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 (she/her), a graduate of English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, is a Black, Queer lover of words, inquisition, and community, and has used her role within both literary and organizational spaces to make room for folks who are often cast aside, silenced, or overlooked. In addition to mental health, her other writing, editing, and sensitivity consulting work covered varied topics related to the intersections of Blackness, fatness, & Queerness, activism, and reproductive justice. Taneasha is excited to continue this work of amplifying marginalized voices, centering intersectionality, and destigmatizing mental health.

Zuri White-Gibson

It seems that everyone has an opinion about what happened between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.

As a presenter at the Oscars, Rock told a joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, referencing “G.I. Jane” — a 1997 movie starring Demi Moore with a buzz cut.

Smith responded to the joke about his wife by walking onto the stage and slapping Rock across the face. 

 diagnosis, an autoimmune disease that leads to hair loss. Many would say the difficult journey she’s 

 could be seen on her face immediately following Rock’s joke.

Rock attempted to joke his way through “the incident,” as Smith returned to his seat and shouted expletives that were muted from the broadcast. Moments later, Smith accepted the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “King Richard.”

The slap heard around the world had audiences reeling — but there may be more to Smith’s behavior than meets the eye.

5 clinicians weigh in on Will Smith’s slap

It takes a lot to emotionally regulate oneself before high-pressure moments like the Oscars. 

While we at Psych Central don’t condone violence, examining Smith’s behavior through a mental health lens may offer some explanation as to why he reacted the way he did. Emotional dysregulation, for instance, describes an individual’s inability to 

We spoke with a few mental health experts to discuss the psychological implications of “the incident” — including why we’re so obsessed with talking about it.

, DO, MPH, a board certified psychiatrist and the chief medical officer of Elocin Psychiatric Services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a member of the Psych Central Medical Advisory Board 

, LMFT, a marriage and family therapist at Agape Counseling Center in Fairfield, California

, a licensed professional counselor with Mindpath Health in Texas

, LPCMH, clinical director at NorthNode Group Counseling in Dover, Delaware

Why was the Oscars’ slap so polarizing — and why can’t we stop talking about it? 

These two celebrities are pretty established and well-respected in their fields. These are mature men who have been in the industry for decades, not new to the scene young men who we kind of expect some hotheadedness from. 

 [The incident] brought up a range of ethical dilemmas we face as humans. In that moment, anyone who stood against acts of violence was forced to choose a team.

Did Smith experience emotional dysregulation in response to Rock’s joke? 

 If [Smith] would have taken a few seconds to reframe his thoughts, to think about this night possibly being his moment, he would have responded differently. High-pressure moments, especially for Black people, require a high degree of emotional regulation. Sometimes it takes but a few seconds to see the “bigger picture.”

 Of course, none of us know what was going through Smith’s head in the minutes, hours, days prior to this happening. It seems as if it were a very impulsive reaction and perhaps had he taken a minute to breathe he would have reacted differently.

 Will and Jada have publicly and routinely shared their marital and extramarital activities via interviews and books. Their family has been the subject of discussions for decades. 

From their marriage to how they have raised their kids, people have publicly questioned and ridiculed their family structure. I think the public ridicule has brought about high levels of 

. Chris’ joke wasn’t the first poke at their family that night.

Given that Smith grew up in a domestic violence household, could the slap have been borne out of a “fight-or-flight” response? 

 Smith had just released a memoir in which he wrote about feeling guilty for not protecting his mother from his abusive father. Behind the fame, Will is a human being who’s an adult that witnessed 

Witnessing abuse can change the brain, leading to 

Having the knowledge of a previous conflict creates a bookmark in our mind that this situation is not safe. 

[This may be an example of] intergenerational patterns of behavior — when beliefs and behaviors are passed down generationally, either genetically or through conditioning. Subsequently, Will has developed a passive and aggressive demeanor from his upbringing that allows him to subconsciously repeat the behavior. 

What’s the psychology behind the culture of celebrity worship?  

 When someone achieves fame, we idolize them and hold them to a higher standard. Because we see them as superhuman, we forget that they are real people with feelings and emotions. 

We don’t expect them to react or be flawed in any way. We forget that what they do to entertain us is them going to work, with long hours and uncomfortable demands. We forget that they have families and have been trying to navigate the same world we live in. 

When a celebrity makes a mistake or faces a challenge, I think it’s a mental and emotional escape for us. It’s easier to get invested in others’ lives because it’s an escape from looking within and thinking about our own imperfect life.

