More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging that the short-form video app harms the mental health of young people by designing its platform to be addictive. children.

The cases are from a national search on TikTokwhich was launched in March 2022 by a partnership of two attorneys from many states, including New York, California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All complaints were filed in national courts.

At the heart of each case is TikTok’s algorithm, which enhances what users see on the platform by filling the main “For You” feed of the app with content tailored to people’s interests. Cases also highlight design features that they say make kids addicted to the platform, such as the ability to scroll endlessly through content, push notifications that come with built-in “buzzes” and filters face that creates an unattainable appearance for users.

In its filings, the District of Columbia called the algorithm “dopamine-inducing,” and said it was intentionally designed to be addictive so the company could trap more young users into using it excessively and keep them in the loop. its device many hours. TikTok is doing this despite knowing that this behavior will lead to “serious mental and physical harm,” such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and other long-lasting problems, to said the complaint.

“There’s merit in the fact that it’s engaging young people on its platform,” District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in an interview.

“We strongly disagree with these allegations, many of which we believe are inaccurate and misleading. We are proud of and remain committed to the work we have done to protect young people, and we will continue to improve and improve our product,” said TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek in response to the allegations. “We tried to work with lawyers for more than two years, and it is very disappointing that they have taken this step instead of working with us to resolve the industry’s problems.”

The social media firm does not allow children under the age of 13 to sign up for its core service and blocks some content for anyone under the age of 18. But Washington and several other states have said in their filing that children can easily circumvent those restrictions, allowing them to get the service. adults use despite the company’s claims that its platform is safe for children.

“TikTok says it’s safe for young people, but that’s not true. In New York and across the country, young people have died or been injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many others feel sad, worried and depressed because of the addictive features of TikTok,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Their case also focuses on other aspects of the company’s business.

The district accuses TikTok of operating as an “unlicensed economy” by allowing people to buy TikTok coins – the currency available within the platform – and sending “Gifts” to people who stream on TikTok LIVE they can withdraw it with real money. TikTok takes a 50% commission on these financial transactions but has not been registered as a money transfer with the US Treasury Department or state authorities, according to the complaint.

Officials say young people are regularly targeted for sexually explicit content on TikTok’s LIVE streaming service, which has allowed the app to act as a “virtual strip club” without age restrictions. They say reducing the company from the financial system to allow it to profit by exploitation.

The 14 attorneys said the purpose of their lawsuits is to prevent TikTok from using these features, impose financial penalties for their illegal practices and collect damages for injured users.

Many countries have filed lawsuits against TikTok and other technology companies in the past few years as numbers grow against social media platforms and their growing influence on young people’s lives. In some cases, the challenges are linked in the same way that countries were organized against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries.

Last week, the Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton sued TikTok, saying the company is sharing and selling children’s personal information in violation of a new state law that prohibits these practices. TikTok, which disputes the charges, is also fighting a similar lawsuit involving data brought up in August by the Justice Department.

Several Republican-led states, such as Nebraska, Kansas, New Hampshire, Kansas, Iowa and Arkansas, have also sued the company, others are unsuccessfulwith allegations that it damages the mental health of children, exposes them to “inappropriate” material or allows young people to be sexually abused on its platform. Arkansas has brought a legal challenge against YouTube, along with Meta Platform, which owns Facebook and Instagram and has been sued by many states for its claims of harming the mental health of young people. New York City and other public school districts have also brought their own lawsuits.

TikTok, in particular, is facing some challenges at the national level. Under federal law that went into effect earlier this year, TikTok could be banned from the US by mid-January if its China-based parent company ByteDance does not sell the platform by then.

Both TikTok and ByteDance are challenging the law in a Washington appeals court. A panel of three judges heard oral arguments in a trial last month and is expected to issue a ruling, which could be appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

Mental health affects almost every aspect of our daily lives – from physical health to relationships with friends, family and community, as well as job creation and more. Although mental health plays a vital role in overall health, most of the science out there is based on physical health. Samsung is committed to promoting new health solutions for today and tomorrow, which is why we often collaborate with leading medical centers and universities to promote cutting-edge technologies and explore new opportunities for health. beauty and health.

In support of World Mental Health Day, Samsung is highlighting ongoing research programs with Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT Media Lab, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Tulane University School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute. These courses delve into the mind-body relationship by examining various health symptoms including stress, mood, stability and even heart disease to provide holistic and preventative health solutions for everyone.

