Healthy Support

App and Peer Group Built to Support Police Officer Health

Police officers and police department staff have long suffered emotionally from the horrors of the job and traditionally have kept to themselves, compounding the issue. So police departments are addressing the emotional trauma officers face to try to foster emotional health.

The Frederick, Md., Police Department is taking a more holistic approach to health with the underlying belief that resiliency is a cultural issue for everyone within the department — sworn and not sworn — and that resiliency not only means emotional health, but physical health as well.

That’s the ambition of the Resiliency and Wellness Group (RWG), a group of seven Frederick Police Department employees — half sworn, half professional staff — that works with a professional leadership coach to develop resiliency within the department.


The RGW has implemented a Peer Ambassador Program and is developing a corresponding app for all police personnel to use anonymously for resources

… Read the rest
more
Healthy Support

How to Support Kids Going Back-to-School: Child Mental Health Experts

  • Returning back to school can be a stressful time for families.
  • It’s also an opportunity to implement new, healthier routines, doctors say.
  • Start with small changes and build on them over time.

You’ve purchased all the school supplies, picked out the first day-outfits, and practiced getting up early for the bus. But doctors say there’s another part of the back-to-school transition: fostering good mental health and making sure your children are ready to meet emotional challenges during the school year. 

“We know having a healthy baseline of mental well-being helps with their concentration and energy,” says  Mao Thwin Myint, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Being mentally healthy also boosts your child’s academic prowess and ability to engage socially, he

… Read the rest
more
Healthy Body

A positive body image can boost mental health

Wellness, Living, Mental Health,

Esther Muchene

In a society bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards, embracing and loving our bodies becomes an empowering journey towards holistic well-being. True wellness encompasses physical, mental and emotional health, and it begins with cultivating a positive relationship with our bodies.

Studies have shown that body acceptance plays a significant role in overall well-being. Research published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology showed that individuals who practice self-acceptance and have positive body image experience higher levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction and happiness. By embracing our bodies, we foster a healthier mindset that positively impacts our mental and emotional health.

Negative body image can have detrimental effects on mental health, according to research published in the Journal of Health Psychology. The study showed that poor body image is associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety and unhealthy eating habits. On the other hand, a positive

… Read the rest
more