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 sick days taken is almost twice as high as in the summer and about a quarter higher than in early autumn. On the other hand, manic episodes related to bipolar disorder occur more frequently than expected during the spring and summer, when there are more daylight hours, and less frequently than expected during darker times of year.

The results can be found in a study funded by the Research Council of Finland. The study was conducted as a part of the Climate Change and Health research programme. The aim of the study was to investigate the connection between changing light levels and mental health. It is expected that due to climate change, winters in Finland will become darker while summers will become brighter.

Read more here:

Science Daily
December 21, 2023

Expert says number of police shootings in Canada 'spectacularly unrelenting' - CTV News [2023-12-30]

The family of a woman shot by an officer in Edmonton during a wellness check says her death was unnecessary, as the number of police shootings across Canada show little sign of relenting over the past four years.

"I see my daughter's death as being a result of a complete mishandling of the tools available to law enforcement in the application of dealing with mental health issues," the family of the woman, who has not been publicly identified, says in a statement from their lawyer, Tom Engel.

Edmonton police have said officers were called for a welfare check earlier this month. There were risks the woman may harm herself, so police say officers entered the apartment, there was a confrontation and the woman was shot.

Family says that had the police approach been gradual and gentle, she would have understood the nature of the visit and would still be alive.

A tally compiled by The Canadian Press found police shot at 85 people in Canada between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15 -- 41 fatally. It was based on available information from police, independent investigative units and reporting from The Canadian Press.

"This is a spectacularly unrelenting phenomenon," says Temitope Oriola, a professor of criminology at the University of Alberta and president of the Canadian Sociological Association.

This year, the number of police shootings has nearly matched the total from 2022, when 94 people were shot at, 50 fatally. It remains a significant increase from four years ago, when there were 61 shootings, 38 of which were fatal.

The resulting snapshot shows more officers firing their guns since 2020, when the high-profile murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis spurred global movements urging police accountability and transparency.Criminologists say officers need more training and restraint, while the RCMP union says police have been forced to the front lines of Canada's mental health crisis and face increasingly dangerous situations.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 30, 2023

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 for trigger warnings as a way to emotionally prepare or shield individuals from unwanted content, critics argue they might exacerbate negative reactions or promote avoidance behaviors. The debate has led to empirical studies examining the impact of trigger warnings on emotional reactions, material avoidance, anticipatory emotions, and educational outcomes.

Originally appearing in early internet feminist forums to flag content about trauma, the use of trigger warnings has expanded to various contexts including university classrooms and media, with a broadened scope of experiences warranting warnings. Most studies suggest that trigger warnings have minimal impact on emotional response or material comprehension, with some indication of increased anticipatory anxiety.

Victoria Bridgland and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of trigger warning. To be included in the meta-analysis, research had to include the provision of a warning to participants, measurement of psychological or behavioral responses, and a warning intended to alert participants about content that might trigger memories or emotions related to past experiences.

PsyPost
December 28, 2023

High levels of carbon monoxide, mould found in homes on Ontario reserves: study - CTV News [2023-12-28]

A study has found air inside homes on four remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario contained carbon monoxide, fine particles, mould and other substances that increase the risk of respiratory infections.

The report’s author, David Miller, a distinguished research professor at Carleton University, says there are ways to improve ventilation.

“This is an opportunity not a black hole,” said Miller.

The study published last month tested the air in 101 homes on Lac Seul First Nation, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. Three of the communities aren’t accessible by road except during a short time in winter.

About 27 per cent of the homes had elevated levels of carbon monoxide. Almost half had visible mould.

“Ten per cent of the houses have enough mould damage that they should be fixed today, not tomorrow,” Miller said.

He said researchers also found endotoxin levels higher than in any previous study in Canada. Levels of the bacterial compound were 1,000 times higher than Miller said he has ever seen. When concentrations of endotoxins are high, they can affect lung function and cause a greater response to allergens, particularly in children.

Endotoxins can come from things like pets, humidifiers, firewood stored indoors and cigarette smoke. They are also more likely in rural areas rather than cities.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 28, 2023

Niagara police officer asks trans woman for 'deadname' while questioning her filming at bus terminal - CBC News [2023-12-23]

Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) says it is reviewing an incident from Dec. 17, after an officer asked a transgender woman for her "deadname."

It comes after the woman, Sabrina Hill, posted a video of the incident on social media.

Hill, a prominent local LGBTQ activist and licensed paralegal, told CBC Hamilton she posted the video "to highlight the very real experiences a lot of trans, queer and non-binary people experience when being policed here in the Niagara Region."

"This isn't my first experience … and it's not getting better," the 44-year-old said, referring to negative interactions with police.

"By me putting a bit of exposure on this, hopefully it'll compel action. I'm a firm believer that sunshine is the greatest disinfectant."

A deadname is the name a person used, often their birth name, before their transition.

For trans people, using their deadname can be "extremely triggering," says Colleen Elizabeth McTeague, a trans woman and facilitator for the peer support group Transgender Niagara. 

A 2018 study published in the U.S.-based peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health found using someone's chosen name reduced mental health risks among transgender youth.

McTeague and Laura Ip, the chair of Niagara Region's diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory committee, told CBC Hamilton the incident is concerning and they want the police service to take action.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 23, 2023

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 the Ottawa Valley a year ago — was one of his more recent hospitalizations.

That hospitalization, for mania stemming from his bipolar disorder, occurred before he killed Boudreau, 39, in his duplex in Deep River, Ont., in early December 2022.

A psychiatrist was contemplating a community treatment order for Rossi with long-acting injectable medication, something that could have helped after he kept deciding to stop taking the antipsychotic pills that court heard quickly eased his symptoms.

"For whatever reason, that didn't happen," Munsterman said.

She called it a "travesty," and said it shows "how broken our system truly has become" in providing support to people with mental illness.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 16, 2023

Why Bad Grammar Activates Our Fight-or-Flight Response - Psychology Today [2023-12-14]

Does grammar matter? And did you have a teacher in your youth who insisted on drumming the rules of good grammar into you—and was that teacher on the stern and grumpy side of the instructional continuum?

My anecdotal research into these questions over the years has gradually built a composite picture of a somewhat terrifying authority figure, either male or female, who insisted on good grammar as the essential basis of a sound education. They managed to impart enough of it to you so that you cringe when someone uses "among" and "between" interchangeably—or flubs the distinction between 'that" and "which" because of a fatal lack of understanding of the difference between an independent and dependent clause.

Now, a study reveals that your response to those solecisms (and your bad-tempered teacher's response) is indeed physiological: The grammar of language affects us viscerally.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
December 14, 2023

'We want to keep people alive': Outreach workers call for tools to combat toxic new street drugs - CBC News [2023-12-14]

Walking through the Glengarry non-profit housing complex in Windsor, Ont., harm reduction outreach co-ordinator Lacie Krzemien is exhausted. 

The recent news that Windsor's only safe consumption site, Safepoint, will pause operations at the end of December has left her despondent. 

"I'm upset, because it's taking away another resource. It means more of my clients are at a higher risk of death,'' said Krzemien, who distributes safe supplies for people using drugs with Pozitive Pathways Community Services.

She says the announcement comes at a time when the drug supply has become increasingly toxic. The arrival of drugs such as "tranq," fentanyl mixed with xylazine, an animal tranquillizer that's resistant to naloxone, is making the overdose crisis even more complicated. 

Tranq has also become infamous for causing users to develop seeping wounds. 

Earlier this year, Health Canada released a report that said tranq was spreading rapidly across Canada. In 2022, 75 per cent of the drug samples tested that contained xylazine were from Ontario. According to Ontario's coroner, xylazine has been detected in 184 drug toxicity deaths since 2020. 

At least two of those were in Windsor.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 14, 2023

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 a sense that your life has meaning and direction can influence your mental well-being.

Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health disorders globally, impacting the lives of millions. The World Health Organization has identified depression as a leading cause of disability worldwide. Given their prevalence and impact, finding ways to effectively prevent and treat these conditions is a high priority in public health and psychology.

Understanding how purpose in life interacts with mental health disorders can inform treatment and prevention strategies. If a strong sense of purpose is found to be significantly protective against depression and anxiety, mental health professionals can integrate methods to cultivate and strengthen this sense of purpose in therapeutic interventions.

