The Golden Times’ Post

𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙤𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝘿𝙖𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝. As a solo father, because of the deafening silence, I faced what at the time seemed like a completely unique set of challenges, which during my darkest times often felt insurmountable. The feelings of isolation, shame and failure as a father combined with the inability to speak up about my mental health in those days with my daughter totally dependent on me were some of my most daunting that were only exacerbated when professional support was so scarce. Fathers, we face significant challenges during the perinatal period, and our mental well-being is crucial for the entire family's health. Ignoring this can lead to severe consequences. As highlighted by Philpott et al. (2017), "Paternal perinatal depression and anxiety can negatively impact parenting behavior, partner relationships, and child development" 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 It's way past time to break the silence and provide the necessary specific support for fathers. Mental health care should be inclusive, offering resources, counseling, and community support. 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙪𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩—𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡. #parenting #gender #humanresources #mentalhealth #DadsMHDay Mark Williams BCAh FRSA

May: Mental Health Awareness Month For many in the Latino/Hispanic community, mental health remains a taboo subject. This stigma can lead to prolonged suffering in silence, especially when compounded by experiences such as immigration, acculturation, trauma, and generational conflicts. While religion can be a protective factor for mental health in our community, it can also contribute to the stigma against mental illness and treatment. Unfortunately, the situation is also worrisome at home. Discussing mental health problems with family members can create embarrassment and shame for the family, resulting in fewer people seeking treatment. Let's work together to break the stigma and encourage open dialogue about mental health in the Latino/Hispanic community. #mentalhealthawareness #Latinx #Hispanic #endthestigma https://lnkd.in/eCz9-Xbm

Generation gap? This study on mental health revealed that 18-29 year olds would prefer more time being together at the workplace, whereas over 30s like the hybrid model. Mental health professionals weigh in as well. #publicservice #publicadministration (Of course for many kinds of work there is no hybrid option - it has to be done in a particular physical setting)

I encourage everyone to read Sally Littlefield's important piece in Psychology Today on the topic of empowerment of those with serious mental health conditions https://lnkd.in/eMMzKkRC

https://lnkd.in/e_p_NDev ''Couples who meet in later life and decide against moving in together experience mental health benefits comparable to marriage or cohabiting – but without the “frictions”, “intense day-to-day interactions” and care commitments that come with those relationships, the research showed. While the study found marriage and its protections offered marginally greater mental health benefits for the over-60s, they found there was less of a risk to mental health with LAT break-ups than there was with a marriage or cohabitation ending. Previous research has shown mental health benefits for marriage and cohabitation are greater for men than women and that “older women typically undertake a larger share of domestic and care tasks” in such relationships. In contrast, older women and men enjoy similar mental health benefits from LAT, according to the study, soon to be published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.'

As our teens go through physical changes, their mental health can be affected too. 🧠 Check out this article to learn how early puberty can impact a child's mental well-being. https://lnkd.in/exyurgVX #ChildrensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwarnessMonth #TraumaInformed #Resilience #FightingACEs

Thoughts on LinkedIn: It feels odd to be doing this! Perched behind my laptop "connecting" with total strangers and I've-heard-their-names. I'm horrifically late to the LinkedIn party, but I wanted to share a little about the process. Engaging so shamelessly in networking and careerist pursuit is certainly a new experience for me, but it is one that I'd like to acquaint myself with for a simple reason: progress. Mental Healthcare is an insular community. A community that thrives (ironically) on the division of haves and have-nots of laundry-list accomplishments. It is a rich irony that a profession dedicated to understanding and guiding others is itself mired in judgement and stigmatization. But are we surprised? Afterall, Mental Healthcare, this alleged bastion of progressive thought, is grounded in the pathologizing of non-normative experiences. Deciding what is and is not normative has always fallen to hegemonically powerful groups. Homosexuality was a disorder in India up until judgements in my own living memory (to say nothing of gender-nonconformity!) While we must acknowledge progress made in every successive generation of practitioners, that in turn forces progress upwards, we must also take into consideration the power dynamics perpetuated by far too many up-and-coming professionals. For every dozen therapists, social workers, or psychiatrists who claim to want to "break the mold," few have a clear concept of what that means. When the vanguard generation of mental health professionals dictates what is acceptable practice, we watch as emerging generations rage against the system. This "raging" however is still done within the context of the outdated thinking, or is saddled by institutional stigma. Queer Affirmative professionals are numerous these days, and for good reason! We must of course imbibe respect and affirmation for Queer and GNC people early, but are you serving populations that benefit from this approach? Are you as a practitioner offering affordable and accessible care to those that seldom who have access to the types of service you offer? We have more mental health professionals in the mainstream than ever, but does your practice stop at what is socially "acceptable" or do you reach across and train and to work with vulnerable, misunderstood populations like those with personality disorders? I view more people in the mental health sphere as a net good - absolutely it is. But are we doing more harm than good by mainstreaming the more palatable mental wellbeing than actually advocating for people with mental illness? By being in my "LinkedIn Era" I hope to force progress in visibility for those often brushed aside by the mental health establishment. Either as service user, or providers. I hope you'll join me! #mentalhealth #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalillness #LinkedIn #personalitydisorders

It's never too early to start teaching kids about mental health, just like physical health. 🌟? Leveraging cultural traditions, like storytelling, can create a supportive environment for children and teens to understand and talk about their feelings. 📚? As parents, caregivers, or even uncles and aunts, our role is essential in breaking stigmas and fostering open communication. Remember, it's okay to reach out for help both for your kids and yourself. 🚸? Together, we can create a world where discussing mental health is as normal as talking about physical health. 💖? #MentalHealthAwareness #ParentingTips #CulturalSupport https://lnkd.in/etmEtBb9

All healthcare workers should be working to reduce the stigma around mental health. We need to meet people where they need to be met. Being cognizant of the culture and language in our area is part of extending the healing ministry of Christ. This multicultural aspect of the “Be a Mindleader” campaign is particularly important, as research has found that one in every three Latinos says they struggle with mental health, yet only 5% are open to talking about it. And for those who suffer, it can take up to 11 years to get a diagnosis and seek treatment. Whole care includes mental health care. #OwnIt

Navigating life as an adoptee can present unique mental health challenges that often remain unseen by those who have not shared the experience. From the surface, it might seem like adoption is a simple solution to a complex problem, but the reality is far deeper. The emotional and psychological struggles faced by adoptees can be profound, and various studies have highlighted some concerning statistics related to their mental well-being. Click below⬇️⬇️⬇️ to read more⬇️⬇️⬇️ #adoptee #adoptees #adopteevoices #adopteestories #hadassahbauer