tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/emotional-support-66167/articlesEmotional support – The Conversation2022-07-26T11:59:25Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1850122022-07-26T11:59:25Z2022-07-26T11:59:25ZFeeling connected enhances mental and physical health – here are 4 research-backed ways to find moments of connection with loved ones and strangers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475479/original/file-20220721-1419-s9bw48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5370%2C3604&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Connecting can mean sharing a hearty laugh.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/close-up-of-happy-young-females-standing-outdoors-royalty-free-image/1193052039">Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A woman and her fiancé joke and laugh together while playing video games after a long day.</p>
<p>A college freshman interrupts verbal harassment aimed at a neighbor, who expresses gratitude as they walk home together.</p>
<p>A man receives a phone call to confirm an appointment, and stumbles into a deep and personal conversation about racism in America with the stranger on the other end of the line.</p>
<p>Each of these scenarios was recalled by a research participant as a moment of meaningful human connection. One’s sense of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497">belonging</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000129">emotional safety</a> with family, friends and communities is built through actual interactions. As these examples suggest, these connections can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Often small and fleeting and sometimes powerfully memorable, moments of connection occur with loved ones and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000281">strangers</a>, in person and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2056305120942888">online</a>.</p>
<p>I spent the past several years exploring moments of connection as a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=50JpQTIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">graduate student in psychology</a>, with a particular eye toward how people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F02654075211040221">experienced meaningful connection during the pandemic</a>. It’s not just a little bonus to forge these connections; they have real benefits.</p>
<p>Feeling well connected to others contributes to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615570616">mental health</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-072420-122921">meaning in life</a>, and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-110732">physical well-being</a>. When loneliness or isolation becomes chronic, human <a href="https://theconversation.com/socially-isolated-people-have-differently-wired-brains-and-poorer-cognition-new-research-185150">brains</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721421999630">bodies</a> suffer, straining a person’s long-term well-being at least as significantly as major health risks such as obesity and air pollution.</p>
<p>Researchers know what kinds of behavior enhance feelings of social connection. Here are four ways to connect.</p>
<h2>1. Heart-to-hearts</h2>
<p>For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when asked about meaningful connections are heart-to-heart conversations. These are key moments of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1988-97881-020">emotional intimacy</a>. One person opens up about something personal, often emotional and vulnerable, and in return another person communicates understanding, acceptance and care – what researchers call <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398694.013.0018">responsiveness</a>.</p>
<p>For example, I could open up to you about my current experience of becoming a new father, sharing complex and precious sentiments that I would not disclose to just anyone. If I perceive in that moment that you really “get” what I reveal to you, that you accept my feelings as valid, whether or not you can relate to them, and that I matter to you, then I’ll probably feel a sense of closeness and trust.</p>
<p>In emotionally intimate moments, personal sharing is often reciprocal, though a sense of connection can arise <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1238">whether you are the one opening up or offering responsiveness</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man holds ladder while woman works on ceiling fixture" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475476/original/file-20220721-14484-uiri9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Lending a hand can be one way to build a connection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-renovating-home-with-father-royalty-free-image/1268388388">Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>2. Giving and receiving help</h2>
<p>A key way that people bond is by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195342819.013.0009">giving and receiving support</a>. There are two kinds of social support that often figure in moments of connection. Instrumental support is tangibly helping with the practicalities of a solution. For example, if you bring me groceries when I’m under the weather, we would be bonding through instrumental support.</p>
<p>Emotional support is nurturing another’s feelings. If you dropped by to give me a hug when I’m stressed out, this would be emotional support.</p>
<p>Either way, your actions are responsive: You understand my situation and by taking action you show that you care.</p>
<p>While it’s perhaps no surprise that you might feel connected when someone offers you responsive kindness, it works in the other direction too. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721416686212">Supporting others</a> builds that feeling of connection, especially if you sincerely want to help and feel your aid is useful.</p>
<p>To be effective, though, you need to be responding to another person’s needs rather than your own idea of what they need. Sometimes this means offering emotional support to help another person calm down so they can tackle their own problem, despite your own desire to jump in and solve the issue for them.</p>
<h2>3. Positive vibes</h2>
<p>Vulnerability and support are no joke, but meaningful interactions need not be somber. Research shows that people gain a sense of connection by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.02.002">experiencing positive emotions together</a>. And this sense of connection is not only in your mind. When two people share this kind of good vibe, their bodies coordinate too. They synchronize, with simultaneous gestures and facial expressions, and even biomarkers such as heart rate and hormones shifting in similar patterns.</p>
<p>Human beings rely on these positive, synchronous moments as a basic connecting force beginning in infancy, and people continue to seek out synchronous interactions throughout life. Think of enjoyable activities like <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150221">singing</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.02.004">dancing</a> together – they’re embodied forms of connection that actually release endorphins that help you feel bonded. Same goes for <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256229">laughing together</a>, which comes with the bonus that a shared sense of humor suggests a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000266">similar sense of reality</a>, which enhances connection.</p>
<p>When someone tells you about a positive event in their life, a reliable way to enhance bonds is to sincerely and enthusiastically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(10)42004-3">respond to their good news</a>: celebrating, congratulating, saying “I’m so happy for you.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="two men embrace" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475477/original/file-20220721-10497-9cgmaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Affection and gratitude can be expressed through words or actions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/two-men-hugging-royalty-free-image/1208881914">Sarah Mason/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>4. Affirming expressions</h2>
<p>Those moments when you let people know how much you appreciate, like or love them can be brief but powerful. Expressing and receiving <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01463370500101071">affection</a> and <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00439.x">gratitude</a> are especially well-researched means of bonding. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2021.1951794">Outright manifestations of affection</a> can come in the form of direct verbal declarations, like saying “I love you,” or physical expressions, like holding hands.</p>
