Utahns Increasingly Seek Help for Mental Health Concerns

The Utah state mental health crisis hotline is experiencing a significant increase in calls for help while therapists are reporting an increase in demand for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriage and family therapist Catherine Lundell told KUTV the pandemic has increased our daily stressors. “Any area that you might have had a little… Continue Reading Utahns Increasingly Seek Help for Mental Health Concerns

COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Significant Increase in Substance Use

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exacerbated challenges for millions of people with substance use disorder (SUD). Two new studies released in September 2020 revealed the extent to which Americans have begun to turn to psychoactive substances in an attempt to alleviate the severe stress brought on by the pandemic. A cross-sectional study of… Continue Reading COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Significant Increase in Substance Use

New LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Plan for Utah

Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance shows that nationally, LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. A new prevention plan by the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition says, “Utah consistently ranks in the top ten in the United States for suicide deaths. LGBTQ+ adults and youth experience… Continue Reading New LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Plan for Utah

Illicit Drugs Laced with Fentanyl Sold in Northern Utah

Fentanyl is the drug most responsible for the increase in overdose deaths in recent years. It is “a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent,” explains the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally.” Illicit fentanyl is… Continue Reading Illicit Drugs Laced with Fentanyl Sold in Northern Utah

Dangerous Misuse of Anxiety Drug Phenibut on the Rise

A dangerous substance from the 1960s is making a comeback in the United States. Phenibut, a central nervous system depressant with anxiolytic effects, used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions was developed in the Soviet Union for medical use in the 1960s. It is still used in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia to treat… Continue Reading Dangerous Misuse of Anxiety Drug Phenibut on the Rise

The Dangers of Unprocessed Trauma and Compassion Fatigue in First Responders

“Society has long recognized the physical demands of first responders; however, what is less formally acknowledged are the negative psychological outcomes,” wrote Bowers, Beidel, and Marks in Mental Health Intervention and Treatment of First Responders and Emergency Workers (2019). “Most notable among these negative mental health consequences is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The hallmark of… Continue Reading The Dangers of Unprocessed Trauma and Compassion Fatigue in First Responders

Neuroplasticity and Conditioning in Addiction

“The human brain is the most complex organ in our body and is characterized by a unique ability called neuroplasticity,” writes Maria Mavrikaki, Ph.D., on the Harvard Health Blog. “Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s ability to change and adapt in its structural and functional levels in response to experience. Neuroplasticity makes it possible for us… Continue Reading Neuroplasticity and Conditioning in Addiction