What are Psychosocial Risk (PSR) factors? Thirteen psychosocial risk (PSR) factors have been identified by researchers at Simon Fraser University “based on extensive research and review of empirical data from national and international best practices. The factors were also determined based on existing and emerging Canadian case law and legislation.” These 13 factors are discussed in detail on the Guarding Minds at Work (GM@W) website. GM@W is a free, evidence-based strategy that helps employers protect and promote psychological safety and health in their workplace.Read More →

By William Meek http://gad.about.com/ People who struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) often need more than psychotherapy and medication to overcome their problems. One of the most important factors is strong support from people in their lives. Friends and family can be an integral part of the treatment system and can make a difference in recovery time as well as sustaining remission. The following are guidelines for helping your friend or family member with GAD.Read More →

Source: http://fameforfamilies.com/coping-tips/ Self care is one of the most important things that a family can do to keep themselves well. It is something that they struggle with all the time. Families need to remember that they deserve to live their lives. Here are some simple and effective coping tips that we encourage families to consider.Read More →

http://www.thedarlingbakers.com/ Note: I have struggled with clinical depression since I was a child. It has been a constant companion I have learned to manage and while I am better now than I have ever been, every so often I feel it returning. I describe it to my husband as a “demon eating my brain.” I have compiled this list from personal experiences that have been helpful to me. It is not intended to replace medical attention which can help many people who suffer from this illness.Read More →

By Amanda-Marie Kavanagh http://thoughtcatalog.com/ Imagine a time when you felt really down. Like the kind of down when your body feels really heavy, your limbs are like lead and it takes every ounce of willpower to get out of bed. Times when tears refuse to run and you heart actually aches. You feel all alone, like no one could understand what you are going through and that no words of comfort could ever help bring you out of your present state. In fact, you start thinking that you deserve to feel this bad. That really, you are burden to your friends and family, that maybeRead More →

Jul 29, 2014 Hamilton Spectator By Laura Armstrong From the tender age of 14, young people are masters of their own medical treatment under the law, from birth control to mental health care. “It really handcuffs families, but it is the legislation,” said Phyllis Grant-Parker, executive director of Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario. “Legally, physicians cannot discuss with a parent about their child of 14 or older unless the child has given them permission to do so.” Often, Grant-Parker said, it takes a traumatic event before there is some positive intervention. That seemed to be the case for Ali Shahi, a Mississauga man suffering fromRead More →

January 28, 2014 http://www.chch.com/ Not feeling up to going into work or school today? You’re not alone. On an average day, half a million Canadians are off with some form of mental illness. We’re starting to see glimmers of hope, because people are starting to talk. Jim Bremner‘s started the conversation with his own first-hand account in the book Crack in the Armor: A Police Officer’s Guide to Surviving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.Read More →

by Anita Levesque Mental health is a very important issue and especially because I have had and have loved ones who live with mental illness. The stigma towards mental health is large though as I became a mental health advocate, I am seeing more and more people opening up and talking about their mental illness. When my father passed away in 2004, my brother was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. As a result of living with violent domestic abuse caused by my father’s bipolar disorder and prescription medication addiction, my mother and I now live with PTSD and depression.Read More →

Laurence White http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ I have suffered from clinical depression for over three decades. Depression is a disease, a disorder, the manifestation of something fundamentally wrong in the functioning of my brain. I can no more will myself out of depression than a diabetic can will his pancreas to produce more insulin. As I recently told someone critical of Robin Williams’ suicide, judging someone killed by depression makes as much sense as judging someone killed by cancer.Read More →