Weight Bias!

 

    When people think of weight bias they commonly refer to when they have a doctors visit and they are told they are overweight and need to lose weight. Although in some cases it doesn't match up. Peoples body types and sizes vary also how their bodies function and it isn't necessarily fair to say that they are overweight or underweight. Many people have a fast metabolism or even slow metabolism. A lot of people exercise and still can be told they are overweight. Myself for example being told I am overweight, but am very active and spend five out of seven days in the gym. 

    There have even been cases that show doctors mistreating patients due to the doctor believing it was due to weight. Some doctors even give mal treatment just because a doctor will not want to waste time with an "overweight patient". Which then leads to misdiagnosis and patients having to deal with symptoms that are not being treated correctly. There are even quotes of doctors saying; “Well, it’s kind of his fault, right?”, “If she wasn’t so lazy ...”, “That patient is so undisciplined.”. This shows that it is an actual problem and a lot of people have to suffer from it. 

    Speaking with individuals at my gym that have dealt with this, typically the response is "I feel embarrassed...", "I don't like going, because they just tell me I'm overweight...", "I workout and still get told I need to lose weight...". It's tough mentally for some people, because it tends to make them overthink and start to become disheartened with themselves. Which in turn leads to depression. I asked how they are trying to deal with it. Which common answers are they just work out more, or simply stopped going to the doctors as often so they don't have to hear it. Which clearly isn't the best option, but keeps them from feeling "hurt".

    

    

Overall people should believe in themselves, but also be confident to go to the doctors. If they feel the doctor is not giving proper treatment to speak up. People tend to shy away from the truth, but should also embrace it and take it as information that'll help improve their life. There are many ways that you can go about living a healthy life, but people should always take a trip to the doctor to take care of themselves. Its a tough battle mentally and physically to deal with, but people should persevere through difficulties and better their lives!

Sources:

 Fatima Cody Stanford, M. D. (2019, April 3). Addressing weight bias in medicine. Harvard Health. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/addressing-weight-bias-in-medicine-2019040316319.

J;, E. C. B. M. M. (n.d.). The association between Weight Stigma and Mental Health: A meta-analysis. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31507062/.

NBCUniversal News Group. (2019, August 25). When doctors fat-shame their patients, everybody loses. NBCNews.com. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/when-doctors-fat-shame-their-patients-everybody-loses-ncna1045921.

    

    

    

Homelessness in El Sereno, Los Angeles

 Homelessness in El Sereno, Los Angeles

Melody Moran 

Source: downtownla.com

When thinking about major social issues in my community, immediately one came to mind: homelessness. The homeless situation in Los Angeles has continued to rise over the years. Being born and raised in this city, I cannot think of a time where there was not a homelessness problem. However, in recent years in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the homeless population has risen. This topic in particular always gains a lot of attention during political debates and even everyday life. It seems as though we continue to discuss the homeless problem in Los Angeles, but if it is something we constantly see and talk about, then it only brings up the question of what exactly is being done to help solve this problem?

The Homeless Crisis in Los Angeles

The homeless crisis in Los Angeles continues to grow each year. As mentioned in the Los Angeles Mission website, “There are over 58,000 people across Los Angeles county who are experiencing homelessness, a 12% increase from 2018”. As the cost of living continues to rise in the city, it is hard for a lot of people to keep up with increasing rent and as a result many people are falling into homelessness for the first time (Los Angeles Mission, 2019). Financial hardship along with other factors such as disabling diseases or physical disabilities unfortunately also play a role in homelessness. It is noted that over 16,000 people have been without housing for over a year and have a condition that makes homelessness even more difficult (Los Angeles Mission, 2019). In the greater Los Angeles area alone, about 75% of people experiencing homelessness lack the proper shelter that they need and as a result they use whatever they have available to them. 

Taking a look at the data, since 2019 Los Angeles has had a 12.7% increase in homelessness with the current homeless population reaching over 66,000 people. This number has risen in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a study conducted by UCLA shows that around 36,000 households could potentially be evicted from their homes and homeless because of the pandemic. 

Source: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

Homelessness in El Sereno

El Sereno is a small community in East Los Angeles which has been especially affected by the homeless crisis. Over the last year the number of tents and homeless residents has risen exponentially. Entire islands on the street were covered with tents and encampments stretching almost the entirety of Huntington Drive. 

