S3 Podcast

The development of highly effective COVID vaccines in less than a year is an extraordinary triumph of science. But several coronavirus variants have emerged that could at least partly evade the immune response induced by the vaccines. These variants should serve as a warning against complacency—and encourage us to explore a different type of vaccination, delivered as a spray in the nose. Intranasal vaccines could provide an additional degree of protection, and help reduce the spread of the virus.

The currently authorized vaccines are injected into the muscle of the upper arm. Through a variety of mechanisms, they simulate a coronavirus infection. To fight off this perceived attack, the immune system mobilizes antibodies and T cells. As a result, in the event of an actual coronavirus infection, the immune system is prepared with a strong defense.

This approach can be enormously effective in reducing the risk of illness. Among nearly 600,000 people in Israel who have been fully immunized with an injected coronavirus vaccine, there has been a 94 percent decline in symptomatic cases of COVID, according to research by the country’s largest health care provider. However, worrisome new coronavirus variants have the potential to substantially erode that impressive efficacy.

For example, mutations in one variant, called B.1.351, have made at least three of the current vaccines less effective, based on data from clinical trials. A separate variant, called B.1.1.7, has been linked to more than 40 percent greater transmissibility, nearly 30 percent higher mortality, and a longer period of infectiousness. These characteristics could explain peaks in COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that have occurred in the U.K., Israel, Ireland, and Portugal.

Although injected vaccines do reduce symptomatic COVID cases, and prevent a lot of severe illness, they may still allow for asymptomatic infection. A person might feel fine, but actually harbor the virus and be able to pass it on to others. The reason is that the coronavirus can temporarily take up residence in the mucosa—the moist, mucus-secreting surfaces of the nose and throat that serve as our first line of defense against inhaled viruses. Research with laboratory animals suggests that a coronavirus infection can linger in the nose even after it has been vanquished in the lungs. That means it might be possible to spread the coronavirus after vaccination. Data collected in surveys of nearly 400 adults for 10 weeks beginning in April 2020 suggest that more services and communication are needed so that even front-line health and food bank workers, for example -- rather than only social workers, doctors and therapists -- can spot the signs and ask clients questions about potential intimate partner violence. They could then help lead victims to resources, said Clare Cannon, assistant professor of social and environmental justice in the Department of Human Ecology and the lead author of the study.

The paper, "COVID-19, intimate partner violence, and communication ecologies," was published this month in American Behavioral Scientist. Study co-authors include Regardt Ferreira and Frederick Buttell, both of Tulane University, and Jennifer First, of University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

"The pandemic, like other kinds of disasters, exacerbates the social and livelihood stresses and circumstances that we know lead to intimate partner violence," said Cannon. She explained that increased social isolation during COVID-19 has created an environment where victims and aggressors, or potential aggressors in a relationship, cannot easily separate themselves from each other. The extra stress also can cause mental health issues, increasing individuals' perceived stress and reactions to stress through violence and other means

The first modern antidepressants were originally tuberculosis medications, created from leftover World War II rocket fuel. In 2019, the Federal Drug Administration approved Spravato for depression, a chemical that was originally a veterinary anesthetic and later used recreationally as a club drug.

Why shouldn’t tomorrow’s antidepressants also come from unexpected sources?

Rising COVID infection rates and death tolls lead millions to worry about their own health and safety as well as that of loved ones. These concerns compound daily stressors that can include grief, economic insecurity, job loss, food and housing insecurities—all factors that are contributing to rising suicide rates.

The reliable joyful distractions such as weddings, family gatherings and spontaneous get-togethers are on hold. Unsurprisingly, anxieties combined with decreased human interaction have led otherwise healthy people to depression and a sudden increase in prescriptions of antidepressant medications.

And for some people, these drugs are effective at keeping a person out of their persistent cycle of negative thoughts, a symptom that defines clinical depression. As of 2018, nearly one in eight Americans use antidepressants. Unfortunately, more than a third of patients are resistant to the mood-improving benefits of medicine’s best antidepressant drugs.

