It’s a simple questionnaire patients fill out before the appointment.

“This allows us to have early detection and follow up for depression, which impacts our lives and saves lives, too,” Inova Behavioral Health Services President Dr. Linda Lang said.

Every patient starts by answering two basic questions about their mental health, Lang said.

“The questions are basically asking over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things,” she said. “And then the second question is feeling down, depressed or hopeless.”

Depending on how patients answer, they may get prompted to answer a few follow-up questions. If the screening shows warning signs for depression or self-harm, patients can get help in real time.

“A high score, which is 25 or greater, will trigger us to connect a patient with a behavioral health consultant right there in the office,” Lang said.

The new screening tool is being used across Inova Health System for anyone who’s seeing a primary care physician or visiting the emergency department and specialty clinics.

The rollout began in April, and they’ve already had success, Lang said.

“We were able to make a connection and get those patients into treatment where they otherwise would not have even really been asked the question,” Lang said. “So, we feel like this is absolutely serving the community and transforming the way we care for our community.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 20% of people are affected by depression, and the pandemic has only made matters worse.

“Our memory can be affected by depression, our ability to sleep well, our appetite,” Lang said. “It is part of our total life and total health, and I think we want to see people holistically now and have it really be woven into everything that we think about.”

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

Max-Brown posted a sponsored TikTok on Thursday in support of Bioré’s campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month. In the video, she shared her experience with anxiety after going into lockdown on campus during the shooting at Michigan State University in February.

She also showed off a box of Bioré pore strips and encouraged viewers to “get it all out, not only what’s in your pores but most importantly what’s on your mind, too.”

“I found myself recently struggling from seeing the effects of gun violence firsthand,” Max-Brown said in the video. “I’ve had to intentionally set aside time for prioritizing my mental health. I will never forget the feeling of terror that I had walking around campus for weeks in a place I considered home.”

The partnership video went viral on TikTok and Twitter, sparking backlash from viewers.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

The shooting of Christian Glass after his SUV became stuck in the mountain town of Silver Plume last year drew national attention and prompted calls to reform how authorities respond to people with mental health problems.

In addition to the payout, believed to be largest of its kind in Colorado history, Sally and Simon Glass also negotiated for changes they hope will prevent another family from suffering a loss like theirs. Clear Creek County will establish a crisis response team and its sheriff’s office will train and certify all deputies in crisis intervention, according to documents released by their attorneys.

The state of Colorado, which had three officers on the scene of Glass’ June 11, 2022, killing, in addition to those from local agencies, will create a virtual reality training scenario for the Colorado State Patrol based on the shooting that will focus on de-escalation in stressful situations involving officers from different agencies.

A video message from Simon and Sally Glass will also be shown to state troopers and Division of Gaming officers at the beginning of their active bystander training. The program focuses on encouraging officers to intervene if they think a fellow officer is going too far or needs to step away from an incident.

There was no indication from body camera footage that officers from other agencies attempted to stop the breach of the vehicle before Christian Glass was shot.

An attorney for the Glasses’, Siddhartha H. Rathod, said they hope hearing their story will help officers have the strength to intervene if necessary.

“Any of the seven officers there could have stopped this simply by saying something. They want to empower law enforcement to have this courage,” he said of the shooting.

The settlement, which the communities of Georgetown and Idaho Springs also joined, is the largest for a police killing in Colorado, topping the $15 million settlement reached in 2021 for the death of Elijah McClain, and also ranks among the top in the United States, Rathod said. His law firm, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, also represented the mother of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died in 2019 after police in the Denver suburb of Aurora forcibly restrained him and a paramedic injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine.

Former Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputy Andrew Buen, who shot Glass, and his supervisor, former Sgt. Kyle Gould, are both being prosecuted in Glass’ death. A grand jury found they needlessly escalated the standoff after he called 911 for help. Gould was not at the scene but was watching events unfold on body camera footage and authorized officers to remove Glass from his vehicle, according to court documents.

Lawyers for both officers unsuccessfully tried to get the charges against them thrown out. While Buen’s lawyer objected to how information was presented to the grand jury, Gould’s lawyer argued that Glass needed to be evaluated for drugs, alcohol and mental health problems and could not just be allowed to leave.

In response to police killings of people in mental distress, reformers have pushed for crisis intervention and de-escalation training for police and even alternative policing programs where mental health responders are sent to some emergency calls instead of law-enforcement.

Some cities, including Denver, have programs where EMTs and mental health clinicians can be dispatched instead of police. But the area where Glass was killed, about an hour’s drive away from Denver, did not have that option at the time.

Glass, whose car became stuck on a dirt road, initially told the dispatcher he was being followed and made other statements which the indictment said showed he was paranoid, hallucinating or delusional and experiencing a mental health crisis.

Officers’ body camera footage showed Glass refusing to get out of his car, making heart shapes with his hands to officers and praying: “Dear Lord, please, don’t let them break the window.”

After roughly an hour of negotiations, officers decided to breach the car even though there was no indication that Glass posed a danger or was suspected of a crime, according to the grand jury.

Once the window was smashed, body camera footage shows officers peppering Glass with bean bag rounds, then tasing him. Glass brandished a knife in “a state of complete panic and self-defense” before twisting in his seat to thrust a knife in an officer’s direction, according to the grand jury. Buen then fired his gun five times into Glass.

The grand jury found that at no point was the other officer in “imminent danger of being stabbed by Mr. Glass.”

“But for the decision by Gould to remove Mr. Glass from the vehicle there is no reason to believe that Mr. Glass would have been a danger to any law enforcement personnel, to himself, or to any member of the public,” the indictment said.

Body camera footage doesn’t show officers from other agencies — including the Colorado State Patrol, gaming division, and police from the nearby towns of Idaho Springs and Georgetown — attempting to stop the breach of the vehicle.

When Glass’ parents first publicly called for accountability for their son’s death last year, Sally Glass said Christian was “petrified” the night he was killed and the officers had no empathy for him. She asked for people to pray for their son and for structural change in policing.

“They should be protecting us, not attacking us,” she said.

Male senators are expected to wear a jacket and tie on the Senate floor, but Fetterman has a workaround. He votes from the doorway of the Democratic cloakroom or the side entrance, making sure his “yay” or “nay” is recorded before ducking back out. In between votes this past week, Fetterman’s hoodie stayed on for a news conference with four Democratic colleagues in suits, the 6-foot-8 Fetterman towering over his colleagues.

People close to Fetterman say his relaxed, comfortable style is a sign that the senator is making a robust recovery after six weeks of inpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where his clinical depression was treated with medication and he was fitted for hearing aids for hearing loss that had made it harder for him to communicate. His hospitalization came less than a year after he had a stroke during his Senate campaign that he has said nearly killed him, and from which he continues to recover.

“He’s setting a new dress code,” jokes Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, who is the only other newly elected Democrat in the Senate and spent a lot of time with Fetterman during their orientation at the beginning of the year. “He was struggling. And now he’s a joyful person to be around.”

Senators do occasionally vote in casual clothing — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, for example, is known for sometimes arriving in gym clothes. But Fetterman’s regular attire is redefining fashion in the stuffy Senate. He’s turning heads on a daily basis as he walks the halls in his signature baggy Carhartt sweatshirts and saggy gym shorts, his hulking figure surrounded by much more formally dressed Washington types buzzing around the Capitol.

The senator’s staff had originally asked him to always wear suits, which he famously hates. But after a check with the Senate parliamentarian upon his return, it became clear that he could continue wearing the casual clothes that were often his uniform back at home in Pennsylvania, as long as he didn’t walk on to the Senate floor.

Welch said Fetterman was quiet and withdrawn when he first came to Washington, and often sat in the back of closed-door caucus meetings. Now he’s standing up and talking, sometimes joking and ribbing Pennsylvania’s senior senator, Democrat Bob Casey.

Fetterman, Welch and Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama became friends at the orientation, and those two colleagues stayed close with him through his recovery. Britt says that in those early days, Fetterman would only really engage if she started the conversation, but they bonded over having children of a similar age and the fact that Britt’s former football player husband, Wesley, is the same height as the Pennsylvania senator. When Fetterman checked into the hospital, Britt’s staff brought food to his office next door.

Britt later visited him at Walter Reed, at his request, and found Fetterman to be totally changed. “When I walked in that day, his energy and demeanor was totally different,” Britt said in an interview.

Now, he’s loud and outgoing, she says -– even yelling “Alabama!” at her down a hallway when he caught sight of her last week, giving her fist bumps and asking about her husband and family.

“That shows you the difference that treatment can make,” Britt says. “It’s just incredible to see.”

Fetterman’s decision to seek treatment won bipartisan praise from his colleagues, a sharp turn from his bruising Senate race against Republican Mehmet Oz that was the most expensive in the country.

Joe Calvello, a spokesman for Fetterman who has worked for him since the beginning of his campaign and before the stroke, said his boss is more back to his old self after a difficult year. Fetterman is getting to know all his staff after his return to the Senate on April 17, making friends with his Senate colleagues and speaking out on progressive issues on which he campaigned.

“It’s good to be on the other side of that,” Calvello said.

Last week, Fetterman stood alongside the other senators in suits to urge President Joe Biden to raise the debt ceiling on his own under a clause in the 14th Amendment instead of negotiating with Republicans. He also questioned bank executives at a hearing — dressed in a suit, as he does for committee meetings — and asked whether they should be subject to work requirements like those Republicans have proposed for food aid recipients in the debt ceiling negotiations.

Fetterman’s words are still halting and sometimes hard to understand, due to his stroke. He has auditory processing disorder, which makes it harder to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation into meaning. He uses iPads in conversations, meetings and congressional hearings that transcribe spoken words in real time, and when he speaks publicly he often appears to be reading closely off a sheet of paper. He rarely speaks with reporters in the hallways.

While questioning the bank executives his words were occasionally jumbled, due to his auditory processing difficulties. “Shouldn’t you have a working requirement after we sail your bank, put billions in your bank?” Fetterman asked.

The senator’s conservative critics have frequently jumped on his stumbles, mocking them in television spots.

But his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, tweeted that the moment at the banking hearing was unscripted -– and a surprise to even him.

“John Fetterman just asked the Silicon Valley Bank CEO if there should be work requirements for CEOs who crash banks and dear reader, I almost fell out of my chair,” Jentleson wrote.

Constituents he has met with say it can take a moment to get used to his speaking difficulties.

The president of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Michael Kovach, said Fetterman unexpectedly popped in when Kovach was meeting with the senator’s staff in Washington. It was only Fetterman’s second day back, but he stayed for a half hour, using a transcription device to read Kovach’s responses in their discussion about helping farmers who keep good conservation practices on their land.

Kovach said Fetterman asked thoughtful questions, made thoughtful comments and joked about beard envy with Kovach, who sports a long graying goatee.

“It’s the same Fetterman that I recall as lieutenant governor, it’s just difficult for him to communicate, so the elephant in the room obviously is the screen that he’s reading from,” Kovach said. “It’s a bit of a distraction, but something I got quickly used to.”

Fetterman is also back to social media, which was a staple of his campaign before the stroke. This past week he posted a photo of himself and Welch on Twitter sitting in a Senate courtyard and wearing hoodies.

Welch is hosting Fetterman and Britt at his house for dinner soon. Fetterman is “on his game” these days, Welch said.

Another Democratic colleague, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, said she noticed that Fetterman was “inwardly focused” when he arrived in Washington. But he’s now gregarious and cracking jokes.

“It’s really, really great to see, it’s a good message to send to people to seek help,” Duckworth said. “It makes a difference.”

___

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Friends, family members and civil rights leaders gathered at a Harlem church on Friday to mourn Jordan Neely, whose chokehold death on the New York City subway set off a debate about vigilantism, homelessness and public safety.

Pallbearers carried the white and gold casket to Mount Neboh Baptist Church, for what seemed like a quiet funeral service for a troubled soul who died too soon. But after a musical tribute, the tone in the church changed.

The Rev. Al Sharpton gave an impassioned eulogy for Neely, whose family has described as a promising young man crushed by his mother’s murder and failed by the mental health system. They acknowledge he had his “demons,” but say he never physically touched anyone — and didn’t deserve to die on the floor of that F train in Daniel Penny’s grip on May 1.

Sharpton told worshippers that Neely’s life should be celebrated, “but we should not ignore how he died.”

Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy, said Neely died “not because of natural causes but because of unnatural policies.”

Neely’s death and Penny’s subsequent arrest polarized New Yorkers and people beyond, with some saying Penny, who is white, was too quick to use deadly force on a Black man who posed no real threat, and others saying the 24-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran was trying to protect people on the train and shouldn’t be punished.

Sharpton noted that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, called Penny a “good Samaritan” last week and shared a fund-raising link for Penny’s legal defense.

Sharpton said the Biblical parable of the good Samaritan is about coming to the aid of someone in need.

“Jordan was not annoying someone on the train. Jordan was screaming for help…A good Samaritan helps those in trouble,” Sharpton said. “They don’t choke him out.”

Sharpton added, “What happened to Jordan was a crime and this family shouldn’t have to stand by themselves.”

While Neely had a history of disruptive behavior — he had been arrested many times and pleaded guilty this year to assaulting a stranger — friends and relatives have said they don’t believe he would have harmed anyone if Penny had just left him alone.

“People keep criminalizing people that need help,” Sharpton said, turning attention to City Hall and a mental health policy drawing fresh scrutiny. “They don’t need abuse, they need help…He’s an example of how you’re choking the homeless, how you’re choking the mentally ill. This choking’s gotta stop.”

Elected officials including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado were among the hundreds attending the funeral, which was at the same church where the funeral for Neely’s mother, Christie Neely, was held after she was murdered when Nelly was 14.

The same pastor who presided over his mother’s 2007 funeral led the ceremony at Mount Neboh Baptist Church. An ivory and gold casket carrying Neely’s body arrived at the church ahead of the service.

Neely was 30 when he died. He had a lengthy criminal record for offenses including assault and disorderly conduct and allegedly was threatening people on the train that day, witnesses have said. Neely’s family said he “experienced a mental health episode” — and that no rider asked what was wrong before Penny and two others restrained him.

Penny was arrested on a single charge of second-degree manslaughter more than a week after the medical examiner’s office ruled Neely’s death a homicide. Protests erupted across the city, with some slamming the Manhattan district attorney’s office for not taking action earlier. At least one turned chaotic — and violent. A Molotov cocktail was found.

Neely was a street performer known for his Michael Jackson impressions. Entertaining others was how he tried to cope with the horror of his early life and loss, his family representatives have said.

He had also been on a special city watch list, considered a potential risk to himself and others.

Roger Abrams, a community health representative, said he saw Neely on the subway a week before his death. Neely was disheveled and told people he was hungry and in need of spare change. Abrams said he approached Neely and asked him why he no longer performs.

“I haven’t been feeling well,” Abrams remembered Neely saying.

Mayor Eric Adams has called Neely’s death a tragedy, declaring him a casualty of the mental health system. While forcefully saying he “did not deserve to die,” the Democrat was careful to toe the line between acknowledging the community heartbreak — and ensuing racial tensions — over his death without appearing to ascribe blame to Penny.

Penny’s legal defense fund, meanwhile, has raised more than $2.6 million in the 18 days since Neely died.

“Daniel Penny deserves his day in court and his attorneys, but they’ve raised $2 million. How much could Jordan raise for food and water?” asked NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams at Friday’s funeral.

Penny’s attorneys have insisted he never meant to harm Neely. They describe him as a “decorated Marine veteran” who “stepped in to protect himself and his fellow New Yorkers” and who “risked his own life and safety” in the process. They say he couldn’t have known Neely would die of the chokehold, calling it an “unfortunate result.”

Neely’s family has said the 24-year-old’s statements amount to a confession.

Penny is due back in court later this month.

In May, we recognize National Pet Month and National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Numerous studies have shown the positive effects pets have on humans — reducing stress, anxiety and depression, as well as improving overall mental health.

For many individuals, having an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), most commonly cats or dogs, can be a very helpful experience.

So what exactly is an ESA and what are the steps in having one? Take a look:

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

An ESA is an animal that helps individuals deal with mental and emotional disabilities.

While ESAs are not trained to perform specific tasks like service animals, they mainly offer support and comfort with their existence.

How do you make your pet an emotional support animal?

The first step of the process is finding the right pet — which sometimes includes checking out local shelters.

It can oftentimes come with a hefty price tag as the owner has to pay for food, boarding, care, adoption fees and more.

Next, you’ll need an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional. The therapist must state your mental health condition and how the pet will help your symptoms.

Individuals must have an emotional support animal letter for housing to qualify their pet as a state-recognized ESA.

Who qualifies to have an Emotional Support Animal?

To qualify for an ESA, an individual must have a psychological condition or a professionally diagnosed mental illness. The licensed therapist must see that your animal provides you with support and comfort.

ESAs are seen to benefit people with anxiety, stress disorder, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, depression and PTSD.

How to make my cat a service animal?

Unfortunately, cats cannot be service animals because they cannot be trained to do a task for a disabled individual.

While cats can be trained to do certain tasks, it’s not to the depth that a service animal is required to be.

Cats, however, can be ESAs under Federal Law.

The 24-year-old Marine veteran seen on video putting Jordan Neely in a chokehold on the floor of an F train in Manhattan last week, resulting in his death, was arraigned Friday on a single charge of second-degree manslaughter in a case that has prompted citywide protests and national controversy.

Dressed in a gray suit, Daniel Penny didn’t enter a plea at his 15-minute hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court. He was released on $100,000 bond and ordered to surrender any passports within 48 hours. He also must ask the court’s permission if he wants to leave New York state, and signed a waiver of extradition guaranteeing his return in the event he does without the OK.

Penny is due back in court July 17. He said nothing to reporters as he turned himself in at a Lower Manhattan precinct earlier in the day, which was done at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said one of his lawyers, Thomas Keniff.

“He did so voluntarily, and with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation,” Keniff said outside the 5th Precinct a short time later. He added that Penny “has his head held up high.”

Penny’s attorneys have previously said the veteran acted in self-defense and to protect fellow subway riders from a supposed perceived threat. They say he could “not have foreseen” Neely would die in the chokehold, and have called his death “the unfortunate result” of good Samaritan intervention. They also say he’ll be absolved of the charge.

Neely’s family has said the 24-year-old’s statements amount to a confession.

They’ve been calling for criminal charges since the city medical examiner’s office declared the case a homicide a day after Neely’s death, and hours after Penny was released from questioning by the NYPD in connection with the case. While the Neely family’s attorneys said they were “overjoyed” by the arrest and arraignment, they don’t believe the potential 5-15 year sentence is enough if Penny is convicted.

“Ask yourself: Is that enough? Is that enough for someone who choked someone out and took their life?” said Lennon Edwards at a Friday morning press conference, as the attorneys called for a murder charge instead. “He chose to continue that chokehold minute after minute, second after second, until there was no life left. That’s what he chose.”

Sources said Bragg’s decision to charge Penny was made in consultation with the NYPD before presenting the case to a grand jury. Bragg, who said his office would not speak beyond the courtroom as the case proceeds, said his office determined there was probable cause to arrest Penny on felony charges.

“Jordan Neely should still be alive today, and my thoughts continue to be with his family and loved ones as they mourn his loss during this extremely painful time,” Bragg said.

A spokesperson for the police department didn’t return requests for comment. Second-degree manslaughter is a felony and applies in cases where someone either recklessly causes the death of another or intentionally causes or assists in a person’s suicide. In the case of Penny, a police report indicates the charge is tied to the former.

