Shared Links (weekly) Feb 22, 2026
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I don’t know that this a surprise to many of us who advocate for mental health issues, but it’s always nice to have a study show that talking about mental health in a normal way, during everyday life, does have a positive effect. “College students who participate in fun, peer-directed activities that openly and honestly…
The fact that life expectancy is on the decline, in a time when technology and health care continues to find new ways to keep people alive, is shocking. So shocking in fact that right now we are looking at being compared to this: “For decades, U.S. life expectancy was on the upswing, rising a few…
How often do we wait until we have the answers, or jump into problem-solving mode when someone admits to struggling, when all they need is to know you care? In my opinion, we’d do each other a huge favor if instead of trying to learn how to solve someone’s struggles, we spent more time learning how to care for one another.Â
I have often said the best defense against childhood sexual abuse is raising kids who have open, supportive adults in their lives because they aren’t as vulnerable and easily manipulated. It turns out that those same relationships are also improving their mental well-being. Let’s do more of that.
I know I have written and linked to pieces about this before, but I really like the way this article not only talks about some of the things we are barely scratching the surface of at this time, but also explains in these two paragraphs why it’s so important to develop these kinds of tools….
I feel like 2020 has been one of the only times I can remember when admitting you’re struggling with things like anxiety and depression is met with nods of agreement and understanding. That’s an opening for us to continue to talk about mental health issues, of all types, and for people to understand how common it is to need some type of mental health support, whether that be professional, or just supportive friends and family.
On the other hand, I also feel like we all understand that feeling anxious and upset right now is a “normal” reaction to world events, and that having similar issues at another time will be met with skepticism instead of understanding. I hope I’m wrong about that.
In the mean time though, have more conversations around mental health. It will only help all of us feel less alone.