Mental health

CAPE TOWN: England’s One-Day International series against South Africa has been postponed amid concerns over the mental and physical health of the players, Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a joint statement on Monday. The anouncement comes after the players were subjected to a number of COVID-19 scares with potentially five cases inside the teams' bio-secure environment in Cape Town, with one South Africa player and two hotel staff confirmed as positive. Two members of the England tour party also have "unconfirmed positive results" that require further investigation, the ECB said on Sunday. "The decision (to postpone the series) was taken jointly by the two Boards to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams," the statement added. "The CSA and ECB will now work together to determine when the three-match series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League, can take place in the … [Read more...] about England ODI series in South Africa postponed over mental health fears

SINGAPORE: After graduating from university in 2015, Ann (not her real name) joined a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as an events executive. Her supervisor, she claimed, was prone to mood swings. “One moment she can be very upbeat and jolly with you, and the next moment she will scold you and be very moody - once or twice she shouted at me in front of everybody. So you have to adapt to her mood, which is very stressful and toxic,” said Ann, who is now 27. “When I first joined I thought it was because I had done something wrong that's why she was treating me like that.” Towards the end of her four-month stint, Ann started to see a counsellor. "When you’re in your job from nine to six, it's the biggest part of your life, so whoever you interact with most would definitely affect you,” said Ann, who left the company because she was beginning to feel depressed. Communications executive Mary, 27, who has depression, generalised anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress … [Read more...] about Rise in firms offering mental health support for staff but more can be done, say experts

The field of Digital Mental Health Treatment (DMHT) has exploded over the past decade. DMHT includes a wide range of technology-related interventions, such as internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), smartphone apps, virtual reality, therapeutic video games, and more recently treatments using artificial intelligence (e. g ., therapist bots). Some estimate the number of mental health apps to be well over 10,000 available. DMHTs have the potential to disrupt the current model of mental healthcare, providing access to treatment for many more people, as well as augmenting existing treatments to make them more effective. However, most of the DMHTs currently available are unlikely to improve mental health care. For example, in a 2016 review, researchers evaluated over 100 CBT smartphone apps (Huguet et none had been tested in clinical trials to determine their efficacy and safety. Another well-known issue is the difficulty in engaging users beyond the first download … [Read more...] about The Future of Digital Mental Health Treatment

SINGAPORE: Uncertainties in work arrangements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can have detrimental effects on mental health and authorities here have outlined a range of suggestions to help both employees and employers cope. An inter-agency grouping comprising the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Agency for Integrated Care, the Institute of Mental Health and the National Council of Social Service issued an advisory on Friday (Apr 24) addressing the issue. The advisory highlighted job security and worries about revenue sources as some of the potential stress points for employees and self-employed persons. The dangers of social isolation as a result of work from home arrangements, as well as the balancing act faced by working parents with children undergoing home-based learning , were two other mental health stressors the agencies spoke about. "During this period of uncertainty, employers and workers could consider taking … [Read more...] about Employers, workers can take steps to support mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: MOM

CAPE TOWN: England's cricketers hoped rounds of golf would ease the stress of long periods within a bio-secure bubble but after the One-Day series in South Africa was postponed organisers are taking a fresh look at the impact of COVID-19 protocols on players' mental health. The decision to postpone the series came after potentially five COVID-19 cases were flagged inside the teams' bio-secure environment in Cape Town - one South Africa player, two hotel staff and two members of the England touring party. With cricket tours requiring players to be away from their families for weeks or even months, the sport is having to look carefully at how teams handle the strict conditions imposed on them by host countries. Some have found the toll of moving from bubble to bubble too much. England's Tom Banton and Tom Curran have already pulled out of Australia’s domestic T20 Big Bash League this month. With England's players restricted to bio-bubbles throughout the home summer, and … [Read more...] about Analysis: Cricket faces tough test as long bio-bubble stays add to mental stress