“One of my interests is the area of positive psychology, which focuses on individuals’ strengths and growth potential. Having purpose in life can be a strength and may assist individuals both in flourishing and in buffering the effects of adverse events,” said study author Nicola Schutte, an associate professor of psychology at the University of New England in Australia.

Read more here:

PsyPost
December 9, 2023

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 integrated 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 life around. 

"In December 2020 I found myself in the middle of this living space, curled up in a ball," she explains. "It was a very dark space. So I was contemplating suicide."

Stan says she tried different therapies but nothing really helped until she found magic mushrooms — which are illegal to produce, possess and sell in Canada without special permission. 

"I'm not sure that I would still be here if it weren't for microdosing," Stan says.

Stan has been microdosing psilocybin for three years.

She says she is aware that using that psilocybin can pose health risks, and deciding to microdose is not something she took lightly.

"I think that there's a bit of a craze with psychedelics, and I know a lot of people, especially people my age, they just think it's a fun thing to do," she says. "I don't see it as something that you should just pick up and try."

What microdosing psilocybin allowed her to do, Stan says, is work through her issues. "It slowly brings that pain up so you can safely deal with it."

Stan's experience with microdosing psilocybin is a powerful anecdotal story, but what does the science say about the practice as a potential mental health treatment?

Read more here:

CBC News
December 9, 2023

Bariatric surgery saved my life. But it wasn't the 'easy' way out of weight loss - CBC News [2023-12--09]

As a child, I was always what some would call "the chubby girl." Later, as a single mom of two children living in a low-income neighbourhood, I couldn't always put quality food on the table. A bag of frozen fries was cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. 

My weight ballooned to 246 pounds. Even walking around the mall was sometimes hard on my back, and I had a hard time shopping for my weight. I tried lots of diets — I would lose some weight only to gain it back a few months later.

Then, in 2018, my doctor suggested I consider bariatric surgery. I got the referral but while waiting for the appointment, I often second-guessed my decision. Being from a Haitian background, I knew many in my community wouldn't understand why I wanted this surgery. Food is the centre of Caribbean life. Whether celebrating a birth or mourning a death in the family, food is always there. We show love by feeding our relatives and friends. And if someone refuses our offer of food, we might think you're sick or there's something wrong.

When I told some family members that I was waiting for bariatric surgery, their first response was, "Why? You're not fat. You carry your weight very well."

Some of my friends would comment, "Oh, when you get skinny, you'll think you're better than us." And yet, these were the same friends who would comment, "You're not ugly. You're cute for a big girl." That phrase was said so often to me, and I hated and resented it. And so, I held onto my decision to go through with the surgery. It was the right choice for my health and for my future.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 9, 2023

On the Brink: The ‘harsh environment’ of youth homelessness from a lived experience - Global News [2023-12-08]

Kat Bagnald knows what it’s like to be on the brink.

At the young age of 20, she’s already been through a lot. She struggled with housing insecurity since she was 16 and has spent the last four years between shelters, couches, and the streets.

Being a young person can be challenging at the best of times, but when you’re also struggling with not having a stable place to live, life becomes especially difficult.

“It’s a really taxing experience mentally for anyone, but especially for a youth who’s still got a developing brain,” said Bagnald. “It’s a really harsh environment. Youth get taken advantage of a lot, because we’re vulnerable.”

She said there are a lot of dangers youth can face while living on the streets.

“I’ve been jumped by people I’ve trusted,” she said. “It’s really dangerous out there.”

Trying to fend for yourself at such a young age can also be lonely.

“When you’re unhoused, there’s so many barriers,” said Bagnald. “There’s evident ones, like not having food and a roof over your head, but also (not) having supportive people around you as well.”

After being unable to find a shelter bed in her hometown of Halifax, Bagnald made the more-than 300-kilometre move to Yarmouth, a small town on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.

Read more here:

Global News
December 8, 2023

How tiny shelters in Ontario are looking to fill the gap for those in need of housing - Global News [2023-12-08]

Rows of tiny cabins across a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood have been catching the eye of several communities across the province that’ve begun duplicating the model, hoping to bridge the gap between homelessness and permanent housing.

A Better Tent City (ABTC) co-founder and chair Jeff Wilmer says compassion from the community, support from city politicians and the local public school board made their small community possible, and it’s inspiring copies across the province.

“Now Waterloo Region, the municipal government here, has basically replicated our community with a second tiny home community, also with 50 cabins,” Wilmer said.

“It looks very much like ours, and so having a good solution distributed in multiple places seems to be one approach.”

Peterborough came on board this past week with its own cabin community, while Hamilton continues to explore the prospect.

The intention is to temporarily house people living rough with challenges, like mental illness, drug addiction and isolation, in a community with supports to stabilize their lives.

But for some stakeholders, it’s still too early to tell if the scheme has legs long-term and can be a viable transitional piece to house those experiencing homelessness.

Read more here:

Global News
December 8, 2023

Woman who threw hot burrito bowl at Chipotle worker sentenced to fast food job - CBC News [2023-12-06]

A woman who threw a hot burrito bowl in a Chipotle worker's face because she didn't like the way it was prepared may soon learn what it's like to be on the other side of the counter.

An Ohio judge sentenced 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne to three months in jail for assault, but offered to shorten her sentence by 60 days — if she agreed to work at a fast food restaurant.

Emily Russell, the victim of the burrito bowl attack, says she's "truly happy with the outcome."

"I honestly thought she was going to get a slap on the wrist and nothing of it," Russell told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "Having her have to walk in my shoes, and go to jail, I think it's a perfect outcome."

Joe O'Malley, Hayne's attorney, told CBC his client "is grateful for the opportunity to get a job to reduce her sentence and demonstrate her true remorse for her behaviour at Chipotle."

"She truly regrets her actions and the pain that it caused," he said in an email. 

Read more here:

CBC News
December 6, 2023

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 make the voluntary decals available for pickup at police stations next year. The intent of the new resource is to alert first responders attending a scene so they can adjust their response appropriately, association president Fiona Wilson told Global News.

“That would just let the officer know that they should rely on their training and make sure that they’re communicating in a way that resonates with an individual who is autistic or neurodiverse,” the Vancouver police deputy chief constable explained.

“Just like any situation, the more information and background that our responding members have with respect to a person, the better they’re able to tailor their response.”

Read more here:

Global News
December 6, 2023

New Mental Health Guidelines from the World Health Organization: Psychosocial treatments are given precedence over pharmaceutical ones - Psychology Today [2023-12-06]

KEY POINTS

• Very low certainty of evidence was found to support the benefits of SSRIs, as a group, in reducing anxiety.
• Antidepressants for adults should be considered only when psychological interventions are not available.
• Drug treatments are not recommended for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.
• Diagnosis is influenced by cultural context. Comprehensive assessments lower risks of over-medicalization.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
December 6, 2023

Naloxone: What to know about the opioid overdose-reversing drug, free across Canada - CTV News [2023-12-03]

Health Canada has called the opioid crisis one of the most serious public health threats in recent history, and an addictions specialist says everyone can play a part in helping reduce the death toll. All it takes is access to naloxone, a life-saving medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose.

"It's something that all adult Canadians, and I would hazard to guess teenagers as well, should have access to and be aware of," said Dr. Sam Hickcox, chief officer of the Nova Scotia government's Office of Mental Health and Addictions. "If there's something we could do to save a life, why wouldn't we?"

He compared administering naloxone to using an EpiPen to treat someone having an anaphylactic allergic reaction.

Hickcox said the country's ongoing opioid epidemic has been made worse as Canada's illicit drug supply became "poisoned" in recent years with toxic, highly potent opioid additives like fentanyl and carfentanil. Some users report not knowing what's in the drugs they're using.

"It's been wreaking havoc across the country … starting in the West Coast and heading eastward," he said in a recent interview.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 3, 2023

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 around “mental health illness” and requested the creation of a “fulsome wellness unit” staffed with members with lived policing experiences.

“Members fear they will be seen as weak if the employer knows their struggle,” Bannon told Hamilton’s police services board.

“They fear for their career development positions and employment opportunities as well as promotions. They fear for being ostracized, gossiped and isolated.”

Bannon pointed to a highly touted reintegration program in Alberta, designed to assist first responders recovering from critical incidents, as an option.

