1-833-9-HELP4MOMS – National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
24/7, Free, Confidential Hotline for Pregnant and New Moms
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline can help. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746). TTY users can use a preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 1-833-943-5746.
Pregnancy and a new baby can bring a range of emotions. Many women feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or exhausted at different times during their pregnancy or after having a baby.
These feelings can make it hard to care for yourself, care for your baby, or even do basic daily tasks. Sometimes these feelings go away on their own. But for some women, these emotions, if they last more than two weeks, are more serious and need treatment.
About the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. The Hotline offers callers:
- Phone or text access to professional counselors
- Real-time support and information
- Response within a few minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Resources
- Referrals to local and telehealth providers and support groups
- Culturally sensitive support
- Counselors who speak English and Spanish
- Interpreter services in 60 languages
Learn more about the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.
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The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline can help. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746). TTY users can use a preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 1-833-943-5746. If you...
https://mchb.hrsa.gov/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline?utm_source=news-releases-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=may-15-2022
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Wed, 18 May 2022 16:04:48 -0400
Confidence & Imposters
Written by Amirah Elgendy '22, Mathematics
At the end of April 2022, I asked UMBC students for their thoughts and opinions on imposter syndrome, confidence culture, and social well-being concerning women in STEM. 11 voluntary respondents, all women in majors ranging from chemical engineering to computer science, are included in the data below.
The Imposter
Women in STEM are more likely to experience imposter syndrome as they are often outnumbered in their careers and may experience difficult environments.
Imposter syndrome may be described as consistent feelings of self-doubt by an individual even when they have the skills and competency to complete a task or fill a career position. The individual may also begin to
lack confidence, lack a sense of belonging, and increase negative thinking. Here's the level of impact it has had on respondents (one is least impact, five is most impact)
The phenomenon is especially common among high-achieving individuals who often find themselves in high academic situations and work settings. Though they lack faith that their skills and experience put them there. The fear that they'll be exposed as a fraud for supposedly not having these skills hangs like a cloud over their head. Furthermore,
systemic bias plays a role in the imposter syndrome felt by many women in STEM fields. There are fewer women in higher academic settings, which increases that “imposter” feeling. When you're surrounded by people “like” you or backed by history, you may not question why you're there. When there is a lack of role models or mentors “like” you in the room, you may begin to wonder why you're there.
These patterns of self-doubt often lead to mental health struggles. One respondent described her struggle with self-criticism and need for perfection. Similarly, other respondents mentioned the need to prove themselves to others which often led to burnout.
What are the consequences for leaving imposter syndrome unchecked?
Many respondents described a
negative image of their success or potential using the following words or similar concepts.
A common theme among respondents was the fear to go after opportunities due to feeling unqualified or believing others were more deserving of their success. This often led to students misattributing their achievements to a “mistake" or lacking a sense of belonging and confidence.
Does Confidence STEM From You?
Confidence is often seen as the antidote to self-doubt. Alternatively, confidence can be difficult to maintain and is not the only possible solution.
54.5% of respondents think of confidence as a choice.
72.7% think confidence is more helpful than self-compassion in pursuing a career.
63.6% think of confidence as an individualistic matter rather than systematic.
None of these answers are wrong. Confidence can be a choice, but an environment with systematic bias may make it difficult to build. Confidence may be more helpful, but what about days where you feel you are in a slump?
It shouldn't be seen as the only remedy to imposter syndrome because there are various outside factors that may make it difficult to maintain. Since changing the environment isn't so simple, another solution to make confidence easier to maintain may be to build your own supportive community. Two respondents provided different approaches to working on self-compassion and confidence:
One respondent emphasized being kind to yourself and forgiving your mistakes as they are bound to happen.
Another respondent described the benefits of social support throughout her academic career:
“I have noticed that therapy has helped me a lot to work on self compassion and being gentle with myself overall. As a BTA major, most of my classes are Information Systems classes that mainly consist of men. This is challenging for me to feel like I belong and am in the right place. But finding friends who are women and can share the same struggles, and give me advice, definitely helps.”
Social Well-Being
College and careers are difficult; a group of supportive friends and acquaintances can make it easier. If you find it difficult to find a group of supportive friends in college, you are not alone. Some students may find it easier than others or happen to come across the right people while others find that group later in their career. Respondents had mixed feelings on how difficult they felt it was for them to find a group of supportive friends. Most students expressed at least some sort of difficulty.
If you're struggling to find a supportive social group, here are student organizations that made respondents feel more connected on-campus:
If these organizations are not for you, here are other organizations you can join to help
build community.
Even with a group of supportive friends, social difficulties may arise within the career field. One student shared their experience:
“As a woman in a male dominant field I have often felt alone when doing group tasks/projects because the men usually clique together. By doing so, I feel isolated and have to work harder to “prove” myself to them in order to accept me.”
These free UMBC resources may help if you're feeling a lack of support:
If you're hesitant about using these resources, here is one respondent's advice:
“As a woman in STEM just starting my journey, I have felt ashamed of not being in the same place as others, slowly it's something I have come to embrace in my life. My past self-neglected the way I felt, and didn't want to reach for help. I felt like I could do it alone, once I reached out for help related to depression, I felt stronger, and loving toward myself. Advice for my past self is compassion, validation, and appreciation.”
Finally, we would appreciate your feedback on this
post-survey to improve future programs. Thank you for reading!
Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) is creating pathways for our entire community to work together in supporting a campus culture dedicated to well-being where every student thrives.
Reach Out Retrievers is RIH’s new initiative to help our community to encourage and facilitate prompt action and a network of care and support.
To equip our campus with supportive educational resources, Reach Out Retrievers directs UMBC’s community members to multiple online options:
- Togetherall–a safe online community where students can seek and offer peer support while expressing themselves anonymously. Clinically managed by trained practitioners, Togetherall also offers self-guided courses offering tips on stress management, improving sleep habits, and more.
- WellTrack–an interactive self-help app that helps users better take care of their mental health by learning how to identify and address depression, anxiety, stress, and more.
- Kognito–an interactive training that helps students, faculty, and staff support members of the UMBC campus, by being able to recognize and identify the warning signs of distress while fostering effective communication techniques between parties. Staff and faculty can learn self-reflection strategies, practice conversational methods to address a person in need, and tap into available support services.
Undergraduate and graduate students have told us about the obstacles and challenges they are facing, both at home and on campus. We know that staff and faculty are also facing challenges while trying to find ways to support students. The day-to-day demands of college life, exacerbated by global events, continue to exact significant physical and emotional tolls. Students, staff, and faculty alike might be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, uncertain, unnoticed, marginalized, lonely, and so much more.
Reach Out Retrievers is intended to encourage connection–when we need someone to listen and when we need to support others in need. More than ever, we need to work together to support our community, and, at the same time, break the stigma around mental health.
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Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) is creating pathways for our entire community to work together in supporting a campus culture dedicated to well-being where every student thrives. Reach Out...
http://health.umbc.edu/ReachOutRetrievers
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Thu, 05 May 2022 13:52:52 -0400
