On September 27-29, we are waiting for you at the National Library, at the largest exhibition dedicated to people with disabilities. How much do you know about the impact of disabilities on mental health? Test your knowledge by taking this quiz and come to our stand to find out how we support people with disabilities.
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Mental Health for Romania @ AccessABILITY Expo 2024
therapy
Red Flags ale specialiștilor în sănătate mintală
Cunoaștem cât de dificil poate fi procesul de alegere a unui specialist potrivit, așadar am venit în ajutorul vostru cu o listă de „semnale de alarmă” la care să fiți atenți pe parcursul ședințelor. Cu toate acestea, dacă întâlniți un specialist care bifează următoarele red flag-uri nu înseamnă că nu mai există alți specialiști competenți ...
Invited to the Economic Forum in Karpacz
From September 3-5 we were honored to participate in a panel on mental health within the Karpacz Economic Forum. The other panelists were representatives of 4 foundations and associations from Poland and the UK, as well as a former minister of health from Poland. The discussion focused on post-pandemic EU, government and NGO initiatives to promote the importance of mental health and combat social isolation.
Poetry Night #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
On May 23, at 6:30 p.m., we meet at Seneca Anticafe for an evening of poetry to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. We will be reading a selection from the winning submissions at the Mental Health for Romania Art Contest and also give the participants the opportunity to share their own poems related to mental health. As a result of this event, we hope to bring more understanding to the experiences of people affected by mental illness and dispel stigma. For more details and registration see the event page.
Workshop for Mental Health & Wellbeing
On May 30, at 18:30, join us at Seneca Anticafe for afree, interactive workshop, where we will explore together various strategies to improve our mental health and well-being. At Seneca you will find a safe space, and a group of volunteers who can answer your questions and provide resources related to mental health. See more details on the event page.
Awarded a special prize at the Capital Excellence in Management Gala
At the Excellence in Management Gala, Maria Pascale, founder of Mental Health for Romania, received an award for the implementation of workshops to raise awareness of the importance of mental health. We are grateful for the award and the opportunity to take part in the event, together with the managers included in Capital Top 100 Managers, 2024 edition. The event was broadcast live on Facebook and can also be watched on Youtube.
Our mental health workshops in high schools continue in 2024
In January and February, our volunteers gave 6 presentations for high school students from Bucharest and Arad. A notable moment was the workshop organised at an event of the Interact Central Bucharest Club, in collaboration with the “Saint Sava” National College, in which more than 50 students participated. During this event, MHR volunteers and students discussed the signs of the most common mental disorders, how they can be prevented and where you can ask for help if you are in a difficult situation.
Videoconference organized by the Economic and Social Council about the state of mental health in Romania
On the 26th of January we got the opportunity to participate in a debate initiated by the Economic and Social Council (CES) in Romania, with the theme “The Overview of Mental Health in Romania”. CES released a comprehensive report, presenting the current situation of mental health in Romania, and suggesting the introduction of public policies to improve both the prevention and treatment of mental disorders, in the medical system, at the workplace, and in educational institutions.
We hope that those who joined in the conversation will build on the steps started by the CES, and that the proposals in the report will materialize in changes in the public system.
relationships ● self-care
Helping others – a conversation about prosocial behaviours
Prosocial behaviors are those behaviours that we do for others. If you want to learn more about the reasons why prosocial behaviours should be promoted, what influences the engagement in this type of behaviours and how they can develop, we invite you to listen to the podcast episode in full, and also to check the bibliographic sources used.
(1) Aknin, L. B., Van de Vondervoort, J. W., & Hamlin, J. K. (2018). Positive feelings reward and promote prosocial behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 20, 55–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.08.017
(2) American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved August 23, 2023, from https://dictionary.apa.org/prosocial
(3) Crone, E. A., & Achterberg, M. (2022). Prosocial development in adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 220–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.09.020
(4) Dahl, A., & Brownell, C. A. (2019). The Social Origins of Human Prosociality. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(3), 274–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419830386
(5) Luberto, C. M., Shinday, N., Song, R., Philpotts, L. L., Park, E. R., Fricchione, G. L., & Yeh, G. Y. (2018). A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors. Mindfulness, 9(3), 708–724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8
(6) Mesurado, B., Guerra, P., Richaud, M. C., & Rodriguez, L. M. (2019). Effectiveness of Prosocial Behavior Interventions: A Meta-analysis. In P. Á. Gargiulo & H. L. Mesones Arroyo (Eds.), Psychiatry and Neuroscience Update (pp. 259–271). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95360-1_21
(7) Helliwell, J., Aknin, L., Shiplett, H., Huang, H., & Wang, S. (2017). Social Capital and Prosocial Behaviour as Sources of Well-Being (w23761; p. w23761). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w23761 (8) Pfattheicher, S., Nielsen, Y. A., & Thielmann, I. (2022). Prosocial behavior and altruism: A review of concepts and definitions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 124–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.021
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Together to support access to therapy services in Romania: Partnership with Hedepy
Hedepy is a platform that offers online psychotherapy services, available in 12 countries of the world, including Romania. It hosts over 30 carefully selected therapists, even offering a quiz to help you find a specialist that suits your needs.
