Mental

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Launches $100 Million Mental Health Initiative for Underserved Communities

Judith J. Mercado 2 weeks ago

Rare Beauty hasn’t even hit stores yet, but the mission-driven brand founded by Selena Gomez is already fulfilling its promise to foster conversations about self-acceptance and mental health.

On the “Lose You to Love Me” singer’s 28th birthday yesterday, her forthcoming beauty brand announced the launch of Rare Impact Fund, with an ambitious goal of raising $100 million over the next 10 years to connect people in underserved communities with much-needed mental health services.

“I’m so grateful to be surrounded by a team that’s helped make the Rare Impact Fund a reality,” Gomez said in a press release. “Since the brand’s inception, we wanted to find a way to give back to our community and further support people who needed access to mental health services, which have had a profound impact on my life.”

Selena Gomez/Instagram

One percent of all Rare Beauty sales — as well as funds raised from

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The mental health impact on ambulance staff of responding to suicide calls

Judith J. Mercado 1 month ago
<span class="caption">Ambulance staff are often the first to attend the site of many difficult scenes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="link rapid-noclick-resp" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk0429-nhs-emergency-ambulance-parked-1717841272" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Yau Ming Low/ Shutterstock">Yau Ming Low/ Shutterstock</a></span>
Ambulance staff are often the first to attend the site of many difficult scenes. Yau Ming Low/ Shutterstock

Being ambulance staff can be a high-stress job. They encounter many situations in their daily line of work that can have a lasting impact on their mental health. According to MIND, around nine in ten emergency services staff have experienced poor mental health at some point in their career. Another study estimated that around 22% of ambulance staff have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Ambulance staff are often the first to attend the site of many difficult scenes, including deaths by suicide. We interviewed ambulance staff about the impact that responding to deaths by suicide has on their mental health. We found that not only did many feel ill-equipped to respond to these calls, these events also had a severe impact on their mental health.

Lasting impact

We carried out interviews with nine

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New Study Highlights Mental Health Impact of Autistic Masking

Judith J. Mercado 1 month ago
Stylish young woman standing near a plant with shadow light
Stylish young woman standing near a plant with shadow light

What happened: A new study, published in the journal Autism, shines new light on the relationship between camouflaging as an autistic woman and mental health concerns, as well as the importance of earlier screening and better support for autistic women across the lifespan.

  • Researchers at Brigham Young University recruited 58 female participants who reported difficulty in social situations and met board criteria for autism

  • Most of the participants reported masking their autistic characteristics often, which was associated with higher mental health difficulties

  • Of those included in the study, 62% reported depression, 66% stress, 67% anxiety and 62% suicidal thoughts

At the end of the day, we want [autistic women] to find inclusive communities who will help meet their social needs and support their ability to function as they’d like to day-to-day. — Dr. Jonathan Beck, study author

The Frontlines

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Three Things To Know for BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

Judith J. Mercado 1 month ago

BIPOC populations can face significant differences in the accessibility of quality mental health care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are more likely to be uninsured, more likely to use emergency departments, less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, and more likely to receive lower quality care.

July marks BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month to shine a light on the distinct struggles that underrepresented groups face with mental illness in the United States. BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month is a chance to destigmatize talking about mental health and substance use disorders. Some feel embarrassed to seek treatment or fear being shamed by their community. By focusing on these issues in July and all year round, we can help change the inequality and stereotypes stopping marginalized communities from

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