These people are not completely out of options, and science is steadily working to find ways to help them. There are chemicals already out there that can restore their mood balance, and in some cases, even save their lives. Unfortunately, these drugs have a name that wrongfully conjures up controversy and alarmist news headlines: hallucinogens.

Young LBGT+ teenagers are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to worry about their mental health on a daily basis, a new report has found.

A survey by Just Like Us, a charity which supports LGBT+ young people, revealed that 55 per cent of LGBT+ 11 to 18 year olds are anxious about their mental health on a daily basis, in comparison to 26 per cent of non-LGBT+ people

The findings mirror the disproportionately high rates of mental health problems among LGBT+ adults, with previous polling finding just over half had suffered depression in the last year, and three in five had experienced anxiety.

The latest study, shared exclusively withThe Independent, found seven in 10 LGBT+ young people report their mental health has worsened since the pandemic began, in comparison to half of non-LGBT+ young people.

While one in four LGBT+ young people say they have experienced strain in the place they live on a daily basis, only 15 per cent of non-LGBT+ people said the same. Researchers polled 2,934 secondary school pupils who were aged between 11 and 18 - over a third of whom identified as LGBT+ - for the study.

A breakdown of the research shows 78 per cent of young lesbians say their mental health has deteriorated in lockdown, in comparison to 74 per cent of bisexual young people, and 71 per cent of male gay teenagers.

While 70 per cent of transgender young people and half of non-LGBT+ young people said the same.

The latest research found six in ten young lesbians worried for their mental health on a daily basis, in comparison to four in ten male gay teenagers

Amy Ashenden, of Just Like Us, told The Independent the study’s findings are “really worrying” as she called for greater specialised LGBT+ mental health support.

She added: “I am a little bit surprised by the findings because lesbians are so often overlooked. I wouldn’t necessarily have suspected so much struggling.

“As lesbians, we have a lack of community spaces funding and low visibility in the media. It is hard to find and connect with other people like you. Pre-Covid, lots of gay spaces catered for men and were not that trans or lesbian inclusive.

“Lesbians are at the intersection of sexism and homophobia. You’re not meeting your gender expectations because you’re attracted to women. You have a double pile on of things to navigate.”

Ms Ashenden noted lesbians “come in all shapes and sizes” as she warned butch lesbians get “looks” on the street.

“I am a butch lesbian,” she added. “I can’t count the amount of times I’ve been looked at or shouted at in the street. People always seem to have an opinion. Whether it is looks on the tube or bus or men shouting at me on the street.”

Ms Ashenden, whose charity works with a range of schools, noted a lot of legal changes for the gay community such as adoption and marriage which impact adults do not effect young LGBT+ people.

She said she imagined the proportion of older lesbians suffering from mental health problems would be roughly the same but they may not be struggling as much due to being at a different stage in their life.

“Young lesbians might be living at home with families who aren’t accepting or they might not have friends who are accepting,” Ms Ashenden added. “Adults have more agency to seek out community. If a lesbian had come into my school to talk about how it is okay to be yourself that would have drastically changed my life.”

Across the world, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and to try and kill themselves, yet the overall suicide rate for men is considerably higher than for women. But women remain more likely than men to attempt suicide. Adult women in the US reported a suicide attempt 1.2 times as often as men.

Dominic Arnall, chief executive of Just Like Us, noted while the Covid crisis has been a “difficult period” for all, their research shows the repercussions of the pandemic have “not fallen evenly”.

Hi welcome back to Scars Left Behind, in today's episode i had the pleasure of sitting down with Daniel [Danny } Doubleu who works with men who. have been Sexually Abused etc, he himself have been abused sexually and groomed : he talks about his experience with mental health, drugs and abuse and how it played a massive role in his upbringing and how he became involved in the mental heath field himself ...There is a Trigger Warning in the beginning, Nearly 3 in 4 children - or 300 million children - aged 2–4 years regularly suffer physical punishment and/or psychological violence at the hands of parents and caregivers

One in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report having been sexually abused as a child aged 0-17 years.