The court filing comes 11 days after Neely’s death on May 1 and amid mounting public pressure over accountability following the medical examiner’s determination. It wasn’t clear if Bragg’s office intended to pursue charges against two other people seen restraining Neely in that video or if those people had yet been identified.

Witnesses had reported Neely, a homeless man with a lengthy criminal record and a history of mental illness, was aggressive toward other riders on a train at the Broadway-Lafayette station in SoHo. He had been shouting at passengers, witnesses said, yelling that he was hungry and didn’t care if he died. The 30-year-old had been on a special city homeless watch list, considered a potential risk to himself and others.

“Because someone has either mental illness or houselessness or has history of arrests, does not make them dispensable,” said attorney Edwards.

Donte Mills, another lawyer for Neely’s family, disputed Penny’s version of events, saying the veteran “acted with indifference. He didn’t care about Jordan, he cared about himself. And we can’t let that stand.”

“Mr. Neely did not attack anyone.” Mills said. “He did not touch anyone. He did not hit anyone. But he was choked to death.

“No one on that train asked Jordan: ‘What’s wrong, how can I help you?’” Mills continued, urging New Yorkers in a similar situation: “Don’t attack. Don’t choke. Don’t kill. Don’t take someone’s life. Don’t take someone’s loved one from them because they’re in a bad place.”

The criminal complaint stated at Penny came up from behind Neely and pulled him to the ground, then held his arm around Neely’s neck for “several minutes.” An officer who reviewed video of the chokehold said that when Penny released him, “Mr. Neely appears to be unconscious.”

Witnesses also said Neely hadn’t physically attacked anyone before Penny moved to subdue him. Penny was questioned by the NYPD that day and released. Then came the autopsy findings.

Multiple protests have taken place in Manhattan since Neely’s death, with dozens arrested. Protesters again ratcheted up the volume Thursday, after learning of the looming charges, and more demonstrations were expected Friday.

Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams, who had been accused by some of not weighing in substantially enough, formally addressed Neely’s death in a public address.

The Democrat forcefully declared Neely “shouldn’t have died” — while carefully towing a line between acknowledging the loss, and the ensuing tensions, and appearing to ascribe any sort of responsibility.

“One of our own is dead,” Adams said, empathizing with the emotional intensity coursing through the city over the case. “A Black man, Black like me — a man named Jordan, the name I gave my son, a New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma and mental illness, a man whose last words were to cry for help, a man named Jordan Neely.”

Adams said his death is yet another indication the mental health system needs an overhaul to better protect those who, like Neely, he says fall through the cracks and “disappear into the shadows.”

On Thursday, Adams again sidestepped when asked his view of whether what happened aboard the subway train was criminal.

“If this case goes to trial, I don’t want to talk about changing venues, tainted with the police,” the Democratic mayor said.

As for Neely’s death itself, Adams added, “We need to make sure we prevent these things from happening. That is within my span of control.”

Jennifer Vazquez, Andrew Siff and Tracie Strahan contributed to this report.

The frustrating quest for care can feel isolating. Prince William County Public Schools associate superintendent Denise Huebner had to leave the county to get help for one of her kids.

“I remember being on the phone and I remember saying, ‘But I need help, I need an appointment, you have to help me,’ and I was told there’s a six-month waiting list,” she said.

Inside the old Gander Mountain store in Woodbridge, Prince William County will launch a new concept in mental health care.

“Mental health was being swept under the rug; it is no longer so,” said Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who is leading the project.

The crisis receiving center will increase access and capacity for mental health care. It will be an option for emergency response drop-offs and walk-ins.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin took a walkthrough Thursday.

“It will be a national standard and it will be in Virginia,” he said.

A CDC survey found when Americans seek mental health care, almost 40% face delays to get it.

In Virginia, the survey results are a bit worse with almost 43% of people projected to face delays.

Huebner works as an Associate Superintendent in Prince William schools and says their families are struggling with this.

“We find that our parents are having difficulty attaining appointments or immediate treatment, and our students end up spending time in an emergency room or without care that they need,” Huebner said.

The crisis receiving center – if fully funded – is set to open in late 2024, but it still needs about $2 million in annual operating budget. Youngkin hopes the state legislature will reach a decision on a budget that could help close that funding gap.

UPDATE: Ex-Marine Daniel Penny Arrested on Felony Manslaughter Charge in Jordan Neely Death

The 24-year-old Marine veteran seen on video putting Jordan Neely in a chokehold on the floor of an F train in Manhattan 10 days ago, resulting in his death, is expected to be charged and surrender Friday, sources familiar with the matter tell News 4 New York.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office told NBC New York that Daniel Penny will be arraigned on a charge of second-degree manslaughter. Penny is expected to turn himself in as early as Friday morning at a lower Manhattan precinct.

“We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow,” a spokesperson for DA’s office said.

NBC New York was told that the decision to charge Penny was made by the district attorney’s office in consultation with the NYPD. An NYPD spokesperson did not return requests for comment.

Penny’s attorneys also have not commented on the imminent charges. They have previously said their client was protecting himself and others, and there was no way Penny “could have foreseen” his bid to subdue the supposed perceived threat would turn deadly. His attorneys said he never intended to harm Neely.

Neely’s family has said that statement amounts to a confession and have been calling for criminal charges.

The charges will come more than a week after Neely’s death on May 1, and amid mounting public pressure over accountability following the medical examiner’s determination that the case was a homicide. It wasn’t clear if Bragg’s office intended to pursue charges against two other people seen restraining Neely in that video or if those people had yet been identified.

Witnesses had reported Neely, a homeless man with a lengthy criminal record and a history of mental illness, was aggressive toward other riders on a train at the Broadway-Lafayette station in SoHo. He had been shouting at passengers, witnesses said, yelling that he was hungry and didn’t care if he died. The 30-year-old had been on a special city homeless watch list, considered a potential risk to himself and others.

More Coverage

Protests May 12

Marine Vet in Subway Chokehold Death Freed on $100K Bond, Ordered Not to Leave NY State

Witnesses also said Neely hadn’t physically attacked anyone before Penny moved to subdue him. Penny was questioned by the NYPD that day and released. Then came the autopsy findings.

Multiple protests have taken place in Manhattan since Neely’s death, with dozens arrested. Protesters again ratcheted up the volume Thursday, even after learning of the charges said to be coming.

“We need people to be held accountable for their actions, however we don’t want this just to be about the need to incarcerate this man,” said Jawanza James Williams, the organizing director for Vocal NY.

Still, some said it has taken too long for the charges to come.

“It’s ten days too late,” said protester Tanesha Grant. “Yes it’s some step towards progress, but we’ve been waiting too long.”

Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams, who had been accused by some of not weighing in substantially enough, formally addressed Neely’s death in a public address on Wednesday.

The Democrat forcefully declared Neely “shouldn’t have died” — while carefully towing a line between acknowledging the loss, and the ensuing tensions, and appearing to ascribe any sort of responsibility.

“One of our own is dead,” Adams said, empathizing with the emotional intensity coursing through the city over the case. “A Black man, Black like me — a man named Jordan, the name I gave my son, a New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma and mental illness, a man whose last words were to cry for help, a man named Jordan Neely.”

Neely had multiple arrests for offenses including assault and disorderly conduct, among others. Adams said his death is yet another indication the mental health system needs an overhaul to better protect those who, like Neely, he says fall through the cracks and “disappear into the shadows.”

On Thursday, Adams again sidestepped when asked his view of whether what happened aboard the subway train was criminal.

“It this case goes to trial, I don’t want to talk about changing venues, tainted with the police,” Adams said.

While addressing Neely’s death, the mayor said that “we need to make sure we prevent these things from happening. That is within my span of control.”

The 26-year-old actor shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, published May 9, that he is one year and four months sober. While he didn’t specify from what substance or the reasoning behind his sobriety, he reflected on how his views on mental health have changed since portraying a troubled young man in “The Crowded Room.”

Holland has played the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, and other dependable characters people “feel safe around,” he said. But his role as Danny Sullivan changed his perspective. 

“I’m no stranger to the physical aspects of the job doing the whole action-movie thing,” he told the magazine. “But the mental aspect, it really beat me up and it took a long time for me to recover afterwards, to sort of get back to reality.”

“The Crowded Room” is inspired by a true story and based on the 1981 novel “The Minds of Billy Milligan, The Crowded Room.” It centers around Holland’s character Danny, a shy, antisocial teen from upstate New York, who is arrested following a shooting at the Rockefeller Center in 1979. The real Billy Milligan was accused of kidnapping, raping and robbing three women near Ohio State University, per The Associated Press.

Holland took the role seriously and nine months into filming found himself struggling to detach from the role of Danny. 

“I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life,” the actor said. “I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, ‘I’m going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.’ And, obviously, we were mid-shooting, so I decided not to … It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

After speaking to a professional, he said his views on mental health changed and taught him about recognizing his own triggers.

“Learning about mental health and the power of it, and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny and Billy’s struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life,” he said, noting the importance of “recognizing triggers” and “things that stress me out” like social media. 

He also credits his co-star, who portrayed Danny’s friend and roommate Ariana, to helping and supporting him at the time. Holland said that when he was really struggling to understand his character’s reason of action, Sasha Lane “would take me aside and was really open and willing to share some of her experiences that were so helpful in the moment.”

Though the show — out June 9 on Apple TV+ — is told from a fictional point of view, Holland said after his experience he hopes viewers “have more respect and more sympathy for people who are going through mental health issues.”

Adding, “I hope that people will feel educated about the powers of mental health, the struggles, (and) our incredible abilities to survive.”

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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ death came as a shock to many around the world, including his wife, Allison Holker Boss.

The beloved dancer and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” DJ died by suicide in December at the age of 40. In her first TV interview since his death, Holker Boss — who is honoring her husband’s legacy with her Move With Kindness Foundation launched earlier this year — opened up to Hoda Kotb about what life has been like without her adored husband.

“I still feel like the rest of the world where I’m still shocked,” Holker Boss tells Kotb. “No one’s ready for that moment and there’s no one that saw this coming. No one — and that breaks my heart too.”

Blindsided by Boss’ death, Holker Boss adds that she feels “so sad” that he was suffering “and we weren’t in the know.”

“He wanted to be the strong one for everyone and I think that was a little scary for him to think that he might need to ask for help,” she adds. “He was so much love and light. He really wanted to be everyone’s Superman, and he said that a lot.”

Boss and Holker Boss appeared on “So You Think You Can Dance” together in 2010. They got married on December 10, 2013, and share three children together.

He adopted Holker Boss’ 14-year-old daughter, Weslie, and they had son Maddox, 7, and daughter Zaia, 3, together. The dancer says that she and their children have good days and bad, but are doing their best to move forward.

“I’m looking at you and you seem very strong to me,” Kotb asks. “Is that for you? For the kids? For the world?”

“I think it’s for all of them,” Holker Boss says. “I don’t really have any other choice but to be strong.”

“Now, they still see me have my highs and lows because there’s a lot of it,” she continues. “All I can do is just try to move forward.”

Holker Boss says she’s had to also manage tough conversations with the kids.

“It’s honestly something I wouldn’t wish for anybody. It’s really hard,” she says through tears. “But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that communication is key.”

“There’s been some really hard conversations,” she continues. “To us, Daddy’s in the stars. So we can go outside and talk to him whenever we want. … They just ask, ‘When is daddy coming back?’ and that’s a really hard one.”

“And then it’ll be a couple weeks later, ‘But does he come back when he’s older? Like, when Daddy’s older he’ll come back?’” she says. “But they are still children and still obviously want him here.”

As for Holker Boss, she personally also had those moments when she thinks, “Was there something I missed?”

“I did it a lot in the beginning,” she says. “I eventually had to tell myself, I can’t change anything that’s happened.”

What they had, she says, was magical and real. “And I think that’s the hardest part about all this. The way we loved was so big,” she says of their relationship. “I got 13 years with one of the most magical humans and I learned so much about love and gratitude.”

She adds that she talks to him every night.

“Sometimes it’s just like, ‘I took the kids to school,’ other times it’s a little bit deeper, little more heavy,” she says. “I don’t allow myself to be in a place of anger or sadness, though I allow myself to feel it. I’m feeling this much pain because I’ve had so much love.”

Holker Boss says that she asks him questions “all the time,” wondering if “maybe one day they’ll be this big ‘aha’ of answers.”

Thankfully, she has found comfort in the outpouring support from fans and friends like Ellen DeGeneres.

“She has been a huge support system for me,” she says. “And talk about the fun memories we had with him. We get to live in those great memories that we had.”

Many struggle in silence like Boss. Studies suggest 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year. Now, Holker Boss and her family are honoring her husband’s legacy by partnering with her local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, called Nami Westside L.A. running programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“What I really would love is to bring awareness to mental health, open up the conversations, but to hopefully help people to feel comfortable asking for that help,” Holker Boss says. “I really do wanna make an impact on behalf of someone I love so much.”

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The event, sponsored by Bowie State University, Volunteers of America and the county health department, aimed to help teens and young adults with their mental health in the post-pandemic era. 

“It’s about how we respond to crises,” Dr. Sheryl Neverson, one of the facilitators of the health expo, said. “How do we respond and cope when things don’t go our way? … We all need mental health, just like we need physical health.”

At the expo, providers dispensed information in non-clinical setting, a gateway to coping with the challenges of life. 

Alyssa Washington, for one, said she found her escape through equine therapy. 

“Going to the barns, riding horses–that’s my coping skills. That’s how I cope. That’s how I de-stress,” she said. 

“She’s also doing barrel racing. She’s just found her passion,” Princess Washington said. 

Still, there’s stigma attached to therapy, which is where Alyssa Washington has since become something of an ambassador of its benefits to her peers. 

“If they don’t think therapy’s gonna work, or if they don’t find it as a way to get help, I try to tell them that there’s other ways too, not just therapy: teachers, other peers, principals, guidance counselors,” she said. 

Three times as many people registered for the expo this year compared to last year, and about a third of the attendees who registered were not Bowie State University students, potentially evidence of the need for and wider acceptance of the topic of mental health.

“People need to speak up. You see a lot of celebrities now coming out. A lot of people saying, ‘Hey, it’s OK to talk to a therapist. It’s OK to not be OK,’” Neverson said. 

It’s especially necessary, Neverson said, amid all the complications of modern day life, especially for young people. 

“Whether it’s school, whether it’s bullying, whether what they see on social media comes to them at their fingertips, and so we have to be prepared to respond,” she said.

“When you call 911 in the District of Columbia, the most likely outcome if you’re calling about a mental health crisis, is that you’re going to get a police officer,” Michael Perloff of D.C.’s ACLU chapter said from a lectern in the Wilson building.

He wants mental health specialists — not police — to respond to those 911 calls for help.

“The system we have isn’t working,” Perloff said. “Police aren’t trained for this, and honestly this is a problem that we’ve just dumped on their desk, like so many other areas of life.”

Last year, the District joined states across the country launching the 988 crisis hotline.

People can call 988 for help in a mental health emergency, just as they would call 911 for a physical emergency, and speak with someone trained to handle mental health issues.

D.C.’s 911 call takers are being trained to divert calls for mental health related incidents to 988.

The ACLU released other recommendations it hopes D.C. leaders will embrace.

“The first is creating someone to talk to. These are crisis call centers,” said Perloff. “Second is ensuring there are non-police mental health responders… And finally, we need a place to go. What we need are community-based mental health facilities where people can receive the care they need in the community where they are.”

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The District does have a community response team of trained mental health providers who can respond to calls for help.

“The District invested resources to nearly double the number of trained crisis counselors and the Community Response Team,” the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health said in part in a statement. “The program has expanded from 12 hours a day to twenty four hours every day.”

The DBH staff will soon be working at the 911 call center.

In addition, the DBH told News4 they will continue to train DC police officers in the handling of mental health crises. The Metropolitan Police Department currently has about 150 officers who are certified as crisis intervention officers, and another 800 officers who have had mental health first aid training. 

Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title character — an American coaching a soccer team in London — and other members of the cast will meet with the Bidens “to discuss the importance of addressing your mental health to promote overall wellbeing,” the White House said. The third season of the Emmy-winning, feel-good Apple TV+ series began streaming last week.

A White House official said the Bidens had seen some of the show and are familiar with its “message of positivity, hope, kindness, and empathy.” Cast members expected to be in attendance include: Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Cristo Fernandez, Kola Bokinni, Billy Harris, and James Lance.

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Biden has previously called on lawmakers in both parties to expand resources to fight the “mental health crisis” in the nation as part of his “ unity agenda.” His administration has surged funding to bolster the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and expand school-based mental health professionals.

An independent committee in late February recommended that the Defense Department implement a series of gun safety measures, including waiting periods for the purchase of firearms and ammunition by service members on military property and raising the minimum age for service members to buy guns and ammunition to 25.

In a memo released Thursday, Austin called for the establishment of a suicide prevention working group to “assess the advisability and feasibility” of recommendations made by the initial study committee — which would include the gun measures. He also asked for cost estimates and a description of any “barriers” to implementing other changes, and set a deadline of June 2 for that report. At no point did he specifically refer to the gun proposals or mention gun safety.

His orders reflect increasing concerns about suicides in the military, despite more than a decade of programs and other efforts to prevent them and spur greater intervention by commanders, friends and family members. But his omission of any gun safety and control measures underscores the likelihood that they would face staunch resistance, particularly in Congress, where such legislation has struggled in recent years.

The more immediate changes address broader access to care.

To more quickly provide help for troops who may be struggling, Austin directed the Pentagon to hire more behavioral health specialists and implement a scheduling system for appointments where patients receive multiple health care visits weekly when they first seek care.

He also ordered military primary care health clinics to screen for unhealthy levels of alcohol use, make unhealthy alcohol use treatment easier to receive and make sure that mental health care is available through service members’ primary care as well.

“The mental health support available for our teammates must be comprehensive and easy to access,” Austin said in the memo.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters in a briefing Thursday that Austin’s orders involved areas where the department already has the authority to take immediate steps.

“While we recognize that suicide has no single cause, and that no single preventative action, treatment or cure will eliminate suicide altogether, we will exhaust every effort to promote the wellness, health and morale of our total force,” Ryder said.

The initial study committee recommended that the department require anyone living in military housing to register all privately owned firearms. In addition, the panel said the department should restrict the possession and storage of privately owned firearms in military barracks and dorms.

Confirming findings in annual suicide reports, the panel noted that about 66% of all active-duty military suicides —- and more than 70% of those by National Guard and Reserve members — are done with firearms. It said reducing access to guns could prevent some deaths.

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Craig Bryan, a clinical psychologist and member of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee, said the department should slow down troops’ access to guns — specifically those bought in stores on bases — so people under stress can survive periods of high risk.

He likened the expanded gun safety measures to requirements that the department puts on motorcycle usage — such as mandated helmets — that are often more strict than some state laws. Asked how likely such changes would be, Bryan said he believes troops are more receptive to such limits than civilians may be.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Mistakes. We all make them. Some are small, like spilling wine on a friend’s couch or forgetting a birthday. Others are bigger, causing hurt that can lead to lasting, sometimes irreparable damage in a relationship.

That’s what makes apologies important.

“We all hurt other people just as we’re hurt by them. So, the need to give and receive apologies is with us until our very last breath,” Harriet Lerner, psychologist and author of “Why Won’t You Apologize?” tells TODAY.com.

But not everyone understands how to apologize — or why saying “I’m sorry” is even necessary.

“When done right, an apology is deeply healing,” Lerner says. “And when an apology is absent or we muck it up, it can put a crack in the foundation of a relationship, or it can even end a relationship.”

