Santa Ana winds pummeled Southern California for days, propelling flames into canyons and communities with hellish ferocity. Leaving ashes, homelessness and discord in their wake, the winds swooped into the American Southwest. Partnered with above normal temperatures, the elements forced people in and tempers up. Violent crimes spiked.

Years ago, when I taught elementary school, I’d change my lesson plans when the wind blew. The children needed more kinetic and tactile activities. They had to move more, talk more, laugh more. Their physical selves seemed supercharged, so I adapted those days and channeled that energy.

As a child I adored walking to Berlyn Avenue School on bright, windy days. My imagination soared alongside the elm and mulberry leaves as I considered the possibility of flight and basked in a sense of propulsion that might carry me toward any dreams, my goals, my hopes. I loved the wind. It cleared the darkness and blew away the pall of my everyday life. When the wind blew, I could envision something better, something more.

The wind. A basic element with incredible power. Devastating. Provoking. Invigorating. Liberating.

How does the tempest affect your mood?

Share your thoughts!

YOU OUGHT TO KNOW…

One in four adults–-nearly 60 million Americans–-experiences a mental health or brain disorder in any given year.

Over 30 million American teens and children suffer from a mental health disorder.

One in sixteen lives with  a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, clinical depression or bipolar disorder.

Nearly 10% of all American children have a serious mental illness.

Most American high school classrooms include 2 or 3 students with a serious mental illness.

Anxiety disorders affect 18% of American adults, an estimated 40 million individuals. They often co-occur with depression or addiction.

Depression is the leading cause of medical lost-work time.

Over 5 million Americans have a dual diagnosis–mental illness AND addiction issues.

Over one-third of America’s homeless population falls into this category.

The facts can be staggering.

The illnesses can be treated.

Learn the symptoms. Understand the illness. Seek treatment.

Be well.

Interested in working with a nationally recognized nonprofit?

The Jed Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization working to reduce the rate of suicide among college students. Guided by an expert board of mental health professionals, The Jed Foundation’s programs target students, parents, colleges, the medical community, and the general public.

The Jed Foundation is currently seeking applicants for internship positions for Spring 2009 in the areas of Communications and Online Curriculum Design.

Here are the details:

Communications Intern

The Jed Foundation is seeking a motivated interns to help strategize and maintain their presence on multiple social networking platforms. The ideal candidate would have a background in communications and marketing. An interest in mental health advocacy, or higher education is a plus. S/he would be able to commit 10-20 hours a week in New York City. Work hours are flexible. Stipend offered.

The intern will:

• Developing strategies (media and online) for reaching and influencing target audiences
• Researching and implementing innovative ways to use social networking to further the organization’s mission and engage target audiences
• Creating and distributing story ideas and pitches for regional and national media outlets
• Researching conferences and events attended by target audiences and developing a plan for incorporation into these events

Apply by December 5th.

Send a resume, cover letter and one-page writing sample to: emailus @ jedfoundation.org

Online Curriculum Design Intern

The Jed Foundation is seeking a motivated intern to help design online trainings for a professional college counseling audience for our flagship program, Ulifeline.org. The ideal candidate would have a background in education and/or online curriculum design. Skills in online communications and an interest in nonprofit communications, mental health advocacy, or higher education is a plus. S/he would be able to commit 10-20 hours a week in New York City. Work hours are flexible. Stipend offered.

The intern will:

• Research best practices in online trainings and webinars.
• Research designated topic areas for Ulifeline audience.
• Design short web-based trainings for those topics.
• Offer recommendations on appropriate methods for promoting and organizing trainings.

Apply by December 5th.

Send a resume, cover letter and one-page writing sample to: emailus @ jedfoundation.org

An Educators Guide to Student Mental Health

During the course of a school year, even a school day, teachers spend more time with adolescents and teens than anyone else. Because the average age of onset for serious mental illnesses (including depression, panic and anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) is seventeen, teachers, coaches and other school personnel are likely the first to recognize subtle changes in a young person developing a disease of the brain. Unfortunately, most of these professionals aren’t trained to interpret those symptoms or to recognize their significance.