<h2>Imprecision and imperfection</h2>
<p>Attempts at connection can be complicated by two people’s individual perceptions and preferences.</p>
<p>Humans aren’t mind readers. Anyone’s sense of what others think and feel is at best <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12194">moderately accurate</a>. To feel connected, it’s not enough that I genuinely understand you or care for you, for example. If you don’t perceive me as understanding or caring as we interact, you likely won’t walk away feeling connected. This is especially an issue when you’re lonely, because loneliness can lead you to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1088868310377394">view your interactions in a more negative way</a>.</p>
<p>Each person also has different preferences for ways of connecting that more reliably help them to feel bonded. Some people love to talk about their feelings, for example, and may gravitate toward emotional intimacy. Others may open up only with those they deeply trust, but love to connect more widely through humor.</p>
<p>Of course, not all interactions need to be meaningful moments of connection. Even well-bonded infants and caregivers, in that most vital of relationships, are in an observable connected state <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1131074">only 30% of the time</a>.</p>
<p>Moments of connection also need not be extravagant or extraordinary. Simply <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_183">turning your attention to others when they want to connect</a> yields great relationship benefits.</p>
<p>Gaining insight into various ways of connection may allow you to practice new ways to engage with others. It may also help you simply pay attention to where these moments already exist in daily life: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000284">Savoring moments when you feel close</a> to others – or even just <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001103">recalling such events</a> – can enhance that sense of connection.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185012/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dave Smallen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Psychology researchers know what kinds of behavior enhance feelings of social connection.Dave Smallen, Community Faculty in Psychology, Metropolitan State University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1780202022-03-01T00:47:39Z2022-03-01T00:47:39ZTorn between worlds, Ukrainian Australians are feeling the mental health impacts of war. Here’s how to help<p>Australians of Ukrainian heritage are bearing witness to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/australians-in-ukraine-shock-flee-russian-invasion/100860386">heartbreaking scenes</a> and ongoing uncertainty about the safety of family and loved ones. European agencies are warning of an <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o507">impending humanitarian crisis</a>. Although communications can be unreliable, technology makes it possible for us to see and hear war in real time. Ukrainian Australians are experiencing a powerful emotional pull to the Ukraine with friends, family and history there. </p>
<p>Previous research into the impact of global catastrophic events on the diaspora – scattered communities with shared cultural links – tells us much about the push-pull impact on local people of global events. Diaspora migrant groups should not be seen as isolated from their country of origin. Rather, they are subject to global influences over their personal and social life, their health and well-being.</p>
<p>Australians with ancestral linkages to homeland violence and war can identify completely with the pain and anguish they see and hear. The same is true of communities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/24/canada-ukrainian-community-russia-invasion">in other parts of the world</a> with Ukrainian ties. But we can support ourselves and others during this time. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/saint-olga-of-kyiv-is-ukraines-patron-saint-of-both-defiance-and-vengeance-178019">Saint Olga of Kyiv is Ukraine's patron saint of both defiance and vengeance</a>
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<h2>Long-distance suffering</h2>
<p>How people manage the interplay between homeland events, media reports, cultural identity and mental health issues in Australia is complex. </p>
<p>In what I call “long-distance suffering and devastation”, people are physically and emotionally here, as well as emotionally “over there”. During the Balkan war of 1991–2001, some people with ancestral links to that region living in Australia <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/8948">reported</a> they could not watch television. The coverage made some of them physically ill.</p>
<p>Their <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Serbian-Australians-in-the-Shadow-of-the-Balkan-War/Procter/p/book/9781138713499">experiences</a> fluctuated in response to good and bad news about homeleand events. </p>
<p>Emotions ranged from periods of relief and calm, to unbearable fear, sleeplessness, irritability, inability to concentrate, feelings of frustration, loneliness, sadness, worry, guilt and bouts of extreme emotional exhaustion. </p>
<p>In these past times, people found safety in the comfort of others, and connecting or reconnecting with their cultural identity. Shared meals and social gatherings, alongside cultural and spiritual rituals were found to be helpful.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-vladdy-daddy-to-fake-tiktoks-how-to-guide-your-child-through-ukraine-news-online-177813">From 'Vladdy daddy' to fake TikToks: how to guide your child through Ukraine news online</a>
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<h2>A trauma-informed response</h2>
<p>Being <a href="https://foundationhouse.org.au/rebuilding-shattered-lives-2nd-ed-dr-ida-kaplan/">trauma-informed</a> begins with trauma awareness, involves strengths-based approaches, facilitating choice and remaining flexible through trusting engagement.</p>
<p>Validation of distress is central to trauma-informed approaches. That means helping people feel their <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/emotional-validation">emotions have been heard, understood and are accepted</a>. </p>
<p>There have been encouraging signs of a coordinated refugee response. Prime Minister Scott Morrison <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-promises-places-for-refugees-fleeing-war-in-ukraine-20220227-p5a02e.html">says</a> Australia has been fast-tracking visa applications from Ukrainians and will support refugees from the region.</p>
<p>Creating a safe haven for refugees fleeing conflict will help those directly affected and reassure those who are concerned about them. Services for children and young people – who may be at <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1363461509351363">increased risk</a> of mental health problems and have greater difficulty accessing mental health care – must be prioritised. </p>
<p>In the interim there are several ways to <a href="https://www.unrefugees.org.au/campaigns/ukraine-emergency/">provide practical help</a> and join <a href="https://www.redcross.org.au/ukraine/">relief efforts</a> from afar. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-are-in-dark-times-what-is-it-like-for-ukrainians-in-australia-watching-their-country-at-war-178029">'We are in dark times': what is it like for Ukrainians in Australia watching their country at war?</a>
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<h2>Comfort and support</h2>
<p>Bearing witness to the loss of life and property in familiar (though distant) surroundings can be devastating. </p>
<p>At an individual level, it’s about remaining aware of what is going on, staying informed and engaged in ways that don’t overwhelm. It can be helpful to calibrate media exposure and rely on trusted sources. </p>
<p>If supporting family in Australia or elsewhere, work towards a situation where the person feels listened to, understood and validated.</p>
<p>Some other supportive ideas include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>recognising distress triggers and encouraging breaks from coverage. If <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/23/927134772/when-the-headlines-wont-stop-here-s-how-to-cope-with-anxiety">news generates anxiety or worry</a>, counter this with an activity that brings closeness and human connection </p></li>
<li><p>doing things that have worked in the past to help bring calm. Mindfulness meditation or mindfulness-based activity can be grounding</p></li>
