Public News Service
Study: 85% of callers to CA Parent Youth Helpline feel ‘more positive’
The California Parent and Youth Helpline turns five years old today – just in time for a brand new study that confirms its effectiveness.
The study, published in the Journal of Technology in Human Services, found that 85% of people felt more positive, calmer and less angry after calling in.
Lead author Elizabeth Harris, a sociology professor at Arizona State University, said that kind of result is rare in social science research.
“Parenting interventions are expensive and difficult to do,” she said. “Most interventions take months to take effect, so to be able to do an effective intervention in 30 minutes, that’s a big deal.”
The data also show about one-third of callers improved significantly on the scale – meaning they either went from making all negative statements to feeling 100% neutral, or they started off neutral and said they felt “100% positive” by the end of the call.
Parents and youths in distress can reach a trained counselor at 855-427-2736, 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Or they can reach out online at CAparentyouthhelpline.org.
Read more about the effectiveness of the California Parent & Youth Helpline
Mental health helpline seeks to expand to help fire victims recover
Mental health groups are stepping up to help victims of the Los Angeles area wildfires deal with the extreme stress brought on by the disaster.
The California Parent and Youth Helpline is beginning to work at evacuation centers and is looking to partner with community or government entities to provide victims with emotional support.
Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous, which runs the helpline, said people can call, text or live chat with a trained counselor.
Read more on why more support is needed
Massive blazes give rise to increased issues with ‘fire brain’
Mental-health experts are sounding the alarm about “fire brain” – a condition caused by exposure to toxic wildfire smoke. One study found that wildfire smoke can cause brain inflammation that lasts for a month.
Suzie Dukes, Chico LMFT and survivor of the Paradise Fire, said the massive Park Fire is now re-traumatizing a community already devastated by the Camp fire, which incinerated the nearby town of Paradise in 2018.
“People are in kind of a constant state of stress afterward, the feeling of being out of control, unable to prevent anything, and this deep-seated fear of losing yet again, more things. The Park Fire is triggering PTSD symptoms all over again,” she explained.
CA group fights stigma for Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the challenges ethnic and racial minorities face when it comes to mental health care.
The Food and Drug Administration says barriers include a lack of health insurance and less access to treatment.
Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous, which runs both the California and National Parent and Youth Helplines, said society must fight to eliminate the stigma around mental health.
Helpline makes strong debut during National Parent Leadership Month
During February, which is National Parent Leadership Month, the nonprofit Parents Anonymous is celebrating the successful launch of the new National Parent and Youth Helpline.
The Helpline has received more than 19,000 calls in its first few months. On Saturday, the group cut the ribbon on its new headquarters in Pasadena.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., spoke at the event, saying National Parent Leadership Month is the perfect time to reassure families they are not alone.
“It is a time for them to learn that there are resources available,” Chu noted. “You can change your life around and feel better yourself, but also help your children live better lives.”
Parents Anonymous created National Parent Leadership Month 30 years ago. The nation’s 174 million parents and young people who need emotional support can call or text 855-427-2736 or live-chat 24/7 on the website.