Almost a decade old, the Edmonton Police Re-integration program has been recognized by the Canadian Association of the Chiefs of Police (CACP) as an “innovative and comprehensive” solution that fosters self-confidence in officers who are struggling.

It’s the type of support the HPA wants for its 1,200 workers with the Hamilton Police Service (HPS), replacing a current resolution process it says has “shortcomings.”

Read more here:

Global News
December 1, 2023

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 911 for accessing fire, police and medical emergencies, 988: Suicide Crisis Helpline is a short, easy-to-remember number to get a quick response from coast to coast to coast, 24/7 and free of charge.

Dr. Allison Crawford, chief medical officer for the line, is co-ordinating the service. She is also a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the country's largest teaching hospital for mental health based in Toronto.

Crawford said the goal of 988 is to prevent suicide.

"Suicide is a tragic outcome of many factors that differ from person to person," she said. "We know that feeling a sense of burden or a lack of belonging are common feelings that increase risk. Other factors that can play a role in suicide are mental illness, including depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance use."

Read more here:

CBC News
November 30, 2023

Musk uses expletive to tell audience he doesn't care about advertisers that fled X over hate speech - CTV News [2023-11-29]

Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that advertisers who have halted spending on his social media platform X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material are engaging in "blackmail" and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

"Don't advertise," Musk said.

He appeared to specifically call out Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, saying, "Hey Bob, if you're in the audience … that's how I feel."

In an on-stage interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Musk also apologized for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory in response to a post on X that helped fuel an advertiser exodus.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 29, 2023

Growing number of homeless people turning to ERs for shelter and warmth in Ontario, study says - CBC News [2023-11-28]

When Dr. Carolyn Snider arrives for her early morning emergency room shifts, she regularly sees between five and 10 people in the waiting area who don't need medical attention— just a safe place to stay warm.

"[They're] truly there to just stay out of the elements," said Snider, chief of the emergency department at St. Michael's Hospital in downtown Toronto.

"This has already been occurring this fall. I can't even imagine what will be occurring over the upcoming [winter] months," she said.

There's been a significant increase in the number of homeless people taking refuge in downtown Toronto emergency departments over the last few winters, Snider said. She and colleagues did some research to see if they could quantify what they were seeing.

The resulting study, published on a pre-print website Tuesday, examined data that had been collected from hospitals across Ontario, documenting ER visits from the winter of 2018-19 through to last winter, ending March 31, 2023.

It found that non-urgent emergency department visits among people who are homeless increased by 24 per cent across the province over those five winters.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 28, 2023

Developmentally Disabled People Are Being Pushed into Homelessness - The Tyee [2023-11-28]

Just before the summer started, Jon Harry was told he’d have to leave his room at a Duncan motel because the owner planned to renovate.

Harry, on provincial disability benefits, had already been struggling to pay for his small motel room, which didn’t include a kitchen: rent was $1,100 a month, leaving just $200 to pay for food and other living expenses.

But Harry was unable to find a new place to rent, and for the last five months, he’s been sleeping rough.

“I was in a tarp and blanket, and then I was in a tent for a little bit,” the 34-year-old Duncan resident told The Tyee. “And now I’m trying to go to a shelter.”

Harry is one of a new wave of developmentally disabled people who are ending up homeless in B.C.

Organizations that support developmentally disabled clients say it’s a recent phenomenon, and a new low for a province that has struggled with rising homelessness, spiking rents and rampant real estate speculation for years.

Read more here:

The Tyee
November 28, 2023

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 the girl last summer. Her mother has given Fernando permission to speak to CBC News about her health issues. CBC has agreed not to publish the girl's name because she is a minor.

Fernando said that in assessing the patient, it was clear she needed extensive mental health supports, including outpatient care from a child psychologist.

"The mental health concerns were very severe," said Fernando.

Over the past year, the girl's parents had twice taken her to the emergency room for treatment for hallucinations and a desire for self-harm. She was provided a safety plan by doctors, but did not have a referral for outpatient care from a child psychologist.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 27, 2023

After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer offer a magazine - The Verge [2023-11-27]

After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer be available to purchase as a magazine. In a statement to The Verge, Cathy Hebert, the communications director for PopSci owner Recurrent Ventures, says the outlet needs to “evolve” beyond its magazine product, which published its first all-digital issue in 2021.

PopSci, which covers a whole range of stories related to the fields of science, technology, and nature, published its first issue in 1872. Things have changed a lot over the years, with the magazine switching to a quarterly publication schedule in 2018 and doing away with the physical copies altogether after 2020.

In a post on LinkedIn, former PopSci editor Purbita Saha commented on the magazine’s discontinuation, stating she’s “frustrated, incensed, and appalled that the owners shut down a pioneering publication that’s adapted to 151 years worth of changes in the space of a five-minute Zoom call.” Layoffs have impacted journalists on the science beat particularly hard in recent weeks. National Geographic cut the remainder of the magazine’s editorial staff in June, followed by Gizmodo laying off its last climate reporter, and CNBC shuttering its climate desk last week.

Read more here:

The Verge
November 27, 2023

Why several big-box stores have ditched their self-checkouts - CBC News [2023-11-22]

After Dwayne Ouelette took over the Canadian Tire in North Bay, Ont., last year, he decided to buck the trend and ditch the store's four self-checkout machines — which had been there for a decade.

"I'm not comfortable using them and I don't think some of my customers are comfortable [either]," said Ouelette, who removed the machines in July and replaced them with cashiers.

"I'd rather my customers see my cashiers and if there's any questions or concerns, at least there's somebody they can talk to."

When self-checkouts began their rise to prominence about a decade ago, they were seen as a way for retailers to cut labour costs and speed up the checkout process.

Soon, the machines outnumbered cashiers in many stores. But now, some big-box stores that previously embraced self-checkout have backtracked, and re-embraced an all-cashier, full-service format.

Along with North Bay, a Canadian Tire in Mississauga, Ont., recently ditched its machines.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 22, 2023

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 you need … human connection," said Dr. Jeremy Nobel, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and author of Project Unlonely: Healing our Crisis of Disconnection.

"Why is it we're guilty and ashamed about being lonely, where we don't feel that way about being thirsty?" he asked The Current's Matt Galloway.

Last week the World Health Organization designated loneliness as a "global public health concern," appointing U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy to lead an international commission to tackle the problem. Research has shown that loneliness is as bad for people's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

In a talk he gave at Yale last year, Murthy said he wants to raise the alarm about the shame people associate with loneliness.

"To say you're lonely almost feels like saying you're not likeable. Or even worse, that you're not lovable. And I know this because that's how I felt as a child when I struggled with loneliness over the years," he said during the talk on Sept. 8, 2022.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 21, 2023

Autism Ontario troubled by Veltman defence team's use of autism in criminal case - CTV News [2023-11-20]

Autism Ontario is deeply troubled by the fact that the defense for Nathaniel Veltman tried to cite autism as a mitigating factor in the June 6, 2021 attack on the Afzaal family(opens in a new tab).

The advocating body for people on the spectrum do not want autism used as a legal defense in any criminal trials.

“This sort of legal tactic, it risks stereotyping and stigmatizing an entire population of people with autism," said Autism Ontario Communications Specialist, Michael Cnudde.

During the 11 week-long murder week trial, Veltman’s defense called up a forensic psychiatrist who diagnosed Veltman with autism spectrum disorder this past year.

Ultimately, it did not play a factor and Veltman was found guilty of all charges in the attack on a London, Ont. Muslim family more than two years ago.

Michael Cnudde said sadly this isn’t the first time this tactic has been used.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 20, 2023

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 problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or anxiety.

And this threat has already become reality for some people. During a record-breaking heat wave in British Columbia in June 2021, 8 per cent of people who died from the extreme heat had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to a March study(opens in a new tab). That made the disorder a more dangerous risk factor than all other conditions the authors studied, including kidney disease and coronary artery disease.

“Until climate change gets under control, things are only going to get worse unfortunately,” said Dr. Robert Feder, a retired New Hampshire-based psychiatrist and the American Psychiatric Association’s representative to the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. “As the temperature keeps increasing, these effects are going to be magnified. There’s going to be more storms, more fires, and people are going to be more worried about what could happen because a lot more things are happening.”

