Call to Mind is American Public Media’s initiative to
foster new conversations about mental health
COVID-19
Clearly, coronavirus is having a major impact on all our lives. While we all need to follow the public health recommendations to minimize the spread of COVID-19, these necessary precautions are unprecedented and have major effects on our mental well-being. Even as people stay home more and practice social distancing, we’re all in this together.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, lonely, anxious or depressed - it’s totally understandable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects some of us will have strong reactions to all the changes we are dealing with. Take a look at the CDC’s COVID-19 wellness preparation guide.
If you already have a mental health provider, keep them updated with how you’re doing. If you think now is the time to find one, check out the SAMHSA treatment locator tool. If you live in Minnesota, Fast-Tracker is a tool that helps you navigate finding the right therapist based on your specific needs and health coverage.
If you, or anyone you know, are dealing with an emergency related to coronavirus, SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline has trained crisis counselors available 24/7/365 to support people struggling to cope with COVID-19.
Text “TalkWithUs” to 66746
Call 1-800-985-5990 or TTY 1-800-846-8517
For Spanish speakers:
In U.S. states, text “Hablanos” to 66746
In Puerto Rico, text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663
Call 1-800-985-5990 and press 2.
Your college years are filled with opportunities to learn and gain experiences that shape the rest of your adult life. Adapting to the stresses of college life can affect your well-being.
College students have been reporting an increase of mental health symptoms for more than a decade. Each year, about one in five people are dealing with a mental health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About three-fourths of people with lifelong mental illnesses experience symptoms by the time they turn 24 years old, so young adults need support to help identify opportunities to connect with care.
MPR News Host Kerri Miller hosted a panel discussion at St. Kates about the stresses of college life today and how campuses are, or could be, addressing student well-being.
Terrible, Thanks for Asking is a podcast that asks people to give honest answers to the question, “How are you…?” Because everyone goes through hard stuff, and the more we talk about it the less alone we are.
In their series, "What Happened To You?" (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), Nora McInerny and the TTFA team delve into how challenging situations that happened to us as children affect the adults we become. The series features stories of childhood trauma, and explains how public health leaders are quantifying Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to understand the impact of trauma on people and communities.
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Fading Minds: Why There's Still No Cure for Alzheimer's
Maja Beckstrom and Sasha Aslanian, APM Reports
In the 1970s, the founder of the National Institute on Aging convinced a nation that senility was really Alzheimer's and could be cured. Research money flowed to one theory, leaving alternatives unexamined — today it's come up short.
Read more about, The invention of a disease and the pursuit of one molecule. And, listen to the audio documentary that delves into what it’s like being a caregiver to parents with Alzheimer’s, and explores new research into ways we might be able to stave off dementia through social change and better habits.