For three months, Wall Street and investors have been taken for quite the ride. Panic surrounding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wound up pushing the benchmark S&P 500 to its fastest bear market in history, and it ultimately cost the index 34% of its value in a 33-calendar-day stretch.

While it's common for panic selling of this nature to concern investors, it's also important to realize that every bear market in history has proved to be an excellent opportunity for long-term-minded investors to put their capital to work. Though we don't know how long stock market corrections will last, or how long it might take for a new bull market to retrace everything that was lost during a correction, the fact remains that bull market rallies eventually always put bear markets into the rearview mirror.

Thus, your mode of thinking shouldn't be, "Should I invest"? Rather, it should be, "What should I be buying?"

Image source: Getty Images.

Historically speaking, there's probably not a smarter thing you can do with your cash than to buy dividend stocks. According to a report released in 2013 by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, companies that initiated and grew their payouts between 1972 and 2012 returned an average of 9.5% per year over this 40-year period. Meanwhile, non-dividend-paying stocks delivered less-than-stellar annual returns of 1.6% over the same time frame.

Aside from having time-tested and proven business models, dividend stocks bring other advantages to the table for income seekers. For example, they can help investors keep a level head. Though a dividend payout is rarely going to offset a move lower in the market, the simple fact that a company is willing to continue sharing a percentage of its profits with shareholders should boost investors' confidence and keep them from making a rash decisions, such as selling during a short-term panic.

Payouts can also be reinvested back into more shares of dividend-paying stock via a dividend reinvestment plan, or DRIP. By reinvesting your payouts, you'll wind up with a growing number of shares, and therefore even larger future payouts. A DRIP allows investors to more rapidly compound their wealth, with the strategy employed by a number of top-tier money managers.

Best of all, you don't need to be Warren Buffett to make consistent bank from dividend stocks. Having even $5,000 in disposable income that isn't needed for bills or your emergency fund is more than enough to provide an income boost to your portfolio.

Here are three exceptionally inexpensive high-yield dividend stocks to consider investing in right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

While its high-growth days are long gone, few companies can offer more predictable cash flow or a steadier dividend than telecom giant AT&T (NYSE:T). Currently boasting a 7.2% yield, AT&T has raised its payout for 36 consecutive years, placing it among a truly special group of income stocks known as Dividend Aristocrats.

Over the coming years, there are a couple of catalysts that could send AT&T and its puny forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.6 markedly higher.

First off, there's the rollout of 5G networks, which'll be upgraded over the course of many years. Though it's costly to upgrade wireless infrastructure, it'll undoubtedly pay benefits to AT&T in the form of a long-lasting tech upgrade cycle. Since AT&T's wireless segment generates the bulk of its margin from the data side of the equation, 5G is only going to exacerbate demand for data among consumers and businesses. In other words, AT&T's wireless segment should be considerably more profitable in the years to follow.

Secondly, AT&T has an opportunity to really build up its streaming offerings. Later this week, we'll see the debut of HBO Max, which will offer more than 10,000 hours of premium content from HBO, as well as WarnerMedia's content library. That means well-known shows, cartoons, and movies. HBO Max comes in as the priciest of the streaming options at roughly $15 a month, but it's had enough hits on its hands to draw a following.

Just remember that boring businesses are often beautiful when it comes to investing.

Image source: Getty Images.

As long as you're not turned off by the idea of owning vice stocks, then income seekers should really consider putting their money to work in tobacco giant Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM).

Although Philip Morris has a dividend yield that's about 3 percentage points lower than Altria Group, there's a very clear reason Philip Morris is the tobacco stock you'll want to own: geographic diversity. Altria services the United States, where adult smoking rates have hit an all-time low. Meanwhile, Philip Morris operates in over 180 countries worldwide. Even though some of the developed markets Philip Morris operates in have clamped down on tobacco packaging and advertising, there are just as many emerging and/or developing markets with burgeoning middle classes who crave simple luxuries like tobacco.

Another important point here is that the nicotine contained within tobacco products is a highly addictive chemical. This has allowed Philip Morris to pass along steady price hikes in order to grow its sales as cigarette shipment volumes flatten or fall.

But perhaps the most exciting growth of late for the company comes from its heated tobacco solution known as IQOS. At the end of the most recent quarter, an estimated 14.6 million people were using the IQOS device worldwide, with Philip Morris' share of the heated tobacco market climbing to 6.6%. As a whole, heated tobacco unit shipment volume skyrocketed 46% (year-over-year) during the first quarter to 16.7 billion units.

Even though its high-growth days are in the past, Philip Morris' forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.7, along with its 6.8% yield, make it too cheap to pass up.

Image source: Getty Images.

A third high-yield income stock that should be considered for investors' portfolios is Russian telecom kingpin Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE:MBT), which is better known as MTS. At 9.9%, MTS' yield is firmly planted in ultra-high-yield territory, and would, in theory, double an investors' money every 7.3 years with reinvestment.

On the surface, Russia doesn't look like it'd offer substantive wireless growth, especially considering the high wireless penetration rates throughout the country. But similar to AT&T, the rollout of 5G networks should lead to a lengthy tech upgrade cycle. Keep in mind that less-populated regions of Russia still have steps to climb on the infrastructure front before reaching 5G, which offers MTS an opportunity to build on its high-margin data plans.

What's more, Mobile TeleSystems has been wisely diversifying its operations beyond telecom to generate new revenue streams from its existing customers. It owns a 99.7% stake in MTS Bank, which has seen its monthly active user count grow from 14.1 million people at the end of 2018 to 20.3 million by the end of 2019. Overall, MTS Bank's total assets grew 18% last year, with gross loans rising almost 44%.