 It’s “safe” to judge and hold celebrities accountable because individuals believe they would never actually encounter them in real life. People can call out celebrities and hold them accountable for actions they would never confront in their personal lives.

Why do people seem to project their own issues around violence or conflict resolution onto events like these?

 comes with an emotional attachment to the experience, the conflict, or both. Projection is a way to disregard their own behaviors or emotionally react to their own trauma, but through the lens of another’s demise.

The reason why two people can see the same event but have a different account of what happened is due to the “

” in the brain. Our brain has mirror neurons that allow us to empathize and take the perspective of others.

Often our perspective about a situation is based on our view of our self and that causes us to project our own issues around violence and conflict resolution into this event.

Rock’s joke about Pinkett Smith may have been in poor taste, but ultimately, Smith’s slap was inexcusable and led to his 

While there are seemingly endless opinions on the infamous slap, there are also conflicting viewpoints as media personalities, the public, and even mental health professionals weigh in.

, which may be a form of escapism or even a lack of empathy toward others.

Whether you’re Team Rock or Team Smith, it’s important to consider the emotional impact the slap had on Pinkett Smith. What some may say was just a 

 may have caused harm to her mental well-being.

The interviews for this article were edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.

Some mental health experts say that Smith's violent childhood may have played a role in his response to Rock's joke about Pinkett Smith, while others suggest "the slap" may have been a sign of emotional dysregulation.

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5 Mental Health Experts Weigh In on Will Smith's Slap at the Oscars

Andrea Rice (she/her) is an award-winning journalist based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As an editor at Healthline she covers mental health news and trending topics. Her work has appeared in news outlets such as 

, and wellness publications such as Yoga Journal, Verywell, mindbodygreen, and Psych Central. As a yoga and meditation teacher since 2010, Andrea’s book, 

, offers seasonal practices to nourish the body and mind. Connect with her on 

Andrea Rice

As the stigma around mental health continues to fade, the field itself is changing — some might say for the better. 

In March 2022, American Psychiatric Association (APA) Publishing released a Text Revision (TR) to the 

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5)

 to add clarity around certain mental health conditions and diagnostic criteria and codes.

 include the addition of prolonged grief disorder as a condition, as well as symptom codes for suicidal behavior and nonsuicidal self-injury.

The APA also consulted culture and equity professionals to acknowledge the historical role of racial discrimination in clinical diagnoses. Language throughout the DSM-5-TR was updated to promote inclusivity for People of Color and marginalized groups.

The DSM-5-TR has refined some of its diagnostic criteria and codes, which may better inform how mental health professionals work with their clients and how they file claims with insurance companies. 

Although the DSM-5-TR cannot fully address the unique experiences and situations of every individual, improved diagnostic criteria may help clinicians identify their clients’ disorders or conditions with more accuracy.

“For the [clients] whose symptoms are not fully represented in the present DSM-5, this is a start to treatment planning and more thoughtfully diagnosing,” said 

, PsyD, a trauma psychologist in Pennsylvania and New York and Psych Central Advisory Board member, in an email.

The DSM-5-TR added symptoms associated with 

 to its list of diagnostic criteria. Now, clinicians can make a formal diagnosis for those who have faced difficulty coping with loss for an extended period of time.

Still, everyone’s grieving process is different, and there’s some controversy among clinicians when it comes to linking a person’s experiences of loss to a mental health disorder.

“I think these [clients] would generally get lumped into adjustment disorders or depression diagnoses,” said 

, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York and Psych Central Advisory Board member, said in an email. 

 that 1 in 10 adults may experience prolonged grief — especially now, with this pandemic having killed so many people suddenly, this is a really important addition,” she said.

According to the DSM-5-TR, the diagnostic criteria for prolonged grief includes:

a persistent grief response for a duration of longer than 12 months (6 months for a child)

symptoms that significantly interrupt a person’s day-to-day functioning

experiences that can’t be attributed to another condition, such as 

The DSM-5 removed “unspecified mood disorder” as a diagnosis in its 2013 update, which meant that clinicians had to diagnose their clients with a specific mood disorder instead.

The DSM-5-TR has reverted to the “unspecified” diagnosis to include a range of possible mood disorders, which may help clinicians avoid potential misdiagnoses.

“Unspecified mood disorder has been reinstated to provide diagnosis to someone whose presenting symptoms do not fit neatly under bipolar or depressive disorders,” Kubala said.

