http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/…/halifax-hospital-incorporates-…
Ever wondered how #eating #disorders are treated clinically? Take a look at how a Halifax hospital strives to heal dysfunctional relationships with food by starting in the kitchen.
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/…/halifax-hospital-incorporates-…
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Surfacing data has identified a growing trend of prescribing antidepressants and antipsychotics to toddlers and children under the age of 2. For many physicians and experts in the field, the use of psychotropics to address violent or withdrawn behaviour in our youth is worrisome, particularly due to the fact that these medications were originally designed for adults and have not been researched on young children to determine efficacy and risks on young people with rapidly developing brains. The data also raises the question of whether as a society we are pathologizing certain child behaviours that are variants of normal or are seeking a quick fix rather than being willing to spend the time and money to explore the more deeply rooted causes of the child's mood and actions. It also brings to light the shortage of child psychiatrists and gaps in the training of our pediatricians which likely perpetuate the issue. "In interviews, a dozen experts in child psychiatry and neurology said that they had never heard of a child younger than 3 receiving such medication, and struggled to explain it. They presumed that parents and doctors, probably desperate and well meaning, were trying to alleviate thrashing temper tantrums — the kind that get children kicked out of day care — or an overly depressed disposition, like being strikingly inhibited, nonverbal or lethargic. “People are doing their very best with the tools available to them,” said Dr. Mary Margaret Gleason, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Tulane University School of Medicine. “There’s a sense of desperation with families of children who are suffering, and the tool that most providers have is the prescription pad.” But Dr. Gleason said that children with ages measured in months had brains whose neurological inner workings were developing too rapidly, and in still unknown ways, to risk using medications that can profoundly influence that growth. She said the medications had never been subject to formal clinical trials in infants and toddlers largely because of those dangers." For the full story, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/us/psychiatric-drugs-are-being-prescribed-to-infants.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=1 From Justin Trudeau to Justin Bieber, a wide range of public figures joined in a global conversation about mental health on Wednesday.
The messages were part of Bell Let's Talk Day, an annual event that encourages supporters to end the stigma around mental illness by speaking up about the issue. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/lets-talk/celebrities-add-voices-to-bellletstalk-conversation-1.2754455 Inspired by her own struggles with anxiety and depression, artist Gemma Correll created a series of comics as a way to both explain and help cope with her mental health issues. She also hopes that by bringing humor into her illustrations which depict what it's like to deal with these issues on a daily basis, she will help others feel less alone in their own battles, and help break down the stigma surrounding mental illness by combating stereotypes and encouraging others to be more comfortable speaking up about it.
"I honestly think that humour can be a saviour at times of distress or, if you just live with a constant level of anxiety and depression like I do," said Correll. "I do think that people should speak more freely about anxiety," she added. "I know that I would have felt a little better as an anxiety-ridden teenager if I knew that I wasn't completely alone in my fears." To see more of Correll's awesome works of art visit her Facebook or Instagram pages or her website here: www.gemmacorrell.com http://freeyork.org/illustrati…/gemma-correll-anxiety-comics Psychiatry residencies are 5 years in length - however, an average of only 3 hours of this time is spent learning about #eating #disordertreatment/management. Eating disorders are extremely overlooked and misunderstood by health care professionals, leaving sufferers untreated and #alone. As prevalence of these mental illnesses has been steadily increasing since the 1930’s, the neglectful handling of disordered eating behaviours is an issue that needs to be addressed.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/…/canadas-h…/article25968051/ |
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Supporting and enhancing students' and health professionals' knowledge and understanding of mental health and psychiatry
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