SOVA Blog

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Loneliness in Adolescents

April 8, 2020 in Educate Yourself

When was the last time you felt lonely? What about left out?

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A national study published this year showed that 39% of high school seniors said they often feel lonely in 2017, an increase from 26% in 2012. 38% of high school seniors also reported often feeling left out in 2017 compared to 30% in 2012. According to a national study from the health insurer Cigna in 2018, young adults between the ages of 19 to 23 are the loneliest.

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The same study from this year shows how our activities have changed too. From the 1970s to 2017, the percent of 12th graders who met with their friends almost every day dropped from 52% to 28%. To be exact, they got together 68 fewer times per year (that’s 1 or 2 fewer times per week). They also went on dates 32 fewer times a year than in the 1990s. High school seniors spend less time on paid work and the same amount of time (or less) on homework and extracurricular activities than they did in the 1980s and 1990s, so having more work may not be a huge factor for young Americans’ increasing social isolation.

What’s wrong with feeling lonely? Feeling lonely is different from being alone – it is an intense, uncomfortable emotion that makes you feel isolated and as if no one understands you or what you are going through. While not a mental illness, it could be related to anxiety and depression. It also has the same impact on death rates as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

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How do we explain this trend in loneliness? Some say technology use has a hand in this in two ways. First, as social media takes the lead in younger generations, it gives a sense of closeness and connectedness, which can replace face-to-face contact and ironically makes us increasingly alone. Second, social media can represent all the things we could be doing but are not, thus feeding our FOMO.

However, social media alone has not been found to be a predictor of loneliness, especially if one makes the effort to follow up with in-person contact. Rather, it’s argued that when technology is used to the extent that it replaces relationships is when it becomes problematic.

It’s a worrisome sign when some Americans prefer their smartphone and gaming more than socializing with friends. Through these virtual relationships, young people may start to hold unrealistic expectations of achievement and accomplishment, as other social media users post only the very best and happiest part of their lives which becomes interpreted as their norm. This replaces taking the time to relax and be who they are. A conscious effort needs to be made to save us from loneliness. Psychologists and other experts in the field have a few easy tips to ease the loneliness in our day-to-day life:

  • Eat healthfully
  • Get 7-8 hours of sleep
  • Exercise regularly
  • Maximize your human contact in a day
  • Join groups based on shared interest (a religious organization, book club, therapy, classes, pets, volunteering, fitness centers, meet-ups, and others)
  • Monitor alcohol and drug use

Do you feel lonely or left out, or know anyone who does? What are some tips that you can share to ease these feelings? Share your thoughts and experiences below!

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How Siblings Can Affect Your Mental Health

April 7, 2020 in Educate Yourself

No two sibling relationships are the same. Some may not see theirs very often, while others see them all the time and share the same room. Some only have one, while others have enough to count on both hands. There are some who may hate a sibling, while others see a sibling as their best friend (and honestly, a lot of us feel both of these feelings towards one at the same time!).

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There are already so many people who play a huge role in our lives as we enter adolescence, whether we want them to be or not. Adolescents start becoming more conscious of how others their age see them – especially their friends – and may start conflicting with their parents as they start to establish their independence and want to distance themselves from them. The amount of research about peer relationships and parent relationships affecting teenagers and young adults continue to pour in, but siblings are usually just as present, and can therefore also play a significant role. Most kids have a sibling too – 82% live with one, in fact.

This is especially true when it comes to mental health and when adolescence begins, and the quality of sibling relationships is one of the most significant long-term predictors of mental health quality as people enter adulthood and old age. For example, those who have a poor relationship with their sibling as a child are more likely to be depressed, anxious, and engage in self-harm in adolescence. Those who have positive relationships with their siblings during their adolescence can make them more empathetic and motivate them to do better in school, however.

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Generally, siblings are a child’s first time developing a relationship with a peer and someone close to their age. Siblings almost use each other as a “training dummy” in a way – for example, they can use each other as a way to figure out how to handle their aggression, changing it depending on the reaction of their siblings. This has long-term effects on both the one acting on the aggression and the one receiving the aggression. On the other hand, establishing that warm, reliable connection with someone their age can serve as a buffer and protective factor for a child, and help protect them from the impact of potential stressful life events.