120 million girls and young women under 20 years of age have suffered some form of forced sexual contact. for support with Domestic violence or Abuse 

https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/find-suppport

https://www.rasmerseyside.org

https://rapecrisis.org.uk

Daniels Website

https://www.empowertheinvisible.co.uk

https://www.nspcc.org.uk 

Samaritans : 116 123 

YoungMinds Messenger Crisis: Text YM 85258

Parents Helpline: 0808 802 5544

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thes3podcast/message

About 7% of children have attempted suicide by the age of 17 and almost one in four say they have self-harmed in the past year, according to a paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry, and experts say the figures could rise as a result of the pandemic.

The figures come from analysis of the millennium cohort study, which follows the lives of about 19,000 young people born at the start of the millennium in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The report says that when the 17-year-olds from the cohort were asked if they had ever hurt themselves “on purpose in an attempt to end your life”, 7% replied yes. When asked if they had self-harmed during the previous year, 24% responded that they had.

The data, which is nationally representative, can be extrapolated to the UK population to give figures of 52,427 17-year-olds having attempted suicide at some point in their lives and 170,744 having self-harmed in the previous 12 months before Covid hit.

Psychiatrists say the figures reflect a trend they are witnessing, demonstrating the challenges faced by young people. They warn that coronavirus and its fallout will probably make matters worse, and urge investment now in services for young people experiencing mental health problems.

Dr Bernadka Dubicka, the chair of the college’s child and adolescent mental health faculty, described the findings as part of a “really concerning trend” that they had been seeing for a long time. She said data showed there had been an increase almost every year in terms of teenagers injuring themselves deliberately.

One of the study’s authors, Dr Praveetha Patalay, said: “Our study highlights large inequality in these adverse mental health outcomes at age 17, with women and sexual minorities being particularly vulnerable, potentially reflecting the greater disparity in the pressures they face, and highlighting the need for support that is sensitive to the challenges experienced by them during adolescence.”

She added: “There is definitely a need to provide more, better and earlier support for young people to prevent their mental health difficulties from getting so severe, but equally we really need to think about why young people today are struggling so much.”

Dubicka said data from NHS Digital showed that 41% of all admissions to hospital for self-harm were teenagers. “What we are seeing year on year clinically is more young people presenting self-harm in A&E and admissions to paediatric beds and mental health units.”

She said there was not enough research into why this was happening but, based on her work, she felt that austerity and poverty were leading to more people experiencing difficulties.

“So we have widespread societal driving factors which are most certainly impacting on children. The other issue is education has been a huge stress for young people,” she said, adding that a general rise in mental health problems was contributing to a rise in self-harming.

“I think it’s important that all children are able to thrive in the education system. We know 50% of young people make it to university and another 50% don’t, and within that group there are lots of disadvantaged children with learning difficulties or autism or looked-after and traumatised children. We need equal chances for all children,” she said.

The report said: “Age 17 marks an important age before many key life transitions, including the ending of compulsory education and moving away from home. With the ending of support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) around this critical age, many young people fall through the gaps between CAMHS and adult mental health services, If you are a young person in the UK struggling with your mental health, advice and support is available on the YoungMinds website, including information about how to get help. For urgent support, contact the YoungMinds Crisis Messenger by texting YM to 85258. YoungMinds’ free helpline for parents is on 0808 802 5544 from 9.30am to 4pm,

The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

A new study, led by University of Utah Health scientists, suggests more than half of doctors, nurses, and emergency responders involved in COVID-19 care could be at risk for one or more mental health problems, including acute traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and insomnia. The researchers found that the risk of these mental health conditions was comparable to rates observed during natural disasters, such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. It's well understood that a difficult childhood can increase the likelihood of mental illness, but according to new research from the University of South Australia, a happy and secure childhood does not always protect a child from developing a mental illness later in life.

Conducted in partnership with the University of Canberra, the finding is part of a study published in Current Psychology, which examined how early childhood experiences relate to different developmental pathways, and how these might be associated with poor mental health.

Given that both positive and negative childhood experiences were found to manifest as anxiety or other mental health disorders into adulthood, researchers believe that it's our ability to adapt -- or rather not adapt -- to unexpected scenarios that might be influencing mental health.

