Health Advisories

[jo]

It looks like uneven enforcement on "Optional Mask" rule.

*Some shows (those ending runs fairly soon) will require masks in theatres till end of run.

*While there are other variations, such as :

ClumsyDude15
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Posted: 7/2/22 at 1:39am

Jordan Catalano said: "Just got an email for INTO THE WOODS that the first two rows still need to be masked. Are other shows doing that. As well?"

It’s off Broadway, but Little Shop checks vaccination status of people sitting in Row A.

[jo]

What's the effect on The Music Man?

Normally, for dates close to the present ( say a week or even 2 weeks) you will see only odd seats which are available.

For the first 2 weeks of July, one can see in each show blocks of seats which are now available? Are these people who are supposed to be seeing shows together and have now decided to forego the shows because of the OPTIONAL MASK policy to be enforced on July 1?

Jo

[jo]

What about for moviehouses --

Some people shared their experiences on BWW ( for cinemas showing old favorites) --

BrodyFosse123
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TaffyDavenport said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "I attended a screening at the United Palace on Sunday. Their previous ones they only released a certain amount of tickets so the theatre wasn’t filled to capacity - lots of unoccupied rows and seats throughout. Masks were required at all times. This past Sunday they only asked that you wear your mask to enter the theatre but once at your seat, you could do as you wish and that’s what 95% of people did: they took their masks off. Also, this was the first screening they did where every seat was filled - no empty rows or big gaps of empty seats. There ya go."



Pretty sure that the full house was because of Raiders and Spielberg, and not the relaxed mask policy. Also, for what it's worth, everyone in my row was wearing a mask, and I saw plenty of others wearing them, as well."

I’ve been to EVERY screening they’ve done at the United Palace (this was your first). The lines to get in were much worse for the Hugh Jackman/GREATEST SHOWMAN. At 11am (for 12pm doors open), the line wrapped 4 blocks and the back of the line was past the front of the theatre. For this RAIDERS screening, at 11am the line was only 40 people deep from entrance. Also, due to COVID protocol, only a certain number of seats were released for those previous screenings to allow for social distancing. Those screenings (like RAIDERS) were ALSO sold-out same day tickets were released. Based on the insane lines for the GREATEST SHOWMAN, the turn out was much bigger. The RAIDERS screening was the first one they released every single ticket which is why the theatre was filled to capacity for the very first time unlike the previous screenings. Had ZERO to do with the film as ALL the previous screenings were also sold-out far in advance, amigo.

Note: They're still showing THE GREATEST SHOWMAN?

Hmmm... this likely partially explains why shows which are well-received and very entertaining are enjoying much popularity ( like The Music Man). People seem to want to forget bleaker actual times for at least a few hours?

Jo

[jo]

[njr]

Gotta love that British humor!

[jo]

www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/health/covid-boosters-stroke.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Health

No Increased Stroke Risk Linked to Pfizer’s Covid Boosters, Federal Officials Say
An uptick hinted at in surveillance data was a mirage, the officials said.


Apoorva Mandavilli
By Apoorva Mandavilli
Jan. 13, 2023

Fears that the Covid booster shots made by Pfizer-BioNTech may increase the risk of strokes in people aged 65 and older were not borne out by an intensive scientific investigation, federal officials said on Friday.

“It is very unlikely” that the risk is real, the officials said. They urged Americans 6 months and older to continue getting booster shots. Federal officials decided to disclose the concern and the results of their investigation despite worries that the revelation might fuel anti-vaccine sentiment.

“We believe it is important to share this information with the public,” a joint statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said.

Officials declined requests to discuss details of their investigation.

The bivalent vaccine is designed to thwart the original version of the coronavirus as well as versions of the Omicron variant that were circulating in the United States in the summer. The bivalent vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are the only boosters available in the United States now, and scientists are engaged in a heated debate over their usefulness compared with the original vaccines.



It is unclear whether the new reassurance will prompt Americans to receive a bivalent shot if they have not already done so. Only 39 percent of adults aged 65 and older, and only 16 percent of those aged 5 and older, have so far received a bivalent booster shot.