According to Gepp, distinguishing between bipolar disorder and depressive disorders takes time. Often, symptoms concurrent with 

“When a patient is misdiagnosed with depression and prescribed an SSRI, this could push that person into a manic episode,” Gepp explained.

According to Gepp, the DSM-5-TR reinstating unspecified mood disorder allows practitioners more time to observe a client’s symptoms to provide a more accurate diagnosis and subsequent prescription.

The DSM-5-TR has added self-harm without the presence of suicidality to its list of diagnoses.

Because not everyone who has engaged in self-harm may do so with the intent of ending their life, lumping it into suicidality could blur assessments made by clinicians.

“It’s good to differentiate those, as there [are] many people who self-harm without an intention of suicide,” Gepp said. “The intent of the injury is the focus, which makes it easier to track the behaviors for us and assess risk.”

In addition, diagnostic codes for suicidal behavior without the presence of other mental health disorders have been included in the new updates.

The DSM-5-TR includes changes to its language around gender and 

 to help reduce stigma by clarifying that these aspects of a person are not selected by choice.

This includes the more accurate and inclusive changes of:

“desired gender” to “experienced gender”

“cross-sex medical procedure” to “gender-affirming medical procedure”

“natal male/native female” to “individual assigned male/female at birth”

, MD, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and chair of the DSM-5-TR Cross-Cutting Culture Review Group, told Psych Central that reviewing the DSM through a lens of equity and inclusion and making appropriate changes were high on the committees’ priority list.

, PhD, MSN, RN, a professor, holistic healthcare practitioner, and Psych Central Advisory Board member, said the addition of racial and cultural perspectives in the DSM-5-TR is beneficial.

“If we’re going to be talking about this, then we should talk about social norms and cultural norms and how they’re going to be different depending on race and where you live, and I think that’s worth identifying,” Wilson said by phone.

According to Lewis-Fernandez, future iterations of the DSM-5 will likely incorporate further changes, specifically around how social, sociocultural, and genetic disorder causations intersect, all with the goal of enabling clients to be seen within a more holistic framing. 

“The role of social determinants of mental health has been increasingly recognized in recent years,” he said. “DSM-5-TR started to incorporate this information but there is still more that needs to be done in this area.”

The DSM-5-TR’s acknowledgment of how race and discrimination have historically impacted mental health care is a step forward in creating more safe and 

inclusive environments for People of Color

But barriers to quality mental health care still exist, such as cost factors, health insurance, and enough access to culturally competent counselors and therapists.

According to Kubala, the varied opinions and shifting cultural dynamics within the mental health field speak to the necessity of ongoing updates to the DSM. As research in the field continues to evolve, so will the manual.

“It’s always beneficial to have an open dialogue between [clients], providers, and the public regarding mental illness, and ways in which the field is continually evolving in an effort to provide the most comprehensive, sensitive, research-based, compassionate, appropriate treatment,” Kubala said.

The DSM-5 was updated in March 2022 with changes to diagnostic criteria and codes, including the addition of prolonged grief disorder. The updates also focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in mental health care.

In the foreground a woman sits facing away from the camera. Behind her there is a woman facing the camera. The woman facing the camera looks like she is speaking as if it is a therapy session.

Jayme Burrows/Stocksy United

What the New DSM-5 Updates Could Mean for Your Mental Health

Rena Goldman is a freelance journalist and editor based in Los Angeles. She enjoys writing and learning about health, wellness, mental health, and how politics and policies impact our daily lives. Her articles have been featured in national publications and lifestyle brands. You can find her hiking and exploring her Los Angeles neighborhood with Charlie, her lovable dachshund mix, when she isn’t writing or editing.

Rena Goldman

During his first State of the Union speech, President Joe Biden introduced his administration’s strategy to address the national 

The portion of the address before Congress on March 1 devoted to mental health was brief, lasting about 5 minutes, and touched on four points. 

access to mental health care for all Americans

These four points are part of a broader strategy the administration hopes will improve the way mental health is understood and treated.

In addition to speaking about mental health, Biden reaffirmed his support for the LGBTQ+ community and spoke out against what he called “the 

 targeting transgender Americans and their families.” He urged Congress to pass the 

In response to the opioid epidemic, Biden called for increased funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery, saying that those 

“I celebrate the 23 million Americans in recovery,” he said.

, claiming these tech giants have exacerbated mental health issues brought on by social isolation due to the pandemic. 

 by banning targeted advertising to children and demanding tech companies stop collecting personal data from children.

