Why You Deserve Shared Decision Making

John W. Williams Jr., MD
Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, Duke University

As a patient, would you want your physician making healthcare decisions on your behalf without any regard for your personal preferences, values, or needs? If you’re like most people, you’d prefer to be involved in choosing the care that’s right for you. After all, it’s your body, your mind, your financial resources, and your life.


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The Downside of Mental Health Awareness

Susan Weinstein

Susan Weinstein, J.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Care for Your Mind

Taraji P. Henson recently joined the ranks of celebrities
openly discussing their experiences of living with mental health conditions. In
starting her own nonprofit organization, the star of the movie “Hidden Figures”
and the television show “Empire” aims to break down the stigma around mental
health among African Americans and to encourage people to seek help without
shame. Ms. Henson has created an opportunity to reach millions of people who
might not otherwise receive these messages.


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The Why, Where, When, Who, and How of Mental Health Screening

Susan Weinstein
Editor-in-Chief, Care for Your Mind

October 11, 2018 marks National Depression Screening Day, a
prompt for people with concerns about their mental wellbeing to take advantage
of nearby in-person screening opportunities and get connected to local
resources. Participating in a screening day made all the difference for 25-year-old
Monica, whose mother told her to go take a screening or she’d take her there
herself.


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Teaching Mental Health from K to 12

Susan Weinstein, Editor in Chief
Care for Your Mind

This year, two state legislatures passed statewide mandates for providing mental health education in public schools. What should kids be learning about mental health, and when, and from whom?


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10 Strategies for Colleges to Support Minority Students’ Mental Health

The Jed Foundation and The Steve Fund

Health disparities occurring in the broader society also impact students of color. Students of color at American colleges and universities are almost twice as likely not to seek care when they feel depressed or anxious compared to white students. In comparison to white students, are significantly less likely to describe their campus as inclusive (28% to 45%) and more likely to indicate that they often feel isolated on campus (46% to 30%). These statistics indicate a need for a more tailored approach to protecting the mental health of students of color.


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The Sleep Oasis

Maribel C. Ibrahim, Co-Founder and Operations Director
Start School Later, Inc.

If you are a California resident or a consumer of national news, you may have heard about a bill awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s signature. The bill doesn’t deal with class sizes, instructional curricula, or testing standards, but it may provide an unprecedented way to deal with a longstanding and national-recognized health issue among students. It has to do with sleep.

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CDC Expands Violent Death Reporting: Great News for Suicide Prevention

Care for Your Mind

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on September 5, 2018, new state grants to integrate the final 10 states into the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS): Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. NVDRS will now receive data on violent deaths from all 50 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico.

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Is “No Known Mental Health Condition” Useful for Suicide Prevention?

CDC VitalSigns June 2018

Care for Your Mind

Fifty-four percent of people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition.

That’s a key message from the June 2018 issue of “Vital Signs,” published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (download). What should we interpret this number to mean?

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