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Climate change is one of the greatest public health threats humanity has ever faced. Global warming is part of this threat. Increasing temperatures are linked to deteriorating health, especially in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children. Scientists have previously shown that heat exposure increases the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. New research continues to uncover worrying links to poor outcomes for mothers and their babies. Congenital abnormalities, hypertension in pregnancy and low birth weight are some of the dangers of increasing heat. One area that has not received as much attention is the long-...... Read Full article on HadNews

For decades, people who want to end their life with the help of a doctor, and who have the means to do so, have travelled to a handful of countries, commonly Switzerland, for euthanasia. But gradually, more countries around the world have begun to permit some form of assisted dying. Politicians in a number of others, including Ireland, Scotland and France, are now seriously debating it. In Canada, where medical assistance in dying (Maid) became legal in 2016, the government intends to extend eligibility to people whose sole reason for ending their life is mental illness. But that planned expansion, now twice delayed, is deeply contr...... Read Full article on HadNews

The man who killed six people and injured countless others at a Bondi shopping centre on Saturday, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, reportedly had “mental health issues”, police explained soon after the tragic event, while ruling out terrorism. Cauchi had reportedly been diagnosed with a mental illness at age 17 years and had received treatment in the public and private sector. But Queensland Police said Cauchi’s mental health had declined in recent years. No matter the circumstances, such acts of violence must be condemned. If mental health issues contribute to such acts, they need to be understood and prevented. Read more...... Read Full article on HadNews

The man who killed six people and injured countless others at a Bondi shopping centre on Saturday, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, reportedly had “mental health issues”, police explained soon after the tragic event, while ruling out terrorism. Cauchi had reportedly been diagnosed with a mental illness at age 17 years and had received treatment in the public and private sector. But Queensland Police said Cauchi’s mental health had declined in recent years. No matter the circumstances, such acts of violence must be condemned. If mental health issues contribute to such acts, they need to be understood and prevented. Read more...... Read Full article on HadNews

A decade ago, while working in a women’s prison, I met a young woman whose story would leave an indelible mark on me. She had endured severe abuse at the hands of men, and I was initially concerned that, as a male social worker, my presence might rekindle her trauma. Yet, through careful and considered engagement, we were able to forge a relationship of trust. Jenny* confided in me that heroin had become her refuge – the only respite that quieted the relentless storm of her thoughts. But her dependency had brought dire consequences: the removal of her children and her subsequent imprisonment for possession with intent to supply. Even s...... Read Full article on HadNews

Imagine that you have lived with an illness for years. The suffering this illness has caused is devastating – so much that you wish to die. You no longer feel like the person you were before. You have been to see specialists, have tried the best treatments, but nothing works. This is many people’s reality, and not only because of physical disorders and disease. Chronic mental illness can be just as crushing. Starting in March 2024, Canada planned to make medical assistance in death, or MAID, available to people with mental illness – expanding a program already available to patients with terminal or chronic physical illness. In 2022, mo...... Read Full article on HadNews

Recent headlines have highlighted debates among federal parties over the proposal to extend Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to people suffering solely with mental illness. Proponents of expanding Bill C-7 to mental illness claim that delays to do so are based on stigma and stereotypes promoting the belief that a mental disorder renders someone incapable of making a rational choice to die. Those that advocate for delaying an expansion suggest that more work is needed to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to distinguish requests for MAID from illness-induced suicidal ideation. The recent announcement that including mental i...... Read Full article on HadNews

Around one in seven Australians take antidepressants; more than 3.5 million of us had them dispensed in 2021–22. This is one of the highest antidepressant prescribing rates in the world. Guidelines mostly recommend antidepressants for more severe depression and anxiety but not as first-line treatment for less severe depression. Less commonly, antidepressants may be prescribed for conditions such as chronic pain and migraine. Yet prescription rates continue to increase. Between 2013 and 2021, the antidepressant prescription rate in Australia steadily increased by 4.5% per year. So why are so many Australians taking antidepressants and...... Read Full article on HadNews

It wasn’t just the virus that spread during the pandemic – anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns saw a worrying rise as well. But new research from my colleagues and I confirms there had already been a substantial increase in emotional problems among young people even before COVID-19. Adolescence is an age when people are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, which may then continue into adulthood. Studies have highlighted concerning trends showing a steep rise in mental health issues in recent decades. However, the reasons most frequently given for this rise, such as changes in family life, school factor...... Read Full article on HadNews

Can you think of a comedian, actor, poet or writer who suffered from mental illness? Maybe the actor Robin Williams or comedian Stephen Fry came to your mind. Perhaps it was the writer Virginia Woolf. All three have had well-documented struggles with bipolar disorder. Mental illnesses have been associated with creative thinking for a long time. For instance, mathematician John Nash’s battle with schizophrenia was immortalised in the film A Beautiful Mind (2001). Research supports this link, showing that people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are more likely to work in creative jobs. It also shows that creative groups, incl...... Read Full article on HadNews

How porn f*cked our minds | Louise Perry In the video "How porn f*cked our minds", journalist and campaigner Louise Perry delves into the impact of the online porn industry on society and the concept of sexual disenchantment. Perry argues that the sexual revolution has backfired in many ways, leading to the commodification of sex and the normalization of extreme content. She points out that the online porn industry, which is a multibillion-dollar global enterprise, has completely changed the landscape of sexual culture, affecting an entire generation. Perry likens porn to "super stimuli" that tap into our natural drive for reproduction but ...... Read Full article on HadNews