“We must hold social media companies accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit,” the president said. “It’s time to strengthen privacy protections.”

The State of the Union speech also addressed the need for expanding access to mental health care for all Americans. 

“Let’s get all Americans the mental health services they need. More people they can turn for help and full parity between physical and mental health care,” Biden said.  

The president’s fiscal year budget for 2023 will propose that all health plans cover mental health services with an adequate provider network, including three visits each year with no cost-sharing. It will also offer double funding for programs that integrate physical health and mental health. 

“I’ve always believed we have a sacred obligation to equip those when they go to war and care for those and their families 

The administration’s plan aims to close the mental health care disparity among veterans by improving integration services through the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow easier access to same-day mental health care. 

Much of the Biden administration’s strategy to address the national mental health crisis will build on The American Rescue Plan, the 2021 bill passed to provide additional relief from the impact of COVID-19, with additional financial investments to expand access to mental health services. 

The president is calling on Congress to pass legislation that will create stronger online protections for children and young people, such as banning excessive data sharing and targeted advertising and prioritizing safety and well-being over profit and revenue.

During his State of the Union speech, President Biden shared elements of the administration’s strategy to address the national mental health crisis in the United States. 

President Joe Biden giving State of the Union address

Saul Loeb /Pool/Getty Images

President Biden Addresses Mental Health Crisis in State of the Union

Most people who test positive for COVID-19 feel better within a couple of weeks. For others, post-COVID conditions — known as long COVID — may persist for months or more. 

 comprising more than 11 million people suggests that mental health conditions could be among the growing list of symptoms associated with 

Can long COVID affect your mental health?

The large-scale research shows a 60% increase in a broad range of mental health conditions for up to 1 year after developing COVID-19. 

The risk for mental health diagnoses and prescriptions was greater among those who were hospitalized from COVID-19 but was present among those with a mild infection, too.

Possible mental health outcomes following a COVID-19 diagnosis included:

Using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs national healthcare databases, the researchers examined the risks of mental health outcomes among individuals who survived at least 30 days following a positive COVID-19 test between March 2020 and January 2021 (before the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine).

Data for 153,848 subjects was compared with two control groups without COVID-19: 

Participants were largely white men in their early 60s, though women and minority groups were also included.

Results suggest that, compared to mental health disorders typically seen after influenza, a SARS-CoV-2 infection (the virus that causes COVID-19) exacerbated the risk of onset among the 150,000+ people observed. 

, MD, chief of research and development at Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical epidemiologist, said the “neuropsychiatric manifestations” associated with long COVID could offer a possible explanation for the increased risk for mental illness following infection.

“We see higher risk in COVID versus flu. We also see higher risk in people hospitalized for COVID versus those hospitalized for any cause,” Al-Aly told Psych Central. 

“All of this tells us that there’s something about the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself that may lead to the increased risk of mental health disorders. This may be related to changes in brain chemistry, neuronal connections, and brain architecture that may affect centers in the brain that are related to mood.” 

A causal relationship seems to exist between COVID-19 and mental health.

 shows that pandemic-related stressors have caused severe mental health and psychosocial problems worldwide. 

 has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with Youth of Color and other marginalized groups disproportionately affected.

And in September 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added mental health conditions to its 

risk list for severe illness from COVID-19

Al-Aly said he and his team of researchers designed their study with a possible causal relationship in mind. 

That’s why they looked at the risk of mental health outcomes in those who did not have underlying mental health conditions before infection, noting increased risks in onset among those individuals.

“The mayhem that COVID can cause does not surprise me anymore,” Al-Aly said. “It’s not the stress of having an infection or the stress of being sick or hospitalized. It’s more likely there are biological drivers of this — the virus may be doing something in the brain that’s resulting in all of this.” 

, MD, MPH, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of California, San Francisco, offered another possible explanation. 

, and fear of the unknown have been on the rise over the past 2 years, especially for those who contract COVID-19,” Gandhi told Psych Central.

According to Gandhi, anxieties and fears synonymous with the pandemic — mortality, morbidity, and ongoing symptoms — are common among those with COVID-19 and are compounded with conflicting reports in the scientific literature about long-term effects.

“The medical establishment owes it to society to convey factual information without hyperbole or increasing fear about the effects of COVID-19,” Gandhi said.

While the new study is composed of more than 11 million people, only about 150,000 individuals were examined closely, the majority of whom were older white men. 