Facilitating Depression Prevention and Recovery at a Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has been examining the relationship between depression and various biomarkers by analyzing the health scores of 150 participants with different levels of depression using the Galaxy Watch. This study aims to verify the relationship between stress and biometrics – such as the participant’s biometric data patterns, activity level, sleep stage, time and latency on weekends and weekdays – to identify more detailed characteristics. The findings will be used to develop a mental health index, which allows users to understand their mental state and take proactive measures.

Supporting Health Through Better Sleep with the MIT Media Lab

The MIT Media Lab has expanded understanding of the role of sleep in health by linking sleep patterns to overall health. About 200 college students took part in the study, tracking their sleep for more than a month and assessing themselves on five health indicators each morning – including alertness, happiness, energy, health beauty and serenity. This study found strong links between sleep and health with sleep time and sleep duration directly affecting them. Using random forest modeling (MERF), the MIT Media Lab was able to predict the well-being of self-reported participants based on their sleep patterns with an absolute error of 11-15 points 100-point scale. which corresponds well with their self-test result. This result highlights the relationship between sleep and health as well as the possibility of diagnosis and management of the individual by analyzing sleep patterns.

Assisting in Rapid Recovery at Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Brigham & Women’s Hospital (BWH) is studying the relationship between biomarkers and resilience, or how quickly a person recovers from major stress. As a general term, endurance captures the physical and mental ability to withstand major events such as death and surgery. For the first trial, they monitored patients before, during and after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery. The Galaxy Watch tracks participants’ lifestyles and health conditions in real-time as data is collected and analyzed using the Samsung Health Research Stack, a system designed to increase the efficiency and accuracy of large-scale research. . The study aims to reveal factors in recovery and resilience to stress – not only to help inform clinical decisions but also to help individuals understand how they can be mentally and physically prepared for any problems that may arise.

Diagnosing Cardiovascular Diseases Tulane University School of Medicine

Mental health is strongly associated with a reduced risk of future cardiovascular disease. Tulane University School of Medicine is using data from the Galaxy Watch and Samsung Health SDK to develop biomarkers for early detection of heart disease risk factors. The study will monitor thousands of participants from different communities and areas with a high incidence of heart disease and risk factors for up to three years. Each participant’s health records and biometric data will be analyzed to analyze complex and interconnected health data. Samsung and Tulane’s Heart and Vascular Institute hope to identify factors that affect cardiovascular disease with the goal of developing methods for predicting and preventing cardiovascular disease.

“At Samsung, we are committed to supporting the health community by opening new frontiers that were previously impossible to explore,” said Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Group Head of Digital Life, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “That’s why we collaborate with leading medical institutions and accelerate research that focuses on the mind-body connection, using our sensor technology and combined expertise to provide solutions for health and prohibitive.”

About Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is Harvard Medical School’s first and largest teaching hospital. Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the country, with annual research activity of more than $1 billion and has more than 9,500 researchers working in more centers, centers and more than 30 departments. MGH is a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health system.

About the MIT Media Lab
At the intersection of engineering, design, science, and the arts, the MIT Media Lab is an interdisciplinary creative playground based on academic excellence, made up of multiple research groups, initiatives, and institutions working together on projects. hundreds. Our broad research topics address global issues from health and cryptocurrencies to robotics and a sustainable future. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the MIT Media Lab collaborates with organizations, governments, NGOs, donors and others around the world to drive impactful change across sectors. Learn more at media.mit.edu.

About Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is a world-class medical center located in Boston, Massachusetts. Brigham serves patients from New England, across the United States and from 120 countries around the world. Harvard Medical School’s largest teaching hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital has a legacy of medical excellence that continues to grow each year.

Brigham’s network includes 1,200 physicians throughout New England who work across 150 outpatient practices. An international leader in nearly every area of ​​medicine, Brigham has led many medical and scientific advances that have improved lives around the world.

US News & World Report recognizes Brigham and Women’s Hospital among the best hospitals in many specialties, including cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and endocrine disorders, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatric care, gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery. , orthopedics, pulmonology, rheumatology, and urology.

About Tulane University School of Medicine
Founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana, Tulane University School of Medicine is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States. Founded to combat yellow fever and smallpox in New Orleans, the school is a leading institution known for medical education, research and patient care. Over the years, it has made significant contributions to medicine, including basic research and new treatments. Today, Tulane continues its legacy of excellence, training the next generation of healthcare leaders and advancing medical knowledge.

