New Study Finds Children’s Resilience Affects How They Cope with Bullying

This article, published on Florida Atlantic University’s website — summarizes the findings of a recent study on bullying that was co-authored by a researcher from FAU. While in no way minimizing the problems that bullying causes, it points out that we can do more than simply protect our children from bullying — we can nurture them to be more resilient, thus making them better-able to cope with bullying when it occurs.

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BY GISELE-GALOUSTIAN

It’s inevitable. Most children will experience some form of bullying at some point in their lifetimes. What’s not inevitable is that they will be adversely affected by the experience. So why is it that some children are devastated by bullying while others are not? Is there is a major personal characteristic or trait that buffers and protects them against internalizing the harm intended through bullying and cyberbullying?

The answer is a resounding “yes.” That trait is “resilience” or the ability to “bounce back” and successfully adapt to stressful situations. A new study from Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect , validates how resilience differentiates children who just survive bullying from those who thrive when faced with adversity. Children do in fact play a significant role in allowing or disallowing the harm that takes place when bullied. Astonishingly, the ability to be resilient comes naturally, but it needs to be nurtured through social and environmental factors.

The researchers hypothesized that resilient youth are less likely to be targets for bullying both at school and online, and that those who are targeted are less impacted by it at school. To test this concept, they used a validated biopsychosocial 10-item resilience scale to explore the relationship between resilience and experience with bullying and cyberbullying. The scale included statements like “I can deal with whatever comes my way,” “I am not easily discouraged by failure,” and “Having to cope with stress makes me stronger,” with items assessing both the protective capacity of resilience as well as its reparative ability to restore equilibrium in the lives of youth when they face adversity.

Based on a nationally-representative sample of 1,204 American youth ages 12 to 17 and living in the United States, results from the study found that uniformly, students with higher levels of resilience were bullied at school or online less often, and among those who were bullied, resilience served as a buffer, insulating them from being affected in a negative manner at school. Their experience with various forms of interpersonal peer harm also varied inversely with the students’ self-reported level of resilience.

“Resilience is a potent protective factor, both in preventing experience with bullying and mitigating its effect,” said Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., study author, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within FAU’s College for Design and Social Inquiry, and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. Hinduja co-authored the study with Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D., a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. “Resilient kids are those, who for a variety of reasons, are better able to withstand external pressures and setbacks and are less negatively impacted in their attitudes and actions than their less-equipped peers when facing this type of victimization.”

Hinduja and Patchin hope that the latest data from their study will bring attention to an often-neglected and even forgotten component of the ways that schools, families, and communities address the role and responsibility of the child who is bullied.

There is heavy interest to identify better solutions to bullying these days, and Hinduja recently shared their research on resilience in keynotes with the International Bullying Prevention Association, the World Anti Bullying Forum, and social media companies’ intent on helping targets help themselves.

“We want children to learn and develop the skills they need to deal with problems, and yet we rarely help them engage with those problems so that they can grow in their ability to solve them,” said Hinduja.  “Instead, we seek to constantly protect and insulate them – instead of bolstering their self-confidence , problem-solving ability, autonomy,and sense of purpose – which are all innate strengths.”

Hinduja points out that in many forms of verbal and online bullying, targets do have some agency to allow or disallow much of the harm that others try to inflict. As such, youth-serving adults have a responsibility to teach and model for them the proper strategies to deflect, dismiss, or otherwise rise above the insults and hate.

“Cultivating Youth Resilience to Prevent Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization” is published in the current issue of Child Abuse & Neglect.

All Alta Employees Have a Role in Dealing with Trauma in Children

The most comprehensive Trauma Care in the Mahoning Valley is found at Alta Behavioral Healthcare. And that care encompasses more than the dedicated Trauma-Focused Therapy offered by Alta.

In fact, every employee at Alta has a role in ensuring that the experiences of children in the agency’s Trauma programs will be positive and that their outcomes will be as successful as possible.

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

While most might be able to provide a general definition of the word “trauma,” the term is used in a more specific way by mental health professionals.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening — and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional or spiritual well-being.

In particular, trauma can impact the educational and developmental processes of children. Early identification and intervention has the most positive impact on individuals in helping them heal and find success in overall functioning.

WHO WE HELP

Alta Behavioral Healthcare provides services to children who are dealing with trauma resulting from events such as death, loss, abuse, neglect, domestic violence in the home, substance abuse issues and more. Trauma interventions may include individual and family therapy. We enroll approximately 50 children annually in the trauma department.

In recent years, mental health professionals have gained an increased understanding of trauma and its effect on how kids see themselves and their lives. Trauma may manifest itself in children’s educational experiences, behavioral problems and low trust levels, as well as specific conditions such as ADHD.

It has become clear that early intervention can make a significant impact on the quality of a child’s life for decades to come. By contrast, failing to address issues caused by trauma can lead to a lifetime of difficulties. Put another way, “The longer you ignore what’s truly bothering you, the deeper the wound becomes.”

HOW WE HELP

Alta is at the forefront of the latest advances in Trauma Therapy. Six specially trained Trauma therapists are on staff, and we provide several different types of therapy.

That help goes beyond therapy in the office. We have expanded our offerings at Alta to take in a Trauma-Informed Care approach that involves every Alta employee who comes into contact with a child or family who is part of our program.

ALTA’S TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE PROGRAM

We’re proud to announce that Meg Harris, LPC, Community Support and Trauma Supervisor for Alta, has been certified to train others in this Trauma-Informed Care approach.

Ms. Harris, a nationally certified Trauma therapist, gained her Trauma-Informed Care certification by attending a two-day training session in September at Heartland State Psychiatric Hospital. The training was conducted under the auspices of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Board.

Trauma-Informed Care is a philosophy of care that is designed to change the way an organization interacts with its consumers, its staff and its governing bodies. Specific to organizations such as Alta, it emphasizes the entire environment a child suffering from trauma will experience when coming in for treatment.

Ms. Harris has trained all Alta personnel in techniques that emphasize compassion to any child that comes to Alta for trauma therapy. This includes office workers, maintenance personnel, and anyone else a child might encounter in the course of a visit. The staff will be trained to show empathy towards these children, and to carefully consider any sensitivities this child might have — for example, to loud speech or noises, sudden movements, etc. Fostering kindness, patience and understanding is an important part of this training.

In addition to Alta Staff, Ms. Harris is certified to train other community organizations, businesses and/or schools in Trauma Informed Care and has worked with several in our area. This training assists organizations in understanding the impact of trauma on consumers and how the organization can improve its services to address the people coming in the door. She can administer Trauma-Informed Care organizational surveys and glean pertinent information to suggest areas of improvement.

Other specific goals of Trauma-Informed Care training include:

• creating safety in the environment and in employees’ interactions with others
• maximizing opportunities for the child to exercise choice and control
• fostering connections by providing opportunities for people to interact with one another
• building opportunities for children and adults to give feedback about their thoughts and feelings, leading to self-reflection and managing of emotions

This philosophy has also been carried out within the environment of Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s facility on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown. In the recent past, Alta’s lobby underwent a significant makeover to give it a more child-friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Books and toys are now available to give children something positive to focus on while they wait for their appointment.

Trauma-Informed Care promotes treating people in such a way that they want to continue to do business with you. TIC is about being sensitive to the needs of others, respecting the process of change, and empowering others to be successful in daily living.

 

Photo: Members of Alta’s Trauma Team and Early Childhood Team with Dr. Bruce Perry (presenter) at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. L-R: Rochelle Rulli-Perrotta, Meg Harris, Dr. Perry, Shonda Layton, Kristen Hartz-McCleery, Stacey Jickess-Roberts.

“What? You Want to Have a Family Talk?”

Imagine you’re 7 years old. You come home from school; you’re excited to be home, hungry and looking forward to dinner. In a little while, you smell your favorite meal, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, wafting up from the kitchen. Things seem a little tense at dinner tonight, but that’s not out of the ordinary in your house. Maybe your mom and dad had another argument last night or on the phone today? No worries, you say to yourself, “I’ll just go up to my room and play video games till things ease up as they always do.”

But tonight, things are different. After dinner, your mom and dad tell you and your sister that they want to have a talk in the living room. You’re saying to yourself, “This is odd, we don’t have talks in our family.” So, you’re all in the living room and then the bomb drops — “Your mother and I have decided to get a divorce and I’ll be moving out.”

We all know that divorce is not uncommon; it happens to about 50% of families. But the end of a family as a child knows it can lead to many different reactions — including grief, sorrow, guilt, anger, or sometimes even relief. For the mother and father going through a divorce, some or all of these feelings will also apply to them. Given the emotional turmoil the divorce process brings, parents sometimes don’t pay attention to the impact it has on the children involved. Even worse, sometimes the children are used as leverage — but that’s for another blog.

This is a time that we must do what we can to help our children through this very traumatic experience. They need reassurance, support — and most importantly, they need to know that it is not their fault. Even if your family doesn’t have much experience “having talks,” it’s critical to do so now. Explain in very general terms why mom and dad can’t live together anymore, and  that whoever is leaving (mom or dad) will still always be their mom or dad. But most importantly, listen. Let your kids express how they feel — their fears, their anger — and answer their questions as honestly as you can.

Parents may have opportunities to learn how to do these things during a divorce. Some divorce courts, like the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court, provide parent seminars for those going through divorce. Support groups are now even offered for children to help them see they’re not alone and that other children are going through the same thing. For more information on either of these groups, contact the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court or Alta Care Group.

Early Warning Signs

At Alta Behavioral Healthcare we’ve been screening and assessing children, adolescents and young adults for many years. You’d think we’d have it all figured out by now! Actually, we’re pretty good at identifying early warning signs of an emotional problem. But we’ll never measure up to the most talented screeners of them all — parents!

You see, parents have something that we professionals don’t have — a keen sixth sense and an intimate understanding of their children. They know what is typical for their children, they know when something is askew, and they’re tuned in to their children’s moods.

But like some musical instruments, sometimes parents’ sensitivity to these things is out of tune. There could be many reasons for this, such as fatigue, other worries or pressures at work or school. Whatever the reason, sometimes parents and caregivers can benefit from some reminders to help get back in tune with their children.

Early warnings signs don’t mean there is something wrong with your child. Actually, they’re very much like yellow traffic lights — they simply mean proceed with caution or pay close attention.

So, what are some early warning signs that may indicate you need to pay closer attention to your child’s emotional health? Here are some things to look out for:

• Grades are sliding from what they typically are
• School attendance or avoidance is beginning to be a problem
• Discipline problems are starting to occur in school or at home
• Changes in sleep, appetite or socialization with others become evident

These are just a handful of some of the more common early warning signs of a possible emotional issue. There are certainly many others, but the commonality among all of them is a change in what is typical for your child. These simple reminders might be all that’s needed to help you zero on your child’s emotions like a fine-tuned instrument.

If you’re seeing any of these early warning signs, talk to your child — or bring them to a behavioral health professional for a complete assessment.

Early Childhood Mental Health Is Like Eating Your Veggies

When people think mental health, sometimes they think of scary things. Some people think about mental illness that you see on TV, or they think that something is seriously wrong with their child, or that mental health professionals want to medicate their child after taking one look at them. Many times, parents are afraid that the mental health professional is judging them. They may think “Wait! Are you saying my child’s problem is all my fault? I’m not a bad parent!” The truth is, early childhood mental health is not scary at all.

For young children, good mental health is the same as having good social and emotional skills. Social skills consist of forming healthy relationships with trusted adults and other kids, and include behaviors like making and keeping friends, learning how to wait and take turns, being respectful of and getting along with others, having a healthy self-concept, and using kind words when they want something. Emotional skills are behaviors like expressing feelings in appropriate ways, being able to solve problems, being able to handle frustration, and learning how to cope with difficult feelings.

Social and emotional skills are really important pieces of a child’s development. These skills help them to be ready for learning in school when they go on to kindergarten, go to college, and find and keep good jobs. Social and emotional development has been found to be one of several strong predictors of future success in school and even graduating from college! These are “soft skills” that help a child grow into healthy, happy adults who function well in communities in which they live.