Source: theeastsiderla.com

If the problem is so bad in this community, we must ask ourselves these questions: How do we solve this problem? How do we, as a community, effectively help those without shelter and proper resources? How do we uplift those around us in this time of need? 

Project Homekey and Project Roomkey

A solution that has helped alleviate the homeless crisis in El Sereno and other communities is Project Homekey and Project Roomkey. On the County of Los Angeles official website, it explains that Project Homekey is a partnership between Los Angeles County and the state of California to purchase and rehabilitate hotels and motels, in order to convert them into permanent or long-term housing for people who are affected by homelessness. This project is set to provide more than 700 housing rooms which will be converted into permanent housing units. Project Roomkey is similar but instead of providing permanent or long-term housing, it offers short-term housing for those in urgent situations. 

Since the addition and implementation of Project Roomkey in El Sereno, one of the local hotels was converted into housing and as a result, the number of homeless encampments decreased dramatically. The once encampment filled median of Huntington Drive, is now clear and not a single tent can be seen along it. 

It is important that we continue to find and fund solutions such as these in order to help those who have nowhere else to go or call home. 

Source: LAHSA.org

Personal Impact

This issue directly affects me in a number of ways. I actually live in El Sereno and have grown up here. Seeing the crisis first hand was both heartbreaking and disheartening to see just how bad the situation had gotten in my own community. Pre-pandemic homelessness was a problem in El Sereno but it was not as prevalent as it is now. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their jobs and entered homelessness. It was during this time where there was a noticeable increase in tents. There were many instances where I would see people asleep on the bus benches as I was walking by to go to work. Countless times I watched as the city and police drove up to encampments and began taking them down. There are many ways to help a homeless person but that is not one of them. 

With the addition of Project Roomkey, it was amazing to see just how quickly people were able to get housing, even if it’s temporary. Through Projects like these, it gives people a second chance at life and even provides them with the basic necessities that they need. The homelessness crisis in El Sereno is not over, but fortunately it is getting better.

Sources

County of Los Angeles website

https://covid19.lacounty.gov/homekey/

Lank, Barry. "Repairs proposed for El Sereno traffic median as homeless move out." The Eastsider, 11 May 2021. https://www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhoods/el_sereno/repairs-proposed-for-el-sereno-traffic-median-as-homeless-move-out/article_180d4956-aea4-11eb-984d-1f6d63ca524f.html

Los Angeles Mission. "5 Facts About the Homelessness in Los Angeles." https://losangelesmission.org/homelessness-facts/

Scott, Anna. "Homelessness in Los Angeles County Rises Sharply." NPR, 12 June 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/875888864/homelessness-in-los-angeles-county-rises-sharply

Homelessness in Los Angeles - Willmer Flores

 

Homelessness in Los Angeles

Willmer Flores

 

 

When people talk about Los Angeles or just California in general, they talk about the sunny weather, the beaches, and Hollywood. However, there is something else that is always present

in Los Angeles that people don’t often address. If we look beneath the beautiful sunsets and skyline, we will see an alarming amount of homelessness. Anyone who lives in Los Angeles knows that a tremendous amount of homelessness only seems to be increasing. No matter what city you live in, there is always some level of homelessness, whether you live near Downtown or Pasadena. So, what is causing this increase, and more importantly, what is being done to mitigate the increasing rate of homelessness?

Source: AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Growing up in a low-income household to immigrant parents, there was always this unspoken fear of losing our income, leading to losing our home. Fortunately, this never happened. Although, it meant having to go to bed hungry, stretching every dollar, and going to school with the same pair of shoes for two years while everyone had their new outfits at the start of every semester. Despite all of this, I consider myself very lucky because I had friends that weren’t as fortunate. The apartment building I grew up in didn’t have a yard which meant going over to a friend’s house to play. Come 2008, this all changed. This friend and his family lost their home. Their three-bedroom home was now a minivan. At the time, I didn’t understand what was happening; I just remembered no longer seeing my friend in the neighborhood. As I grew older, I understood that they lost their house to the housing market crash of 2008. However, this wasn’t my first exposure to someone being homeless. This was seen all around our neighborhood. While things have changed from 2008, one thing that hasn’t is the number of homeless people seen all around LA.

