- #Socialmedia communities and online resources can help young people find social connection and peer support.
- While trying to understand what online support is available, parents should foster a trusting relationship with their kids and directly and openly engage about #mentalhealth as well as other aspects of health and wellbeing, including any warning signs of #suicide or self-harm.
- With more time spent online during the #COVID-19 #pandemic and people generally more anxious, parents and #healthprofessionals are urged to work together with young people to understand how this space can support youth #mentalhealth.
For parents already concerned about their children’s #socialmedia activity, the “infodemic” of misinformation and even greater dependence on phones during the #COVID-19 #pandemic will only heighten anxieties. Deepening these challenges is a lack of collective experience that could help parents decide what guidelines to adopt to protect their offspring’s health online.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Have you read?
- 3 ways to protect your #mentalhealth during – and after – #COVID-19
- 14 ways to protect your #mentalhealth in the #pandemic, according to Public Health England
As members of the World Economic Forum’s 22 person-strong Global Future Council on Technology for Mental Health, we’ve been focused on young people (ages 5-25) and #suicide – how to detect the risks and what responses might be possible, especially if aided by technology. #COVID-19 brings a particular opportunity and the need to shift the model for tech and #mentalhealth away from one of fear, toward one of possibility.
There is widespread #anxiety that the rapid uptake of new technologies has exacerbated the risk of self-harm and #suicide, particularly among young people. By contrast, many of us who work in #mentalhealth are intrigued by the potential positive influences of #socialmedia and the extent to which, if well-managed, they can far outweigh the negative. Young people, including many marginalized in their own local settings (e.g. same-sex attracted, socially anxious, autistic or with other communication difficulties), can find a community online in a way not possible for their parents’ generation. The digital environment is where young people go for social connection, trusted information, help from peers and self-help, and more high-quality services could be made available to those who have never received help.
Some young people have a higher than average risk of #mentalhealth problems – the result of a disability or chronic ill-health of any kind, family disruption, being a member of a minority group or being isolated by language or location. Everyone’s risk of #mentalhealth problems has increased during #COVID-19. For many of us, especially young people, the online world can be a positive link to others in a similar situation or predicament.
In our experience as researchers, we have seen how interventions that assist parents – without suggesting they are to blame – can be effective in supporting the resilience of their kids. We have seen how involving not only young people but also parents in planning research about many types of #mentalhealth interventions can greatly help the value of research outcomes.
Parents, including those in minority groups, often feel isolated and can feel abandoned by services when they seek advice or help for their young son or daughter. By contrast, they may find information about family life and links with peer groups online that lessen feelings of guilt and shame and provide practical advice. Websites such as Inspire and ReachOut Australia provide help for young people that can also be useful for parents, while advice specifically for parents is available too.
The #pandemic has led to even more resources for parents on how to manage their and their children’s #mentalhealth and well-being during this unprecedented time, including from the WHO and UNICEF.
Dealing with #suicide risk
Any parent who thinks that their teen is in immediate danger of #suicide, however, should call a local emergency number or #suicide hotline. It’s not easy for parents to come to accept that their #teenager or young adult is at risk of being suicidal. Warning signs might include:
- Talking or writing about #suicide;
- Withdrawing from social contact;
- Wanting to drop out of school or education;
- Having severe mood swings;
- Increasing use of alcohol or drugs;
- Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation;
- Changes to their normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns;
- Doing risky or self-destructive things;
- Giving his or her stuff away for no reason;
- Developing personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated when experiencing some of the warning signs listed above.
The primary advice we have for parents is to foster a trusting relationship with your kids, giving them the courage to come to you early if they are thinking of self-harm or #suicide. There is a false notion that asking people directly might nudge them to inflict self-harm. Research from the Norwegian National Centre of Suicide Prevention shows that this is not the case. On the contrary, young people respond favourably towards being open about their darkest thoughts of possible self-harm or #suicide. This openness is most typically expressed first to a family member or to a trusted friend. Engaging with an individual at an SOS helpline, or health personnel may well be the next productive step.
Pay attention to your #teen. Ask your #teen to talk about his or her feelings, listen and don’t dismiss it. Reassure your teen of your love. Remind them that you´re willing to help no matter what and that he/she is deeply loved. Be honest about the uncertainty surrounding this strange and difficult time we are living through and its tendency to show itself as #anxiety, but assure your teen that virtual connection to others can help get them through it.
You can be willing to go online with your #child or #teenager to explore the possible solutions and range of social connections that are possible. An openness to sharing and learning from the experience of other parents and #teenagers who have been through tough times may well assist. Seek the best clinical or medical help available together.
Much teen #suicide is preventable. Teens want you to ask how they are doing. Don´t be afraid to ask and get some help, and to stay connected with young people through these very tough times.
Support beyond #COVID-19
What more can be done to boost support for parents who are concerned about #mental ill health or the risks of suicidal behaviour in young people and how can we make this concern and support more ‘normal’ in the time of the #pandemic and in its aftermath?
What is the World Economic Forum doing about #mentalhealth?
As parents and others talk more with each other face-to-face and online, they will normalize this process. As health and #mentalhealthprofessionals learn more about the digital world, and the #pandemic reshapes how we interact within it, they are in a better position to advise young people and their parents about the help available and ways to mitigate harm.
Health professionals need to talk more about the value of improving your #mentalhealth – just as we hear from them and community advocates about the value of physical fitness. They need to convince their colleagues and communities that we can all take steps to improve our emotional and cognitive capacities, and that health professionals can provide effective help in times of mental distress. They need to work with policy-makers to ensure that #mentalhealthsupport – at all levels of care – is baked into assistance packages and changes in policy and systemic incentives as a result of #COVID-19.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
