World Mental Health Roundup
This World Mental Health Day, we are sharing articles that take a critical look at our online worlds and tell the stories of people who inspire us to take better care of ourselves and others.
For those struggling with mental issues, social media can be a source of both useful information and dangerous misinformation about their condition. Finding empathetic online communities can help those struggling, but there is also widespread online abuse riddled with mental health terms. (VOX)
The Wall Street Journal’s investigative reporting on the impact of Instagram on the mental health of teenagers is renewing attention on the real-life effects of social media on the lives of many young people. Facebook, which owns Instagram, recently released a series of its internal research documents on the subject. Among the company’s internal findings was that 32 percent of teenage girls “said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” (THE VERGE)
Restaurants are known for being stressful workplaces. Sean Brock is seeking to change that with Audrey, his new Nashville venture. The help Brock received in dealing with his own substance abuse and health issues is now informing his actions as an employer. Brock helped write a handbook to help his staff deal with mental health and interpersonal conflict and created a wellness room that includes massage, acupuncture, and aroma therapies. (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
Simone Biles, who became one of the most prominent athletes publicly addressing mental health issues, recently shared that she “should have quit way before Tokyo.” From sexual abuse by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor to family tragedy, her withdrawal from the Tokyo Games was far more complex than the “twisties,” the sudden loss of spatial awareness that made competing dangerous. The experience, Biles said, taught her “courage, resilience, how to say no and speak up for yourself.” (THE WASHINGTON POST)
Alyson Meister and Maude Lavanchy of the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, argue that there are some lessons that organizations can learn from the recent shift in how mental health is viewed in the sports world. Their four takeaways: “check in with your senior leaders,” “embrace vulnerability,” “monitor and prioritize mental recovery,” and “foster a support network.” (HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW)