Starting with 2024, Mental Health for Romania became a partner of the online therapy platform Hedepy Romania. In the coming weeks, the Hedepy professionals will appear on the MHR Map of Professionals, and the users of our map will be able to directly access the fully online services offered by Hedepy. Afterwards, we will launch a program where we will give away some free and discounted session packages offered by Hedepy specialists. Note that this program will only be available to members of our Discord server, so if you want to take advantage of it, we invite you to join the server by going to this link.
self-care ● trauma ● anxiety ● depression ● reviews
Mental Health in Gaming: 6 jocuri despre sănătatea mintală
“Press any button to start” E curios, nu-i așa? Cum jocurile video ne pot transpune în lumi virtuale cu posibilități nelimitate – de la regate medievale până la orașe distopice dintr-un viitor mult îndepărtat. Cum ne putem pierde în poveștile unor personaje cu care ne putem identifica și al căror destin este dictat chiar de ...
Launching the the MHR Art Contest Gallery
Today we launch the online gallerywith over 250 illustrations, photos, poems and prose on mental health topics, selected from the 3 editions of our art contest!
We are delighted to have been able to create this space on our website where different art forms portray a wide range of emotions and vulnerable experiences related to mental health that so many of us find ourselves in.
Thanks to everyone who trusted to send us their work, to the MHR team who worked for months to build the gallery, and to the sponsors of each year’s contest! 
The achievements of Mental Health for Romania in 2023
This year was one in which we grew and explored the possibilities through which we can have the greatest impact in the community, mainly how we can help educate and raise awareness among young people in Romania about mental health.
Our team has grown, currently counting 40 active and passionate volunteers. În total, in 2023, over 500 middle and high school students from Dolj, Arad, București, Iași and a few other counties participated in our mental health workshops. We benefited from the attention of engaged students and the support of generous teachers. Approximately 97% of the students found the workshop useful, interesting, and well presented.
The MHR Map of Professionals, where mental health psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists in the country sign up to be easily connected with those seeking help, has reached over 200 professionals. We are extimating that aprox. 300 people used mental health services through the Map, over 90% of them benefiting from partial or full discounts.
In 2023 we also relaunched another MHR project, our podcast, where we talk about various mental health related topics. We want to thank our over 2.100 de ascultători, who tuned in for the 6 episodes released this year. You can follow us on Spotify, Google Podcasts and YouTube. Psss! A big announcement is coming at the beginning of 2024, but you are finding out about it now! We are very close to launching the online gallery including all the winning submissions from the past 3 editions of our art contest. Keep an eye on our social platforms in January!
therapy ● self-care ● medication
Mental health is not a trend, it is a priority – Dr. Gabriel Zanfir
In today’s episode we have Dr. Gabriel Zanfir, resident doctor at the Alexandru Obregia Psychiatric Hospital and accredited clinical psychologist, with whom we discuss the mental health of young people and the importance of professional help when it comes to our mental health.
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A new semester talking about mental health in Romanian schools
Our new MHR volunteers started the new school year with the ambition to bring the discussion about mental health to as many high schools as possible. Thus, Alex Căpitanu visited the 9th grade, at the “Buzești Brothers” National College in Craiova, where the students were involved and receptive. Also, this month Gabriela Roman from Iasi visited 30 students from the 10th grade of the “Vasile Alecsandri” National College, welcoming a whole group of students open to the discussion of this topic.
If you want to bring one of our workshops to your class, you can ask your teachers to join the project here!
October 10: World Mental Health Day
Since 1992, the World Health Organization (WHO) has dedicated October 10 to mental health awareness, so today we celebrate it as World Mental Health Day. WHO defines health as “a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, being important throughout our development and influencing relational, decision-making and hardship management patterns.
We asked you, through our Social Media channels, what mental health means to you. See some of the responses below.
News about Romanians’ relationship with mental health
On June 26 the order 1992/2023 was published through which the public services related to the medical act are regulated, includingthe rules regarding the implementation of psychological services. The order stipulates that from now on, the premises of all the offices that deliver psychological services must be sanitary authorized by DSP, if they deliver public services related to the medical act, regardless of whether or not they have a contract with CNAS.
The requirements for obtaining the approval are more difficult to access for individual practices due to space considerations (for example requirements regarding the number of bathrooms, waiting rooms, etc.) These requirements are also difficult to maintain financially, something that could make it more difficult to afford to own / rent office spaces. Psychologists might then have to raise prices, and refuse to cooperate with CAS. There might also be other undesirable effects in a system where the profession of psychologist is already onerous.
Pride Month 🏳️🌈
The month of June is internationally recognized as Pride Month, where we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community 🌈
The mental health of this community has been an important focus of Mental Health for Romania over the last few years, and this is why we prepared an overview of our LGBTQ+ related projects.
