Sep 18
- September, 18 2017
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- Dr. Sam Ozersky, MD
Compared to the general population, smokers are twice as likely to suffer a mental health disorder. Despite the high smoking rates, a very low percentage of smokers are begin assessed and treated for other mental health disorders.
Many of us are aware of the relationship between smoking and other physical illnesses. While 20% of non-smokers suffer a mental disorder, the evidence is now clear that 40% of smokers suffer from at least one mental disorder. One study shows that people with psychiatric disorders consume 44.3% of all cigarettes smoked in this country.
Most of the time smoking is treated only as a substance use disorder. Very often other co-morbid mental health disorders are missed. Strategies that address smoking in mental illness, and mental illness among smokers would seem to be important...
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Sep 08
Annually, September 10
th marks World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). This year’s theme was ‘Take a minute, change a life.’
The onset of 70% of mental health problems occurs during childhood or adolescence. They require counselling and therapy as soon as possible and close to home. Children and youth are suffering while waiting a year or more to access long-term counselling and therapy.
In Ontario, the government has made some recent strides towards prioritizing children and youth mental health by funding the teaching of administrators how to recognize when kids need mental health supports, they have also invested in making schools more mentally healthy. They also announced in early 2017 the intention to invest in co-locate services in...
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