Can You Reshape Your Brain's Response To Pain?

Mississippians who receive earned probation for crimes that do not carry a death sentence or involve deadly weapons will now have access to high-school equivalency education, alcohol and drug counseling, re-entry and employment services—and perhaps, most importantly, "Thinking for a Change," an evidence-based cognitive behavioral-therapy program.

Child First is a program in Connecticut, where staff members deliver home-based parent guidance and child-parent psychotherapy to help prevent the detrimental physical and mental effects of toxic stress on children. The engagement is guided by an evidence-based methodology called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is grounded in collaborative problem solving.

Across Georgia, a community-based mental health care approach has decreased both the duration and frequency of hospitalization for clients. This approach relies on mental health and other healthcare specialists delivering care to clients via mobile teams.

The rise of natural disasters due to climate change in India has had a psychological impact on many, including children, but psychologists in the state of Kerala are working to address the trauma through targeted training. From better equipping school counselors and providing on-site counselors for students, the communities have reported a decrease in fear in the children.

Individuals at a high risk of suicide can benefit from targeted, accessible, and client-centered care. As part of a new mental health initiative, the Czech government is funding mental health centers for patients at high risk of suicide. The target prevention includes care teams consisting of psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers, all involved in different aspects of the client’s care.

Healing trauma has never been an easy process but programs like Healing Hurt People help to promote recovery in traumatized, angry young men. This program, in partnership with local medical services, aims to provide therapy in place of violence, which would only cause more trauma down the road. Those who stick with the program have found great success in overcoming their pasts.

In Nigeria, a methodology known as task-sharing is helping to lessen the burden on the country's mental health care system. The premise of this model is to train "other health personnel, such as community health workers, to identify mental health issues and provide basic interventions, thus reducing the number of cases that are brought to the very few specialists." Although some do not believe it to be a long-term solution, the model is credited with being a good option in resource-constricted regions.

"We exploited the biological clock," is how an Italian psychiatrist describes what he has been testing to treat those suffering from bipolar disorder and depression. The approach, which has received both praise and criticism, requires patients to go through sleep deprivation, and so far, many are reporting successful outcomes from it.

Linking health care workers to mental health counselors helps reduce the risk of suicide. In response to a high rate of suicides among clinicians and students at the University of California San Diego, the school implemented a proactive suicide prevention program. The Healer Education Assessment and Referral (HEAR) program focuses on providing resources and on helping healthcare workers debrief from traumatic experiences at work.

Climate change is impacting not just the environment but the way in which humans are able to exist within the altered landscape. As ecosystems shift, storms worsen and loss of homes continues to rise, the mental health industry is looking towards changing traditional practices in order to account for clients presenting with "eco-anxiety and climate grief."