More on the Coronavirus Pandemic
New Subvariant: A highly contagious version of the Omicron variant — known officially as XBB.1.5 or by its subvariant nickname, Kraken — is quickly spreading in the United States.

Pfizer’s Boosters: Federal officials said that fears that the Covid booster shots made by Pfizer may increase the risk of strokes in people aged 65 and older were not borne out by an intensive scientific investigation.

Travel: The European Union advised its 27 member nations to require negative Covid-19 tests for travelers boarding flights from China to the region, amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country.

Misinformation: As Covid cases and deaths rise in parts of the United States, misleading claims continue to spread, exasperating overburdened doctors and evading content moderators.

The concerns about a possible link to ischemic strokes — which can interrupt blood supply to the brain — first emerged late last year. Data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink, a federal safety surveillance system, hinted that Americans aged 65 and older might be at increased risk of an ischemic stroke in the 21 days after receiving a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent shot.

That signal was specific to the bivalent vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech. No similar concerns were linked to the original Covid vaccines or to Moderna’s bivalent boosters.

The data prompted federal officials to comb through other vaccine safety databases, as well as observations from the United States and other countries. The investigators did not find evidence of an increased risk of strokes in any of these sources, federal officials said in their statement.

Federal officials plan to discuss the findings on Jan. 26 at a meeting of scientific advisers to the F.D.A. on future Covid vaccines.




The Vaccine Safety Datalink is a real-time surveillance system, a collaboration between the C.D.C. and integrated health care organizations and networks across the United States. The system uses electronic health data from about a dozen sites in the nation to monitor vaccine safety.

Among about 550,000 people aged 65 and older who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster, 130 had ischemic strokes in the 21 days after receiving the shot, raising fears that the two events were related. But analysis of the data using a different method did not reveal an increased risk of ischemic stroke.

Another database, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, managed by the C.D.C. and the F.D.A., also did not pick up a signal for ischemic strokes. Neither did a large study of the bivalent vaccines relying on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a preliminary study using the Veterans Affairs database, nor Pfizer-BioNTech’s global safety database.

Other countries have not observed an increased risk for ischemic stroke with the bivalent vaccines, the agencies said. About 795,000 strokes are reported in the United States each year, and about 87 percent of those are ischemic strokes, according to the C.D.C.

“There is no evidence to conclude that ischemic stroke is associated with the use of the companies’ Covid-19 vaccines,” Pfizer and BioNTech said in a statement. More than 30 million doses of the companies’ bivalent vaccine have been administered in the United States so far, according to a spokesman for Pfizer.

“Compared to published incidence rates of ischemic stroke in this older population, the companies to date have observed a lower number of reported ischemic strokes” after the bivalent shot, the companies said.

Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter focused on science and global health. She was a part of the team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the pandemic. @apoorva_nyc

[jo]

Not completely unrelated --

an update on the condition of Jeremy Renner who met a very unfortunate and very serious accident with a snow plow during the holidays.

Mr. Renner filmed one of his movies (Bourne Legacy) here in Manila, with Rachel Weisz.

[njr]

My son met Jeremy Renner on a plane when he was flying home from a trip to L.A. a number of years ago (we live near Atlanta - a Delta hub to everywhere!)

Nancy

[jo]

This is a FUN article -- Believe it or Not

www.msn.com/en-ph/news/other/which-traits-did-you-inherit-from-your-parents-science-has-the-answers/ss-AA16IMLs?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=87591a9b3dce4fefbeee317b93bf8ab4


Jo

[jo]

