Less hustle, more fjaka, VR therapy, and how surveillance changes our behavior
1/21/2025
Welcome to the Mather Report, a free weekly newsletter featuring the latest news and research in mental health.
Good afternoon readers!
It’s January! In the U.S. today we have a new president, a winter storm is sweeping through the Gulf Coast, and a large portion of the country is under a cold weather advisory.🥶
With yesterday’s holiday and many schools closed today and tomorrow due to the extreme cold, you may find yourself getting antsy. Here are some stuck-at-home things to do that don’t involve any tech:
sudoku, crossword or jigsaw puzzles
coloring or painting
bake a batch of cookies
make a mini scrapbook of a recent trip
re-read a favorite book
re-arrange your closet or pantry
take a soothing bath
rejuvenate your skin with a homemade honey facemask
Okay, let’s get to this week’s news…
Mental Health Roundup
💪🏻 Last week, I wrote about the prevalence of hustle culture and how you should not feel pressured to participate. In a world obsessed with constant productivity and achievement, fjaka emerges as a liberating Croatian concept that challenges hustle culture. It's about deliberately choosing to pause, breathe, and exist without guilt, reclaiming your time and inner peace in a world that constantly demands more. Fjaka invites us to reject the idea that our worth is measured by our output, instead celebrating the profound richness of simply being present in the moment.
🤳 Does TikTok really cause brain rot? People who compulsively use apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels show increased activity in brain regions tied to emotions and rewards, as well as structural differences in areas involved in decision-making and processing sensory information. This study found that short-form video addiction might actually reshape our brains, potentially affecting our ability to focus, regulate emotions, and make decisions. Gives new meaning to the term "TikTok brain."
Virtual Reality
🥽 A new study found that a self-guided virtual reality app called oVRcome significantly reduced social anxiety symptoms. The app combines VR scenarios with anxiety management techniques, and proved effective in helping participants manage their fears and improve their quality of life over a six-week period. This innovative approach offers a promising alternative to traditional therapies for people with moderate to severe social anxiety.
🍻College students are likely to engage in risky behaviors like binge drinking, drug use and violence. This study out of GMU found that role-play using VR technology may be a viable preventative approach for substance misuse and violence on campus. The results were improved decision-making and stronger anti-violence attitudes. The research team was able to secure more funding through the CDC to further continue studying the effects of VR on preventing these risky behaviors.
😔 Here’s another VR study on treating adolescents with depression. They found that after completing a series of VR training sessions, participants showed significant improvements in cognitive processes like planning and attention, and a reduction in depressive symptoms, especially when compared to both their initial performance and the group that didn't receive the training.
👴🏼 According to this study, lifelong single people tend to be less extroverted, less conscientious, and less satisfied with life compared to those who have been in long-term relationships, with these differences becoming more pronounced as people age. While this doesn't apply to everyone, it highlights the importance of creating supportive networks for lifelong singles, especially as they get older, to help ensure their well-being and life satisfaction.
👁️ We are being watched, and it's changing our behavior and our brains. From the self checkout to the streets, cameras are everywhere and it unconsciously heightens our awareness that others are watching. This constant monitoring could exacerbate social anxiety and other mental health conditions. The scary thing is that people are accepting this as normal. “Many participants reported feeling relatively unconcerned about being monitored, even though their brains clearly registered the surveillance.” With talk of an AI-powered constant surveillance state, this does not bode well for the future of our mental health.
🦷 We’ve been hearing a lot about the gut-brain connection, but researchers are now interested in how the bacteria in your mouth impacts mental health. They found that people with PTSD, depression and other mental health symptoms had higher levels of certain bacteria linked to inflammation. Conversely, people with anxiety had lower levels of another bacteria associated with heart health. Gum disease may also negatively affect mental health. It’s important to note this study shows a link, not necessarily causation. I’m sure we will continue to see more studies on the oral-brain connection. Remember to floss!
😴 Better sleep gives us more control over managing our memories, according to a recent study. Researchers used MRI to observe the brain activity in two groups of healthy adults, a well-rested group and sleep-deprived group. Well-rested participants were better able to suppress unwanted or unpleasant memories. Sleep deprived participants weren’t able to quash the intrusive thoughts. Another reason to make sure you get enough zzzz’s.
Scientists uncover rapid-acting, low-side-effect antidepressant target. Depression continues to grapple a large proportion of the population. Given the side effects associated with the long-term use of conventional antidepressants, there is a need for novel rapid-acting therapeutics with minimal side effects. Researchers have previously demonstrated antidepressant-like effects of delta opioid receptor agonists in rodents. In their latest study, they uncover the molecular and cellular mechanism underlying its action that can advance its therapeutic development.
SAMHSA Releases Updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance. The updated National Guidance now reflects the national transition to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in 2022 and other progress and emerging needs related to behavioral health crisis care, and provides a framework for transforming behavioral health crisis care systems in communities throughout the United States, at a time when the U.S. continues to face record high rates of suicide and overdose.
Youth/Adolescence
💰 According to this study, stressed out teens are a drag on the U.S. economy. The study followed teens as they progressed into adulthood and found that those suffering from significant anxiety or depression were less likely to hold down a job as an adult, and those who were working earned less in wages. Productivity in those who managed to “avoid stress” (I’d like to see how they measured that) amounted to an additional $52 billion in revenue over 10 years.
📚 A high school in East London has seen test scores soar since convincing students to delete or temporarily cut back on social media use. In 2023 more than half the students took part in the initiative, which significantly raised test scores, and they repeated it in 2024 with similar results. “The social media ban was a game changer for us because all of a sudden our students were 100% focused on revising for their exams,” said Principle Ekhlas Rahman. The school is now ranked among the top performing in the UK.
Addiction/Substance Use
✅ Although they’ve been around for a while now, the FDA officially put its stamp of approval on the marketing of nicotine pouches. The rationale is that the pouches are less harmful than smoking or vaping, and could potentially help those people kick the habit.
Wellness
🍒 That cherry on top will now be a little less red. The FDA finally banned Red Dye No.3 from food, drinks and medicines in the U.S. after years of evidence piling up showing its link to cancers and behavioral issues in children. Next up, Yellow Dye No.5.
Photo credit: Dan Matthews/The Guardian
⚽️ Need a positivity boost? Here's a dopamine menu of 15 ideas to lift your spirits, from a quick “starter” like turning up the volume to a more substantial “main course” like taking in a live sporting event. You’ll be sure to find something to get you out of a rut.
Just for fun…
Photo credit: Jamie Matthias with family portrait – via SWNS
🎨 This dad’s side hustle started out with a bad painting as a wedding gift to his wife. After a posting of the hilariously terrible portrait went viral, Jamie Lee Matthias is now flooded with portrait requests from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland! As a joke he set up an Instagram account Terrible art by Jamie Lee, which as of today includes testimonials from many satisfied customers. “I’ve been drawing this way since I was a child, if anything some of the paintings have got a lot worse,” he said, adding that “there’s no risk of it getting better.”
📝 Journaling
Here are some journal prompts to warm you up on a cold winter’s day:
Describe the sensation of going from the cold, blustery outdoors to a warm, cozy indoor space
Write about your favorite winter memory
If winter were a person, how would you describe its personality?
🎧 Good mood tunes
Here’s an upbeat tune to remind us that, “though the interstate is choking under salt and dirty sand,” spring is just around the corner, and good things come to those who wait.
That’s it for this week. Thanks so much for reading!
Stay Cozy!