Tulane Medicine recruits top scientists, researchers, and students from around the world to collaborate and advance clinical research and clinical development. From new drugs to new care methods, or the invention of the binocular microscope to robotic surgery, we are always at the forefront of the latest medical trends. Tulane Medicine equips the next generation of medical professionals – whether in science or medicine – with the broad tools to succeed in a rapidly changing world. When you see the Tulane Shield, you always know that the future of medicine … has arrived.

Pathological narcissism has long been associated with mood disorders. Now, a study published in Personality and Mental Health reveals that narcissistic sufferers struggle to control their emotions, and this problem may stem from an inability to understand their own thoughts and feelings. These findings highlight isolation as an important factor in managing the emotional problems faced by vulnerable narcissists.

Pathological narcissism is often understood in two basic terms: extreme narcissism and vulnerable narcissism. Extreme narcissism is often associated with an extreme sense of self-importance, entitlement, and the need to control or humiliate others to maintain a sense of self-importance. People with extreme narcissism often appear confident, enthusiastic and self-confident, but beneath this facade, they rely on external validation to reinforce their exaggerated self-image.

Vulnerable narcissism, on the other hand, is characterized by extreme feelings of criticism, feelings of inadequacy, and a tendency to feel ashamed and insecure. Rather than projecting optimism, people with narcissism may appear anxious, depressed, or withdrawn. They still crave validation and acceptance but are often overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and self-doubt.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how these two types of narcissism are related to emotional regulation problems, especially in clinical populations. Emotion regulation refers to how people manage and respond to their emotional experiences. Previous research has shown that people with narcissism struggle to control their emotions. However, most of this research has been done on the general population, leaving a gap in understanding how these strengths work in clinical settings, where people already have emotional problems.

The researchers also wanted to examine the role of thinking—specifically, the ability to think about one’s own feelings (self-centeredness) and the feelings of others (thinking differently)—in the relationship between narcissism and pathology and emotional regulation. By focusing on thinking, the study aimed to uncover whether problems with thinking about one’s emotions could explain why people with narcissistic tendencies have difficulty controlling their emotions. see.

To examine these relationships, researchers conducted a survey of 183 patients who were being treated at an outpatient center that deals with mood disorders. These patients had a variety of psychiatric conditions, including borderline personality disorder, attention deficit disorder, and emotion regulation problems, all of which may have influenced their narcissistic behaviors and the ability to think.

Participants completed several standardized tests to measure different aspects of their cognitive functioning. Pathological narcissism was assessed using two scales: the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (which measures severity and vulnerability) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (which measures severity). Emotion regulation was assessed with the Emotion Regulation Scale, which assesses various aspects of emotion regulation, such as recognizing and accepting emotions, controlling emotions, and finding ways to control emotions.

Mentalization ability was measured using the Mentalization Scale, which assesses the ability to understand one’s own emotions (self-confidence), the emotions of others (thinking about other things), and motivation to participate in to think. The researchers also considered the patients’ symptoms of borderline personality disorder and attention deficit disorder, based on their known influence on narcissism and emotion regulation.

Researchers have found that narcissistic vulnerability is strongly related to emotion regulation problems. Patients with high narcissistic vulnerability scores tended to struggle with controlling their emotions, especially in situations where they felt their self-esteem was at risk. These people had difficulty controlling their emotions, accepting their emotions, and finding effective ways to manage their emotions.

Interestingly, the researchers found that this relationship between narcissistic vulnerability and emotion regulation was mediated by self-efficacy. In other words, people who were unable to think and understand their mental states tended to have more problems controlling their emotions. This suggests that developing self-awareness skills may help narcissistic individuals to manage their emotions more effectively.

Conversely, the narcissistic dimension showed a more negative relationship with emotional and cognitive regulation. Although large size was associated with both problems with emotion regulation and self-care, these associations disappeared when researchers accounted for other psychological conditions, such as borderline personality disorder and anxiety disorder. don’t care. This suggests that these comorbid conditions may play a greater role in the emotional problems of individuals with greater narcissism than the majority themselves.

However, the researchers found that narcissistic grandiosity was positively related to narcissism, meaning that people exhibiting high narcissism were better at understanding the mental states of others. This is surprising, since large size is often associated with lack of empathy. These people may be more adept at reading the emotions of others in a way that allows them to manipulate social situations to their advantage.