Update on the record severe cold in the Northeast USA --

www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/04/nyregion/cold-arctic-blast-weather?unlocked_article_code=Qp5xgoK1XnM_7taVW1enkDvLOg8_QhSBEWwPDuv4swH7WngsAf0QCuudV0mgoP-XhtscJYIqtU4KAMONoEwMf_F457NkpOZtpgzsVu58dAjTVoMoxKVz3-wQs8NJKPSjdT77E0ZMUs7J6JMY27raPAVl74_X9Te4vRZ1Yxg2Nhzx5NkZ19ifMKqdPMvp_aYqKg-n6Z_RYbrUjVAwfoDNLaJnHq4_bxbBZ5bLm77VY1TMxMIMGtZp_3CpZDUm9EtxUTUM9yJAUR8fl9wY6GfqhdZ9gDGbMEBehN1lGLPlBrrIzewguzL18sWTEBU903h919uICWd1gut73O733jx3Pv9zEsAPS7jagDL9Hy4&smid=share-url


Keep safe & stay warm, everyone!

[jo]

COVID's Toll on Mental Health May Have Been Exaggerated: Study
Story by Cara Murez • 26m ago


THURSDAY, March 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new review of 137 studies from around the world has found that, despite dramatic stories about COVID-19’s impact on mental health, the psychological fallout from the pandemic has been less intense than thought.

COVID's Toll on Mental Health May Have Been Exaggerated: Study
COVID's Toll on Mental Health May Have Been Exaggerated: Study
© Provided by HealthDay

“Mental health in COVID-19 is much more nuanced than people have made it out to be,” said senior study author Brett Thombs, a Canada Research Chair and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal.



“Claims that the mental health of most people has deteriorated significantly during the pandemic have been based primarily on individual studies that are ‘snapshots’ of a particular situation, in a particular place, at a particular time," Thombs said in a university news release. "They typically don’t involve any long-term comparison with what had existed before or came after.”

About 75% of study participants in the studies reviewed were adults and 25% were children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19.

The mental health changes were minimal, researchers found, whether the studies covered the mental health of the population as a whole or that of specific groups.

“This is by far the most comprehensive study on COVID-19 mental health in the world, and it shows that, in general, people have been much more resilient than many have assumed,” said study first author Ying Sun, a research coordinator from the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.

The pandemic has, however, had a disproportionate effect on women, according to the study.

Some women experienced a worsening of symptoms, including anxiety, depression or general mental health, possibly because of their multiple family responsibilities, working in health care or elder care or, in some cases, family violence.

“This is concerning and suggests that some women, as well as some people in other groups, have experienced changes for the worse in their mental health and will need ongoing access to mental health support,” said study co-author Danielle Rice, an assistant professor at McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Hospital, both in Hamilton, Ontario.

Among the findings were that in general population studies, no changes were found for general mental health or anxiety symptoms.

Depression symptoms worsened by minimal to small amounts for older adults, college students and people who identified as belonging to a sexual or gender minority group.

General mental health and anxiety symptoms worsened for parents, although these results were based on a small number of studies and participants.

The team is continuing to update the findings as research accumulates. They’re also looking into how governments and health agencies may be able to ensure researchers have access to more timely mental health data going forward.

“Our findings underline the importance of doing rigorous science -- otherwise, our expectations and assumptions, together with poor-quality studies and anecdotes, can become self-fulfilling prophecies,” Thombs said.

The findings were published March 8 in the BMJ.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more on mental health during the pandemic.

SOURCE: McGill University, news release, March 8, 2023

[jo]

Useful and interesting article from the NYTimes on when to consider retirement --

www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/well/live/retirement-age-health.html?unlocked_article_code=kxqvPnbto7yrooenHbKrQZRkxTYK6RpfdbVNZK6nQ-HchLDIksrD7D3BIVKU3ZfdZkrUFt6obYUvmGY4efASDLLisRZb0mDPG-V4U_LAjnALdJqqp1zsMT_8-fsa2IAHLlHMkxKnk5_C5PtjP-FO_jgSUNxrv3upYz8_M1XPqmGHZOP9EJSbLuf7hD6ZK5B8H_IM-GHw_jnbI92zI38Oxtj_OcIPPPJMp_hfnNXokJtmuyRvbMr6DQX03AlyX4sdsAStG4nlKGdpqA1OeZ5y88ya94zHb5AeafPuzbfBooeuKS3bFbgeh63ru2JVr4NFn_2kbnrI1Cou17v0JLw57TE&smid=url-share

The Paywall has been cancelled -- please try if you can read it from the link.

