Mental Health Perspectives

Coronavirus: What Are The Psychological Effects Of Social Distancing & Being Quarantined?Political leaders in the democratic world are grappling with a difficult balancing act in a bid to contain the coronavirus: when to pull the trigger on measures like closing schools and canceling public gatherings (known as “social distancing”). STORY LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-distancing-is-new-coronavirus-buzz-phrase-does-it-work-11583524419 Cancelled weekend plans and unanswered text messages always tend to sting from a psychological perspective, but now a new study finds that days and nights spent all alone may cause us physical pain as well. Researchers at the University of Surrey and Brunel University London say that social isolation may lead to increased bodily inflammation.STORY LINK: https://www.studyfinds.org/separation-stings-study-finds-social-isolation-may-cause-physical-inflammation/ Sample QuestionsWhat are the short and long psychological effects of people having much less interaction wi

How To Protect Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus PandemicAs news about the coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate the headlines and millions of people—in the U.S. and the world over—are being asked to self-quarantine, it has become increasingly significant to pay as much attention to our mental health as we do to our physical health.Sample QuestionsWhat are some of the ways that people can reduce their fear during the coronavirus pandemic?What are the short and long psychological effects of people having much less interaction with each other due to "social distancing"?What do you think are some of the mental health challenges that a person who is quarantined (on a cruise ship now for example) faces?Do you think that it is important for your mental well being to experience nature and different outdoor environments?Hosted by Dr. John Huber, Mainstream Mental Health Radio (featured on the Mental Health News Radio network) covers today’s top headlines pertaining to psychology. The program also offers

Study: 47% of Americans Say U.S. Moral Values Not Good and Getting Worse Americans continue to rate U.S. moral values negatively, on balance, and overwhelmingly agree that they are getting worse. These readings, from Gallup's May 1-12 Values poll, are the latest in the 18-year trend that shows similarly bleak findings. A 47% plurality of Americans currently rate U.S. moral values as "poor," 36% as "only fair" and 17% as "excellent" or "good." Since 2002, no more than 23% of Americans have held a positive view of moral values; the highest negative rating was 49% last year. Story Link: https://www.studyfinds.org/confide-fido-nearly-half-dog-owners-turn-canines-over-family-comfort/=======Mental Health Perspectives is hosted by:Dr. John Huber (www.mainstreammentalhealth.org) is the Chairman for Mainstream Mental Health, a non-profit organization that brings lasting and positive change to the lives of individuals that suffer from mental health issues. A mental health professional for over twenty years, Dr. Huber

Stephen King’s “IT Chapter 2” In Theatres Reasons Why People Are Afraid Of Clowns This Friday, the evil clown Pennywise returns to theaters for Stephen King's "IT Chapter 2." Why does Pennywise make our skin crawl? It might be because many people suffer from true coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. Even without a full-blown phobia, everyone seems to agree that clowns are just a little bit scary. But have you ever wondered why? Logically, a clown is simply a person wearing makeup and silly clothes, and yet they still tend to give just about everyone the creeps. Here are some of the ten psychological reasons why some people are afraid of clowns:•They’re Unpredictable•Fear Of The Unknown•Mass Hysteria Over Clowns•Negative Portrayal In Popular Culture•Childhood Trauma•Freud’s Uncanny TheorySTORY LINK: http://listverse.com/2017/02/10/10-psychological-reasons-why-people-are-afraid-of-clowns/ =======Mental Health Perspectives is hosted by:Dr. John Huber (www.mainstreammentalhealth.org) is the Chairman for Mainstream

Bad Dad? Half Of Fathers Have Experienced Daddy-Shaming, Poll RevealsAs families prepare to celebrate dads for all that they do, one gift no father wants to get is a heaping helping of shame. Tales of “mommy-shaming” have cropped up from time to time in the media in recent years, but according to a recent national poll, about half of all fathers say they too have been struck with slings and arrows for all manners of parenting missteps — from overdoing the discipline, to abandoning the diet, to playing too rough.The nationally-representative poll of 713 fathers of children ages 13 and under found that nearly half of fathers receive the criticism in a positive light and make some adjustments, but others have an opposite reaction, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan.Criticism makes more than a quarter of dads feel less confident in their parenting skills and one in five feels like stepping back from the parenting role. For many fathers (

