Losing a loved one is one of the most tragic experiences we can go through, an experience that has become all too common during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting grief and heartbreak have caused an epidemic within the pandemic—a surge in survivor’s guilt. Survivor’s guilt is the lingering feeling that our own survival, or faring […]

More than two months into the pandemic, experts are raising concerns over the long-term mental health implications for healthcare and other frontline workers. Behind the hospital ward weddings, standing ovations and donated meals, there are thousands of doctors, nurses and paramedics who are exhausted, anxious and traumatized by their experiences caring for those with COVID-19. […]

While the COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide, there is no running tally of the millions left behind to grieve for their loved ones. The weight and scale of this kind of loss in such a short period of time is difficult to fathom, but palpable. The world is collectively […]

For many people, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate their bond with their loved one with cards and candy and champagne.  But for too many others, the day can be a painful reminder of their isolation. This is not a rare burden. A 2020 survey conducted by the health insurer Cigna found that 3 […]

Following an improvised explosive device detonation during a military mission, Captain Luis Avila was left paralyzed and unable to speak.  With intensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy, Avila began his recovery. The music therapy provided by the Creative Forces program proved to be an essential rehabilitation tool and helped Avila regain […]

At IAM Lab’s most recent Dialog Series talk, Jill Sonke, Director of the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, gave “a little State of the Union address” on the field of Arts in Health. Before an audience of healthcare practitioners and researchers, Sonke also sought to lay the groundwork for a […]

Fear courses through your blood as the sounds of sniper shots surround you; the buildings you once recognized as your neighborhood are reduced to rubble on the ground. The destruction traumatizes you and your family; your children struggle to find the words to describe their feelings and regularly wake up from nightmares.  One day, an […]

The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) hosted its inaugural Dialog Series this spring, featuring singer/songwriter turned public health researcher Tasha Golden PhD. Dr. Golden’s workshop, Advancing Health Equity: Embracing the Creative Process to Evolve Health Research, demonstrated the value of using the arts as an innovative tool for communication, research and healing in […]

In June, a diverse group of engineers, biomedical researchers, artists and clinicians gathered in Cancun, Mexico for the 2019 International Graphonomics Conference on Mobile Brain-Body Imaging, Neuroscience of Art, Innovation and Creativity. Each year, participants gather to explore the intersection of arts and science through the lens of contemporary and portable neuroimaging. These innovative technologies, […]

The military face many health risks and challenges on the battlefield, but the scars they carry are not always visible. While physical injuries are on the decline in recent years, service members are increasingly struggling with lingering psychological tolls. More than 500,000 veterans of the U.S. military live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic […]