Reading Roundup | May 21, 2021
Posted May 21, 2021
A whole bunch of interesting articles this week so we’ll just jump right into it.
“Depression Is a Pandemic. Let's Use the Lessons of COVID-19 to Find Treatments” — Susanna Schrobsdorff, Time (5/17/2021) [article]
This piece takes a look at recent research on blood testing that might reveal how severe an individual’s depression may be. Schrobsdorff calls for more research to be done on the topic in order to both help with treatment and in order to reduce stigma. She argues that if we put our minds to it, we could achieve a greater understanding through greatly increased research, noting that the intense work that went into learning about the coronavirus over the past year shows how much we can accomplish. It’s great to see someone calling for more attention to be paid to mental health in this way.
“Stress, Anxiety, Initiative Fatigue … Oh My! Perhaps It’s Time to ‘De-Implement’?” — Peter DeWitt, Education Week (5/16/2021) [article]
Teaching can be a tough profession, even in normal times. DeWitt discusses stress and anxiety for teachers and school leaders and how this feeds into the high turnover rate in the field of education.
“Born In Prison, How One Woman Used Her Trauma To Write The Post Traumatic Prison Disorder Act” — Amanda Nguyen, Forbes (5/13/2021) [article]
Here, Nguyen covers one woman's quest to write the Post Traumatic Prison Disorder Act, looking at "the traumas linked to incarceration and calls for: (1) training prison personnel in basic trauma-informed mental health care, (2) policies for service provision to incarcerated individuals, (3) investments in behavioral healthcare services (e.g., screening, assessment and clinical interventions for trauma) and (4) connecting people with services post-release. The bill reflects the voices of people who are currently incarcerated." We applaud Shawanna Vaughn’s hard work and dedication to helping those who are suffering from trauma due to incarceration and echo her sentiment that, no matter what has occurred in one’s life, everyone deserves access to mental healthcare.
“A Behavioral Scientist's Advice For Changing Your Life” — Elise Hu, NPR (5/18/2021) [article]
Hu discusses Katy Milkman's new book, How to Change, including suggestions for habit-forming and ways to beat procrastination.