Covered on the show today:Entomophobia, sometimes known as insectophobia, is the fear of insects. The fear is relatively common in the US, particularly in urban areas where coming into contact with a bug is fairly unusual because of the lack of interaction with nature. Urban dwellers' fears of insects often serve as fodder for situation comedies and reality shows that depict their sudden transition to rural or island life. Many people who have never been exposed to this life can struggle because of the prevalence and pervasiveness of insects in living areas or they become overly aware of them in public spaces.Although they are not technically insects, the fear of spiders is the most prevalent form of entomophobia. Other commonly feared bugs include bees, ants, cockroaches and flies such as butterflies and moths. Many people fear "bugs" in general, reacting in panic to any insect or related creature that crosses their path.

Featuring Dr. John Huber and Kristin Walker-------------------------------------------------Why Sports Parents Sometimes Behave So BadlyThey yell at the referees, they yell at their kids, they yell at the opposing team and some even yell at their own team. They are rude, loud and many are aggressive. In a word, they are obnoxious.Who are they? They are parents behaving badly at their child’s sporting events.A recent New York Times article with video titled, “Parents Behaving Badly: Youth Sports Crisis Caught on Video,” by Bill Pennington, highlighted some pretty disgusting behavior. In the video, you can see and hear a parent at an eight-year-old youth soccer game hurling obscenities at a referee as he walked to his car. Another video showed a fan screaming obscenities while viciously kicking a ball into a nearby teenage referee.According to the National Association of Sports Officials, harassment of referees has become so egregious that 70 percent of them quit within three years. Because of this, there is no

Mental Health Perspectives with Dr. John Huber & Kristin Sunanta Walker Poor envy. It has such a bad reputation.Who among us enjoys looking miserable, mediocre, hostile -- and petty, just because we see someone who has something that we desire?Lately, envy is in the air, as our country struggles with how to react to the increasing concentration of wealth in a smaller percentage of the population.In a recent opinion piece, Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, offers a provocative take on envy’s role in our reactions.His main points are that:1. envy makes us unhappy and unhealthy;2. it arises from believing that another’s advantage is unfair and beyond our control to change;3. sadly for us, it is an increasingly prevalent reaction.Cultural traditions and some empirical work support Brooks’ first point about the ill effects of envy on well being. But research by Dutch psychologists Niels van de Ven and others confirm a very important distinction between two types of envy: benign an

Mental Health Perspectives: Featuring Dr. John Huber & Kristin WalkerSix Dangerous Social Media Challenges Killing & Injuring America’s Youth Internet challenges can be fascinating to teens, who can be both impulsive and drawn to behavior that draws attention, especially in social media. Some challenges, like the ALS ice bucket challenge or the mannequin challenge, can be fun and positive activities. But other challenges that pop up on the internet are dangerous and can lead to permanent harm.Six Dangerous Social Media Challenges From: https://www.providr.com/most-dangerous-social-media-challenges The Fire Challenge. This is when you spray or pour a flammable liquid on your body and light yourself on fire.The Hot Water Challenge You either pour hot water on yourself or another person, or you drink it through a straw. And then, unsurprisingly, you get seriously injured.The Choking Game Where participants get choked in order to get a temporary ‘high’.There have been many cases where kids have died after

Four Reasons Why Mike Judge’s 2006 Film “Idiocracy” Correctly Prophesized Life In America TodayDumbing down of English languageAs a culture many of our citizens no longer speak in clear, concise sentences. Communication is often done through social media or text messaging and the English language is plummeting in eloquence. Words like: Fam, Bruh, FOMO, eats, and others can be heard on a daily basis from our populace.Instant gratification & the collapse of critical thinking “Idiocracy” depicted a nation incapable of formulating ideas or solutions to anything beyond their focus of attention in the present moment. Sadly, we are seeing this all across modern day America as countless people chase after “what feels good” for that moment. Analyzing how thoughts and actions in the present can impact the future doesn’t seem to be “hip” right now.Popular TV show are scarily identicalIn “Idiocracy” the number one show on television is called “Ow! My Balls!.” Can you believe that there an iPhone game called “Ow my ba

