Depression Archives - MH Thrive

How To Deal With Employee Burnout

mhthrive — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:33:39 +0000

Burnout is an all-too-common issue in the workplace and can lead to a host of negative consequences that impact everything from a person’s home life to their professional success. The cyclical nature of the workplace is counterproductive for many people and forces them into a state of unhappiness in many cases. Without proper interventions and support, employees are essentially set up for failure.

If you’re an employer, you need to be aware of what burnout is, the common scenarios that can cause it, and how to deal with it effectively to prevent it from impacting your workforce. Without addressing burnout, organizations are more likely to lose quality employees and experience diminished productivity.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a holistic state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that results from prolonged stress and can occur when employees feel overwhelmed or unequipped to handle the demands of their job. It’s important to distinguish that burnout is not the same as stress, which is just a normal response to challenging situations. That being said, chronic stress can lead to burnout if it continues for an extended period and isn’t dealt with.

Common Scenarios That Can Cause Burnout

This issue is not a one-size-fits-all and the root of burnout can be different for everyone. In many cases, though, there are some common themes that contribute to the development of this condition. Some of the scenarios that contribute to employee burnout include:

Excessive workload: With too much work on their plate, employees can find themselves depleted. Feeling overwhelmed and unable to meet the demands of the job can cause employees to feel stressed and exhausted.

Lack of control: When employees feel that they have no say in how they do their job or have no control over their work environment, it can contribute to burnout. Feeling powerless can also lead to a sense of helplessness and frustration, which may push them to quit.

Poor work-life balance: Not having a balance between personal and professional responsibilities can be harmful to a person’s quality of life. Ultimately, this can make employees feel exhausted, stressed, and generally unhappy.

Insufficient support: When people feel that they don’t have enough support from their employer or colleagues, it can push them towards burnout. They are more likely to feel unmotivated as well.

The Results of Burnout

Being burned out can lead to a range of negative outcomes, both for the employee and the employer. These results are both internal and external as well. For employees, burnout is known to cause physical and emotional symptoms, like chronic fatigue, headaches, anxiety, and depression. On top of this, it can lead to reduced job satisfaction, a lack of motivation, and an increase in absenteeism. Burnout has the ability to spill into all aspects of a person’s life, affecting their relationships, perceived quality of life, immune system, and more.

For example, an employee that is burned out is not likely to have the energy to properly cultivate their familial relationships. This may cause them to suffer within their roles as a spouse or parent. Additionally, they are more likely to become ill frequently as chronic stress suppresses the immune system. As a result, they might miss work more frequently and are less equipped to help within their own home. This has the power to cause a spiral effect, decreasing their overall happiness with their life.

For employers, burnout can lead to a decrease in productivity, a loss of quality employees, and increased healthcare or onboarding costs as a result. This can be stressful on the company as a whole and can affect their bottom line.

How to Deal with Burnout as an Employer

Dealing with employee burnout requires a proactive approach from employers as it requires being addressed beforehand as well. Here are some strategies that employers can use to prevent and address burnout in the workplace:

Encourage work-life balance: A balance between home and work is critical for a person’s happiness and ability to succeed. Encouraging employees to take breaks and prioritize their personal life can also help with this.
Create a supportive work environment: Employers can foster a supportive work environment by encouraging open communication and openly speaking about mental health when necessary. A supportive work environment can help employees feel valued, heard, and supported. In turn, this may increase their interest in seeing the company succeed.
Provide opportunities for growth and development: In order to create a sense of motivation and drive, employers should provide opportunities for growth within their company. These opportunities can help employees feel motivated and engaged, which can increase their productivity and excitement for work.
Manage workload and expectations: All employers can manage workload and expectations by setting realistic goals and deadlines and setting them up for success. Ensuring that employees feel confident in their ability to meet the demands of their job increases their sense of achievement and overall drive.
Address burnout when it occurs: Organizations should be prepared to address burnout when it inevitably occurs. This might involve offering time off when needed or making accommodations to their workload on a case-by-case basis. Addressing burnout in a timely and compassionate manner can help prevent it from becoming a long-term issue.
Advertise and encourage self-care: Encouraging employees to engage in self-care activities, such as exercise, meditation, or therapy, is another helpful strategy. Many companies scold employees for taking time to themselves, not realizing that this is counterproductive to their goals.
Lead by example: Employers can lead by example by modeling healthy work habits, like taking frequent breaks and setting realistic expectations for themselves and their employees. When employers prioritize their own well-being, they send a message that employees’ well-being is also important.
Build a culture of trust and respect: Employers can build a culture of trust and respect by valuing employees’ opinions and treating them with kindness and compassion at all times. A culture of trust and respect can help employees feel supported and can help retain them. When this is lacking, turnover is likely to remain high.
Conduct regular check-ins: Conducting regular check-ins with their employees to assess their job satisfaction and overall well-being is another key tool to utilize. These check-ins can provide an opportunity to address any issues before they escalate and prevent burnout from occurring.
Provide resources and support: Offer resources such as counseling or complimentary access to mental health professionals. Show your employees that you care about their well-being by offering them support and resources when they need it.
Encourage autonomy: Give your employees the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This can help them feel more in control and less overwhelmed by their responsibilities.
Recognize and reward good work: Recognize and reward employees for their hard work and contributions. Celebrate their achievements and provide positive feedback regularly to boost their morale and motivation.