However, it is important to note that a cross-sectional study design, which involves collecting data at one point in time, limits the ability of researchers to determine whether a single variable causes changes in straight to the other. Without following the participants for a long time, it is not clear whether psychological problems lead to emotional disturbances in people with pathological narcissism or if problems with emotion regulation contribute to cognitive impairment. Longer-term studies would be needed to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship between these factors.

Study, “The relationship between pathological narcissism and emotion regulation: The role of self-efficacy?” written by Martin Blay, Margaux Bouteloup, Miguel Duarte, Roland Hasler, Eleonore Pham, Rosetta Nicastro, Marlène Jan, Martin Debbané, and Nader Perroud.

Responders including ambulance drivers, health workers and forensic teams who identified many of the dead, all witnessed “carnage and terror” that resulted in permanent trauma.

An organization called Mashiv Ha’Ruach, which means “Restoring the soul”, has provided mental health and mental health support through training courses supported by WHO/Europe. These meetings allowed workers to discuss their plight and develop coping strategies.

The founder of the organization, Eyal Kravitz, said that he created the group days after the attacks while wondering, who will help the helpers?

Meetings

Many of the recovery volunteers who offered their help after the attack suffered from insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder. disorder (PTSD)) and high stress and anxiety that caused “a negative effect that affected their families and work.”

Mashiv Ha’Ruach’s workshops were part of a retreat and were held in the desert, away from “the noise and distraction of everyday life” and he encouraged participants to share what they saw.

Daniel Chermon, co-founder of Mashiv Ha’Ruach said: “In the beginning, no one thought they needed to talk about their experiences.

So, at first it was difficult for us to convince them to come, but once they arrived, people started hearing from their colleagues about the importance of going back.

Oz Tal, the first protester on October 7, said the workshop gave him “a language to express and express his feelings.”

First of all, most of the volunteers, when I tell them to come to the resort, they tell me that they are fine. They don’t need anything. They don’t want to come,” Mr. Tal said.

He continued, “But during the break, after we start talking about our feelings, the first one starts talking and starts sharing their problems, then the whole group starts. You can’t think about the atmosphere in the room at that time. ”

Working with volunteers

Atzmon Meshulam introduced the training program and said that the training helps the participants to change the way they talk about what they have seen. He noticed that many volunteers seemed calmer after the sessions.

“I received a message from the wife of a volunteer who attended the training. “She wrote to me that she had found a new husband, that it was the first time she had slept at night since October 7,” Ms Meshulam recalled.

Hodaya Leshem, one of those who came to the training who is a mother of four and married to a soldier said, “I had no support before I came to the meetings.”

“I had to unite everyone in the family and in the community, but no one could handle me,” he continued.

Mashiv Ha’Ruach has now extended its training to colleagues, staff and volunteers “to build a wider network of skills for stability and support.”

Evidence

Soroka Medical Center, a hospital 25 kilometers from Gaza, treated 680 patients – 120 of whom were seriously injured – within 16 hours after the October 7 attack .

WHO said many workers have lost close relatives or live in affected areas.

Dr. Dan Schwarzfuchs, Director of the Emergency Department at Soroka Medical Center said the workers would not have survived the job if they did not have power.

He says: “I knew that in my stomach I had to find something that would help them stay strong.

He said that the treatment given through the trainings helped to create bonds between the medical center’s staff.

Dr. Schwarzfuchs said: “Colleagues who previously did not want to talk about their experiences are opening up because they are hearing experiences from others. People I never expected to be there are doing so now.

The retreat was beneficial to Ayelet Harris, Head of the Community Department of the Kibbutz Association, who said the meetings provided a space for respondents to express themselves for the first time.

“When I went back, I felt that this was the first time I felt empowered again, because I was focused on me and my needs,” Mrs. Harris said. “It was a safe place for me to explain what I was going through, and someone was there to listen to me… It was refreshing and rejuvenating.”

Providing support

Since the beginning of 2024, Mashiv Ha’Ruach has helped nearly 1,000 people with their training retreats.

We did not start Mashiv Ha’Ruach under good circumstances. But the truth is that people need it and will need it for years to come,” co-founder Chermon said.

Founder Kravitz says their partnership with the health organization has allowed for broader access to individuals.

“We are proud to be the only resilience initiative in Israel that has received WHO attention, thanks to the recommendation of the Israeli Ministry of Health,” he said. This collaboration has been invaluable, and I want to express our deep appreciation for WHO.

