(BPT) - The U.S. is facing a mental health crisis, with 1 in 5 adults (about 59 million people) experiencing daily mental health challenges, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Members of Gen Z are especially affected, as they are navigating constant connectivity and social media pressure. According to the BePresent 2024 Digital Wellness Report, 83% of Gen Z believe they have an unhealthy relationship with their phone, resulting in negative effects on mental health and productivity.
Mental health experts recommend tips like regular exercise and meditation to boost wellness, but there's one surprising source of comfort for people looking to improve their mental health: cats.
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;@FC?2=D]D286AF3]4@>^5@:^7F==^`_]``ff^abbagdgc`hgdadhaQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm#6D62C49 23@FE 2?:>2= G:D:E2E:@? AC@8C2>D 2E 4@==686 42>AFD6Dk^2m 92D D9@H? E92E DA6?5:?8 6G6? 2 D9@CE 2>@F?E @7 E:>6 :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 42ED AC@G:56D 67764E:G6 DEC6DD C6=:67] p?5 244@C5:?8 E@ 3@2C5\46CE:7:65 ADJ49:2EC:DE sC] yF5:E9 y@D6A9[ Q$:>A=J 92G:?8 2 42E E@ A6E[ A=2J H:E9 @C E2=< E@ :?4C62D6D 766=:?8D @7 H6==\36:?8[ A@D:E:G6=J :>A24E:?8 J@FC >@@5 2?5 DEC6DD =6G6=D]Qk^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 e H2JD 92G:?8 42ED 2C@F?5 42? 36 8@@5 7@C J@FC >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m`] r2ED @776C 4@>A2?:@?D9:Ak^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 >6C6 AC6D6?46 @7 2 42E AC@G:56D 4@?D:DE6?E[ ?@?\;F58>6?E2= 4@>A2?:@?D9:A[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ =:G6 2=@?6 @C 92G6 =:>:E65 D@4:2= :?E6C24E:@?D 5FC:?8 E96 52J]k^Am
kAmQ%96 BF:6E ?2EFC6 @7 42ED 96=AD A6@A=6 766= 42=>6C[Q D2:5 !FC:?2 !6E q692G:@C:DE sC] p??:6 '2=FD<2] Qp?5 >@DE 42ED 2C6 >@C6 D@4:2= E92? E96JVC6 8:G6? 4C65:E 7@C] tG6? H96? E96JVC6 ?@E 24E:G6=J D66<:?8 :?E6C24E:@?[ >2?J 42ED AC676C DE2J:?8 ?62C E96:C 9F>2?D] r2ED >2J 2=D@ @776C >@C6 4@>A2?:@?D9:A H96? A6@A=6 2C6?VE 766=:?8 H6== A9JD:42==J @C 6>@E:@?2==J]Qk^Am
kAmp?5 244@C5:?8 E@ sC] y@D6A9[ 92G:?8 2 DFAA@CE 2?:>2= =:<6 2 42E :D 6DA64:2==J A@H6C7F= 5FC:?8 E:>6D @7 DEC6DDi Q(96? J@FVC6 FAD6E @C 8@:?8 E9C@F89 5:77:4F=E E:>6D[ :EVD @7E6? 62D:6C E@ D92C6 4@>A2?:@?D9:A H:E9 42ED[ 2D E96J 5@?VE 56>2?5 4@?G6CD2E:@? @C 2D< BF6DE:@?D E96 H2J 7C:6?5D @C 72>:=J >:89E] %96J 5@?VE ;F586 @C ECJ E@ D@=G6 J@FC AC@3=6>Dj E96J ;FDE DE2J H:E9 J@F H96? J@F ?665 E96>]Qk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8ma] !6EE:?8 42ED 96=AD =@H6C DEC6DDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 D6?D@CJ :?AFE @7 A6EE:?8 2 42E[ 766=:?8 :ED D@7E 7FC 2?5 962C:?8 E92E 86?E=6 AFCC 42? 