Employee burnout can have serious consequences for both employees and employers. However, with the right strategies and support, employers can prevent and address burnout in the workplace. In doing this, employers can not only prevent burnout but keep their employees feeling mentally and physically healthy. At the end of the day, addressing burnout is not only the right thing to do for employees but is critical for the success of any company or organization.

We Can Help!

MHThrive provides Individual Therapy, Couples and Marriage Counseling, and Family Therapy at our locations in Katy, The Woodlands, and the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. We also provide telehealth therapy for anyone who resides within the State of Texas. To schedule an appointment with one of the MHThrive therapists, contact us at 713-477-0333 or visit www.mhthrive.com to learn more.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any mental health or substance abuse issues, New Dimensions can help. Our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists can help you overcome these challenges and help you develop the skills you need to thrive. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.

Online Treatment Programs provides Teletherapy Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs allowing participants to receive intensive therapy with our licensed therapists and psychiatrists without having to leave home. If you or someone you know is struggling to overcome depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, panic attacks, PTSD, alcoholism, drug abuse, or other mental health or addiction issues, we can help. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our teletherapy programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.

Keywords: Employee burnout; burnout; dealing with burnout; coping with burnout

The post How To Deal With Employee Burnout appeared first on MH Thrive.

Depression Can Be Detected in Children Through AI

mhthrive — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:34:05 +0000

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a game-changing innovation and has many capabilities. One of those is the ability to detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of children. According to a new study published in the Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, a machine-learning algorithm could be an easy way to spot anxiety and depression.

The study lead author Ellen McGinnis, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vermont, made an objective test to find out which children are suffering to get them the help they need as soon as possible.

Early diagnosis of various conditions can be a vital aspect of treatment. Children respond well to it when their brains are still developing, but if left untreated, they’re at an even greater chance of substance abuse and suicide later in life.

The study used a mood induction task called the Trier-Social Stress Task. This task is used to create feelings of stress and anxiety in the children to see if they suffer from these conditions. The researchers picked seventy-one kids of different ages to work on a 3-minute story and were told how they would be graded.

The judge appeared to keep a straight face throughout and provided mostly negative feedback. After 90 seconds, a judge would tell them their time was up. They designed the task in a way that’s stressful, so it helps to put them in the mindset of being judged by someone.

Another task they used was to diagnose the children using a structured clinical interview and parent questionnaire. Both these methods are well-established ways of identifying internalizing disorders in children.

The researchers next fed a Machine Learning algorithm with the statistical features of an audio recording. With the algorithm, they could accurately diagnose which type of childhood disability the child had. The algorithm was highly successful at diagnosing children.

The algorithm would identify children with an internalizing disorder with 80% accuracy, then compare it to the accuracy of the parent checklist.

The study also showed that the algorithm provides results much more quickly. Once it finishes, it takes only a few seconds for the program to provide a diagnosis.

We Can Help!

The post Depression Can Be Detected in Children Through AI appeared first on MH Thrive.

Research Finds Boys Who Play Video Games Have a Lower Risk of Depression

mhthrive — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 09:34:12 +0000

A new study shows that video games can have positive impacts on boys’ mental health. The study also found that girls who spend more time on social media have increased symptoms of depression.

Taken together, the findings show how different screen time can have either a positive or negative effect on a young person’s mental health.

Lead author, Ph.D. student Aaron Kandola (UCL Psychiatry) said: “Screens allow us to engage in a wide range of activities. Guidelines and recommendations about screen time should be based on our understanding of how these different activities might influence mental health and whether that influence is meaningful.”

