A police union in a major Ontario city made a push this fall for better mental health supports for its front-line officers. Hamilton Police Association (HPA) president Jaimi Bannon faced the city’s police board in October and called for an end to a stigma […]
Category: Mental Health
988 hotline for those facing mental health crisis launches across Canada – CBC News [2023-11-30]
Canada’s 988 hotline, which gives people access to suicide prevention services via call or text, went live on Thursday. People in every province and territory who are experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate, real-time support can use the three-digit number. Similar to […]
Doctor points to gaps in London area child and youth mental health care – CBC News [2023-11-27]
A doctor in Alymer, Ont., is speaking out after facing barriers to get outpatient mental health care for a 12-year-old patient identified as being at high risk for self-harm. Dr. Michael Fernando is a general practitioner who took over as the family doctor for […]
Loneliness is as bad for you as smoking, research shows. But the stigma stops people getting help – CBC News [2023-11-21]
Top health officials say loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking, but one doctor warns that the stigma around feeling lonely still stops people from reaching out for support. “Just like thirst is a signal you need hydration, loneliness is a signal […]
As Earth’s temperature rises, so do deaths among people with mental health problems – CTV News [2023-11-18]
As the climate crisis gets worse, we know of farmers whose crops are drying up and people who lose their homes due to rampant wildfires. But there’s another group for whom the climate crisis is a potentially lethal threat — people with mental health […]
Patients treated for mental illness face more barriers for medication approval and access, study finds – CTV News [2023-11-14]
A new study has found that patients being treated for mental illness in Canada wait “far too long” for medication approval and face “inequitable access” across the country. The study from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, titled “System Broken,”(opens in a new tab) […]
Why some Ontario children and youth with complex special needs are living in hotels – CBC News [2023-10-25]
Ontario parents and caregivers are “exhausted” trying to find the right support for children with acute and intense needs within the social work and health-care systems, says the executive director of the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society (WECAS). Derrick Drouillard told CBC’s Windsor Morning that […]
Could we have done more? Risk assessment and violence – Healthy Debate [2023-10-10]
Every week, we read of a violent act that could have or should have – or we like to think that it could have or should have – been prevented. The perpetrator is usually a repeat offender. He (for usually it is a male) […]
Housing first: The case for social prescribing of housing in emergency departments – Healthy Debate [2023-10-03]
The past decade in Canada has seen a material escalation in visible homelessness. With a highly financialized housing market driving housing unaffordability and escalating inflation putting pressure on mortgages, rents and food, the crisis of homelessness has continued to worsen. This has resulted in […]
New apartments opening for homeless people with ‘complex health needs’ – CBC News [2023-10-11]
People who have nowhere to live and are dealing with complex health needs will now have 25 supportive housing units where they stay so they don’t end up on the street. The London Health Sciences Centre and London Cares have partnered to offer the […]
5M Canadians experienced a mental health disorder in 2022: StatCan – CTV News [2023-09-23]
More than five million Canadians experienced some form of mental health disorder in 2022, a new Statistics Canada study has revealed. StatCan says those Canadians “met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder, with the prevalence of mood and anxiety […]
What you eat could be key to improving your mental health, scientists say – CBC News [2023-09-23]
Maintaining good mental health can sometimes feel challenging, but it turns out one piece of the puzzle is deceptively simple — what’s on your plate. “Nutrition and mental health is this connection that people have actually been writing about for centuries,” Dr. Mary Scourboutakos, […]
Suppressing negative thoughts may be good for mental health after all, study suggests – Science Daily [2023-09-20]
The commonly-held belief that attempting to suppress negative thoughts is bad for our mental health could be wrong, a new study from scientists at the University of Cambridge suggests. Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit trained 120 volunteers […]
Forest City Film Festival announces lineup with spotlight on mental health and homelessness – CBC News [2023-09-14]
The lineup has been announced for this year’s Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) in London, Ont., with several films focusing on social issues that hit close to home. The local film festival runs from Oct. 14 to 22, showcasing about 70 films, including features, […]
Healthy lifestyle can help prevent depression – and new research may explain why – Science Daily [2023-09-11]
A healthy lifestyle that involves moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep and frequent social connection, while avoiding smoking and too much sedentary behaviour, reduces the risk of depression, new research has found. In research published today in Nature Mental […]
Staggering mental health, addiction stats push northern First Nations to call for emergency declaration – CBC News [2023-09-13]
Chiefs of First Nations in northern Ontario are calling for a public emergency and social crisis to be declared, emphasizing the disproportionate mental health and addictions issues facing their communities compared to the rest of the province. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority’s […]
Instead of waiting months, this Nova Scotian saw psychiatrist in days under new program – CBC News [2023-09-08]
Some Nova Scotians who need help managing mental health issues are being assessed by psychiatrists within days under a new program introduced by the province’s health authority. The service, launched in April in Nova Scotia Health’s central zone, is focused on early intervention treatment […]
Loneliness is harmful to your health, but solitude is beneficial, expert says – CTV News [2023-09-08]
In a virtually constantly connected world, the notion of solitude seems elusive, even daunting, and being alone is often thought of in a negative context. But solitude is not the same as loneliness, and when people choose to spend time by themselves, it can […]
The Mental Illness-Violence Link: What the research shows about a complicated and uncomfortable connection – Psychology Today [2023-08-30]
The recent shooting in Jacksonville has predictably renewed the public debate on violence and mental illness. The same sequence plays out after every horrible incident: First, there is the accusation, often from right-leaning lawmakers, that mental illness is what is driving our dizzying rate […]
Poor mental health, violence among threats to children in Canada: report – CTV News [2023-08-29]
Unintentional and preventable injuries, poor mental health and violence against children and youth have been identified as some of the top threats to children in Canada, according to a new report from Children First Canada. Released by the national charitable organization Tuesday, the sixth […]
Yale University settles lawsuit alleging it pressured students with mental health issues to withdraw – CTV News [2023-08-26]
Yale University and a student group announced Friday that they’ve reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit that accused the Ivy League school of discriminating against students with mental health disabilities, including pressuring them to withdraw. Under the agreement, Yale will modify its policies […]
Caffeine can’t replace sleep: Research shows caffeine improves attention but not complex thinking after sleep deprivation – PsyPost [2023-08-21]
There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of […]
Why People Don’t Take Your Depression Seriously – Psychology Today [2023-08-21]
Talking about your depression is extremely difficult. Sometimes, even when you’ve finally built up the courage to talk about it, nothing changes. It’s easy to assume that people don’t care about you or they don’t believe you when opening up to them doesn’t change […]
16 Wrong Ideas About Mental Illness – Psychology Today [2023-08-21]
Mental illness may sometimes be difficult to discuss, in part because friends and family may summon the worst images from the TV and movies. But those depictions often aren’t accurate or even likely. So this post might be useful if you’re hearing (or sensing) […]
Autistic people at higher risk of self-harm, psychiatric illness: study – Global News [2023-08-10]
Researchers are calling for improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment of psychiatric illness among autistic people after finding they are at a higher risk of self-harm and suicide than non-autistic people. “We think psychiatric diagnosis plays a very important role in explaining these increased risks,” […]