In Australia, almost 50 per cent of the population will experience mental illness at some point in their lives, with an estimated 314,000 children aged 4-11 (almost 14 per cent) experiencing a mental disorder.

The national recurrent expenditure on mental health-related services is estimated at $9.9 billion or about $400 per person

Calls to the UK’s largest domestic abuse helpline are rising “week on week” as new figures reveal that almost 50 suspected killings may have occurred during the first lockdown.

The charity Refuge, which runs the National Domestic Abuse helpline, said it was “very concerned” by the continuing upward trend in demand for its services, with England a little over a week into its second lockdown.

Separate data from Counting Dead Women, a project that records the killing of women by men in the UK, identified 35 murders, with another 12 strongly suspected cases between 23 March and the start of July, when Covid restrictions were largely lifted.

Several United Nations’ reports indicate that since the outbreak of the pandemic, empirical research suggests that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. As the United Nations warns: “This is the Shadow Pandemic growing amidst the Covid-19 crisis and we need a global collective effort to stop it. As Covid-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity. More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in Covid-19 response and recovery efforts.”

This increase in domestic violence is concerning as even before Covid-19 the issue of domestic violence was at a high level and far from being resolved. These concerning facts are as follows: 

“1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner;

Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday; while 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation;

1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2012; while only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances;

CNN) With progress in efforts for Covid-19 vaccines and predictions for when the population will receive them, there seems to be a light at the end of the long, harrowing pandemic tunnel.

As the physical risks are better managed with vaccines, however, what will likely still remain is the indelible impact of the pandemic weighing on the collective psyche.

The physical aspects of the pandemic are really visible," said Lisa Carlson, the immediate past president of the American Public Health Association and an executive administrator at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "We have supply shortages and economic stress, fear of illness, all of our disrupted routines, but there's a real grief in all of that."

"We don't have a vaccine for our mental health like we do for our physical health," Carlson added. "So, it will take longer to come out of those challenges."

Based on the mental struggles endured by so many this year, these are the issues mental health professionals anticipate coming to the fore in 2021.

Burnout and sedentism

Life was stressful before the pandemic, but new challenges have contributed an additional toll. Virtual homeschooling, staying safe, financial hardships, teleworking, keeping up with new information and coping with sickness and death can make life feel like a never-ending game of Whac-a-Mole.

Isolation, which can lead to loneliness, has hit people of all ages. Many children and adolescents have been missing out on opportunities important for social development.

How you manage the stress is crucial to finding respite from the pandemic, Carlson said, and it comes back to the basics. Being safely outdoors and around trees, which Carlson thinks of "as part of the public health team," can improve your overall health. When you can, take time to wind down and disconnect from the news.

Focusing "on the basics to get sleep, to eat healthy meals, to move throughout the day, to spend time with pets and loved ones" are going to be critically important, she added. "Taking care of ourselves and each other should be everybody's focus as we go into 2021."

When the pandemic sabotages sleep

Since more time at home has meant more snoozing for some, the strange "pandemic dreams" people chattered about this year have greater opportunities to pop up, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonary and sleep doctor and an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Stress, trauma and new challenges are other factors that have led to sleep disturbances and disorders. People on the frontlines of health care, those who witnessed death and individuals who were stuck on cruise ships may experience post-traumatic stress that can lead to insomnia and nightmares. "There are things that you see that are just etched in your mind," Dasgupta said.

Lack of separation between work and home can mean irregular sleeping patterns. The pandemic "really threw a curveball in our circadian rhythm," he added.

Also, "many people have been gaining weight," Dasgupta said. "Weight has always been a risk factor when we talk about things like obstructive sleep apnea." Sleep apnea has been linked with a higher risk for developing depression and anxiety

Since sleep quality is linked to mental health, getting enough sunlight for a normal circadian rhythm, developing a sleep routine and practicing relaxation techniques will be crucial in 2021.

Some disorders thrive in isolation

Without support and accountability, some people's recovery from eating disorders and substance use disorders has hit a wall.