<li><p>seeking out company with trusted others. This may not be to necessarily discuss unfolding events. The company of others could include conversation about non-war topics </p></li>
<li><p>ensuring a good night’s sleep.</p></li>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lx9qeY4WGTE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">People will remember your intent longer than your words.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>When it all gets too much</h2>
<p>If events are making concentration at work difficult or impacting on employment, people should speak with their workplace supervisors. </p>
<p>Research shows exercise-based interventions (from yoga to high-intensity running) and peer-led actions (such as sharing lived experiences) designed to increase social connection, have <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/docs/default-source/about-beyond-blue/policy-submissions/mild-moderate-depression-and-anxiety-in-adults_final-2.pdf?sfvrsn=d182bcea_6">good potential</a> to address mild-moderate depression. There are a wide range of <a href="https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/anxiety/treatment/">psychological treatments</a> for anxiety too. </p>
<p>If you are feeling fragile or concerned about your mental health, or the mental health of a loved one, seek support from your health care provider. Getting help early can make it easier to accept help going forward. </p>
<p>Employers should show understanding and suggest practical ways to support people impacted. Given the trajectory of the conflict is also unclear and may involve other countries, there will likely be ongoing collateral effects. In times like these, it’s OK to not be OK.</p>
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<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178020/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Procter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ukrainian Australians feel the push-pull impact of distant conflict on their mental health. Supportive measures include making sure their feelings are heard and accepted.Nicholas Procter, Professor and Chair: Mental Health Nursing, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748862022-01-20T04:29:13Z2022-01-20T04:29:13ZSchools can expect a year of disruption. Here are 7 ways they can help support the well-being of students and staff<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441647/original/file-20220120-14-1z0n4xf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-teacher-schoolgirl-wearing-protective-1798363273">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s just over a week to go before term one starts across the country – except in Queensland which has pushed back the start of the school year. We are yet to see states and territory plans for how to open schools safely, and to minimise the inevitable Omicron-induced teacher shortages, but one thing is clear: even with plans in place, schools will continue to experience disruptions in 2022.</p>
<p>As such, they will bear the consequences for the mental health of <a href="https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/teachers-the-forgotten-frontline-of-the-pandemic/">their staff</a> and <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/covid-19-and-young-people">students</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-and-schools-australia-is-about-to-feel-the-full-brunt-of-its-teacher-shortage-174885">COVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortage</a>
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<p>We investigated <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:98b178a">what schools have done during the pandemic</a> to help support and maintain the well-being of their students and staff. We reviewed studies world-wide on the initiatives they used and listened to 25 experts – school leaders, teachers and school psychologists and counsellors – from public, independent, primary and secondary schools across Australia. Most participants (80%) were from Queensland schools and all had experienced school disruptions during the pandemic. </p>
<p>We pulled out seven steps schools can take to mitigate mental ill health during COVID-related disruptions and help staff, students and the school community deal with uncertainty.</p>
<h2>1. Have clearly outlined plans for certain events</h2>
<p>School staff need a clear protocol for what to do when certain events occur, so all staff are on the same page. </p>
<p>For example, what happens if the school closes for face-to-face teaching (fully or partially)? What roles will each staff member play? What happens when a child or teacher gets very sick or even dies? </p>
<p>These guidance documents must be easily accessible and every staff member must know where to look.</p>
<p>One teacher whose school had such plans in place told us:</p>
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<p>we had excellent protocols […] it was great to just get that folder off the shelf and go.</p>
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<h2>2. Help staff maintain their own well-being and emotionally support students</h2>
<p>Schools must provide staff with the skills they need to have difficult conversations with students, identify those at risk, and incorporate some psychological and emotional strategies into their teaching practice.</p>
<p>Our interviewees described such professional development being part of their weekly after-school staff meetings (sometimes termed learning lounges). They recommended many of these meetings could focus on self-care and provide opportunities for teachers to share their experiences of stress and how to deal with it. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441649/original/file-20220120-15-zgfq8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">At weekly staff meetings teachers could share their experiences and coping strategies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-multiracial-colleagues-talking-eating-pizza-1075401611">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This time could also be used to give teachers strategies to manage their own well-being. One <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073689">study we looked at</a> examined the effectiveness of a reframing intervention to build resilience and reduce burnout in teachers in Israel. Teachers would identify their stressful thoughts and then find evidence for opposing these thoughts. Teachers reported increased resilience and improved well-being relative to the control group who reported greater burnout.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-learning-more-important-than-well-being-teachers-told-us-how-covid-highlighted-ethical-dilemmas-at-school-144854">Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>School psychologists and counsellors and other professionals could also share strategies with teachers for how to incorporate mindfulness techniques into classes. </p>
<p>And they can help teachers have difficult conversations with kids. It is normal for students to feel worried or sad after loss of any kind. In the initial stages, they need to have a conversation with a familiar person who can empathise with their worry and grief. Teachers who know a student well can be helped on how to have these early conversations and refer the student for further support when needed.</p>
<h2>3. Be patient with students who may need time to adjust</h2>
<p>Children and young people benefit from a secure school environment and familiar routines, but returning to school after a disruption requires flexibility. </p>
<p>Schools and teachers must understand it won’t be possible to get back to normal right away, so be patient with all students and their unique responses. Students may have had different COVID-related experiences and where one student takes disruption in their stride, another might need more support and time to adjust.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-familiar-place-among-the-chaos-how-schools-can-help-students-cope-after-the-bushfires-129904">A familiar place among the chaos: how schools can help students cope after the bushfires</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Incorporate mindfulness and calming techniques into classes</h2>
