GEMH Lab - Blog

What's the best way to talk about mental health?

There’s a belief that talking about mental illness as a disease (the disease model) reduces stigma and makes it easier for people to get treatment. Others think that the best approach to talking about mental health is to focus on the similarities, thinking of mental health problems as a continuum from the normal “being stressed out” to extreme reactions to stress. There’s no easy solution to this dilemma.

top update

September 2018 Theme Month: You are not alone, you can talk about it!

Anouk Tuijnman - 24-09-2018

We are happy to be back from our summer breaks and excited to start the new academic year. To kick of this year we will talk about... talking. This month's theme is "You are not alone, you can talk about it."

Let’s Talk about Mental Health: YouTubers and Twitch Streamers Speak Up.

Babet Halberstadt - 16-09-2018

Recently, a number of YouTubers and Twitch streamers have started talking about their own mental health struggles, trying to start a conversation with their viewers about this topic. In this blog I showcase a couple of these videos in the hopes that it might encourage you to speak up as well.

Using video games to cope with anxiety and depression - feature by DidYouKnowGaming?

Joanneke Weerdmeester - 17-08-2018

The work of our lab was recently featured in a great video by the popular Youtube channel DidYouKnowGaming? The video addresses how games can have a positive effect on players, for instance by helping them cope with anxiety, depression, pain and attention deficits.

Roundup and discussion - June placebo theme month

Aniek Wols - 28-06-2018

This month’s theme is about placebo effects. Because the month is almost over, I would like to end the theme month with a discussion. Before I do so, I will briefly recap our previous blog posts.

The placebo effect and our physiology

Aniek Wols - 15-06-2018

Expectations and beliefs not only have an influence on self-reported improvements, but they also influence our physiology.

Environmental and psychosocial components of the placebo effect

Aniek Wols - 11-06-2018

The placebo effect is more than just a sugar pill. The social context plays an important role in reinforcing beliefs about the treatment.

What is the placebo effect?

Joanneke Weerdmeester - 06-06-2018

The placebo effect is often used to describe instances where improvements occur as a result of personal beliefs and expectations rather than active ingredients of a treatment. But what exactly does the placebo effect entail? How can it be explained? and why is it important to take into account?

Theme Month June - What do you expect?

Aniek Wols - 03-06-2018

It is June and time for a new theme! Before I tell you what this month’s theme is about, I would like to tell you a little story..

May roundup: A kaleidoscope of options for depression and anxiety

Marlou Poppelaars - 31-05-2018

The month of May is almost over, which means that in the next few days we are switching over to a new topic. In case you missed any of our blogs this month, I have compiled them all here.

GEMH Picks

What's the best way to talk about mental health?

September 2018 Theme Month: You are not alone, you can talk about it!

Let’s Talk about Mental Health: YouTubers and Twitch Streamers Speak Up.

Using video games to cope with anxiety and depression - feature by DidYouKnowGaming?