Though the Russian ruble can be a shaky currency at times, Mobile TeleSystems' forward price-to-earnings ratio of less than 9 appears to already be factoring in these concerns. Long-term income seekers would be smart to consider this cheap high-yield dividend stock for their portfolios.

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Got $5,000? Then Invest It in These Cheap High-Yield Dividend Stocks. - The Motley Fool

NEW DELHI: Singapore was the top source of foreign direct investment into India for the second consecutive financial year, accounting for about 30 per cent of FDI inflows in 2019-20.

In the past two financial years, FDI from Singapore has surpassed that from Mauritius.

In the last financial year, India attracted USD 14.67 billion in FDI from Singapore, whereas it was USD 8.24 billion from Mauritius, according to the data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

In 2018-19, Singapore's FDI aggregated at USD 16.22 billion, while that from Mauritius it was USD 8.08 billion.

According to experts, Singapore has been able to outpace Mauritius with its ease of doing business policies, simplified tax regime and a large number of private investors.

"Mauritius was once seen as a tax haven making it the most favoured nation for routing investments in India. April 2017 brought key amendments to the bilateral treaties with Mauritius and Singapore which neutralized the tax benefits available in Mauritius.

"Singapore with its ease of business policies, simplified tax regime and large number of private investors has been able to outrun Mauritius," Sandeep Jhunjhunwala, Partner, Nangia Andersen LLP said.

He said attractive corporate tax rates, swift response in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, impressive mobile and internet penetration, and technology uptake are making India a primary destination to invest.

"While countries are battling the COVID-19 pandemic and the world economy is headed into recession, India received a mammoth investment from stake sale of Jio Platforms. Economists and investors are now closely watching India as it is headed towards becoming a digital giant," Jhunjhunwala added.

Biswajit Dhar, a professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said significant FDI is coming from Singapore because of "round tripping" .

"Inflows from Mauritius have been affected after the agreement on double taxation avoidance," Dhar said adding future FDI inflows into India would also depend on the state of global FDI flows.

In 2017-18, FDI inflows from Mauritius stood at USD 15.94 billion and from Singapore, it was USD 12.18 billion.

FDI in India rose by 13 per cent - the sharpest pace in the last four fiscals - to a record USD 49.97 billion in 2019-20, according to the data.

Total FDI into India including re-invested earnings and other capital in the last fiscal grew by 18 per cent to USD 73.45 billion as against USD 62 billion in 2018-19.

When asked whether high FDI growth trend will continue in India, Rajat Wahi, Partner, Deloitte India, said: "Yes, but probably not as much as in the last three years due to three months getting wiped out (due to COVID-19 pandemic) . But given the funds available globally and our strength in tech-enabled businesses, FDI will flow again post lockdown".

This growth in FDI in 2019-20, he said, was in line with the growth of e-commerce, fintech and startups, that was continuing for the last five years, especially last year.

"Given the amount of money that is being pumped in by various governments to revive their respective economies, the expectation is that we will again see a major increase in investments into startups and new tech-enabled businesses post the lockdown," Wahi added.

Foreign investments are considered crucial for India as it needs huge investments for overhauling the infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.

FDI helps in improving the country's balance of payments and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.

Excerpt from:
Singapore top source of FDI in FY20 with investments worth USD 14.67 bn - Economic Times

OVER the last few years, I have often written about the over-valuation of many assets and the challenges that investors faced over sourcing sustainable investment income.

Years of financial repression from central banks and far too much loose money chasing too few assets made income hunting for investors in most asset classes barren. What investors really needed was a clearing of the decks, a fall in asset values and an increase in yields to ease the negative side effects of the manipulations created by the zero-interest rate world that we lived in.

Fast forward three months and we live in a very different world; on that point I am sure we can all agree. The only element that seems to have remained constant in a world that is barely recognisable from just the start of this year is the fact that it remains extremely tough for investors to find an attractive and sustainable income stream.

In fact, it has got even harder. Markets have fallen, UK equities have been hit hard and I keep on reading about rising yields in corporate bond markets. Thats all true, we would have to concede, but it has not led to an improvement in the prospects for those wanting to achieve an income from their investments in mainstream assets.

In a world where the traditional risk free assets of cash and government bonds offer zero returns combined with a high degree of potential inflation risk, investors are forced to look elsewhere and take higher risks to achieve any form of investment income.

The good news is that by thinking outside the box, there are a host of exciting income opportunities for us to exploit for our clients. However, the key message is that we must be highly selective and very nimble.

The best prospects that we can currently identify to achieve a high and sustainable income are in selective credit markets, where there are presently exceptional opportunities on a level with those that we saw in 2008.

It is on such investments that we are primarily focusing our attention and where we are convinced that we can create the best long-term income and total returns from any recovery from todays medical, economic and market troubles.

With our higher risk income opportunities, we are chiefly looking at selected higher-risk corporate and consumer credit markets, where default risks have certainly risen, but where such risks are priced into current yields. We have been able to identify specific and selective corporate credit opportunities with high yields and only a short time until those bonds mature.

As an example, a key holding within our portfolios is an investment-grade rated, corporate credit focused fund with a yield above 7% and with a total portfolio duration to maturity of less than two years. Such opportunities rarely present themselves and we are seeking to take advantage of such specific dislocations created by the recent market turmoil.

Asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities on both sides of the Atlantic have been hit incredibly and undeservedly hard during the recent market volatility, and offer investors high levels of income and almost unrivalled opportunities for capital gains.

We own investments in both Europe and the US where yields of around 10% are currently on offer. These yields reflect that risks in the global economy have risen, but in our view provide investors with a prospect that most other markets dont at this time: sustainable income at a fair price in a world where achieving a healthy income from ones investments remains surprisingly challenging. These markets have been indiscriminately penalised by general investor panic and an overpowering desire by investors to flee to cash; our approach has been to take advantage of the chaos caused by such behaviour and exploit price discrepancies on behalf of our clients.