<p>Incorporating activities to teach self-calming, emotion regulation, and other coping skills into regular class time can help. Mindfulness has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12980">been shown to be particularly effective</a> for reducing anxiety, depression and stress in 14-18 year olds.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0389-4">review of numerous studies</a> recommends 35 minute group mindfulness sessions, twice a week for eight weeks (including basic stress management education, yoga, and breathing and relaxation techniques) delivered by <a href="https://www.mindfulmeditationaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/mindful-schools">trained teachers</a> as part of typical classroom routine. There are also <a href="https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app">free smartphone apps</a> tailored to young people that offer mindfulness and other exercises.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441650/original/file-20220120-22-11fsadr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Practicing relaxation and mindfulness techniques such as art therapy or going for a walk can help kids feel less stressed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kids-hands-holding-colored-pencils-painting-663657268">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One teacher we interviewed told us “a pandemic feels like you’re out of control”, and recommended “normalising that […] using mindfulness, gratitude and going for walks.”</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110560">A study</a> of teenagers in China found listening to daily mindfulness increased students’ resilience and emotional intelligence. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00367-5">another study</a>, primary school students in Canada received two forms of online art therapy which showed a reduction in their anxiety.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-place-to-get-away-from-it-all-5-ways-school-libraries-support-student-well-being-145180">A place to get away from it all: 5 ways school libraries support student well-being</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. Put together a team to address school community’s concerns</h2>
<p>Principals (or a senior leader) should be available for teachers and parents to express their concerns to. </p>
<p>The school can bring together a leadership team of school psychologists/counsellors, chaplains, health nurses and other support people to share the burden of addressing them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441653/original/file-20220120-14-1uwp2yj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schools may have to close due to infections, but keeping the community informed in a timely way can help them cope with uncertainty.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/school-closed-sign-protective-mask-hanging-1678762114">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Regular communication is also important. Anxiety will be high and keeping the school community regularly informed of any changes or protocols will go some way to calming the sense of uncertainty.</p>
<p>One school leader told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s really important to communicate regularly and the same message over and over again to everybody.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>6. Have a support system in place for teachers</h2>
<p>We found an effective way to help support teachers is to have a buddy system so teachers can support each other.</p>
<p>Another way is to make sure the leadership team checks in with all the staff members regularly. As one school leader told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>we had a group list of […] every single staff member and we made a commitment that we would ring each one of those people once a week.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-are-expected-to-put-on-a-brave-face-and-ignore-their-emotions-we-need-to-talk-about-it-153642">Teachers are expected to put on a brave face and ignore their emotions. We need to talk about it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>7. Identify and keep an eye on students at risk</h2>
<p>Watch for signs when a student is not coping in the weeks and months following a disruption. Young people don’t always ask for help, but their <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/">behaviours can be a sign</a> when something is wrong. </p>
<p>For example, a younger child might say they have a tummy ache, become aggressive, or disinterested in the things they usually enjoy. An adolescent might be moody, irritable, say negative things about themselves, and isolate from friends. If you see students whose behaviour is telling you they are having mental-health issues, refer them to specialised services.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-children-are-self-harming-since-the-start-of-the-pandemic-heres-what-parents-and-teachers-can-do-to-help-167436">More children are self-harming since the start of the pandemic. Here's what parents and teachers can do to help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The authors would like to thank Professor Annemaree Carroll from The University of Queensland for her involvement in all aspects of the project.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth J Edwards received funding from Queensland Department of Education under the Education Horizon Grant scheme.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marilyn Campbell received funding from Queensland Department of Education under the Education Horizon Grant scheme.</span></em></p>We investigated the initiatives schools around the world took to help support and maintain the well-being of their students and staff. We pulled out seven things that made a difference.Elizabeth J Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Education, The University of QueenslandMarilyn Campbell, Professor Faculty of Education, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1582762021-04-21T12:26:19Z2021-04-21T12:26:19ZYes, online communities pose risks for young people, but they are also important sources of support<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395849/original/file-20210419-17-16hazfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3588%2C2843&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sometimes an anonymous online forum is just what a teenager needs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenage-boy-studying-with-laptop-at-home-royalty-free-image/1146172804?adppopup=true">Capuski/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Aristotle called humans “the social animal,” and people have recognized for centuries that young people need to be in communities to develop into healthy adults. The ongoing pandemic has caused concern about the effects of isolation on children and teenagers’ <a href="https://www.directrelief.org/2021/01/growing-up-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic-how-covid-is-affecting-childrens-development/">social and psychological growth</a>. </p>
<p>But while young people today may not be able to gather in person as often as they’d like, they aren’t necessarily isolated. They have long used online communities to explore their identities and conduct their social lives. </p>
<p>They’re involved in anonymous hip-hop discussion forums, ADHD support groups on Facebook, biology class group chats on Instagram and comments sections under popular YouTube videos. There are many of these online communities, and collectively they cover a wide range of subjects. They’re also often <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">central to their users’ lives</a>. However, parents, educators and psychologists frequently argue that these spaces can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhwTZi3Ld3Y">cause young people distress</a> and even expose them to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/03/opinions/david-neiwert-white-nationalism-hate-groups-usoa">dangerous ideologies</a>. </p>
<p>With online communities now perhaps more important to young people than ever, the question of what it means to grow up in online communities bears closer scrutiny. As a psychology researcher <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Kaveladze%20B%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=33595449">who studies online communities</a>, I and my colleagues have found that in addition to posing widely publicized risks, online communities can provide young people with social and psychological support that’s unavailable to them at home, at school or in their neighborhoods.</p>
<h2>Formative but risky</h2>
<p>Those of us who grew up engaged in online communities know how formative these spaces can be. As a 24-year-old who has used the internet nearly every day since I was 6, I can think of several key moments in my psychosocial development that took place in online communities. </p>
<p>Some of these moments were painful, like my cousin scamming me out of my hard-earned armor in the online role-playing game Runescape when I was 10. Others were joyous, like my first show DJ'ing for an online radio station at 12. And many were strange but fascinating, like going onto the 18+ video chat site <a href="https://chatroulette.com/">Chatroulette</a> with my friends at 13 to interact with strangers across the world. </p>
<p>Ultimately, observing and participating in online communities’ rich and ever-evolving cultures shaped my interest in pursuing psychological research. </p>
