Morning Consult between April 23-24 and included 2210 adult participants.  

Results showed that anxiety about COVID is at its recorded lowest, with 50% of respondents indicating they are anxious about the pandemic. This was down from 65% in 2021 and from 75% in 2020.

Instead, nearly three quarters (73%) of adults are somewhat or extremely anxious about current events happening around the world, 64% are anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe, and 60% worry about their health in general.

Overall, about one third (32%) reported being more anxious now than last year, 46% reported no change in their anxiety level, and 18% were less anxious.

About one quarter (26%) have spoken with a mental healthcare professional in the past few years, which is down from 34% in 2021. In addition, Hispanic (36%) and Black (35%) adults were more likely to have reached out for help than White (25%) adults.

Despite the US Surgeon General’s recent advisory on the mental health crisis among children, the poll results also showed that Americans are less concerned about their children’s mental health than last year. A total of 41% of parents expressed concern about this topic, which was down from 53% in 2021.

Still, 40% of parents said their children had received help from a mental health professional since the pandemic hit. Of that group, 36% sought help before the pandemic, whereas half said the pandemic had caused mental health issues for their children.

“While the overall level of concern has dropped, still 4 in 10 parents are worried about how their children are doing, and a third are having issues with access to care,” Saul Levin, MD, CEO and medical director of the APA, said in the release.

“This is unacceptable and as a nation, we need to invest in the kind of systems that will ensure any parent who’s worried about their child has access to lifesaving treatment,” Levin added.

Workplace Mental Health

In addition, the poll showed employees often have a tough time getting mental health support from employers, or are hesitant to ask for help.

“What’s troubling about the results of this poll is that even as the pandemic has continued and its mental health effects wear on, fewer employees are reporting that they have access to mental health services,” Pender said. 

“Workplaces need to ensure that they are paying attention to what their employees need, particularly now, and moving away from mental health benefits isn’t the right move,” she added.

About half (48%) of those polled said they can discuss mental health openly and honestly with their supervisor, down from 56% in 2021 and 62% in 2020.

Only about half (52%) said they feel comfortable using mental health services with their current employer, compared with 64% in 2021 and 67% in 2020.

In addition, fewer workers felt their employer is offering sufficient mental health resources and benefits. This year, 53% of workers thought resources and benefits were adequate, which was down from 65% in 2021 and 68% in 2020.

“It’s quite concerning to see that fewer people feel comfortable discussing mental health with a supervisor, at a time when people experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other conditions are on the rise and impact nearly every aspect of work, including productivity, performance, retention, and overall healthcare costs,” Darcy Gruttadaro, JD, director of the APA Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health, said.

“As rates of these conditions rise, we should see more employees knowing about available workplace mental health resources, not less,” Gruttadaro says.

Strong Bipartisan Support 

Perhaps unexpectedly, the poll shows strong support among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents for three APA-backed approaches to improve timely access to mental health care and treatment.

Specifically, about three quarters of those polled support:

  • making it easier to see a mental health professional via telehealth,

  • allowing patients to receive mental health care through a primary care provider,  

  • funding mental health care professionals to work in rural or urban communities that are traditionally underserved.

“We’re in a moment when mental health is a big part of the national conversation, and clearly political party doesn’t matter as much on this issue,” Pender noted. 

“It’s a rare thing in Washington these days to see such a resounding endorsement, but there is strong support for these practical workable solutions that mean more access to mental health care,” she said.

“What you see in this poll is agreement: it’s hard to access mental [health care] but we do have great solutions that could work across party lines,” Levin added.

“Many policymakers, in the administration and in Congress, are already putting these ideas into action, and they should feel encouraged that the public wants to see Congress act on them,” he said.

American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2022 Annual Meeting. Released May 22, 2022.

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After Two Years of COVID-19, Americans’ Anxiety Turns to Global Events, Says APA Annual Mental Health Poll

Children’s Mental Health Also a Top Concern

NEW ORLEANS, May 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — According to the annual Healthy Minds Poll from the American Psychiatric Association, adults’ anxiety about COVID-19 is at its recorded lowest, with 50% indicating they’re anxious about it, down from 65% in 2021 and 75% in 2020. Instead, adults say they are somewhat or extremely anxious about current events happening around the world (73%), keeping themselves or their families safe (64%), or their health generally (60%).   

Overall, about a third of Americans (32%) said they were more anxious than last year, 46% said their level of anxiety was about the same, and 18% were less anxious. One-quarter (26%) indicated they had talked with a mental health care professional in the past few years, down from 34% in 2021. Hispanic (36%) and Black (35%) adults were more likely to have done so than white (25%) adults.  

The poll, conducted by Morning Consult between April 23 and 24, 2022, was among a sample of 2,210 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, age, race, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full study have a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.  