We live in an unprecedentedly challenging time for income investors. Frankly, we look at the paltry levels of income available on many investments and are fearful for the prospects of investors in many investments, given the importance of income to an investors overall total return.

But just as the investment gods have taken on one hand from some investments, they have given with the other hand to create different investment opportunities. We have to say that the future aint what it used to be, as the famous baseball coach Yogi Berra once said, and investment income is certainly an example of where life has become increasingly problematic.

However, by thinking differently, looking outside of the box and by being nimble, there are sustainable and attractive levels of income that we can find for our clients. This gives us confidence that we can continue to help our clients achieve their income requirements and to help them meet their investment aspirations for the future.

Tim Wishart is head of Scotland and the north of England at Psigma Investment Management

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Personal Finance: Do you yield? Searching for investment income in a zero rate world - HeraldScotland

Neighbors please be mindful of social distancing guidelines while you do your part to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. See the latest guidance from the CDC here.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Ayurveda believes a balance of body, mind, and spirit will naturally result in a strong immune system that combats pathogens. Being out of balance results in a weakened immune system allowing illness to develop. Balancing our microbiome the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that exist in our bodies is critical to our health. And, nourishing not only our body, but also our mind and spirit is key to the health of our microbiome.

The topics covered will be:

How the microbiome effects the body, mind, and spirit Why mental attitude & emotions affect the microbiome and the immune system

Ways to keep the microbiome in balance

How to nourish our bodies with proper diet and nutrition seasonally

Lifestyle habits that support a strong immune system and a healthy Dr. Somesh N. Kaushik is the owner and chief medical practitioner of Dr. Kaushicks Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Clinic in Cross River, NY.With over 35 years experience as an Ayurvedic physician, Dr. Kaushiks medical training is extensive. He is one of the most experienced Ayurvedic physicians in North America.

More:
The Immune System - Balancing the Microbiome - on Zoom - Patch.com

09:22 29/05/2020 Bashiera Parker (@bparks_)

Jessica Simpson is almost unrecognisable in her latest post on Instagram.

The actress lost 45kg after baby number three, which resulted in the drastic transformation.

"Woke up before all three kiddos to get my steps in and spend time with me, myself, and I. Move move move for your own mental health," she wrote on the post, which shows off her toned abs and legs as she wears her own activewear line, according to People.

SEE THE POST HERE:

A source tells Entertainment Tonight the 39-year-old has been walking outdoors and on the treadmill to stay in shape during lockdown. But they added: "It's the way she stays sane, so it's as much for mental health as it is for physical wellness."

Speaking to E! News, her trainer Harley Pasternak also revealed it was about developing healthier eating habits, along with gradually introducing working out, before moving on to more intense training, that has actually helped the star feel better overall.

"She is feeling like she did before she had kids," he said. "In control of everything and such a great attitude of not beating herself up if she doesn't eat perfectly everyday, so it's a very helpful perspective."

View post:
Jessica Simpson reveals drastic transformation as she focuses on mental health and physical wellness - Channel 24

Denver Broncos' Ring-of-Famer Rod Smith certainly knows a thing or two about making the grade as an undrafted free agent. Third-year WR Tim Patrick shares the distinction of not hearing his name called on draft day and has already overcome serious odds, bouncing from San Francisco to Baltimore before catching on with the Broncos in 2017.

Patrick also has had to battle injury setbacks during his quest to make it in the NFL, as evidenced by his broken hand in the season-opener last year. He worked hard enough during his recovery to force his way back onto the active roster by mid-November, managing to flash on 16 catches and on special teams work. The Broncos opted to re-sign him to exclusive rights tender this past April.

Just last week, Smith dished on why Broncos' rookie second-round WR KJ Hamler is a 'game-changer' but in another conversation with Phil Milani of the team site, the retired wide receiver explained why he likes what he's seen so far from Patrick and outlined what it will take for Patrick to make the team in the face of all the new talent flooding the roster.

Im a huge fan of Tim, I really love his demeanor and the way he plays and I want him on the football field, Smith told Milani. Of course, Im not in the meetings but I havent seen him make many mistakes and Ive seen him play hard. And we need as many guys like that as you can get. [He's] hungry, hardworking and trust me, Im a fan.

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

After GM John Elway used his top two selections in the 2020 draft to select the explosive pairing of WRs Jerry Jeudy and Hamler, getting reps on the field is going to be much more difficult for Patrick. Throw in also seventh-rounder Tyrie Cleveland, as well as undrafted rookies Kendall Hinton and Zimari Manning, and the Broncos added five new WRs the likes of Patrick has to fend off.

Making what might amount to scant training camp reps with the first-team offense count will be absolutely crucial if the 26-year-old Patrick is going to flash enough to make the final cut. Smith knows this well from his own experiences just trying to make the Broncos squad in the 90s.

As an undrafted guy, Im running the go routes where the ball's not going to come," Smith said. "Im doing the dirty work on trying to block linebackers, Im playing special teams, Im doing whatever I have to do to make the team. But, in my mind Im the starter."

Doubling down on the fundamentals required to just make the team could well keep Patrick in gainful employment with the Broncos this coming season. With that in mind, reapplying himself as a special teams ace could mark the 6-foot-5, 212-pound receiver out for a spot on the 53-man roster to open the season.

Adopting that kind of selfless 'whatever it takes' mindset can be often difficult, especially when highly-touted rookies arrive to take your job. Smith outlined to Milani exactly the kind of mental attitude and strength Patrick will have to embrace if he is going to stick around in a loaded receiver room.