In addition to supporting Mashiv Ha’Ruach, WHO also assisted the Israeli NGO Mosaica with a project that included

religious leaders from the Jewish and Muslim communities, connecting people with mental health resources, increasing acceptance and lowering the stigma of seeking treatment.

World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10 every year to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilize efforts to support mental health. It was first celebrated in 1992 as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), a global organization dedicated to promoting mental health worldwide. Over the years, the day has grown in importance, with many countries and organizations participating in campaigns to end the stigma around mental health issues.

Title

The theme of World Mental Health Day this year is “Mental Health at Work.” In collaboration with its partners, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the important link between mental health and the workplace. Safe, supportive workplaces play a protective role in maintaining mental health. However, unhealthy conditions such as stigma, discrimination, harassment and poor working conditions can cause serious harm to mental health. These challenges can affect overall quality of life, work participation, and poor productivity.

Importance

The importance of World Mental Health Day lies in its mission to make mental health a global priority. The day serves as a platform to encourage open discussions about mental health and promote mental health initiatives. Each year, a theme is chosen that reflects some aspect of mental health, from increasing awareness of mental health conditions to emphasizing the importance of accessing mental health care. The festival plays an important role in reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.

Tips to reduce stress levels

1. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. It helps reduce stress and anxiety by allowing people to withdraw from thoughts and feelings. Spending even 10 minutes a day in mindfulness can calm the mind and improve overall emotional well-being.
2. Exercise is a natural way to relieve stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural mood enhancers. Whether it’s brisk walking, yoga, or high-intensity exercise, regular exercise helps reduce stress and clear the mind.
3. Poor sleep can exacerbate stress, making it difficult to deal with everyday problems. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, making sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep, and practicing good sleep hygiene can significantly reduce stress and improve mood.
4. High levels of caffeine and sugar can raise stress hormones and lead to jitteriness or mood swings. Reducing the intake of these stimulants can help maintain a stable mood and reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
5. Social support is important when dealing with depression. Whether it’s talking to a friend, spending time with family, or seeking support from a counselor, connecting with others can provide emotional comfort, perspective, and a sense of worth.
6. Deep breathing can relax the body, slow the heart rate and reduce stress. Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing involve slow, deep breathing that helps bring a sense of calm and can be practiced whenever stress levels are high.
7. Poor management of time can cause stress, especially when you feel like you have a lot of work to do. Organizing your day by prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and breaking them into small steps can help you manage stress more effectively.

Each of these tips provides effective ways to manage stress levels and improve mental health. Used regularly, they can create a more balanced and lean lifestyle.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides general information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult your specialist or doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

SALT LAKE CITY — Millennials can add mental health to the list of reasons they should hit certain life milestones in a certain order, according to new research from the Center for Family Studies.

The “achievement sequence” — three steps that include finishing high school, getting a job, getting married before having children, in that order — provides “significant improvements in mental health,” according to Wendy Wang, the institute’s director of research, and Samuel T. Wilkinson, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University.

While consistency has been cited in many studies as the key to avoiding poverty and reducing the risk of divorce, the study may be the first to look at the impact on mental health, Wilkinson said. as executive director of the Yale Depression Research Program. , said the Deseret News.

Looking at young people born between 1980 and 1984, who were interviewed in their 30s, Wang said they studied three groups of millennials: those who married before having children, those who when they had children before getting married or single and those who never married or single. I have no children. The analysis showed:

• The vast majority (97%) of millennials who followed the success rankings were not in poverty as adults, and 9 out of 10 were at least middle class.
• Stress decreases as each step in the sequence is completed. While 30 percent of young people who miss the full sequence are worried, so are only 9 percent of those who have completed three steps.

The report, “The Success Sequence and Millennial Mental Health,” finds that young adults who get married with children enjoy better mental health than those who have a baby out of wedlock or before. to marriage. They are also happier and healthier than those who are never married and have no children. It says those who have been married before having children are less likely to experience “high levels of stress” at age 30 (12%), compared to those who have had a baby before (19%) . And more followers of the sequence report being healthy (65% vs. 52%) and feeling happy at least most of the time (82% vs. 74%).

“So it seems that people who have had children before or outside of marriage, their mental health and physical health are similar to those who have never been married and without children. The dominant group is those who have not married before having children,” said Wang.

Mental health problems

The report comes amid concerns about mental health and loneliness in the US Per the report, “Suicide, anxiety, depression and drug overdose deaths have risen in rates. Younger generations have been hit hard during this crisis. Millennial men and women experience more anxiety and stress than previous generations.”