In fact, failing to say we’re sorry for something we’ve done that’s affected someone we love, can ultimately end up causing more damage than whatever we’re apologizing for in the first place.

“The courage to apologize and the wisdom and clarity to do it wisely and well is at the heart of everything that’s most important,” she says. “It’s at the heart of parenting, leadership, and friendship. It’s at the heart of our own sense of personal integrity and accountability and self-worth.”

Yet, saying sorry isn’t always easy. While an apology for something small, like accidentally stepping on someone’s toe, is almost automatic, apologizing for something much bigger tends to be more difficult.

That’s because, as Lerner puts it, our brains are hard-wired for defensiveness when we’re confronted. When we listen defensively, our focus shifts to any exaggerations or inaccuracies in the conversation rather than “listening for the essence of what the hurt or angry party needs us to understand.”

Once we feel defensive, we often end up debating the things we don’t think are true or fair instead of genuinely listening to what the injured party has to say.

And it’s the listening part that Lerner says is essential. “If only we would listen with the same passion we feel about being heard.”

“Apologies are extremely powerful,” Karina Schumann, associate professor of social psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, tells TODAY.com.

Even when you don’t think you’ve done something “wrong,” Schumann says it’s important to view the situation from the perspective of the person who’s been harmed or offended, then validate it.

“To hear those words of recognition that you’re aware that something has happened that’s upsetting or problematic for this person, and that you’re not making excuses for it,” can be extremely impactful, according to Schumann.

So, what are the steps in delivering a heartfelt apology? “When it’s something important, the good apology may start with ‘I’m sorry,’ but it doesn’t end there,” Lerner says.

Below, Lerner and Schumann offer some pointers on how to apologize sincerely and effectively.

Step 1: Listen, then listen again

A good apology starts with the willingness to listen and hear what the injured party has to say despite any objections you may have. “Sit on the hot seat and listen with an open heart to the anger of the wounded party,” Lerner suggests.

More often than not, you won’t be able to cover all the bases in one conversation.

“If it’s a big betrayal, there’s no greater gift or one that’s more difficult to offer then the kind of listening where we put aside our defensiveness and listen to someone’s anger and pain when they’re accusing us of causing it,” Lerner adds.

Step 2: Take responsibility

According to Lerner, a good apology requires us to take “clear and direct responsibility for what we have or done or failed to say or do” without any caveats.

That said, a “true apology does not include the word ‘but.”

A genuine apology is a sincere expression of empathy, and remorse and should take responsibility for your actions. A good example: “I’m really sorry about what I said at the party last night. It was insensitive and uncalled for.”

It’s not an apology if you focus on the other person’s feelings or responses. For example, “I’m sorry that you felt hurt by what I said at the party last night.”

This kind of apology doesn’t work because there’s no accountability or ownership of the action. Instead, it puts it on the injured party. “You don’t apologize for someone else’s feelings, which maybe implies that if they were a little tougher and they weren’t so sensitive, maybe they wouldn’t be so hurt,” Lerner says.

Step 3: Make reparations

Be sure to include a “corrective action,” which Lerner describes as something that attempts to rectify the wrong that’s been committed.

Say, you receive bad service or food at a restaurant and the server says they’re sorry but fails to make up for the poor service or food in some way. “It’s a terrible business error to apologize, but not to make it right,” Lerner says.

When it comes to relationships, commit to not making the same mistake again or make it known that you’re going to change your behavior.

This, of course, depends on the situation at hand. In Lerner’s eyes, a single “I’m sorry” probably isn’t going to cut it for big things like affairs, abuse, and other toxic behaviors.

“It’s very rare to get an apology done in one conversation,” Lerner explains. And as difficult as it may be, she says it’s important to not wait for the injured person to bring up the incident again to have another conversation about it.

“We always wait for the hurt party to bring it up, but an important part of reparation, when it’s something important, is to take the initiative to bring it up.”

Step 4: Allow time for forgiveness

Remember: Most problems aren’t solved in a day. While you may think — or hope — that you’ll be forgiven as soon as you apologize, that’s not always the case.

“Some think an apology is just not enough for some types of offenses,” Schumann says. “There shouldn’t be an onus and pressure on victims to forgive immediately when they receive an apology.”

A sincere apology can help begin the healing process, but the person who’s been hurt should always listen to their own needs and only forgive when — or, well, if — they’re ready.

The person apologizing should allow time and space for forgiveness to happen. “Be ready to engage in a longer process of accountability as opposed to just thinking, ‘I’ve apologized. It’s done, the person’s going to forgive me now,’” Schumann says.

Relationship damage or the “fraying of trust in a relationship”may require a longer process of changing behaviors and rebuilding that trust, according to Schumann. “So, apologies are a great starting point, but they usually require a little bit more than that.”

Step 5: Validate each other’s point of view

You should always try to enter the conversation with an open mind and the willingness to work through the issue.

“It takes two,” Schumann says. “But one person can initiate open-minded communication where you’re not attacking the other person, attacking their character and talking about how they always do this kind of thing to you.”

Taking that approach, she says, is likely to put the other person on the defensive. “But these are the steps that can try and reduce that defensiveness and really try to promote empathy and understanding between the people involved,” Schumann says.

It’s also important to recognize that, in some cases, you may never get the apology you’re hoping for.

“People who commit serious hurt may never get to the point where they can admit to their harmful actions, much less apologize aim to repair them,” Lerner says.

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The “Stitches” singer recently reflected on canceling the remainder of his Wonder World Tour in order to prioritize his mental health. Looking back on the months that followed after making that decision, Mendes shared it wasn’t an easy journey. 

“The process was very difficult,” he told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Monday. “A lot of doing therapy, a lot of trying to understand how I was feeling and what was making me feel that way. And then doing the work to help myself and heal. And also leaning on people in my life to help a little bit.” 

Reflecting on his personal mental-health experience, Mendes noted that while it was “a lot of work,” the last year and a half provided “the most eye-opening and growing and beautiful and just healing process of my life.” 

“I’m also really grateful for all the people that were so accepting and loving and kind and understanding,” he noted. “And it just really made me see how culture is really starting to get to a place where mental health is really becoming a priority.”

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Mendes’s reflection comes after he officially canceled the rest of the United States, United Kingdom and European dates on his Wonder World Tour in July. The decision to officially call off the tour was one he made nearly three weeks after initially postponing the shows to focus on his well-being.

“As you guys know, I had to postpone the past few weeks of shows since I wasn’t totally prepared for the toll that being back on the road would take on me,” Mendes’ message shared to Instagram began. “I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away.”

Despite stepping away from the tour, Mendes assured that he would return to the stage at some point.

“This doesn’t mean I won’t be making new music, and I can’t wait to see you on tour in the future,” he added. “I know you all have been waiting so long to see these shows, and it breaks my heart to tell you this but I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal.”

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Psychiatrist Dr. Asha Patton-Smith of Kaiser Permanente offered guidance for parents.

How Much Screen Time Should Kids Get Per Day?

Children 6 and older should be limited to two hours of screen time maximum, Patton-Smith said.

Ages 2-5 should be limited to one hour or less.

And children 2 and younger should not get any screen time.

“And this is from the American Academy of Pediatrics,” Patton-Smith said.

How Can Parents Reduce Children’s Screen Time Habits?

“Parents and caregivers, what I always tell them is that you can show them better than you can tell them,” Patton-Smith said.

She said the first thing parents should do is reduce their own screen time.

“Obviously, the older the kid, the more challenging it is in this process, but setting limits and having times when screens need to be off – dinner time, family time outside, certain times on weekends, time during study,” she said.

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How Is Social Media Harmful?

A 2019 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at different types of social media and screens and found the amount of time on screens can be detrimental, Patton-Smith said.

“However, social media is what seems to be the biggest culprit with regard to challenges increasing depression and anxiety,” she said.

By reinforcing the algorithm, users can get sucked in and continue to stay.

“So, if you’re searching something and other things come up that are very similar, you look up and you’ve been on for hours and it seems like it’s only been a few minutes,” Patton-Smith said.

Another thing that is particularly difficult with teenagers are “upward social comparisons,” she said.

“So, comparing social experiences that you’re seeing in social media as more favorable than your experience,” she said.

Body image is one. What activities people are doing is another.

“I hear a lot of teens say, ‘Everybody’s having a lot of fun but me,’” Patton-Smith said. “How do you know? Is it because of social media? Because that’s not always accurate.”  

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey analyzed health behaviors of more than 17,000 American high school students over a 10-year period, ending in 2021. The data looks at mental health, suicide, sexual violence, trauma and bullying experienced by high school students in the U.S.

The CDC has conducted this survey since 1991, collecting data from high school students every other year.

Here are some of the the key findings released Monday.

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More than 40% of boys and girls reported feeling “so sad and hopeless” that they were unable to engage in their usual activities for at least two weeks. 

This figure increases substantially for teenage girls, with nearly three in five experiencing persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in 2021, according to the CDC. 

“We’ve never seen this kind of devastating, consistent findings,” Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s adolescent and school health division, said Monday. “There’s no question young people are telling us they are in crisis. The data really call on us to act.”

The figure increases even more for LGBTQ+ students with 70% experiencing sadness and hopelessness and more than 50% reporting “poor” mental health over the previous 30 days.

Suicide

The CDC data also noted that 22% of the students surveyed “seriously considered” attempting suicide in 2021 — a staggering increase from 16% in 2011.

The data showed female students were more likely to consider suicide at double the rate of high school boys.

“America’s teen girls are engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma,” said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, in a media briefing on Monday.

Bullying and Sexual Violence

Nearly 20% of the female students surveyed reported experiencing sexual violence in 2021, according to the CDC. 

And 14% of teenage girls reported being raped — more than one in 10.

The survey notes that while cases of bullying decreased at school, sexual violence and the number of students missing school over safety concerns increased in 2021.

“As a parent to a teenage girl, I am heartbroken. As a public health leader, I’m driven to act,” Houry said.

Sixteen-percent of those surveyed experienced electronic bullying in 2021, while 15% reported bullying on school property.

Female students experienced both types of bullying at a higher rate than their peers, the data shows.

During the CDC’s briefing Monday, Houry said schools and educators are on the frontlines of the mental health crisis, but also noted the vital role of parents.

“Parents have such an important role. If you notice any changes in your child’s behavior, eating or sleep, certainly ask them about it,” she said.

She advises parents to be as involved as possible in the kids’ lives — including knowing their friends, as well as their friends’ parents.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

It’s widely used in South America where it is legal in several countries, including Peru and Brazil. But in the United States, it remains illegal because the brew contains the psychedelic N, N-Dimethyltryptamine or DMT.

Despite its illegal status, ayahuasca has become increasingly popular in the U.S., and interest has intensified as celebrities like NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Hollywood star Will Smith talked about attending ceremonies. Supporters have formed churches to hold their ceremonies, which are largely held underground in homes, at rented facilities or in remote locations like deserts.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE AYAHUASCA?

Those who drink ayahuasca report seeing shapes and colors and going on dream-like journeys that can last several hours. Some say they can encounter dead relatives as well as friends and an assortment of spirits who talk to them.

Surveys of tea drinkers have reported that most experience a range of physical and mental effects after drinking ayahuasca. The most common physical reaction, according to a study in PLOS Global Health, was vomiting or nausea while other lesser side effects include abdominal pain and headaches. A majority of participants also reported seeing and hearing things, feeling alone or having nightmares — though almost all those reporting mental effects felt they were beneficial to their growth. According to the study, 2.3% of those surveyed reported needing medical attention after taking ayahuasca.

CAN AYAHUASCA HELP WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY?

A growing number of people in the United States are turning to ayahuasca to address a range of mental ailments they say conventional medicine has failed to remedy.

Many turn to the ceremonies to help with eating disorders, depression, substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress. One study, using data from the Global Ayahuasca Project, reported that most people with depression felt it had “very much improved” or “completely resolved,” while most of those with anxiety reported that their symptoms were “very much improved” or “completely resolved.”

But medical experts caution that not enough research has been done in the United States to confirm these findings — though smaller studies have been done in Brazil and other countries.

“There aren’t really the same kinds of studies that have been done above ground in the United States that allow us to know how well does it really work, who does it really work the best for, what are the real side effects of it,” said Anthony Back, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He is leading a study using psilocybin, a hallucinogen found in some mushrooms, to help doctors and nurses with symptoms of depression and burnout linked to their work during the pandemic.

“Our knowledge (of ayahuasca) is kind of limited,” he said. “There is not as much information about safety as the regular other medical treatments that you might get if you went to a regular doctor in the United States. It’s kind of in the early stages I would say — interesting, intriguing, promising.”

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT AYAHUASCA?

Some supporters worry the popularity of ayahuasca could prompt a federal government crackdown. Some advocates have reported ayahuasca shipments from South America being seized and churches closing for fear of legal trouble. Others worry reports of sexual assaults at ceremonies, sickened participants or organizers ripping off people could prompt the federal government to act.

Some groups have formed churches in the hopes of being protected from prosecution by a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a New Mexico church won the right to use ayahuasca as a sacrament. A subsequent lower court decision ruled Oregon branches of a different ayahuasca church could use it.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which declined to comment for this story, set up a system in 2009 for churches to be recognized as having an exception to the Controlled Substances Act. But Sean McAllister, who represents an Arizona church in a lawsuit against the federal government after its ayahuasca from Peru was seized at the Port of Los Angeles, said no churches have been approved. Most people in the movement, he said, view that option as “a complete waste of time.”

“The government wants to keep a lid on this thing. They want to keep it as small as they can,” said McAllister, adding that the DEA would be skeptical of people claiming ayahuasca connects them to God.

COULD THE US DECRIMINALIZATION AYAHUASCA?

Some supporters hope moves to decriminalize ayahuasca and other psychedelics in several states will reduce the risk of prosecution. Decriminalization efforts have succeeded in Colorado and Oregon and a bill is pending in California. More than a dozen cities — mostly in California, Massachusetts and Washington — have passed resolutions that deemphasize the prosecution of various drugs including ayahuasca.

“Part of what we are trying to do is get the word out and change the laws in the United States so this is 100% legal and you never have to worry about it,” Brian Cantalupi, a lead facilitator with the California-based Hummingbird Church, told participants at a recent ayahuasca ceremony. The church, which once largely operated underground, now holds ceremonies in the open.

But it’s unclear if the new laws sanction ayahuasca ceremonies. Even if they did, participants could still face federal prosecution.

“From the perspective of Colorado, it does seem under the new law that people can get together and share ayahuasca but the question is how much are they allowed to have. That is not clear,” said Mason Marks, the senior fellow of a psychedelics project at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School. “It doesn’t mean that it’s a free for all and people can do what they want. There are still a lot of restrictions.”

Kids are no exception, and between streaming TV shows, playing games and doing homework on school-issued Chromebooks, children are spending a lot of time on screens.

The pandemic has also taken a toll on screen time limits, with young people spending even more time on digital devices.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics looked at the impact of digital devices on 29,017 kids between age 3 and age 18.

Before the pandemic, kids spent an average of 162 minutes per day on screens. But after, that number shot way up, with children spending an extra hour and 20 minutes per day on devices for a total of more than four hours per day of screen time.

Dr. Asha Patton-Smith, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente, has advice on the negative effects of screen time and how parents can help their kids cut back.

“Screens in and of themselves are not bad things,” said Patton-Smith. “It is what we’re using them for and how often we’re using them that can get us into trouble, whether it be an adult, adolescent or a child.”

She added that too much screen time can lead to problems with sleep, anxiety, obesity, and neck and back pain.

Setting healthy limits and rules around how your kids use their phones and when can help ease them off screens.

“It’s not absolutely no screen time, but an hour or a less per day is recommended,” said Patton-Smith. “As your kids continue to grow and develop, [we’re] still looking at two to three hours a day, even ideally in the teenage population, is really all that is actually recommended.”

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Instead, try to fill their time with activities that don’t center around phones, like sports and outdoor play.

Researchers also found that a parent’s screen time habits impacted their kids, and if parents’ stress level rose, the screen time duration for their children often increased too.

I’ve also learned a lot from my personal journey. In my 20s, I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But by making some lifestyle changes, I was able to overcome it in just a few months. To continue staying sharp, energized and healthy, here are six things I never do:

1. I never load up on high-carb foods.

Diet plays a role in obesity, diabetes and heart health, but most people don’t realize that it also has profound effects on the brain.

I reversed my metabolic syndrome by committing to a low-carb diet. Generally, low-carb diets eliminate or cut back on grains, baked goods, sweets and fruits that are high in sugar or starch.

I typically have eggs for breakfast. Throughout the day, I eat vegetables, fruits, and a good amount of meat, fish and poultry. This has helped me maintain a healthy weight and keep my blood sugar low.

2. I never take more than 2 days off from exercising.

A study of 1.2 million Americans found that exercise is good for mental health.

For me, the optimal workout is 45 minutes, three to five times a week. In addition to stretching and core exercises, I lift weights, run, cycle, swim and take brisk walks.

I don’t push myself to exercise every day, but I also never take more than two days off from aerobic activities.

3. I never get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.

Poor sleep can result in cognitive impairment that might lead to a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease over time. It can also impact mood and contribute to depression.

When you sleep, your body enters a “rest and repair” state. The brain undergoes many changes in neurons that play a role in learning and memory consolidation. Without sleep, cells can fall into a state of disrepair and begin to malfunction.

The amount of sleep people need varies, but I always get in at least seven hours a night. I’m usually in bed by 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., and wake up at 4 a.m. The “early to bed, early to rise” routine makes me sharper and more focused throughout the day.

4. I never drink alcohol.

I used to drink regularly, and would sometimes have a glass of wine in the evenings to relax.

But in June 2020, I decided to give it up for one month. Within weeks, I noticed improvements in my sleep and productivity, so I decided to quit drinking altogether. What’s shocking is that I don’t miss it at all.

This doesn’t mean you should give up drinking completely, but the benefits that we once thought alcohol conferred are now being questioned. In a study of over 36,000 people, consuming even one to two drinks a day was associated with brain atrophy or shrinkage.

5. I’m never done with self-growth.

Exploring your emotional health through psychotherapy can be life-changing. It can help you understand who you are and what you want from life, which will strengthen your sense of purpose.

Psychotherapy that focuses on empathy, relationships, social skills or improving cognitive abilities can strengthen brain circuits that have been underdeveloped.

6. I never lose sight of my purpose in life.

Humans are driven to have a sense of purpose. I believe this is hardwired into our brains. When people lack a sense of purpose, it can induce a chronic stress response and lead to poor cognitive function.  

Remember that purpose is multifaceted. It involves relationships with other people, yourself and your community. We should all aim to have least one role in society that allows us to contribute and feel valued.

This can be as simple as having household chores, or take the form of being a student, employee, caretaker, volunteer or mentor.

Christopher Palmer, MD is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health.” For the past 27 years, he has been an academic physician with administrative, research, educational, and clinical roles. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisPalmerMD.

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On Sunday, some of the faith leaders involved with Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) gathered at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon.

The group called for elected officials to increased funding for crisis receiving centers across the region, to help with a mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They stated that many people put off getting necessary help because there aren’t enough resources.

“This storm has been brewing for a very long time, and the rebuilding will take time,” said one faith leader at the meeting. “But we have to work together, because it will take individuals like yourselves, organizations like yourselves, with all types of different backgrounds to come together to make a change.”

Arlington-based VOICE and its partners have secured $24 million for crisis centers over the course of the past two years.

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It is the latest cluster of Navy suicides this year to spark concerns of a fleetwide mental health crisis.