No one can control your mentality," Smith said. "You get to control how you respond to adversity, which is coming because thats what this business is. They are going to put you in positions where you dont think its fair. They are going to put you in positions where its tough mentally, physically, emotionallyhow do you handle it?

The manner in which Patrick reacts to the never-ending challenges that the NFL throws at a young man, especially one without a draft pedigree, will determine his future as a Bronco. Having survived multiple setbacks to this point of his young career, he knows what it takes to recover and persevere. Resilience is a knack undrafted guys have to cultivate quickly to survive.

That kind of intestinal fortitude and thick skin, sprinkled in with some of Smiths sage words of advice, could make all the difference if Patrick manages to hang on to his No. 81 jersey in Denver this season.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.

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Tim Patrick Receives Advice from Ring-of-Famer Rod Smith on Overcoming 5 Rookie WRs Flooding Roster - Sports Illustrated

By IANS

NEW DELHI: Royal Rajasthan Foundation, the social impact arm of Rajasthan Royals is proud to team up with its legendary former batsman Rahul Dravid, McLean Hospital, (an affiliate of Harvard Medical School) and Dr. N.S. Vahia Foundation to advocate for removing stigma around mental health conversations, raising awareness about the impact mental illness can have on ones mind, body and soul.

The Royal Conversations -- Mind, Body and Soul," a three-part series on mental health and wellbeing will cover aspects around mind, body, and soul over weekly webinars.

World Health Organization (WHO) accounts mental illnesses for 30 % of all non-fatal diseases approximately and 10 % of the overall global diseases. In India, approximately 7.5% of the population suffers from some form of mental disorder, while the people who are able to receive treatment hovers around the 70% mark.

The importance of mental illnesses in these times has been brought to the forefront with many people across various sects in the country facing issues and challenges in this current lockdown situation.

Through the three-part series, Royal Rajasthan Foundation wishes to encourage discussions around mental health and remove barriers by disseminating vital information that will help people around the world learn and address the issues that impact their mental being.

Dravid has in the past addressed how mental health can be an issue at a very young age too and needs to be dealt with utmost professional care. Through his work at the National Cricket Academy, Dravid has outlined a structure focussed on grassroots cricket development wherein discussions over mental health occur from time to time and players get an opportunity to get guidance by experts.

The first session launches on Wednesday and will see Rajasthan Royals' head Physiotherapist, John Gloster along with Ipsit Vahia (N.S. Vahia Foundation) and Lisa Coyne (McLean Hospital). The medical professionals will be joined by a special guest in Rahul Dravid, a Royals legend and former captain during the first session. The cricketer will bring with himself case studies from the sporting world in order to generate awareness about the importance of mental wellbeing for happiness and positive attitude.

Rajasthan Royals' Executive Chairman, Ranjit Barthakur expressed his delight on the launch of the new initiative, "It's fantastic to be launching a product you truly believe in. The idea behind this initiative is to talk about how people need to change their focus on beliefs around mental health.

"Positive mindset is the necessity for wellbeing and happiness and sports is a great enabler to generate awareness around mental anxiety. These are unprecedented times and more than ever, this is time we need people to be strong in mind to fight the battle against Covid and emerge with a stronger mindset post Covid."

The further sessions will be held on June 3 and 10. The concluding session for this series on June 10 will see Royals' Indian pacer Varun Aaron.

Scott J. O'Brien, Director, McLean's newly launched Public Education initiative, & co-founder of the Deconstructing Stigma initiative , Mclean Hospital Boston USA, said: "McLean is very excited to be collaborating with the Royal Rajasthan Foundation on this initiative. We very much admire their passion around mental health education and look forward to working together to increase awareness around the importance of brain health."

See the original post here:
Rahul Dravid to be part of Rajasthan Royals' initiative on mental health and wellbeing - The New Indian Express

Stephanie Plaster Published 9:32 p.m. CT May 27, 2020

As farmers and agricultural providers, sometimes a family member, neighbor or client needs support that we are not able to provide. In these instances, it's okay to share resources or referrals for them to get the support they need.(Photo: Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)

As May comes to a close, we have the opportunity to reflect back on one of the most tumultuous springs weve had and determine the best way to move forward.Since May is Mental Health Month and the start of the new growing season, it is a good time to take a brief moment to take stock of our mental and emotional well-being and find any support needed for ourselves and others.

Farming can be a high stress endeavor. Some of the common stressors include: financial pressures and debt load, dependence on unpredictable weather and volatile markets; extreme outdoor work conditions; lack of personal time or little time to talk through difficult problems due to excessive workloads; intergenerational differences; health, pain, fatigue or mobility issues connected to years of physical labor; strained family relationships (Shutske, 2017).

Because farming can be difficult for individuals and families, many experience financial and emotional stress as a result. There are several signs that may indicate an individual may be in need of help. These signs include: changes in daily routines, increases in upper respiratory illnesses or other chronic conditions (aches, pains, persistent cough), declines in appearance of farmstead, declines in care of livestock, increases in farm accidents due to fatigue or loss of ability to concentrate, occurrences of signs of stress in children (Williams, Farm Family Stress). Stress can also lead to mental health problems.

According to Mental Health First Aid, mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood, and mental health problems are more common than heart disease, lung disease and cancer, combined. One in five individuals has mental health complications, including farmers.Services and programs like the National Alliance on Mental Health, Mental Health America, the WI Farm Center, Farm Aid Hotline, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are all good resources for those seeking mental health support.

