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A report commissioned by the American Psychological Association found that high numbers of U.S. employees experienced work-related stress in 2021, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nobody was immune to it, but it seems that blue-collar workers (e.g. those working in construction, manufacturing, and maintenance) may have been the hardest hit. “Blue-collar workers are on the front lines dealing with the brunt of the pandemic and have been the ones putting their health at greater risk than, say, a deskbound, remote worker,” says Amy Jenkins, the director of client strategy with theEMPLOYEEapp, a mobile app made for employers to reach their deskless and frontline workforce....

Breastfeeding after a c-section is absolutely possible. Though sometimes you may find that there are barriers that prevent you from getting breastfeeding off to a good start or you may have issues that are related to your surgery. Here are some tips to help you with breastfeeding after you’ve had a c-section: Don’t Avoid Medications After you’ve had a c-section, you may be concerned with the medications that you are taking for pain....

Anorexia is an eating disorder that causes people to restrict how much food they consume to prevent weight gain. This condition is most commonly observed in women—around 4% of the female population live with this disorder. Anorexia usually progresses until a person becomes underweight. However, despite the obvious change in appearance, a person with this condition will continue to view themselves as overweight. This disorder is a recognized mental illness. It has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, making proper management a matter of urgency for anyone with the condition....

Because marijuana can be addictive, particularly when it is used heavily and at high doses, you might wonder if CBD addiction is also possible. CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the many compounds found in cannabis. Products containing CBD have grown in popularity in recent years, found in everything from gummy supplements to post-workout smoothies to CBD-infused pillows. CBD’s burgeoning popularity has been fueled in part by the compound’s purported mental health-boosting properties....

Breastfeeding your baby may feel like one of the most amazing things you’ll ever do. But as many breastfeeding parents will tell you, it isn’t always easy. From the beginning, you’ll be brimming with a million questions—about sore nipples, latching, plugged ducts, and the age old quandary: “Is my baby getting enough?” But even once you’ve gotten the mechanics of breastfeeding down, even more questions will pop up. For example, you might be wondering or have questions about what your rights are as a working parent, what laws are in place to protect you when you breastfeed in public, or what to do if you encounter a breastfeeding challenge after the newborn phase....

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, people are seeking urgent medical care for a variety of painful conditions. In a recent study from JAMA Psychiatry, researchers compared the rate of emergency room (ER) visits during the period of mid-March and October 2020 to the same months in 2019. Key Takeaways The rate of ER visits for mental health conditions, suicide attempts, intimate partner violence, drug and opioid overdoses, and child abuse and neglect increased in 2020 compared to 2019....

If you have a young child or have been pregnant in the last eight years, chances are you’ve heard of Emily Oster. The economist-by-trade has turned into a parenting whisperer, providing first-timers and veteran parents alike with data-driven research and knowledge to make more informed choices. Parents don’t work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—we work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from the moment our kids wake up until they go to sleep....

What Does Henry Mean? Henry is a very common French name for boys. It’s believed to be derived from the French name Henri, which in turn is thought to be derived from the name Heimeric, an old German name that means “house ruler.” The name is made up of two parts: “Heim,” which means home and “Ric,” which means ruler. Henry is also a common surname in Ireland and France....

Explaining ADHD to children after a diagnosis can help remove the mystery surrounding the struggles they’ve been having. It also can help them feel a greater sense of control. Although parents sometimes worry about their child being labeled, it’s much worse for children to assume they’re “stupid” or “lazy”—feelings often felt by kids with ADHD who don’t understand why they’re different from their peers. Understanding ADHD and talking about it helps remove these types of negative labels....

It is our second pandemic Halloween. While our understanding of how to prevent contracting COVID-19 has changed since the goblins last flooded the streets for candy, much remains the same. We still worry about our children contracting the illness in close quarters with others. We still very much have and need our masks, and not just the spooky ones. Here is how to weigh the risks and fun when contemplating your plans for Halloween 2021 in a global pandemic....