The four sailors worked for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), which maintains military ships and is based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Many MARMC sailors have been struggling with personal issues that were exacerbated by a lack of mental health resources on the job and feeling overworked and undervalued by their leaders, according to a sailor who spoke with NBC News and Arestivo, who recently led four suicide prevention sessions at the site.

“I was inundated with the amount of hopelessness at that command,” said Kayla Arestivo, a licensed counselor who was brought in two weeks ago to help the sailors in the unit.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

There is a dire shortage of psychiatric care for adolescents that has led to conflict and crime in a Westchester County town. And while residents demand a solution, the teens meanwhile are being denied the help they so desperately need, putting them at risk of hurting themselves — or others.

A video posted on a public Facebook page showed the scary situation one Westchester driver encountered, as a distressed teenager jumped in front of her car and refused to move. She threatened to call the police on him, to which he responded with a frightening request: He asked her to kill him.

As jaw-dropping and alarming as the incident was, it’s not the only recent one like it. Local residents expressed their concerns at a Wednesday night hearing in Mount Pleasant, saying it’s not fair to them that they have to shoulder a burden the state has put on them due to a dearth of properly equipped mental health care facilities.

Dozens of teens, including the one seen in the Facebook video, with serious mental health issues are increasingly being sent to live at the Pleasantville Cottage School, which is run by the nonprofit JCCA, formerly known as the Jewish Child Care Association. The adolescents are schizophrenic, suicidal, possibly even homicidal, according to program CEO Ron Richter — conditions the facility is not equipped to adequately provide care for.

“They’re very sick kids,” Richter said. “We’re not licensed or funded to provide the level of care to children who are psychiatrically sick the way we have them now.”

The Cottage School is intended to be a residential home offering therapy to kids in foster care who have suffered abuse and neglect. But now they’re dealing with fights, threats, even suicide attempts and serious incidents involving more than 30 kids in the past six months.

A small percentage of the residents are detracting from the care for the other kids who are meant to be there. The staff are not permitted to put hands on the children, lock doors or force them to remain on campus. Mount Pleasant Police Chief Paul Oliva said that his officers were at the facility seven times in one day, recently.

Earlier in the year, a 17-year-old terrorized the neighborhood around Virginia Lane when he went into a family’s yard and stole a chicken — before doing the unthinkable with it.

“This student was on our street with one of our chickens in his hands eating it alive, with the neck in one hand and the body in the other…feathers and blood everywhere,” a neighbor said. “My children called the police, it was a nightmare.”

“It frightened the neighbors. It frightened me,” Chief Oliva said.

But according to a complaint filed with the state, the situation never should have gotten to that point. JCCA said that the day before the teen — who is schizophrenic — ate the chicken, they brought him to Westchester Medical Center three times.

Each time he was discharged: First after he broke a window screen and a staffer’s car mirror on campus, second after climbing the fence on Virginia Lane and brandishing a rake.

“He was banging on the fence said he wanted to hurt someone,” said the neighbor.

After the the third discharge, he left the campus again and returned to the neighbor’s property. Thats’s when he grabbed the chicken

“If you could see the way he was eating my chicken, it was clear he had a mental illness,” said the neighbor’s daughter. “He had a blank stare on his face and he had no idea that he was doing something wrong.”

But even after the incident that left a family traumatized, the hospital again declined to admit him, according to the complaint, adding that he kept talking about acquiring weapons, expressed an intention to kill his peers while they were sleeping — and take his own life.

“We can’t seem to convince the psychiatric emergency rooms that our kids should be evaluated. I’m not even saying admitted, I’m saying evaluated,” Richter said.

In a statement, Westchester Medical Center said they cannot comment on specific cases, but added that no person in need of physical or behavioral health treatment is denied care at their hospitals.

The teen in this case was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York City for longer term care. But JCCA will keep taking on the kids in need, because the state has given them nowhere else to go.

“JCCA would never say ‘Stop sending us kids,’ because at this point in time…there’s no place for these kids to go,” Richter said. “The state has decided that we don’t want to have high-end psychiatric residential services for children.”

Why not? A new federal law limits the time children can spend in residential care, so programs have closed. The pandemic made mental health issues worse, and the state has cut adolescent psychiatric beds in recent years.

JCCA wrote to New York state, saying if they want them to care for these kids, they should set up a program that is equipped to do it. But Richter says they’ve been waiting months for the state to take action before another — possibly even more serious — crime takes place.

“Look at the New York City subways, look at what happened in Buffalo, with young people who have documented mental illness. God forbid, it’s already happened.”

New York state said Friday its offices of Children and Family Services and Mental Health are working closely with JCCA to ensure it is safely and effectively providing care to impacted youth.

“New York State has invested significantly in developing intensive community-based services for these youth in foster care, including comprehensive outpatient programs, partial hospital programs, youth assertive community treatment teams, and by doubling the capacity of home-based crisis intervention,” the statement said. “JCCA has a longstanding history of serving these children, especially those who require complex supports due chronic exposure to trauma and adverse childhood experiences.”

One can be gaslit in many ways: politically, professionally, platonically. One of the more disarming ways to be deliberately deceived in a way that makes you question how much you can trust yourself, though, is romantically. Finding out a partner has misled you about who they are, what their goals are, or even how you are behaving during a conflict can lead to trust issues.

After all, if you can’t take someone at their word, how can you form a relationship with them?

Gaslighters are often self-involved, says Pamela Larkin, a therapist who specializes in relationships. This makes it hard for them to be self-aware. “When you are focused on your own perspectives, it’s hard to believe that anybody thinks any differently,” she says. “You’re only coming from your own experience.” 

They give more weight to their perception of events than your perception and are “not validating or acknowledging someone else’s experiences,” she says. “That’s often what gaslighting ends up looking like.” 

Here are three red flags that indicate your partner might be the gaslighting type.

1. Their friends don’t come to them when they feel vulnerable

Think about the kinds of problems their friends or family feel comfortable discussing with them. Ask yourself, “Are they the type of person that someone would come to if they had a moment of vulnerability?” Larkin suggests.

If people seem guarded around them, this might be a sign that they aren’t trusted by friends or family to react with empathy.

“If people are not coming to you when they have a need, that’s maybe because you’re not responding in a way that is respecting or validating their experience,” she says. 

2. Their language is critical

Notice what specific words they are using when talking to others. Are they generally sarcastic or critical? Do they use “blaming” words?

This doesn’t always mean blaming a person for their own actions. It can mean blaming others for situations that befall them or their friends.

3. They’ve been told in the past that they gaslight

This sounds obvious, but many who gaslight have a hard time believing they are doing it because they can’t see another person’s perspective. 

If this is feedback they’ve received a few times, it’s something you should pay attention to, Larkin says. 

Can a person stop gaslighting?

Yes!

If this sounds like your partner, or if you recognize some of these tendencies in yourself, there are ways to change. Here’s how to become more open to other’s perspectives:

Do some reading

“A lot of people who gaslight are potentially narcissistic,” Larkin says. “There’s an inability to be empathic and other-focused.” 

If this sounds like you or someone you know, consult some resources. Some books Larkin suggests include:

• “Narcissism, Codependency And Gaslighting Effect Bible,” by Dana Parent and Melody Covert
• “Narcissistic Abuse Syndrome: A Survival Guide For Healing From A Relationship With A Narcissistic Mother Or Partner,” by Dana Parent and Melody Covert
• “Safe People: How to Find Relationships that are Good for You and Avoid Those That Aren’t,” by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

“It’s like holding a mirror in front of you and saying, ‘Oh, I think I might do that,'” she says.

Hang out with people who aren’t like you

“Expose yourself to other people’s experiences or stories so that you do have more of a frame of reference,” she says. 

The more you interact with people who take different paths in life or think differently, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to empathize with them. 

Don’t over-internalize feedback

Being told you’ve gaslit someone can stir up feelings of shame, which can be counterproductive. 

“You may internalize it and think, ‘Oh, I did something wrong,’ or ‘I am bad,’ and you are so flooded with that [thought] that you can’t really hear the other person,” Larkin says. “You literally aren’t focused on the other person because you feel like they are telling you you did something wrong.” 

Decouple the act of doing something another person didn’t like and being a bad person. You can start by changing the attitude you have about yourself. 

“You need to build up a right view of yourself that is positive, but not superior, so that when people approach you telling you whatever, you know it’s not about you,” Larkin says. It’s about an action that you can work to curb in the future.

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Whatever topic will trigger conflict — be it the recent midterms or your relationships status — is sure to be lobbed at you mid-bite. 

“All it takes is one look, one complaint, or that one comment to set off a conflict the family knows all too well,” says Vienna Pharaon, a family therapist and author of the upcoming book “The Origins of You.”

‘Family just has a way of getting to the pain point and pressing it’

There is a lot of “unresolved pain” that originates in families and then is reactivated during these rare moments when everyone is together, Pharaon says.

Resentments and disappointments can be carried from generation to generation.

“Families are these unique relationships that, despite the passing of pain, there is still the expectation that the relationships continue to be maintained,” Pharaon says.

“So people dance around everything that’s unresolved over and over again, often trying to put on a happy or cordial face, until the pain finds a way to rear its head, which it will.” 

Families also have a way of undermining any growth or changes you’ve made over the last year, which can be endlessly frustrating.

“No matter how much you work on things in therapy, or how much healing or growth you’ve had during the year, family just has a way of getting to the pain point and pressing it,” she says. 

You might feel like the person you’ve become, the person you are around your friends during your day-to-day life, isn’t being acknowledged or accepted. 

If your family Thanksgiving feels more like a figurative cage match, there are ways to steady yourself before arriving and self-soothe at the dinner table.

Here are 4 things to do before dinner

“Prepare yourself for who you know your family to be, not who you hope they will be,” Pharaon says. 

Think about how these meals have gone, historically, instead of idealizing how you think they should go. 

1. Cook up a canned answer 

You likely know exactly what is going to set you off, so prepare a response that lets you engage without accelerating the conflict. 

“Can you expect a certain uncle to make a comment that’s going to ignite something within you?” Pharaon says. “Plan for how you’ll respond. What’s going to offer you the most amount of peace in this experience? Whatever that answer is, build around that.” 

Remember, there is likely no point in arguing. 

“Getting hooked into the chaos is not healing,” she says. “Trying to change a person’s mind who is committed to not changing is a waste of your energy and peace.” 

2. Do something relaxing beforehand 

Take some time to yourself before heading over, says Brittany Stewart, a family therapist at Growing Self Counseling & Coaching in Denver, Colorado.

“Do whatever feels like it regulates your nervous system,” she says. “Like going for a walk, meditating, or taking a shower.” 

Going into the meal with a calm mind can lengthen your fuse. 

3. Enlist the help of a sibling

Prior to arriving, ask a sibling or partner for support should conflict arise, Steward suggests.

Some ways to do this include asking:

• Could you back me up if I say we can’t talk about that?
• Can you help by introducing a new topic?
• There might be a time where I get overwhelmed and want to go and take a walk — can you go on a walk with me?

You can even come up with a code word or gesture which signals that you need to step away or you need someone to interject. 

4. Set a boundary 

Call your family ahead of time and vocalize what exact topic you’d like to avoid, Stewart says. 

An example script she gives is: 

“Hey I’m really excited to see you. I’ve been looking forward to having time with everyone. I’d really love if we didn’t talk about the election. I’d love to hear what’s happening in your life. I’d love for us to connect around other things in our lives.” 

You can also set a time boundary if you feel like that is what’s best for your own health.

“Let your family know, ‘Hey we are here until 8 p.m. tonight and then we’ll have to leave at that time,'” she says. 

2 ways to self-soothe during dinner

Regardless of the boundaries you set or the back-up you procure, family might still push your buttons. 

That’s why it’s important to have tools in the moment that can help you remain calm and not escalate an argument. 

1. Take a walk

Think of the acts that help you regulate your emotions on a daily basis. Maybe it’s going on a walk or quickly texting a friend. If you can’t get up and leave, practice doing some breath work or mediation. 

“Take care of yourself first,” Pharaon says. “Don’t worry too much about managing the emotional experience of others. I know, easier said than done when it’s a role you’ve taken on your entire life, but do your best to tune into yourself and care for you in the best way you can.” 

2. Tell them you won’t engage 

Sometimes we tip-toe around our emotions or needs. But, addressing them head-on might be more effective. If a topic triggers you, say something, Pharaon says.

“If things start to get tense you can say the following: ‘This isn’t going anywhere productive, I’m going for a walk. We’re clearly upset, I’m done having this conversation. I feel differently than you do; thanks for sharing your opinion but I don’t agree. I’m not interested in arguing.'” 

If the conversation continues, excuse yourself to get a drink or some air. 

“When things are unresolved in a family system, there’s a dysfunctional dance that likes to take place,” Pharaon says. “Think about your part in that dance.” 

Visualize what is going to happen and the moment during which you usually get pulled in. Then, imagine pulling yourself back out of it. Keep this thought in your head before and at the meal.

It can help remind you how not to get swept away in the yearly smackdown.

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“I felt helpless and alone,” the 12th grader later said.

Despite an influx of COVID-19 relief money, school districts across the country have struggled to staff up to address students’ mental health needs that have only grown since the pandemic hit.

Among 18 of the country’s largest school districts, 12 started this school year with fewer counselors or psychologists than they had in fall 2019, according to an analysis by Chalkbeat. As a result, many school mental health professionals have caseloads that far exceed recommended limits, according to experts and advocates, and students must wait for urgently needed help.

Some of the extra need for support has been absorbed by social workers — their ranks have grown by nearly 50% since before the pandemic, federal data shows — but they have different clinical training from other mental health professionals and many other duties, including helping families. Districts included in the analysis, which serve a combined 3 million students, started the year with nearly 1,000 unfilled mental health positions.

Hiring challenges are largely to blame, but some school systems have invested relief money in other priorities. The Cobb County district, for one, has not added any new counselors.

“They have so many students that they’re dealing with,” said Mira, 17. “I personally don’t want to blame them. But I also deserve care and support, too.”

A spokesperson for Cobb County Public Schools said school counselor positions are based on a state funding formula, and the district strongly supports more funding.

The Chalkbeat analysis is based on school staffing and vacancy data obtained through open records requests. The 31 largest districts in the U.S. were surveyed, but some did not track or provide data.

Some school systems used federal relief money to add mental health staff, but others did not because they worried about affording them once the aid runs out. Districts have limited time to spend the nearly $190 billion allocated for recovery.

“Here’s this conundrum that we’re in,” said Christy McCoy, the president of the School Social Work Association of America. “It’s like we are trying to put a Band-Aid on something that needs a more comprehensive and integrated approach.”

Many of the schools that have wanted to hire more mental health workers simply can’t find them. School psychologist positions have been particularly hard to fill.

Chicago, for example, added 32 school psychologist positions since fall 2019 but ended up with just one additional psychologist on staff this fall. Dozens of positions couldn’t be filled.

Schools in Hillsborough County, Florida eliminated dozens of unfilled psychologist positions, leaving schools with 33 fewer psychologists this fall than pre-pandemic. Houston schools also cut more than a dozen psychologist roles it couldn’t fill before the pandemic. Instead, the district used the money to pay outside providers and hire psychologist interns.

With their extended training, school psychologists are relied upon to provide intensive one-on-one counseling and help determine whether students are at risk for suicide.

In Maryland, a shortage of psychologists at Montgomery County Public Schools has kept the short-staffed department focused on crisis intervention and providing legally mandated services like special education assessments, said Christina Connolly-Chester, director of psychological services. That has meant they cannot keep up with other, less urgent counseling services.

“If that psychologist has more schools because there are vacancies and they’re not able to spend as much time in their assigned schools, then things like counseling go away,” she said.

The district sought to hire staff to address increased student needs such as anxiety, depression and struggles with conflict management, but still had 30 vacant psychologist positions, a district official said this month.

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Even before the pandemic, some schools struggled to find psychologists. New practitioners have not been entering the field fast enough, and others have been switching to telehealth or private practices with higher pay and often better working conditions.

“We can’t afford to pay professionals enough to make it a desirable position,” said Sharon Hoover, a psychologist who co-directs the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland.

Counselor staffing has been a challenge for some districts, too, with nine of the large districts down counselors this year, while another nine saw increases.

Where hiring has been toughest, schools have turned to alternatives. In Hawaii, which had 31 vacant counselor positions and 20 vacant psychologist roles at the start of the year, the state has trained educators to spot signs that a student is in distress — an increasingly common practice — and pays a private company to provide tele-mental health services.

It isn’t just hiring challenges that have led to smaller-than-expected staffing increases. Some school systems spent most of their federal aid on more lasting investments, such as technology or building repairs. And many opted not to add new mental health workers at all.

In the Chalkbeat analysis, half of the 18 large districts budgeted for fewer counselor or psychologist positions this school year than they did in fall 2019.

In April, just 4 in 10 districts reported hiring new staffers to address students’ mental health needs, according to a national survey.

“For all the talk about mental health, the actual money they’re spending on it is not that high,” said Phyllis Jordan, associate director of FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University that tracks school spending. School districts only planned to spend about 2% of the largest round of federal COVID aid on mental health hiring, according to the group’s analysis of more than 5,000 district spending plans.

One bright spot in the school mental health landscape, though, is the increase in social workers.

Montgomery County in Maryland, Gwinnett County in Georgia, and Orange, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in Florida all started the year with dozens more social workers than they had in fall 2019. Chicago added the most — nearly 150 additional social workers — in part due to staffing promises in the latest teachers union contract.

The Chalkbeat analysis echoes national data collected by the White House that show the number of school social workers was up 48% this fall compared with before the pandemic, while the number of school counselors was up a more modest 12% and the count of school psychologists inched up 4%.

In Houston, staffing increases meant nearly every school started this fall with a counselor or social worker.

Newly hired social worker Natalie Rincon is able to meet one-on-one with students who are in crisis and teach other students calming strategies, such as tracing their hand with a finger while breathing.

Still, need often outstrips capacity at Rincon’s school, where many students are refugees or recent immigrants coping with trauma. She often has to prioritize helping students with urgent issues, leaving less time to check in on others.

“I want to be able to meet with a kindergartner just to talk about how they’re feeling,” Rincon said. “Those are the kind of things that I think slip through the cracks.”

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

Clinksdale immediately began devising a plan to console and support the teammates and friends of the deceased teenagers.

“There is no playbook for something like this,” Clinksdale said.

But those who have experienced the unexpected death of a college athlete under their supervision say the increased emphasis on mental health care in athletic departments and universities at large — spurred in part by the pandemic and lessons learned from other tragedies — helps when responding to a crisis.

Grief struck the University of Virginia earlier this week. Three members of the football team were shot and killed on a bus returning to the Charlottesville campus from D.C. Two other students, one of them also a football player, were wounded.

The suspect in police custody, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 22, is a Virginia student and former walk-on member of the football team.

Classes, academic activities and the university’s Saturday home game against Coastal Carolina were canceled, and the school made counselors and therapy dogs available. Temporary memorials with flowers and stuffed animals have sprung up on campus throughout the week, including at Scott Stadium, where the Cavaliers football team plays. Classes resumed Wednesday though the university said undergraduate students won’t have to complete any graded assignments or take exams before the Thanksgiving break.

Virginia athletic director Carla Williams said Tuesday the department has three psychologists available for grieving teammates.

“In our first meeting with the student athletes, we had a lot of counselors on hand that were there and available to work with the student athletes,” Williams said. “And not only our football student athletes — with all of our student athletes.”