<p>Although the current COVID-19-related constraints kids are facing are new and hopefully temporary, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-11-mn-12108-story.html">caution</a> about immersing them in online communities is justified. Online communities change the ground rules of human interaction, enabling unprecedented social experiences with unpredictable impacts on malleable minds. </p>
<p>Popular criticisms, such as the 2020 documentary <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224">“The Social Dilemma</a>,” have argued that social networking sites like Instagram warp young users’ perceptions of reality, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00296-x?sf229901900=1">causing them psychological distress</a>. A particular concern is that young people compare themselves to a constant stream of peers’ cherry-picked successes and algorithmically augmented selfies. </p>
<p>Loosened social norms online due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.09.001">anonymity</a> or physical distance can create conditions for some of the more <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-11-mn-12108-story.html">notorious behaviors</a> in online communities: bullying, fatalistic worldviews and mob mentalities. In addition, online communities can facilitate the spread of misinformation and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00732-x">extremist ideologies</a>, as exemplified by the rise of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alt-Right-4Chan-White-Mike-Wendling/dp/0745337953">alt-right</a>, a loosely connected set of far-right groups and activists, among young users of a few anonymous online forums in the 2010s.</p>
<h2>Places of support</h2>
<p>These concerns have some merit, but they may underestimate young people’s resilience and ability to adapt to new social contexts. Online communities can also provide opportunities for young people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/17415650580000035">build social skills</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F009365096023001001">share genuine interactions</a> and discover and dissect new ideas with peers worldwide. </p>
<p>Currently, evidence <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">does not support</a> the idea that social media use is generally harmful to young people’s well-being. In fact, comparing oneself to others’ positive social media posts can even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa025">enhance well-being</a> by motivating self-improvement. Still, more research is needed to explore how specific kinds of social media use is beneficial or harmful for different young people.</p>
<p>To learn more about how young people find support online, my colleagues and I recently surveyed 334 members of 10 online mental health support forums. We presented our results at the Association for Psychological Science <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/annual">2020 annual convention</a>. Half of the people we surveyed were under 24 years old, and 82% rated their mental health as terrible or poor. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Screenshot of an anonymous online emotional support forum" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people looking for emotional support often turn to anonymous online forums like the Anxiety Disorders Reddit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">screen capture by Benjamin Kaveladze</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We learned that these support forums <a href="https://imgur.com/a/RO1wHJd">provide users with valuable advice, emotional support, belonging and validation</a> that are not available from their in-person communities. We also observed that each forum’s attitude and approach to confronting mental health struggles was unique, formed from the bottom up based on users’ firsthand experiences and insights. Some users also said that these peer support communities can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3173990">held back</a> by users who spread pessimistic attitudes or misinformation.</p>
<p>[<em>Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=100Ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Many young people experiencing personal struggles turn to online communities <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/13873">to seek support</a>. Some reach out to text-message group chats of close friends to vent and ask for advice. Others prefer to privately seek help from strangers around the world in anonymous <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1046496419861743">support forums</a> like Reddit’s <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/">r/Anxiety</a>, which often has over 1,000 members online at any given time. Online, young people can avoid the social stigma that often comes with asking for help in person and are not limited by geographical barriers to find peers who share their backgrounds or perspectives. </p>
<h2>Distinct environments</h2>
<p>Online communities play significant roles in many young people’s lives, so they warrant careful consideration. The opportunities and risks they present are distinct from those of real-world communities, and the social challenges young people face online require unique kinds of savvy to navigate effectively. Parents and mentors play an essential role in teaching young people how to be responsible and respectful <a href="https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship">digital citizens</a>. </p>
<p>Still, just as in real-world communities, young people also need the freedom to <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">pursue their curiosity</a> online independently. As online communities evolve, coming generations of young people will continue to lead the way in redefining the roles that these spaces play in their lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Kaveladze does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A significant portion of teenagers’ social development happens online. The risks are well known, but the benefits of peer support are often overlooked.Benjamin Kaveladze, Graduate Student Researcher, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1456862020-09-14T06:36:50Z2020-09-14T06:36:50ZWe can’t ignore mental illness prevention in a COVID-19 world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356693/original/file-20200907-24-1spertl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=100%2C108%2C4989%2C2149&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite the <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions-roadmaps">incremental easing of Victoria’s restrictions</a>, it’s clear the journey towards COVID-normal is far slower than many people had hoped. </p>
<p>Australians – particularly Victorians – have shown remarkable resilience, but many are suffering emotionally. </p>
<h2>The mental health impacts of COVID-19</h2>
<p>During the early days of the pandemic, <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/mental-health-people-australia-first-month-covid-19-restrictions-national-survey">surveys</a> showed a sharp increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression across Australia. These difficulties <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/8F3E1A983C0BF4C7CA25854F0083C5A9?OpenDocument">continued into mid-August</a>. More than 40% of Australians aged 18 years and older feel high levels of anxiety, and around one in six report depressive symptoms. </p>
<p>To target this, federal and state governments have increased telephone, online and face-to-face mental health supports. While this is vital, more needs to be done to prevent people suffering severe mental health problems in the first place.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl wearing mask looking out window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356694/original/file-20200907-24-ffrbya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Over 40% of Australians aged 18 years and older feel high levels of anxiety, and around 1 in 6 report depressive symptoms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Prevention is better than cure</h2>