2=D@ A@D:E:G6=J :>A24E J@FC >@@5] %96 AC6D6?46 @7 2 42E 92D 366? D9@H? E@ =@H6C 4@CE:D@=[ E96 9@C>@?6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 DEC6DD[ 2?5 3@@DE @IJE@4:?[ 96=A:?8 62D6 2?I:6EJ 2?5 7@DE6C 6>@E:@?2= D276EJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;@FC?2=D]D286AF3]4@>^5@:^7F==^`_]``ff^abbagdgc`hgdadhaQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmp>6C:42? t5F42E:@?2= #6D62C49 pDD@4:2E:@?k^2m] %96:C DEF5J 7@F?5 E92E 4@==686 DEF56?ED H9@ DA6?E 2D =:EE=6 2D `_ >:?FE6D A6C 52J A6EE:?8 2 42E 6IA6C:6?465 564C62D65 =6G6=D @7 4@CE:D@=]k^Am
kAm#64@8?:K:?8 E96 :>A24E 42ED 92G6 @? >6?E2= 962=E9[ r2E r9@H :D =2F?49:?8 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AFC:?2]4@>^42E\49@H^E96C2AJ\42EDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmr2ED 2D %96C2AJ !C@;64Ek^2m E@ AC@>@E6 >6?E2= H6==\36:?8 E9C@F89 E96 962=:?8 A@H6C @7 42ED] %96 AC@;64E 36?67:ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^A6EA2CE?6CD]@C8^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm!6E !2CE?6CDk^2m[ 2 =625:?8 A6E E96C2AJ @C82?:K2E:@? E92E C68:DE6CD 2?5 EC2:?D E96C2AJ 2?:>2= E62>D H:E9 42ED[ 5@8D 2?5 @E96C 4@>A2?:@? 2?:>2=D] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42E49@H]4@>^42EAC@;64EQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]42E49@H]4@>^42EAC@;64Ek^2m E@ =62C? >@C6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mb] w2G:?8 A6ED AC@G:56D ?646DD2CJ C@FE:?6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw2G:?8 E@ 7665 2?5 E6?5 E@ J@FC 42E 6G6CJ 52J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^962=E9]4=6G6=2?54=:?:4]@C8^H9J\92G:?8\2\A6E\@7\2?J\<:?5\>2J\3@@DE\J@FC\>@@5\2?5\<66A\J@FC\3C2:?\962=E9JQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm@776CD 2 4=62C AFCA@D6 2?5 D6E C@FE:?6k^2m E92E :D 42=>:?8 2?5 C6277:C>:?8] xEVD 36?67:4:2= 7@C >@DE A6@A=6 E@ 92G6 2? 6DE23=:D965 D4965F=6 2?5 6IA6C:6?46 AFEE:?8 2?@E96CVD ?665D 367@C6 E96:C @H?]k^Am