Still, the study was large in size. Data from other populations included:

10% female participants (more than 1 million)

20% Black participants (more than 2 million)

“I think we need to know more about the mechanisms of mental health disorders in people with COVID-19 and if there’s a way to reduce that risk in people who get COVID-19,” Al-Aly said.

“We will continue to delve deeper into this and follow people for a longer period of time. Our data was only for 1 year, and we would want to know what happens after 18 months and after 24 months. This is very important.”

Since the study data was collected, millions of people have been vaccinated, and researchers are making progress with various treatments for COVID-19. As treatment and prevention methods improve, the onset of mental health outcomes following COVID-19 may change.

, the risk of infection may remain indefinitely. If you or a loved one have recently contracted the virus, you may wish to reach out to a 

If you’re concerned about the long-term symptoms associated with the virus, which may include an increased risk for mental illness, a 

 on long-haul COVID speaks to the importance of vaccinations. 

According to the results, those who received 2 vaccine doses were less likely to report long-haul symptoms than unvaccinated individuals. Vaccinated subjects reported no more frequent symptoms than those who had never contracted the coronavirus. 

“We as a medical community should work hard on mental health concerns following COVID-19 diagnoses, tout the effectiveness of the vaccines, their ability to control longer-term symptoms, and convey the vast amount of conflicting information being put out about COVID-19 with compassion, humility, and reassurance,” Gandhi said.

A new study on 11 million people suggests that COVID-19 infection could increase your risk for mental health conditions. Here's what we know.

PIKSEL/Getty Images

Large Study Shows 60% Increase in Anxiety, Depression after COVID-19

Video game and film companies widely use motion capture technology to create lifelike digital characters and avatars.

 from researchers at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia suggests that virtual reality (VR) therapy using realistic motion capture avatars is not only possible, but it may be more effective than traditional therapy for some. 

As VR technology develops, your therapist may soon join you in the metaverse in the form of an avatar. What may seem like a graphic video game or dystopian future has been demonstrated by new research. 

The study suggests that realistic motion avatars could be “the future of social interactions in virtual reality,” which could have clinical implications for therapeutic relationships.

, PhD, researcher and lecturer in the Edith Cowan University psychology department in Australia, and the lead author of the study, said that due to the increasing affordability of motion capture technology, it could start to become widely adopted for a greater variety of purposes — such as 

“The therapist can drive the movement of a digital avatar in real-time so that the avatar mimics their face and body movements in a smooth and lifelike manner,” Rogers told Psych Central. 

The study focused on the interactions between two avatars in a three-dimensional virtual setting.

Fifty-two undergraduate psychology students from 18 to 53 years old rated their experiences communicating with an avatar driven by another person wearing motion capture technology. 

They engaged in casual getting-to-know-you conversations and were interviewed about positive and negative experiences. 

The researchers compared the avatar conversations to face-to-face conversations and found that about 30% of participants felt more comfortable disclosing negative experiences in virtual reality compared to face-to-face. 

“This indicates that for a substantial proportion of people, this mode of communication might be quite useful for psychological therapy,” Rogers said. “We are currently doing more research to further investigate that.”

Virtual reality is not a new concept, even in therapeutic settings.

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) that places people in simulated environments related to combat — developed by technology companies like 

 across the United States to treat combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Though the process of reliving trauma may sound intense, 

Research on the benefits of VR therapy for mental health conditions dates to at least 

, when a small-scale study showed that virtual reality exposure could help people who have a fear of heights. 

But the idea that a therapist-client relationship could occur in a virtual world is relatively new.

“Communicating in VR transports you into another world,” Rogers said. “When you step outside the real world for a moment into the virtual one, for some people, this might feel like a safer space to process the negative feelings around negative experiences.” 

Rogers added that disclosing negative experiences to another person face-to-face may lead to feelings of 

 or embarrassment. Interacting in VR provides an added layer of interpersonal distance, making disclosing feelings easier for some.

He was also surprised by how much participants seemed to enjoy their social interactions in the virtual setting, suggesting increasing acceptance of the technology.

“Human beings are social beings,” Rogers said. “Now that we can really put the social into VR experiences, this opens up a massive amount of possibilities.”

Virtual reality for mental health conditions

A growing body of evidence, according to a 

, suggests that VR therapy may benefit people with specific mental health conditions. 

, MD, PhD, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist, and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Brain Health Center in Santa Monica, California, uses VR therapy at his outpatient Memory Clinic to provide “brain training” for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Virtual reality therapy could help some people open up to their therapists, research says. Here's what we know.

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