Many students, as they near the end of their final year of high school, may feel a lot of anticipation and excitement to finally graduate and enter their first year of university. There are numerous thoughts that run through the minds of students as they step into a new stage in their lives. Some may […]
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Sexism, racism, homophobia … these are strong words that trigger strong responses. Many people feel, very deeply and strongly, that these things are simply wrong, and the views and actions associated with these words are seen almost as crimes. However, what about stigma around mental illnesses? It seems that it is only viewed as “not […]
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Therapy and treatments
I went to see a doctor to discuss my options to deal with depression and anxiety. I assumed we would talk about what was going on with me, what treatments I am currently using, and what we can implement to improve my situation. Instead, I filled out a 10 question quiz, and that was about […]
It has been found that compared to the general population, people who have had a mental illness at some time of their lives are twice as likely to have had a stroke or heart disease. Despite this correlation, the higher risk of heart disease and stroke may not be caused by the mental illnesses themselves. […]
Urban forestry is emerging as a distinct practice in city planning and urban development. However urban forestry is not an entirely new field of research and the history and development of the practice can further the understanding of its current state. Urban forestry is most aptly defined by Miller (1997) as the “art, science, and […]
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of health problems such as asthma, cancer, and chronic pain, but did you know that it may be associated with seasonal affective disorder as well? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that usually occurs in the winter. The symptoms include sadness, anxiety, fatigue, […]
The Canadian Mental Health Act is currently undergoing a change to prevent unwarranted detentions of people with mental illness. This revision which has been decided by the Ontario Court of Appeal proposes that involuntary detentions can only last for a period of up to six months. This appeal does not affect many people, however it […]
In a recent study, the effectiveness of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) as a treatment for depression was tested. The study involved 20 patients with severe depression and was not responding to conventional treatment. The drug used for the test was half oxygen and half nitrous oxide. Two-thirds of the patients reported an improvement in depression […]
It is interesting how people often listen to sad music when they are already sad. Could sad music make people happier? A study was done on this topic through online survey. The results show that music-evoked sadness actually leads to the rewards of imagination, emotion regulation, empathy, and no “real-life” implications. Also, it was found […]
It has been purported on numerous occasions that stress can have long term effects. Recently, this hypothesis has been compounded by the appearance of studies that have investigated the effects of sustained stress on the expression of genes. The field encompassing the interplay between genes and the external environment is known more generally as epigenetics. More simply, […]