kAmQr2ED 567:?:E6=J =6E J@F <?@H H96? E96:C 5:??6C :D =2E6[Q D2:5 sC] '2=FD<2[ QH9:49 :D 2 8@@5 C6>:?56C E@ 2== @7 FD E92E H6 ?665 C@FE:?6D =:<6 C68F=2C >62=D 2?5 C6DE:?8 E:>6D[ E@@]Qk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mc] r2C:?8 7@C 42ED 255D D@4:2= 36?67:EDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmq6J@?5 E96 4@>7@CE @7 J@FC 42EVD 4@>A2?:@?D9:A[ 92G:?8 2 76=:?6 7C:6?5 42? 2=D@ 255 >62?:?8 E@ J@FC 52:=J =:76 2?5 DA2C< 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 @E96CD] q6:?8 23=6 E@ E2=< E@ @E96C 42E =@G6CD 23@FE J@FC A6E 8:G6D J@F 2 DA64:2= 3@?5] tG6? 7@C E9@D6 H9@ >2J 92G6 492==6?86D >66E:?8 ?6H A6@A=6[ D92C:?8 A:4EFC6D @7 J@FC 42ED[ E6==:?8 42E DE@C:6D 2?5 :?EC@5F4:?8 J@FC 42E E@ G:D:E@CD @776CD >62?:?87F= 6IA6C:6?46D 2?5 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ D@4:2=:K6]k^Am
kAmQx7 D>2== E2=< :D ?@E J@FC DEC@?8 DF:E[ >6?E:@?:?8 E92E J@F 92G6 2 42E 42? 36 E96 A6C764E :46 3C62<6C[Q D2:5 sC] y@D6A9] QtDA64:2==J 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 D@4:2= 2?I:6EJ[ 3@?5:?8 @G6C 42E @H?6CD9:A 42? 36 2 A@H6C7F= H2J E@ >2<6 2 86?F:?6 4@??64E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8md] r2ED 42? 86E J@F >@G:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(9:=6 42ED 5@?VE ?665 E@ E2<6 52:=J H2=<D E96 D2>6 H2J 5@8D 5@[ A=2J:?8 24E:G6=J H:E9 J@FC 42E :D 8@@5 7@C E96> 2?5 7@C J@F] p44@C5:?8 E@ sC] '2=FD<2[ A=2J:?8 H:E9 :?E6C24E:G6 H2?5 E@JD 2?5 E@DD:?8 32==D 7@C 82>6D @7 492D6 2C6 8C62E H2JD E@ 3@?5 H:E9 J@FC 42E H9:=6 6?4@FC28:?8 3@E9 @7 J@F E@ 86E >@G:?8 2?5 @77 E96 4@F49]k^Am
kAmQ(9:=6 42ED =@G6 E@ ?2A >F49 @7 E96:C 52J[ E96J 2=D@ 36?67:E 8C62E=J 7C@> C68F=2C 6I6C4:D6[ ;FDE =:<6 9F>2?D[Q 25565 sC] '2=FD<2] Qv6EE:?8 FA 2?5 24E:G6=J A=2J:?8 H:E9 J@FC 42E 6249 52J 96=AD E@ DFAA@CE E96:C — 2?5 J@FC — @G6C2== H6==\36:?8[ A=FD :EVD ;FDE 7F? 7@C 3@E9 @7 J@FPQk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8me] *@FC 42E 42? :?DA:C6 4C62E:G:EJk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmr2ED 92G6 2 =@?8 9:DE@CJ @7 36:?8 >6>@C:2=:K65 :? 2CE 2?5 =:E6C2EFC6 E9C@F89 E96 286D] tG6? :7 J@F 2C6?VE :?DA:C65 E@ 5C2H[ A2:?E @C HC:E6 2 A@6> 23@FE J@FC 42E[ 92G:?8 2 42E :? J@FC 9@>6 42? DA2C< 4C62E:G:EJ 2?5 AC@G:56 6?C:49>6?E]k^Am
kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ 6?92?4:?8 J@FC DA246 H:E9 42E\7C:6?5=J 7FC?:EFC6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= FA8C256D — =:<6 3F:=5:?8 2 sx* 42C53@2C5 E@H6C @C :?DE2==:?8 2 42E:@ — 42? 8@ 2 =@?8 H2J :? 4C62E:?8 2 >@C6 6?C:49:?8 2?5 6?;@J23=6 6?G:C@?>6?E 7@C 3@E9 J@F 2?5 J@FC 42E]k^Am
kAmQ~G6C2==[ @H?:?8 2 42E @C 42ED[ G:D:E:?8 7C:6?5D @C 72>:=J H:E9 42ED @C DA6?5:?8 E:>6 H:E9 E96> 2E 2 42E 4276 42? 36 67764E:G6 H2JD E@ 3@@DE J@FC >6?E2= 2?5 6>@E:@?2= H6==\36:?8[Q D2:5 sC] y@D6A9]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.