These effects can also be the result of how parents treat the siblings too. Kids can see how their parents treat their sibling and can adapt their behavior to either match that if it’s good treatment or avoid it if it’s bad. One example is through academics: if one child sees that their parents punish their sibling for not doing well in school, they may adjust their studying habits and prioritize their studies so that they don’t receive the same punishment. This can make them not only more anxious about their school performance and constantly doing well to meet their parents’ standards, but they can also be more anxious in their fear of how their parents might react to their grades.

There are all different types of siblings and many different types of dynamics that come with them. As children and adolescents, it can be hard to try and figure out what’s working and what’s not in a relationship with someone closer in age to you, especially since those interactions can play a huge impact on how you see others, yourself, and the effects they have on mental health.

Do you have any siblings? Do you talk to them about your mental health? What’s your relationship like with your sibling or siblings? If you’re an only child, how do you think your home life would be different with a sibling?

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Understanding the Mental Health Effects from COVID-19

April 3, 2020 in COVID-19, LINKS

There are tons of resources online addressing the mental health effects that are resulting because of the constant COVID news, self-isolation, and the uncertainty about when this will all be over. And that’s a good thing! It can also feel overwhelming to be told how we should be coping and told that feeling vulnerable to depressive and anxious episodes is almost inevitable.

We wanted to offer a few videos that may benefit you, however. They’re no more than five minutes and address different mental health issues, like how PTSD can get triggered, how to find coping mechanisms for anxiety, and just why exactly we feel the way we do. Most of them also feature interviews with mental health experts too.

These videos are by no means the only ones available, but we hope that their easy-to-consume, educational, straightforward format can help in some way.

What resources, if any, have you looked at to learn about the mental health effects of COVID? Do you think that there needs to be more discussion surrounding both the mental and physical effects of everything that we’re going through?

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Mental Health Experts on Social Media

April 2, 2020 in Social Media Guide

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When people talk about social media and its effect on people, it’s almost always negative. Many have mentioned and researched about the effect of social media on mental health: feeling unproductive, worrying about what we said or did online, and experiencing FOMO are just a few of the things that affect us from using social media.

Social media knows this though. Even though those feelings can still be present, many are also using the platforms to spread awareness about their own experiences, and social media sites themselves are promoting content to spread awareness about mental health.

These can be sporadic though. No one has an obligation to constantly and only post about mental health awareness – whether it be specifically about their own or as a whole – and social media platforms may only promote mental well-being when it may feel necessary (think of this month as Mental Health Awareness Month wraps up).

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Most organizations today have social media handles so they can help promote their causes to as many people as possible: those focusing on mental health are no exception. However, experts and doctors are also creating their own social media accounts so they can give direct advice and help about mental health, stigma, and overall spreading awareness and educating about mental health.

One such example is Dr. Jessica Clemons, who has an Instagram account giving tips about tackling stigma and taking care of one’s self, especially in the black community (she even has Beyonce’s approval!). Similar accounts from psychiatrists and doctors educating about mental health include Dr. Vania Manipod and Dr. Lisa Long.

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While it could be easy to assume that medical and professional information can be dry, all of these accounts know how to use social media, engaging it in a way that feels like any other fashion, food, or friend’s account. They can seamlessly fit in into your feed, but can have the opposite, more fulfilling effect than the FOMO, self-consciousness, and unproductivity you might feel from other posts.

Do you follow any doctors or medical professionals on social media? Why do you think following professionals can be helpful, especially those focusing on mental health?

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Expressing and Feeling Grief

April 1, 2020 in COVID-19, Educate Yourself

You may have seen an article from the Harvard Business Review floating around your social media sites recently. If not, this article puts a name to one of the many emotions you’re likely feeling right now as everything has turned upside down: grief.