Jo

[jo]

From the NYTimes -

Interesting article on the "Mommy Brain"

THE NYT PARENTING NEWSLETTER

‘Mommy Brain’ Is Real
How to deal with forgetfulness, and embrace your mind’s new ‘superpowers.’


By Katie Hawkins-Gaar
July 14, 2021
Sign up for Jessica Grose's newsletter, for Times subscribers only. A journalist and novelist explores what it means to be a parent today, analyzing the health, economics and culture of the American family. Get it in your inbox.
I’ve been playing a not-so-fun guessing game lately: Is my inability to form a coherent thought a result of pandemic fogginess or “mommy brain”?

Like many other vaccinated adults, I’ve been dipping my toe back into being social again. But on top of having spent a year-plus largely at home, I’m also adapting to motherhood after having my first child in October.

As I gather once more with friends and relatives, I often find myself pausing in the middle of a story because a word has completely escaped me. The other day, I was trying to describe a mask I saw someone wearing but couldn’t remember the word for “fabric.” I frantically waved my hands across my face and finally landed on “pattern covering” as a close-enough substitute.

I’m not alone: I’ve heard from new moms who forgot words for the washing machine (“dishwasher for clothes”), subtraction (“reverse math”), and thirsty (“water hungry”). These slip-ups are, admittedly, funny. But they can be concerning, too. What happened to our minds?



I decided to reach out to some experts for answers, starting with Abigail Tucker, the author of “Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct.” Ms. Tucker, a science writer and mother of four, has found that “mommy brain” isn’t just a figment of our imaginations.

“The hormones of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding prompt a host of genetic changes that ultimately shift our brain architecture,” Ms. Tucker said. She noted that while we give a lot of attention to the physical changes of pregnancy, “there’s also a kind of metamorphosis that invisibly happens inside of us.”

Studies have shown that pregnancy results in a loss of gray matter in mothers’ brain areas involved in social cognition. Or, as Ms. Tucker put it: “Scientists have found that moms have trouble with verbal recall and the kinds of skills that are in the fancy-pants part of the human brain.”

Two of those scientists are Liisa Galea and Cindy Barha, who work at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Barha told me that while many women are motivated to get back to their pre-pregnancy bodies, it’s not possible to return to our pre-pregnancy brains.




“It’s a scary thing for people. We don’t know a lot about the brain and don’t want to think that it might not go back,” Dr. Barha said. “But it doesn’t need to go back. It shouldn’t go back because it’s changed. It’s evolved.”

Yes, we might have trouble recalling certain words or remembering the name of an obscure actor, but there are plenty of silver linings to the ways mothers’ brains change, Dr. Barha said. The upsides can include a heightened capacity to stay calm and focused during stressful situations, the ability to interpret what different newborn cries mean, and enhanced vigilance around potential dangers.

Ms. Tucker cited a study published in 2016 that found that mothers who showed the biggest drops in gray-matter volume also reported the warmest relationships with their babies. “We’re paying attention to this nonverbal creature and are entirely focused on that,” Ms. Tucker said.

I hadn’t considered that perspective. My baby isn’t looking for me to have a robust vocabulary at this stage. She’s relying on me for comfort, protection and care — to pick up on her myriad nonverbal cues.

Still, that doesn’t mean that mommy brain isn’t frustrating or even frightening when it happens. I sometimes worry about how these cognitive changes might impact my work performance and know other mothers who share similar concerns.



Dr. Galea and Dr. Barha, who both live in Canada, where maternity leave is much longer than the 10-week average in the United States, said those fears are valid. Still, they urge new mothers to try not to worry too much about their cognitive abilities. “I think we need to get away from that idea that these changes are bad,” Dr. Galea said. “When you look later on in life, you actually see some really positive changes that occur in terms of memory and in terms of the plasticity of the brain.”