The research team from UCL, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (Australia) reviewed data from 11,341 adolescents who are part of the Millennium Cohort Study. They conducted a survey of the opinions of a nationally representative sample of young people who have been involved in research since they were born in the UK from 2000 to 2002.

The survey measures how severe a person’s depression symptoms are but does not diagnose depression or offer medical advice. They accounted for other factors that might have explained the results. For example, they studied socioeconomic status, physical activity levels, and reports of bullying.

Boys who play video games often may experience a general improvement in mood and depression, but this is more prevalent among those with a lower level of physical activity. The research suggests that video games could provide a way for less active boys to socialize and feel enjoyment.

There are many benefits to playing video games like problem-solving and socializing. These engaging aspects seem to have a positive effect on mental well-being.

Based on the data collected, it’s difficult to say for sure why there might be a link between video games and mental health. Differences in social contact and parenting styles may have also contributed.

Researchers also did not track screen time across the day, so they cannot conclusively say that people are more likely to be depressed if they spend a lot of time on screens.

The study’s authors found that, compared to those who use social media less than once a month, girls had 13% more depressive symptoms.

Other studies have previously found that similar trends in social media use exist, and researchers have suggested that social media use could make people more likely to feel lonely. One potential explanation is that boys use social media less frequently than girls and play computer games more often.

Senior author Dr. Mats Hallgren (Karolinska Institutet) has conducted other studies on adults that show that mentally active types of screen time might not affect their risk for depression in the same way more passive types of screen time do.

Dr. Hallgren has stated, “The relationship between screen time and mental health is complex, and we still need more research to help understand it. Any initiatives to reduce young people’s screen time should be targeted and nuanced. Our research points to possible benefits of screen time; however, we should still encourage young people to be physically active and to break up extended periods of sitting with light physical activity.”

We Can Help!

The post Research Finds Boys Who Play Video Games Have a Lower Risk of Depression appeared first on MH Thrive.

How To Help Someone With Depression

mhthrive — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:59:10 +0000

Seeing someone you care for experience the life-altering pain of depression can be an overwhelming experience. Searching for the “right” thing to do and knowing how to help someone with depression can be equally overwhelming as you’re bombarded with varying advice and information.

Before anything else, it’s essential to know that you are not alone in how you’re feeling. Searching for strategies to help your loved one is a courageous feat of compassion. Let’s ease the burden a bit and look at some of the things you can do to help.

Signs of Depression

If you feel your friend or loved one needs help managing depression symptoms, more often than not, it is probably safe to say, “trust your instincts.”

A few common signs and symptoms are below:

Depressed Mood: expressed hopelessness, guilt, or emptiness
Irritability: increased agitation, rage, easily upset, or expressed pessimism
Low Energy: lethargy, slower movements, showing a sense of fatigue
Social withdrawal: decreased communication, spending more time alone, general lack of interest in pleasurable activities.
Appetite changes: eating more or less than normal
Concentration issues: difficulty making decisions or heightened forgetfulness
Hygiene changes: decreased interest in appearance or generally neglecting personal hygiene
Inadequate sleep or sleeping more often
Suicidality: talking about death or suicide

This list is not exhaustive in any way, and symptoms will vary widely as every person’s experience of depression differs.

Five Ways to Offer Support

1. Talk To Them

A great way to extend a helping hand to a depressed love one is to simply let them know you’re available to talk if they need. Trying to meet in person can be helpful as it can strengthen opportunities to connect while also offering you the ability to observe their physical behavior.

While making an effort to have a conversation with your loved one is immensely meaningful, it’s crucial to enter the dialogue with patience and openness. Depression can be devastating, and it takes some people a bit of time to open up fully. Ask them open-ended questions about how they’re feeling and then leave time for them to respond. Actively listening is critical to creating a safe environment to talk.

2. Support Their Journey

Without pushing them into something they are not ready for, help your friend realize the types of support available to help them. Searching for a therapist can sometimes feel like an impossible feat, stirring up a variety of challenging emotions. You can support your loved one by researching available options for therapy and then helping them set up their first appointment.

If your friend is already in therapy, supporting them is equally important for maintaining their ongoing treatment. Offer encouraging words when they do not want to attend and support them as their progress ebbs and flows. Navigating depression is not a one-way path ahead.

3. Remain Flexible

Supporting a friend or loved one struggling with depression can often take incredible patience. If you’re feeling frustrated, try your best not to blame yourself and know that we all have a right to our own emotions. It is how we manage them that matters most. For example, someone experiencing depression may frequently cancel plans for social outings. Social withdrawal commonly occurs in those with depression.