As farmers and agricultural providers, sometimes a family member, neighbor or client needs support that we are not able to provide. In these instances, it's okay to share resources or referrals for them to get the support they need. Roger Williams, Professor Emeritus with UW-Madison Extension, offers several pieces of advice for making referrals:

Conversations that address emotional topics can be challenging. Deepening our conversations and the ways we communicate can help us better figure out the kind of support needed. It allows us to strengthen our relationships and builds trust with those we are seeking to support.Communication is about more than what you say. It's about how you listen, respond, and react both verbally and non-verbally.Tips for constructive conversations:

Farm families are resilientindividuals, but there are times when help is needed. Take the time to recognize the state of your own emotional and mental well-being, seek out the support needed, and reach out to others to help them do the same.

Stephanie Plaster(Photo: UW-EX)

Stephanie Plaster is the Agriculture Extension Educator for Ozaukee and Washington Counties

UW Extension(Photo: UWEX)

Read or Share this story: https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/opinion/columnists/2020/05/27/its-time-takestock-our-mental-and-emotional-well-being/5254540002/

Continued here:
Taking stock of our mental and emotional well-being - Wisconsin State Farmer

Mental health.

A taboo subject indeed for not just professional athletes but for everyone.

Talking about and opening up about mental health is certainly a nerve-wrecking thing that you may try your best to tip-toe around or shut out of your mind.

For a professional athlete, opening up about your mental health may give you the sense that these insecurities or fears make you seem weak and that youre handing your opponent an advantage on a silver platter.

Not the case. At all.

We all go through things. We all have ups and downs. Thats life. *queues Thats Life by Frank Sinatra*

For Don Kalkstein, his day-to-day life is occupied by helping athletes, coaches, students you name it understand what may be troubling them and how to work through it.

Kalkstein has been apart of the Mavericks organization for 20 years, where hes currently the Director of Mental Skills. Hes also an Adjunct Professor at SMU and Senior Advisor to the General Manager for the Texas Rangers basically, he wears a lot of hats.

The hat he wears for the Mavericks is an essential one, as Mark Cuban deemed in 2012 during a radio interview with the Ben & Skin Show on ESPN Dallas, letting Kalkstein go in 2005 as his biggest regret. Not a botched trade or free agent signing nor passing on a future All-Star in the Draft but letting our psych doctor go.

If that doesnt speaks wonders to the importance of Kalkstein then I dont know what will.

Today with the Mavericks, Kalksteins every day is, well, something different every day.

An average day? Gosh, I wish there was one. I think what most people probably dont understand of the position of what I do or what others do, its not one of what theyre used to from quote-unquote a clinical session or a clinical environment because we are around each other every day, Kalkstein said of his average day on the job.

Its more of the ebb and flow of what the season is and continuing to work on items that assist our team in optimal performance, whether thats developing programs for our players, understanding the cohesion of the team and trying to develop that, or working with our coaching staff and assisting them and delivering information that our players can contain and hopefully utilize.

The importance of having such a casual, open environment thats more of the ebb and flow as Don said certainly adds a level of comfort for the players. This isnt an appointment-based, lay down on the fancy therapist couch and open your heart up kind of situation. The comfort level that not only the players but the organization feels with Kalkstein sets the team up for success.

Its way more casual. We kind of set the foundation about whats under the umbrella of mental skills and performance and optimal performance. My philosophy isnt one to sell these guys anything. My philosophy is more of be available and be prepared in the event they do need something. Once we build relationships then we have the opportunity to maybe bring something to their attention, Kalkstein said of his philosophy.

If you looked at it like a strength and conditioning coach or an athletic trainer; were all watching practice and somebodys running a certain way. So maybe the trainer says to himself, wow, thats kind of odd. Wonder whats wrong with him. Maybe his ankle or knee hurts. Then maybe the strength coach is watching the same thing and thinking this could be an area of weakness. And Im standing at another spot of the court thinking hm, wonder whats going on? Were all basically doing the same thing but from a different standpoint and then gathering information and seeing if theres some sort of trend and communicating with the player and try to go from there.

Having the different view points from the likes of Don alongside the likes of a trainer or strength and conditioning coach is important to link all facets of the players body and mindset for the best possible performance.

When it comes to the best possible performance, its not just about being in a clear mental state regarding your time on the court but off the court as well. Your personal life outside of the game can certainly affect your performance on the floor, whatever those issues or concerns may be.

Sure, theyre interweaved. Theyre part of what makes them perform in certain ways. And so those items do absolutely come up when theyre areas of concern from anyone whether player, coaches, or staff and in a different area, we utilize our mental health consultants that we have and maybe referring if they choose to, Kalkstein said of a players personal life. Again, this is an environment thats no different than a standard work place. Here you are at work and an issue takes place and theres experts available to assist you with whatever issue, whether mental, physical, nutritional stand point. So weve tried to be able to assist the player from every avenue.

So, whether its discussing in-game segments or the players personal life, when they step out on that floor, its pivotal that the athlete is in the present.

Its not really a cookie cutter type of approach. Its more of what that approach might be or what those needs are for that particular player, Don said of mental skills training. We talk a lot about the buzz word that you hear to be present or play in the present. What does that mean? How do I get there? What are some techniques I can utilize to teach myself how to bring myself back to the present so I dont allow my emotions from the past or thoughts and emotions from the future dictate how Im going to perform now?

Every player is different. Every player has different needs whether thats regarding physical training, mental skills training, etc. Having different regimens and programs for each player for both physical and mental training, as the Mavericks and presumably all NBA teams do, is crucial for the continued growth of the individual player and the team as a whole.

Maybe at a lower level or at a high school, wed do some group stuff but these guys are coming from a lot of difference places with a lot of different types of training so really my goal is to try to figure out what are their needs and develop a program that assists them if in fact they want assistance in those areas.