Rising temperatures have also been associated with suicide attempts and increased rates of mental health-related emergency department visits, several studies have found. And long-term exposure to air pollution — which the climate crisis can worsen by adding more particles from droughts or wildfires — has been linked with elevated anxiety and an increase in suicides.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 18, 2023

IBM, EU, Disney and others pull ads from Elon Musk's X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash - CTV News [2023-11-18]

Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast said this week that they stopped advertising on X after a report said their ads were appearing alongside material praising Nazis -- a fresh setback as the platform formerly known as Twitter tries to win back big brands and their ad dollars, X's main source of revenue.

The liberal advocacy group Media Matters said in a report Thursday that ads from Apple and Oracle also were placed next to antisemitic material on X. On Friday it said it also found ads from Amazon, NBA Mexico, NBCUniversal and others next to white nationalist hashtags.

"IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation," the company said in a statement.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 18, 2023

Crisis worker with London Children's Aid urges province to step in as agency places kids in hotels - CBC News [2023-11-15]

A crisis intervention specialist with the London, Ont. branch of the Children's Aid Society (CAS) says there are currently no beds available for some of the city's most vulnerable youth.

Pre-existing gaps in services have only grown wider in the city and across the province, according to Gerry Healy. There are no spaces to place high needs children who require special treatment and aren't able to return home for a variety of reasons.

The agency, tasked with keeping children safe, has had to resort to placing some of those children in homes as far away as Ottawa, or in local hotels or motels.

"When you're putting a teenager or a child as young as 11 in hotel rooms and calling that home, I'd say [the situation] is significantly dire," said Healy.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 15, 2023

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) finds Canadians who depend on public drug plans are especially disadvantaged.

“As we face a widespread and growing mental health crisis, the need to change our broken system is clear,” the report says. “The insights detailed in this report indicate that there are inherent gaps in Canadians’ access to medications for mental illnesses – gaps that illuminate inequity, including time delays, and highlight how mental illness continues to be stigmatized in our society.”

Once Health Canada determines if medications are safe and effective, private insurance plans help cover the cost of these prescriptions.

This study found 42 per cent of those surveyed rely on a public drug plan, a three per cent increase since 2015.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 14, 2023

Libraries and Homelessness: Libraries provide more than just books - Psychology Today [2023-11-11]

Yesterday, at a community homelessness resource and health fair where I was a faculty preceptor for a footcare clinic with some of our medical and nursing students, I was reminded of the powerful role of libraries in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Among the tables and tents offering warm winter coats, gloves, hats, behavioral health resources, pizza, bagels, coffee, haircuts, youth shelter, and women’s day shelter services, and our footcare, the University Branch of the Seattle Public Library table was quite popular. Amidst the absurdity of a return to backward-looking book bans throughout our country and in a season of thanksgiving, let us remember that public libraries literally save lives.

It is not hyperbole to say that public libraries save lives, especially for people experiencing homelessness. Libraries give sanctuary and shelter, both emotionally and physically. Libraries yield quiet, peacefulness, community, heat, and, hopefully, air conditioning when it’s hot and smokey outside. Libraries have public restrooms, which are surprisingly scarce in Seattle, as in most U.S. cities. Harried parents can find respite in libraries with their bright, colorful children’s book sections, free access to the internet and computers, and children’s story hours. Children, teens, adults, and older adults, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, differing abilities, socio-economic and housing situations, can all find stories of people like them who deal with challenges they face and who find ways to not only survive, but endure, resist, and thrive.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
November 11, 2023

SafeSpace London’s landlord has message for property owners considering homeless shelters as tenants - CTV News [2023-11-01]

“Do it. This will help us find a longterm solution [to homelessness],” urged Rashad Ayyash when asked what he would tell other property owners considering homeless shelters or frontline agencies as tenants.

Ayyash and his business partners are proud to be landlords for SafeSpace London, a shelter for women experiencing homelessness.

Beginning as a four-month temporary agreement to provide services inside the former bank building at the southwest corner of Dundas Street and Lyle Street, Ayyash is now finalizing an extended tenancy with the agency.

“This area is in dire need of services and I was happy to step up and offer my property,” he explained.

But at Tuesday’s meeting of the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, Coun. Susan Stevenson grilled city staff about a proposal to offer services at SafeSpace as part of London’s upcoming Winter Response to Homelessness.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 1, 2023

People with permanent tattoos are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and incarcerated, study finds - PsyPost [2023-11-06]

A new study indicate that both men and women with permanent tattoos are at a significantly higher risk of arrest, conviction, and incarceration compared to those without tattoos, potentially due to stigmatization. This correlation persists even after adjusting for self-reported criminal behavior, levels of self-control, associations with delinquent peers, and key demographic variables. The study was published in Deviant Behavior.

Stigmatization is the process of labeling, stereotyping, and discriminating against individuals or groups based on certain characteristics, attributes, or conditions that are considered socially undesirable or different. Stigmatized attributes can be race, gender, sexual orientation, mental health, disabilities, and more. Stigmatization can result in social exclusion, bias, and inequitable treatment, often causing detrimental effects on the well-being and life chances of the stigmatized.

Studies have shown that stigma also impact reactions of the criminal justice system. Consequently, individuals with stigmatized characteristics are more likely to be processed through the criminal justice system, regardless of their actual innocence or guilt. Such individuals are also more likely to be found guilty and to have punishments imposed on them.

Read more here:

PsyPost
November 6, 2023

Ontario inmates saw higher risk of overdose death as COVID-19 emerged: study - CTV News [2023-10-28]

Former Ontario inmates saw their risk of dying from a toxic-drug overdose jump as much as 50 per cent at the start of the pandemic compared to the years before COVID-19, says a study.

The study in the medical journal PLOS One compared pandemic impacts on opioid toxicity death rates between people who had and had not been incarcerated in Ontario between 2015 and 2020.

It found overall risk jumped substantially when COVID-19 emerged with a slew of infection control measures, but the increase in risk was particularly large for people who had been behind bars or released during the years studied.

Lead author Amanda Butler, assistant professor of criminology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, says COVID-19 further exacerbated risk by 1.5 times for men and 1.2 times for women who were incarcerated.

Read more here:

CTV News
October 28, 2023

Why AI Lies - For chatbots, the truth is elusive; it is for humans, too - Psychology Today [2023-10-27]

Attorney Steven Schwartz heard about large language models (LLMs) from his children. He read a few articles on the subject, one saying that the new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots could make legal research obsolete.

Schwartz asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help him with the research for a lawsuit; he was representing an airline passenger who suffered injuries after being struck by a serving cart on a 2019 flight.

ChatGPT instantly summarized comparable cases, such as Martinez v. Delta Air Lines and Varghese v. China Southern Airlines. Schwartz put them in his filing. Unfortunately for Schwartz, many cases—and even some airlines—didn’t exist

The defendant’s lawyers complained that they could not locate the cases cited. At first, Schwartz and another attorney at his firm gave “shifting and contradictory explanations.” Then Schwartz told the judge what had happened.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
October 27, 2023

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 getting proper support for young people with complex special needs is a "crisis across the whole province."

"They've been attempting to find the services as support within the system to maintain their children in their own homes or within their community," Drouillard said.

"They have come up against a lack of acute and intense resources to support them, supporting their children. And so oftentimes those children, youth, end up on the doorstep of a Children's Aid Society."

Drouillard said that while the number isn't static, he estimates at any given time, their agency has seven to 10 children or youth who should not be in their system, but should be within the mental health system or in placements that support "high needs."

Some of those children are being placed in hotels or living in the children's services buildings themselves.

According to Drouillard, children living at a hotel are supported by Children's Aid Society staff who do "their very best under the circumstances."

"There are some youth that can and do get themselves out, go off to school, work, do other things. But they have other issues … they have other challenges. But for the most part, there's always touch points.

Read more here:

CBC News
October 25, 2023

One-of-a-kind Pride Library at Western welcomes students and the public back - CBC News [2023-10-25]

The main library at Western University isn't known for its purple sofas and funky art work. But they're there, at the back on the main floor, inside a unique library space that's reopened after a four-year hiatus.

The Pride Library, which houses thousands of books on queer literature, is Canada's only library dedicated to queer theory and literature. It closed in 2019 for renovations and stayed shuttered during the pandemic.