As frustrating as it may be, try and remain as flexible as possible. Guilt and shame often rear their ugly heads; making someone feel bad for frequently canceling can exacerbate these sensations. Depression is isolating, and even if they don’t attend an event, the sheer fact of being invited could help significantly.

And who knows? Maybe one day they’ll be ready, and you can rejoice in their progress to reengage socially.

4. Offer Physical Help

Depression can cause a person to feel utterly immobilized. The thought of having to perform daily tasks such as cleaning, grocery shopping, or personal hygiene can feel impossible. Joining them to offer some company and assistance with chores can do wonders for your depressed loved one. Take out the trash, drop off groceries, fold laundry, the list goes on.

5. Spend Time Learning

Have you ever had to repeat the same thing over and over again? Was it exceptionally irritating? Most people would answer with a resounding yes. If not, your patience is worthy of applause.

Asking your friend to continuously describe their feelings or what it means to feel depressed can further the challenging emotions they’re already facing. Take time to study and learn about depression, therapy, and medications to better understand what they’re going through. This is an action you can take on your own time that will show up in how you help your friend. The fact that you’re reading this now means you are already well on your way.

Offering to help your depressed friend is an essential and courageous act of love. Try not to take the rough moments personally, don’t jump to advice-giving, and try not to minimize what they’re going through. The road may not always be smooth, but if you’re prepared for the bumps along the way, you will be able to offer the help you’re aiming to achieve.

Look After Yourself

It’s important to also look after yourself when trying to help a loved one navigate depression. Compassion fatigue, a term typically reserved for those in helping professions, can also occur when you’re the primary caregiver of a friend or family member. In its simplest definition, compassion fatigue is the emotional impact of helping someone through a traumatic event, and it can have devastating effects.

While it may be challenging to pull yourself away from your helping role, it’s important to set boundaries and set aside time to care for yourself. If you give everything to helping others, you will not have time to help yourself. Over time, this can lead to no energy left to continue supporting those you love. It’s okay to take a break when you need one.

When It’s Time to Act Fast

If your friend is harming themselves or expressing a risk of suicide, you must act quickly in seeking support. Stay present with them and call their therapist if they have one. Call 911 or take them to an emergency room in the most urgent of situations.

If you or a loved one are facing a mental health crisis, call 911, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or the International Association of Suicide Prevention immediately.

We Can Help!

General References & Resources:

The post How To Help Someone With Depression appeared first on MH Thrive.

How Chronic Stress Affects the Body and Mind

mhthrive — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:24:54 +0000

Stress in any capacity is demonstrated to have adverse effects on the entire body system, including the brain. It can take a toll both emotionally and physically. Chronic stress especially affects the body and mind. A variety of factors contribute to overall stress levels such as home life, work, school, relationships, friendships, socio-economic status, current events, and even the recent pandemic.

Chronic stress, which is high levels of stress over a long period of time, is linked to both minor and severe long-term effects. Gaining knowledge as to why increased cortisol is so detrimental is important for both inciting the motivation to lower stress levels as well as understanding why the body and brain may be suffering.

Immune Dysfunction

Arguably the most harmful effect of chronic stress is its impact on the immune system. We rely on our immune system to protect us from anything from the common cold to Covid-19. Lymphocytes, or white blood cells, are responsible for fighting off infection. Stress significantly decreases the number of lymphocytes in the body. As a result, we are less equipped to fight off ailments. One of the underlying reasons for this is the inflammation that occurs.

Short-term stress actually has the ability to limit inflammation, but chronic stress does precisely the opposite. The strain that is put on the body with chronic stress requires significant energy and attention from the systems within. As a result, other areas are neglected, and immunity is one example of this. Those that do not take steps to manage stress are far more susceptible to becoming ill and are less equipped to fight off any diseases or illnesses they encounter.

Increased Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke

Stress is linked to poor coping mechanisms, which can lead to both heart attack and stroke. Some examples of these poor coping tools are smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise, and unhealthy food consumption. All of these contribute directly to increased risk of both heart attack and stroke, as well as physical health in general.

One of the most significant contributors to this increased risk is high blood pressure. This occurs when the force of blood against the walls of the heart and arteries is too high. Maintaining a healthy level of blood pressure is challenging to do when experiencing high volumes of stress. Blood pressure is increased during the fight or flight response, as adrenaline is dumped into the bloodstream. Because this is a physiological response, it is nearly impossible to prevent. One of the best ways to avoid this increased level of blood pressure is by managing stress.