A teen in the early phase of mental illness might look like a defiant child, a lazy student, a trouble maker. That’s why it’s important for educators to have basic information that enables them to recognize illness for what it is, and to separate illness from intentional behavior. This checklist should do just that.

Symptoms of emerging mental illness include:

• Sudden, unexplained drop in grades and school performance
• Change in school persona, i.e. the all-American kid who suddenly “goes Goth”
• Change in social circle/friends
• Focus on death, violence, morbidity
• Withdrawal from normal or previously pleasurable activities
• Undue, continuing anxiety or worry
• Lack of personal hygiene and self-care
• Extreme high or low feelings or moods
• Tension-caused physical problems (backaches, headaches, jaw clenching, stomachaches)
• Excessively strong feelings of anger, guilt, or remorse
• Persistent negative or overblown positive self-image or outlook
• Substantial, rapid weight gain or loss
• Too much or too little sleep
• Self-harm (cutting, burning, head-banging, punching walls)
• Alcohol and/or drug abuse
• Family history of mental illness, alcohol abuse, or addiction

When an educator notices several of these symptoms or behaviors, prompt action will help the student toward diagnosis and/or treatment.

Consider the following:

• Talk to the student. Share your concern and offer to help. Encourage the student to communicate with his parents and to seek help from his counselor or doctor.

• Make yourself available to the student. It often takes time for a sick and scared teen to open up to another person.

• Make a list of the observed signs and symptoms, adding notes that might be pertinent to getting help for the student. Remember, this is an aide to access appropriate help for a student in need. Dispose of judgmental attitudes and preconceived notions. Stick to facts and observations.

• Contact the school guidance counselor or administrator, sharing the list of signs, symptoms and notes that can be used to create a plan for assisting the student and his family.

Once support is offered to a needy student, be sensitive to the fact that mental health concerns still carry the burden of social stigma. Often we add to that stigma without realizing it by making judgments and assumptions based on our own life experience.

When offering support to a young person with a mental illness, adhere to these guidelines:

• Remove feelings of blame or guilt about the source of the student’s mental health concerns. The fact is, most mental illnesses are genetic, NOT a result of childhood trauma or inappropriate parenting.

• Recognize and acknowledge that parental denial and anger may exist.

• Communicate empathy and compassion for the student and the parent’s circumstances.

• Provide parents with resources and share with them that education and treatment are vital to living well with mental illness.

• Take a problem-solving approach to addressing mental health concerns. Stick to facts and viable solutions.

• Recognize the value of parents, school personnel, support providers and medical staff working as a team.

• Maintain open, honest, respectful communication.

Worldwide, one in five students will ultimately be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. School officials and educators often know something is wrong before anyone else suspects a problem. A proactive and engaged teacher can dramatically alter the course of illness and treatment. The right attitude combined with the right approach can make all the difference in the life of a seriously ill student. The ensuing actions may even safe his life.

Change.

Last Week…LOTS of Change.

In addition to my full engagement in the sweeping changes in American politics and government, I met with the faculty at Sabino High School in Tucson, Arizona. Change is evident there as well. Ten years ago, despite myriad attempts, I couldn’t get a single high school administrator to consider an in-service on anything related to mental health. This school year they came to me.

The topic: An Educator’s Guide to Adolescent Mental Illness.

Because the average age of onset for most mental health issues is seventeen, high school teachers, coaches and counselors are often the first to recognize developing problems. The more they know, the better the outcome for the 10% - 20% of their student population destined to develop a serious mental illness (major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or an anxiety disorder).

Kudos to the faculty at Sabino, and others like them, who, despite increasing demands and declining community support,  proactively seek knowledge and strategies to benefit the kids in their charge.

In addition to asking on-point questions and relating discussion topics to their particular students, Sabino staff members reviewed the most common signs of emerging mental illness.

