Getting Girls to Drink
Drinking alcohol – particularly excessive drinking – has long been a male-dominated sport. Males are not only more likely to consume more alcohol but also more likely to experience and cause more alcohol-related injuries and deaths than females. But the gender gap is narrowing. And beverage companies are working hard
Global Practicum Spotlight: Jessica Francois
As I was walking my dog in Central Park the other day, I spotted the earliest signs of plant shoots poking up through the ground. So much anticipation and potential. A lot has to happen before the explosion of flowers in the spring. Within our Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental
Back to School & Mental Health
Young people with backpacks, school uniforms, and big yellow buses are once again part of the daily hustle and bustle in towns and cities around the country. It is a refreshing sight after the shuttering of schools due to COVID-19 in previous years. Beyond their core educational function, schools play
The Future of Mental Health
A little over a decade ago, I received an inquiry from Emma. A university student interested in learning more about global mental health, Emma was wondering if she could intern with me for the summer. She worked with me on a variety of projects and papers, including a review of
Reflections: Black Pioneers in Mental Health
Today is February 2022’s last Friday. Before March comes barreling in like a lion, I’d like to acknowledge that February is Black History Month, with this year’s focus being “Black Health and Wellness.” The Black American community experiences profound systemic health inequalities, which is reflected in elevated rates of mental
Teens, Sleep, and Mental Health
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about night owls and heard from many of you who join me in savoring the quiet of those dark hours when others are sleeping. But if staying up late means not getting enough sleep, it can spell trouble for our mental health. This
The Facebook Files
As I was preparing for my drive from Baltimore to New York last week, my daughter-in-law suggested that I pass the time by listening to the WSJ Facebook Files podcast. It’s worth the listen. 1. The Basics. The Facebook Files is an investigative six-part podcast by the Wall Street Journal.
The Future of Global Mental Health
Talk about the future often focuses on technological innovation, space travel, and the discovery of life forms in galaxies that we can barely imagine. As a professor, my view of the future is much more exciting. It comes into focus every time I rest my eyes on my students. This
Congratulations, Dr. Poku!
Following graduation from Mount Holyoke College, Ohemaa Poku started as the Program Coordinator at our Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health in 2014. Over the past seven years, she’s been busy! She worked at Columbia for a stretch and then embarked on her graduate education in public health. Last week
Risk Forward
We might have imagined that with the vaccine rollout out, this topsy turvy world would feel more settled, but that is not how life goes. The pandemic has been a storm of uncertainty. We have spent more than a year wondering, worrying, waiting, wanting. And it continues: Is it really
Coats of Many Colors
I have a thing for coats, so you can imagine my delight on Inauguration Day. Coats of many colors were on full display. Coats negotiate the space between inside and out. On the exterior, coats shield us from the elements. On the interior, they nestle against our bodies so we
I May Be the First…
When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris walked on stage in her white suffragette suit on November 7th, I cried. One hundred years after women won the right to vote in the USA, she is the first woman vice president. The first Black and Asian American woman vice president. Kamala Harris acknowledged
