Mind & Mood Archive

The past two years have been hard and children and teens have had to deal with particularly challenging circumstances. Resilience—the ability to overcome hardship and stress—is one of the most important skills parents can teach their children.

Depression is common among older adults, and insomnia doubles the risk of major depressive disorder. There is increasing evidence that treating insomnia in older people who have both insomnia and major depression has the potential to improve both their sleep and their mood.

Due to the lengthy wait for an appointment with a therapist, many people have turned to the numerous mental health apps available on smartphones. Research did not find convincing evidence that use of any such app resulted in significant improvement in symptoms, but some may be useful as a complement to therapy.

U.S. adults who report being physically active say their most frequent forms of exercise are walking, gardening, and weight lifting, according to a study published online Oct. 8, 2021, by the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

A study published Nov. 16, 2021, in PLOS Medicine found that drinking two to three cups of coffee as well as two to three cups of tea per day was associated with substantially lower risks for dementia and stroke, compared with drinking no coffee or tea.

The acronym SHIELD sums up the habits that may help ward off cognitive decline. SHIELD stands for sleeping at least seven hours per night, handling stress, interacting with friends, exercising daily, learning new things, and eating a healthy diet. Ideally, one should incorporate all of these healthy lifestyle habits into each day. If that feels overwhelming, doctors advise focusing on a different healthy habit per day, until it's possible to practice all of the habits every day.

A large number of apps and computer programs claim to help keep the mind sharp and improve memory. Since there is limited evidence that these programs bring cognitive benefits, be skeptical of these claims and choose the ones that you enjoy. Meanwhile, practice proven brain-protecting strategies such as staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, socializing, and avoiding brain-harming habits such as drinking excess alcohol, getting too little sleep, and using illegal drugs.