Women’s World Cup and Mental Health
Yesterday marked the Opening Day of the Women’s World Cup. Jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the best female soccer players from 32 countries will compete over the coming month to determine who takes home the 18-carat gold trophy on August 20th. Perhaps you are a huge soccer –
It’s Complicated
A delegation of Advisory Board Members from our Columbia WHO Center for Global Mental Health joined me in Israel for a 10-day trip that concluded earlier this week. Interspersed with the more typical sightseeing, we focused on learning about mental health priorities in Israel – specifically, conflict, trauma, resilience, and
Reflections from Kaplan Street
I was scheduled to spend time as a visiting scholar in Israel in the spring of 2020. Postponed and rescheduled a few times due to global and personal circumstances, I finally arrived in Tel Aviv last week to collaborate with Israeli colleagues on several mental health initiatives over the coming
COP27 + cop2
When I was in Egypt last month, I saw signs everywhere for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (a.k.a. COP27) that was to take place in Sharm El Sheikh. Over the past two weeks, heads of state, government officials, and members of civil society convened there to take action
Making Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority
High-income country, Low-income country; Northern hemisphere, Southern hemisphere; East, West. Regardless of where you call home, mental health is core to the well-being of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Each year on October 10th – World Mental Health Day – The World Federation for Mental Health leads a global campaign
WHO Releases New Guidelines on Mental Health at Work
About a decade ago, a large multinational corporation invited me to speak to their employees around the world about mental health. The catch: I could not use the words “mental health” or “mental illness.” At the time, these terms were too stigmatizing, too provocative, and too triggering in the world
What’s in a Number?
My oldest son’s high school basketball jersey was number 24. We bought a house with 24 as the street address. Next, younger siblings picked 24 for their team jerseys. Before we knew it, 24 became our family’s lucky number. Proof of its portending good fortune, my first grandchild was born
Quintessential Queen
I am generally fascinated by the British royal family, but I am in awe of Queen Elizabeth. When I heard that she had left the worries of this world behind yesterday, I couldn’t keep myself from interrupting a team meeting to pause and pay tribute. The United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch,
From Local to Global: Mental Health at Every Turn
I am a bit breathless. This has been a week chock full of public news and life events that push mental health to the forefront of our attention. The variety of topics reminds us that mental health is linked to stories near and far, joyful and painful, universal and particular.
Building Communities that Build Capacity
This past Monday, April 25th, was the annual luncheon and meeting of the Columbia Council for the Advancement of Global Mental Health Research. Council members, current and past grant recipients, faculty, and staff gathered in person and online to celebrate this growing network and learn about projects that are underway.
The Hare with Amber Eyes
The Hare with Amber Eyes is an extraordinary memoir pieced together with exquisite care by British ceramicist Edmund de Waal. He tells the story of his family, the Ephrussi, who went from Jewish shtetl in Odessa in the 1800s to opulent palaces in Vienna and Paris by the early 1900s.
Shamrock Taschen!
The Jewish holiday of Purim and the Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day both landed on Thursday of this week, March 17th. As a Jewish woman with Irish ancestry, this serendipitous coincidence makes me feel a little giddy. Although the origins and traditions of the two holidays are worlds apart,