In a study published in 2019, Dr. Galea, along with researchers Paula Duarte-Guterman and Benedetta Leuner, discovered that female rodents got better at completing mazes after they weaned their pups, which suggests that, with time, mothers’ brains improve. “This is one of the major messages: Our brains actually get better,” Dr. Galea said.

In the meantime, though, those brain blips can be maddening.

Samantha Servidio, a 26-year-old single mother in Decatur, Ga., remembers a moment on her way to work when she had gotten her fussy then-5-month-old into his car seat but couldn’t get her vehicle to start.

“I kept cranking the ignition and cranking it and cranking it, and couldn’t figure out what was happening. Is it my battery? Am I out of gas?” she remembers wondering.

Finally, after calling her partner at the time for help, Ms. Servidio discovered that she was trying to start her car with her iPhone charging cable instead of her keys. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I don’t know why I sat there and fumbled with it for as long as I did.”



Ms. Servidio chalks up that blunder to a classic case of mommy brain fueled by sleep deprivation.

Dr. Galea, a mother of two, said that lost sleep plays “a huge role” in mental cognition and that some of the forgetfulness and fogginess that new mothers experience will subside with better shut-eye.

“This time is really a flash in the pan,” added Dr. Barha, who has a 2-year-old and an 8-week-old. “Yes, there are brain changes, but you also become more efficient,” she added.

For example, a mother’s ability to keep track of multiple appointments, schedules, responsibilities and other tasks that require executive functioning is a “superpower” that comes with giving birth, she said.

Whether we’re new parents or have been at this for a while, we’re all feeling a bit of fogginess as we come out of Covid-lockdown life. Ms. Servidio, whose son will soon turn 3, said she uses her smartwatch and other technologies to help her remember what she might otherwise forget. “Honestly, I would be nowhere without my Google calendar and all of the reminders I set,” she told me.

Out of all of the advice and information I heard, there was one bit that stuck with me most. Ms. Tucker reminded me, and all new mothers, to be self-compassionate. Instead of lamenting mommy brain, she suggested trying to embrace it.



“Your body has gone through this literally mind-boggling transformation and your brain has undergone a hidden Renaissance,” she said. “You have become a different version of you.”

Katie Hawkins-Gaar writes a weekly newsletter called “My Sweet Dumb Brain.”

[jo]

A report on the state of mental health/depression in the USA.

edition.cnn.com/2023/05/17/health/depression-rates-gallup/index.html?utm_content=2023-05-17T10%3A30%3A01&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twCNN&utm_term=link

[jo]

[jo]

Interesting scientific info on the colors of the sky --
From the NYTimes --

Why the wildfire smoke makes the sky turn wild colors.
It has to do with the way light scatters.



A lifeguard in a red jacket and a face mask talks into a walkie-talkie on a beach with an orange atmosphere. Beachgoers and other lifeguards on tall chairs are in the background.
Orchard Beach, in the Bronx, was covered in smoke under an orange sky on Wednesday.Credit...Gregg Vigliotti for The New York Times

Kenneth Chang
By Kenneth Chang
June 8, 2023, 12:25 p.m. ET

To understand how smoke from Canadian wildfires is turning skies in many places orange this week, it helps to first ask: Why is the sky usually blue?

The scientifically jargony answer: atmospheric scattering.

On the moon and other places where there is no air, the sky is black. But on Earth, we have air, and some light from the sun bounces off the molecules of air in the atmosphere. The higher-energy colors with shorter wavelengths — that is, blue light — scatter more readily, and as a result, the entire sky is suffused in blue.

Smoke particles also scatter light, and because they are larger than air molecules, they also scatter the orange and red colors. That results in far more red and orange in the sky than we are used to seeing during the daytime, imparting a surreal hue.

The color of the sky during the periods of heaviest haze is reminiscent of the colors you see at sunset. That’s because what is happening in the sky is somewhat similar to what happens when the sun goes down.



When the sun is near the horizon, the light travels through more air, and almost all of the shorter wavelengths have been removed from the original sunbeam. It is only the longest wavelengths — the reddish colors — that are likely to still travel undisturbed by the atmosphere, and thus that is the color of the sun at sunset.