<p>There’s good <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-018-1501-6">evidence</a> we can <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30057-9/fulltext">prevent</a> many cases of depression, anxiety and substance abuse. But Australia doesn’t have a mental health prevention plan or policy, and government <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/expenditure-on-mental-health-related-services">funding</a> for prevention is just 1% of the total <a href="https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/Monitoring-and-Reporting/national-reports/2014-Contributing-Lives-Review">mental health budget</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/women-are-drinking-more-during-the-pandemic-and-its-probably-got-a-lot-to-do-with-their-mental-health-139295">Women are drinking more during the pandemic, and it's probably got a lot to do with their mental health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-fifth-national-mental-health-plan">Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan</a>, the government’s key mental health blueprint, focuses on improving mental health-care services and suicide prevention, but not on <a href="https://everymind.org.au/resources/prevention-first">preventing</a> the mental health conditions that are a major risk factor for suicide. </p>
<h2>What about illness prevention?</h2>
<p>Last month the federal government released a <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/national-preventive-health-taskforce/consultation-paper-for-the-national-preventive-hea/">consultation paper</a> on its proposed <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/national-preventive-health-strategy">National Preventive Health Strategy</a>, setting out what the strategy will aim to achieve and how it might be done.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-will-spend-48-million-to-safeguard-mental-health-extending-jobkeeper-would-safeguard-it-even-more-138778">The government will spend $48 million to safeguard mental health. Extending JobKeeper would safeguard it even more</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>The document’s exciting because it focuses on health promotion and illness prevention, acknowledging we can’t improve the health of the Australian community through health-care measures alone. </p>
<p>But unfortunately, the proposed strategy’s fundamentally focused on physical health issues. In its 20 pages, the consultation paper only mentions mental health three times.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Folders labelled with mental health conditions" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356692/original/file-20200907-24-dryw1l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Government funding for prevention is just 1% of the total mental health budget. The National Preventive Health Strategy provides an opportunity to shed light on prevention measures for mental health conditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The same principles outlined in the strategy to prevent conditions such as diabetes also apply to preventing mental health conditions such as depression. To prevent either, we need to minimise risk factors and increase protective factors linked to the condition, before it occurs. But some adaptation would be needed for the plan to address both physical and mental health.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-australia-really-wants-to-tackle-mental-health-after-coronavirus-we-must-take-action-on-homelessness-139840">If Australia really wants to tackle mental health after coronavirus, we must take action on homelessness</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What prevention measures should be added?</h2>
<p>A focus on physical activity, healthy eating, and non-smoking will help to promote good mental health as well as physical health. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man carrying box of office supplies" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356695/original/file-20200907-22-1cb9mjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Unemployment, a risk factor for a number of mental health conditions, is on the rise due to COVID-19.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7255235/">prevent</a> mental health issues we should focus on building people’s health literacy and self-care skills through public information campaigns and online learning programs. Supportive social environments can be encouraged by <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27969003/">parenting programs</a>, and <a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-018-0242-3">school</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0004867417726174">workplace</a> mental health promotion initiatives. </p>
<p>Local communities could also be mobilised to take positive action on local issues that contribute to poor health and mental health through <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24322060/">place-based strategies</a>. Place-based strategies aim to tackle issues existing at a neighbourhood level, such as social isolation and poor housing. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/melbournes-second-lockdown-will-take-a-toll-on-mental-health-we-need-to-look-out-for-the-vulnerable-142172">Melbourne's second lockdown will take a toll on mental health. We need to look out for the vulnerable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Services could be reoriented towards prevention. Primary care professionals might provide advice on self-care and use <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/is-social-prescribing-a-remedy-to-chronic-health-p">social prescribing</a> to address stress and enhance social supports. Social prescribing involves medical professionals linking patients to non-medical supports. For example, they may provide an “exercise prescription” or “art prescription”. </p>
<p>Finally, appropriate public policy solutions, such as JobSeeker and JobKeeper, that tackle the social and economic determinants of ill-health are needed.</p>
<h2>Social factors matter too</h2>
<p>Research also points to a strong link between mental health conditions and experience of childhood adversity, family violence, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350617302731?via%3Dihub">loneliness</a>, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0138511">racism</a>, <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.129.5.674">homophobia</a> and transphobia. <a href="https://www.workwell.vic.gov.au/how-can-we-create-mentally-healthy-workplace">Workplace stressors</a>, financial stress, <a href="https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrrrpe/29/3/261">unemployment</a> and <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/ahuri-briefs/understanding-links-between-mental-health-housing-homelessness">homelessness</a> are also risk factors.</p>
<p>Many of these issues are on the increase because of COVID-19, so to safeguard mental health we need to tackle them and their impact. This will require the use of evidence-based preventive programs outlined above - many of which already exist but are not being implemented well or to sufficient scale. It will also require public policies to soften the economic blow and ease financial stress.</p>
<p>Targeting these issues will not only help to prevent mental health conditions, but physical health conditions as well. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/feeling-hopeless-there-are-things-you-can-do-to-create-and-maintain-hope-in-a-post-coronavirus-world-140330">Feeling hopeless? There are things you can do to create and maintain hope in a post-coronavirus world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004867414546387">better access to mental health-care services</a> is important, it can’t solve all the mental health challenges posed by COVID-19. We also need to strengthen the factors that buffer people against stress, and tackle the underlying factors that contribute to poor mental health.</p>
<p>Whether we create a National Preventive Mental Health Plan, or embed mental health in the current National Preventive Health Strategy, one thing’s for sure: continuing to ignore the prevention of mental health conditions is not an option in a COVID-19 world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145686/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Carbone works for Prevention United, a mental health promotion charity that focuses on the prevention of mental disorders.</span></em></p>As we clear the path towards a COVID-normal, mental illness prevention must be prioritised. Including it as a focus of the National Preventive Health Strategy could be a start.Stephen Carbone, Honorary, School for Population and Global Health, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1308212020-02-27T13:45:35Z2020-02-27T13:45:35ZSix phrases to help your child’s emotional development<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317396/original/file-20200226-24672-dktet9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cute-portrayal-range-different-emotions-1023568351">Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Emotional competence is an important life skill. Children with a <a href="https://escholarship.org/content/qt9g13c7dd/qt9g13c7dd.pdf">high level of emotional competence</a>, tend to have more friends, do better at school, and are more likely to help others. </p>
