Moving Beyond Cancer in NOLA: MHFA Monthly: Celebrating National Gratitude month

Hello, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) family!

November is National Gratitude month, and many people use this month to think about what they are grateful for in their life. We are endlessly grateful to all of you in our Mental Health First Aid community! Practicing gratitude can have a big impact on your mental health, and even small things can be cause for celebration. Think about the past few days – have you achieved anything that went unnoticed? Cooking a delicious meal, starting a new book or chatting with a loved one? Take a moment now and congratulate yourself, and try and find one small thing to be grateful for each day this month. You may be surprised at the positive impact it makes.

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Support Caregivers with Mental Health First Aid

“November can be a time for s’mores, warm hoodies and crisp air. For me, it’s also a time to reflect, educate, recognize and honor the more than 53 million unpaid caregivers in the U.S. These individuals passionately support family (89% of those caring for adults are taking care of a relative), friends and community members. More than a quarter (27%) of them are helping someone with a mental health challenge (Mental Health America, n.d.). So, this November, please join me in celebrating National Family Caregivers’ month.” Read more from MHFA National Trainer Karyn Feeny on how to support caregivers in your life.

Three Ways to Process Grief

When someone we love dies, experiencing feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, regret, guilt and sometimes even relief, is common and natural. We all experience loss, and learning how to process that loss is a vital component to fostering resilience and overcoming adversity. The grieving process is unique to everyone, and while some may prefer to process grief individually, others benefit from family support or professional help. As a First Aider, it’s important to meet people where they’re at and respect their individual needs. Read more.

The Importance of Practicing Gratitude and Celebrating Small Victories

While the end of the year is the time that most people think on what they’re grateful for, practicing gratitude year-round can have substantial mental health benefits. Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. These effects disappeared within three to six months, which reminds us to practice gratitude over and over. Read more.

Giving Reassurance to Veterans on Veterans Day

Earlier this month MHFA National Trainer Angela Leath shared her guidance on supporting veterans on veterans day. "This Veterans Day, it is important to remember that not every service member experiences Veterans Day in the same way. In fact, some prior service members may not consider themselves veterans at all. This is especially common for service members who have not had combat experience or may not have seen “action” when serving in a combat zone. For those who do consider themselves veterans, some enjoy being recognized for their service to our country; for others, the recognition may seem overwhelming or even undeserved. For years I fell into the latter category." Read more.

Train to be a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor with Team: Changing Minds

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in collaboration with Futures Without Violence, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and founding investor Harry’s, has formed Team: Changing Minds, a national mental health response network specializing in reaching young men. In its first few years of operation, Team: Changing Minds seeks to reach 1 million people, starting with an inaugural group of 200,000 mental health responders, who will help young people recognize the signs of mental health challenges and connect them to support earlier in their lives before those challenges become crises.

We invite adults who actively engage with BIPOC male-identified youth to apply to receive virtual training to become a certified Youth MHFA Instructor. Apply today! Note: This application is only open to individuals who are currently not Youth MHFA Instructors.

Universities across the United States are expanding their focus on athletes’ mental health in the wake of several tragedies, according to this PBS NewsHour article. MHFA courses are mentioned as an important option for athletic department staff to be trained in moving forward, or places where it is already employed, like the University of Arizona. Schools are looking to support grieving student teammates, especially after only half of the 9,808 NCAA athletes who took a survey in late 2021 said they believe mental health is a priority to their athletics departments. Read more.

In Florida, schools in Hillsborough county are expanding their mental health outreach efforts, including Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), in response to rising numbers of students who are having difficulties, this Tampa Bay Times article reports. As of October, more than 12,000 school employees throughout the country have been trained in YMHFA. Read more.

Youth in Hawai’i have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to this 2022 study. Nearly 2,200 more youth struggled with anxiety or depression in 2020 than in 2016, an increase of 23%. In response to this urgent need to address the youth mental health crisis, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association is expanding funding for several programs, including their statewide Youth Suicide & Bullying Prevention program, which includes Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training. Read more.