And with more of the longer wavelengths scattered at sunset, the sky looks more orange, too.

[jo]

We're also being asked to mask tightly in 2 areas in our country...but not because of the waning pandemic.

but because of where 2 active volcanoes are spewing all kinds of pyroclastic material, including sulfur dioxide in the air.

One is already Level 3 and people are on force evacuation if they lived fairly close to the volcano. The other volcano is biding its time, sitting in the middle of a lake which was once the crater of the older volcano.

We live here in the area in the Pacific called the Ring of Fire - earthquakes and occasional volcanic activity!

Jo

[njr]

youtu.be/1Osyw6Svv8U

[njr]

New vaccine for new Covid strain:

www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2023/arcturus-new-covid-variant.html

Nancy

[jo]

[jo]

Some people suffer difficulties in falling asleep --

I came across this method ( says it helps pilots fall asleep in 2 minutes' time.

The military method
First, relax your entire face, including the muscles in your mouth. Release tension in your shoulders and let your hands fall to the sides of your body. Then exhale, releasing your chest. Slowly move downwards and relax your legs, then thighs, then calves, etc. Next, clear your mind by imagining a relaxing scene like laying in a hammock in the darkness or floating in a boat watching the clear sky for 10 seconds (if that doesn’t work, say the words “don’t think” for 10 seconds). You should fall asleep right after.

Sleep away


Jo

[jo]

From NY Times --

A Nobel for the Covid vaccine pioneers
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman — whose mRNA breakthrough enabled Covid vaccines to be made in less than a year, averting tens of millions of deaths — were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine yesterday.

Their approach transformed vaccine technology and laid the foundation for inoculations that may one day protect against a number of deadly diseases, including cancer. But the vaccines’ rapid development — among the most impressive feats of modern medical science — was seized upon by a powerful anti-vax movement, particularly in the U.S., to undermine public trust. This is how the vaccines were made.

Long overlooked: Karikó was the 13th woman to win the Nobel for medicine. She toiled for years in what was often a very fragile scientific career. Her ideas about mRNA were definitely unorthodox, but also seem to have been prescient.

Scientists are the silent workers in our world, whose accomplishments often transform modern-day living!

[jo]

Presumably because it is Mental Health Awareness Week, we are getting many articles or discussions about this health peril.

Here, there is an article on the issue, which includes some grim statistics!

Making sense of mental health

Making sense of mental health
© Provided by The Manila Times
WHEN mental illness strikes you, nothing else makes sense. Before it does, let us make sense of mental health.

Several sources say that 800 million people suffer from mental health issues around the globe. Six million Filipinos have depression or anxiety. An annual average of 500 Japanese students below age 20 kill themselves. In 2021-2022, some 2,551 Filipino students tried to commit suicide, and 404 succeeded or died. If you make sense of mental health, the next life you save could be a close relative's or your own.


Mental health statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the US, data from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic until recently revealed that 21 percent of America's young adults, ages between 18 and 29, have experienced depression. On its website, the CDC also said that more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness, and 1 in 5 youth ages 13 to 18 have had a debilitating mental illness.

Of the 800 million people suffering from mental health disorders worldwide, 42.5 million are American adults with anxiety disorders. Depression is one of the most common mental health issues. Greece leads the world with the highest percentage of depressed people at 6.52 percent of the total population, followed by Spain (6.04 percent), Portugal (5.88 percent), and Palestine (5.75 percent). The Philippines (3.3 percent) is slightly worse than Laos and Nepal, which are tied at 3.2 percent.

In the Philippines, a 2023 AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing revealed that Gen Zs have struggled with mental health issues in the workplace. It found that more Filipino respondents ages between 18 and 24 admitted to experiencing depression and anxiety than the average global percentage.

Statistics around the world indicate that 50 percent of middle school students reported feeling stressed over academics, and 75 percent of high school students felt the same. Around 500 Japanese students under the age of 20 commit suicide every year. Statistics from the Department of Education say that 404 Filipino students died by suicide during the 2021-2022 school year, and a staggering 2,147 attempted suicide during the same period.

