January 4, 2022
by Patricia Tomasi
A new, first-of-its-kind survey by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) investigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on 2SLGBTQ+ youth and young adults at risk of, and experiencing, homelessness in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and surrounding areas. “I approached this study with the understanding that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness have been found to experience higher rates of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality, often resulting from identity-based discrimination, violence, and a lack of support,” study author Dr. Alex Abramovich told us. “I wanted to address these gaps and identify appropriate measures to support 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness and promote mental health during future waves of COVID-19 or future pandemics."
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November 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Providing social support to others could be good for your health.
A study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity by researchers at Ohio State University found that those who have positive social relationships in which they are available to provide support to others had lower levels of inflammation.
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November 28, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
The reason why siblings with the same upbringing and genetics can exhibit such different behavior has long puzzled psychologists, neuroscientists and researchers alike.
Now, a team of researchers from the universities of Bath and Southampton in the UK may have an answer as to why some siblings from the same family may develop antisocial behavior when others do not.
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October 28, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Children from less wealthy families are likely to have found COVID-19 lockdowns more difficult due to less time spent in nature than their more affluent peers.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that children who spent more time in nature during lockdown had less emotional and behavioural problems.
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August 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
The majority of children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) won’t outgrow the disorder.
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that just 10 percent of children with ADHD will completely outgrow it.
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July 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Parents experiencing financial hardship may talk less with their kids.
Recent research from the University of California Berkeley found that economic context may be to blame for the “word gap”, where children from lower income households have heard millions of fewer words than their more affluent peers by kindergarten.
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July 29, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Evaluating the food choices made by their peers may improve the eating habits of young adolescents.
A study in the United Arab Emirates found that asking adolescents to consciously evaluate the food choices made by their peers caused them to choose healthier foods.
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July 21, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Strong family relationships gives teenagers greater empathy for their friends.
Research published in Child Development found that teenagers who had supportive and secure family relationships had greater empathy for their peers.
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June 26, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Women at increased risk of postpartum psychosis show altered connectivity in networks of the brain responsible for planning, organisation and the completion of short and long-term tasks. Currently, there are no biological markers that identify who will develop postpartum psychosis. But researchers from King’s College London have identified altered connectivity in the brain networks of women with postpartum psychosis, which could pave the way for better identifying women at risk of the condition.
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March 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US, parents are reporting worsening mental health in their teenagers.
The CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine found that almost half of parents have noticed a worsening or new mental health condition in their teenagers since the start of the pandemic. Three in four say the pandemic has negatively impacted the social interactions of their teens.
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