Grief is a heavy emotion with heavy associations. Grief is for those less frequent, really sad situations, like death. Because of this, it can feel odd, even inappropriate, to think that you’re grieving at first as we continue to self-isolate and cope with COVID-19. As the article states though, people are collectively grieving in some sort of way, and there’s no single type of grief. We’re all affected in some way and have experienced some degree of loss.

There’s, of course, the loss of normalcy and routine. Even if your routine involved going to shifts for a job you don’t care for or getting up way too early in the morning to go to classes, the extreme shift from commuting and moving around to being confined to your home can have you mourning those few moments of fresh air as you walk to a bus stop or commiserating with peers and/or coworkers. You might be grieving significant events that were scheduled, like graduation, prom, or weddings of people who you’re close to, making you miss out on major traditions and milestones. 

The article even brings up anticipatory grief, or the grief we can feel when we get bad news and aren’t sure how things are going to play out or how we’re going to react when that situation finally happens. Some may be feeling this and the uncertainty when all of this is going to be over, or feeling unsafe because they aren’t sure if or when they’ll be directly affected.

So how do we process that grief? Well, there are the commonly known five stages of grief. The last one, acceptance, is the one where we admit this loss has occurred, and instead of just ignoring it or letting it affect us, we remind ourselves that we cannot change anything and life moves on. This isn’t to say that we can’t feel upset or angry, but finding a balance between thinking of the worst things happening and the good things that are still happening can help make this time a little easier. The article gives other suggestions too, like focusing on the things you can control, finding compassion for others as they process their own grief, and focusing on the present moment and the things immediately around you.

It’s easy to feel confused and overwhelmed by the constant changes and uncertainties of just about everything right now. However, naming it (like grief), can be the first step in processing, adjusting, and coping as it continues.

How have you been coping with our current situation as it continues? Have you made any adjustments? What resources are you seeing on your social media platforms from others?

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Transitioning to Therapy Virtually

March 31, 2020 in Educate Yourself

Telehealth isn’t new. With technology advancing and becoming more accessible, telehealth has evolved with it. Having an alternative access to a doctor, therapist, public health professional, or any other kind of medical expert makes a huge difference. This is true for those living in rural areas, those who do not have access to transportation, and those who may be physically impaired.

Telehealth has now had to rapidly become that much more accessible and adapt to higher demand due to most of us being restricted to our homes and having limited healthcare access except for emergencies. This access to care is still important however, whether it be for routine checkups or ailments that may not require going to the ER, but are still necessary to check with your provider. Although it’s not the same as physically being there and getting testing done, something is better than nothing.

It’s also incredibly important to still have access to mental health care. This is needed more now than ever too: there’s another public health crisis paralleling COVID as fears about the pandemic and concerns with self-isolating (on top of other factors) on our psyche continue to grow. Even the transition to where we are today was sudden and quick, which can throw off our minds as we lose our routines and sense of stability.

Therapy is possibly one of the “easier” methods of telehealth since sessions mostly involve talking already. It can still be awkward at first having a video chat with your therapist: you aren’t in the familiar space you usually see them in, but studies have shown that therapy done virtually is just as effective as doing it face-to-face. There are also other benefits, including more flexibility about when you can meet, cost-efficiency (i.e. if you had to pay for parking or public transit to physically get to your therapist), and having the ability to still speak with your therapist if you’re physically sick.

Some may be concerned with meeting online and their privacy being invaded, however. This isn’t uncommon. A major barrier for therapy being done virtually in the past, and even now as it’s becoming the current norm, is that some video software is vulnerable to being stolen. Software like Zoom meets privacy standards, so it’s important to speak with your therapist to see how they want to speak with you. That being said, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have loosened privacy laws so it’s easier to access important mental health resources for the time being.

At the same time though, it can be difficult to meet with your therapist virtually if you’re living at home and/or in an unsafe space and have concerns about who can hear you and what you’re talking about. Both your mental and physical safety should be prioritized, and if these are concerns, it’s important to raise them to your therapist as you transition to a virtual space and routine. 

If you are currently in therapy, have you moved to virtual sessions with your therapist? How have they been going? 

