Foster Care’s Effect on Mental Health
Those in foster care are seven times as likely to have a diagnosis of depression. They are also six times as likely to have behavioral problems, 4.6 times as likely to have anxiety, 3 times as...
Category: Educate Yourself
The Mind-Gut Connection
It may seem weird that our thoughts and emotions can be linked to our stomach, but it turns out that they actually are! The gut-brain connection is a real thing! Our brains are constantly talking...
Professional Spotlight: Dr. Tammy Chung and Substance Use in Young Adults
The SOVA team recently had an incredible opportunity to attend a talk by Dr. Tammy Chung and interview her afterwards. Dr. Tammy Chung received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University and is...
How to Start a Conversation about Suicide
Trigger warning: suicide Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15-24 in the United States. However, there is still so much stigma around it, which prevents people from speaking...
Why Do Plants Improve Our Mood?
The cliched image about someone having a “green thumb” typically involves someone in their backyard, their overalls covered in dirt, hands protected by thick gloves that are rough to the touch. The garden can...
Addressing One-Sided Friendships
Yesterday, I discussed my experience with one-sided friendships. I went into detail about how I always checked up on my friends, made an effort to make them feel loved and supported, and was a shoulder for them...
Reciprocated Friendships
Recently, I have been feeling down because I felt as though the people in my life did not care about me. No one ever checks up on me, and I was always the one...
Concealing my Depression
I first encountered depression symptoms when I was 11. As a kid who was bullied, coming from a broken home with emotionally unavailable parents, these feelings were almost inevitable. We never talked about our feelings in...
Can Schools Influence Stigma?
Our environments can have a powerful impact on how we view things, especially in how we view the things about ourselves. Because adolescents spent a lot of time in school, their teachers, their classmates,...
There’s No Shame in Taking Antidepressants
I was about four years into my battle with depression when I began taking Lexapro. I had been in and out of therapy in the preceding years, and each therapist I visited asked if...
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