"This is a space of history and recollection, but also of forward-looking, global thinking, around queer issues," said James Miller, founder of The Pride Library and professor emeritus of languages and cultures.

The Pride Library began in 1990 when Miller was teaching a gay and lesbian course at Western University and noticed that the school's collection on queer literature was sparse.

Read more here:

CBC News
October 25, 2023

Red-flags raised around medically-assisted death in Canada’s prisons – Global News [2023-10-13]

Since it first became legal in Canada in June 2016, 10 federal prisoners have been granted a medically-assisted death (MAID), according to the Correctional Service of Canada.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) also says that as of Aug. 31 this year, a total of 32 prisoners have requested MAID. The numbers rose slightly from May 31, 2023, when the number of requests totalled 29. At that time, nine people were deemed eligible, and granted a medically-assisted death.

The CSC declined to provide a further breakdown of the numbers, citing privacy reasons.

But the procedures and practices of accessing MAID in Canada’s prisons is a cause for concern among advocates and experts alike.

Kim Beaudin is the National Vice-Chief of the Aboriginal Peoples Congress and has been advocating on behalf of Indigenous peoples in the justice system for two decades. He has concerns about the justice system as a whole and the disproportion representation and impact on Indigenous peoples.

Read more here:

Global News
October 13, 2023

Pride tape ban: Brian Burke ‘deeply disappointed’ in the NHL – Global News [2023-10-11]

Brian Burke is not mincing words when it comes to expressing his disappointment with the NHL’s decision to ban players from using rainbow-coloured stick tape in support of the LGBTQ2 community.

The former NHL executive took to social media Wednesday, saying that the league-wide ban on the Pride symbol removes meaningful support for the queer community and only serves to protect a small group of players who don’t want to be questioned about their lack of support.

In his written statement, Burke called the Pride Tape ban a “surprising and serious setback.”

“This is not inclusion or progress,” Burke, now president of the PWHL players’ association, wrote. “Fans look to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that’s been open for the last decade.”

He also addressed the LGBTQ2 community, writing: “Please know that you are still a valued member of the hockey community. We will not lose the incredible progress we’ve made in inclusion over the last decade.”

Read more here:

Global News
October 11, 2023

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) has been granted bail, granted parole, given a day pass or moved to a less secure facility, discharged to a half-way house or simply to the community, from either a correctional system facility or a forensic psychiatry facility.

In most cases, a review or parole board has sanctioned the change to a less secure environment with less supervision. Many of these decisions, in part, have been based on a “risk assessment” by mental health professionals (forensic psychiatrists or psychologists), and by an assessment of the behaviour of the individual while in custody or treatment. This latter often includes comments on “admitting guilt and taking responsibility,” “showing remorse,” “engaging in pro-social activity” and “attending therapy or counselling.”

Currently, some objective tools (evidence-based psychopathy checklists) are used in a risk assessment but some subjective judgements are based on self-reporting, interviews and testimony. Ultimately though, a risk assessment will arrive at very broad conclusions such as “low risk to re-offend,” “moderate risk” and “high risk.”

In any decision to discharge, release or reduce security, legal, humanitarian and civil liberty considerations must play a role.

But there is a different and far more objective question that could be asked of the mental health professionals: “Apart from incarceration, with this individual, do we have the tools to reduce to zero or minimal risk the possibility of re-offending?” And this question can be objectively answered based almost solely on the original crime(s) or “index offences,” the context of those crimes and the presence or absence of a treatable condition.

Healthy Debate
October 10, 2023

 

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 considerable social, emotional and health-related consequences for a growing population experiencing homelessness while also placing enormous economic and infrastructural pressures on the social institutions that provide care to this population.

This strain is felt acutely in Canada’s emergency departments (EDs).

People experiencing homelessness have a two to five times higher morbidity and mortality from all diseases compared to the general population and often have no choice but to use EDs for their health care. Emergency health-care workers must in turn contend with responding to the complex comorbidities that accompany a life of living rough and have little recourse to affect the underlying pathologies that engender a revolving-door relationship that many unhoused patients have with EDs across Canada.

Fundamentally, being unhoused is the primary medical concern facing this population, but chronically overcrowded EDs rooted in disease-oriented and episodic models of acute care are not well oriented to respond to this reality. The result is countless individuals cyclically discharged back into homelessness, with poorer access to care for all Canadians.

Read more here:

Healthy Debate
October 3, 2023

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 units starting this month at 362 Dundas Street, also known as London Extended Stay hotel, just west of Colborne Street.

“We know that housing is health care and we are committed to working with our system partners to redesigns care and better address the needs of all Londoners, especially those community members who are marginalized and have difficulty accessing stable health and housing resources,” said Sandra Smith, a hospital official.

The fully furnished apartments will offer comprehensive health and social support services to people with health needs, including hospital patients who are discharged but are at risk of readmission because of chronic and persistent homelessness, officials said.

Read more here:

CBC News
October 11, 2023

‘It will cost people their jobs’: Thunder Bay top cop says racism won’t be tolerated – Global News [2023-10-11]

Thunder Bay police Chief Darcy Fleury knows firsthand what it’s like to experience racism — and that has helped guide his first few months on the job as he looks to overhaul the embattled police force and repair relations with the Indigenous community.

The Metis man took over the top job on the police force in May and has made one thing clear to his officers.

“Racism will not be tolerated and it will cost people their jobs,” Fleury said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Several damning reports in recent years, including an expert panel’s findings this past spring, have found systemic racism within the Thunder Bay police force toward Indigenous people. The panel also found a “profound lack of trust” of the police by the Indigenous community.

Fleury, a veteran RCMP officer who rose through the ranks over the past few decades to a district commander in central Alberta, believes his Indigenous heritage will help him navigate the rough waters in Thunder Bay.

Read more here:

Global News
October 11, 2023

 

Heritage advocates hope to save Indigenous wall murals in former Guelph Correctional Centre – CBC News [2023-09-30]

Freddy Taylor says serving time at the now-former Guelph Correctional Centre started out as a very dark period in his life, but ended with a renewed passion for life and art.

Taylor, 78, was taken from his home in Curve Lake as a child and forced to go to the Mohawk Residential School in Brantford, Ont. After leaving school, he said, he turned to alcohol and then got involved in criminal activity.

Taylor said he doesn’t recall dates well, but he can confirm he was in jail from the mid-1970s to sometime in the 1980s. During that time, he helped form Native Sons, a group of Indigenous men who helped him and others at the centre to work through trauma in their lives.

“We were happy because [in] the Native Sons group, we talked about everything — alcohol, drugs, how we felt being locked up and being taken away to residential schools. Everything,” Taylor said.

He said many men would create artwork and the group was given permission to paint three murals in the room they used for meetings in a building called the lower assembly hall.

“We planned about what we should put on there and the Guelph reformatory person that was looking after that let us do that after almost a year. And we fought for it,” Taylor said in a phone interview from the Whetung Ojibwa Centre in Curve Lake, north of Peterborough, where he continues to work on his art.

“We took our pain and anger out, and put it on the wall.”

Read more here:

CBC News
September 30, 2023

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 disorders increasing substantially over the previous 10 years(opens in a new tab).”

In the study, “Mental disorders and access to mental health care(opens in a new tab),” published Friday, the government agency used data from the Mental Health and Access to Care Survey to analyze the number of Canadians who meet the criteria for mental health disorders, whether they have been diagnosed by a doctor or not.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 23, 2023

What you eat could be key to improving your mental health, scientists say – CBC News [2023-09-23]

Maintaining good mental health can sometimes feel challenging, but it turns out one piece of the puzzle is deceptively simple — what’s on your plate.

“Nutrition and mental health is this connection that people have actually been writing about for centuries,” Dr. Mary Scourboutakos, who goes by Dr. Sco., told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC’s The Dose.

“But only now are we getting this evidence to accumulate to support this connection,” said Scourboutakos, a family doctor who also has a PhD in nutrition.

Research shows that the types of microbes found in our gut, or gastrointestinal tract, could have a direct impact on our mood.

And experts say that changing your diet is one of the best ways to influence those microbes, which could in turn help people suffering from mental illness.

“It’s a question of augmenting a tool that we’re already using, which is very encouraging,” said Scourboutakos.