Clinksdale said after he was informed that Christian Eubanks, 18, and Caleb VanHooser, 19, had been killed in a single-vehicle wreck just outside of Indiana State’s Terre Haute campus, he went to the home of head coach Curt Mallory to break the sad news to him.

Mallory took on the difficult task of informing the players’ families that their sons had been killed.

The players and staff were gathered just a few hours later, with a familiar face there to provide help: Dr. Ken Chew, director of Indiana State’s Student Counseling Center.

“He’s been in front of our team before,” Mallory said. “This wasn’t a first-time introduction.”

While university leaders have pointed to increased focus on student mental health services, athletes appear less convinced. A 2019 survey of college and university presidents published by Higher Education Today found 80% indicating that mental health was being prioritized on campus more than it was three years ago. About 7 in 10 college and university leaders said they were putting more funds toward addressing mental health issues among students.

But only half of the 9,808 NCAA athletes who took a survey in late 2021 said they believe mental health is a priority to their athletics department — even after universities worked to shore up services during the pandemic as isolation to prevent the spread of coronavirus kept students from accessing resources. Among the athletes surveyed by the NCAA, 53% said they believe their coaches are taking mental health concerns seriously.

The NCAA does not have the power to mandate how schools invest and address mental health within their athletic departments, but its Sport Science Institute offers resources such as mental health best practices, workshop templates and planning tools.

In the last five years at Washington State, Cougars quarterback Tyler Hilinski killed himself on Jan. 16, 2018, and a little more than a year later, defensive back Bryce Beekman died of an accidental overdose. Dr. Sunday Henry, head team physician, was part of the response to both tragedies.

“Your primary care medical team and your mental health team immediately activate and assess the situation and how to respond,” Henry said. “What just happened? What do we need to do? For us it was get everyone together. Tell them the news. And here’s the resources available.”

Henry said she believes coaches generally have become better at encouraging athletes, who at times can conflate vulnerability for weakness, to be more willing to seek help if they are struggling with mental health.

Communication and interaction with the students is vital. Henry said athletic trainers, who spend so much time around the athletes, can play an integral role in trying to determine which students might need extra help.

At Virginia’s news conference on Tuesday, coach Tony Elliot talked about “having eyes” on the players.

“Nothing can prepare you for this situation, and we just want to be there to support the guys,” Elliott said.

Toledo athletic director Bryan Blair was a deputy athletic director at Washington State. He was hired shortly after Hilinski’s death and was part of the staff when Beekman died. He said all members of the department who came into regular contact with athletes were required to take a Mental Health First Aid course.

“All of us have a certain amount of responsibility to be able to be a resource to the student athletes,” Blair said.

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Mallory, whose late father Bill was a longtime Division I college football coach, has been coaching since the early 1990s. He said even before the tragedy at Indiana State, he spent one-on-one time on Mondays with players away from the field. Over the years he’s set more and more time aside for those meetings.

“Even if I felt like they were doing OK, I still wanted to get them in front. You just don’t know,” he said.

At San Jose State, freshman running back Camdan McWright was killed last month when he was hit by a bus while riding a scooter near campus.

Athletic director Jeff Konya said head coach Brent Brennan delivered the news to McWright’s family and it was Brennan and assistant coaches closest to the player who talked with his relatives throughout the week as a memorial was planned.

“And so that was an additional burden, and rightly so that was placed on our coaches, who had the best relationship with the family through the recruitment of Camdan,” Konya said.

The team’s game against New Mexico State was postponed and, instead, the players and coaches spent time together watching football. The next week, before the Spartans’ homecoming game, McWright was honored in a ceremony with his loved ones in attendance. San Jose State beat Nevada 35-28 in a cathartic victory.

Konya, who has been a college athletics administrator for 36 years, said he has seen mental health care become more of a priority on campus and in athletic departments.

“We’re in a better position now,” Konya said. “But it’s not foolproof and events like what happened here and what unfortunately happened at Virginia, those kinds of extreme cases are going to require really particular attention.”

___

AP Sports Writer Eric Hunzinger contributed to this report.

This is the vow Selena Gomez utters at the very beginning of “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” her revealing new Apple TV+ documentary. While the 30-year-old superstar has been open about her major health crises in the past—diagnoses for both lupus and bipolar disorder—Selena has never been more vulnerable than she is in the movie, which premieres Nov. 4.

Lamenting her mental health struggles, at one point the “Lose You to Love Me” singer wonders, “I have to stop living like this. Why have I become so far from the light? Everything I’ve ever wished for, I’ve had…and done all of it. But it has killed me.”

Throughout “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” Gomez shares intimate details about her health battles, including her 2016 stay at a psychiatric facility and the devastating way her mother, Mandy Teefey, learned she was seeking treatment. And, in one crushing confession, she wonders if she’ll ever be “good enough” on her own or if she’ll always be inextricably linked to former boyfriend Justin Bieber.

But, ultimately, the documentary is a story of a young woman learning to accept, embrace and love herself.

“I found having a relationship with bipolar and myself, it’s going to be there,” Gomez says. “I’m just making it my friend now. I think I needed to go through that to be who I am and I am going to keep going through it, but I’m really happy. I’m at peace. I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m competent. I’m full of doubt. I’m a work in progress. I am enough. I am Selena.”

So if you’re emotionally ready, come and get these candid revelations Gomez makes in “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me”:

The Revival Tour Drained Her

“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” begins back in 2016, with a frustrated Gomez prepping the stage show for her tour in support of her second studio album. 

“It just sucks, all of it,” Gomez cried after one rehearsal. “It looks so bad. I have no idea what the f— I’m doing.” She went on to acknowledge that she had a voice in her heard telling her, “‘You missed this, that sucked, that sucked,’ and it sucks the life out of me and I don’t want to perform. The pressure is just overwhelming because I want to do the best I can.” 

Selena is then seen apologizing to John Janick, the Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, telling him, “I don’t want you to regret signing me.” Concerned that the show felt “too young,” the former Disney Channel star said, “I want nothing more than to not be my past and it comes back.”

After 55 performances, including one that saw her admit, “sometimes I wake up and I feel like I don’t have it in me,” the Revival tour was canceled.

“Tours are a really lonely place for me,” Gomez told Vogue in 2017. “My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage. Basically I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable. I felt I wasn’t giving my fans anything, and they could see it—which, I think, was a complete distortion.”

Her Friends Feared For Her Life

Following the cancellation of the world tour, Gomez entered a Tennessee psychiatric facility for treatment for anxiety, panic attacks and depression stemming from her 2014 lupus diagnosis. One of the more alarming symptoms, her assistant reveals in the documentary, was suicidal ideations.

“At one point she’s like, ‘I don’t want to be alive right now, I don’t want to live,'” Gomez’s former assistant Theresa Marie Mingus recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ It’s one of those moments where you look in her eyes and there’s nothing there. It was just pitch-black and it’s so scary.”

Added Gomez’s close friend Raquelle Stevens, “I just remember it being chaotic and she was hearing all of these voices. [They] just kept getting louder and louder [and] that triggered some kind of psychotic break. If anyone saw what I saw and the state she was in at the mental hospital, they wouldn’t have recognized her at all.”

Her Bipolar Disorder

The “Only Murders in the Building” actress opened up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder while she was in treatment.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to go to a mental hospital,” she admitted, “but I didn’t want to be trapped in myself, in my mind anymore. I thought my life was over. I thought this is how I’m going to be forever.”

Reflecting on her diagnosis in footage from 2019, Gomez said, “I’m in a better place, but I don’t know. I guess sometimes I can’t explain it for sure. I needed to keep learning about it, I needed to take it day by day.”

She publicly revealed her bipolar diagnosis in 2020 during an appearance on Miley Cyrus’ “Bright Minded” Instagram Live series.

Her Mom Didn’t Know She Sought Treatment

Gomez’s mother Mandy Teefey reveals that she learned her daughter had suffered a mental breakdown in 2016 through TMZ.

“They called me and wanted to know what my daughter was doing in the hospital,” an emotional Teefey explained. “She didn’t want anything to do with me and I was scared she was going to die.”

Their relationship strained at the moment, she continued, “You hang on as tight as you can and try to help them with their treatment and that’s the hardest thing to do, to just go to bed and hope that they wake up the next day. It’s a miracle she got out but there’s always that fear that it’s going to happen again.”

Lashing Out at Family and Friends

Prior to receiving her bipolar diagnosis, Gomez recalled being “so mean” to the people close to her, especially her mother and stepdad, Brian Teefey. 

“I shouldn’t have spoke to them the way that I did and I shouldn’t have treated them the way that I did,” she explained. “Sometimes I know I wasn’t me. When I wake up the next day and they tell me what happened, but they explained to me, like, ‘Look, we know that that’s not you talking and we’re really concerned. Just know that we love you. We don’t see anything different from what was last night to now.'”

Still, Gomez said she can “remember certain things that I did…and even to this day, I keep saying thank you and I’m sorry.”

Her Ongoing Battle With Lupus

After initially being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease in 2014, Gomez struggled with a lupus flare in 2020 just as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning.

“I haven’t felt it since I was younger,” a crying Gomez told a friend of the joint pain she is feeling. “In the morning when I wake up, I immediately starty crying because it just hurts, like, everything.”

Gomez shares that she has been having “bad dreams” about her past and mistakes she feels she’s made. “It’s what drives me into depression,” she explained. “I just wanted to quit sometimes so I could just be happy and be normal like everybody else.”

After undergoing tests, Gomez’s doctor informed her that she has “lupus myositis rheumatoid overlap,” which causes inflammation in the joints and muscles. She then begins undergoing extensive infusion treatments that, Gomez explained, are “really hard on your system.”

How She Put Justin Bieber Behind Her

After delivering an emotional speech about her struggles with anxiety and depression while accepting the 2019 McLean Award at the hospital’s Annual Dinner, Gomez reveals that “being honest that night helped.” And it ultimately led her to write “Lose You to Love Me,” which she completed in just 45 minutes alongside songwriters Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. 

“It’s about more than just a lost love,” Gomez explains of the hit song. “It’s me learning to choose myself, to choose life. But also hoping that people can find grace and peace in that too. The song is about knowing that you completely lost every part of who you are, just to rediscover yourself again.”

After years of being asked about her relationship with Bieber because “everything was so public,” Gomez, who never acknowledges the “Sorry” singer by name, admits, “I felt haunted by a past relationship that no one wanted to let go of. But then I just moved past it. I wasn’t afraid anymore.”

And she was finally ready to move on. 

“I feel like I had to go through the worst possible heartbreak ever and then just forgetting everything at the drop of a hand, it was really confusing,” Gomez says. “But I just think that needed to happen and ultimately, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Her Heart Is In Africa

“After I got out of the last treatment center, I knew what made me happy,” Gomez explains, “and it was connection.” 

But, per her doctor’s orders, Gomez’s planned philanthropic visit to Kenya to see the schools she helped raise money to build was delayed several years due to her 2017 kidney transplant. Once she’s finally apple to make the trip in 2019, she vowed to visit quarterly

“The truth is I’ve never felt good enough,” Gomez admitted. “Even when I’m on stage in front of a crowd, I’ll always find the one person who doesn’t like me and I believe them, I want to believe in myself. The people I’ve met here in Kenya are so giving, I just want to feel like I deserve to be here with them.”

During her time in Maasai Mara, Gomez bonds with the students, talking about love, ambition and, in a particularly emotional conversation with one woman, suicidal ideation.

After her time in Kenya, Gomez travels directly to London and Paris to promote her music, but she struggles to adjust to her life as a celebrity. “It just seems like such a waste of time,” she said. “What am I doing right now?”

Later acknowledging that “part of my heart is still in Kenya,” Gomez admitted, “I felt guilty being there sometimes. I hate that, I feel like I went and filmed and I experienced, but it’s just so hard because I feel so selfish. Do I feel great? Yes, and do I feel like I left an impact? Yes, but do I feel like I’ve done enough? No.”

“Talking to someone about mental health in Kenya, that’s beautiful,” she continued. “I don’t know if I felt like, ‘Oh, I did it and I’m such a great person.’ No, it’s just the beginning for me.”

Her True Passion Revealed

During her trip to Kenya, Gomez shares her ambition to find a way to pass a bill that would add a mental health curriculum into U.S. schools. 

“My ultimate dream is that I am able to save people’s lives through something, whether it’s a song, music or it’s just me speaking about the troubles, trials and tribulations I have been through,” she later shared. “I could be a voice for others who maybe don’t know what’s going on or what they are feeling.”

In 2020, Gomez created the Rare Impact Fund to raise $100 million to provide free mental health resources for young people. And in May 2022, Selena met with President Joe Biden to discuss the creation of a mental health syllabus in the nation’s education system after hosting the first ever Youth Action Forum on Mental Health in coordination with the White House.

“When you’re struggling with your mental health, the essential part is knowing what to do and recognizing that,” Gomez explained. “It’s something that I’m not ashamed of.”

Her Disney Channel Crushes Revealed

In one of the documentary’s lighter moments, Gomez visits her childhood home in Grand Prairie, Texas, and checks to see if the evidence of her teenage crush is still on her bedroom wall.

“I had a crush on Cole and Dylan Sprouse, so I’d come in my closet and I would write things down,” Gomez admitted of her costars from “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Though she and Dylan Sprouse shared their first-ever onscreen kiss in 2006, it’s Cole Sprouse’s name she finds encircled with a heart. Joked Selena, “I’m sorry, Cole, if you ever see this!”

“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” premieres Nov. 4 on Apple TV+.

After dealing with health issues for “the past seven years,” the 21-year-old TikToker shared in an Instagram live that she has been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

PMDD is a “severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS),” which can cause “extreme mood shifts that can disrupt daily life and damage relationships,” according to Mayo Clinic.

“I kind of took a break from social media the past two weeks. I wasn’t feeling great and not really sure why,” D’Amelio said in a livestream originally posted on her Instagram and shared widely on TikTok.

After sharing her diagnosis, “The D’Amelio Show” star said that the disorder “really affects your moods and your behavior and many different parts of your life.”

“I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week. But it really disrupts my life and my attitude and my personality and my relationships and just who I am as a person,” she continued, adding that it also affects her anxiety. “And it’s very obvious to see in these next couple episodes of the show.”

D’Amelio explained that in the last weeks, she has been experiencing PMDD symptoms that have taken a toll on her mental health.

“I have never been so low and just down. And having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming,” she said. “I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind and I had no idea what was wrong but it would turn on and off like a light switch.”

Sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, tension, extreme moodiness, irritability or anger are symptoms that a person may experience when dealing with the disorder, per Mayo Clinic.

D’Amelio said that she had been dealing with these types of symptoms “every month for the past seven years.” She added thats she’s happy to know what’s wrong so she can find better ways to handle her emotions.

The cause of PMDD isn’t clear, but there are preventative treatments to reduce the symptoms including antidepressants, birth control pills, diet and lifestyle changes, and herbal remedies.

“I’m feeling better now and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that,” D’Amelio said, adding that she’s learning more about the disorder.

While sharing her diagnosis, viewers left messages of support and love. People also thanked her for being raw and honest, writing that they hope she feels better soon.

The second season of “The D’Amelio Show” premiered last month on Hulu, with new episodes airing on Wednesdays. As D’Amelio noted, fans may be able to see her experience with the disorder in the coming episodes.

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“Today we’re talking about providing to Americans 24/7 support for crisis care,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “That’s something that’s only been available to some, in some places. But depending on your income and ZIP code, you could be totally out of luck. That’s going to start to change.”

There are more than 400 community behavior health clinics across 46 states that provide 24-hour care for any child or adult who walks through the door, even if they can’t afford to pay. The effort began in 2014, born from bipartisan legislation years in the making from Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri.

The clinics, often run at the local level or by nonprofits, have struggled with spotty funding from the federal government, making it difficult to retain staff and pay for services. The gun violence bill that President Joe Biden signed into law after shooting rampages at a school in Uvalde, Texas, and a grocery in Buffalo, New York, bolstered federal funding to the states for the program.

In addition, Biden’s COVID-19 relief plans have set aside more than $1.2 billion for the centers. The clinics also serve those with private insurance and offer a sliding pay scale for those who are uninsured.

Now the federal government is asking states to scale up their efforts around the clinics, offering $1 million grants starting next year for up to 15 states to map out an expansion of the centers. Ten of those states will then be selected in 2024 for more money for their programs through Medicaid by securing federal matching funds at an enhanced rate. The goal is for 10 states to join the program every other year until all 50 are folded in.

Nine states are already getting higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid for patients who seek help from community centers. In the other states, centers can receive money directly from the federal government — $300 million worth of grants were awarded in September.

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Children as young as 4 years old have sought help at the Arundel Lodge in Edgewater, Maryland, since it launched an urgent care center for mental health and substance abuse in December with the help of a $2 million federal grant. Area teachers and school counselors have called to get help for their students.

Doctors send patients who need immediate help to the clinic, to avoid long wait times at expensive, private rehabilitation centers. And police officers now take some people who are in crisis to the lodge, rather than jail cell or a hospital.

The lodge’s urgent care is staffed with nurses, mental health specialists and peer counselors who help walk-ins develop plans for treatment, said executive director Mike Drummond.

“On a walk-in basis, we can evaluate them, assess them, develop a plan of treatment, initiate treatment,” Drummond said.

This is the first time the panel of medical experts has given this guidance. 

It also reaffirmed that children ages 12 to 18 should be screened for depression, guidance it has given in previous years. 

From 2016 to 2019, some 5.7 and 2.8 million children were diagnosed with anxiety and depression, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This move by USPSTF is meant to catch and treat these disorders early on.

“For older children and teens, screening and follow-up care can reduce symptoms of depression and can improve, and potentially resolve, anxiety,” the statement reads.

“However, there is very limited evidence on the benefits and harms of screening children younger than 8 for anxiety and younger than 12 for depression.” 

Screening all kids could ‘help minimize the stigma’

Oftentimes, anxiety and depression are caught in school after already affecting a child’s performance, says Irina Gorelik, a child psychologist at Williamsburg Therapy Group.

A primary care doctor might be more equipped at “catching signs and symptoms that may be harder to observe earlier on,” she says. 

Some signs a child might have anxiety, Gorelik says, include looking for constant reassurance about their safety. For example, they might ask a parent repeatedly, “Am I going to be okay?” before going to a sleepover.

Anxiety might present itself as an illogical illness, like constantly having nausea or stomach aches.

For many kids big life transitions like moving schools or a divorce can trigger anxiety, too. 

The new recommendation could help decrease any shame kids might feel about being diagnosed with anxiety. 

“Screening all kids can help to minimize stigma around mental health issues and help jumpstart conversations around support,” Gorelik says. 

Benefits ‘largely depend on the implementation of services’

The steps taken after screening positive for anxiety or depression are paramount to the recommendation being helpful.

About half of kids with mental health disorders don’t receive treatment from professionals, according to a 2019 study published in Jama Pediatrics. 

“The specific benefits to children who are identified as possibly struggling using the screenings may largely depend on the implementation of services to support those children and families,” Gorelik says. 

If a child screens positive, they will still need further evaluation to determine if they have anxiety or depression, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force statement says.

Then treatment should be determined. 

“After diagnosis, youth should participate in shared decision making with their parents or guardians and their healthcare professionals to identify the treatment or combination of treatments that are right for them, and then be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that the chosen treatment is effective,” the statement reads. 

Medical experts hope the recommendation is a positive step forward in addressing youth mental health. 

