HDRF Brings Mental Health Awareness to Schools,
February 14, 2019

Seated Left to Right: Jeff Lima, Kelly Lennon-Martucci, Louisa Benton, and Hope Kronman
Standing: Daniel Lampert and Aidan Golub, Student Organizers

Hope for Depression Research Foundation was proud to conduct an expert panel on “Bullying and Mental Health” at the Open Minds summit held January 10 at the Solomon Schechter High School in Westchester, NY.

Our panel consisted of mental health activists and scientists who spoke to an auditorium of 100 students and their teachers about how bullying can get under our skin to create mental and physical health problems later in life.

Growing Old Happy,
February 6, 2019

February! As we move into the second month of the year, we are thinking about how quickly time can pass.   For many, the start of a new year is a time to reflect on time itself and, of course, our own years of life.

Though growing old is a natural process that we all know to expect, it is important to be aware of common mental health risks that can come with advancing age.  For example, experts warn that men ages 65 and older show the highest incidence of suicide than any other age group.*

Here at HDRF we are invested in making sure everybody has the information and resources to maximize mental health, and we would like to share some tips and research with you.

One of the largest factors affecting mental health in older adults is the existence of a strong support system and community.

Inaugural Palm Beach Race of Hope Shines Bright Despite the Rain,
January 30, 2019

Co-Grand Marshals Scott Snyder and Audrey Gruss cut the starting tape

Mother Nature tried but failed to deter hundreds of intrepid souls who came out in pouring rain and hurricane wind for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s (HDRF) Inaugural Palm Beach Race of Hope 5K on Sunday, January 27, 2019.

While a nearby state fair saw a rare closing for weather, more than 300 participants of all ages gathered at 8 AM at Palm Beach’s Royal Poinciana Plaza to walk or run the 5K Race and take a stand for depression awareness.

The 3.1-mile Race began at The Royal Poinciana Plaza, the event’s lead sponsor, and continued along the North Lake Trail and through the streets of Palm Beach.  Along the way, participants were greeted by signs with words of encouragement from celebrities, including Anderson Cooper, Lorraine Bracco and Brooke Shields, who have been honored by HDRF for speaking out about depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, the Lowdown,
December 11, 2018

As winter approaches many of us may begin to feel the “winter blues.” Perhaps we will sleep in more, feel more lethargic in our day to day, notice an increased appetite, or even withdraw socially.*

Because of how common these symptoms are in the winter and fall, it can be easy to overlook them, but for some people colder darker seasons bring an onset of a specific type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be understood as a set of major depressive episodes occurring within a specific season. While summer onset SAD does occur, it is much rarer than winter SAD. It is not completely understood why this is, but there are a variety of theories including, but not limited to:

Gratitude is Good for your Health,
November 20, 2018

With Thanksgiving and #GivingTuesday just around the corner, we here at HDRF have been thinking a lot about gratitude. Gratitude for the selfless actions of others, gratitude for the happy moments in our day-to-day, and gratitude for all of the people and things we love.

It got us thinking about the science of gratitude and the immense positive impact it has on mental health. Below we have shared some of the facts about experiencing and expressing gratitude, and how it may further improve your holiday season.

Gratitude can be conceptualized in many ways, but is most often viewed as an emotion or an attitude surrounding thankfulness or graciousness. While it has been written about broadly as an emotion with incredible positive influences on well-being, until the early 2000s little empirical research had been done to better understand the effects of gratitude.