Navigating Tension at the Holiday Table

Serving others as a clinician provides a front row seat to observe reactions to societal trends. I was surprised at how many struggled to cope following the election results. These reactions have amplified anxieties surrounding the upcoming holidays. For the last four years, the American Psychological Association has polled regarding holiday health. This year 28% of those surveyed are experiencing more stress affording holiday gifts (46%,) grieving a lost loved one (47%,) and dealing with challenging family dynamics (35%). That may be especially true this December, as revealed by a recent APA survey conducted right before Thanksgiving. A significant 45% of younger people (ages 18 to 34) and 47% of middle-aged folks (ages 35 and 44) said they plan to avoid relatives they disagree with this holiday season in the aftermath of the election. Managing a family’s political differences during the holidays can be tough, but these conflicts do not have to ruin a festive season

How does one engage constructively in family political disagreements during the holidays?

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Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS)

Pregnancy and childbirth are often thought of as times of joy, yet mental health issues can complicate this experience. One of the most famous modern cases centered around a Houston woman named Andrea Yates, who a judge convicted of murder in 2002 after she drowned her five children. Yates was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. She was also diagnosed with postpartum psychosis. The 2023 news story of Lindsay Clancy is another example of the devastating consequences of pregnancy-related mental health disturbances. Lindsay was a normal mom regularly sharing photos of herself happily smiling and hugging her three kids. Yet Clancy was charged with murdering her children before attempting to take her own life. It is difficult to comprehend what led to this mother to lose her grip on reality and harm her children. At her trial, Clancy’s legal defense emphasized that since her youngest child was still a baby, this mother may have been suffering from undiagnosed postpartum psychosis. When reviewing this case in hindsight, it is clear that appropriate intervention may have prevented tragedy. This lawsuit has sparked a nationwide conversation regarding the importance of post-partum mental health education.

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Youth Social Media Warning

At this moment, we are experiencing a national youth mental health crisis.

The U. S. Surgeon General has recently prioritized an advisory that a diversified effort be made to reduce the risk of harm to children’s mental health from the use of social media. Although it has its benefits, it has been concluded that the Internet is not safe enough to support the psychological wellness of children and teens ages 13-17. Kids are spending too much time on the Internet. More than 3.5 hours a day are occupied with social media sites and 1/3 of kids are using it almost ceaselessly. The type of content that may cause the most harm, as well as what may be touted as protective factors, are now being seriously researched.

What parents and caregivers can do
to mitigate this problem:

Create a family media plan to help establish healthy technology boundaries at home—including social media use.
Create tech-free zones and encourage kids to nurture their in-person friendships.
As an adult, model responsible social media behavior. for your kids.
Teach our young about technology and empower them to be responsible online participants at an age-appropriate level that corresponds with natural child development.
Report cyberbullying, online abuse and exploitation.
Work with other parents to establish shared norms and healthy online practices.
Support programs and policies surrounding healthy social media use.

Report - Current Priorities of the
U. S. Surgeon General on Social
Media and Youth Mental Health:
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-
mentalhealth/social-media/index.html#understand

How to create a family media plan:
www.healthychildren.org/MediaUsePlan.

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Talking to Children about School Shootings

Many caregivers are wondering how to address the Nashville school shooting with kids. Adults are uncertain about what to say when a child asks about community shootings they learned about in the news or from school friends. Children may be frightened by rumors or inaccuracies about what actually happened and require a special type of clarification. It is important to be proactive and truthful in talking with kids, but they definitely don’t need to know all the details of the event.

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Helping Children Cope after Tragedy

Many caregivers are wondering how to address the Texas school shooting with kids. Adults are uncertain about what to say when a child asks about terrorist attacks and community shootings learned about in the news or from school friends. Children may be frightened by rumors or inaccuracies about what actually happened and require a special type of clarification.

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Suzette Turner-Clark, LCSW-S, RPT/S, RYT-200