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The Colombian singer — born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín — is one of this generation’s best-selling Latin music artists, known for breaking barriers through sound, fashion and art. After opening up publicly about his personal struggles with anxiety and depression, he’s launching OYE, a bilingual wellness app. The goal? To empower anyone in the Latinx community — and other cultures — who is struggling with mental health by providing a space to help channel their emotions into creativity.

“In my own journey, I found it hard to find my creativity while dealing with personal mental health struggles,” J Balvin, known as the app’s Chief Dream Officer, shared in a statement to TODAY. “However, after understanding and tapping into the powers of creative wellness and using my own creative vision to drive true solutions for myself, I was able to both feel better and express myself in new ways I never knew possible.”

His statement continued: “That is why I created OYE — to bring a deeper understanding of the healing powers of these creative wellness practices to the global community — for both Spanish and English speaking audiences worldwide.”

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The app has been about a year in the making, OYE co-founders Mario Chamorro and Patrick Dowd told TODAY via Zoom. They officially started to build the app alongside Balvin in late 2021. The name of the app — which translates to “listen” — was chosen after Chamorro and Dowd discussed how they could increase the amount of meaningful listening people do.

From the beginning, the team wanted to create a platform that could help people feel better across the Americas. To achieve that mission, they knew their app needed to be fully bilingual.

“We had our whole design and creation process in both languages,” Dowd said. “It’s just part of our DNA. And I think we’re also very inspired by our co-founder and Chief Dream Officer José, who has sung in Spanish for his whole career, even as he’s had a lot of pressures coming up as a global star. He always seemed true to where he was from and feels it’s very important to champion Spanish language as a global language.”

According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, mental health issues are on the rise for people of Latino, Hispanic, or Spanish descent between the ages of 12-49. Mental Health America notes that the challenges within these communities are only exacerbated due to a shortage of bilingual or Spanish-speaking mental health professionals, often paired with poor communication from health care providers.

However, Chamorro and Dowd stressed that OYE is for everyone, not just Spanish speakers, as the app can easily be switched between language preferences.

Among OYE’s features include an emotional check-in tool with about 100 feelings to choose from — like “disinterested” to “lonely,” “anxious,” or “peaceful” — which will then provide the user with content tailored to one’s current emotional state. 

There are also creative wellness videos and exercises ranging from five to 30 minutes, a personal goal setting tool, and downloadable generative art that tracks personal growth and can be shared with friends. There also mindful notifications that will encourage persistence, self-love and accountability.

Hailing from Mexico, Head of Wellness Mari Serra helped build an “eclectic, inclusive group of wellness guides,” Dowd shared, which include shamans, healers, dancers, meditation experts and yogis, among others, from different parts of Latin America. Balvin’s own therapist, Latin American psychologist Carlos López, is also on the wellness council.

As part of the app, members are also invited to become “OYE Creators” themselves and are encouraged to share how they cope and manage their own mental health.

“We believe every artist is a healer, and every healer is an artist, and we believe every human is an artist,” Chamorro said. “We are just bringing together this community of people who express how they manage their emotions to unleash their creative selves and shape their futures.”

Above all, OYE’s purpose is to help the world feel better by providing easy access to a holistic range of practices from Latin America. On a global level, Dowd said, they “want to transform emotional wellness from something that’s seen as a private burden to something that is seen as a powerful resource for creating the life that you want to live.”

Chamorro added that having a resource that can curate content from mental wellness experts and be completed in either English or Spanish in an easy way to follow, “is something really powerful.”

OYE is available for download now via the Apple App Store and Google Play. The company will be providing a month-free trial in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month and World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, followed by subscription options starting at $4.99/month.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, TODAY is sharing the community’s history, pain, joy and pride. We are highlighting Hispanic trailblazers and rising voices. TODAY will be publishing personal essays, stories, videos and specials throughout the month of September and October. For more, head here.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• What are the Tylenol murders? Inside new efforts to solve the 40-year-old case
• Why leche condensada (sweetened condensed milk) is such a staple in Latin American cooking
• 30 famous Hispanic Heritage Month quotes to share now and forever

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Enigmatic former Sixers star Ben Simmons appeared on JJ Redick’s podcast Thursday and finally spoke candidly about basically every hot-button topic that popped up around him since June 2021.

One of the main points of contention for Sixers fans was the way he dealt with the summer following their series-long meltdown to the Hawks in the 2021 postseason and his apparent disconnect from the team as he demanded a trade and isolated in Los Angeles. 

There were reports of mental health issues, there were questions over those reports’ validity, and it was all just a big jumbled mess.

Simmons opened up on basically all of that during his talk with Redick and co-host Tommy Alter: how he was feeling mentally leading up to the Hawks series and afterwards, why the mental health issues led to him getting kicked out of practice before the 2021-22 season began, and how he felt Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers… didn’t exactly help the situation.

Here are some of his most telling and insightful answers on the matters:

On his struggles with mental health

“SIMMONS: I’m already dealing with a lot mentally in life, as a lot of people do, but it got to a point where after that [Hawks] series I’m getting – it’s from the people you’re supposed to have the support from, that comfort from, and I wasn’t getting that either. So it was a toll on me. And then mentally I just, it killed me. I was like, ‘F***.’ No energy for anything, I was in a dark place. It took me a long time – the first thing for me was to identify, ‘Okay, I’ve gotta really get right. It’s not a physical thing, it’s mentally.’ I think that first thing of acknowledging it was a huge step for me. […] I think that was tough for me, knowing I didn’t really have that support either, from teammates or whatever it was at the time – 

“REDICK: No, let’s call it like it is. Let’s call it like it is. You know that I love Joel [Embiid] and you know that I love Doc [Rivers], but they essentially threw you under the bus after Game 7.

“SIMMONS: For sure, for sure.

“REDICK: Like, that’s indisputable.

“SIMMONS: Yeah.

“ALTER: [points out most people would want a change of scenery after a bad work experience]

“SIMMONS: I think that was part of it, too, people were like, ‘Let’s take his money,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t give a f*** about the money, I don’t care about the money, it’s not about the money for me now. I want peace and happiness. I want to be in a good place. If that costs whatever it’s gonna cost, that’s what it costs.’ My peace is more valuable than money.

On why he got kicked out of practice

“REDICK: I don’t know the inner workings of everything, but why did you come back for two days of practice? 

“SIMMONS: Um, because I was trying to do the right thing.

“REDICK: My understanding is, there was a trade request at some point before training camp. You weren’t going to come, then you ended up coming and you went to a couple days of practice and then one day Doc kicked you out, and you were texting probably some girl…

“SIMMONS: No, no, no, no, no. Hold on. 

“REDICK: I might’ve made that last part up. [Laughs]

“SIMMONS: People made that up, too. I had my jersey in my pocket, in my sweatpant pocket. They thought it was a phone. I don’t know how they thought it was a phone. That’s what that situation was, to clear that up.

“REDICK: So why did you – 

“SIMMONS: Because I was trying to do the right thing, at least. Do right by whatever the f***. The team, my teammates, whatever, whoever it is. Trying to do the right thing. I just was not in that place to play. I wasn’t. I couldn’t do it. Getting kicked out of practice that day, I actually spoke to Doc before practice and I was like, ‘Doc, I’m not ready. Mentally I’m not ready, please just understand that.’ I tried to let him know prior. He was like, ‘I’m gonna put you in anyway.’ I’m like, ‘Alright.’ Told me to get in, I looked at him like – it was one minute into practice and he’s like, ‘Ben get in.’ I’m like, first of all no one’s doing that. You’re doing this on purpose. And that’s how I felt, too. It was like, ‘So it seems like everyone’s trying to f*** with me now.’ I’m getting fined for not lifting weights, but physically I’m one of the strongest guys on the f***ing team. Now they’re fining me for little things, and it was just a build up of – honestly I didn’t handle things the right way, but also the team didn’t either, and the people who had that power.

“REDICK: What’s the word – irreconcilable differences? When they talk about a divorce and it’s not one thing, it’s just a build up of things. […] Is that sort of what it was?

“SIMMONS: Yes and no. For me I was trying for myself, personally, to get to a good place. To get back on the floor. So it was never even – getting on the floor was priority, and trying to get myself to a place where I was mentally good to do that. And I was in such a bad place where I was like, ‘F***, I’m trying to get here and you guys are throwing all these other things at me to where you’re not helping.’ And that’s all I wanted, was help. I didn’t get it from – I didn’t feel like I got it from coaches, teammates. I won’t say all teammates because I had these great guys on the team that did reach out that are still my friends. But I didn’t feel like I got that, and it was just a tough place for me.”

On why he told teammates to not fly out to L.A. to visit

“SIMMONS: So many things happen and people don’t really realize, that’s not the truth. You guys were gonna fly out. Now you’re gonna fly out to the end, when training camp’s about to start? I was in L.A. for months. No one came. No one was there. You could’ve came. Now you want to make it public that you were flying out? That’s bulls***. No one was getting on that plane. Come on, man. What’s the f***ing truth? There were guys in L.A. that didn’t say anything to me. There were a lot of things that would get put out that shouldn’t have been put out. And those people know who they are.”

That’s a lot to digest! I do think it’s telling that Simmons was able to accept some blame in the situation. He knows he didn’t handle the trade request perfectly, nor did he handle his on-again, off-again holdout perfectly. 

I can’t imagine Philadelphia sports fans are ever going to be willing to forgive Simmons fully for how his time with the Sixers came to an end, but for me I think Simmons’ willingness here to talk – and not just talk, but talk with emotion and with substance – makes it easier to understand where he was coming from during that turbulent summer.

The Sixers and the Nets face off Nov. 22 in Philadelphia. It will be quite a scene.

It’s the first time the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended anxiety screening in primary care for adults without symptoms. The proposal is open for public comment until Oct. 17, but the group usually affirms its draft guidance.

The recommendations are based on a review that began before the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating studies showing potential benefits and risks from screening. Given reports of a surge in mental health problems linked with pandemic isolation and stress, the guidance is “very timely,” said Lori Pbert, a task force member and co-author. Pbert is a psychologist-researcher at the University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School.

The task force said evidence for benefits, including effective treatments, outweighs any risks, which include inaccurate screening results that could lead to unnecessary follow-up care.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health complaints, affecting about 40% of U.S. women at some point in their lives and more than 1 in 4 men, Pbert noted.

Black people, those living in poverty, people who have lost partners and those who have other mental health issues are among adults who face higher risks for developing anxiety, which can manifest as panic attacks, phobias or feeling always on edge. Also, about 1 in 10 pregnant and postpartum women experience anxiety.

Common screening tools include brief questionnaires about symptoms such as fears and worries that interfere with usual activities. These can easily be given in a primary care setting, the task force said, although it didn’t specify how often patients should be screened.

“The most important thing to recognize is that a screening test alone is not sufficient to diagnose anxiety,” Pbert said. The next step is a more thorough evaluation by a mental health professional, though Pbert acknowledged that finding mental health care can be difficult given shortages of specialists.

Megan Whalen, a 31-year-old marketing specialist who was diagnosed with anxiety in 2013, says regular doctors should screen for mental health issues as commonly as they do for physical problems.

“Health is health, whether the problem is visible or not,” said Whalen, of Hoboken, New Jersey.

She has gotten help from medicine and talk therapy, but her symptoms worsened during the pandemic and she temporarily moved back home.

“The pandemic made me afraid to leave home, my anxiety telling me anywhere outside of my childhood house was unsafe,” Whelan said. “I absolutely still struggle with feelings of dread and fear sometimes. It’s just a part of my life at this point, and I try to manage it as best as I can.”

The task force said there isn’t enough solid research in older adults to recommend for or against anxiety screening in those aged 65 and up.

The group continues to recommend depression screening for adults and children, but said there isn’t enough evidence to evaluate potential benefits and harms of suicide screening in adults who show no worrisome symptoms.

In April, the group issued similar draft guidance for children and teens, recommending anxiety screening but stating that more research is needed on potential benefits and harms of suicide screening kids with no obvious signs.

Guidelines from the task force often determine insurance coverage, but anxiety is already on the radar of many primary care doctors. In 2020, a group affiliated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended routine primary care anxiety screening for women and girls starting at age 13.

Melissa Lewis-Duarte, a wellness coach in Scottsdale, Arizona, says rhythmic breathing, meditation and making a daily list of three things for which she is grateful have all helped with her anxiety.

“Doctors say, ‘Make sure you’re sleeping, control your stress.’ Yeah, I get that,” but not everyone knows how, said the 42-year-old mother of three. “It’s difficult to prioritize self-care, but that’s what’s necessary.”

But for some players, D&D goes beyond fun battles with make-believe dragons, becoming an invaluable mental health tool: one that allows them to fight or flee from their problems for a few hours, brings them closer to people they may never talk to otherwise, and can even serve as a lifeline during hard times.

While D&D on its own isn’t a replacement for psychotherapy with a licensed professional, it does provide a social, creative and emotional outlet that some players find invaluable for their mental health.

For Aabria Iyengar, a tabletop roleplay gamer who plays in and runs storylines on several popular D&D-based podcasts and live streams, books and movies are fun, but “there’s nothing quite like being inside the adventure.” 

Being inside the adventure is the goal of Dungeons & Dragons, which boils down to a fantasy-themed choose your own adventure story, with a group of players acting as the characters, and one “Dungeon Master” acting as the referee. One roll of the 20-sided dice can determine how a player’s decision impacts the story, and what happens as a result.

Iyengar started playing D&D in 2015 or 2016. Since then, the characters she’s created, for different games on livestreams and outside them, have helped her learn more about herself, and provided an outlet for connection and distraction in times when both things were hard to come by.

“I am an extrovert, so the idea of truly being away from people, for years at a time, was EXTREMELY bad for my mental health” during the pandemic, Iyengar explained. The murder of George Floyd, and the resulting protests “for the right to exist” as a Black woman, added extra frustration. 

Dungeons & Dragons gave her the “ability to have shared communal experiences… during one of the hardest mental things I’ve ever had to deal with.” That, for her, was “sanity saving.”

And as someone who first dove into the topic of mental health to learn best practices for her own ADHD, she’s learned to check in on “other people and where they’re at mentally” as they play their sessions, in the same way she checks on her own emotions and reactions to her brain processing the world differently. 

If a player is going through a rough time, she can choose whether to throw them a session of the game that leans more heavily on roleplaying their character and working through those issues, or she can choose to throw them a villain to battle until they get a win.

“There’s something very healing in sitting with people and going ‘We will work together,’” Iyengar said. Nevermind if the team-building exercise is fending off an imaginary goblin horde.

“D&D isn’t therapy, but it is therapeutic,” she said.

That’s the same distinction drawn by Dr. Megan Connell, a licensed and board certified clinical psychologist who practices in North Carolina. Her background is in music therapy, a form of applied therapy, which takes “a tool that’s not necessarily intended to be therapy and [teaches] therapeutic methods through that tool.”

“For those who play music, sometimes listening to music or playing music can be incredibly therapeutic,” Connell said. 

In the same way that music or art can be used as a therapy tool, Connell has found that she can use D&D to help her clients learn new skills and grow as people.

“There’s not a lot of research on tabletop roleplaying games in general” as therapeutic tools, she explained. “Not just Dungeons & Dragons, any of them.” She chalks that up to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, which demonized D&D as leading to violence and satanic rituals.

But as she’s found while working on “Tabletop Roleplaying Therapy,” her upcoming book about the applications of D&D and similar games in therapy, the people who play such games report real benefits.

The skills used in most games like D&D – “telling stories, being social, being creative, practicing math, practicing reading – all of those things are really, really helpful” for someone struggling with their mental health, Connell said.

Research hasn’t definitely uncovered why, she said, but with all of those factors combined, D&D “really does seem to be an incredibly powerful tool.”

For Liam O’Brien, the collaborative storytelling that’s inherent to D&D is “just good soul building and good friend building.” He’s one of the founding stars of Critical Role, one of the most well-known D&D streaming shows out there. It has its own graphic novels, comic books, and Amazon Prime animated series voiced by the original cast, who are all professional voice actors. 

But for O’Brien, D&D is primarily “the most fun I’d had in years.”

He started playing when he was about 12 years old, then “put away childish things” in favor of his acting career – that is, until he played a game with the friends who now form Critical Role’s cast.

“I just didn’t remember how much fun it was,” O’ Brien said. Being in a room with other people, without phones or distractions, “is a good tonic for what ails you.” 

Like all good fiction, D&D can often “accidentally or intentionally [end up] circling the things that give you trouble or friction in life,” O’Brien said. Fortunately, the game allows players to “conquer that dragon in a way where you might not be able to in real life.”

For example, during the first campaign Critical Role streamed, O’Brien’s half-elf rogue character died and ended up making a bargain with a god of death to be resurrected for just long enough to save the world. When the heroes defeated the major villain, his character “died” again, for good, getting whisked away to act as that god’s champion for all eternity.

In the real world, “surreally close” in time to that arc in the show, O’Brien’s mother died.

“I was really struggling behind the scenes,” he said. But his character’s story was “one of accepting a fate that he fell into,” and that helped O’Brien process the same problem.

According to Connell, the empathy involved in acting as another character and understanding why they react and feel the way they do in real time like O’Brien did, may be one of the reasons tabletop roleplay games can provide such mental health benefits.

Research on reading fiction, Connell said, shows that people who do so score higher on measures of empathy – the ability to understand the emotions of another person and why they feel that way, even if you don’t feel the same. That skill is “one of the most important things” for connecting with other people, which is also important for emotional growth.

Connell believes that creating a D&D character, and identifying strongly with their actions and feelings during a story arc, can facilitate the same kind of emotional growth.

In her groups, she sees her clients work through uncomfortable fictional situations as their characters, and learn real-world skills as a result. Roleplaying a character in “potentially highly emotional events, arguing and having disagreements” with other characters has been powerful for those players to learn what to do when they work through future interpersonal problems, Connell said.

She’s seen clients in her D&D therapy group for young women, who often have trouble saying “no” and being assertive in real life, say “My character would know what to do” before standing up for themselves in the real world.

“It’s this fascinating thing,” she said. “The skills are still in that person, but they almost can’t access them” without filtering the experience through a character.

That idea is close to the founding principle behind Game to Grow, a nonprofit based in Seattle. 

“The fundamental belief of Game to Grow is that games have the power to improve people’s lives,” said Adam Davis, one of the organization’s co-founders. He and co-founder Adam Johns created the group to help children and teens who may have trouble reaching out and connecting with others, be that because of diagnosed anxiety or depression, or just because they don’t fit in, Davis explained.

They don’t just use D&D to help the kids they serve, and they’re not out to replace therapy with tabletop roleplay. But Davis has seen the difference the games can make.

“If you remember middle school, it probably sucked,” Davis said, and part of that is because, for a lot of kids, there aren’t many rewarding social experiences.

But “in a game like D&D, no character can do everything by themselves,” and that makes kids who might not have a solid friend group realize that their presence is important, and their absence is noticed.

Davis spoke recently to the parents of a child who joined a Game to Grow program because they were feeling lonely and had a hard time forming their own social community. 

But recently, that same kid “was at a sleepaway camp – which is already kind of a big deal – and sent a picture to Mom in the mail of her child running a game of D&D.” 

In the photo, the child was surrounded by other kids, who were “all looking to them,” Davis said. That kind of change is what his organization, and the games they use, are all about.

Taliesin Jaffe, another founding star of Critical Role, has been similarly impacted. 

For him, the game stretches the same muscles as the drama, theater and acting he grew up surrounded by as a child actor – with less pressure attached.

“I changed schools quite a bit, and was, due to my upbringing, not well socialized to other children,” Jaffe said. Playing D&D was how he made friends when he settled in high school.