The Map of Romanian Mental Health Professionals has psychologists and therapists who are part of or allies of the LGBTQ+ community, and who can provide a safe space for counseling and support.
Our Discord server is a place for free conversations about mental health. The entire space is LGBTQ+ friendly, with zero tolerance for discrimination.
Onour Instagram you can see our collaborations with the Accept NGO.
Our research team began a literature review project focused on identifying the differences between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ individuals in terms of mental health issues. The results will be published in 2023.
Starting with the 2022 edition of our Art Contest we have awarded a special prize for the best work that touches on queer mental health.
The first free psychotherapy center in Romania was opened in Bucharest
The first free psychotherapy center in Romania, “Together for Humanity” Social Psychotherapy Center, officially opened in Bucharest in May. It is fully operational to provide psychological support to adults, youth and children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds throughout the country. The center currently has 6 volunteer therapists, but their number will reach 30 soon, for psychological counseling both in persoon and online.
Exam time can be overwhelming – talk about it with us on Discord
Are you looking for a place to relieve yourself from the difficulties and stress of the university exam season, Baccalaureate or entrance exams? Onour Discord server you can find channels dedicated to high school and university students, named #elevi and #studenți respectively. There you can talk freely with other members, but also with mental health specialists.
One last high school mental health workshop before summer break
On June 9, our new volunteer, Catinca Verga, visited the “Matei Basarab” National College in Bucharest, where she spoke to 20 11th grade students about the importance of mental health.
She was welcomed to the biology class of Professor Urdea, where the students were receptive and interacted throughout the session. The feedback received by Catinca was very positive, and we hope that the students were left with some new and useful knowledge about the importance of mental health. If you want to bring a workshop presented by Mental Health for Romania to your class, you can ask your teachers to sign up for the fall semester here!
Welcome to the new members of the MHR team!
After an intense recruitment period in April, we welcomed more than 20 new volunteers to the Mental Health for Romania team. They are located both in Romania and abroad, aged between 17 and 28, and with varied educational and professional experiences. They will contribute to organise even more mental health workshops in schools, create more educational content, and spread the word about our map with mental health professionals.
Welcome, new MHR volunteers!
personal story ● self-care ● eating disorders
About body shaming during adolescence
Body shaming is an act in which a person expresses unsolicited and usually negative opinions or comments about someone’s body (size, shape, weight, etc.). If you want to learn more about body shaming in adolescence and ways in which this phenomenon can be managed, we invite you to listen to the full podcast episode, produced in partnership with Ridmi Magazine, a magazine with uncensored stories on education in Romania.
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New collaboration: MHR Map of Specialists – Banometru
Banometru is a free program that provides the support of a financial coach for anyone who needs help with managing expenses or increasing their income. From their experience, the Banometer team found that those in financial difficulty often have mental health issues, and believe that helping them should be done from both directions, in order to have a long-lasting beneficial result.
Thus, this year we are collaborating for the second time with Banometru to facilitate 3-4 free psychotherapy sessions for 50 beneficiaries in their financial coaching program. We thank our specialists on the MHR map who volunteered to offer these free sessions.
The Mental Health for Romania website, 100% functional!
This month we got rid of all the bugs we had on our website – https://mentalhealthforromania.org/. From now on you can navigate more easily through our articles on the blog and can be up to date with all our projects and news. All this thanks to our friend Tony Hegyes!
Student Mental Health – ASE University of Cybernetics Students Union
A new visit with an enthusiastic audience took place on April 26 in Bucharest, at the Faculty of Cybernetics within ASE. Diana Iorga, MHR coordinator for our educational collaborations, spoke with more than 50 students about anxiety, stress and burnout, and how we can navigate such issues more easily. We thank all the participants at the event, as well as SiSC ASE, which you can find on Facebook and Instagram.
burnout ● learning difficulties ● self-care ● stress
Why do we procrastinate? The science behind procrastination
“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do just as well the day after tomorrow” – said Mark Twain. He was not the only one, however, because it is estimated that “procrastinastus”, a word of Latin origin meaning “to put off until tomorrow”, has been in use since the 1500s. If you want to learn more about why we procrastinate, the research behind this phenomenon, and how to take action, we invite you to listen to the full episode.
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Every mind matters – Dumbrava, European Youth Village
On the 1st of April, we had the priviledge of launching the “Informed Dumbrava” workshop series with a workshop on mental health, facilitated by Ioana Tonceanu, researcher in the Mental Health for Romania team. The workshop helped the young students become aware of the importance of mental health in everyday life, talk freely about mental health stigma, and recognize a possible mental health problem. The village of Dumbrava in Prahova county holds the title of European Youth Village 2023, granted by the European Youth Village program, a political program for the empowerment of rural youth. You can follow their events this year on Facebook and Instagram.
self-care ● depression
What impact do hormones have on mental health?
Some of the hormones we’re bringing up are widely known to have an effect on mental health, such as serotonin, but others, like testosterone, are less well known. With this episode we hope to remind our listeners that anyone’s mental health can be affected by the hormonal changes they go through, regardless of gender or age.