In one Canadian study, researchers were able to show that when 10- and 11-year-olds met recommendations for diet, as well as sleep, physical activity and screen time, they were less likely to need mental health interventions as adolescents.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 23, 2023

To soothe anxiety around scattering the ashes of loved ones, London created a space for it – CBC News [2023-09-21]

The City of London has created a dedicated space for mourners to scatter ashes of their late friends and family at the Riverside boat launch along the Thames River.

In a news released published Wednesday, city officials said the space, located in the Wonderland Road and Riverside Drive area, was created in response to inquiries about scattering ashes at local parks and along the Thames River.

“We just know that there is the general interest from Londoners that we’re trying to provide support for, for important funerary practices,” Yeomen said on CBC London’s Afternoon Drive Wednesday.

Ken Saunders, a funeral director at the London Cremation Services, said that he’s seen an obvious decline in traditional burials and increase in cremation ceremonies in the last 22 years.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 21, 2023

Ontarians on social supports ‘worse off’ than before pandemic, study suggests – Global News [2023-09-20]

Some Ontario researchers say residents in the province who were already among the poorest and most vulnerable prior to COVID-19 are now worse off than they were before.

A new report McMaster University’s political science and labour studies department is highlighting how things are “Not Back to Normal” after the peak of the pandemic for Ontarians who’ve been relying on social assistance.

In fact, the research found that those counting on Ontario Disability Support (ODSP) are worse off than they were before, as social assistance rates haven’t increased to keep up with skyrocketing rent and food prices.

Associate Professor Peter Graefe says many low-income people in Hamilton and across the province are “trapped” with “giant rents” and don’t dare move since finding accommodations at their level of affordability is unlikely.

“Clearly, that becomes much more significant for people whose total income is about $1,200 a month,” Grafe said. “A lot of which you need to pay rent, food, clothing or transportation.”

Read more here:

Global News
September 20, 2023

Protests over school polices on gender identity met with counter-demonstrations in London, Ont. – Global News [2023-09-20]

More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) in London, Ont., on Wednesday over school policies on gender identity.

The “1MillionMarch4Children” saw demonstrations held across the country on Sept. 20th, as organizer Our Duty Canada claimed they’re “advocating for the elimination of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools.”

Gender identity in the education sector made headlines earlier this year as Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused school boards of indoctrinating students.

His comments came on the heels of pronoun policies adopted by New Brunswick and Saskatchewan that require parental consent for students under the age of 16 who want to change their given names and/or pronouns at school.

As the premier insisted that parents should be informed on their child’s gender identity, education minister Stephen Lecce said last month that he believes “parent must be fully involved” if their child chooses to use a different gender pronoun in schools.

Read more here:

Global News
September 20, 2023

Anti-trans rallies met with counter-protests across Ontario – Global News [2023-09-20]

Anti-trans rallies across Canada were met by crowds affirming their support for transgender youth facing a climate of increasing hate, as rhetoric and debate over sex education curriculums grows louder.

Across Ontario, participants in rallies organized by the group “1MillionMarch4Children” — which claims participants are “standing together against gender ideology in schools” — were met by counter-protestors Wednesday morning.

In Toronto, hundreds gathered north of Queens Park as part of the 1 Million March, chanting “leave our children alone,” while thousands gathered in opposition. Police were present on foot, horseback and bicycles.

Read more here:

Global News
September 20, 2023

Suppressing negative thoughts may be good for mental health after all, study suggests – Science Daily [2023-09-20]

The commonly-held belief that attempting to suppress negative thoughts is bad for our mental health could be wrong, a new study from scientists at the University of Cambridge suggests.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit trained 120 volunteers worldwide to suppress thoughts about negative events that worried them, and found that not only did these become less vivid, but that the participants’ mental health also improved.

“We’re all familiar with the Freudian idea that if we suppress our feelings or thoughts, then these thoughts remain in our unconscious, influencing our behaviour and wellbeing perniciously,” said Professor Michael Anderson.

“The whole point of psychotherapy is to dredge up these thoughts so one can deal with them and rob them of their power. In more recent years, we’ve been told that suppressing thoughts is intrinsically ineffective and that it actually causes people to think the thought more — it’s the classic idea of ‘Don’t think about a pink elephant’.

Read more here:

Science Daily
September 20, 2023

Trans teens and youth say gender-affirming care is ‘life-changing.’ So why is it so hard to find in Canada? – CBC News [2023-09-18]

Crow Heyden-Kaye was in Grade 8 when a worksheet handed out during class asked students to consider how they would describe their gender.

It was the first time it occurred to Crow that “girl” didn’t actually fit with how he felt. Over the next few years, he began using the pronouns they and them. In Grade 10, he came out as trans. His pronouns are “he” and “they.”

“Immediately, it was like something clicked,” said Heyden-Kaye, who is now 18 and lives with his parents and sibling in Ponoka, a central Alberta town of about 7,300 people.

At 16, he asked his mom to make an appointment with their longtime family doctor so he could get a referral to a gender clinic. He wanted to start exploring the possibility of hormone replacement therapy.

But during the telephone appointment, the family doctor began asking questions Heyden-Kaye felt were inappropriate.

“What if I wanted to get pregnant someday? What if I had a husband someday? Not related at all,” he said. “I think he asked me ‘What if you want to keep your boobs?’ “

Read more here:

CBC News
September 18, 2023

Oxford County commits to eliminating homelessness – CTV News [2023-09-18]

While communities across the province deal with homelessness, Oxford County has formally committed to making sure all of its population has a roof over their heads.

County council has approved a new three-year strategic plan which includes a goal of 100 per cent housed, meaning essentially to eliminate homelessness.

We have to say, ‘That’s our goal.’ Our goal is that everybody in Oxford should have a home to live in,” explained Warden Marcus Ryan, who also stressed that the problem won’t be fixed anytime soon.

“And then we have to demand of our staff that they’re going to provide us, ‘What are all those options that we can find to try and deliver on that?’ And frankly, even if we were to discover at that next council meeting, ‘This is the solution,’ that will take time to implement,” he said.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 18, 2023

Forest City Film Festival announces lineup with spotlight on mental health and homelessness – CBC News [2023-09-14]

The lineup has been announced for this year’s Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) in London, Ont., with several films focusing on social issues that hit close to home.

The local film festival runs from Oct. 14 to 22, showcasing about 70 films, including features, short films, animations and documentaries. FCFF Executive Producer Dorothy Downs said a large number of this year’s films depict themes surrounding mental health and homelessness.

“I think it’s because we have been through such a difficult time with the pandemic and [mental health and homelessness] is, you know, deeply in the minds of people submitting,” said Downs.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 14, 2023

 

Prison overdose prevention program expands to Ontario – Global News [2023-09-14]

While Canada battles an opioid epidemic, Correctional Service Canada is looking at how to address the same issue in its prisons.

Starting in the fall, it will launch an overdose prevention site at Collins Bay Correctional Facility in Kingston.

Originally started in 2019 at the Drumheller Institution in Alberta, the program will be the first of its kind in Ontario.

“The courts mandated the CSC to come up with a program to mitigate the spread of disease, and this is their measure to combat that,” says Chris Bucholtz, Ontario regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers.

“I know my members respond quite often to overdoses inside the walls.”

Read more here:

Global News
September 14, 2023

 

Agencies urge city for continued security at outreach spaces facing escalating violence – CBC News [2023-09-14]

A number of agencies offering services to those experiencing homelessness in London, Ont., are urging city council to continue funding security at two key downtown outreach and resting spaces.

In July, council approved $200,000 out of a request for $374,000 to go toward security at both London Cares locations.

A report submitted to Tuesday’s Community and Protective Services Committee meeting includes letters from the London Health Sciences Centre, Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services, Unity Project and other partners saying London Cares has since experienced a significant increase in violence toward staff members, and requires the remainder of the requested funds.

“This level of tension has created unsafe working conditions for staff,” reads the letter from Thames Valley. “And without the support of security, they will be forced to stop providing services.”

Read more here:

CBC News
September 14, 2023

Some Ontario church leaders say Christians discriminating against people who are LGBTQ get the Bible wrong – CBC News [2023-09-14]

It was a summer day in June when Father Jarek Pachocki was at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, watching a Pride flag raised into the sky.

