mental health Archives - News@91��ɫ

Social media use linked to poorer mental health in older Canadians, study finds

egamulin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Cross-sectional study by 91��ɫ U of more than 13,500 older adults found not all digital communication tools had the same associations with perceived mental health

Seniors are considered the fastest-growing group on the Internet, but does being connected online help or hinder mental health for older adults? According to a published in the open access journal PLOS Global Public Health led by 91��ɫ Glendon College Associate Professor , while some Internet use such as email has been associated with mental health benefits, social media sites were linked to lower perceived mental health.

Associate Professor Hossam Ali-Hassan

“Understanding how digital communication tools are associated with mental health outcomes can inform policy and practice aimed at supporting mental well-being in this age group,” the authors say. “The findings may inform the development of targeted interventions and strategies to support mental well-being among older adults.

The use of the Internet has been linked to reduced social isolation and loneliness. However, the literature also presents mixed findings on the impact of digital communication tools on mental health among older adults, with some studies suggesting that digital behaviors may be associated with poorer mental health outcomes.

In the new study by Ali-Hassan and School of Kinesiology and Health Science researchers Safoura Zangiabadi and Durmalouk Kesibi from 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health, they analyzed data from the 2022 Canadian Internet Use Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted by Statistics Canada. The analysis was restricted to adults aged 55 and older, and included 13,536 participants, weighted to be representative of the entire Canadian population aged 55 and older. Data was available on which online communication-related activities participants had conducted in the previous three months, their self-reported mental health, and sociodemographic factors.

Over half of participants reported engaging in digital communication activities. After adjusting for covariates, email use was significantly positively associated with perceived mental health, while use of social networking sites was associated with poorer perceived mental health. No significant associations were found for instant messaging, online voice or video calls, dating websites, or uploading content.

The authors suggest one possible explanation for the negative association between perceived mental health and social media may be exposure to distressing content as well as social comparison.

Read the original release .

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91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91��ɫ's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs, while at the Markham Campus, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are built into every program. 91��ɫ’s new School of Medicine, the first Canadian medical school to focus on community-based primary health-care education, will welcome its first cohort in September 2028. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Prof Emeritus Gordon Flett discusses the importance of mattering on The Oprah Podcast

egamulin — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:29:37 +0000

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91��ɫ expert available to talk about Blue Monday and keeping winter blues away

egamulin — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:21:55 +0000

While ‘most depressing day’ has been debunked, winter comes with mental health challenges for many

Prof. Rebecca Pillai Riddell

TORONTO, January. 19, 2025 – Blue Monday, typically falling on the third Monday in January, has been dubbed ‘the most depressing day of the year.’ While this is more rooted in marketing than science, with the concept being popularized by a travel company a few decades ago to boost winter getaway sales, it does come at a time where it’s common for people to be experiencing issues with their mood, says 91��ɫ Faculty of Health Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell.

Whether it’s the dark winter days, post-holiday debt or other factors, many people do struggle more with their mental health in the winter, and for some people the effect is stronger, going into Seasonal Affective Disorder.

“Less daylight, colder weather, post-holiday excess recovery, including physical, mental and emotional, and a particularly bad flu season can all take their toll on our mental health,” says Pillai Riddell, also the Tier 1 91��ɫ Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health.

Pillai Riddell says most Canadians report having the winter blues and is available to talk to media about strategies to cope with the winter blues./

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Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ profs lead $5.5 million HEATSCAPE-Africa project

egamulin — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 15:56:39 +0000

Benedict Weobong and Godfred Boateng head international team exploring climate-related heat, sleep and mental-health issues with funding from leading global charity Wellcome

TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2025 – HEATSCAPE-Africa, a new international collaboration led by researchers in the Faculty of Health at 91��ɫ, will look at the relationship between climate-related heat and mental health. Supported by a $5.5 million grant by , a global charitable foundation that supports science to solve urgent health challenges, the 91��ɫ-led project also involves partners from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the U.K. and community partners in Africa, including Navrongo Health Research Centre, Kintampo Health Research Centre and Kgotso Development Trust. University of Ghana and BasicNeeds Ghana are also key collaborators.