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Good news: mothers will be able to benefit from psychological counseling through CNAS, for 4 months after giving birth
Government officials are responding to the great need for support for mothers, who often experience post-natal depression. The new proposed Law no. 33/2023, supplementing Law no. 95/2006, was implemented in January to introduce the women’s right to benefit from psychological and counselling services, post-partum. This initiative comes in response to statistics showing that approximately 20% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression. This percentage refers only to those who officially recognized that they need professional help, the actual percentage being much higher.
See more details here.
self-care ● stress ● anxiety ● burnout ● depression
About students’ mental health around the exam period
Student mental health has begun to be recognized as a public health issue internationally, with studies in other countries estimating that between 20 and 40% of students may meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder. So, it’s time to talk more openly about this topic. We invite you to listen to the episode to find out about the experiences of Romanian students who are now going through exams.
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From the friends of MHR 🤝
“The Others“ play, in Bucharest
The Center for Creation, Art and Tradition in Bucharest brought the representation The Others, conceived at the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, in the capital between January 12-14. The audience explored the concept of vulnerability and intimacy through various interactions with the artists. Ioana Paula, MHR volunteer, attended the show: “The interactions I had with the three actors made me reflect on my personal beliefs about intimacy and vulnerability. A space was created where I could look into myself with a stranger, who, through the thoughts and emotions he expressed, put a mirror in front of me in which I could analyze and explore my fears.” You can follow the initiative at Teatrelli on Instagram and Facebook.
medication ● therapy
A brief history of mental health
Mental health was, for a long time, a taboo subject, as people considered that disorders in its sphere represented a divine choice or a punishment, resulting in social isolation. In this podcast episode, we explore the progression of views on mental health, from ancient theories to the conditions in asylums, psychoanalysis and current treatment options.
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YEVE – Young Europeans Volunteering for Europe
YEVE is a project funded by the European Parliament that supports young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to acquire the necessary knowledge to become engaged citizens, with initiatives to change the community for the better. The project consists of a series of training sessions (online and in person), for a group of 42 young people from 7 different countries.
We were happy to be invited to one of the YEVE sessions, where we had the opportunity to present the story behind Mental Health for Romania and to motivate the young participants to come up with their own initiatives to raise awareness about mental health.
High school students interested in mental health
Mental Health for Romania volunteers started the year off right, with two high schools in the country opening the doors to our “Let’s bring mental health to schools” project.
Dan Mirea, one of the project coordinators, held a workshop in front of three 10th grade classes from his former high school in Craiova, the Buzești Brothers National College. Laura Goia also went to two 12th grade classes at the “Gheorghe Marinescu” Theoretical High School in Târgu Mureș.
They talked about how we can detect and manage mental health issues and how to get help. We are still looking for teachers to collaborate with, especially in Cluj, Bucharest and Mureș. You can find more details about the project here.
Join our Christmas party on Discord!
We hope you can join our Discord server, where more than 1200 members openly discuss about mental health, as well as school, books, games, and other topics. In addition to the various channels for specific mental health issues that function as support groups, we also have educational, hobby or event channels. Come tonight(on Thursday, the 22nd of December), at 20:00, on our Meeting Room, with a mug of tea or hot chocolate! We prepared thematic surprises for all ages 🎄
Mustaches for mental health in Romania
The Beer and Sport Social Club, inspired by the international Movember movement, wants to promote and draw attention to mental health in Romania – the mental health of men, but not limited to that – in November.
We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for choosing to do this by organizing a fundraiser on our behalf, which you can access here.
Follow them on Instagram, where you can see their crazy mustaches grown throughout November, sports exercises and more.
borderline ● personal story ● therapy
Viața, înainte și după diagnosticul de tulburare de personalitate
Studiile și sondajele estimează că prevalența tulburării de personalitate borderline (în engleză: Borderline Personality Disorder sau BPD) este de 1.6% la populația totală, iar primele simptome încep să apară la sfârșitul adolescenței sau la începutul vârstei adulte.
MHR Art Contest – 3rd edition
Between September and November we organized the third edition of our art competition with the theme of mental health. We were delighted to receive 411 entries in the 4 categories: Poetry, Prose, Photography and Drawing, Painting, Collage & Illustrations.
The winners will be announced on St. Nicholas Day via email, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks also to Sabrina Dasca 
70,000 hours of free psychological counseling and psychotherapy for children in Romania
We congratulate the Romanian Government’s initiative to offer free psychological counseling and psychotherapy services to children, for a period of two years. We are glad that steps are being taken towards a society that normalizes discussions about mental health and going to therapy among young people, and we hope that this step will be followed by long-lasting solutions, for both children and adults.
In order for a child to be able to benefit from these services, it is necessary for a parent, teacher or social/community assistant to report the need for psychological support. The official recommendation can be made by the family doctor or a doctor practising school medicine or pediatric psychiatry, following which the child’s legal representative will have the opportunity to select a specialist enrolled in the program. You can learn more about the program on the official government website.