Offering solid foods to your baby while still breastfeeding is a great way to ensure that they receive the nutrition and other benefits of breast milk while beginning to explore the tastes and textures of solid foods. Keep in mind that when you begin introducing solids to your baby’s diet, solid foods are not meant to replace breast milk as a nutrition or calorie source. At this stage, your baby is simply experimenting and learning about new foods....

Low libido, or sex drive, in men can cause tension in a relationship, fostering doubt and guilt in affected men and their partners. However, low sex drive can often be treated successfully if the underlying cause is identified. What Is Low Libido? Low sex drive in men should not be confused with erectile dysfunction (ED), although the two conditions can co-exist. It’s essential for couples to communicate honestly with each other while identifying possible causes....

What Is Play Therapy? Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy and can be effective in helping children through emotional and mental issues. Children often use play to express themselves and navigate the world and play therapy takes advantage of this. Play therapy is primarily used with children. Although, it can also be used with adults. It is typically used with children who are aged between 3 and 12. A play therapist will guide a person through play therapy in a free and safe environment where they feel most comfortable expressing themselves....

When a person becomes pregnant, concerns about the baby take center stage. Parents start to purchase cribs and car seats, get bottles and pacifiers, and schedule prenatal appointments. With the focus on the baby and moms’ physical health, there is little, if any, thought about how mom is doing mentally. A new study published this year shines a light on the lack of attention given to moms’ mental health during pregnancy, a vitally important topic....

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event. People who have this condition often experience symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, dissociation, flashbacks, and hypervigilance. The condition may also increase a person’s risk for problems with learning. Such learning difficulties can contribute to issues in educational settings. However, learning difficulties can also affect memory and attention, which can lead to problems in many areas of your everyday life....

What Is Sand Tray Therapy? Sand tray therapy, or sandplay therapy, is a therapeutic approach used for people who have experienced a traumatic event such as abuse or a catastrophic incident. Although this type of therapy is used most often with children, sandplay therapy also can be helpful for teens and adults. When utilizing this therapy, psychotherapists use sand trays to assess, diagnose, or treat a variety of mental illnesses. Research shows that sand tray therapy can help increase emotional expression while reducing the psychological distress that may come from discussing traumatic events or experiences....

As school settles into session, parents, teachers, and students still face uncertainty about COVID-19 and the classroom. The highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, causing spikes in infections in the United States and other countries. In light of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have called for teachers and school staff in Europe and Central Asia to be prioritized for vaccines. Key Takeaways An unvaccinated teacher infected half of her students when she removed her mask to read to them....

Marijuana has been used as an herbal remedy for thousands of years. Today, as marijuana is more widely legalized in the United States—both for medicinal and recreational use—more people are turning to cannabis in hopes of managing anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder, and even panic attacks. Although further research is still needed to understand the effects of marijuana on anxiety, there are anecdotal and scientific reports of marijuana temporarily relieving symptoms; however, there are still potential negative side effects of marijuana to consider....

Who would you expect to experience more stress: the high-powered executive or the worker of lower socioeconomic status? Many people would expect those who hold higher-powered jobs to experience more stress to go with those jobs, but according to research, it’s those in lower socioeconomic levels who experience greater levels of stress and more stress-related health problems as well. Research on Socioeconomic Status and Stress Consider the following research: According to a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, women of lower socioeconomic status (lower income and education levels) and African American women reported higher allostatic load, which is how the effects of chronic stress accumulate and impact your body in a negative way....

A mood disorder is a condition that severely impacts mood and its related functions. Mood disorder is a broad term that refers to the different types of depressive and bipolar disorders, all of which affect mood. If you have symptoms of a mood disorder, your moods may range from extremely low (depressed) to extremely high or irritable (manic). Types of Mood Disorders With the update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013, mood disorders were separated into two groups: bipolar and related disorders and depressive disorders....