“Thanks to this generous grant from Wellcome, we hope to answer questions on the potential impact of climate change on mental-health issues such as anxiety and depression, particularly in Africa,” says project lead Benedict Weobong, associate professor in the School of Global Health at 91��ɫ. “Furthermore, we will explore the underlying factors that explain the relationship and why individuals exposed to extreme heat may suffer from mental-health issues.”

HEATSCAPE-Africa project lead Benedict Weobong

With a strong focus on involving those with lived experience, the project will zero in on a contextual understanding of heat and mental health, methodological advances to identify causal mechanisms through a two-year prospective cohort study and community and health-system readiness.

“91��ɫ is honoured to partner with Wellcome on this pioneering research that has the potential to transform how the world understands the impacts of climate change on mental health,” says Amir Asif, Vice President of Research and Innovation at 91��ɫ. "Through 91��ɫ’s Global Research Excellence (GRE) Fund, we were happy to support Professor Weobong develop the Wellcome Trust proposal with international partners. By leading collaborations that span continents and disciplines, we are shaping solutions that not only advance scientific discovery, but also inspire a healthier, more equitable future for generations to come.”

Weobong and his colleagues, including 91��ɫ School of Global Health Associate Professor Godfred Odei Boateng, believe the connection may lie with sleep health and cognitive function being affected by extreme temperatures, with many mental-health issues coming after a period of poor sleep, and many mental health conditions affecting the quality of sleep. The relationship with high temperatures and poor sleep is also well known, with ideal temperatures for most adults being between 15 - 19C. The research will take place in Ghana, which has a hot climate year-round with typical temperatures ranging from 19 - 34C, and Zimbabwe, which experiences more seasonal variability, with temperatures dipping as low as 8C in the winter.

Co-applicant Gofred Odei Boateng

“This grant offers us a remarkable opportunity to explore the complex mechanisms behind mental-health challenges across selected life stages,” says Boateng. “Additionally, it will help us identify key intervention points that have the potential to alleviate the long-term impacts of climate change and poor sleep, while informing the development of adaptive strategies for low-resource settings.”

Adolescents, women of reproductive age and older adults are the focus of the five-year project. Weobong says there is good evidence supporting the vulnerability of each of these groups to climate-related heat.

“Pregnant women are already at higher risk of poor sleep and research shows they and their babies are vulnerable to adverse impacts of poor heat and sleep,” says Weobong, adding that little of the research has been conducted in Africa. “We also know that adolescent brain development is affected by sleep and 50 per cent of mental-health conditions in adults started when they were adolescents.”

Weobong says this cohort focus will also allow them to examine household and intergenerational linkages and explore coping strategies within family systems.

Co-applicants include Boateng, LSHTM quantitative epidemiologist assistant professor Seyi Soremekun and sleep specialist Professor Helen Anne Weiss, Zimbabwe lead Dr. Newton Matandirotya and Ghana leads Dr. Raymond Aborigo and Dr. Kenneth Ae-Ngibise.

“Mental health problems are universal, although the ways these challenges are expressed might be different,” says Weobong, who is originally from Ghana and pursued research opportunities in the U.K. and India before coming to Canada. “There used to be a time where there was an assumption that depression was only a challenge of the Global North, and while we’ve moved past that, there are many outstanding challenges, especially when looking at access to treatment in the Global South.”

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Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Combined alcohol and cannabis use linked to adverse consequences in young adults, 91��ɫ U led study finds

egamulin — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:01:47 +0000

Research found users more likely to combine substances in times of high stress and challenging emotions in order to achieve a greater high

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2025 – A new longitudinal study led by 91��ɫ’s Department of Psychology finds that young adults experiencing periods of high stress, anxiety and depressed mood more frequently combined binge drinking with cannabis use in order to get more high and drunk, and were also likely to report more adverse life consequences when combining these substances. Lead author , associate professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health, says that since cannabis use among young adults has increased after Canada legalized the drug, understanding why people combine the drug and outcomes when they do is important.

Lead author, Associate Professor Jeffrey Wardell

“Studies suggest that human brains are still developing into their 20s and alcohol and cannabis dependencies are more prevalent in this age group than any other,” says Wardell, also director of the at 91��ɫ. “While occasional combined use may not be a cause for concern, the study clearly shows increased risk when combining these substances. Understanding combined use can help young adults mitigate the risk, understand when they might have an issue and seek support to develop healthier coping mechanisms.”

