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Where mission
and heart meet Behavioral Health. |
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Welcome to the December 2023 edition of Prenatal - 25: Thrive - HCA’s newsletter dedicated to our initiatives in behavioral health, spanning from the early years through age 25.
In this edition, we will focus on empathy in action: exploring disability awareness for a more inclusive society. We highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging for youth, emphasizing understanding and unity. We’ve outline essential tips for Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD), supporting those affected by the “winter blues”. We explore emerging ideas and noteworthy news for inspiration.
Join us on this journey of compassion, awareness, and empowerment as we navigate the diverse landscape of our shared human experience.
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A Person’s disability can significantly shape their life, influencing it in both positive and negative ways. It’s crucial for individuals to face challenges head-on, building confidence along the way. As a society, our primary responsibility is to ensure that people with disabilities can lead a fulfilling life, confidently driven by their hopes and dreams.
Disability awareness has become more prominent in recent decades, making it easier for people with disabilities and society to understand and empathize with each other. This awareness is crucial in breaking down stereotypes and creating opportunities for everyone to contribute to building a positive and inclusive society.
“One billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries. One-fifth of that estimated global total, or between 110 million and 190 million people, experience significant disabilities”. It is also stated that people with disabilities are more likely to experience discriminatory attitudes in the prevailing fields of education, health, social economy, employment, and justice. (World Bank)
Disability awareness is essentially about educating society on what it means to live with a disability and how each of us can contribute to creating positive change. The key is fostering acceptance, which is the foundation of understanding and approaching disability awareness with empathy. This education shouldn’t be confined to just one setting; it needs to happen at home, in schools, workplaces, health institutions, and any other community-based settings. Discrimination against people with disabilities is unfortunately common, and it can have negative consequences for communities. By actively working to minimize this discriminatory culture and promoting disability awareness across all platforms, we lay the groundwork for empathy, ultimately breaking down social barriers, reducing stigma, and creating space for belonging.
“Disability awareness programs are influential to the overall environment of a school. Disability awareness in schools is extremely important because it educates students so they may become better citizens.” (Lindsay & McPherson, 2011). Researchers have found that disability awareness programs at schools have led children and youth to gain empathy and have positive attitudes, providing them with the tools to make them better citizens as they mature. Another aspect of disability awareness within schools is to make the classrooms more inclusive and diverse, allowing a student to learn with and from their peers.
“Many outside influences shape a child’s attitude. They may develop ideas about diversity, life and people from home, peers, and life experiences but school plays an important role in developing attitude. School is the place where students learn surrounded by other people with many differences. At school, students should learn to be accepting, understanding and friendly”. (Rillotta & Nettlebeck, 2007)
Disability awareness is all about taking a positive approach towards people with disabilities. There are millions of individuals facing various forms of disabilities, and it’s our responsibility to contribute to making their lives better. By spreading awareness through different channels, we amplify our collective voice and work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment.
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Workplaces across the nation are defining their approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
But what does DEI mean when it comes to raising and supporting kids and teens in being accepting of people from all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences?
What Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?
First, it’s important to understand the depth of this 3-pronged term and how each principle can require a lot of thought and effort to ensure a job well done. Whether it’s your home or a large corporation, the best way to apply DEI is to focus on one principle at a time, layering and building on these ideas to work your way up to a holistic culture of DEI.
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Diversity: Seeing and accepting, without bias, all human characteristics, experiences and identities that make us unique as individuals and members of cultures and communities.
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Equity: Discovering, creating and providing what is required, requested and measured by each human to feel equal.
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Inclusion: Ensuring everyone is invited to contribute, be seen, be heard, feel valued and be counted in a way that is safe and makes sense for them.
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As fall progresses and winter is fast approaching, some people may experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood disorder linked to reduced sunlight in autumn and winter. SAD can lead to feelings of sadness, fatigue, disinterest, changes in weight, and altered sleep patterns, etc. closely resembling depression.
You don’t need to go through another fall and winter struggling with depressive feelings. These tips may help in boosting your mood and may also benefit your overall mental health:
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Begin or increase meditation practice. Meditation has been shown in studies to help with depression. (NICCH, 2016).
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Create a list of healthy meals and stock up on easy, nutritious staples like rice, beans, frozen vegetables, and fruit. SAD can make it hard to deal with meals and eating, and being prepared can help.
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Develop a list of activities like yoga, puzzles, and reading to make it easier to do things with SAD zaps your motivation.
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Use a light box daily. Light boxes can maintain your natural circadian rhythm and affect hormone activity to keep your mood, energy, appetite, and sleep at your typical levels.
Seasonal affective disorder may alter your brain and body, so employing these strategies for managing SAD could empower you to take control and may potentially reduce the impact of SAD this year.
Sources:
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We have incorporated some emerging ideas and noteworthy news that has caught our attention.
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