The city’s Catholic school board trustees voted to start flying the flag in 2022 in support of students.

But not long after the ceremony, Pachocki, the co-pastor of the city’s St. Patrick Parish, says a school staff member confronted him.

“He basically told me I shouldn’t be here, the church shouldn’t be supporting LGBTQ people and he was quoting bible passages,” Pachocki said.

“My answer to him was, ‘I’m here for the students’ … I don’t think he heard what I said … he made up his mind and that’s quite often what happens.”

Religious leaders in Ontario say conversations about LGBTQ people are becoming more common among Christians — but it’s not all bad.

In fact, Pachocki and Rev. Karen Orlandi with the Silver Spire United Church in St. Catharines, Ont., say they’re seeing more LGBTQ acceptance among churchgoers.

“They’re not close-minded and when they focus on the human [aspect], it makes a difference,” Pachocki said. “The church is having a listening attitude … we’re going in the right direction.”

Read more here:

CBC News
September 14, 2023

If Trudeau wants to fix housing, London is a good place to start – CBC News [2023-09-14]

If you wanted to solve Canada’s housing problem, the city of London, Ont. — where Liberal MPs are meeting this week ahead of Parliament’s fall sitting — would be a good place to start.

“The challenges facing London are indicative of some of the challenges that we experience in cities across this country,” Housing Minister Sean Fraser said on Wednesday, standing in front of a construction site to announce the first investment from the federal government’s housing accelerator fund.

In his own remarks, London Mayor Josh Morgan said was good for the Liberal caucus to see “an example of both the opportunities and the challenges that a city like London showcases [and] is replicated in many cities across this country.”

The federal funding touted on Wednesday amounts to $74 million in exchange for the city’s agreement to pursue a series of measures, including a change to local zoning rules that should make it easier to build more rental units. According to federal and municipal officials, the joint action will create 2,000 housing units over the next three years and help build “thousands” more in the years after.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 14, 2023

‘I almost died in there’: Former inmates of London, Ont. detention centre speak out – CTV News [2023-09-13]

A court review of a $33 million class action settlement for former inmates of the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) and their families was held in London, Ont. on Wednesday.

During his address to the court, Michael Peerless described the EMDC as overcrowded, unsanitary, and fraught with violence. Outside the court, he described conditions as, “Not just unpleasant but negligent and breached the rights of people who are incarcerated there.”

Peerless is a class action lawyer with London firm McKenzie Lake.

The settlement, which has been 12 years in the making, is for two separate class action law suits covering a period from January 2010 to November 2021.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 13, 2023

Trudeau announces $74M to help London, Ont., build 2,000 new homes – CBC News [2023-09-13]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that London, Ont., is the first city in Canada to reach a deal with his government under the Housing Accelerator Fund.

He says the deal will create 2,000 new homes in the city over three years.

“This landmark agreement with London will be the first of many, and we look forward to working with all orders of government to help everyone find a place to call their own,” Trudeau said in a statement.

London Mayor Josh Morgan said he wants the city’s agreement to set an example for the rest of the country when it comes to building housing units.

“This is the most significant housing and housing-related infrastructure investment in London’s history,” said Morgan, thanking his staff and council for their work on the deal.

Morgan added that on top of the 2,000 homes the fund will help build over the coming three years, it will also help facilitate the construction of thousands of additional housing units “in the years to come.”

Read more here:

CBC News
September 13, 2023

Healthy lifestyle can help prevent depression – and new research may explain why – Science Daily [2023-09-11]

A healthy lifestyle that involves moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep and frequent social connection, while avoiding smoking and too much sedentary behaviour, reduces the risk of depression, new research has found.

In research published today in Nature Mental Health, an international team of researchers, including from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University, looked at a combination of factors including lifestyle factors, genetics, brain structure and our immune and metabolic systems to identify the underlying mechanisms that might explain this link.

According to the World Health Organization, around one in 20 adults experiences depression, and the condition poses a significant burden on public health worldwide. The factors that influence the onset of depression are complicated and include a mixture of biological and lifestyle factors.

Read more here:

Science Daily
September 13, 2023

Staggering mental health, addiction stats push northern First Nations to call for emergency declaration – CBC News [2023-09-13]

Chiefs of First Nations in northern Ontario are calling for a public emergency and social crisis to be declared, emphasizing the disproportionate mental health and addictions issues facing their communities compared to the rest of the province.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority’s (SLFNHA) held its two-day annual general meeting last week. It serves 33 First Nations — 28 of them are considered remote as they have no highway access.

Those who attended the meeting in Thunder Bay heard jarring preliminary figures from a report on mental health and substance use that’s underway in the communities. The figures show band members are hospitalized for mental health and addictions issues at six times the provincial rate.

From 2011 to 2021, emergency department visits for intentional self-injury nearly doubled and ambulatory visits in the communities tripled.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 13, 2023

An overdose prevention site for inmates is coming to this Ontario prison – CBC News [2023-09-12]

Work is underway to set up a site where inmates can use drugs under medical supervision at a prison in Kingston, Ont.

The overdose prevention service (OPS) at the Collins Bay Institution will be the third of its kind in Canada and the first in Ontario.

The goal is to save lives, limit needle-sharing and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, according to Correctional Service Canada (CSC).

Drugs consumed at the location will be self-supplied, meaning substances that are smuggled in.

It’s an approach that’s supported by harm reduction advocates and the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO), but also presents prison staff with the question of whether they’re condoning illicit drug use behind bars.

“It’s almost a moral dilemma for us,” said Chris Bucholtz, UCCO’s Ontario regional president.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 12, 2023

Disability and the prison system – Briarpatch [2023-09-07]

There’s a saying among prisoners: if you don’t have a disability going into prison, you’re probably leaving with one.

Disability justice and prisoner justice advocates often call prisons the new asylums. Canada has long history of institutionalizing disabled people in asylums, institutions for the deaf or blind, and psychiatric facilities. In these institutions, people were subjected to severe abuse and neglect. While asylums no longer exist in the form they once did, Canada continues to warehouse disabled people today in long-term care homes, group homes, psychiatric facilities, and prisons – which further disable people.

Prisons often remove prisoners’ assistive devices and medications – or use them as a reason to put an individual in solitary confinement. Kitten Keyes, an Indigenous and disabled prisoner, was made to sleep on the floor of her cell because it wasn’t wheelchair accessible, and she could not transfer herself to the bunk. She was unable to manoeuvre to the toilet without grab bars and was forced to defecate onherself when no one would help her. Gregory Allen was allowed his wheelchair, but at the expense of being placed in solitary confinement for 412 days, well beyond the 15-consecutive-day limit the United Nations uses to distinguish segregation from torture.

The fear of being put into extended segregation keeps prisoners from disclosing mental health issues; I myself didn’t disclose any of my psychiatric history, having heard stories of how people with mental illness were treated in prison both on the range and in solitary. Another common way prisons disable people is by withholding people’s medications or assistive devices like knee braces or eyeglasses – even when they came in with them. This is something I saw first-hand while inside.

For the past year, I’ve been working with the Disability Justice Network of Ontario on their Prison Project to support racialized, disabled prisoners in Ontario. We run support lines for prisoners to help them connect to people outside, work to amplify their experiences, and help support them in organizing collective demands for things like access to medical care.

Read more here:

Briarpatch
September 7, 2023

How Prescription Heroin Is Saving Lives – The Tyee [2023-09-12]

Crosstown Clinic patient Michel has used opiates for 30 years. His addiction to heroin, he says, drove him to use “alternative methods to get money, like criminal activity.”

Six years ago, exhausted by the lifestyle he was leading, Michel joined Crosstown as a patient and began accessing prescription injectable heroin.

“It worked from day one,” he says. “There was immediate relief from the daily grind all addicts go through — it felt like freedom.”

Providence Health Authority’s Crosstown Clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside offers a range of treatments for opioid use disorder, including opioid agonist therapy, medical care and wraparound services with social workers and counsellors.

British Columbia first declared a public health emergency due to toxic drugs in 2016. Since then, the drug supply has only increased in potency and unpredictability, with fentanyl, carfentil and benzodiazepines — which can increase the risk of overdose and complicate the reversal of overdoses — showing up more and more frequently. Toxic drugs have killed over 12,700 British Columbians since 2016, making unregulated drug toxicity the leading cause of death in the province for people aged 10 to 59.