For the paper, published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Wardell and his research team recruited 151 young adults, ages 19 - 25, in Ontario who already used cannabis and alcohol. The participants were asked to complete daily surveys on their cannabis and alcohol use and any negative consequences they experienced as a result on their phones for three 21-day periods spaced 6 months apart. Participants also filled out surveys about their stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as their motives for co-using alcohol and cannabis.

The results showed a clear link between mental health symptoms and motivation to combine alcohol and cannabis use.

“When they were feeling depressed or anxious, the participants were motivated to double things up because the thought was that it would make them feel better,” says Wardell. “They also reported that they were combining cannabis with binge drinking more frequently during these times.”

Wardell says that while studies show that over the short term, using substances can give people temporary relief from feelings they are seeking to escape, they can often lead to more adverse outcomes over the long term, both in terms of mental health and negative life consequences.

Other coping mechanisms that can be more helpful include breathing exercises, meditation, physical activity, talking to a friend and seeking out help from a peer-support hotline or medical professional. Wardell says there are a number of questionnaires young adults can access online that can help them determine if their use of a substance might be problematic, with one big clue being a reliance on substances to cope with stress and unwanted feelings.

While young adults are the most likely age group to develop an alcohol or cannabis use disorder, Wardell says it is also the age where early interventions can be helpful.

“While they are not immune to effects on the developing brain, they're also at a stage where most of the time these behaviours are just getting started, or the patterns are just getting laid. It's a good time to give people feedback, give them advice, give them the information so they can make changes before their substance use habits become too ingrained.”

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Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Mental health needs to be a cornerstone of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives

egamulin — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:26:50 +0000

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91��ɫ U education experts available to talk about back-to-school math tips, privatization in public education and kids and mental health

egamulin — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:54:40 +0000

Tina Rapke

TORONTO, August 31, 2023 – With back-to-school around the corner, experts from 91��ɫ’s are not only sharing tips to make the transition a successful one, but can also comment on broader trends in education.

While math anxiety is common for many students of all ages, there is no such thing as “math people and not math people”, says . Parents and teachers can implement a few simple strategies that can go a long way towards giving kids the confidence they need to succeed. Rapke, who works directly with students and teachers in classroom settings, says listening to kids explain how they would tackle a question, rather than telling them how they have to do it, is one strategy.

Sue Winton

Rapke is available to comment on topics including:

Strategies for classroom teaching and math learning at home
How kids develop mathematical ideas
Why and how to focus on students’ ideas to enhance math education

The privatization of public education shows itself in a number of areas, says , 91��ɫ Research Chair in Policy Analysis for Democracy and the author of Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education in Canada. Privatization undermines the public school system and perpetuates inequalities, says Winton.

Winton is available for comment on topics including:

Kate Tilleczek

School fees, fundraising, school choice, specialized programs, and other ways that public education is being privatized
What these changes mean for kids, families, communities, and democracy
The role of policy in supporting or undermining public education

If children’s mental-health needs are not addressed, they won’t be able to tackle academic challenges, and there are a number of indicators that youth mental health is getting worse, says Professor Kate Tilleczek, Canada Research Chair Youth, Education & Global Good. Tilleczek is the founder and director of the where she examines how youth navigate challenges both global and local in nature.

Tilleczek is available for comment on topics including:

Digital technology’s influences on youth well-being at school, work, and their social lives
Youth well-being and the climate crises – how are youth responding
New forms of education for sustainable living

About 91��ɫ

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ research shows bisexual women are at higher risk of suicide attempts

egamulin — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 19:14:17 +0000

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At least one in three family members of those with serious mental illness feel stigmatized

egamulin — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

New study by 91��ɫ researchers points to need to reach out to ‘very marginalized group’ who’ve been made to feel they don’t matter

TORONTO, April 27, 2023 – Families of those with serious mental health issues feel stigmatized and alone, say 91��ɫ researchers in a new study.

“We are avoided. When we told our family, they shut us out, I am so hurt, and so angry” – 62-year-old mom with an adult son with serious mental illness, as described to 91��ɫ researchers.

It’s well known that those who have serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia face a great deal of stigma in society, but what has been less understood is the concept of “stigma by association” – the discrimination people close to them experience.

