Adolescents struggling to find a social place can hurt each other when they are insecure. As social cruelty behaviors become the norm, they can become more serious later in life. While this is not an attempt to suggest that all students in middle school will participate in, receive, or even witness bullying from peers, there...Read More

Recent studies have shown that between 2009 and 2017, there were huge increases in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders in adolescents and young adults (Twenge et al., 2019). Major depression in those between the ages of 12-25 increased from 8 percent to over 13 percent in that time frame. Mental...Read More

There is nothing more devastating than suicide, but it can also fascinate some people. Each September, we recognize Suicide Awareness Month. Following the suicide of a celebrity or well-known person, there is typically a lot of media coverage, speculation, and gossip. Although it is understandable that suicide can be a topic that captures our attention,...Read More

Suicide is hard to talk about. The subject is uncomfortable. This is in part due to stigmas, general discomfort, and cultural norms. It is painful to consider suicide or fear that a loved one is considering it – yet many are too afraid to bring up the topic because they don’t want those challenging emotions...Read More

In September, we recognize Addiction awareness month. Similar to being blind or deaf, addiction is often thought of as a disability. The question of if addiction should be considered a disease is still controversial even decades later when it was designated as such. Some experts argue that addiction should instead be classified as a dysfunction...Read More

We all know that one coworker who vastly overestimates their own abilities to impress their boss.  Did you know this phenomenon has a name? The Dunning-Kruger Effect (DKE) is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their ability or knowledge in a certain area. This is usually because of a lack of self-awareness that...Read More

We each have our own personality traits that are unique to us. These personality differences can be broken down into five major traits. These traits are known as the Big 5. Each trait gives insight into how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. The Big 5 Personality traits are:  Openness to experience – Curiosity/Creative imagination...Read More

Mental and physical health challenges affect everyone, including professional, elite, and Olympic athletes. When four-time champion female tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Roland-Garros French tennis competition due to depression in June 2021, the world was shocked. Pressure, media attention, and fines charged based on the tournament’s code of conduct caused Osaka to take...Read More

Nearly all parents in the United States want their children to see and treat others equally, no matter their ethnic background or race. Many believe that if they do not point out differences to their children that perhaps they will not notice race, hoping that they will treat all differences the same as characteristics like...Read More

While not commonly known as body-focused repetitive behaviors or BFRBs, you likely have known or may even be or have been a person experiencing this set of disorders. BFRBs are when self-grooming routines go haywire and may include pulling, picking, biting, or scraping one’s nails, skin, or hair. Some disorders categorized as BFRBs include onychophagia...Read More