These include:

- Alcohol and/or drug abuse

- Withdrawal from normal or previously pleasurable activities

- Undue, continuing anxiety or worry

- Too much or too little sleep

- Extreme high or low feelings or moods

- Tension-caused physical problems (backaches, headaches, jaw clenching, stomachaches)

- Excessively strong feelings of anger, guilt, or remorse

- Persistent negative or overblown positive self-image or outlook

- Substantial, rapid weight gain or loss

- Self-harm (cutting, burning, head-banging, punching walls)

We also talked about the many myths about mental illness that still pervade common thought, what educators can do to make a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable students; and when and how to communicate concerns and observations with parents.

This faculty and their administration were engaged, interested and determined to increase understanding and improve skills when dealing with challenging students. I’m excited to know that education is working, stigma is dying, and mental health issues are being addressed and not ignored.

Change has come.

From the National Institute of Mental Health:

Study Identifies Three Effective Treatments for Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Treatment that combines a certain type of psychotherapy with an antidepressant medication is most likely to help children with anxiety disorders, but each of the treatments alone are also effective, according to a new study funded by the National Institute’s of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) The study was published online Oct. 30, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders affecting children and adolescents. Untreated anxiety can undermine a child’s success in school, jeopardize his or her relationships with family, and inhibit social functioning,” said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. “This study provides strong evidence and reassurance to parents that a well-designed, two-pronged treatment approach is the gold standard, while a single line of treatment is still effective.”

The study randomly assigned 488 children ages 7 years to 17 years to one of four treatment options for a 12-week period:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a specific type of therapy that, for this study, taught children about anxiety and helped them face and master their fears by guiding them through structured tasks
• 
  The antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
• 
  CBT combined with sertraline
• 
  pill placebo (sugar pill)

The children, recruited from six regionally dispersed sites throughout the United States, all had moderate to severe separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or social phobia. Many also had coexisting disorders, including other anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and behavior problems.

John Walkup, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and colleagues found that among those in combination treatment, 81 percent improved. Sixty percent in the CBT-only group improved, and 55 percent in the sertraline-only group improved. Among those on placebo, 24 percent improved. A second phase of the study will monitor the children for an additional six months.

“<The study> clearly showed that combination treatment is the most effective for these children. But sertraline alone or CBT alone showed a good response rate as well. This suggests that clinicians and families have three good options to consider for young people with anxiety disorders, depending on treatment availability and costs,” said Walkup.

Results also showed that the treatments were safe. Children taking sertraline alone showed no more side effects than the children taking the placebo and few children discontinued the trial due to side effects. In addition, no child attempted suicide, a rare side effect sometimes associated with antidepressant medications in children.

The findings echo previous studies in which sertraline and other SSRIs were found to be effective in treating childhood anxiety disorder. The study’s results also add more evidence that high-quality CBT, with or without medication, can effectively treat anxiety disorders in children, according to the researchers.

“Further analyses of the data may help us predict who is most likely to respond to which treatment, and develop more personalized treatment approaches for children with anxiety disorders,” concluded Philip C. Kendall, Ph.D., of Temple University, a senior investigator of the study. “But in the meantime, we can be assured that we already have good treatments at our disposal.”

The six study sites were Duke University; Columbia University/New York University; Johns Hopkins University; Temple University/University of Pennsylvania; University of California, Los Angeles; and the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation’s Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
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References:
Walkup JT, Albano AM, Piacentini J, Birmaher B, Compton SN, Sherrill J, Ginsburg GS, Rynn MA, McCracken J, Waslick B, Iyengar S, March JS, Kendall PC. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, sertraline and their combination for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders: acute phase efficacy and safety. New England Journal of Medicine. Online ahead of print 30 Oct 2008: 359(17).

America Has Spoken.

Change. Hope. Honor.

Yes We Can!

It’s your right

your privilege

your responsibility

your honor.

It’s your country.

It’s your future.

VOTE!

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