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An App to Consider: Headspace

March 27, 2020 in LINKS

Featured Image Credit: Headspace

Headspace is one of the most popular and well-known apps in the search for mindfulness apps and apps that provide support for mental health (we’ve even covered it before too!). The animations and voices are soft, relaxing, and have varied lengths and topics so you can choose what’s best for you out of convenience and need.

We wanted to bring Headspace back because the need and the downloads on wellbeing and mindfulness apps are rapidly increasing during this time. While not a substitute for therapy (many therapists are also moving their sessions online as telehealth options), these apps can help provide some much needed support and routine and can be used as a way to ground yourself and ease those anxieties and catastrophic thoughts that are almost impossible to avoid.

Headspace, while one of the most popular apps, requires a paid subscription after a 7-day free trial, and can be a reason why some, especially for those where money is tighter, may be hesitant to download it. As demand and need for accessible mental health resources continues to rapidly rise, Headspace has created a page specifically for the current situation and social climate.

Right away, users can access two different 10-minute stress relief sessions and a brief 3-minute session if you’re overwhelmed. There are also specifically designed sessions for those working from home. Headspace is also now free for those on the frontlines and working in healthcare as well as teachers and educators as schools have closed down for the foreseeable future.

Creating a Headspace account now allows access to something called “Weathering the Storm,” which has tons of free content to help meditate, get better sleep, and get some movement. Finding opportunities where you can to get some breathing room and a place to briefly escape the anxious events and thoughts externally and internally is more important now than ever, and Headspace is one way of doing that.

Are you using any apps as you socially distance? Have you considered downloading a mindfulness app if you’ve never used one before because of the current situation? How are you coping during social distancing?

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Using Social Media to Mimic Face-To-Face Communication

March 26, 2020 in Social Media Guide

Everyone’s self-isolation and social distancing situations are different right now. You may be trying to navigate being around your roommates all the time, no matter how big or small your rented space is. You might be living at home with your family, possibly for the first time in months, even years. Your roommate might be a romantic partner, or you may be living completely by yourself.

Regardless of your living situations, you might be missing people in your life that you’re used to seeing frequently, but have abruptly stopped. They can be coworkers or classmates, but they might be people you use as a support system, whose presence can calm you and who are people you rely on and seek advice from. 

Social media, of course, makes communicating with people significantly easier, which is especially helpful for those who have support systems who are already distant. However, for those who have support systems or people close to them who they see frequently in-person, the change to only communicating with them virtually can be stressful, even if they were talking to them both in-person and virtually before.

The need for face-to-face communication is more important now than ever, particularly for those who are away from their support system, living alone, or living with others who can heighten anxiety and depressive symptoms. Texting can help, but having that visual reassurance can be even more powerful.

There has been a lot of research and discourse surrounding the effects of texting versus face-to-face communication, with evidence showing that despite the normalcy of texting and online communication, face-to-face interactions are more beneficial for your mental health.

With all this being said, face-to-face communication doesn’t have to be done physically. If you work or are in college, you may have already experienced Zoom meetings, and if you have a Mac product, you have more than likely used FaceTime before. There’s Skype, video messaging on Facebook, and Google Hangouts. Whatever it may be, video chatting can help recreate that face-to-face communicate many, if not all of us, are missing in some way, and may even need. Being able to see people that mean a lot to us and hearing their voice still gives us their presence in some way that texting can miss. 

While it may not have the same effect of physically having people around you (for example, you may be an affectionate person or may thrive off of tons of people surrounding you), physically seeing or hearing loved ones can have significant effects on you mentally. You can also try to recreate activities that you do with loved ones or your support system: you can all order delivery from a similar restaurant (support local places too!) and eat together, watch the same TV show at the same time, or even just sit in silence on video together as you work on homework or scroll on your phones. 

Whatever it is, hopefully you can find a way to keep your close ones around if they’re not there physically. Support and unity through all of this can have a major effect on how we feel, especially as we try to find normalcy and try to maintain as much of our old routines as possible.