MHR art contest ● personal story ● sleeping disorders
2 am
it’s two in the morning. you’re crying. why are you crying? you’re fine. are you though? your head hurts, your hand itches for your phone, this surely is something serious, you’re dying, there’s rot in your head, in your bones, in your chest. you’re dying. you’re dying and no one believes you and you’ve told ...
“Mental Health for Romania” Art Contest – the 3rd edition
We are back with a new edition of our art contest, this year with bigger and better prizes. As always, the categories you can sign up to are poetry/prose/drawings, paintings, collages & illustrations/photography. Good luck and don’t forget to share it with your friends!
anxiety ● self-care ● stress ● trauma
Ghid de comportare emoțională pentru adolescenți: Cum putem face față perioadelor de incertitudine și stres?
În timp ce scriu aceste prime rânduri, este a 33-a zi de când Rusia a declarat război Ucrainei. Negocierile neutralității se poartă într-o nouă rundă la Istanbul. Prognoza nu pare îmbucurătoare nici pentru cele două țări aflate în conflict, nici pentru restul lumii. Trăim vremuri greu încercate, care au scos la iveală numeroase conflicte latente și care
personal story ● relationships ● self-care ● stress
Irina (Coffentropy) – social media, mental health
Social media platforms have become ubiquitous in our lives, and whether we realize it or not, we are all exposed to various types of content every time we access such a platform. In today’s episode, Larisa talks to Irina Rusu, known online as “Coffentropy”.
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burnout ● depression ● relationships ● reviews ● schizophrenia ● bipolar disorder
Cărți pe care le poți citi pentru a înțelege mai bine ce înseamnă afecțiunile psihice
După articolul despre seriale care abordează tematica sănătății mintale, continui seria reprezentărilor afecțiunilor psihice în artă cu forma acesteia pe care eu o apreciez cel mai mult – scrisul. Cărțile care conțin personaje sau povești cu care ne identificăm ne pot face să ne acceptăm și să ne înțelegem propriile
personal story ● relationships ● self-care ● stress
Cristina Frei (art, social media, mental health)
In this month’s episode, we meet the perspective of an influencer, through the lens of their career as an illustrator. Rodica talks to the content creator Cristina Frei about the challenges and joys of the life of a designer, juggling between the role of a young mother, wife, woman and campaigner for time spent authentically in relationship with loved ones and with oneself.
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anxiety ● breathing ● self-care ● stress ● therapy
Respirația și natura – Cum ne pot însoți în gestionarea anxietății?
Îți faci griji în mod constant pentru viitor? Îți este teamă de ce s-ar putea întâmpla, de felurile în care ai putea eșua sau în care lucrurile ar putea să nu meargă așa cum îți dorești? Te simți neliniștit fără motiv, sau simți deseori că nu poți controla această îngrijorare excesivă? Te simți iritat, obosit
PTSD ● adictions ● depression ● medication
Psychedelics: History, Research, and Possible Roles in Psychiatry
Psychedelic substances are psychoactive substances that alter the way we think, the way we perceive the world and the state of consciousness, mainly through their action on the serotonergic system. Surely you’ve heard of LSD (diethylamidolysergic acid), psilocybin or ayehuasca, and if not, we’ll tell you about it in this month’s episode.
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stress ● COVID ● anxiety
The stress of the exam period and what the students would change in the Romanian education system
We are in the exam period, which is why this month’s episode is made together with high school students, about their experiences during exams and tests. Stress, anxiety and discomfort can accompany us in many ways when taking an exam or on the way to handing in the exam paper.
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autism ● borderline ● depression ● relationships ● reviews ● therapy ● bipolar disorder ● personality disorders ● PTSD
3 seriale pe Netflix pe care le poți urmări pentru a înțelege mai bine ce înseamnă afecțiunile psihice
După prima mea internare în spitalul de psihiatrie, am fost mereu curioasă să cunosc și să înțeleg cât mai multe despre ce înseamnă să ai și să trăiești cu o boală psihică, să văd alte persoane sau personaje care trec sau au trecut prin ceva asemănător, pentru a
depression ● medication ● therapy
Depression – from how we measure it to the role of loved ones
If you want to learn more about depression, how it’s measured, what the risk factors and treatment options are, but also if you want to learn how you can support a loved one who is dealing with depression, this episode is for you. This month’s episode addresses depression, the most prevalent mental disorder.