<p>Emotional competence has three components: understanding, expression and regulation. And these are all things parents can help their children to master. One way children can learn about emotions is by talking about them with their <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00670/full?wm=b212">parents</a>. So here are six phrases that could help with your child’s emotional development.</p>
<h2>1. It’s OK to feel what you are feeling</h2>
<p>Children and adolescents worry about not being “normal”, a feeling that stems from a need to fit in. To begin with, young children mostly want to fit in with their family. Then, as they grow, the need to fit in with their peers grows stronger. </p>
<p>By telling them that it’s OK to feel whatever it is they are feeling, we are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10502556.2016.1262652?casa_token=D7iXyzOLpnwAAAAA:SPRkjsfGzrll9bzlDy3DM9ZcxtutHsaXDPhcjnMZ_glG-eQ7VH6tZmoLjN0XjzRTQkXqfiGo0VoWB8w">normalising </a> their emotions. We are telling them that there is nothing “weird” about them, and they fit in just fine.</p>
<h2>2. How you feel right now won’t last forever</h2>
<p>Emotions are not <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Detecting-transient-emotional-responses-with-and-Harmon-Jones-Bastian/ac0ad225e8ad02aa7a6df3f3a8d1982ae83b6765">permanent</a>, and children need to understand that feelings have a beginning and an end. Importantly, children should also learn that not only will an emotion pass, but that until that happens, its intensity will decrease. </p>
<p>By understanding this, children will be able to cope better with their emotions. This is especially important in the case of negative emotions, when the feeling of not being able to deal with them may <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-017-0266-9">lead to harmful behaviour</a>.</p>
<h2>3. Don’t let your feelings control you</h2>
<p>Although we can’t totally control our emotions, we can to a large extent influence which emotions we have, when we experience them, and how we express them. This is called <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1017/S0048577201393198">emotional regulation</a> and is best achieved by changing the way we think about our feelings. </p>
<p>This is possible because the situations we face don’t automatically cause specific emotions. Instead, the emotions we feel depend on our evaluation of those situations. For example, a teenager applying for a summer job interview can view the experience as a pass/fail experience or as an opportunity to learn. It is the evaluation of the experience – something we can control – which will influence the way we feel about it.</p>
<h2>4. Let’s put a name to your feeling</h2>
<p>Children are not always able to name the feelings they experience. But it is important that we help children put a label on their emotions because by doing so they tend to feel better. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070622090727.htm">Studies </a> analysing adult brain activity show that by naming feelings of anger and sadness, the amygdala (the part of the brain that deals with emotions) becomes less active. This in turn reduces the intensity of our emotional responses and makes us feel better.</p>
<h2>5. Why are you behaving this way? Let’s think about how you are feeling</h2>
<p>Our behaviours stem from our <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Belen_Mesurado3/publication/322700904_Negative_emotions_and_behaviour_The_role_of_regulatory_emotional_self-efficacy/links/5a75fc9ba6fdccbb3c07a82a/Negative-emotions-and-behaviour-The-role-of-regulatory-emotional-self-efficacy.pdf">emotions</a>, so children need to understand the link between the two. By achieving this understanding, children are better able to predict and regulate their own behaviours and the behaviours of those around them. </p>
<p>For example, if a child knows that when he is angry with his brother he usually hits him. The next time this happens, he will be better equipped to regulate himself and not lash out. </p>
<h2>6. No matter what you feel, I am here for you</h2>
<p>This is perhaps the most important thing that we can tell our children to help them develop their emotional competence. Children experience many different emotions and some of them are accompanied by guilt or shame. </p>
<p>If, for example, a teenager falls in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, he may feel ashamed or guilty. By telling him that no matter what he feels we are there for him, he will feel secure enough to talk about those emotions, which in turn will help him to process them effectively, helping his overall <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sode.12109?casa_token=RslzU2mvQKQAAAAA:u2E9v94q-Kc5cuBFn-8q-erSHO-Gb_xuAM2_hKjeQXo6Gz52y0sEaaqBrjOdBhGppbtz4VOobjo2mQ">mental health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317394/original/file-20200226-24701-1tyakv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Emotional times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/colors-mind-series-creative-arrangement-elements-431501170">Shutterstock/agsandrew</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Generally speaking, anything that helps parents and their children to discuss emotions is a positive step. The more we talk to young people about feelings, the more they will develop their emotional competence. By doing this, we will also be telling our children that we value them, that we are interested in them, and that we love them. These are the best kind of messages we can give our children – and ones that will make them feel strong.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130821/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ana Aznar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A positive approach to discussing feelings.Ana Aznar, Lecturer in Psychology, University of WinchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1104242019-02-15T11:48:48Z2019-02-15T11:48:48ZAdolescents have a fundamental need to contribute<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258333/original/file-20190211-174867-1iu4pe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=68%2C163%2C5415%2C3535&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Harnessing adolescents’ readiness to help can be good for them and their communities.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/diligent-volunteers-company-working-hard-while-1201495798">YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>No longer children but not yet adults, adolescents need opportunities to learn and prepare for their entrance into the broader society. But, as schooling increasingly extends the adolescent period and teenagers get dismissed as supposedly selfish and irresponsible, has society forgotten an important developmental need of our youth?</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MQScMDkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a developmental scientist</a> who <a href="http://adolescence.semel.ucla.edu">focuses on adolescence</a>, I <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691618805437">reviewed dozens of studies</a> and found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30022-1">this age group</a> has a fundamental need to contribute to others – to provide support, resources or help toward a shared goal. Contributing helps them achieve autonomy, identity and intimacy – important milestones on the way to adulthood.</p>
<p>As teenagers grow up, their brains are developing in ways that appear to support the increasingly complex ways of thinking and behaving that underlie giving to others. And being able to make meaningful contributions predicts better psychological and physical health among youth as well as adults. I believe it’s time to move away from outdated stereotypes of adolescents as only selfish and dangerous risk-takers and to consider how they are ripe for learning about contributing to others and their communities.</p>
<h2>It’s human nature to give, even for adolescents</h2>
<p>For decades, economists and other scientists have asked thousands of people to play experimental games that ask people to give and share money and other resources with one another. These studies have consistently shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10683-011-9283-7">adults generally will provide some resources to others</a> – some estimates put the average at around 30 percent of their allotments – even if they don’t know the recipients and expect nothing in return.</p>
