Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a wide range of behavioral alterations, including impaired social interaction and repetitive behaviors. Numerous pharmacological interventions have been developed for autism spectrum disorder, often proving ineffective and accompanied by a multitude of side effects. The gut…

Influence from bias is unavoidable in clinical decision-making, and mental health assessment seems particularly vulnerable. Individuals with intellectual disabilities have increased risk of developing co-occurring mental disorder. Due to the inherent difficulties associated with intellectual disabilities, assessment of mental health in this…

Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old African-American youth on the Autism-spectrum, was shot and killed by police officers in March 2024. The authors reflect on the tragedy of this incident and the harms that such police actions inflict on people living with disabilities and/or mental illnesses, as well as on their families, loved ones, and communities.…

In this article I discuss two different approaches to mental health in schools. What I have described as an adaptive model focuses on a 'wellbeing' policy involving training teachers to spot the 'early signs' of mental health problems and to take action themselves or make an appropriate referral. The alternative is the 'whole-school approach'…

The news of a 16-year old teenager hacking a 13-year old boy to death in a toilet unprovoked in a secondary school in Singapore shook the whole nation in July 2021. In this article, we analyze the institutionalizing responses to the growing sense of youth mental health crisis in Singapore, catalyzed by River Valley High School incident, as the…

In Chapter V of his autobiography, John Stuart Mill describes the 'crisis in my mental history' that cast this brilliant mind into profound gloom at age 20. Mill makes clear that his plight had everything to do with the extraordinary analytical and critical education imparted to him by his father. That which prompts Mill's deep distress, as well…

Drawing on cognitive criticism, and using Theory of Mind, transportation, and imaginative resistance as a framework, this essay analyzes the ways in which Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows Duology, can build understanding of and empathy for people with living with mental illnesses. Maria Nikolajeva's germinal work on cognitive approaches to literature…

Fear is an adaptive emotion that serves to protect an organism against potential dangers. It is often studied using classical conditioning paradigms where a conditioned stimulus is paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus to induce a threat response. Less commonly studied is a phenomenon that is related to this form of conditioning, known as…

The PSS10 has been used widely and is helpful to identify at-risk individuals for clinical mental illness such that timely early intervention can be provided. Directions for applying PSS10 with college freshmen and transfer students are suggested noting several non-negligible psychometric concerns including gender bias and violation of ordinality…

In the past several decades, the number of college students who experience mental health concerns has increased astronomically. During that time, acts of campus violence have increased as well. Unfortunately, many colleges have been unable to effectively meet the needs of students with mental disorders. This article explores the challenges…

Background: Mental health conditions are common among individuals with intellectual disability. Under recognition of mental health disorders leading to unmet treatment needs is common in this population. This article addresses one major contributing factor, the lack of cognitively accessible self-report measures for individuals with intellectual…

This article looks at ways schools can address the problem of increased mental health concerns among students in the school setting. Insufficient training of school staff, lack of mental health professionals in schools, inconsistent programming, and teacher mental health concerns make supporting students mental health difficult. Addressing these…

Pastoral care in education aims to promote the holistic development of all pupils whilst supporting those who experience challenging personal circumstances. Significant developments have been made in this field in recent years, including increased focus in Initial Teacher Education, yet major challenges remain to be addressed nationally and…

Australia's demand for nurses is exponentially increasing as we are faced with a global pandemic, an ageing population, and an increase in chronic health conditions and mental health issues. This presents a significant challenge for the healthcare system by increasing the absolute number of people needing care. The Enrolled Nursing course can…

This paper has been developed based on my learning experiences within the Master of Education program at Thompson Rivers University. As well as, my time teaching at Burdett School while working with the Low German Mennonite student population; and experiencing the interrupted mental health and well-being they face given their migration, forced or…