Developing good mental health is a similar process to developing good physical health. That means that — just as your children need to do things like get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat their veggies to have good physical health — they also need to learn how to make and keep friends, express their emotions in acceptable ways, and solve problems in order to have good mental health. Having good mental health is simply a part of being healthy. Parents, guardians, caregivers and teachers can help prepare children now, so they can be successful later in life while they’re in school. Helping children develop good mental health will make it more likely that they will go to college, get good jobs and keep them.

– by Marci Masters, Master Trainer and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Mahoning County Juvenile Court’s Early Warning System

Mahoning County Juvenile Court, through a grant from the Department of Justice, has partnered with the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and Alta Behavioral Healthcare to help young people who are struggling behaviorally and academically. The Early Warning System [EWS] program is designed to look at factors such as grades, classroom behaviors and absenteeism to determine if students are at risk for failure, dropping out or are likely to become involved with the Juvenile Justice System.

In addition, any student who is struggling with a life event such as trauma, loss of a loved one or illness can be referred to the EWS team for a screening. Youth receive a free behavioral health screening that looks at a variety of factors including any trauma or substance abuse. The team — which consists of professionals from juvenile court, local schools and Alta — then makes recommendations to the parents or guardians. These may include but are not limited to tutoring, positive social recreational outlets, mentoring, behavioral health services or substance abuse services.

Teen depression? You are not alone — help is available

Everyone can feel sad and moody from time to time, but normally these feelings pass. Feelings that are more intense and long-lasting may be depression. Depression can strike anyone at any age, but it can be particularly hard to deal with during teenage years, which are already difficult in so many ways.

Depression is a real brain illness or health problem. Fortunately, it’s a treatable one, and at Alta Behavioral Healthcare we have helped hundreds of teens escape the weight of depression and go on to lead happy lives.

The National Institute of Mental Health has lots of valuable information on recognizing the signs of Teen Depression, and what can be done to help young people suffering from it.

Learn more on this page.

Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s UPSTREAM™ Program has openings!

Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s UPSTREAM™ Program now has openings for

• Preschool-age children
• Kindergarten-second grade Youngstown City School children

UPSTREAM is a home-based literacy and social/emotional program to help children from preschool through second grade improve their reading and literacy skills and be socially and emotionally ready to learn. The aim of working with preschool age children is to better prepare them for kindergarten. The aim of the elementary age program is to prepare children for the third grade Reading Guarantee. The program is individually tailored to each child’s needs.

• Literacy skill-building activities involving reading, comprehension, colors, numbers, letters and cutting skills, developed for your child’s own level of need.
• Free books and craft supplies for children.
• Sessions scheduled based on your child’s needs.
• Meeting times planned around your (or another family member’s) schedule at your home or another convenient location you choose.
• Children can participate in Preschool UPSTREAM in addition to their preschool, childcare or Head Start classroom.
• Preschool UPSTREAM will enhance, not replace services or programs your child may be currently receiving.

Contact Parent Mentors Dorothy Williams or Eve Griffin at 330-793-2487 to register today.

How we were parented impacts us all — for life

In a blog post a couple of months ago, I spoke of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. There are several different categories of ACEs, but two of the most prominent are abuse or neglect suffered by children at the hand of a parent or parents.

I recently came across a very powerful post on the ACEs Connection Network website, which is dedicated to preventing ACEs, healing trauma and building resilience in those who have been victimized by them.

The author, Christine Chrissy White, points out that any discussion of ACEs can’t just end when the person who has experienced them becomes an adult. As she says, experiences at the hands of abusive or neglectful parents affect “[h]ow we feel in our skin. How we move through the world. How we regard relationships, at all. Relationships with ourselves, others and of course, children, whether we have them or not.”

Ms. White’s post is long, but very much worth reading. There is also a video by Dr. Vincent Felitti, author of the statement you see to the left, that speaks to recent research into ACEs that shows how widespread an impact ACEs have on our society.

I recommend this post highly. You can see it here.

New Year’s resolutions — and how to make them stick

When I was a member of a local gym for many years, there was one sure thing that we regulars could count on — a sudden influx of new gym members in January. We used to joke about it — “Here they come, and they’ll be gone in three weeks!” You could almost bank on it.

Well now, I’m trying not to be one of them! That’s right, after a two-year “rest” I have made a New Year’s resolution to improve my fitness.