While the province has been ramping up harm reduction initiatives, such as distributing naloxone kits and permitting safer supply, it has not been able to keep up with the toxicity of drugs bought on the illicit market, leading to a rise in toxic drug deaths year after year.

Read more here:

The Tyee
September 12, 2023

As Yellowknife reopens, work is being done to bring back the city’s homeless population – CBC News [2023-09-11]

As the re-entry to Yellowknife continues, work has been underway to track down and arrange for the return of the city’s homeless population.

The last homelessness count in the city found there were approximately 300 people who identified as homeless, of which roughly 100 stay in shelters every night, according to Tony Brushett, the executive director of the Yellowknife Salvation Army.

When the evacuation order came down mid-August for everyone to leave the city, some clients left with family or friends while others were flown to various cities, such as Calgary, Brushett said.

Now that the city has reopened, the agency said there have been challenges in tracking people down at hotels or shelters to organize a way home.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 11, 2023

Canada ranks as second-best country in the world in 2023: U.S. News – CTV News [2023-09-08]

Canada has been ranked as the second-best country in the world in 2023, according to a new ranking conducted by U.S. News., communications company WPP and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

In its “2023 Best Countries rankings”, U.S. News analyzed various factors, ranging from a country’s military and economic prowess to the quality of life experienced by its residents. This evaluation involves 87 countries and was based on responses gathered from more than 17,000 global citizens.

Respondents were also asked to associate countries with various qualities across ten subrankings, including power, cultural influence, heritage, and social impact. The scores from these associations were used to create a list of the world’s top countries, along with nearly 100 other distinct rankings.

In this year’s rankings, Canada has taken the second spot, surpassing Germany, thanks to its outstanding performance in agility, according to the report. However, it still trails behind Switzerland as the best country in the world in 2023.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 8, 2023

How more homeless encampments in Ontario signal a housing crisis out of control – Global News [2023-09-09]

Homeless encampments have been multiplying across Ontario since the pandemic, but experts say this visible symptom of the national housing crisis has been a long time coming.

With limited shelter space, a lack of social housing, increasing cost of home ownership and ballooning rents, more and more people are left with few options but to pitch a tent in a public space.

But how did we get here? And what can be done?

A deep-dive into the City of Hamilton’s experience with homeless encampments and its journey from a law enforcement response to a housing-led approach shows just how complicated it will be to address the issue – and how the circumstances resulting in the proliferation of encampments touch all of us.

Read more here:

Global News
September 9, 2023

 

Naloxone kits should be available in nasal spray, injectable version across Canada: panel – Global News [2023-09-08]

People administering an overdose-reversing medication should have a choice of both versions of take-home naloxone kits across Canada — a nasal spray and an injectable that goes into a muscle — says a panel of experts that includes people who use drugs.

The new guidance applies to take-home naloxone kits that are distributed at various sites, including pharmacies, community groups and emergency departments, to anyone who could respond to an overdose.

Those who have used naloxone to save lives say having the nasal spray at hand could ensure a faster response because some people may be uncomfortable with needles. But that formulations is many times more expensive than the intramuscular version.

Authors of the guidance, published recently in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, strongly recommend federal, provincial and territorial programs be adapted so people have a choice of methods when a fast response is needed after someone has overdosed on an illicit substance.

Read more here:

Global News
September 8, 2023

Instead of waiting months, this Nova Scotian saw psychiatrist in days under new program – CBC News [2023-09-08]

Some Nova Scotians who need help managing mental health issues are being assessed by psychiatrists within days under a new program introduced by the province’s health authority.

The service, launched in April in Nova Scotia Health’s central zone, is focused on early intervention treatment for a range of mental health disorders.

The goal of the rapid access and stabilization program, which has seen more than 250 people so far, is to speed up access to specialist mental health care, in light of delays some patients have faced when seeking appointments.

“I really needed to speak with someone,” said 30-year-old Taylor Brown, who was referred to the program through a walk-in clinic and was able to see a psychiatrist within three days.

Brown, who is from Halifax, had previously been referred to a specialist for persistent feelings of anxiety and fear, but said she had been waiting for more than two years for an appointment. During that time, she said, “my condition worsened.”

Read more here:

CBC News
September 8, 2023

Loneliness is harmful to your health, but solitude is beneficial, expert says – CTV News [2023-09-08]

In a virtually constantly connected world, the notion of solitude seems elusive, even daunting, and being alone is often thought of in a negative context.

But solitude is not the same as loneliness, and when people choose to spend time by themselves, it can actually be beneficial, according to Robert Coplan, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa.

The key is to understand the difference between the two, Coplan told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.

Solitude, he emphasizes, is the deliberate choice to spend time alone, a concept often misunderstood and conflated with loneliness.

“It is possible to feel lonely when you are not alone,” he said. “Adolescents will tell us they feel lonely sitting at the dinner table with their family.

“And, of course, it’s also possible to be by yourself and not feel lonely.”

Loneliness, on the contrary, is the discrepancy between how much time someone wants to be with others versus the time they actually spend alone. This manifests as a negative feeling which can be harmful to people’s health, he said.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 8, 2023

 

‘Hate’ campaign seemingly targets youngest and most impressionable in our community – CTV News [2023-09-07]

Ian MacLean says his wife was taking a pleasant morning walk with their dog, Charley, when she was confronted with troubling messages in front of Trafalgar Public School on Wednesday morning; the first day of school.

“She came across some trans hate messages both scrawled on the sidewalk and stickers that had been pre-made and placed around the school property,” said MacLean. She removed some of the stickers and the pair took steps to notify the school.

Reports indicated a number of schools were targeted with similar messages, including Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts, Wortley Road Public School, and Byron Northview Public School.

“We’re really disappointed with some of the messaging that we’ve seen at the schools,” said Purveen Skinner. Skinner is Superintendent of Equity for the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB). Board officials say, to the best of their knowledge, all of the hateful messages were removed before students arrived for school.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 7, 2023

 

Greenpeace opposes nuclear energy. Young climate activists say that’s ‘old-fashioned’ – CBC News [2023-09-07]

Young climate activists in Europe are calling on Greenpeace to drop its “old-fashioned” stance against nuclear energy.

Activists from five EU countries have launched the Dear Greenpeace campaign, asking the well-established environmental organization to get on board with what they see as a necessary tool in the fight against climate change.

“It’s a message of desperation from my generation to theirs,” Ia Aanstoot, an 18-year-old Swedish climate activist, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.

“We are really, really desperate to have them in the struggle against fossil fuels. And it feels like a betrayal for them to be going up against nuclear power.”

Greenpeace and other critics of nuclear power, meanwhile, say it continues to be too dangerous, polluting, and cost-prohibitive to be a viable solution to the climate crisis.

Read more here:

CBC News
September 7, 2023

 

Just four organizations bid to operate London’s first homeless hubs – CTV News [2023-09-06]

 

Council’s options may be limited when they choose locations and lead agencies to operate the first low-barrier service hubs for Londoners experiencing homelessness.

According to a publicly available list posted on city hall’s Bids and Tenders website, nine organizations participated in a Request for Proposals (RFP) process— but only four submitted a bid.

Agencies that are bidders:

•  London Health Sciences Centre
•  CMHA Thames Valley- Addiction and Mental Health Services
•  Atlohsa Family Healing Services
•  Youth Opportunities Unlimited

The RFP closed at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept, 5.

After initially participating in the RFP process, Ark Aid Street Mission decided not to submit a bid.

Read more here:

CTV News
September 6, 2023

Dictionary.com embraces ‘they,’ adds hundreds of new words – Mashable [2023-09-06]

The lexicographers and editors at Dictionary.com know a long-lasting trend when they see one.

For its latest update, the digital dictionary will now use the gender-neutral “they” or “their” instead of “he or she” or “his or her” in entries where there’s no reason to be specific about gender, or where the language can be streamlined. In some cases, pronouns will be omitted altogether if they’re unnecessary.

The dictionary-wide change affects hundreds of entries.

For example, the definition of folk singer appeared with binary-gendered pronouns: “a singer who specializes folk songs, usually providing his or her own accompaniment on a guitar.” The new version replaces the pronouns with “their.”

Read more here:

Mashable
September 6, 2023