In a new study published in the journal People and Nature, researchers from Bangor University and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have demonstrated that simply observing natural elements during urban walks can significantly benefit mental health. The research shows that city dwellers who […]
Category: Mental Health
Officer training, mental health support among proposed recommendations in Yatim inquest – CBC News [2024-01-30]
Jurors at an inquest into the death of a teen shot by a Toronto police officer more than a decade ago were asked Tuesday to consider dozens of recommendations related to officer training and monitoring, peer intervention and mental health supports in an effort […]
Schizophrenia and Its Many Consequences – Psychology Today [2024-01-27]
Schizophrenia has been called “the worst disease affecting mankind” (1). It is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder, with multiple clinical features. These include cognitive impairment and deficits, mood symptoms, and psychiatric symptoms (hallucinations and delusions). It is also arguably the diagnosis that carries the greatest […]
First Nations leaders say mental health crisis worsening at emergency meeting – Global News [2024-01-24]
First Nations leaders held an emergency meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday to discuss a mental health crisis they warn could get even worse without government help. Nishnawbe Aski Nation says there has been an alarming spate of suicides and suicide attempts in the northern […]
Number of dementia patients in Ontario has risen 48% since 2010, new data released by OMA shows – CBC News [2024-01-18]
New data shows that the number of people with dementia is rapidly growing in Ontario and doctors are urging the province to invest in home care now to meet their needs. There has been a 48 per cent increase in the number of patients […]
Listening to music appears to prevent depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice, study finds – PsyPost [2024-01-16]
A recent study in China exposed mice to unpredictable stress during the day and played music to them at night. The results indicated that listening to music completely prevented the development of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in these mice. Biochemical parameters examined further supported […]
How a steady place to live helped this Londoner find sobriety and meaningful work – CBC News [2024-01-16]
For a decade, Korrine MacCormick didn’t have a steady place to live. She couch surfed, spent time in jail, and bounced between homeless shelters and living on the streets of London and Stratford. She was using drugs and getting into trouble, watching some people […]
Connection between light levels and mental health — climate change could also have an impact in the future – Science Daily [2023-12-21]
In Finland, there is a clear increase in the number of sick days taken due to depression, anxiety and sleep disorders in October and November, whereas the number of absences is lower than expected between June and September. In late autumn, the number of […]
Trigger warnings do not work, according to recent meta-analysis – PsyPost [2023-12-28]
Trigger warnings are statements designed to forewarn viewers about potentially distressing content. A recent meta-analysis of 12 studies concluded trigger warnings have no effect on emotional responding to negative material or educational outcomes. This research was published in Clinical Psychological Science. While some advocate […]
A killer is found not criminally responsible. The Crown and defence agree the system is broken – CBC News [2023-12-16]
For defence lawyer Marni Munsterman, the “discomforting and alarming” detail that stood out in the large volume of evidence about Adam Rossi — who was found not criminally responsible on Friday of the second-degree murder of Sommer Boudreau, and interfering with her remains, in […]
New psychology research reveals a strong link between life purpose and reduced depression – PsyPost [2023-12-09]
Recent research has demonstrated a significant connection between having a sense of purpose in life and lower levels of depression and anxiety. This finding, based on data from tens of thousands of individuals and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, suggests that having […]
Does microdosing magic mushrooms help people with mental health issues? Science is trying to find out – CBC News [2023-12-09]
“Microdosing saved my life,” says Andrina Stan. Stan, 35, works as an integrative therapist in Toronto and has struggled with her mental health at times. Stan says she believes it was psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms, that helped her turn her […]
Voluntary decals to alert B.C. first responders to presence of people who are neurodivergent – Global News [2023-12-06]
Families across the province will soon have access to a new set of stickers for their vehicles or homes, alerting first responders to the presence of a loved one with autism or another type of neurodivergence. The BC Association of Chiefs of Police will […]
New Mental Health Guidelines from the World Health Organization: Psychosocial treatments are given precedence over pharmaceutical ones – Psychology Today [2023-12-06]
The World Health Organization recently released its 2023 diagnostic and treatment guide to mental, neurological, and substance use disorders. Last updated in 2016, adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide, and translated into more than 20 languages, the 150-page document provides more guidance than […]
Police fear ‘they’ll be seen as weak’ bringing up mental health struggles: Ontario union – Global News [2023-12-01]
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 […]
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 […]