Study about ketamine as a treatment for depression | Kraus, C., Wasserman, D., Henter, I. D., Acevedo-Diaz, E., Kadriu, B., & Zarate Jr, C. A. (2019). The influence of ketamine on drug discovery in depression. Drug discovery today, 24(10), 2033-2043 | EN
Study on problems in measuring depression | Cai, N., Choi, K. W., & Fried, E. I. (2020). Reviewing the genetics of heterogeneity in depression: operationalizations, manifestations and etiologies. Human molecular genetics, 29(R1), R10-R18 | EN
Study on problems in measuring depression (melancholic subtype) | Fried, E. I., Coomans, F., & Lorenzo-Luaces, L. (2020). The 341 737 ways of qualifying for the melancholic specifier. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6), 479-480 | EN
First aid for mental health | | RO
Book about depression – The Noon Demon by Andrew Solomon | RO
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personal story ● stress ● sleeping disorders
Perfecționismul sau frica de eșec – de la obsesia lui “trebuie” la echilibru
Momentul crunt al adevărului: afişarea rezultatelor… Mă apropiam cu paşi grei de lista cu punctajele, cu teama că rezultatul nu va fi cel dorit. Dacă urma un punctaj mare sau chiar un premiu, era o veste bună, totul în regulă. Dacă era sub aşteptări, atunci nu era o veste rea; era o catastrofă
OCD ● informative article ● medication ● self-care ● stress ● therapy
Tulburarea obsesiv compulsivă (OCD) – un mic ghid
Ce este tulburarea obsesiv-compulsivă? Cat de des este întălnită? Ce o cauzează și la cine apare? Tipuri de TOC Tratament Ce să fac dacă am simptome? Sfaturi de self-help Ghid pentru apropiați: ce să fac dacă cineva drag ar putea suferi de TOC? Ce este tulburarea obsesiv-compulsivă? Tulburarea obsesiv-compulsivă
addictions ● personal story ● relationships ● therapy
Drumul de la traumă la ajutor: O poveste despre sănătate mintală și perseverență
Acest articol prezintă povestea lui Daniel și parcursul lui către o viață liniștită în urma experienței sale cu evenimente traumatice și cu primirea diagnosticelor de depresie și tulburare bipolară. ”De mic copil îți dorești să faci ceva când vei fi mare și începi să cauți modele
personal story ● self-care ● medication ● therapy
Talking to a psychologist
“Talking to a psychologist” is an informative but warm episode about the psychologist profession and what it entails. Larisa Dinu and Rodica Afrăsinei are graduates of the faculty of psychology, who chose different specializations. Larisa is a researcher in the field, and Rodica Afrăsinei is a personal development counsellor.
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medication ● personal story ● stress ● therapy ● ADHD ● depression ● learning difficulties
Atenție la neatenție, așa am aflat de ADHD
Atenție la neatenție!, îndemn auzit încă din școala primară, dar pe care nu l-aș fi pus niciodată pe seama unei atipii de dezvoltare – o sintagmă care intimidează și împiedică acceptarea unei realități evidente: cel puțin 1 din 10 persoane primește diagnosticul de Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, mediatizat în trecut de societatea americană ca
self-care ● burnout ● depression
The burnout phenomenon
The phenomenon of burnout is a topic of interest nowadays, when its occurrence and maintenance are influenced by organizational environments and individual vulnerabilities. Larisa Dinu, research assistant in the field of psychiatry, together with Rodica Afrăsinei, personal development counsellor, discuss this phenomenon and answer the questions received from you on Instagram.
Burnout Prevalence Study (2010) | Norlund et al. Burnout, working conditions and gender – results from the northern Sweden MONICA Study, BMC Public Health | EN
Systematic Review (2017) | Salvagioni et al. Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies, PLoS One, 12(10) | EN
Report commissioned by the European Union on costs: Matrix (2013) | Economic analysis of workplace mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention programmes and of their potential contribution to EU health, social and economic policy objectives | EN
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bulimia ● personal story ● relationships ● self-care ● stress ● eating disorders
Obsesia corpului perfect. De la dietă la bulimie.
Privind retrospectiv, nu am fost niciodată un copil cu probleme de greutate. Am început să îmi conștientizez corpul în școala primară, cam pe la 7-8 ani. Când a intervenit pubertatea și au început să îmi crească sânii am luat-o efectiv razna
personal story ● relationships ● self-care ● stress ● COVID ● anxiety ● depression ● mindfulness ● loneliness ● therapy
Lessons from 2020 about mental health
2020 was a difficult year that we will remember for a long time to come. In 2020 we spent more time alone, learned that not all things are in our control and started to be even more grateful for what we have. In this episode, research assistant Larisa Dinu recaps the events of the past year, identifies two important lessons from 2020 and proposes ideas for a better 2021.
Nature Therapy Review (2018) | Frontiers in Psychology | EN
Loneliness during the Pandemic Study (2020) | PLOS ONE | EN
Article on COVID-19 and Mental Health (2020) | Mental Health for Romania | RO
Atomic Habits Book | James Clear | Elefant.ro | RO
Guide to free or low-cost psychological services | Mental Health for Romania | RO
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PTSD ● anxiety ● borderline ● personal story ● relationships ● therapy ● trauma ● personality disorders
Borderline – cu un picior mereu la război
Manipulatori. Haotici. Instabili. Iraționali. Hipersensibili. Extremi. Toxici. Așa ni se spune. Oamenii cred că suntem de neiubit. Încearcă să stea departe de noi ca să nu îi distrugem, ca nu cumva să-i scoatem afară din zona de confort
MHR art contest ● medication ● schizophrenia
„Mă omoară Pascu Paraschiva!”
