LINCOLN, Neb. -- As young adults across Nebraska leave home for college, psychologists are offering tips to avoid falling into common "thinking traps" that can make the transition more difficult.

Dr. Megan Hayes, clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said one common trap is "catastrophizing," where people focus on a situation's worst possible outcome.

If students are having a hard time making new friends, they may assume they'll be lonely for the next four years. Hayes suggested one way out of the trap is to focus on past experience.

"Maybe other situations that they were scared about meeting people, maybe starting high school or middle school, or if they went to a camp," Hayes outlined. "'Maybe I thought that before in the past, and then everything ended up OK, and I made some really good friends during those times.'"

Cognitive distortions, or "thinking traps," may not be rational, but Hayes pointed out such thoughts can significantly affect how a person feels and behaves.

She advised it is important to pay attention to negative thoughts, challenge them, and consider how you might cope if the worst-case scenario does unfold. For example, if it is hard meeting new friends, you might plan to lean on friends back home for a while.

"Mind reading" is another common trap. Hayes noted assuming someone is thinking about you in a negative light can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, when the other person picks up on your defensive behavior.

She recommended if you don't know with certainty what someone else is thinking, it is important to at least acknowledge there are other possibilities.

"It's not about swinging the pendulum to the other side of the spectrum and using toxic positivity," Hayes emphasized. "It's about leveling the playing field, leveling the scales, to have more balanced thinking."

Hayes added there is a tendency to believe thoughts are completely rational and true in the moment, when in reality they are just thoughts. Instead of defending a negative thought, she encouraged people to poke holes in its logic and ask, "Why might that not be true?"

Hayes stressed becoming aware of unhelpful thoughts, and challenging them, can be a useful tool for people of all ages.

"Cognitive behavioral strategies are a way to increase your mental fortitude, your ability to be resilient to difficult circumstances," Hayes concluded.

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada scored a D-plus for children's mental health, according to a new report from the Children's Advocacy Alliance.

Researchers evaluated the Silver State on a series of mental-health indicators including depression, substance abuse, developmental disorders, suicide and access to care.

Dr. Tara Raines, Kids Count Initiative director at the Children's Advocacy Alliance in Nevada, said the biggest problem is access: The state faces a huge shortage of pediatric mental-health providers, especially within the juvenile-justice system.

"We need more psychologists," Raines argued. "We need more treatment centers for kids with severe mental-health disorders. We need more psychiatric social workers. We need more child psychiatrists."

The report gave Nevada an F-plus grade for percentage of children receiving mental and behavioral care, noting in several counties, families have almost nowhere to turn when a child develops mental illness.

A 2020 report from Mental Health America ranked Nevada worst in the nation for prevalence of mental illness and low access to care. It found 71% of youths in Nevada who experienced major depressive episodes never got treatment.

The bottom line, she said: Nevada needs to aggressively recruit more providers, as soon as possible. Raines would like the state to fund more slots in nationally accredited child mental-health training programs, especially in southern Nevada.

"We know that people tend to stay where they get licensed," Raines observed. "If we can recruit trainees to come here for internships or for post-doctoral fellowships, the likelihood of them staying on afterwards to become licensed in the state of Nevada is incredibly high."

The report authors also call on the state to require mental health screenings for all kids, and reexamine school discipline to focus more on prevention.

CLIVE, Iowa - This week, more attention is being paid to the struggles of people living with mental-health conditions. In Iowa, parents are telling their stories in hopes of inspiring other families to speak out.

Between now and Saturday, groups around the country are observing Mental Illness Awareness Week. Mary Neubauer of Clive has become an advocate in recent years, after her son took his own life in 2017.

More than a decade ago, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and major anxiety. She said the family made a sincere effort to be open about what happened.

"In hindsight," said Neubauer, "it was our way of saying, 'Do you see this? Do you see the impact that mental illness had on this beautiful boy's life?'"

She said leading up to his death, it was hard to find enough resources in Iowa to treat her son's conditions, so that's been another focus of the family's advocacy.

And while the state has taken steps to build resources, including creating a children's behavioral-health system, Neubauer said she worries that access issues remain, especially in rural areas.

For the general public, Neubauer added there are still opportunities to overcome any lingering stigma about mental health issues.

"We all need our mental health and our physical health to truly be well," said Neubauer.

The awareness week comes on the heels of an annual fundraising event for the Iowa chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This year's "NAMI-Walks Your Way Iowa" saw roughly 500 people in attendance, with more than $140,000 dollars raised.

Organizers say a key element is getting more stories out into the public, so other families struggling with a diagnosis don't feel isolated.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Degrading mental health among the nation's K-12 students over the past year and a half has alarmed health professionals. Experts say West Virginia could use federal funding to help address students' needs, at a time when the novel coronavirus crisis shows no signs of letting up.

Tamicah Owens is a summer research associate at the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy and a doctoral student in educational theory and practice at West Virginia University. She said the state will receive more than $761 million to ensure they can reopen safely and meet students' needs.

"So school districts, for example, could hire more teachers," said Owens. "They could hire counselors, they could hire nurses, they could also hire additional social workers and school psychologists and counselors."

Owens explained that the majority of the funds will go to local school boards that will make decisions on how to use the money. But she said they must receive public input from educators and parents on their proposed plans.

Owens said she believes the funding represents a significant opportunity for West Virginia to address some of the longstanding needs and challenges in its education system.

"That is the number one thing that needs to happen," said Owens, "is parents and students and teachers need to be able to put input into what they need specifically to help with these issues."

She also pointed out stark disparities in income and poverty in the state based on race, noting that Black West Virginians are almost twice as likely to be living in poverty than white residents.

She said the economic strain created by the pandemic means students of color are facing greater challenges, and says funding should be used in ways that help combat longstanding inequities.