Weekly Digest #117: The Relationship between Mental Health and Cognition
With the recent rise in mental health issues in young people (and academics), the manner in which those mental health issues affects cognitive performance becomes a serious consideration for those in education. We at the Learning Scientists recognize the importance of mental health. We have talked about taking care of yourself, work life balance, and academic self-care. We have also provided information about interventions such as taking breaks and mindfulness. Today we provide resources that discuss the importance of mental health in terms of cognition - that is, how mental health affects learning, memory, and concentration.
Image from Pixabay
1) What are the Cognitive Symptoms (Defecits) in Depression? by Natasha Tracy @natasha_tracy
In this article, the author walks through a quick summary of some of the most common cognitive issues that come from depression.
2) More than Sad: Depression Affects Your Ability to Think by James Cartreine @harvardmed
Dr. James Cartreine describes a study that examines the extent to which antidepressants aid in the cognitive symptoms of depression. Spoiler alert: they don't.
Image from Pixabay
3) Depression and Anxiety Disorders Damage Your Brain, Especially When Untreated by David Hellerstein
Dr. David Hellerstein describes a research study showing that depression changes the brain over time when left untreated, further demonstrating the need for self-care and treatment.
4) Studies Show Depression Affects Academic Progress, Causes Stress and Chemical Imbalance by John Saringo-Rodriguez @DailySundial
In this article, the author discusses the current mental health crisis, how depression affects academic performance, and how it can be treated.
Image from Pixabay
5) Youth Mental Health and Academic Achievement by TeenScreen @Columbia
This is an excellent summary of the research on mental health and academic achievement, including information about several different disorders and how they have implications for the classroom.
Finally, if you are experiencing cognitive problems due to mental health issues, this resource provides suggestions for overcoming those problems. You'll notice that many of them include the six strategies for effective learning!
Every Sunday, we pick a theme and provide a curated list of links. If you have a theme suggestion, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Occasionally we publish a guest digest, and If you'd like to propose a guest digest click here. Our 5 most recent digests can be found here:
Weekly Digest #112: Critical Thinking
Weekly Digest #113: Achieving Work Life Balance in Teachers
Weekly Digest #114: Productivity
