First Psychology blog

Race is a social construct, and the concept of race is often challenged, however that does not change the fact that racism exists and the impact it has on its victims can be severely traumatic.  Different levels of racism People of colour experience racism at different levels, including individual, collective and institutional. This means that racism-based stressors exist not just at an individual, but also at societal level which can make the world feel unsafe.  Individual based stressors are when we directly experience racism (someone attacking you because of your race, shouting racial slurs). We can also experience vicarious racism when we witness racist events happening to other people of colour. Racial trauma is often triggered on day-to-day basis through racial microaggressions which can be experienced at work (an assumption of competence based on race), outside of work (a stranger touching your hair or asking to do so), school (labelling children of colour as problemati...

From time to time, we all have those nights when we may struggle getting to sleep or even waking up several times during the night, but when this becomes more of a regular occurrence, you could be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is when we either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep and it can be quite common, especially in adults, not to mention exhausting and frustrating. Insomnia can be brought on by various factors such as: Stress Anxiety Depression Too much caffeine or sugar Hot or cold temperatures Stress and anxiety are among the greatest causes of insomnia as our body and mind are unable to relax due to the constant worrying thoughts and fears that keep us awake. In a study published on the website of the  National Center for Biotechnology Information, it states that: “In the last two decades, several models have been proposed to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of insomnia and most of them have emphasised the importance of the joint effect of stress ...

Depression is a mental health condition caused by many different factors. It can come in various forms such as postnatal depression, dysthymia, or seasonal affective disorder. Although depression can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, there are also other factors to take into consideration including stressful life events, certain medications, and medical issues. According to the World Health Organization "depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 3.8% of the population affected, including 5% among adults and 5.7% among adults older than 60 years. " Symptoms of depression  There are many symptoms of depression but some of the most common ones are: Feeling down and tearful Feeling helpless and worthless  Having a lack of energy or motivation Tiredness and poor sleep patterns Lack of self-confidence Feeling suicidal Loss of interest in the things you usually enjoy Change in appetite Tips for helping someone with depression Firstly, if you recognis...