While the 2008 housing crisis vastly increased the number of homeless people, unfortunately, this isn't the only cause of homelessness. According to the LA Times, there has been a drastic increase in homelessness from 39,000 people in 2011 to 59,000 people in 2019. So, even after the housing crisis of 2008, what else is contributing to homelessness in LA?

 

Source: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Los Angeles Times

 

In an article presented by NPR in 2020, they state that the most significant sources of homelessness range from “high rents and a shortage of affordable housing, the Homeless Services Authority points to stagnant wages and systemic racism that affect housing, health care, justice, and economic policies as major contributors to the crisis.” Later in this article, they also mention how homelessness has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the pandemic on homelessness can be an entire blog on its own. Identifying the sources of homelessness is the first step towards combating homelessness, but the next step is to act. So, what is being done to reduce the increasing rate of homelessness? 

Such a topic is so complex, so much so that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to ending homelessness. Nonprofit organizations are perhaps the primary sources in an attempt to end homelessness. For example, Home for Good was founded in 2005 and has raised more than 40 million dollars to provide various recourses ranging from food to medical care for homeless people. At the same time, though, they are laws being passed that prohibit encampments in public areas. While there is a concern for local safety behind such decisions, most homeless shelters cannot take in large amounts of people at the same time. Such actions don’t end homelessness, but they simply relocate it. It is easy for an ordinary citizen to feel as if they can’t make a significant change, but this isn’t true.

Source: Messenger photo by Elijah Decious

The American Psychological Association defines civic engagement as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.” I believe that civic engagement can take on many forms. Someone doesn’t have to start an entire foundation to fight homelessness in order to make a positive impact on their environment. As I grew older, I saw how volunteering at a shelter could impact others. It was as simple as serving food or passing out clean blankets, but this can significantly impact someone’s life. Today, hundreds of shelters and food banks have several people depending on them, and any help can genuinely go a long way.

There is no doubt that homelessness in Los Angeles is a severe issue that seems to have no end in sight. Several factors have only increased the amount of homelessness, and the pandemic has only worsened this. Despite the government action that has been taken, there is no single solution to alleviate this issue. However, there are many actions that an individual may take to contribute to the fight against homelessness. I wish to bring awareness to a topic that is often overlooked. I also want to bring awareness of the various engagement methods that an ordinary citizen may help anyone suffering from homelessness.

References

1. Smith, Doug, and Benjamin Oreskes. “Homelessness Jumps 12% in L.A. County and 16% in the city; Officials 'Stunned'.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2019, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-encampment-affordable-housing-2019-results-20190604-story.html

2. Campbell, Tom. “California Needs Statewide Approach to Homelessness.” San Bernardino Sun, San Bernardino Sun, 6 Mar. 2018, https://www.sbsun.com/2018/03/06/california-needs-statewide-approach-to-homelessness/

3. Scott, Anna. “Homelessness in Los Angeles County Rises Sharply.” NPR, NPR, 12 June 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/875888864/homelessness-in-los-angeles-county-rises-sharply.  

4. Levin, Sam. “Los Angeles Homeless Population Hits 36,000 in Dramatic Rise.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 June 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/04/los-angeles-homeless-population-city-county.  

5. David Zahniser, and Oreskes, Benjamin. “L.A.'s New Homeless Encampment Law: A Humane Approach or Cruel to Unhoused People?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-08-02/los-angeles-new-homeless-anti-camping-law-humane-cruel.   

6. Matthew, Zoie. “Here's What's Being Done to End L.A.'s Homelessness Crisis.” Los Angeles Magazine, 8 Nov. 2018, https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/la-homelessness-crisis/.  

7. Carpini, Michael Delli. “Civic Engagement.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2009, https://www.apa.org/education-career/undergrad/civic-engagement

 

Rise of Asian Discrimination Amidst Covid-19

by Steven Sy

Discrimination has been a rampant problem in society and has affected the livelihood of many people. People are constantly experiencing unjust treatment due to their age, gender, or their race. These discriminatory action can range from minor harassment to physical violence. Any one of these actions can cause emotional distress and trauma. There have been several occurrences where people are harmed due to discrimination and these violent attacks have resulted in death on drastic occasions. The most common form of discrimination are through the use of abusive language. There are many people that would use their words to insult people in order to cause mental trauma. 