Dacă mătușa ei se afla în toane bune, Aura o lăsa uneori să stea cu ea în dormitorul părinților și să se uite împreună la televizor, la un film sau serial. Trupul ei mic de copil stătea tolănit în pat, sprijinit de un morman făcut din perne mari și tari umplute cu pene de gâscă
personal story ● medication ● therapy
The science behind mental health
Ep 3 – In this episode, the young researchers from the MHR team, Dan Mirea and Larisa Dinu, tell us about the science behind health and mental disorders, debating various topics such as: the diagnostic system and its problems, the biological and psychological theories behind psychiatric disorders, how different types of treatment work and what they are based on, and finally the place of mental health within our overall health.
Articles:
The Real Problems With Psychiatry | Interview with Gary Greenberg | EN
- criticism of the diagnostic system as not being a product of science
Debunking the two chemical imbalance myths, again | Ronald W Pies | EN
- debunking the myth of chemical imbalance and introducing the model
- bio-psycho-socio-cultural of mental disorders
Cognitive psychology | Saul McLeod | EN
- explanation of the field of cognitive psychology and how its principles are applied in CBT
Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy | ColorMind | RO
- very clear introduction to CBT/CBT and the conceptual model behind it
Evidence-Based Therapy: Science or Marketing? | Jonathan Shedler | EN
- explanation of the fact that just because CBT is a form of therapy based on evidence and scientific principles does not mean that it is necessarily more effective than eg: psychodynamic therapies
Books:
Masters of the Mind | Theodore Millon | EN
- historical perspective on people’s and different cultures’ understanding of mental health and disorders
The Inflamed Mind | Edward Bullmore | EN
- the book in which the inflammatory theory of depression is presented by its author
The Globalization of the American Psyche | Ethan Watters | EN
- about another component of the faulty diagnostic system that we haven’t gotten around to addressing, namely the absence of cultural differences in the understanding of disorders
Videos:
The DSM’s Origin Story | SciShow Psych | EN
- about the factors that led to the conception of the diagnostic system in the DSM, none of these factors being linked to empirical evidence
The Science Behind Depression | ASAPScience | subtitrat în RO
- focused on the theory of neurogenesis, another theory of depression, whereby depression is linked to insufficient regeneration of neurons
Neuroscience of anxiety | Neuro Transmissions | EN
Mental disorders as brain disorders | TEDTalk-ul lui Thomas Insel | subtitled in RO
- about psychiatric disorders as brain disorders
The connection between mental and physical health | Pysch Hub Education | EN
- short animation showing the holistic view of overall health, which includes physical and mental health and is more than the absence of disorders
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anorexia ● bulimia ● personal story ● therapy ● eating disorders
Cum tulburările alimentare mi-au furat adolescența
Este foarte cunoscut că perioada adolescenței, când toți “înflorim” și încercăm să ne descoperim calitățile și cine suntem cu adevărat, poate veni cu anumite dezavantaje. E perioada în care ne dezvoltăm atât mintal cât și fizic, luând anumite decizii care par normale, dar care pot ajunge să ne marcheze pe viață
anxiety
On anxiety and all its states – part II
Ep 2 – The second episode is the second part of the dialogue with Bianca Vătășescu. Bianca Vătășescu is a psychologist, psychotherapist and career consultant and she talks to us about anxiety – what it is and how it manifests itself. Panic attacks, the link between anxiety and depression, and the importance of therapy and medication in the fight against mental disorders are discussed.
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mindfulness ● personal story ● therapy
Terapie online în vremea pandemiei
Cum s-a schimbat procesul terapeutic și intimitatea dintre pacient și psiholog în timpul pandemiei? În perioada pandemiei, terapeuții au mutat toate ședințele din cabinet în mediul online, pe Skype sau WhatsApp Video. Astfel, pacienții fie au continuat ședințele online, fie au renunțat la terapie. Am întrebat psihologii cum se schimbă intimitatea în
anxiety
On anxiety and all its states – part I
Ep 1 – In our first podcast episode, we present the first part of the dialogue we had with Bianca Vătășescu, psychologist, psychotherapist and career consultant. Bianca talks to us about anxiety, what it is and how it manifests itself. Also discussed are panic attacks, the link between anxiety and depression, and the importance of therapy and medication in the fight against mental disorders.
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sexual and domestic violence ● PTSD ● addictions ● anxiety ● depression ● phobias ● personal story ● stress ● therapy
Ce se întâmplă odată ce ai cerut ajutorul unei asociații de servicii sociale?