What is it about the start of a new year that makes us want a do-over or a make-over? Some of us want to lose weight, travel, get a better job, or be a better husband/wife/son/daughter or friend. It may be that we reflect back on the past year, or the past several years, and say to ourselves, “This is not the way I want to be” or “I can do better.” This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: “A time comes when you have to stop waiting to become the person you want to be and start being the person you want to be.” (Bruce Springsteen)

So, why change things up at the beginning of a new year? I think it’s because it’s as good a time as any. New year, new beginnings, better me. If it just so happens that the start of the new year causes us to reflect on how we can better ourselves — whether it be personally, spiritually, physically, or even professionally — then that’s great. Just the act of reflection and recognizing that we can do better or be better is cause for celebration. We are imperfect beings, but our willingness to look at ourselves objectively and want to improve in some fashion is the first step toward some level of self-fulfillment.

One of the best ways to prevent ourselves from being just another one of “them” involves a three-step process: Self-Reflection, Action, and Maintenance. We’ve already covered Self-Reflection. Action is the next step, the starting of whatever process that will eventually lead us to become who/what we want to be. Finally, continuing on the path to self-improvement is accomplished through Maintenance.

Try thinking of those three steps as a circle, so that when the going gets tough in the Maintenance step, we go back to Reflection and think about why we wanted to make that change. It’s OK to get off-track, have misfires, etc. — remember, we’re imperfect beings. However, if we keep the circle going there’s a good chance we won’t be one of “them.” Have faith, stay focused, good luck and Happy New Year!

The Winter Blahs!

Some say it’s the time of beautiful, pure white snow, sledding, crackling fires, festive holidays and family get-togethers. Then there are the others who say it’s the black and white season: cold, stark, imprisoned indoors, expensive, and the season of weight gain.

I’d have to say I land somewhere in between, but if I’m being truthful, I probably lean toward black and white. I hate being stuck indoors, I don’t like the cold, but I do like the holidays and the smell of a natural wood fire.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who likes everything about the winter season, then you’ll soon be very happy. But for those that are completely on the other end of the spectrum, winter time can be a very sad time. The season can put even more pressure on parents, as their children may be home and indoors more often and stress can build up. It can also be very difficult on the elderly — who don’t get out much and rely on visits from family and friends, which may decrease during the cold, snowy months.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help those of us who struggle with the winter season:

• Become involved in a new club, community or activity. This is a great time to explore outside of our comfort zones or to try new things.
• Start a winter project or learn a new hobby. It could be home repair, knitting a scarf, reading a book a week or doing some volunteer work.
• Explore the power of the internet. Connect with old friends and new on social media, learn how to do something from a YouTube video tutorial, or create your family tree and research your ancestry.

The point is, there really are hundreds of ways to make the winter season an opportunity to learn and do new things. Challenge yourself, challenge your children… and you may discover something exciting and new that will have you looking forward to next winter.

 

Stop It!

How many times have we wanted to tell someone who’s doing something that we feel is wrong or bad for them to “just STOP IT!”? Of course if we did, they typically would look at us like we’re crazy and think to themselves “why should I listen to you?” or “easier said than done.”

One of my all-time favorite examples of this is from the old Bob Newhart Show — the episode in which Bob thought he had perfected the five-minute therapy session. (Check it out here and get ready to laugh, or search “Bob Newhart-Stop It” on Google or YouTube.)

If only it were that easy! The things our children do that are wrong (or potentially harmful to them) may be outside of their understanding, or they may simply wish to be defiant and say they just “don’t care.” And often for us adults, we know what we’re doing is wrong or harmful, but for many reasons we’re just not able to Stop It!

If we want to help someone else change a behavior — whether it be a child, an adolescent (these are the most challenging if you didn’t already notice) or an adult — we first have to understand what function the behavior serves and why it is occurring. Sticking with 1970s and 80s TV theme, it’s time to be Columbo!

Once we have more insight into what drives or maintains the behavior, we may have more success at helping someone change it. We may have to help them find another way, help them find a replacement, or help them learn self-control. While the “Stop It” approach may be a good business model for your local therapist, it usually doesn’t work well for the rest of us.

