So What's the Problem?
Mental health problems are all too common in the United States today. In 2016, approximately 18.3% of adults, or 44.7 million people aged 18 or older, were diagnosed with a significant mental health illness1. The prevalence of mental illness is higher among women (21.7%) than men (14.5%) with the highest incidence in young adults aged 18-25 years. Unfortunately, the percentage of young adults in this age range who received mental health treatment (35.1%) was significantly lower than adults with mental illness aged 26- 49 years (43.1%) or those aged 50 and older (46.8%). So only approximately 1 in 3 young adults receives help for their mental health issues. The situation is equally dismal for our nation’s youth as it has been estimated that one in every 4-5 youth in the US meets the criteria for a mental disorder with severe impairment across their lifetime2. Evidence suggests that common mental disorders in adults originate in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, the need for early intervention and prevention in this population is crucial to the treatment of mental health disorders in the United States today.
The Aikens Approach Commitment
At the Aikens Approach, we want to help tackle the problem of poor mental health with programs that build mental resiliency. We know that if your beliefs are positive or self-affirming then you will likely be mentally resilient and able to view challenges with a degree of objectivity or detachment3. This helps you to be mentally tough and able to bounce back when things get difficult. On the other hand, maybe your thoughts tend to be negative and self-critical. Perhaps you find yourself taking things too personally. If so, you may feel insecure, indecisive, and even anxious or depressed. When faced with challenges or difficult situations, your negative self-talk may well result in emotional exhaustion at the least and anxiety and depression at the worst.
The Mind Garden Solution
At the Aikens Approach, we want to help you stay healthy! To that end, we have developed Mind Garden, a series of games designed to fight the problems of poor mental health and negative self-talk. Our games work by helping you develop increased self- awareness and mental resiliency. Through the use of exercises designed to improve awareness combined with guided questioning, Mind Garden helps players to better understand their emotional state and the often unconcious self-talk, which underlie them. Our Mind Garden games include exercises in mindfulness, gratitude and altruism, which have been scientifically proven to improve mental resiliency and well-being. We want to give you the tools you need to be well!
The Mind Garden Benefit
- Enhanced mental resiliency and toughness
- Increased awareness of the nature of thought and it's impact on emotion
- Development of awareness of how the body responds to emotion/stress and how awareness of physical sensation can become an early “red flag”, which will allow the player to look more deeply into their emotional state and cognitions
- Development of basic strategies to manage these cognitions and the emotional states that result
Mind Garden Is
- For any individual who is young at heart and who desires a deeper understanding of the relationship between thought and emotion
- A stand alone product for mental resiliency and well-being
- A powerful adjunct to traditional psychotherapy modalities
Try the Beta Version of Mind Garden and Visit Iallethra Now!
- Our first game in the Mind Garden series, Iallethra, is specifically targeted at youth and young adults. Currently available in it's beta version, Iallethra is an interactive fictional story about the kingdom of Iallethra where you have been called on a magical journey. But there is a problem! The evil Discordians have entered the land and threaten to destroy it's beauty. You must battle the evil and save the creatures of this beautiful kingdom. To help Iallethra, you must grow more resilient and powerful by journeying with a warrior elf as your teacher and a talking mouse as your guide. You will listen to the wise teachings of the elves, Eallryl and Urisk, answer the questions that follow and be rewarded with healing elixirs and magical gemstones. Then, once you are ready, you will take up your wand and battle the Discordians. So, if you are young at heart, as well as brave, please join us now. Iallethra needs you!
Want to help? Please visit our beta version of Mind Garden now. We want your feedback!
References
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml - part_155771.
- Merikangas KR, He J-p, Burstein M, et al. Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in US Adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Study-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2010;49(10):980-989.
- Pritchard PA. Chapter 4 - Mental Toughness. Success Strategies From Women in STEM (Second edition). San Diego: Academic Press; 2015:97-138.