Managing SAD in Iowa’s uncertain weather
May 4, 2018With record-breaking temperatures dropping to below 30 with snow on the ground, much of central and northern Iowa has become a dismal place to spend the month of April—especially for people with seasonal affective disorder.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a recurring type of depression where a person experiences the same symptoms as major depressive disorder during a specific season, most typically during winter. These symptoms include having low energy, feeling depressed or hopeless, problems with sleeping, difficulty concentrating Read More
How student groups at Iowa colleges are combatting mental health stigma
As state lawmakers have been busy passing landmark mental health reform legislation,
a growing number of college students around Iowa have also been hard at work advocating for mental health on their campuses.
Mental illness roughly one out of four teens and college-aged young adults, so it should come as no surprise that young people are bringing more and more attention to mental health issues.
Across Iowa, student-led organizations such as NAMI On Campus and Active Minds Read More
What Iowa law enforcement is doing to better respond to mental illness
It’s impossible to talk about changes to the mental health system without discussing the role of law enforcement.
NAMI Iowa has previously written about how a shortage of adequate mental health resources and facilities affects not only people in need of treatment, but also local police departments who are often called to intervene instead.
When a department is called to respond to someone experiencing a severe mental health or behavioral crisis, a person may be arrested and incarcerated Read More
Provider Education with Des Moines University
NAMI Provider Education is a staff development program specifically for health care professionals who work directly with individuals living with mental illness. A panel of three, a mental health professional with personal experience, a family member of a person with serious emotional illness, and an individual living in recovery with mental illness, lead the 15 hour session. An abbreviated four hour program is also available. NAMI Iowa trained panels from NAMI Greater Des Moines, NAMIs Linn and Johnson County, and Read More
Making Iowa No. 1 in Mental Health
According to a recent report, it is a good time to be an Iowan.
The U.S. News and World Report’s named Iowa the best state in the country in its annual Best States ranking. The report looked at criteria such as infrastructure, education, health care, crime, economy, opportunity and quality of life, all of which Iowa scored well in.
While this may be good news for Iowans, it’s worth pointing out one thing the ranking did not address: Iowa’s mental health Read More
Bringing Mental Health Awareness to DuPont Pioneer
The following is an excerpt from DuPont Pioneer’s intranet communications. NAMI member Nina Richtman works for DuPont Pioneer and is a strong advocate for mental health awareness in the workplace.
Mental Health is all over the news these days and for good reason: one in five adults experiences a mental health condition each year. Mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability in the United States. Untreated mental health conditions cost the U.S. economy $200 billion in lost earnings each Read More