Former NFL Receiver, Brandon Marshall, Proud of Mental Health Journey
Brandon Marshall had a successful 13 years in the NFL with 970 receptions, 12,351 yards, 83 touchdowns, and 6 Pro Bowl selections. However, Marshall says his proudest accomplishment is getting help for mental illness.
Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011 which forced him to learn more about himself and break down part of his belief system.
Marshall said that he didn’t have the skills to cope so he had to seek help by going to therapy, practice mentalization, and take self-assessments.
Digital Tools Are Revolutionizing Mental Health Care
Because of the pandemic, virtual care and other digital tools are more important than ever in supporting mental health.
For many, virtual care has replaced traditional in-person office visits with video or audio visits or with text messaging. This provides alternatives to traditional therapy and allows better access to clinical treatment.
Furthermore, Non-clinician based digital mental health services, such as chatbots, video and written content, and digital cognitive behavioral therapy programs are a good supplement to clinician-based virtual care.
Overall, most published studies show telephonic mental health care is as effective as in-person care in treating depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Barbers Are Cutting Mental Health Stigma Among Black Men
Communities are bringing resources to barbershops where marginalized black men feel safe and can talk without being judged.
A non-profit called The Confess Project is helping Black barbers talk about mental health, one client at a time. The ultimate goal of the non-profit is to connect barbershop clients with equitable and affordable mental health treatment.
Director of The Confess Project, Darnell Rice, says; “We lash out because we don’t have affordable mental health services. The barbershop is a safe space to come and get real and uncut. I will trust my barber with my deep concerns.”
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Wellbeing Tips Crafted by Teens for Teens
Four high school seniors, Anna Schmidt, Maya Maxwell, Cole Siems, and Drew Garrison, are taking mental health matters into their own hands.
The students were looking for mental health resources that were written by teens, instead of adults. However, these resources were hard to find so they started “Give It A Try – Wellbeing Tips Crafted by Teens for Teens.”
The goal of the resource is to find one or more tasks on the list to do during the pandemic to avoid isolation.
“We wanted students to have new ideas for how to make a good day better and how to make a bad day better,” said Anna. “We came up with 10 different things after canvasing our student body with their ideas.”
Poll Finds a Decline in Student Mental Health but Growing Satisfaction with Online Learning
The Higher Education Policy Institute has worked with Youthsight on a poll of over 1,000 full-time undergraduate students to see how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting them. Here are some of the highlights:
- 59% of students are satisfied with online learning
- 58% of students consider their mental health to be in a worse state
- 42% of students are very or quite satisfied with their school’s provided mental health services
- 54% of students are concerned about returning to school in January