While Wang and Wilkinson acknowledge the impact of financial health on mental health, they said it’s not the whole story. They pointed out that even when they controlled for money, the findings about the sequence of successes that boosted mental health held up. “Sequence remains an important factor in predicting adult mental health,” they wrote.

“The odds of developing major depression in their 30s were reduced by almost 50% for young people who completed the three steps of the success sequence, after controlling for their money and scores. many that include gender, race and background,” they added.

Wilkinson said he hopes young people will take notice. In the midst of a mental health crisis, people are trying to figure out what can make a difference. “It’s a very difficult question, and it doesn’t have only one answer, but I hope that young people will see the pursuit of success as a way to make goals and life plans for the kind of life they want and that it will help them achieve better financial and mental health outcomes.”

The nuts and bolts of education

The two used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, examining the 1997 cohort to see how they were doing in their 30s. Young people were born between 1980 and 1984 and are considered the oldest millennials. This group was first surveyed in 1997, when they were between the ages of 12 and 17, then annually from 1997 to 2011 and every two years since then.

Part 18 of the survey – 6,734 respondents are still in the survey – is the focus of the agency’s analysis. Surveys were weighted to be nationally representative.

To look at mental health, they used a short five-item version of the Mental Health Inventory found in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. It measures “the risks of suffering from anxiety and depression, loss of control over behavior or emotions and general mental well-being. Respondents were asked how they felt in the past month with a set of questions five, which include fear, feeling calm and peaceful. cheerleaders.”

Those asked answered how often they felt that way, on a four-point scale.

They found that “the incidence of high blood pressure in 32- to 38-year-olds drops significantly with each step completed in the sequence. Millennials who complete all three steps are less likely to have severe depression in their mid-30s, compared to those who completed all three measures failed these measures (9% vs. 30%).

Read the whole story at Deseret.com.

The novena will be completed on Oct. 18, the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, the saint of health care.

The US bishops announced the second annual novena for mental health as part of a national campaign to promote mental health.

Founded in 2023, the National Campaign for Catholic Mental Health was committed to addressing mental illness around the message that “everyone who needs help should get help.”

Starting on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) “will begin nine days of focused prayer, education, and actionable steps to engage more intentionally in mental health issues,” according to the USCCB Sept. . 23 news release. The novena will be completed on Oct. 18, the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, the saint of health care.

The novena will be a tradition for years to come, said Paul Jarzembowski, USCCB’s associate director for members of the Laity Secretariat, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

Jarzembowski told CNA that the Church wants to “follow Jesus’ example of responding to the needs of God’s people in real time.”

“Today mental health affects the lives of so many people, which was reinforced and raised in our minds by the global epidemic,” he explained. “The bishops of the United States have also noted the growing epidemic of loneliness throughout the country, especially among the young, the elderly and the disadvantaged.”

Jarzembowski said: “People feel pain all around us at this time, even if we don’t see it. “Through this nationwide campaign, the US bishops are asking everyone to join them in respond with greater awareness and action as the mental health crisis unfolds before us every day.”

Each day of the novena has a different theme and focuses on a different saint. For example, Day 1 of the novena begins with St. Dymphna, the patron saint of those with mental illness and mental health professionals, and focuses on praying to remove the stigma surrounding mental health.

The purpose of the novena is to build “a lasting way for all Catholics to remember in prayer those affected by this disaster and respond to Jesus’ call to respond to those who are struggling with simple care and pastoral action,” said Jarzembowski. .

The hope is that the campaign and the novena “will be integrated with our families, our churches and our work in the community,” according to Jarzembowski.

When asked what steps Catholics can take to better support people with mental health problems, Jarzembowski suggested “being more aware of potential mental health issues.” ” and taking care “that he may be hidden where he may be seen.”

“Cultivating the habits of compassion and tolerance for one another, especially online, can go a long way in creating a culture of spiritual and mental health,” he continued. “Be aware of the signs of depression, suicidal thoughts, loneliness and anxiety, and go with people who are struggling to find the help and support they may need.”

Each day of the novena includes actions that Catholics can take to help address mental health issues.

Jarzembowski added: “In our parishes and Catholic churches, we can advocate for more mental health services. “From creating mental health support groups to researching health care practices in our community to instilling a spirit of mental health into our ministry, especially for young people, families and the elderly, there are many things Catholics can do to create a habit of response.”

Resources for the mental health campaign, including the novena, can be found here.