A team of 91��ɫ researchers looked at just that , published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and found that one in three family members living with relatives who have serious mental illnesses experience stigma. Ahead of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Mental Health Week, starting May 1, , lead author on the study describes this figure as “startling” and points to the need to do more outreach.

“We wanted to reach out to a group of people who we think have been especially marginalized and one of the things that we noticed right away, is that this is a group of people who have really not been well studied. And that really speaks to how isolated they are,” says Goldberg, a 91��ɫ Faculty of Health Professor with the Department of Psychology. “We found that family members were not receiving the social support they needed, even from other family members.”

Professor Joel Goldberg

The researchers, including 91��ɫ graduate researchers , and and 91��ɫ Psychology Professor and Canada Research Chair , reached out to groups like the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, Reconnect Community Health Services, the CMHA and The Schizophrenia Society of 91��ɫ and were able to connect with 120 family members who were living with relatives with severe mental health challenges.

In surveys, family members described chronic feelings of blame, failure and loneliness. Overall, the researchers found many felt stigmatized, unsupported, and that their lives don’t matter. This last main finding builds on other work by Flett, who studies mattering, which is essentially the idea that all of us need to feel like we matter, and feeling like we don’t, a concept Flett describes as anti-mattering, can lead to a host of problems.

About one per cent of the population is affected by schizophrenia, commonly characterized by auditory hallucinations (“hearing voices”), delusions, and disordered thinking that can affect daily functioning.

“Unfortunately, it's a condition which has been really misrepresented in media portrayals. The few times when the public hears stories about people with schizophrenia, they hear about someone who hasn't been taking their medicine, or acts of violence,” says Goldberg. “These ideas become the basis of the stigma, and families are then associated with it.”

Goldberg says that it is very probable that the numbers of family members facing stigma are actually much higher as the cohort they studied were people already connected to support groups. From a public-health perspective, the study points to the need to reach out to not only those who have the illness, but also their families, who he describes as “very marginalized.”

“If you're made to feel insignificant, if you are feeling like those around you treat you as if you're invisible, this can have really harmful effects on your sense of well-being,” he says. “We're hoping with this Mental Health Week that this will give great attention to family members, and let them know that we do not see their lives as being insignificant, that we don't see them as being invisible, that their lives matter.”

About 91��ɫ

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Whose satisfaction is more important in a mixed-gender romantic relationship?

suhasini — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 15:59:57 +0000

91��ɫ U co-author of new study says ‘Happy spouse, happy house’ is more accurate than age-old adage ‘happy wife, happy life’

TORONTO, August 29, 2022 – Changes in your relationship satisfaction today are linked to how satisfied you will feel down the road, says 91��ɫ Psychology , who recently co-authored a study examining man-woman partnerships for satisfaction levels by analyzing daily diaries and other data collected over several years.

Your relationship satisfaction today defines how satisfied you will feel down the road: 91��ɫ U Psychology

Findings of the international study recently published in the journal PNAS, , challenge the idea that women’s perceptions about their relationship are more consequential than men’s, highlighting that partners influence each other in romantic relationships.

“We found that men’s and women’s relationship satisfaction were equally strong predictors of their own, and their partner’s, next-day and next-year satisfaction,” says Muise, who was among the international team of researchers that analyzed more than 50,000 relationship-satisfaction reports including a study of daily reports for up to 21 days by 901 mixed-gender couples, and another study of 3,405 mixed-gender couples’ reports, assessed annually across five years.

The first study combined nine daily diary data sets from Canada and the United States – adding up to 29,541 daily reports of relationship satisfaction. The second study analyzed five annual waves of data from the German Family Panel (pairfam), surveying 3,405 mixed-gender couples who provided 21,115 relationship-satisfaction reports.

“Results underscore the interdependence of romantic partners’ satisfaction and indicate that both men and women jointly shape romantic relationship satisfaction,” adds Muise.

The idea that women are the ‘barometers’ of relationships — that women’s relationship judgments are more predictive of partners’ future relationship satisfaction than men’s judgments — is a long-held view among laypeople and relationship researchers but it had not been directly tested, which is what led to the aforementioned study.

Based on their findings, it is time to retire the phrase ‘happy wife, happy life’ and instead use ‘happy spouse, happy house.’

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Media Contact:

Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647.463.4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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