Help for Children Suffering from Trauma

About one in four children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16. Some children may develop psychiatric conditions, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and a variety of behavioral disorders.

Examples of Traumatic Experiences

Acute traumatic events (singular or frequent):

• Sudden or violent loss of a loved one
• Physical or sexual assault (being beaten, shot, raped)
• School shooting
• Gang-related violence in the community
• Natural disasters

Complex traumatic events (chronic, repeated exposure):

• Some forms of physical abuse
• Longstanding sexual abuse
• Domestic violence
• Multiple residential and familial transitions

It’s important that children suffering from trauma receive treatment

Left untreated, traumatic experiences can result in a significant disruption of childhood or adolescent development and have profound long-term consequences:

• Repeated exposure can affect a child’s brain and nervous system (brains still developing in children can slow or alter development)
• Increased risk of low academic performance
• Increased risk for engagement in high-risk behaviors
• Difficulties in peer and family relationships
• As adults, trouble holding steady jobs, increased involvement with the legal system, substance abuse

Alta’s Trauma Recovery Unit

Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s Trauma Recovery Services uses a trauma treatment approach known as Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a proven best practice for effective treatment of trauma in children.

Our staff of certified clinical counselors has trauma treatment expertise through the full range of ages of 2 years old through young adulthood. To schedule an assessment for a child who may benefit from treatment, call (330) 793-2487 and ask for the Intake Department.

When Three ACEs Are a Bad Hand

In my last blog I used a poker analogy and said there was more to come on adverse experiences in children. So, what better way to follow that up than with another poker analogy (and I don’t even play!).

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is a term used to describe a host of traumatic experiences that may occur in children under the age of 18. Some examples are:

• childhood abuse (physical, sexual)
• neglect (physical, emotional)
• being a victim of or witness to serious violence
• parental divorce or separation
• parental imprisonment

There are many other potential ACEs. What we know is that the more ACEs we hold (that is, the more adverse childhood experiences our children have had), the greater the potential consequences.

What are these consequences? There is a dramatic link between ACEs and risky behaviors, psychological issues and serious illness, including early death. Not all adverse childhood experiences are traumatic for children, but those that are can add up to a bad hand, especially if left untreated.

Here’s what you can do about ACEs:

• You can try to prevent them before they happen by providing safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments. Here’s a resource for some tips.
• You can try to assess your child’s risk for future problems by understanding the challenges he or she has faced. You’ll find an online survey and more information here.
• You can refer your child to a trauma treatment professional, who can perform an assessment, provide guidance for you and recommend treatment.

It’s important to know that if your child has had an adverse childhood experience, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have been traumatized or will suffer long-term consequences. But if they’ve experienced several and you’re concerned, early help can make a big difference.

– Joe Shorokey, Executive Director, Alta Behavioral Healthcare

 

Fighting Mental Health Stigma

A person who suffers from mental health issues (as well as his or her family) already faces many challenges in attempting to deal with the factors that impact his or her life. But regardless of the individual situation, a common thread that adds an additional burden is the stigma against those who have mental health problems.

It’s true that we live in more enlightened times than we did a few decades ago. But we still have work to do to eradicate that stigma — ideally, to the point where everyone views seeking treatment for mental health issues no differently than seeking treatment for physiological ailments or diseases.

A recent posting to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website highlighted this issue, pointing out that stigma causes people to feel ashamed for something that is out of their control and prevents many from seeking the help they need and speaking out.

In order to address this problem, NAMI asked members of its Facebook community, “What is the best way to end stigma?” You can see some of their responses in full on this page. Among the suggestions made were:

• Talk openly about mental health.
• Educate yourself and others about mental health.
• Be conscious of your language.
• Encourage equality in how people perceive physical illness and mental illness.
• Show empathy and compassion for those living with a mental health condition.
• Stop the criminalization of those who live with mental illness.
• Push back against the way people who live with mental illness are portrayed in the media.
• See the person, not the illness.
• Advocate for mental health reform.

NAMI has more resources for helping to deal with the stigma of mental illness, including information on its Stigma-Free Pledge, on this page.

– Joe Shorokey, Executive Director, Alta Behavioral Healthcare