Mental illness is now the third-most common disability in the Philippines. Six million Filipinos live with depression and anxiety. Consequently, the Philippines has the third-highest rate of mental disorders in the Western Pacific.


Mental health

There are several definitions of mental health — some too medical and clinical, a few more practical. I forgot who said what, but these are not my originals.

Mental health is "a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community." This sounds easier to understand.

Others refer to mental health as "a person's psychological, emotional, and social well-being; it influences what they (sic) feel and how they (sic) think and behave. The state of cognitive and behavioral well-being is referred to as mental health. The term is also used to refer to the absence of mental disease."

Here's the last definition, lest you develop stress while reading my column: Mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others."

To simplify, let us try to characterize normal or positive mental health. It is one when you experience positive emotions like "happiness, joy, pride, satisfaction and love." You care for people, and people care for you — not all, as you cannot please everybody. You feel engaged with life and with your job or whatever you do because it is your passion. You somehow feel meaning and purpose, and you feel that your life is valuable and worth living.

In school, students with positive mental health are self-assured, feel support from their parents and teachers, and usually excel in academics, sports or other activities. At the workplace, employees with positive mental health are fully engaged and committed to their job, their organization and their bosses. Despite differences, they are able to work well with teammates.

When the going gets tough and rough in life, school or the workplace, people with positive mental health are able to survive and succeed despite some difficulties. Students adjust to difficult lessons or assignments. Employees remain productive despite changes in roles, responsibilities or working conditions. People are able to manage stress and boost their resilience despite setbacks in life, business or relationships. By and large, those with a positive mental attitude can cope with the harsh realities of life and even emerge better as they turn adversities into opportunities.

But, as we live the lives prepared by us and by our parents, teachers, friends and relatives, life happens. We live in an imperfect world that was not made for our own personal convenience. Bad things happen, even to good people.

Sometimes, we suddenly get an overload of lessons and assignments in school because those who made our curriculum did not do their homework. At work, we see changes in working environments in the pursuit of profit. In life, we could be victims of bullying, discrimination or inequity. A financial debacle can come without warning. A spouse or loved one can suddenly die.

These incidents could affect one's positive mental health.

Coping mechanisms

When your mental health starts to get compromised, try these things:

– Manage your feelings. Keep calm and control your feelings; sadness, helplessness, fear or loneliness will not help. Talk to yourself like you would advise a loved one in need of help. Repeat a "mantra" that can buoy up your spirits: "I am not a total failure. I am on a journey. This is not my destination. I will survive and succeed."

– Do not aggravate the situation. Avoid alcohol or drugs. Sleep, eat and exercise well, despite your predicament. Your situation is temporary, and there are millions like you who have recovered. Keep your body fit and your mind sharp so that you can think of the right solutions.

– Get support. Talk to family and friends who can help; some cannot. Talking it out can release pent-up emotions that could lead to mental or physical illness. If money is the issue, assess your finances, and restructure your personal finances. Get support only from those you trust.

– Move on. If you lost a loved one, move on. Get used to life without him or her. If you lose your job, move on. Be open to other opportunities. Use the 30-day notice to find another job. Be open to entrepreneurship, too. Meanwhile, learn new skills that can make you more marketable and competitive.

Melanie Robbins is an American podcast host, author and motivational speaker. She said, "Your mental health is everything — prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it because it does."

Ernie Cecilia is the chairman of the Human Capital Committee and the Publication Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham); chairman of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines' (ECOP's) TWG on Labor Policy and Social Issues; and past president of the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). He can be reached at [e-mail].

[jo]

www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2023

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World Mental Health Day 2023
10 October

World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2023

“Our minds, our rights"

World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.

Mental health is a basic human right for all people. Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community.

Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, their well-being, how they connect with others, and their livelihoods. Mental health conditions are also affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young people.

Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights.

WHO continues to work with its partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need. Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign to learn more about your basic right to mental health as well as how to protect the rights of others.