Majoritatea cazurilor de violență domestică, fie ea de natură fizică sau psihologică, se datorează confruntării agresorului cu acte de violență încă din timpul copilăriei, acesta învățând implicit că violența este modul de abordare a conflictelor. De asemenea, factori contextuali precum furia
stress ● therapy ● sexual and domestic violence ● anxiety ● depression ● relationships
Un alt fel de relații toxice
“Chiar dacă este dificil să reziști presiunilor din partea părinților, lipsei (sau excesului!) de afecțiune și imposibilității de a lega o relație cu părinții, este important să nu te lași prins la mijloc!” Când se menționează termenul de ‘relație toxică’, există tendința de a ne îndrepta cu gândul la neînțelegerile
therapy ● anxiety ● personal story ● relationships ● self-care ● stress
Anxietatea – sau despre cum totul e doar “în capul tău”
Eu și anxietatea ne știm de mult. Probabil încă de copii. Nu îmi aduc aminte momentele în care ea să nu fi fost acolo sub o formă sau alta. Sigur, ar putea spune unii, anxietatea e ceva cu care ne confruntăm toți. E un răspuns normal în fața
medication ● relationships ● therapy ● ADHD ● informative article ● learning difficulties
Tot ce trebuie să știi despre ADHD
ADHD de-a lungul vieții – ce este, cât de des îl întâlnim, simptome, tratemente și sfaturi Cuprins: Ce este ADHD? Este ADHD o tulburare de sănătate mintală? Simptome Există tratamente? Am ADHD. Ce strategii pot să folosesc în viața mea de zi cu zi? Ce este ADHD? Tulburarea hiperactivă cu deficit de
breathing ● self-care ● stress ● therapy ● eating disorders ● sleeping disorders ● addictions ● anxiety ● mindfulness
Tehnica mindfulness și beneficiile sale
Bigstock James Baraz, autor și instructor de meditație, spunea despre mindfulness că “înseamnă să fii pur și simplu conștient de ceea ce se întâmplă chiar acum, fără a-ți dori să fie altfel, a te bucura de lucrurile care îți plac fără a te atașa de acestea atunci când situația se schimbă
ADHD ● anxiety ● informative article ● autism ● depression ● psychotic disorders
Autismul și tulburările de sănătate mintală care însoțesc autismul la adulți
Ce sunt tulburările de spectru? Autismul și tulburările de spectru sunt tulburări de neurodezvoltare caracterizate prin dificultăți de comunicare, interacțiune socială și comportamente sau interese repetitive. Tulburările care se încadrează pe spectrul autist sunt autismul, sindromul Asperger și autismul atipic
therapy ● trauma ● bipolar disorder ● personality disorders ● self harm ● depression ● personal story
Eu și tulburările mintale: o poveste despre stigmă, diagnostice și regăsire
Am tot auzit cam toată viața mea de om de 20 de ani “gândește pozitiv” sau “nu mai gândi negativ” sau “dacă gândești negativ doar asta o sa atragi”. Sigur, e destul de ușor pentru un om “normal” să își îndepărteze gândurile mai puțin plăcute, dar ce se întâmplă cu cineva care încearcă și încearcă din nou și din nou și nu reușește? Nu reușește să fie “pozitiv”, ca “restul”. Aceste două cuvinte sunt străine pentru mine de multă vreme deja.
medication ● self-care ● stress ● therapy ● trauma ● bipolar disorder ● PTSD ● informative article ● depression
Tulburarea bipolară: tot ce trebuie să știi
Ce este tulburarea bipolară Cat de des este întălnită? Ce o cauzează și la cine apare? Simptome: cum îmi dau seama dacă e posibil să sufăr de tulburare bipolară? Tratamentul: cum se tratează tulburarea bipolară Ce să fac dacă am simptome? Viața cu o diagnoză și auto-ajutorul Ghid pentru apropiați: ce să
medication ● therapy ● eating disorders ● anorexia ● informative article ● bulimia
Tulburările de alimentație: o scurtă introducere
Cuprins: Ce sunt tulburările de alimentație? Tulburările de alimentație sunt afecțiuni medicale care se manifestă printr-un comportament alimentar alterat, precum mâncatul prea puțin sau în exces, însoțit de obicei de o imagine negativă și gânduri obsesive legate de propriul corp sau propria greutate. NB: tulburările de alimentație sunt adesea extrem de grave și pot pune ...
depression ● schizophrenia ● therapy ● bipolar disorder ● addictions ● anorexia ● anxiety ● autism ● borderline
Tulburările mintale în artă
Acest articol abordează legătura dintre artă (în principal artele plastice), artiști și sănătatea mintală. Sunt aduse în discuție atât terapia prin artă, cât și ceea ce au reușit pacienții internați în spitalele de psihiatrie să creeze și cum au contribuit aceștia la un nou curent.
COVID
COVID-19 și mental health: informații & sfaturi
Recenta infecție cu coronavirusul SARS-CoV-2, care cauzează boala COVID-19, a devenit foarte repede cea mai acută problemă de sănătate la nivel mondial, fiind declarată recent o “pandemie” de către Organizația Mondială a Sănătății (OMS). În ultimele cinci zile s-au luat măsuri drastice și în România, precum anularea tuturor evenimentelor cu peste 100 de persoane, închiderea școlilor și suspendarea exportului de medicamente în afara țării.
