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Older refugees can experience high rates of depression even decades after immigrating. A study that looked at Canadians between the ages of 45 and 85 found that refugees were 70 per cent more likely to experience depression when compared with those born in Canada, even if they immigrated decades earlier. [More]

More than 34 million adults in the US currently smoke cigarettes, and more than 16 million live with a smoking related disease. But after decades of anti-smoking campaigns, what drives this behaviour? Do emotions factor into it? Researchers from Harvard University set out to find an answer. [More]

Recreational cannabis use is associated with the relief of stress, anxiety, and depression. A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders reviews the evidence surrounding inhaled cannabis use for mental health. Most sessions reviewed showed a positive impact on stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. [More]

Just about all species — humans, animals, plants and some microbes are influenced by their circadian clock. The circadian clock controls every hormone. It is found in the hypothalamus and is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus which is a cluster of nerve cells. The circadian clock serves as a master clock in one’s anatomy. It coordinates every biological clock in the body in virtually every tissue and organ. The so-called intermittent fasting diet was the most popular dietary regimen in 2019. There are several avenues of approach to this method of eating. Some appear, scientifically, to provide a more successful experience than others. [More]

As married couples get older and develop more chronic conditions the demands placed on them can lead to worsening mental health. [More]

After Ivana Poku became a mom, she was astonished and shocked by the reality of motherhood. “It was nothing like I had expected,” Poku told us. “I remember I could not wait to meet my twin boys and experience this immediate rush of love people were talking about. However, when that moment came, I felt nothing. I was glad they were ok. I was glad to have them, but there was no rush of love, no pure happiness, no fireworks. Immediately, I felt like a complete failure. And it didn’t get better from there.” [More]

According to the World Health Organization, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins in childhood. One in 160 children worldwide has been diagnosed with autism. But since autism was only recognized as a disorder in 1980, there are many adults who went through childhood without a diagnosis and without help. Now, a new study thought to be the first of its kind examining an autism diagnosis exclusively in middle age, found that adults diagnosed with autism in their fifties grew up believing they were ‘bad people’, ‘alien’, and ‘non-human’. The study is published in the Journal of Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine [More]

Here are some sobering statistics. According to a survey of 1000 Americans, 47 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women binge drink more on New Year’s Eve than during any other holiday. In a study done by Alcohol Monitoring Systems, though they were fully aware that they were being monitored, over 450,000 DUI offenders still drank 33 per cent more between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Why is it so hard to stay sober during the holidays? [More]

A recent study on gender minority mental health in the U.S. gathered information from a national survey on college campuses among undergraduate and graduate students. “I have been conducting transgender health research for more than a decade,” study author Sari Reisner told us. “Routine collection of gender identity data as a population demographic is vital to public health. The disparities seen in this study offers an example of why these data are so urgently needed.” [More]

A recent study invited people to engage in both extroverted and introverted behavior, each for one week. Results showed an increase in well-being when participants were assigned to act extroverted and a decrease in well-being when assigned to act introverted. [More]