With the occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in discrimination directed against the Asian community. The Covid-19 pandemic had brought a huge change to the lives of many people. The requirements and restrictions placed on the people caused them to feel a lot of frustration and anger. The frustration from the pandemic has caused people to direct their anger towards the Asian community. 

"Even before the deadly Atlanta-area spa shootings in March, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) had faced nearly 4,000 hate incidents since the pandemic began, a 149% rise over the previous year (Stop AAPI Hate National Report, 2021; Anti‐Asian Prejudice March 2020, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism). Reported episodes range from verbal harassment, insults, and jokes—such as referring to COVID-19 as the “kung flu”—to violent attacks in schools, businesses, and other public spaces." (Abrams, 2021)

It is believed that one of the reasons people are openly discriminating against the Asian community is due to statements made by influential public figures. 

"Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Asians and people of Asian descent have been targets of derogatory language in media reports and statements by politicians as well as on social media platforms, where hate speech related to Covid-19 also appears to have spread extensively. US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “Chinese virus” and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s use of “Wuhan virus” may have encouraged the use of hate speech in the US." (Human Rights Watch, 2020)

"The governor of the Veneto region of Italy, an early epicenter of the pandemic, told journalists in February that the country would be better than China in handling the virus due to Italians’ “culturally strong attention to hygiene, washing hands, taking showers, whereas we have all seen the Chinese eating mice alive.”" (Human Rights Watch, 2020)

Public figures have a massive influence on the masses. Their words are heard by a lot of people and their actions are used as reference for people's beliefs. When these public figures make discriminatory remarks towards the Asian community, it could increase the amount of discrimination towards Asians. These remarks could be viewed as agreement or encouragement towards discrimination made on the Asian community. People may be more likely to discriminate because influential figures make these actions appear to be socially acceptable. 

There have been a wide range of discriminatory behaviors towards the Asian community once the pandemic had appeared. These terrible events can take place anywhere from public spaces to your average workplace. Violent actions are the most well known and receive the most attention, but there are discrimination that don't involve violence. The workplace and employment discrimination has been on the rise along with the pandemic. 

"In Australia, 66.4% of Asian Australian respondents to a survey last October reported experiencing workplace discrimination, which represented an increase of almost 15% in six months." (Toh, 2021)

"In the United Kingdom, the employment rate among Chinese people dropped 4.6% from the first quarter of 2020 to the second — nearly three times more than declines experienced by other ethnic groups, according to government data." (Toh, 2021)

The discriminatory actions that don't involve violence tend to not receive enough attention. Most of the workplace discrimination are considered to be minor incidents and don't have much impact in the view of many people. There needs to be more attention brought to these incidents, because there are many cases at this level. Many small cases can build up to something large. If such cases are allowed to continue, then there may be an escalation.

"In the days that followed the mass shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, that killed eight people, six of them Asian women, an outpouring of pain from Asian and Asian American communities in the United States flooded social media. As mainstream media outlets fumbled their initial reporting on the events, the corporate world responded with a smattering of supportive statements on social media to denounce the violence that occurred." (Zheng, 2021)

"But then, an uneasy silence. No crescendo of charitable donations to Asian organizations occurred. No spike in community partnerships, new diversity and inclusion initiatives, or renewed commitments to corporate social responsibility emerged from corporate America. Nowhere was this more apparent than within my own community of diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners, individuals whose careers were made offering actionable advice in times like these." (Zheng, 2021)

Discrimination directed towards the Asian community do not receive as much attention and outcry compared to others. The attention and outcry towards these behaviors only appear when a major event occurs. Despite the notice the incidents receive, the attention only lasts for a short while before there is a lack of outcry. 

As someone that is a part of the Asian community, I believe that there needs to be more attention towards the increase in discrimination due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Discrimination has affected many people in terrible ways and there needs to be more support against discriminations. People can get hurt, lose their jobs, and suffer from mental issues due to discrimination. The increase in the attention can increase the amount of available help people can get.

References:

Ruiz, Neil G., et al. “One-Third of Asian Americans Fear Threats, Physical Attacks and Most Say Violence against Them Is Rising.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 16 May 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/21/one-third-of-asian-americans-fear-threats-physical-attacks-and-most-say-violence-against-them-is-rising/. 