“It’s not surprising that recent events, such as the war in Ukraine, racially motivated mass shootings or the impacts of climate change, are weighing heavily on Americans’ minds,” said APA President Vivian Pender, M.D. “COVID-19 in a way has taken a back-seat, but the pandemic and its mental health effects are very much still with us. It’s important that we are cognizant of that and continue to work to ensure people who need psychiatric care, whether the causes are tied to the pandemic or to other issues, can access it.”  

Despite the backdrop of the Surgeon General’s recent advisory, Americans were less concerned about their children’s mental health than last year, with 41% of parents saying their children’s mental state concerned them this year compared to 53% saying so in 2021.  

Meanwhile, 40% of parents reported their children had received help from a mental health professional since the pandemic began. Of that group, 36% reported that they had sought help before the pandemic, and 50% indicated the pandemic had caused problems for their children’s mental health. A third of the group indicated they had encountered difficulties scheduling mental health care appointments for their children.  

“While the overall level of concern has dropped, still four in 10 parents are worried about how their children are doing, and a third are having issues with access to care,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “This is unacceptable and as a nation, we need to invest in the kind of systems that will ensure any parent who’s worried about their child has access to lifesaving treatment.”  

See other Healthy Minds Poll results on workplace mental health and government support. 

For a copy of the poll results, contact [email protected]. 

American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.

SOURCE American Psychiatric Association

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Extreme climate events may lead to anxiety, depression: Report

Extreme climate events may lead to anxiety, depression: Report

New Delhi, March 1

Extreme climate conditions can cause mental health issues like anxiety, depression, acute traumatic stress and sleep problems ranging from mild to severe, which may even require hospitalisation, stated the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change.

The report titled ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability’, released on Monday, warned that a wide range of climatic events and conditions would have detrimental impact on mental health.

“The pathways through which climatic events affect mental health are varied and complex and are interconnected with other non-climatic influences that create vulnerability. The climatic exposure may be direct, such as experiencing an extreme weather event or prolonged high temperatures, or indirect, such as mental health consequences of undernutrition or displacement,” said the report.

The IPCC report has cautioned that not eliminating emissions would cause serious harm to the world, especially South Asia, with increased unbearable heat wave, food and water scarcity and sea level rise. “Depending on these background and contextual factors, similar climatic events may result in a range of potential mental health outcomes,” the report said. — PTI

Link between weather, behaviour

Referring to a study, the report said in Canada, an association was found between mean heat exposure of 28 degree Celsius within four days of exposure and greater hospital admissions for mood and behavioural disorders, including schizophrenia, mood, and neurotic disorders

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Extreme climatic events may cause anxiety, depression: IPCC report

Extreme climatic events, climatic conditions, climatic anxiety, climate change, depression and anxiety, mental health issues caused by climatic events, indian express news

Extreme climate conditions can cause mental health issues like anxiety, depression, acute traumatic stress and sleep problems ranging from mild to severe which may even require hospitalisation, said the latest IPCC report on climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II’s report titled ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’, released on Monday, warned that a wide range of climatic events and conditions will have detrimental impacts on mental health.

“The pathways through which climatic events affect mental health are varied, complex and interconnected with other non-climatic influences that create vulnerability.

“The climatic exposure may be direct, such as experiencing an extreme weather event or prolonged high temperatures, or indirect, such as mental health consequences of undernutrition or displacement,” said the report.

The IPCC report has cautioned that not eliminating emissions will cause serious harm to the world, especially South Asia with increased unbearable heat waves, food and water scarcity and sea level rise.

The report also mentioned non-climatic moderating influences which range from an individual’s personality and pre-existing conditions, to social support, to structural inequities.

“Depending on these background and contextual factors, similar climatic events may result in a range of potential mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, acute traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, substance abuse, and sleep problems, with conditions ranging from being mild in nature to those that require hospitalization,” the report, approved by nearly 200 countries said.

Referring to a study, the report said that in Canada, an association was found between mean heat exposure of 28 degree Celsius within four days of exposure and greater hospital admissions for mood and behavioural disorders, including schizophrenia, mood, and neurotic disorders.

“A US study found mental health problems increased by 0.5 per cent when average temperatures exceeded 30 degree C, compared to averages between 25-30 degree C; a 1 degree C warming over five years was associated with a two per cent increase in mental health problems.

“Another study found a 1 degree C rise in monthly average temperatures over several decades was associated with a 2.1 per cent rise in suicide rates in Mexico and a 0.7 per cent rise in suicide rates in the US. A systematic review of published research using a variety of methodologies from 19 countries found increased risk of suicide associated with a 1 degree C rise in ambient temperature,” the report said.

It, however, said that exposure may also be vicarious, with people experiencing decreased mental health associated with observing the impact of climate change on others, or simply with learning about climate change.

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