As the nation prepares to come upon three full years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are watching the demand for mental health services soar to an all-time high. our youth‘s need is even starker. While some children flourished in their newly-found remote environments, many are struggling psychologically.

Pre-pandemic, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that approximately one in five kids in the United States suffered from a mental health disorder, but only about 20 percent of those children ever received any type of care from a mental health provider. Especially now — due to the amount of trauma, isolation, loss, unpredictable routines, and fear — our nation’s youth need more resources and support than ever before.

A proposed house bill would provide annual mental health screenings for sixth through twelfth grade on a voluntary basis. If Bill 23-1003 passes, these evaluations will be carried out by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Identifying and accurately diagnosing mental health and substance use issues early can alleviate tremendous amounts of suffering. For both young people, adults, and their families, early care and effective treatment plans allow all involved to recover quickly, obtain a better education, provide access to meaningful employment, develop relationships, and ultimately lead more productive lives overall.

Celebrating the holidays while grieving is difficult. Finding appropriate ways to cope with bereavement and loss can be especially challenging during this season. While finding ways to work through your emotions, it’s essential to check in with yourself often and evaluate what is—or isn’t —working for you.

It’s vital to keep in mind that what works best for you may not work for others, and vice versa. Moreover, the coping mechanisms that have worked for you in the past may begin to shift as time goes on.

Whether you find solace in a support group or you do better with skipping out on festivities altogether, there are many options you can go through to help support yourself emotionally during the holidays.

Below are six key coping strategies you can incorporate this year.

The holiday season — for a variety of reasons — can bring one’s mood plummeting.

With families gathering together, the overall cost of celebrating and the demands of cooking, cleaning, as well as entertaining all have the capability of having extreme time and financial constraints. With this, it is no wonder that stress and depression around the holidays are a typical array of feelings many people experience.

However, with some simple tips, you can help yourself minimize the stress felt during the holiday season. In fact, you may find yourself even enjoying it.

Anger is a normal feeling to experience. But when we lose control of it, anger can be one of the most damaging emotions.

At its core, anger is a driving force to find resolutions. It’s considered a necessity for human survival. However, out of control or excessive frustration can harm our mental and physical health. It can also damage ourrelationships with others

For those who have difficulty controlling their anger, psychologists can help identify specific triggers, andgive you tools to manage them before things spiral out of control.

Technology has helped aid and enable workers in nearly every industry to be more productive. One area lacking innovation? Mental healthcare.

Not everyone you see around you on a daily basis is fully mentally fit. In fact, most adults in the United States are battling mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

Technology is allowing mental health treatment to be more effective than ever before. Nowadays, both cognitive and behavioral therapies are readily available online for anyone to utilize. The question that remains is this: how can technology improve care and patient outcomes even more?

The emotional toll and overall trauma of being in combat cause many of our service men and women to struggle with mental health issues.

A report published in June of 2021 reveals that four times as many active duty service members and veterans have died by suicide versus our military members who died as a direct result of combat throughout the 9/11 operation. (Reference 1)

Although each presiding presidential administration has attempted to gain control over the number of suicides seen among our soldiers, we try to bring to light some possible reasons why these numbers continue to rise.

Suicidal ideations and attempts—like any other mental health condition—have the ability to affect people of any age, gender, creed, or culture. In fact, suicide is frequently the result of an untreated mental health issue. Even though suicidal thoughts occur more often than many realize, they should never be brushed off as something one will eventually “get over.”

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month occurs each September and it is used to raise awareness of this heartbreaking topic. Often stigmatized, Suicide Awareness Month is used to address public perception of the taboo subject, spread a message of hope, and share important information regarding suicide and the data surrounding it.

More than ever, school-aged children need the support of their families and communities.

Since 2020, what is considered the “new normal” has been a source of constant debate.

• Are classes fully remote or in person?

• Do they attend remote classes only during an outbreak?

• Are masks required?

• If not, will they be in the future?

This constant state of change has caused an upheaval in the mental health of American youth.

Did you know that approximately every 40 seconds, someone takes their own life?

With nearly one billion people currently living with a mental disorder, this staggering statistic is no surprise. In fact, in low-income countries, over 75 percent of individuals suffering from mental issues will never receive treatment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically disrupted — and in some cases wholly halted — mental health treatment. This could not come at a more inopportune time, as the demand for these services is quickly increasing. Due to the chronic nature of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, we are seeing a worldwide economic impact from the lack of necessary treatment available.

Stigmas of any kind typically manifest from a lack of understanding. We frequently see inaccurate representations of people through TV shows, news stations, and online memes.

Oftentimes, people will believe stigmas they see about a group of people they aren’t familiar with, accepting the portrayal as truth.

Negative stigmas against people struggling with their mental health not only affect them, but their family members and others who care about their wellbeing. Seeing a loved one wrestle against discrimination can be challenging as well.

For those facing unfair stigmas, it can make it more difficult for them to improve or move past the issues that are plaguing them.

A relatively new and value-based care trend, healthcare screening assessments are helping clinicians understand the social determinants affecting a population’s overall health.

As screening assessments have become increasingly utilized by clinicians, concerns are being raised regarding whether they have the various tools and communication techniques needed to effectively use these assessments.

Due to this trend still being in its infancy, designers are struggling to create effective and efficient tools without a proper model to base their efforts on.

Mental Health Technologies (MHT) is a HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based platform used to test and screen patients for a variety of conditions.

These include:

-Mental health disorders and suicidal ideations
-Substance abuse
-Pain management

Because our system is designed to connect patients to the correct outside specialist, the MHT assessment tool is manufactured with the family care physician in mind.

Today, we want to talk to you about the stages one can expect to go through while in the healing process, what it’s like to experience relapses, and when it's time to seek professional grief counseling.

We all go through tough times. And many of us require the listening ear of a close friend or family member to help talk us through it and gain a rational perspective.

But other times, we are worried about the mental health of others. And, if you happen to live with this individual or are around them often, seeing the warning signs will most likely be evident.