When speaking of physical or mental training, you have to think that the Mavericks training staff is involved, which of course they are. The Mavs are known to have one of, if not the best, training staffs in the league, led by Casey Smith, whos been with the team for almost 16 years.

Specifically for a long-term injury, its important that Don and Casey work hand-in-hand during the rehab stage as the player works through both the physical and mental side of recovery.

The luxury of being able to work for an organization as long as Casey and I have with the Mavericks has really built in trust between Casey and I but within the players as well. Theres a couple different protocols that well go through depending upon the level of injury and depending upon the players experience with injury. So, once those things take place and its a long-term thing, it might be a little different than a short-term ankle sprain but there is an outlook of what thatll look like. With players like that who have been around the system, part of the protocol is really utilizing the same techniques that weve utilized for performance, Don said of long-term injuries.

For instance, Mavericks forward Dwight Powell tore his right Achilles tendon on January 21st against the Clippers. The Mavericks training staff is very familiar with dealing with this type of injury, as J.J. Barea tore his Achilles last season as well as helping Wes Matthews rehab his torn Achilles back in the 2015 offseason. Barea spoke highly of Powells work ethic and attitude once the injury took place, as Powell is known to be a workhorse and as positive as they come.

Even for someone as mentally strong and positive as Dwight, you never know just how tough and tolling a rehab like this can be on a player.

When an injury that takes place for any athlete thats long-term and/or requires surgery, theres often the what if. How are you going to look like? How are you going to feel like? Am I going to be able to play or perform the way I used to? Thats more of a future thought process which doesnt really assist anybody because theres no definitive, concrete answer. We really try to focus on, and it sounds simplistic and often cliche, but were trying to really focus and spend more time on whats going on today and what the athlete can control today and teach them to focus on today versus spreading themselves to man, what if I didnt get hurt? I probably couldve helped the team. Am I going to be able to return? Thats exhausting. Very taxing when you dont have those answers but we do have answers for what does it look like today, Kalkstein said.

As a player progresses from an injury standpoint, they have established physical goals. Once thats established, the athlete and I will talk about what thats going to look like and feel like, preparing them for that but still staying in the present of whats it feel like today? and the anxieties of what its going to feel like because thats something we dont know and havent experienced.

Though the Mavericks as an organization hold the importance of mental health to a high regard, as every organization in not just the NBA but across all sports should, every athlete may not choose to or know how to confront their mental health.

But theyre starting to.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love came out with a piece on The Players Tribune in 2018 discussing his battle with not just understanding his mental health but the anxiety of talking about it following having a panic attack during a game. San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, at the time a member of the Toronto Raptors, opened up to The Toronto Star about his battle with depression and anxiety about a week prior to Loves article.

This past December, Lakers forward LeBron James partnered with Calm, a meditation and relaxation app that helps aid and build mental fitness.

And just last week, Dallas Wings guard Katie Lou Samuelson opened up to ESPN about her mental health journey.

I think as a population as a whole were discussing it more and becoming accepted. Were gonna see more and more of it because its not a negative thing. Its changing the connotation and the players are starting to understand that there is assistance out there for them that can, through counseling or medication, if necessary for some. That can help them feel better about themselves and whats going on and maintain a certain level of mindset to be productive for their family and as an athlete to feel a lot better about themselves, and thats really the goal for everyone, right? Kalkstein said of the prominence of mental health.

And when you have those resources available, theyre starting to learn to take advantage of them and we want them to. The more players that come forward and feel comfortable enough, I think really makes a huge difference for everyone involved, players, staff, and coaches included.

Maneuvering through these past few months has been difficult for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taken not just the NBA but the world by storm and changed our daily lives for the foreseeable future. How has the Mavericks organization guided the team through these times? Consistency.

What I think is important, and youre going to hate this answer, is for them to spend more time doing what theyre doing, which we try to talk about during the season. Theres things constantly going on in the world and their lives and their families and relationships, and when they come to the facility for a practice or film session or whatever, in essence, we ask them to let that go and be here, Kalkstein said. Its very similar. What is your routine now and lets continue that routine. If you look at it as a whole, for the players who are fortunate enough to get with their families, its somewhat similar to what an offseason looks like and to that standpoint, it was very helpful. I know Casey and our trainers are contacting the players daily. Whatever it is theyre working with, thats what we try to do. We have the tools. We have the resources. We just try to build that program for each player and see whats useful for them and what we can do.

While theres currently no set plan for the return of the NBA season, its looking promising that the season will continue at some point as talks have heated up over the last week or so. As an official agreement looms, you have to wonder just how comfortable all parties involved will feel essentially living in a bubble to finish the NBA season to crown a champion.

Would there be anxiety? I think even if there was a total clearance, when youre thinking about anxiety, youre thinking about not knowing or starting to determine in your mind possibly what is going on, which could be true or false. So I think were going to have to experience that on the way and I think partially, we prepare mentally if and when we do come back, theres that period of training camp and if we have to be quarantined but here again, if we have to spend our time on all these ifs, Im exhausted, Don said of potentially coming back to play.

One of the things we try to do is gather the information we have and the information that we know and take out the speculation component. If and when they say were playing on the moon or playing all in one facility, the great part about it is so is every other team and were all on the same boat and were on an equal playing field with obstacles that weve never dealt with before along the way and well deal with them once they arise. Instead of revving ourselves up and working ourselves up, lets not displace that energy and go with what we have today.

Lets not displace that energy and go with what we have today.

Thats powerful. Thats something we should we all read every morning to start our day to help ensure our feet are on the ground and focused on today.

Dons significance to the Mavericks organization is evident. And so is the importance of mental health. As Kevin Love said, Everyone is going through something that we cant seeI want to remind you that youre not weird or different for sharing what youre going through.

Youre not, because we all have something.

