Author Archives for Ashley Vactor
On April 21st, 2017, late night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, and his wife Molly, welcomed their newborn son William into the world. Just moments after meeting their baby, a nurse noticed something peculiar about the color of the baby’s skin. This observation resulted in immediate testing and the conclusion of tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary… View Article
Published on - May 3, 2017 8:45 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
Netflix’s new series, 13 Reasons Why, opened up the doors to change the conversation around depression and suicide. We created a petition to request that Netflix add the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number before or after each episode of the series, and share #BeThe1To resources that educate the public about ways that they can make a positive… View Article
Published on - May 3, 2017 4:12 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
Published on - April 27, 2017 3:44 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
MHA-NYC’s young professionals committee, Minds Ahead, hosted their second fundraising event last Thursday: a night full of art, apps, and more that benefited our Bronx Adolescent Skills Center. The art displayed was created by the center’s youth and the event also featured silent auction pieces submitted by local artists. Ticket sales and funds raised by the silent auction… View Article
Published on - April 26, 2017 7:31 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
Columbia University neuroscientist, Rebecca Brachman, recently shared groundbreaking evidence at a TED Talk in Vancouver. Brachman’s research supports the idea that mental illness found in post-war (and even pre-war) veterans can be prevented with the drug ketamine. The 34 year old went on to explain her hypothesis and results when testing her theory on mice…. View Article
Published on - April 26, 2017 3:17 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
A common trend is sweeping through social media platforms classified by experts as “smiling depression.” So what is this trend? Smiling depression is the “ability for individuals to put on a false front to hide symptoms of depression.” If you look around at social media platforms you may never accurately guess who may or may not be depressed. Women’s… View Article
Published on - April 24, 2017 8:36 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
Studies show that about 3.4% of the U.S. population suffer from serious psychological distress, or SPD. According to research from the National Health Interview Survey, “SPD combines feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and restlessness that are hazardous enough to impair people’s physical well-being.” NYU Langone conducted a self-funded research study to determine just how prominent SPD… View Article
Published on - April 20, 2017 8:59 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, and Health Department Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett announce NYC Well expansion. “No New Yorker should be left on hold when it comes to their care, or the care of a loved one,” stated First Lady Chirlane McCray (nyc.gov, 2017). This statement reflects the motivation behind NYC… View Article
Published on - April 20, 2017 6:55 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
The Mental Health Association of New York City works year-round to promote awareness and encourage support of its three-part mission of service, advocacy and education, to identify unmet needs and develop culturally sensitive programs to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by mental illness while promoting the importance of mental health. Read more about last… View Article
Published on - April 19, 2017 6:17 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor
With change comes opportunity. In January, I took on the amazing role of serving MHA-NYC’s staff, consumers, and community as President. This is a period of big change, both at our organization and across the behavioral health landscape. In the first quarter of this year, we faced a proposal from Congress to repeal and replace… View Article
Published on - April 18, 2017 8:08 pm
Published by - Ashley Vactor