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Individuals who use mental health or substance use services may be more likely to have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when compared to the general population, according to a new scoping review led by Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing PhD candidate Julia Davies. Most studies included in the review, published in Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation , indicated that at least a quarter of mental health and addictions service users had experienced a TBI, with nearly half the studies identifying TBI rates of over 50 per cent.

Artificial intelligence chatbots that show positive feelings - such as adding an -I am excited to do so!- or a few exclamation marks - do not necessarily translate into positive reactions or contribute to higher customer satisfaction, according to a recent study by researchers from the University of South Florida, the Georgia Institute of Technology and McGill University.

New research shows promising results using neurotechnological approaches to treat depression in youth. The research, led by Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Faranak Farzan, is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders Reports. Researchers investigated the clinical and neurophysiological effects of using brain stimulation followed by cognitive exercise for treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in 26 youth (aged 16 - 24 years old).

Individuals who deal with anxiety are not less hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine Individuals who deal with anxiety are no less hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine compared to those without anxiety, according to new research. The new study led by the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate the relationship between vaccine hesitancy, psychological factors associated with anxiety, and individuals' reasoning for and against getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

People who follow sleep duration recommendations are likely to live longer, according to a study by researcher Julie Carrier, professor in the Psychology Department, and her colleagues. Are you an adult aged between 18 and 64 who sleeps 7-9 hours a day? Or are you over 65 and sleep 7-8 hours a day? Following these Canadian recommendations on sleep duration could increase your life expectancy.

Mask-wearing has become the norm for many since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their effectiveness in preventing the spread of viruses, opaque masks impair our ability to understand and convey emotions, a group of McGill researchers has found. McGill researchers Jelena Ristic , Full Professor in the Department of Psychology, and Sarah McCrackin , Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology, discuss whether transparent masks reduce the negative impacts on social communication.

A new long-term study led by neuroscientists at Western University shows short-term symptoms from COVID-19, like laboured breathing, fever, and dry cough, may just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The findings, published by Cell Reports Medicine , reveal short and possible long-term cognitive impairments among people who had COVID-19.

Arts & Humanities Erik Rolfsen The characters you type out over and over again into your digital devices may impact your mental health more than you might expect. A new UBC and NYU Shanghai research study has found self-affirming written passwords - such as "MusicCalmsMeDown@123"- can offer a boost to one's mental health.

A study has found that attachment insecurity affects sexual well-being in long-term couples. Among other things, it can shape people's motives for having sex. CONTENU - What motivates people in long-term relationships to have sex and how do those motives affect the emotions they experience during sex? Noémie Beaulieu, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal, and her fellow researchers wanted to find out.

Being able to let go of goals is a critical part of staying mentally healthy People who shelved their long-term goals during the pandemic were better able to avoid anxiety and depression, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate the relationship between what they call COVID-frozen goals - goals for which progress has been disrupted due to COVID-19 - and psychological well-being.

PhD candidate in psychology publishes meta-analysis that chronicles 60 years of memory research By Wendy Philpott Faculty of Arts Whether you're old or young, memory can be a challenge for all kinds of reasons, and most of us would welcome strategies to help improve our memory. Waterloo's researchers in psychology have been helping with this area of cognition for years - and the impact of their research on what we know about memory continues with graduate students.

Negative parenting behaviours more likely when technology interrupts family interactions Caregivers who consume digital media for relaxation are more likely to engage in negative parenting practices, according to a new multinational study. The new study led by the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate the relationship between caregivers' use of digital media, mental health, and parenting practices at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work breaks should be seen as recovery opportunities that foster employee well-being and do not detract from performance, according to a Simon Fraser University researcher. Zhanna Lyubykh, assistant professor, Management and Organization Studies at the Beedie School of Business led a systematic review of 83 studies focused on the role of work breaks in fostering well-being and performance.

A research team supervised by Anne Gallagher is investigating whether babies can learn language in the womb. Does exposing babies to different languages during pregnancy promote the acquisition of language skills before birth? This is what a research team at the LION laboratory is trying to determine.

Researchers at Université de Montréal find that social support among LGBTQ+ community members - sometimes called "chosen families" - can help them better cope psychologically with the pandemic. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of inequities faced by their community to the fore, including the precarious state of their mental health.

Imagine having to choose over and over between what you enjoy doing and the pain that it might cause you, whether physical or emotional. If you live with conditions such as depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, you are probably familiar with making these difficult choices on a daily or weekly basis. But surprisingly little is known about which areas of the brain are involved in decisions of this kind.

A study of high school students has found that more than half report higher-than-normal levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, and 32% experience academic anxiety. According to data gathered from students at five Montreal high schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, teenagers report concerning signs of academic performance anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety and depression.

New research reveals that devotion to selfless values can help people feel more confident and less hostile in stressful circumstances. In two experiments, participants focused on their own selfless values, with most related to benefiting others. This action caused brain activity and feelings linked to personal power, which made the participants less hostile toward disliked people and worldviews.

New findings on theta waves generated in the brain during emotional regulation could lead to more treatment options for disorders such as anxiety and schizophrenia. Without realizing it, we all rely on emotional regulation many times a day. It's the process by which we mitigate the effect of disturbing stimuli in order to stay focused, improve our well-being and respond to demands from our environment.

According to a study led by Professor Anick Bérard, 23% of pregnant and postpartum women experienced major depressive symptoms during the first three waves of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Canadian women's mental health both during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, confirms the CONCEPTION study led by Anick Bérard, researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Université de Montréal.