University of Texas to Treat Masculinity as a 'Mental Health' Issue The Counseling and Mental Health Center at the University of Texas at Austin recently launched a new program to help male students “take control over their gender identity and develop a healthy sense of masculinity.” Treating masculinity as if it were a mental health crisis, “MasculinUT” is organized by the school’s counseling staff and most recently organized a poster series encouraging students to develop a “healthy model of masculinity.”The program is predicated on a critique of so-called “restrictive masculinity.” Men, the program argues, suffer when they are told to “act like a man” or when they are encouraged to fulfill traditional gender roles, such as being “successful” or “the breadwinner.”Questions Do you think that masculinity is a mental health disorder?What are some examples of healthy, mature masculinity and healthy, mature femininity?  

Sharks, specifically great whites, were catapulted into the public eye with the release of the film Jaws in the summer of 1975. The film is the story of a massive great white that terrorizes a seaside community, and the image of the cover alone—the exposed jaws of a massive shark rising upward in murky water—is enough to inject fear into the hearts of would-be swimmers. Other thrillers have perpetuated the theme of sharks as villains.SHARK ATTACK STATISTICS: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/odds/compare-risk/death/ According to the National Safety Council, your chances of getting attacked by a shark are nearly one in twelve million and your chances of dying if you are attacked are one in four million.You should not be afraid to go into the water.The 1975 film “Jaws” seems to have had a profound psychological impact on Americans spanning multiple generations. The idea of being devoured alive is horrifying and that fear has kept an untold number of individuals out of the ocean. When Discovery Cha

As the school year concludes, millions of Americans will engage in a number of activities this Summer – some of which may include seasonal employment. What summer jobs can likely have the most positive or negative impact on your mental health?Summer Jobs That Can Be Helpful To Your Mental HealthCamp CounselorYour daily activities are subject to constant change and you have the opportunity to be a leader / adviser to others.  There is a healthy amount of responsibility here and this type of job can help a person mentally mature. LifeguardThis can mentally fulfilling job with a great deal of responsibility (saving someone’s life). Lifeguards are often in good physical condition which can have a positive impact on mental health. Also, because there can be significant downtime, it allows an individual the opportunity for personal reflection.Summer Jobs That Can Be Harmful To Your Mental HealthTheme Park Mascot In addition to being regularly overheated, you may be constantly pulled in different directions and risk

Mental Health Perspectives: What separation from parents does to childrenFeaturing: Dr. John Huber & Krisin WalkerMore than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents since May after crossing the southern U.S. border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. And Dr. Colleen Kraft, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says the effects of such separation could impact the children for a long time.“The longer the time of separation from that parent and the younger the child is, the more devastating it is,” Kraft tells PEOPLE, noting that such stressful circumstances can lead to poor brain development. “They go on not to develop their speech, not to be able to learn or bond socially or emotionally with another human being.”She continues: “For young children to be without their parents and to be continuing to keep on red alert with these stress hormones, and to know this is going to inhibit their development and disrupt their lives, to me that is child abuse.”

The World Health Organization Plans To Classify Video Game Addiction As A Disease• The WHO has said it will include “gaming disorder” in a June update to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), defining it as a pattern of behavior “characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”• A CAMH study released in 2016 estimated 13 percent of Ontario students—or almost 123,000 kids—have experienced symptoms of a “video gaming problem,” which was up from nine percent in 2007. About one in five boys reported having “problematic symptoms” linked to their video gaming.STORY LINK: https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/the-world-health-organization-plans-to-classify-video-game-addiction-as-a-disease/   

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Marry This Week - Why People Are Obsessed With the Royals? By now, you likely know that Prince William and Kate Middleton had their third child, Louis, who joins older siblings George and Charlotte. You likely also know that Prince Harry is set to marry American actor Meghan Markle next month. Perhaps you even know that the royal wedding will be held at St. George’s Chapel, and will include a lemon- and elderflower-flavored cake and a teenage cellist. In short: The royals have infiltrated our collective consciousness. The question is, why?QuestionsWhy do you think that some people worldwide are obsessed with the British royal family?Is it mentally unhealthy to fantasize about being someone else?From afar, what is your psychological analysis on Prince Harry & Meghan Markle and do you think their marriage will last?