In his teens and adulthood, as he battled “moderate to intense mental health issues” including depression, creating new worlds and characters got him out of the house and out of his own head when his mental health worsened.

“Especially for those times that you’re not feeling up to socializing, it affords a much healthier version of light socializing,” Jaffe said.

When playing D&D, he explained, “you’re not there to talk about your problems, you’re not there to ignore your problems. You’re there to have easier problems. Like an ogre attack.”

Rather than avoiding people entirely when his depression made it difficult to want to see others, showing up for a regularly scheduled campaign meant seeing friends “without having to go into your own s—,” he laughed. “Which is great at 16!”

And, like it did for O’Brien, it’s helped Jaffe work through grief.

“I found out about a close relative’s death in the middle of a game,” Jaffe said. It turned out to be a surprisingly effective way to deal with the news. 

“As these things go, I don’t think it could have happened in a better environment. Already detached, surrounded by friends.” 

But it’s not just about stretching “the muscle of socialization,” as he puts it. “I feel confident in saying that there are games of D&D that practically saved my life.”

Davis believes, at the end of the day, the impact of the game and the good it does people’s brains comes down to the community built by and between people, something that many felt they lost during the pandemic.

The specific structure of modern tabletop roleplaying games, with written handbooks full of rules for calculating a character’s power or strength or charisma, might be a new way of building a story together. But in other ways, those games are “ancestral.” 

People have played board games and even used 20-sided dice for millenia, to say nothing of the long traditions behind oral storytelling. In the end, the ideas behind tabletop roleplaying games, and the human camaraderie behind them, aren’t new at all.

“Getting together in a circle to tell a story by rolling bones? It’s in our DNA.”

Working- and middle-class Americans are being absolved of up to $10,000 in federal student loans, and Pell Grant recipients within the designated income threshold may have up to $20,000 in student debt canceled. 

As of 2022, the student loan debt toll in the U.S. is close to 1.75 trillion dollars, according to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Roughly 43 million borrowers have federal student loan debt with an average balance of over $37,000, Education Data Initiative reports.

Countless students who took out loans for college, in hopes of a better future, were told the investment would pay off in the long run, says Erika Rasure, financial therapist and founder of Crypto Goddess.

“Many borrowers feel like they were basically sold a bill of goods under false pretenses,” says Rasure, “Not only do you have the guilt of not being able to pay the loans back, but you have the shame.”

On the flip side, canceling student loans will likely have the opposite effect and allow graduates to pursue the dreams and careers that mountains of debt have never allowed them to.

“When you have this big harness hanging over your head, it really clouds the things you thought you were going to be able to do with your degree,” Rasure says. “I think student loans have been the soul-crusher of dreams to be honest with you.”

Here are three ways student loan forgiveness could improve borrowers’ mental health.

How student loan forgiveness could improve mental health

• It could give you a sense of freedom. With less debt hanging over your head, you’d be a lot more likely to pursue opportunities that didn’t seem possible before, says Rasure. She believes loan forgiveness may encourage people to dream again and not limit themselves.
  
  “I’ve seen firsthand how freedom comes from that, what positivity can come from that freedom,” says Rasure, “And how people change their perceptions of not only themselves, but how they operate in this world.”
  
  Less debt to pay off could also mean more money for yourself. And access to more money would give you the chance to purchase a home, buy a nicer car or do other things that you didn’t anticipate would be within your budget, Rasure adds.

• You won’t feel as compelled to make an income-based job decision. Often when considering jobs, people likely calculate how much money they’d need to make to pay off loans from college, Rasure says. But if that debt disappeared, more people would be able to focus on doing what makes them happy.
  
  Rasure witnessed how loan forgiveness positively impacted her sister-in-law who was able to consider unique opportunities in her field, once she was clear of her $300,000 debt. Her brother’s wife, a public defender, relied on student loans to get her law degree and after serving the public for 10 years, her loans were forgiven.
  
  For others, the freedom that comes with debt relief could mean serving in a low-income community, as a doctor, teacher or other service-oriented professions that typically come with a lower salary.
  
  “We can pursue opportunities that might not pay us as much money, but might create a greater social impact on the world,” says Rasure.

• More money can be put aside for retirement. In preparation for your later years in life, you could invest the money you would have used for your loan payments into a retirement plan, Rasure notes.
  
  This would make it easier not only on yourself, but also on your children who will likely be responsible for how you’ll be taken care of down the line. Additionally, many parents have taken out loans for their children to attend school and are struggling as they carry that debt. 
  
  “Obviously parents, in most situations, really love their kids, want what’s best and will make every sacrifice possible,” says Rasure, “But parents are coming up on retirement age, or are even in retirement, and are paying off student loans for their children still.”

Overall, Rasure foresees student loan forgiveness positively impacting mental health collectively.

“Widespread student loan forgiveness will help society at a very cellular level, meaning it will help employers, workers, family relationships, and the economy.”

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And if your kid’s mental health is a top priority for your family, you might have added one more consideration to your list: Does this school allow mental health days for its students?

According to a new study by Verywell Mind and Parents, 60% of parents of children ages 8 to 17 say the pandemic has at least somewhat affected their child’s mental health. Additionally, over a third of parents observed mood and behavior changes in their children, with 37% noticing their child having a harder time socializing.

And nearly half of parents polled listed school as the top stressor for their tween or teen:

• School — 47%
• Feeling misunderstood — 40%
• Friendships — 39%
• Covid-19/Pandemic — 38%
• Identity — 31%
• Social media — 31%

74% of parents surveyed think schools should offer mental health days for students.

And 77% of parents who have let their child take a mental health day on their own, feel the day had a positive impact. Instead of a typical school day, children spent the day talking about their feelings, spending time in nature or just relaxing.

And as a response to this mental health crisis, more and more states have begun proposing and enacting legislation that allows mental health days for students in public schools.

States like Washington and California recognize mental health as a legitimate reason to miss a day of school. And as off January 2022, public schools in Illinois must allow students to take up to five mental health days per year.

Similar bills have been proposed in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

12 states that allow mental health days for students

1. Washington: A new law passed in June 2022 allows students to use mental or behavioral health reasons as a valid excuse for an absence.
2. California: Governor Gavin Newsom signed a Senate bill into law in 2021 that allows students to miss school for mental or behavioral health concerns and treats the absences as a missed school day. 
3. Illinois: Schools in the state must now allow students to take up to five mental health days each year, starting January 1, 2022.
4. Virginia: In 2019, the general assembly of Virginia passed a bill that allows students to claim mental health as a valid excuse for an absence.
5. Maine: Governor Janet Mills signed a bill in 2020 that allows students to allot days off from school for mental and behavioral health reasons.
6. Connecticut: All students are allowed to take two mental health days from school per year as long as the days aren’t consecutive, according to a bill passed in 2021.
7. Oregon: The state passed a law in 2019 that allows students to take up to five days off from school within a three-month period, including mental health days and typical sick days.
8. Arizona: Depending on the school district, students may be allowed to take mental health days similarly to how they would take a sick day, which began in February 2021.
9. Nevada: Students in the state, ages 7-18, can miss a school day for mental health reasons if they provide a note from a mental or behavioral health professional, which started in 2021.
10. Utah: The state began observing mental or behavioral health as a valid reason for an excused absence for all students in May 2021.
11. Kentucky: Mental health days are now viewed as excused absences, after Governor Beshear signed a new bill in April 2022.
12. Colorado: In 2020, school district attendance requirements in the state were altered to include a policy that allows excused absences for behavioral health concerns, which gives students the opportunity to take mental health days.

There are 30 states do not recognize mental health days as excused absences. That list includes North Carolina, New Jersey, Georgia, and Missouri.

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Since April, the “Saturday Night Live” alum has been in trauma therapy largely due to Kanye West‘s social media posts targeting him throughout his relationship with Kim Kardashian, E! News can confirm.

The most recent? Just three days after E! News exclusively revealed Davidson and Kardashian broke up, the rapper shared a since-deleted Instagram post of a fake New York Times front page that read “Skete Davidson Dead at Age 28.”

It was the latest in a series of social media posts and comments targeting the comedian throughout his nine-month romance with West’s estranged wife. The Grammy winner rapped about beating “Pete Davidson’s ass” in his music, called him a “d–khead” on social media and more.

And while Kardashian and Davidson initially tried to ignore West’s actions, West refused to back down, even taking aim at Kardashian (with him later acknowledging his posts “came off as harassing Kim“).

Kim Kardashian Aug 5, 2022

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Pete Davidson May 7, 2022

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In March, Davidson’s friend Dave Sirus shared photos of a text exchange between West and Davidson, which showed Davidson defending Kardashian amid West’s posts.

“Kim is literally the best mother I’ve ever met,” Davidson wrote in part of the text. “What she does for these kids is amazing and you are so f–king lucky that she’s your kids mom. I’ve decided that I’m not gonna let you treat us this way anymore and I’m done being quiet. Grow the f–k up.”

West responded to the text exchange in a video message. “The boyfriend texts me, antagonizing me, bragging about being in bed with my wife,” he said in a since-deleted Instagram clip. “I’m like, well, who’s watching my children if he’s texting me, bragging about being in bed with my wife?”

However, a source familiar with the situation told E! News Davidson had had enough. “He didn’t mind when Kanye was coming after him,” the insider said, “but when it comes to Kim and the kids, he’s not letting that happen anymore. He’s no longer staying silent.”

And today, Kardashian continues to stand by Davidson. Amid the death hoax, “Kim is upset,” a source close to the situation told E! News. “Not only is she sad from the breakup, but this on top of it has tested her mentally. She is not OK with this type of behavior and won’t tolerate her loved ones being treated like this. She has asked numerous times for him to take down the post. She will always protect Pete.”

People was first to report the news.

In a new episode of the TaTaTu series “Giving Back Generation,” released Aug. 5, the singer chats with host Raquelle Stevens and fellow pal Ashley Cook about her mental health journey and her dreams.

“I hope to be married and to be a mom,” said Selena, who just celebrated her 30th birthday. “Eventually, I’m going to be tired of all of this, so I’m probably just going to devote most of my life to philanthropy before I peace out.”

The star added, “Keeping it real.”

And Selena does so by living in the real world as much as possible. “The Only Murders in the Building” actress, who once had the largest number of followers on Instagram, said she continues to stay off the social media platform.

“If anybody knows me, I’m an extremist. So it’s either one way or the other way,” she said. “So I actually got rid of my Instagram on my phone and gave that power to my assistant. So everything I post, I just text it to her instead of having to worry about going on and off. I don’t even know my password.”

Selena Gomez’s Openhearted Quotes About Mental Health

Selena continued, “But it’s been purposeful because I get excited when I see you guys because I didn’t look at Instagram. So I don’t know what you did or how you are and that’s like real time that we can gain together.”

The pop star said she also advises other people to try taking a social media break, telling them to “just maybe take the weekend off, or start with a day where you just don’t pay attention to it and really be present for what’s around you.” She added, “I think that’s so crucial and a part of our mental health.”

New episodes of “Giving Back Generation” will be streamed here weekly. With each new episode, autographed merchandise from the interviewees will be available in the Live Auctions on TaTaTu.

The star, who has been open about her mental health struggles, had said in April on “Good Morning America” that she has kept off the Internet completely for more than four years. On “Giving Back Generation,” Selena said she does not think that social media is “bad,” but that she knows she has “to be responsible for what I’m feeling and I need to take care of my emotions.”

When it comes to leaning on friends for support, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Selena prefers to hear their voice. “At the end of the day,” she said, “if I make a mistake or I feel like I’m going down a wrong path, mentally, it’s really important for me to pick up the phone and call someone that I know and trust.”

The program makes free mental wellness consulations available, as many students don’t have access to the counselors they would normally talk to when they need help during the summer. 

Amber Ong, a school psychologist within the district, said FCPS wants to let families know it’s perfectly normal to ask for help.

“One of our goals is really to destigmatize seeking support and seeking help,” Ong said. 

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The virtual sessions will be offered through Friday, August 5. The program website says said any FCPS parent may request a consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker. Consultations can be done by phone or video call, lasting up to 45 minutes.

Ong said several hundred people have signed up so far, two-thirds of which are adults asking for advice on how to help their kids.

“It doesn’t have to be like a therapy appointment. It’s really just a conversation with someone who’s very knowledgeable,” Ong said. 

The schools have seen many students with anxiety about COVID-19 over the past two years. This summer there are different concerns. 

“They’re just trying to figure out how to re-navigate friendships and relationships and relationships with their parents and families. Everything has kind of shifted and changed,” Ong said. 

Ong said if someone needs longer-term help, her team will connect them to other resources, without any pressure.

“Knowing that it’s a one-time appointment, it can be — no question is silly, you don’t feel like you’re taking someone’s time away from their regular job, because that is our job,” Ong said. 

Students and parents can fill out an online form to sign up for a session.

According to Montgomery County Schools, mental health services are being offered county-wide at 14 school centers during the summer.

These are all common signs of eco grief.

The emotions can be even more intense for those who’ve survived a climate disaster first-hand. Anxiety, anger, and chronic depression are also associated with a connection to our world and the intensifying damage from climate change.

Eco grief isn’t the only name for these feelings. Some call it climate anxiety, environmental dread, or some combination of those words. Generally, these terms can be defined as  the grief or anxiety a person experiences as the planet warms, “a chronic fear of environmental doom,” according to the American Psychological Association. 

This feeling isn’t uncommon. Increasing research shows that the vast majority of Gen Z feel some level of climate anxiety. One of the largest global surveys of young people across six continents, published in The Lancet in 2021, surveyed 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 and found that 75% feel “the future is frightening” while 56% fear “humanity is doomed.” 

A smaller study of 1,300 youth across the country, Blue Cross Blue Shield of California’s 2022 NextGen Climate Survey, found that 75% of Americans between the ages of 14 and 24 feel overwhelmed, anxious, and/or stressed because of climate change. 

“These are serious strains to the emotional well-being of a young person,” says Britt Wray, researcher at Stanford University and author of Generation Dread. She’s also co-author of the Lancet research around Gen Z’s reactions to climate change. “These feelings, in our study, we found are tightly correlated by a sense of being betrayed by governments and lied to by leaders.”

While many experts agree that it’s not a disorder in the traditional sense, there’s no doubt climate change profoundly impacts public health. “It’s a sign that we are awake and that we are connected and that we care — that we feel this form of distress,” explains Wray. “Eco anxiety as a term might make some people think, ‘Oh, diagnosis! Oh, a clinical condition.’ It’s not. It’s not in the DSM. It’s not a mental health disorder.”

What is climate change anxiety?

Some of the names are also the signs: anxiety, grief, or dread. It can also manifest as anger, a lack of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, or a general disinterest in the future. For some, climate anxiety develops into extended or severe depression. While the feelings can be similar, distinguishing between climate anxiety or a more general anxiety about current events requires a personal assessment.

“It is a depressing thought looking ahead into the future,” says recent high school graduate Joel Castro. “It’s just frustrating not being able to do anything about [climate change] when it’s going to affect our generation more than the people who are currently in power, but we can’t [vote or hold political office] yet.”

Some researchers compare eco grief to the feelings we might experience after the death of a loved one. The overwhelming emotions and responses to climate change have also been linked to suicides. Anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or chatting with the organization online. 

Once you know the signs of eco grief or climate anxiety, there are several ways people choose to cope with those feelings. However, these approaches should not be taken as medical advice. You should always consult your doctor or mental health professional when it comes to your personal health.

How to deal with climate anxiety

1. Meditation

Mindfulness practices like meditation can be deeply healing, even for those not experiencing eco grief. “Developing a mindfulness practice can cultivate compassion for our planet and for ourselves,” explains Manoj Dias, meditation teacher at Open, a mindfulness studio which offers on-demand and in-person classes.

“The hope is through meditation and breathwork, we’re able to better navigate this beautiful and challenging world with an open heart and present mind,” adds Dias, who worked with a team to develop a series of meditations for those experiencing climate anxiety. You can access the sessions for free.

2. Breathwork

If you’ve tried to meditate but struggle with it, breathwork is another effective tool. It’s essentially a meditation where the focus is on your breath, directing your mind’s attention.

“What this practice does is connect us back to ourselves,” says Ally Maz. She facilitates breathwork sessions with her colleague Manoj at Open. “The way I see it is our bodies are inherently nature. We’re a part of this, the way we take care of our bodies has a direct reflection on how we take care and honor our planet. So really, this practice teaches us about the interconnectedness of all things.”

Breathwork sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. The patterns and cadence of breathing vary between instructors and intentions. However, the general idea is to move attention from your thoughts to your body. That shift in focus helps you connect with the present moment, bringing separation from future-based thoughts which often trigger anxiety or dread.

Maz also enjoys practicing breathwork outdoors because of the added benefits. “To do this in nature allows us to really feel like we’re a part of something,” she adds. “I think that’s the biggest illusion we live in is that we’re separate from ourselves, separate from each other, and separate from nature.”

3. Mindful Walking or Hiking

Curbing difficult emotions connected to climate change can also be as easy as taking a walk or going for a hike. If a beach, forest, or trail is accessible to you, you can experiment with an “awe walk,” which is essentially searching for what inspires awe around you. Maybe a beautiful sunrise catches your gaze, or your attention shifts to the sound of birds chirping in a tree or waves on the beach. The goal is to focus on the present instead of antagonizing thoughts.

Once you’re off the pavement, you can do one more thing to amplify nature’s healing power. “There’s something about even taking your shoes off and putting your feet in the Earth. We call it earthing or grounding,” explains Ally. “But it’s essentially just getting the skin on your feet to touch the sand or touch the grass. It has a really powerful effect on our nervous system. It can really calm us down.”

4. Volunteering, Protesting, or Activism

Solidarity can be important medicine for those feeling alone or powerless in the face of climate change. That’s why many young people choose to join climate protests or become advocates for a cause. Through groups and organizations, people experiencing eco grief find others facing similar emotions as well as an outlet for those feelings.

Opportunities and events vary by location so it’s worth searching your area to find a community organization that works for you. Some of the large, national climate-oriented groups include The Sierra Club, The Sunrise Movement, 350.org, Extinction Rebellion, The Nature Conservancy, and Fridays for Future, which was founded by global climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Another young climate activist, Leah Thomas, channeled her eco grief into activism and then writing, publishing a book about climate action called Intersectional Environmentalist. 

“It was bad,” Leah remembers, first recognizing her climate anxiety. “I remember learning about the climate crisis, and it was all I could talk about. I was panicking… My grades were horrible, because I really couldn’t focus.” Since then, she’s found relief through volunteer work and protests targeted toward climate action.

5. Climate-Aware Therapy

You might seek a more guided approach to deal with the intense emotions that can arise from climate change. Eco grief experts suggest seeking out a “climate-aware” therapist or support group. Wray recommends the Good Grief Network after personally enrolling in their program.

It’s also important for parents or loved ones to be receptive to conversations with those experiencing climate anxiety. “Young people want to be seen and they want to be heard,” explains David Bond, the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield of California. 

“So that concept of, ‘I get you, and I’m going to go through this with you,’ is really important. Parents have this tendency to hear what their kid is going through, and then say, ‘You should just do this,’” he explains. Instead, Bond recommends parents listen to their kids and “reflect on their experience. That’s contributing to [better] mental health.” 

Shawn Mendes is putting his mental health first.

On Wednesday, July 27 the “Señorita” singer announced that he’s canceling his remaining “Wonder: The World Tour” dates after he revealed that he was postponing a few of his upcoming shows due to his mental health.

