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It isn't unusual to feel a little more tired--maybe even a little depressed--during the winter months. The long, dark, cold nights and brief hours of sunlight can ruin anyone's mood. For some, however, the effect is more serious. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) causes a host of debilitating symptoms in sufferers, but research is finding ways to help. [More]

Would you go to a mental health professional who publicly admits a personal struggle with mental illness? Researchers are finding that as long as the professional is stable, patients are buoyed by a therapist's example of success. Do counsellors with first-hand knowledge of mental illness elicit better results in their patients? [More]

We are well aware of how important exercise is for our bodies. But how can we keep our psyches in shape? Researchers are finding there really is a connection between mind and body. Exercise may not only improve mood and reduce anxiety, but it just may help prevent and treat some mental illnesses. [More]

Researchers have found that some of us are in a state of ‘mind-wandering’, or daydreaming, as much as 50 percent of our waking time. Is that excessive? What is actually going on in someone’s brain when they are present in a room, but not focusing on the activity taking place? Could ‘mind-wandering’ be a symptom of mental illness? [More]

Several researchers have found that volunteering and other acts of altruism can benefit a person’s mental and physical well-being. [More]

Nomophobia is becoming more widespread in this 21st century era of smartphone technology. Do you suffer from it? Answer yes or no to the following: I obsessively check my smartphone for missed texts, emails or social media updates. I constantly top up my cell phone’s battery charge. I cannot leave a room without my smartphone. Using these kinds of questions and more, researchers believe it’s time to start taking the condition more seriously. [More]

More than any other generation before them, Millennials are stressed out and anxious. According to researchers, they are the generation at the highest risk for mental illness. How did this happen? And can the results be reversed? [More]

A handful of crayons and a pad of paper. A blank canvas and tubes of colorful paints. These just may be the best addition to treatment for someone with a mental illness. Typical therapy sessions call for verbal expression, and the back and forth deliveries of a therapist's questions and a patient's answers. Researchers are rediscovering that art therapy allows for expression, exploration and a different way to heal. [More]

The concept that spending time in nature can be therapeutic is not new, but is gaining greater traction in contemporary scientific research and medical treatment. [More]

How young can your child be to receive a professional diagnosis, and treatment, for a mental illness? From birth to age 6, children develop very quickly, both mentally and physically. As a result, it is hard to tell if a new or questionable behavior is fleeting and nothing to worry about—or something that will become problematic for life. Specialists and researchers are finally starting to recognize the importance of the early years in mental health intervention and support. [More]