Toh, Michelle, et al. “Attacked at Work, Rejected for Jobs and Harassed by Colleagues: Asians around the World Speak Out on Workplace Discrimination.” CNN, Cable News Network, 7 June 2021, https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/06/business/asians-workplace-discrimination-covid/.

Zheng, Lily. “To Dismantle Anti-Asian Racism, We Must Understand Its Roots.” Harvard Business Review, HBR, 30 Aug. 2021, https://hbr.org/2021/05/to-dismantle-anti-asian-racism-we-must-understand-its-roots.

Abrams, Zara. “The Mental Health Impact of Anti-Asian Racism.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 1 July 2021, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/07/impact-anti-asian-racism.

“Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide.

Poverty and Homelessness

Sources: 10 facts about homelessness in America – Acton Institute PowerBlog

Downtown Streets Team - Ending Homelessness Through The Dignity Of Work

The homeless represent the most vulnerable portion of Americans living in poverty. Nearly half of all Americans living in the street live in California. 

   There is a concern everyday in our lives with this family member. It involves health affects to some of us. It affects my dad mainly as this is his brother and seeing him concern or talking about this in our family talks, affects us in our daily lives. Its hard not to be able to help someone who refuses it.

The topic I chose is poverty and homelessness. This topic is very personal too me and I barely discuss it with anyone, only with close friends. But because its a project and perhaps I can find better ways to try to help this person out, I will discuss it. Reading others discussions can help me mentally to find a soulition for my family member going through this This social issue affecting me directly is having an uncle who is homeless. My uncle is homeless and its very difficult to talk about this. He became homelesss due to a drinking problem. Many times me and my family have tried to help him we have gone out many times and try to help him out, but he refuses to accept our help. I decided to speak about this because everyone has problems and listening to other discussions can help me understand people's actions more.

Wear Your Mask

Ever since the COVID-19 Pandemic took hold of the world, business closed their doors and people were encouraged to stay home for safety. Though businesses are slowly opening up and policies are less strict, the one that stands out is the mask-wearing policy enforced to ensure the safety of others and slow down the spread. Despite the efforts to keep COVID under control, there are people that refuse to put on a mask, whether it's "freedom", or unfounded facts, they are fueled by adamant ignorance.

Why We Do

As cumbersome as it is and as insane as those conspiracy theories are, people do wear masks to protect others. A study in Michigan proves that. Whether it's because someone they knew got infected, or as a precautionary measure, these people chose to wear it, not because it was enforced. Those who do yield to caution take the extra steps to ensure cleanliness and lowered risk of infection. Even those that wear glasses, reporting that trying to do so leads to foggy lenses, they chose to wear it for the safety of others. Wearing a mask has become a societal norm, even donating extra masks to others in need. I personally continue to wear a mask despite being vaccinated, because my family, myself included, was infected by it. I wouldn't want someone else to catch what I had, so I want to slow the spread. But despite this, there are people who come up with strange and outrageous theories to justify their refusal to wear a mask, either by wearing them incorrectly, or outright omission.

Why We Don't (And Why That's a Bad Idea)

So we wonder, why? Why not? Why forgo this protection? A group of people protested the mask policy by refusing to wear their mask, all in the sake to express their freedom, wanting to breathe. The reality is that the people who are not obligated to wear a mask is small children, those under the age of 2. Those people have difficulty breathing through masks. And yet, there are people who take that breathing rhetoric seriously, when, in truth, it is still possible to have respiratory circulation through a mask.

Stop. Listen to yourself, it's not worth it.

This ignorance needs to stop, and that kind of denial cannot be allowed. That denial turns to ignorance, and through that ignorance, credibility is lost, whether it's the perpetrator's credibility, or worse, discrediting truths. Your argument is there, but it is not one worth causing health risks to everyone and yourself. It will also prolong the presence of the virus, and it has no business staying here longer than it has been.

Encouraging Protection

In strenuous attempts to relieve ignorance and educate people, campaigns were rallied to bring together people that are willing to respect the health and safety of the community. The mayor of Los Angeles called forth a campaign to promote this healthy habit, through free posters to hang up wherever they please. It's important to do preventative measures to ensure the virus spread is slowing down so it can be completely eradicated. The tagline "Protect and Respect" is part of the campaign, bringing together artists of the community to help spread this word. Everyone's health is important, and it'll be a group effort to ensure everyone is safe.