The "collective trauma" people are experiencing "contributes to increased anxiety, depression and other mental health factors commonly associated with eating disorders," said Chelsea Kronengold, the communications manager of the National Eating Disorders Association

Being alone on Valentine's Day may leave you feeling left out. It's easy to let the media and advertisements make you feel like something is missing if you are not in a relationship on this particular day.There are many reasons why you may find yourself alone on Valentine's day. Maybe you've chosen to be single or are not interested in a relationship.

It's also possible that you're single for reasons outside of your control. As a result of living in a pandemic, it has become a bit more difficult for singles to connect as they normally would. Or, maybe you're dealing with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and experience some fear in pursuing a romantic relationship.

If you'd prefer not to ignore Valentine's Day, you can decide to make it a day to treat yourself well. Try some of the following self-care strategies:

Eat your favorite foods 

Create a list of goals or intentions that you'd like to set for the day

Engage in hobbies that you enjoy

Sleep in late 

Take the day off work 

Write in a gratitude journal

On Valentine's Day, you might start scrolling through social media and see all of the flowers and chocolates your coworkers, friends and loved ones have received. Have you ever wondered if they might have sent them to themselves?

If you are feeling really down about being alone on Valentine's Day, go ahead and send yourself some flowers or your favorite candy to your place of work or your home.

This gift will be special because you received it from someone who knows you best—you!

When it comes down to it - we would love nothing more to be there for our family and friends but it can sometimes come at a price ,either both parties accept your boundaries you have put in place or they become fractured & neither one respects your wishes or they think you are being unreasonable now I know that is really difficult to do as you may have family members who may not be the most supportive or they may be toxic or they could be unknowingly making things worse and a just trying to do what they think is right ,perhaps you have never set up boundaries and you feel you would be causing distress in your family and friends dynamic but as someone who as of March last year started implementing boundaries I can honestly say that it has made a huge difference to know boundaries are in place to not only protect me from unnecessary situations , arguments etc it's also two fold in that it works in every one else's favour as well so that there's an understanding but those around you have to be willing to keep to those boundaries . after all , your personal space is vitally important as is your mental health and everyone's else's for that matters.

Self Love:

Self - love is a state of appreciation for one self that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth . Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others, it means not settling for less than you deserve .

Self-love is different for everyone: for starters, it can mean :

Talking to and about yourself with love

Prioritizing yourself

Giving yourself a break from self - Judgement

Trusting yourself

Being true to yourself

Being nice to yourself

Setting healthy boundaries

Forgiving yourself when you aren't being true or nice to yourself

Back in June of last year I started my journey , my spiritual journey and I started Usui Reiki Meditation as part of doing something for me , I have done other forms of meditation before but I never got in to it however that all changed when I started learning Usui Reiki and have gone and reviewed my Teacher Certification in Usui Reiki but it has been a staple , a routine for me every morning and night to go off into another world ,close my eyes and escape the chaos - I've also recently got in to wearing Nail polish to take care of my nails better as if you are a nail biter like me because of anxiety it was a bad habit : I had a reason for doing it but I wanted to make a change which is where self love comes in to it .

Self love is one of the keys to manage your mental health better .

Mental illness affects Romantic Relationships :

Nearly half of adults experience a mental illness at least once in their lifetime. Research and practical experience tells us that mental illness can cause a person decreased quality of life , decreased productivity and employment, and even Impaired physical health.

A mental illness--including post traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcoholism can also affect a person's Relationships. There may be no relationship more affected by mental illness than the intimate relationship between partner's.

The good news is that it’s possible to be in a healthy, loving, and long-term partnership with someone who has a mental illness. If this is relevant to you, be aware of the unique challenges you and your partner may face, and utilize resources and strategies that will help you grow and nurture your relationship.

3 Ways Mental Illness Can Affect an Intimate Relationship

The following issues are common within couples affected by mental illness. No two relationships are the exact same, so it’s important to take into context your unique relationship so you’ll be able to identify where you may need additional guidance.

Shame, guilt, and resentment. Having a mental illness is hard enough