Have you been able to maintain contact with loved ones who you aren’t quarantined with? Have you tried video chatting? If so, do you think it makes a difference?

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Finding an Escape

March 20, 2020 in LINKS

When things in real life feel overwhelming, one of the first things that we likely want to do is find an escape. It could be as idealistic as taking a vacation or as simple as going for a walk. However, activities to help us get out of our heads can be easier said than done, especially if depressive episodes or anxiety attacks make even the seemingly easiest of tasks feel impossible.

When it feels like all you can do is go on your phone and mindlessly scroll as a coping mechanism, you can still get an escape so you don’t slip into going onto websites and social media platforms that can continue to overwhelm and stress you out. If you’ve ever played a game Animal Crossing or The Sims, you may already know how games where you build communities and improve an avatar’s life can help you get out of your own head for a little bit and focus on a virtual character’s.

Apps like Oasis and Adorable Home help provide a similar kind of escape and refuge. While Oasis is based in nature and Adorable Home is more domestic, they both share an idealistic, calming escape where you can spend a good amount of time growing a space and making it beautiful with little to no stress attached. 

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Oasis helps you build, unsurprisingly, an oasis where you can collect animals (and accessories for the animals!) and complete small, stress-free activities to help your oasis thrive. These activities are as easy as repeating three-note songs and continuously tapping the screen to gain hearts. It’s purposefully designed as an anxiety relief activity; for example, there’s constant light, soft music playing in the background. Adorable Home, on the other hand, helps you build a home with your partner, and in order to do so, has you collecting cats and completing quick activities with them to gain points. 

Both are free and are Android and Apple friendly, though both come with ads that may briefly take you out of that relaxing state.

Do you play any similar games? What other kinds of games do you play to help you cope with stress or take you out of real life for a little bit? How do they make you feel?

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Monitoring Your Mental Health when Consuming Negative News

March 19, 2020 in Social Media Guide

Because of constant news coverage and social media, it’s hard to miss pretty much anything that’s happening in the world. This is accessible the second you turn on the TV and go to a news station or when you log on and see a retweet with an article link. Some of these can be silly and fun, while some can be more serious. And lately, it feels like the news has veered to more serious, more negative territory.

Focusing on and putting more weight on negative events and situations is a very human thing to do, known as a negativity bias. So it’s no surprise that every type of media – traditional, news, and social – is more likely to cover these type of events. Sometimes, it’s needed, but other times, negative events can be exaggerated or highlighted because news outlets and social media accounts know that people are more likely to pay attention to negativity, so focusing on them attracts more viewers and reactions.

All this negativity has its side effects too. Studies have found that overconsumption of the news has had effects on mental health, including fatigue, loss of sleep, and anxiety. It can intensify worries in everyday life, and can increase feelings of hopelessness, no matter if the news directly affects us or not.

And lately, between all the ways that we can access news and what’s happening in the news, it feels like negativity is around us more than ever, which in turn, can intensify symptoms of depression and anxiety. While we won’t get into too much detail about it, the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest example of something negative, and terrifying, and everywhere. Although it’s a physical illness, there’s growing concern over the mental effects simply reading about the illness can cause. Encountering retweets, push notifications, and even memes about the situation feel almost inevitable, overwhelming, and terrifying. Those who already exhibit anxious symptoms may feel triggered to even higher levels too.

So is there a balance between staying informed and managing your mental health? Fortunately, official organizations like The Center for Disease Control and The World Health Organization are also keeping mental health in consideration along with monitoring symptoms of the actual virus and have offered tips on how to check in with yourself. These include taking breaks from media coverage, finding and talking to a support system, and doing body checks to see how you’re feeling. NAMI also has some suggestions regarding access to mental health services when self-isolation is recommended during this time, such as therapy and getting medication.

Things can feel scary right now, and the amount of news we are exposed to, whether we like it or not, most likely doesn’t help. Continue to check in with yourself and others, and remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

How much do you see news information on your social media feeds? How does it make you feel? What steps do you do to avoid feeling overwhelmed or stressed about the news?

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