To Summarize...

When it comes down to it, threatening the wellbeing of others for ignorance is unacceptable. It shouldn't have been a Social Justice problem in the first place, but here we are. Is getting other people sick just to assert your stance on a real-world threat worth it? At its core value, it's a safety protocol to keep the virus under control so it doesn't keep its spread for longer than what it's desired. While the vaccine does keep it under further control (and is another too-long story for another time), the masks also keeps immuno-compromised safe. People wear masks not because it's a policy, but because they care. While it is your choice to not wear one, it is not the choice you should make when you can get sick and die from it.

Wear your mask.

Works Cited

Gillespie , Claire. “Why Do Some People Refuse to Wear a Face Mask in Public?” Health.com, 5 Jan. 2021, https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/face-mask-refuse-to-wear-one-but-why.

“Study Finds That Wearing Really Is about Caring.” Dearborn, 12 May 2020, https://umdearborn.edu/news/all-news/articles/study-finds-wearing-really-about-caring.

Vankin, Deborah. “L.A. Mayor Calls on Artists to Design and Spread the Message: Wear a Mask.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2020, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-07-22/la-mayor-eric-garcetti-covid-mask-poster-art-project.

Mental Health in Young Adults

What is Mental Health?

In recent years, mental health has become both a growing concern and a topic of increasing awareness. The CDC defines mental health as a person's emotional, psychological, and even social well-being. Many individuals worldwide unfortunately suffer from some form of mental illness, and the numbers are only beginning to worsen.

Mental Health in Young Adults

According to a 2021 report by Mental Health America, or MHA, mental health among adolescents and young adults is worsening. They found that 9.7% of youth in the United States suffer from depression, compared to the previous year's rate of 9.2%. The report also shows that, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, 19% of adults in the U.S. were suffering from a mental illness. This means an increase of approximately 1.5 million people. Even more concerning, the number of adults experiencing thoughts of suicide has increased 0.15% from the years 2016-2017 to 2018-2019, or about 460,000. The CDC itself has also found that mental illness is one of the most common health issues in the U.S. According to them, a staggering 1 out of 5 people will experience a mental illness in any given year. What is causing this increase in mental health issues? Why are these rates increasing year after year?

Sadly, there are many causes for mental health issues. One study by the International Journal of Psychiatry found that, regardless of the participants' diagnosis, painful life experiences caused by others or any external force were the leading cause of the mental illness. In addition, an article by the American Psychological Association states that psychological issues, depression, and suicidal thoughts have worsened for young adults in the late-2010s compared to early 2000s. Interestingly, this trend was weakened at the age of 26 and up. Why is this? Worryingly, the main cause of this phenomenon is the use of digital media, particularly among young adults and teens. With all these factors possibly leading to mental disorders in people as young as 12, what can possibly be done to reduce their negative effects?

What Can Be Done?

There is no easy or instant solution to an issue as wide spread as mental illness. Fortunately, there are many different ways one can improve their own mental health. An article by MHA lists up to 31 ways mental health can be improved, ranging from working on personal strengths, expressing love or gratitude towards someone in your life, taking time to relax, and so on. Seeking professional help from a therapist, counselor, or psychiatrist is also a viable option. It all depends on each individual's situation and needs, so find something that you genuinely enjoy and gives you a peace of mind. As someone who has friends and family that have dealt with or are currently dealing with mental health issues, I encourage anyone reading this to seek support if ever needed. I've nearly lost loved ones due to this problem and I could not be more grateful that they managed to recover. Having the right mindset when suffering through psychological problems as well as having people that will help you can definitely make a positive impact. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and you have people that care for you.

Find Help

LA Department of Mental Health Hotline: (800) 854-7771

    (Available 24/7)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264

    (Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

    (Available 24/7; offers live chat)

Works Cited

1. 31 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.mhanational.org/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 28). About Mental Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm.

3. Elliott, M., Maitoza, R., & Schwinger, E. (2011). Subjective accounts of the causes of mental illness in the USA. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 58(6), 562–567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764011415207

4. Mental Health Issues Increased Significantly in Young Adults Over Last Decade. American Psychological Association. (2019, March 14). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/03/mental-health-adults.

5. The State of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://www.mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.