Tension Headaches

One of the most common symptoms of stress is muscle tension. Over long periods of time, muscle tension can morph into tension headaches, which are a re-occurring form of headache that involves immense pressure. Tension headaches are more commonly considered uncomfortable rather than painful but can interrupt daily activities significantly. They are described as feeling like a tight rubber band is placed around the head. It is challenging to focus on any important tasks or activities as a result.

With chronic stress, chronic tension headaches can occur often. They officially fall under the category of chronic after 15 consecutive days of experiencing them. The inability to look at a screen, converse, or move can have an incredibly detrimental effect on personal and professional aspects of a person’s life. They can have a similar impact as migraines, in which noise and light can exacerbate the discomfort. Stress management is a proven way to decrease or eliminate tension headaches.

Depression And Anxiety

Stress has a direct effect on mood. It can cause increased irritability, inability to focus, trouble sleeping, frustration, and anger. Experiencing any of these symptoms for an extended period of time has the ability to morph into depression, anxiety, or both.

For starters, lack of sufficient sleep is linked to a wide range of issues, depression included. The body regenerates during sleep, and without proper time to accomplish this, the entire body suffers.

Additionally, those experiencing chronic stress are less likely to take care of themselves. They will lack exercise, eat an unhealthy diet, turn to alcohol, and isolate themselves. These choices can lead to depression and anxiety in a multitude of ways, including decreased gut health and increased blood pressure.

Another way stress can cause depression is through relationship disruption. With lowered mood, strain is placed on romantic relationships as well as friendships. In general, others are less likely to want to spend time with someone suffering from negative moods on a regular basis. As a result, isolation is further perpetuated, and depressive symptoms can increase.

Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is a condition that stems from stress on the digestive system. As recent studies have shown, gut health plays a significant role in mental health. In contrast, mental health has the ability to impact gut health as well. Leaky gut occurs when the intestines experience increased permeability. This happens when amino acids typically utilized in the gut need to be repurposed elsewhere due to high cortisol levels in the body. As a result, contents from the intestines are leaked into the bloodstream. The outcome of this is less nutrient absorption, along with a host of other symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, allergies, and even auto-immune conditions. The danger of this stress-related condition is that it has the ability to put even more stress on the body, which further perpetuates the damage.

Fatigue

The adrenal glands are responsible for secreting cortisol and adrenaline when stress occurs. They are a vital part of the body’s fight-or-flight response. Too much cortisol being dumped into the body can result in chronic fatigue, which can make day-to-day activities feel challenging. Being chronically tired is a result of significant strain being put on the body. This can become a vicious cycle, as stress causes fatigue, and fatigue prevents a person from accomplishing vital tasks. As a result, stress levels increase even further. Additionally, experiencing prolonged stress becomes draining mentally and emotionally.

Tips To Combat Stress

Fortunately, there are many science-based methods to lower stress levels. One of the most impactful and research-backed practices is called breathwork. Breathwork is essentially self-soothing by way of controlling our own breathing. There is a wide range of specific routines to accomplish this, and one example is known as box breathing. Box breathing involves breathing in for a count of five, holding the breath for a count of five, slowly releasing for a count of five, and repeating. This practice has the ability to lower heart rate, stop panic attacks, and refocus.

Another effective tip for combating stress is exercise. Yoga, pilates, running, and weight training are all fantastic ways to undo high levels of stress. Ultimately, any form of movement can provide benefits to the body that will counteract the heavy doses of cortisol. Even simply going for a walk can promote the release of endorphins, which improve mood and incite relaxation.

One study showed that combining walking and meditation can help decrease stress. Those that meditated while they walked experienced higher levels of stress relief than those who did not. This comes as no surprise, considering the immense benefits of meditation for stress reduction, even when done alone.

Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind and controlling thoughts. During periods of high stress, rumination is commonly experienced. Repeated thinking about stressors can perpetuate the problem. Meditation allows the mind to focus on something else can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, respiration rate, and anxiety. An example of a simple meditation practice involves focusing on the five senses. This is as easy as consciously thinking about something you can see, taste, smell, hear, and touch.

Stress is a necessary bodily reaction. Control the amount of stress you experience by taking preventative measures such as exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, and breathwork. Although we cannot eradicate stress completely, we can lower its impact on our daily lives and reduce the negative effects that come along with chronic stress.

We Can Help!

The post How Chronic Stress Affects the Body and Mind appeared first on MH Thrive.