Managing Editior for Dallas Sports Fanatic | Lead Editor covering the Dallas Mavericks | UNT Alum | Twitter: @TheMulf

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'Focus on today': Don Kalkstein on mental health in the NBA & maneuvering through the COVID-19 pandemic - Dallas Sports Fanatic

Race and racism have played a particularly significant role in the development of modern medicine, from the notorious Tuskegee syphilis experiments to the creation of the first immortal human cell line HeLa. In many ways, the influence of racism on American medicine has shaped approaches to bioethics and healthcare, continuing to inform the challenges patients and providers face today.

In Administrations of Lunacy: Racism and the Haunting of American Psychiatry at the Milledgeville Asylum, published in April 2020 by The New Press, Mab Segrest, PhD, uncovers the harrowing story of the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum. Dr Segrest, Fuller-Maathai Professor Emeritus of Gender and Womens Studies at Connecticut College, New London, traces the history of this institution through the Civil War to the post-Jim Crow era, centering the narrative around the voices of its former patients.

For mental health professionals, Administrations of Lunacy offers a critical exploration of psychiatrys historic links to key moments in American history by focusing on an asylum that was the largest in the world in the mid-20th century. To learn more about this history, we spoke with the author about her book. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What can mental health providers learn from the history outlined in your book?

Mental health providers can learn from Administrations of Lunacy the importance of history itselfthe overarching sweep of itthat informs the particular (micro) histories that patients or clients bring in the door to their practices. They can learn the dangers of applying a strictly biomedical model stripped of the sources of historical and local traumas.

My deep history of this Georgia hospital, at times the largest in the world and by the mid-20th century one of the worst, is intended to shape the way that historians and healthcare professionals think about psychiatric history in its relationship to larger historical trends. My book shows how the extraction of history from an understanding of symptoms happened in a state asylum. It also details what that extraction allowed in terms of what came to be eugenics, which was a weaponizing of the symptoms of suffering against the very people most vulnerable to histories of conquest and exploitation.

Finally, given that 90% of public psychiatric beds today are in jails and prisons, psychiatry as a profession has a responsibility for those patients beyond providing them medications. I would like to see major psychiatric professional organizations take a stand against mass incarceration on the basis of its mental and physical cruelties that eviscerate real treatment.

There has been a degree of nostalgia for the asylum era recently. Why do you think this nostalgia has arisen now, and in your opinion, what, if anything, did asylums have to offer?

First, its important to clarify: nostalgia for whom? None of the expatients of those public institutions have shown much of this nostalgia. Early in my research, I twice visited the Central State Hospital campus with Georgia Consumer Council membersusers and survivors of Georgias hospital system. Larry Fricks, who was the state liaison facilitating the meeting, explained to me that for many of these consumers coming back to the hospital was the equivalent of coming back to Auschwitz. No nostalgia there.

By the turn of the 20th century the idea of the hospital as asylum or a safe refuge had failed, largely from overcrowding. The original Enlightenment philosophy of moral therapy believed that providing the mad structure, listening doctors, natural beauty, nutrition, and a respite from family could be curative. But moral therapy was intended for an institution of 300 patients. The level of overcrowding made them custodial, if not carceral institutions. By the 1910s in Georgia, there was brutality by orderlies, use of seclusion, and pressures for patients to work. After World War II, journalists exposes revealed these hospitals with electroshock administered by orderlies, understaffing, and overcrowded wards as the shame of the states.2

Today, what accounts for the crises in the mental health system is not the absence of this asylum. The transit between psych wards, jails, homeless shelters, and the streets came from the failure to provide support for the community care that should have accompanied deinstitutionalization as envisioned by JFK. Instead of the 1500 clinics projected for local communities, the US got mass incarceration, or a growth in the prison population from 300,000 to 2.3 million from the 1980s to 2010, what Michelle Alexander called a New Jim Crow.3

Anyone today who advocates for the asylums return is advocating for the most retrograde of psychiatric policies and the most terrible examples of psychiatric treatment from United States history. The call for a return to the asylum signals for me a continued refusal to use sufficient public monies to meet public needs, including mental and physical health. Whether we need more places where people in crisis can get longer term care regardless of social class or race is another question entirely.

What is transinstitutionalization and how does it differ from deinstitutionalization?

These are terms from social geographers that help map out the historic periods of psychiatric institutions. The first phase is institutionalization: the use of the spaces where lunatics were confined as a healing place rather than as custodial or punitive. This was a program of the Enlightenment and its goal was called the moral therapy. Deinstitutionalization is what happened in the United States after 1960, when about half a million patients in state hospitals were gradually released from these abysmally failed institutions. Transinstitutionalization is what happened when there was insufficient community care back home, which coincided with mass incarceration.

What role did southern asylum psychiatry play on a national level?

Southern asylum psychiatry illustrates the paradoxical process by which the worst becomes the norm. Most psychiatric histories from the 18th or 19th centuries mainly see southern asylums as scientifically retrograde. But in the antebellum period, the science in these mostly northeastern institutions was not always up to snuff by todays standards. Generally, asylum superintendents across the United States held the same racist ideas as southern superintendents did about African Americans and Indigenous people as primitives and savages. The profession as a whole in The American Journal of Insanity avoided discussion of slavery and abolition as too exciting, preferring to speak about such issues through allusions.1

Asylum superintendents were the first psychiatrists, although they were not termed so then. After the restoration of southern white supremacy, professionals across the nation granted white southern asylum superintendents the authority of expertise on African Americans, given that 90% of African Americans lived in the South before 1900. Southern asylum superintendents officially confirmed that emancipation was prejudicial to the negro in 1895, a shocking assertion! This attitude carries over today. The legacy of this attitude is the false belief that negative health results for marginalized people do not come from structural racism and sexism, but the inherent nature of those people.

