College grads: Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Unfortunately, for many, the answer is a resounding “no.” Hordes of college grads have not acquired any skills that will enable them to get a decent job. And if that weren’t bad enough, they’re saddled with a mountain of debt that will be an albatross around their neck for decades to come.

With no prospects for the future, is it any wonder that so many college grads feel lost? This isn’t the way it was supposed to be. Higher education was supposed to be the best investment one could make to guarantee a solid future. Often they feel cheated, left asking “now what?”

If you ever wondered if there was something wrong with bullies and those who engage in bullying behaviors, researchers now have some better idea.

It could be a component of a mental disorder, according to a study out of Brown University and presented today at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting.

After analyzing responses from a parent survey, the researchers found that those who were considered bullies were more than twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD).

Bullying is a problem in many schools. But we need to realize that bullying isn’t always just plain ‘ole bad behavior. Sometimes there are other factors at play.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts a person’s ability to focus on work or a project in order to get things done. Instead, a person with ADHD’s attention is divided, resulting in many people feeling like they’re just spinning their wheels.

The other month we looked at unsuccessful strategies for adults with ADHD.

This month experts reveal fruitless tactics for kids with ADHD. Some of these approaches aren’t just ineffective; they can exacerbate symptoms or impede progress.

Whether you’re a parent, loved one or teacher of a child with ADHD, here’s what doesn’t work — and a few tips that do.

If you have bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform or a schizoaffective disorder, you may have some free money coming to you if you want to go, or go back, to school.

Eli Lilly — you know, that big pharmaceutical company — announced earlier this week that applications for the 2013-2014 school year are now available for the 15th annual Lilly Reintegration Scholarship.

The program provides funding for tuition, books and lab fees to people living with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and related schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, so they may pursue and achieve their educational and vocational goals.

I think it’s a good thing when a company gives back to the community they serve. So I’m happy to pass this information along to interested readers.

“I’m about to bake cookies for my boyfriend!” “I have 2 job interviews this week!” “I just had the most romantic night ever!”

Do any of these sentiments sound familiar to you? It’s not a foreign concept that Facebook status updates may be geared toward all the positive occurrences in one’s life. It’s also likely that when some scroll through their news feeds, they’re comparing these successes to their own lives.

Facebook use has become an integral part of our daily routines, regardless of whether we’re aware of its impact.

According to Digital Buzz’s Facebook statistics for 2011, there are 500 million active users, used by approximately 1 in every 13 people on Earth. Over 250 million users log in every day and 48 percent of users are in the 18- to 34-year-old demographic.

Therefore, it’s not too surprising that studies have been conducted to determine the relationship between Facebook usage and its impact on our happiness, well-being and self-esteem.

This guest article from YourTango was written by Dr. Sue Cornbluth.

As parents, we invest thousands upon thousands of dollars on providing our children with the latest video games, toys and computers. This year, why not take steps towards investing time into your child’s emotional development?

In today’s world, with instances of bullying occuring at all ages, healthy emotional development is critical to seeing our children become successful as preschool, elementary, middle school and high school students.

As a parent, I’m guilty of buying my children materialistic items. After all, I’m human and I want to give my children the best things in life. I’ve now realized that the best thing I can give my children is a good sense of self. When the latest video game becomes a fad, my children will still have their self-esteem.

There’s nothing quite as fun as college can be, as long as you approach it with the right attitude and remember that this is indeed your life. You don’t get to go to college twice (well, unless you become one of those endless students).

Being a student — while potentially fun — also brings with it a bunch of not-so-fun stuff. College students often experience their first serious romantic relationship. They can also grapple with their first battle with a mental health concern — like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, or anxiety (like social anxiety or test anxiety).

The good news is that there’s a lot of free resources available to the savvy college student. Which includes you, since you’re reading this article.

During the summer it’s natural to slip out of study mode — and into fun, sun and relaxation.

So the start of another school year can feel sobering (at best).

But there are ways you can ease into the fall semester, without much stress. Below, Julie Hanks, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist and author of the blog “Private Practice Toolbox” on Psych Central, shared her tips for shifting to student mode.

1. Start reading regularly. “Get back into the habit of reading for longer stretches of time and reflecting on what you’ve read,” Hanks said. Try to read material that’s somehow related to your studies, such as textbooks or journal articles.

It was one of those humid summer nights on Long Island. My friend and I went to a nearby diner — I was giving in to my regular craving for their savory chicken-caesar wrap — and walked around the local town. We talked about our lives, our relationships with those close to us, and navigating our way through our early 20s.

While I want to give this writing thing a try, my friend is learning the ropes of becoming a holistic health coach. We both are met with the odd stare here and there when asked, “What are you doing these days?”

Why? Well, we don’t necessarily desire to have conventional 9-5 desk jobs, and we aren’t looking to settle for unhappiness. (Of course, it’s only fair to mention that we have the luxury of not having to pay rent, and therefore having the privilege of cultivating what we want to do.)

As if on cue, we spot a familiar face around the corner. It’s an old friend we haven’t seen in months. Before I can initiate small talk about our night, he asks us what we’re doing with our time. My friend and I look at each other with amusement; somehow, “the job question” has become the forefront of conversation everywhere.

Many factors shape early brain development. Food and nutrition, genetics, daily experiences, parenting, physical activity and love all are important components.

Studies show that test scores increase 20 percent when your child’s brain is nurtured. It is a growing organ that changes every minute. A brain is capable of remarkable changes up to the age of 25, when it is said that a person is capable of making concrete decisions.

By maximizing the brain’s functioning, intelligence is highly predisposed in everyday activities.

So how do you help this along?

With over 1.6 million views at the moment, this video — filmed by one of the students who was apparently involved in the incident — shows a small group of middle school students in Greece, NY bullying Karen Klein, a 68-year-old grandmother and Bus #784′s unfortunate bus monitor.

Klein is shown crying in the video, while the kids hurl profanity and insults at her. Klein reportedly said the comment that hurt the most was when a student told her she is so ugly that her kids “should kill themselves.”

Klein’s son committed suicide ten years ago, according to Metro.

While the school district makes noises about all the kids involved facing “disciplinary action,” the question remains — how did we get here? How did this bullying situation occur, and why did it occur?

The answer is a little more nuanced than you may appreciate.

The claim: after a single study (which we reported on back in May), computer scientists now know how people with depression spend time online.

From that knowledge, the researchers suggest we could design some sort of intrusive, spying app on your computer, iPad or smartphone to let you (or Big Brother, in whatever form — college administrators, your parents, or big data mining companies working for advertisers) know when you’re surfing in a “depressive” pattern.

Are the researchers over-generalizing from their data, or do we really know how people use the Internet when they’re depressed?

Let’s find out…