“As you guys know, I had to postpone the past few weeks of shows since I wasn’t totally prepared for the toll that being back on the road would take on me,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away.”

“After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger,” Mendes continued. “I unfortunately have to cancel the rest of the tour dates in North America, and the UK / Europe.”

“We were hopeful that I might be able to pick up with the rest of the dates after some much needed time off, but at this time I have to put my health as my first priority,” he added.

Mendes noted that his fans shouldn’t take this the wrong way because he’ll still be making new music and plans to see them again on tour in the future.

“It breaks my heart to tell you this but I promise you I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal,” he said. “I love you all and thank you all so much for supporting me and sticking by me on this journey.”

Mendes’ announcement comes after he postponed “three weeks of shows” in early July. Due to him reaching his “breaking point” on tour, Mendes decided to do what was right and take some time away from his career.

“I felt like I was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point,” he said on Instagram at the time.

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Why is it so hard to stop shopping?

“You are drawn naturally to records, music, but for other people it could be high fashion or incredible sneakers,” says Dr. Stephanie Hartselle, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. “Those things light up those areas in your brain that cause that dopamine release and then you go and seek it out and you’re determined to purchase that object.”

In her own practice Dr, Hartselle has seen a huge uptick in patients seeking help with “behavior addictions.” These are addictions tied to seemingly ordinary behaviors like shopping, gambling, pornography, food, or social media. They can become problematic when they have a truly negative impact on your quality of life. She says the increased stress brought on by the pandemic, inflation, politics, and other stressors has worn down our ability to resist some of our favorite urges.

“In the context of the pandemic and all the stressors in the world, no matter where you lie politically, right now is an incredibly stressful time to be alive.” Hartselle explains. “In that background it is true that most of us are seeking some kind of joy, and joy is related to dopamine.”

This behavior isn’t new. But it exists within a different context now. “A hundred years ago, two hundred years ago people were doing the same things, we just have a lot more at our fingertips now, ” says Hartselle.

What steps can people take to stop buying stuff?

Whether our most sought-after feel-good behaviors were passed down to us or triggered by the latest grim news, there’s still hope. Dr. Hartselle walked me through a couple ways to resist that dopamine craving and some red flags to look out for if the addiction gets out of hand.

“We all do this in some way, so don’t overwhelm yourself with guilt…if these actions are bringing joy and adding depth to the life that is currently very stressful – wonderful,” she says. “If they’re starting to really drain your financial resources or you are engaging in them instead of family, friends, things like that, then we try to work on how we tolerate the stress of seeing that thing, wanting that thing, and then riding that wave of anxiety and walking away and training that muscle.”

She told me that when faced with temptation, trying to visualize a person or personal goal that you’ve prioritized will help you “pump the brakes” on the impulse in favor of a higher purpose. She added that it won’t be easy at first, but the same part of our brain that makes us want to compulsively act will eventually reward us with dopamine when we resist. This practice is healthier and more sustainable over time.

“The idea is: Don’t shut yourself off from all the things that are available in this modern day… We all practice with small things and eventually get to the point where you can scroll through social media and not be lured into buying things that are not planned in terms of your goals.”

She suggested starting conversations with those in your personal circle or family to plan out areas of your life that may be more important than a particular behavior addiction.

While we all may experience this fundamental behavior in various ways not everyone does so at levels that she says need professional treatment. If the behaviors are not putting you in financial trouble, not closing you off from family and friends, and instead providing depth to your quality of life, you’re operating in a safe zone. This means it doesn’t rise to a level of concern.

However, if the behaviors are prioritized over key aspects of your life, you want to stop but can’t, or they’re leading to negative emotional or financial troubles it may be time to seek help. This can vary from person to person. Our mental health operates on a spectrum. Each of us is unique, and addiction is not cut and dry.

Some of the first steps include recognition of a potential problem. These mental health resources are a great start to learn more about what to look for. Contacting a local mental health provider is another way to begin a potential recovery journey.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: Here you’ll find multiple resources for behavioral health as well as helplines and treatment services.

MentalHealth.gov: The U.S. government site dedicated to mental health. It provides education resources, guides to government health programs and assistance for mental health needs.

NAMI: The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization with over 600 local affiliates and 49 state organizations who work in communities to raise awareness and provide support.

Kent Wilson-el can recall trauma from his childhood.​

​“I lost my parents. I lost my mother. I lost my sister,” he said. 

​He carried the weight of that loss for years, resulting in “anger, frustration, anxiety.”

Today, Wilson-el’s condition would be called post-traumatic stress disorder, but back then, the prevailing attitude was “heal thyself.”

Now, he works to help heal others in similar circumstances, through outreach work and peer counseling with Howard University’s Department of Community and Family Medicine. 

His booth was one of the many resources available Saturday at the mental health community fair on the plaza at Howard University Hospital. 

Dr. Regina James is with the American Psychiatric Association, and they’ve partnered with Howard University Hospital “to bring more awareness to mental health, destigmatizing mental health particularly for communities of color,” she said.

​Part of the outreach is teaching how to recognize the signs, which can be subtle.

​“Maybe changing in sleep, sleeping more, sleeping less, eating more, eating less, [being] a little more irritable,” James said. 

​Physical health and mental health are inextricably linked, but they’re heavy subjects for a Saturday fair. The goal was to lighten the approach to dealing with those issues, be it with music, food, exercise, and water on a hot day, to get people comfortable with mental health.

It’s better to get people to this plaza for a good time, than to have them make a critical visit to the emergency room. 

​“We have our expert team from Howard who are here to address substance abuse issues. There’s a big stigma about that, about the substances that people use and the connection to mental illness,” Dr. Danielle Hairston, director of the psychology program at Howard University Medical School. 

​The fair was just a couple of hours, but the mission is year-round and holistic. 

​“If you don’t have transportation, if you don’t have a place to stay, if you don’t have food, your focus is not on getting recovery or getting to medical appointments,” Dr. Finie Richardson, of the Howard University Urban Health Initiative, said. 

​“That’s what we’re trying to do. Reach different communities, different age groups, let them know it’s OK not be OK,” James said. 

​And it’s OK to get help. Peer counselor Wilson-el is living proof of that.

​“This is my giveback,” he said.

On July 14, the actress returned to social media with a heartbreaking statement about her three-year absence—and why she was hesitant to return to promote her new book. “Tbh, I’m a little scared but I’m dipping my toe back in to say I’m here and while I was gone I wrote a book called ‘Making a Scene,'” she began. “The next part is hard to talk about…but I was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it.”

“3 years ago, when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show,” she continued, referring to her disappointment in May 2019 that her show Fresh Off the Boat had been renewed. “It ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe.” 

Though she said she felt “awful,” about what she said, the damage had already been done.  

“When a few DMs from a fellow Asian actress told me I’d become a blight on the Asian American community, I started feeling like I didn’t even deserve to live anymore,” Constance wrote. “That I was a disgrace to AsAms, and they’d be better off without me. Looking back, it’s surreal that a few DMs convinced me to end my own life, but that’s what happened. Luckily, a friend found me and rushed me to the ER.” 

Looking back, she said the “scary moment” was one that “made me reassess a lot in my life.”

“For the next few years, I put my career aside to focus on my mental health,” Constance, who welcomed a daughter in 2020, explained. “AsAms don’t talk about mental health enough. While we’re quick to celebrate representation wins, there’s a lot of avoidance around the more uncomfortable issues with our community.”

That includes her very own tweets, which Constance said became “so touchy that most of my AsAm colleagues decided that was the time to avoid me or ice me out. I’ll admit it hurt a lot, but it also made me realize how important it is to reach out and care for people who are going through a hard time.”

Thus, she was inspired to write. Today, she says she’s here “to reach out and help people talk about the uncomfortable stuff to understand it, reckon with it, and open pathways to healing. If we want to be seen, really seen…We need to let all of ourselves be seen, including the parts we’re scare of or ashamed of—parts that, however imperfect, require care and attention. And we need to stop beating each other (and ourselves) up when we do so.”

And like the rest of us, she’s only human. “While my book is not always the most flattering portrayal, it’s as honest as I know how to be,” she added. “Because the truth is, I’m not poised or graceful or perfect. I’m emotional. I make mistakes…lots of ‘em!” 

And now, three years down the line, she feels ready to step back into the world of social media once again.  

“After a little break from Hollywood and a lot of therapy I feel OK enough to venture back on here (at least for a little bit),” she concluded. “And even though I’m scared, I’ve decided that I owe it to the me-of-3-years-ago to be brave and share my story so that it might help someone with theirs.” 

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. In 2020, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide; that’s one death every 11 minutes. The new three-digit dialing code is intended to be easier to access and remember than the 1-800-SUICIDE number, according to the 988 messaging website.

At the crisis center, call takers like Dana communicate with people in crisis, and their conversations can be life-saving.

“Had he not got what he needed in the call, he would have killed himself,” Dana said about one caller.

For Dana, doing this work is personal. At 14, she didn’t know where to go for help when she attempted suicide.

“There wasn’t a lifeline 30-something years ago to be able to call in and say, ‘I’m thinking of suicide. Can I talk?’” Dana said.

On Saturday, the nation shifts from the 1-800-Suicide number to 988 for suicide prevention and mental health support.

“988 represents a response. It is a cry for help,” Dr. Ala Stanford, from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said.

Nationwide, the suicide prevention hotline is experiencing an increase in calls which can sometimes lead to longer holds.

“There are certainly calls that are not answered, which is unfortunate. That’s been a resource issue. That resource issue has been responded to by the current administration,” said Tim Jansen, a spokesperson for Community Crisis Services.

According to HHS, the federal government has increased funding from  $24 million to $432 million to help expand support for suicide prevention call centers nationwide.

What’s most important, Dana said, is that those in need pick up the phone and call.

“It is personal to me to be on that line when someone’s going through and just to help them, because I didn’t have it,” Dana said.

What Happens When You Call or Text 988?

The Lifeline website says that when you call or text you will be informed you have reached the hotline, then you will be connected to a trained crisis worker who works at a nearby crisis center. The counselor will listen, provide support and share resources.

Who Should Call 988?

The Lifeline website says that anyone can call or text the hotline for any reason. People currently call to talk about a range of topics including substance abuse, relationships and depression.

“No matter what problems you’re dealing with, whether or not you’re thinking about suicide, if you need someone to lean on for emotional support, call the Lifeline,” the website says.

When is 988 Available and Who Answers?

988 is available 24/7 and connects you with a counselor at a local crisis center, the Lifeline website says.

Can You Still Call 1-800-SUICIDE?

The 1-800-273-8255 phone number will remain available along with the 988 number for people experiencing a mental health or suicidal crises, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Will They Know Who Calls?

Lifeline says 988 calls are anonymous and confidential.

Does Calling 988 Cost Anything?

Calls and texts to the hotline are free and accessible to landlines, cellphones and through internet calls, the 988 website says.

But what if there was a much simpler alternative? That’s the idea behind Somewhere Good, a new social media platform that doesn’t feature likes or a friend count. Instead, founder and CEO Naj Austin created the app as a way to help connect users of color and LGBTQ users with community in a safe space online through 60-second voice notes. Each day, users receive a discussion prompt on the app. They can respond to that prompt or to other users through a voice note.

“When you open your phone, you’re either consuming or you’re performing,” Austin said. “There is rarely a place in which you can just hang out, and so we started building Somewhere Good about 16 months ago off of the hypothesis, a question: Can we bring people together in an intentional way through their phones?”

LX News storyteller Ngozi Ekeledo recently sat down with Austin to chat about the app that she says folks are calling the “future of the internet.”

The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

NGOZI EKELEDO: What was the idea behind the concept of Somewhere Good?

NAJ AUSTIN: Somewhere Good is all about connecting with people you haven’t met yet through voice notes. So it’s audio based. You come on to the app, you find different communities that you find yourself attached to. The conversations change every day at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard.

Generally the way that Somewhere Good is designed is to kind of calm you. The first thing you see is clouds. Then you see grass. You don’t see people. You don’t hear voice notes. You’re literally taking a pause. There’s literally a screen that says, “Take a deep breath.” It really kind of like resets you a bit, whereas again on other platforms, you open it and you’re immediately in it. You’re just — (panting), you know, heart rate goes up, pulse is up — from the first five seconds. On Somewhere Good, it does the opposite, and so one’s reaction to it is also very different.

NGOZI EKELEDO: When people think of social media as it stands, it’s like you cannot be your authentic self, even though it’s all built around this idea of authenticity. Instead it turns into anxiety and like you mentioned, doomscrolling and depression. As a platform that you’ve built, how are you all combating that?

NAJ AUSTIN: There are no likes or followers or friending on the Somewhere Good platform. So we’ve taken away any aspect that makes a person feel like they have to compete with one another and/or be branded, have to show off. You can really just be your authentic self on Somewhere Good.

NGOZI EKELEDO: And also it’s a space for Black and brown faces to feel comfortable, which when it comes to social media, it’s not always the safest place for people that look like us. So with this platform, how is that, sort of, mechanism or conversation different?

NAJ AUSTIN: As a team of Black, Latin, Asian, queer people, we understand that fully and wholly. And so when we were building Somewhere Good, from the very first, you know, line of code, we thought, “What does it mean for a person who is Black, Latin, Asian, queer to be on this platform? Will they feel safe? Will they feel seen? Does this bring them joy? Does this make them feel connected to people who look and sort of are like-minded in the way that they are?” And if it does not do that, we don’t do it.

NGOZI EKELEDO: As an entrepreneur and as a founder, what does it look like to build something like this? What has the journey been like for you?

NAJ AUSTIN: I think that there is a lot of pressure being a Black woman entrepreneur. It’s hard to have people take you seriously in the beginning. It often feels like, you know, people think you have a cute passion project and you’re like, “I’m trying to build a business that is going to scale and change how people live their lives and change the habits that people have.” I think it’s always this feeling of wanting to match identity with community and connection and wanting to just kind of uplift that as much as possible.

NGOZI EKELEDO: Why do you think that’s not prioritized so much when it comes to social media or when it comes to these tech startups or tech spaces?

NAJ AUSTIN: They are really, really good at turning us into little machines that take in, and I don’t want to build that, you know? I want to build something that is long lasting, but actually is healthy and good and valuable, and I think there is a shift coming in terms of people’s experiences online and wanting more for themselves.

We have no algorithms in place that are meant to just trigger your hamster brain of more and more and more and more and more. So it is a test of patience, which some people have said, you know, ‘The practice of patience has been lost on me, but Somewhere Good has definitely brought it back.’

There have been people who’ve said that we have already — in the last six weeks we’ve been live — have changed their relationship to their phone in a positive way. We’ve had people refer to it as the future of the Internet.

The thing that wakes me up every day is that I’ve built a product that people love and that has changed their lives already, and I haven’t even gotten started, you know? I’m like, “Give me two more years. You’re going to be really, really happy!”

Throughout what is expected to be a monthslong penalty trial, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will order jurors not to talk to anyone about what they have seen, heard or thought. Not their spouse. Not their best friend. Not their clergy or therapist. Not even each other until deliberations begin. The order is not unusual; it is issued at all trials to ensure jurors’ opinions aren’t influenced by outsiders.

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Once the trial ends, the 12 jurors and 10 alternates can unload to others — but they won’t receive any assistance from the judicial system. As is the case in most of the United States, neither Florida nor Broward County courts provide juries with post-trial counseling.

The only state to do so is Massachusetts, which has only offered the service since December. Since 2005, federal courts have offered assistance after about 20 trials annually, usually those involving the death penalty, child pornography and child abuse cases, said federal court system spokesman Charles Hall.

“Judges and jurors alike appreciate” the program, Hall said, “viewing it as an acknowledgment of the extraordinary stresses that jury service in certain types of trials can entail.”

“That said, the program is not well-used,” Hall added.

The Cruz jurors will tour the now-abandoned three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland where Cruz, 23, fatally shot 14 students and three staff members and wounded 17. Its bullet-pocked halls remain unchanged since shortly after the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre, with Valentine’s Day gifts still strewn about.

They will view graphic security video of terrified teens and teachers being shot point-blank or running for their lives, examine autopsy and crime scene photos and hear heartrending testimony from wounded survivors and family members of the murder victims. When it is over, the jurors will grapple with the weighty decision of whether a young adult — even someone responsible for one of the worst slaughters in the nation’s history — should live or die.

“It’s going to be horrible,” Cruz’s lead attorney, Melisa McNeill, recently warned one potential juror in court.

Jim Wolfcale was foreman of the Virginia jury that convicted Lee Boyd Malvo for his role in one of the multiple deaths that resulted in 2002 from a series of sniper shootings in Washington, D.C.

Wolfcale said he sometimes found it difficult not to talk to other jurors, particularly after Malvo appeared “disrespectful or arrogant” during testimony.

“I would be like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ so it would be hard not to talk about. I would wonder, ‘Am I thinking right? Are the other guys and girls on the jury thinking what I am thinking?'” said Wolfcale, a minister. But outside court, his wife and friends never asked about the case, knowing he couldn’t talk. “My friends would just say, ‘We’re praying for you.’”

Malvo, in his teens like Cruz, admitted in court to killing 17 people. Unlike Cruz, he committed the slayings over nine months in multiple states.

Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder, but is challenging his death penalty trial. For him to receive a death sentence, all jurors must agree. Otherwise, the former Stoneman Douglas student will receive life without parole.

For all or most of Cruz’s jurors, this will undoubtedly be their first exposure to graphic gun violence and they will be dealing with the deadliest mass shooting that has ever gone to trial in the U.S. Nine other people in the U.S. who fatally shot at least 17 people died during or immediately after their attacks. The suspect in the 2019 massacre of 23 at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart is awaiting trial.

Wolfcale said that during the Malvo trial, other jurors sometimes broke down in the jury room after seeing graphic evidence or hearing emotional testimony. They would hug, and divert themselves by talking about the upcoming Christmas holidays. Malvo ultimately received a life sentence instead of the death penalty because the jury was split, partly because of the defendant’s young age.

Wolfcale — who voted to execute Malvo — said he didn’t feel stress until late on the trial’s final day. Then, he said, “It hit me” — and stayed with him for months.

“Even today, 20 years later, when your adrenaline is high, you can recall a lot, but that first six months it was on my mind constantly,” he said.

Responding to a survey conducted by the Center for Jury Studies, 70% of questioned jurors said they experienced stress during routine trials, according to center director Paula Hannaford-Agor. She said 10% reported severe stress, though that usually abated quickly.

In contrast, about 10% of jurors who served on high-profile, graphic trials reported long-term stress, Hannaford-Agor said. They displayed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms similar to those exhibited by some police officers, firefighters and emergency room doctors, she said. The difference is that the first-responders can talk to colleagues, friends and counselors in real time, while the stress is building.

“Jurors, of course, are told they are not allowed to talk about any of it” until the trial is over, Hannaford-Agor said.

Studies also show many jurors who imposed a death sentence question themselves long after the trial.

“None of those said this was something that had completely derailed their lives, but … years later they were still thinking about it and wondering if they made the right decision, and remember how difficult that decision was,” Hannaford-Agor said.

On their own, jurors 65 and older can get mental health services through Medicare. Younger jurors may have coverage through jobs or private insurance, but that sometimes requires co-pays and deductibles running into thousands of dollars. That could deter many.

In addition to the cost factor, courts don’t offer programs because judges and other officials have experience processing graphic evidence and can talk to others during the trial, Hannaford-Agor said. They might not fully appreciate jurors’ stress levels.

Judges “aren’t feeling it quite as intensely,” she said. ___

Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.