The fact that Georgias state hospital explains so much about national failures today illuminates the pull towards the bottom that this white supremacist model exerts on national policies. In the 1950s, the Georgia state hospital was the largest in the county, the state, and the nation. Today, the Baldwin County Jail is the largest mental institution in the county, with the Fulton County Jails being the largest in Georgia and the Cook County Jail the largest in the United States. How do we comprehend this shift?

At one point, the asylum spent 5 times more on farming compared to patients. What role did patient exploitation play in Milledgeville and how did the asylum resemble a plantation?

Patient exploitation at the Georgia Asylum took the form of occupational therapy that filled the gap from the absence of other resources or treatments for patients. A careful examination of Georgia Asylum annual reports in the last 2 decades of the 19th century showed how moral therapy gave way to occupational therapy, which involved a huge farming operation producing tons of vegetables, plus cows, chickens, and pigs. As far as I can tell, the patients were not getting much of this food.

Race and gender shaped work regimessewing for white women, laundry for Black women, gardening for white men, growing cotton and other cash crops for Black men. These work regimes were not as bad as those in the convict lease system, which consumed many more African American men than the asylum. This is not to say that patients did not leave the institution, some of them improved, but many died there.

This plantation and labor influence showed up in a 1950 annual report that described the hospitals abattoir. The possibility that mentally ill patients could be staffing any part of a slaughterhouse is perhaps the most nightmarish scenario in the whole book.

What are the dangers of therapeutic pessimism? How did they inform Kraepelinian psychiatry, and does this notion create problems for psychiatry now?

In the 19th century, therapeutic pessimism came from the realization that medicine had found no cure for the problems that showed up in asylums. Within this mindset, the curative environment became custodial in increasingly overcrowded state institutions.

The diagnostic system of Emil Kraepelin, developed in Germany, replaced the hope of treatment with the process of classifications based on the trajectory of the disease. In this diagnostic system, the principal mental illnesses were manic depression and dementia praecox, or schizophrenia. Georgia case histories from 1909 to 1924 recorded verbatim interviews with patients as ill equipped doctors struggled to apply these categories to mostly poor Georgians.

For decades, Freudian psychoanalysis replaced Kraepelins diagnostics. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-III heralded a return to biological psychiatry at a time when new technologies of brain imaging raised expectations of new miracle drugs. But by the time DSM-5 was published in 2013, there emerged a lack of biomarkers to substantiate DSM-5 categories. In 2013, the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIHM) Director Tom Insel, MD, explained that the NIMH would be reorienting research away from DSM categories.4 This collapse of the DSM could create a vacuum into which pessimistic therapies reemerge.

Alternatively, DSM-5 also led humanistic professionals to call for a descriptive and empirical approachunencumbered by previous deductive and theoretical models. These professionals eschewed its overdiagnoses, false epidemics, stigmatizing of vulnerable populations, and biomedical models absent any awareness of sociocultural variations.5 I found these issues of DSM-5 characteristic of state asylum psychiatry as a whole, and Administrations of Lunacy aligns itself with this call for rethinking.

How did the eugenics movement and race science relate to psychiatry?

Eugenics, or the science of better breeding, arose in Europe in the 19th century and arrived in the United States in the early 20th century. It was supported by some of the biggest family fortunes of the Robber Barron era, and its offices at Cold Spring Harbor provided a base from which eugenic ideas spread rapidly. Eugenic sterilization had long been a goal of US eugenicists, and the US Supreme Court decision Buck v Bell in 1928 opened the floodgates. In the 1930s, state sponsored eugenics came to Georgia, although the institution had been performing this operation of a certain class at the turn of the century.

The state hospitals and newer institutions for the feebleminded had by the 1930s gathered people whom eugenics had branded as unfit, and they were prime targets of sterilization. In Georgia, sterilization was most rampant under Superintendent Peacock in the 1950s, a man who served (surreally) as both Superintendent and Chair of the Georgia Eugenics Commission. Peacock would write letters to and from himself asking for and granting sterilizations for particular patients.

Milledgeville was the site of several major epidemics, including syphilis, pellagra, and tuberculosis (TB). How did these diseases affect the asylum, and how might the current COVID-19 pandemic affect psychiatric patients?

These epidemics of syphilis, pellagra, TB, or hookworms were not primarily psychiatric in nature. But TB, syphilis, and pellagra had neurological effects that landed people in state hospitals. Treatment of those underlying effects, for example nutritionally with niacin for pellagra or antibiotics for TB and syphilis, eventually took care of neurological symptoms.

I have not heard how COVID-19 might register in terms of psychiatric symptoms, but certainly the pandemic and our highly inadequate responses to it creates its own negative environments for us. In general, a strong public health system that puts out accurate information to the general public and a federal government willing to take the lead to coordinate our responses according to the latest information would be profoundly reassuring and stabilizing. Unfortunately, that is not what we have.

References

1. Segrest, Mab. Administrations of Lunacy: Racism and the Haunting of American Psychiatry at the Milledgeville Asylum. The New Press; 2020.

2. Deutsch, Albert. The Shame of the States. Harcourt, Brace; 1948.

3. Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New Press; 2010.

4. Insel, Thomas. Transforming Diagnosis. NIMH Directors Blog Posts from 2013. National Institute of Mental Health. Published online April 29, 2013. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/directors/thomas-insel/blog/2013/transforming-diagnosis.shtml

5. Kamens SR, Elkins DN, Robbins BD. Open Letter to the DSM-5. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 2013;1-13. doi:10.1177/0022167817699261

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Confronting the History of a Southern Asylum: An Interview With Mab Segrest - Psychiatry Advisor