<p>Adolescents are generous, too. Several labs around the world have reported on the tendency for youth to share at least some of their money or rewards with others in these games, even at a cost to themselves. Studies in the Netherlands suggested that adolescents aged 9 to 18 will make a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00291">costly donation to friends</a> between 50 and 75 percent of the time. They’ll donate even to strangers at a cost to themselves between 30 and 50 percent of the time. In research our team has conducted, American adolescents agreed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470911003687913">give money to family at a loss to themselves</a> about two-thirds of the time.</p>
<p>Add in the fact that teenagers consistently report their friends as their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005147708827">most frequent source of emotional and social support</a>, and a picture emerges of adolescents as a group primed to contribute to others.</p>
<h2>Brain developments for good</h2>
<p>The adolescent brain gets blamed for a lot of bad behavior, such as delinquency and substance use. But this reputation is <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-its-time-to-lay-the-stereotype-of-the-teen-brain-to-rest-85888">undergoing a rehabilitation</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258243/original/file-20190211-174867-opczuz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Overview of reward structures in the human brain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Recolored_Overview_of_reward_structures_in_the_human_brain2.png">Oscar Arias-Carrión1, Maria Stamelou, Eric Murillo-Rodríguez, Manuel Menéndez-González and Ernst Pöppel.</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Neuroscience research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721413480859">brain regions related to reward</a> – such as the ventral and dorsal striatum – become more sensitive during the teen years. At the same time, they’re strengthening connections to brain areas relevant for cognitive control, like the prefrontal cortex. Together these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3313">developments in the growing brain</a> may be instrumental in the exploratory learning, creativity and cognitive flexibility essential to becoming an adult. </p>
<p>These regions and networks, as well as those relevant for thinking about other people, have been implicated in prosocial and giving behaviors. Our team’s studies have shown that several regions – such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470911003687913">ventral and dorsal striatum</a> and the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.06.013">dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex</a> – are active when adolescents make costly donations to their family. Among youth who place great importance on helping family, we saw even more activation in additional regions related to social cognition and in the connections between them. Other researchers have obtained <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nst077">similar</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw136">results</a>. </p>
<p>These are the very same neural networks that undergo the most change during the adolescent years. The networks seem to be active during the complex decision-making – to whom, when, how much, do they really need it? – that can be involved in sharing resources, support and effort with others. It’s tricky to work through these kinds of difficult questions. The developing brain may enable youth to learn how to make the computations necessary to answer them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258334/original/file-20190211-174887-he8zql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Volunteering has benefits for the volunteers, too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/staff-serving-food-homeless-shelter-kitchen-184909757">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Giving benefits the giver, too</h2>
<p>Contribution helps givers and receivers. More and more evidence links giving and doing things for others with improved psychological and physical health. Volunteering and providing assistance has been correlated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.14461">lower mortality</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e31829de2e7">fewer health problems</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/002214650504600106">less depression</a>.</p>
<p>And of course adolescents experience such benefits, as well. In an intriguing study, researchers randomly assigned one group of youths to participate in a program providing support and companionship to the elderly. Compared to a control group of teens, these adolescents later had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1100">lower circulating levels of inflammation</a> – a marker known to be associated with a variety of chronic health problems.</p>
<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000494">Another study</a> observed that helping others on a daily basis <a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-who-feel-down-may-benefit-from-picking-others-up-101882">improved the mood of youth</a>, particularly for those who suffered from higher levels of depressive symptoms. Our team even observed that adolescents were significantly <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014728">happier on days in which they helped</a> their families, due in part to their sense of fulfilling an important role in the family.</p>
<h2>Helping meet the need to contribute</h2>
<p>Providing youth with the opportunity to make contributions to others would seem to be a win-win: Youth gain skills and maintain well-being while communities benefit from their efforts. But are adolescents currently offered such opportunities in their daily lives?</p>
<p>First think about the home setting. Do families give adolescents a chance to participate in decision-making that affects themselves and their relatives? Do youth make instrumental contributions to their families, whether through daily chores or in more substantial ways like helping siblings with schoolwork?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258331/original/file-20190211-174880-1gsfkqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teens can help other students outside the classroom.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/couple-classmates-working-together-on-laptop-200191874">antoniodiaz/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the school environment, do students feel as if their opinions are valued and their suggestions are considered? Are there enough slots in student leadership and extracurricular activities to give all students the opportunity to participate?</p>
<p>In the broader community, people must be welcoming of adolescents’ unique contributions, even when they may differ from the adults’. Are quality programs – those that allow youth to have a say – equitably available to the ethnically and economically diverse youth of today? <a href="https://doi.org/10.17226/10022">Several national organizations</a> such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H aim to make it so, but limited resources can be a significant hurdle.</p>
<p>Figuring out ways to promote youth contribution can be challenging. Decisions need to be made about the appropriate type and amount, and responsible adults sometimes need to limit what adolescents can and should do. For example, participation in student governance would be positive, but taking on excessive job responsibilities that interfere with schooling and sleep would be detrimental. These decisions likely vary according to the norms and values of each community. And people must make a conscious effort to confront parochialism, by which adolescents and adults tend to give and do more for others like themselves.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, at a time in history when many economies no longer depend upon child and adolescent labor, perhaps the understandable desire to protect youth has led many people to forget an important ingredient in the period of life often called the “<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Apprenticeship-for-Adulthood/Stephen-F-Hamilton/9781451602364">apprenticeship for adulthood</a>.” Adolescents appear to be primed to give and contribute to others. They and our communities could benefit greatly if we collectively find more opportunities for them to do so in their daily lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110424/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew J. Fuligni receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He is a board member of the Center for the Developing Adolescent.</span></em></p>Teens get a bad rap as selfish, dangerous risk-takers. But neuroscience and psychology research is revising that image: Adolescents are primed to help those around them, with positive benefits for all.Andrew J. Fuligni, Professor of Psychiatry & Psychology, University of California, Los AngelesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.