The spread of COVID-19 has created stress worldwide and continues to disrupt our day-to-day lives, making it very difficult to sustain healthy habits. Even as we seek to find a new normal, health care professionals and public figures continue to encourage us to “stay home” and “take time for yourself”. For those of us who find ourselves with some extra time on our hands, this can be a good opportunity to reflect on our mental and physical health. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you exercise daily?
• Do you give your body the proper nutrients it needs? (and no mom, that doesn’t include )
• Do you average 7-9 hours of sleep every night?
• Are you able to effectively manage your day to day stress?

Our body operates as a cohesive and interconnected system.Ěý If we do not manage ALL of these contributors to our health (exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management), then the system (our mental and physical health) may fail.

Why is mindfulness an important place to start?

Over the past 20 years there has been a vast body of research linking emotional intelligence to positive physical and mental health outcomes. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to monitor feelings and emotions (your own and the emotions of others), to provide objective judgement, and to use this information as a guide for your thinking and actions (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Some experts believe that emotional intelligence is the key to success for personal relationships, professional relationships, and the relationship you have with yourself (Goleman, 2006; Zinn, 2003). It has also been suggested that emotional intelligence is not an innate skill, and that we can use mindfulness practices, such as meditation, to train these competencies in order to improve our quality of life (Goleman, 2006).

An eye-opening study led by Richard Davidson and Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003) examined the benefits of practicing meditation in a business setting. After eight weeks of using meditation techniques, employees reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and stress. Additionally, when electrical activity was measured in the brains of participants, the meditation group showed a significant increase in left-side anterior brain activation (i.e., parts of the brain associated with positive emotion). They also developed more antibodies to a flu vaccine than employees who did not meditate, suggesting that in addition to the positive psychological effects, those who practiced mindfulness developed stronger immune responses. In my opinion, the most exciting takeaway from this research is that it may be possible to train our minds so that our bodies become stronger!

A Buddhist monk meditating with EEG for neuroscience research

Another study demonstrated that practiced Buddhist meditators are able to voluntarily regulate their brain activity to generate high-amplitude gamma brain waves, which have been linked to more effective memory, learning and perception (Lutz et al., 2004). Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were used to compare the brain activity of eight Buddhists who had been practicing meditation for 15-40 years to a group of ten healthy students who had been practicing meditation for one week prior to the study. The skilful meditators were able to sustain high-amplitude gamma brain waves and phase-synchrony (a measure linked to higher-level mental processes) during meditation and also displayed higher baseline gamma-wave activity than the student group, suggesting that mental training may induce both short- and long-term changes in the brain (Lutz et al., 2004).

Other studies have demonstrated the value of mindfulness-based stress reduction practices for medical students and health care professionals, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and physiotherapists (Shapiro et al., 1998; Jain et al., 2007; Shapiro et al., 2005). By comparing individuals who engaged in mindfulness meditation to those who did not, these studies variously showed that consistent mindfulness practice led to decreased psychological distress, lower stress levels, and less burnout. Another study assessing the self-care practices and well-being of mental health professionals found that a state of mindfulness was key in linking self-care to well-being (Richards et al., 2010). , the results of these studies could inform efforts to help workers stay healthy both mentally and physically as they courageously work through these difficult times.

Together these studies demonstrate the positive effects of mindfulness training after only a few weeks of practice. If mindfulness practices can provide benefits to corporate employees, Buddhists, students, and health care workers alike, then they can certainly be helpful to all of us. Let’s learn about these practices!

The simple practice of mindfulness

Hopefully at this point you’ve started to evaluate how you can do better with self-care, regardless of where you think you currently stand on the “healthy” scale. Now I’m going to explain two easy practices that you can try.

Breathing techniques – Bringing attention to breath is a simple and effective form of meditation (Tan, 2018). Try these simple steps:

1. Position yourself for meditation: begin by sitting comfortably. Sit in a position that enables you to be both relaxed and alert at the same time, whatever that means to you.
2. Take 3 deep breaths: take three slow deep breaths to inject both energy and relaxation into our practice.
3. Bring attention to what you are doing: breathe naturally and bring very gentle attention to your breath. You can bring attention to the nostrils, the abdomen, or the entire body of breath, whatever that means to you. Become aware of the in breath, the out breath and the space in between. If at any time you feel distracted by a sensation, thought or sound, just acknowledge it, experience it and gently let it go, then bring attention very gently back to your breath.

Practice this breathing technique for one minute. If you are able to hold you attention for longer, then you may lengthen the practice. This is about quality, not quantity, so if you feel you can’t sit still and focus for more than a few minutes, then try this exercise for 1 minute and build on it from there. And, because I like science, here is some evidence that shows what simple breathing practices can do for you. Valentine and Sweet (1999) compared long-term meditators, novice meditators (who were trained to focus on breath) and non-meditating controls on the Wilkins’ counting test which measures the ability to sustain attention. As expected, the long-term meditators displayed superior performance in sustained attention, but the more interesting finding was the difference between novice meditators and the control group. With short-term training designed to focus on breathing, the novice meditators greatly outperformed the controls in sustaining attention. This suggests that although long term meditation provides the best benefits, even simple short-term practices can give you an edge.

Journaling – This exercise only requires 3 minutes of your time (set a timer)! You will give yourself a prompt and spend 3 minutes writing whatever comes to mind. Try not to think about it too much, just let the words flow onto the paper. If you run out of things to write, just write, “I have run out of things to write” until the 3 minutes is up. You can create your own prompt or use one of the following: What I am feeling now is, I am aware that, What motivates me is, I am inspired by, Today my focus is, I wish, Others are, Love is, I am grateful for…

Once again, because I like science, Spera, Buhrfeind and Pennebaker (1994) conducted a study where laid-off professionals wrote about their feelings for twenty minutes every day for five consecutive days. These individuals found new jobs at a much faster rate than the non-writing control group. Another study found that an 8-week gratitude journaling intervention for elderly patients experiencing heart failure lead to positive physiological outcomes such as reduced inflammation (Redwine et al., 2016). Although this study used a 20-minute journaling period, it’s important to tailor these practices to you and how long you can sustain your attention. Whether that means 3 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes is up to you. That is the whole idea behind these practices: becoming more in tune with what works for you so that you can take the appropriate steps to improve your health.

When working towards a healthier lifestyle, it’s important to have as many tools in your (figurative) toolkit as possible so that you can handle any situation life throws at you, and evidence shows that these techniques can work!Ěý But remember, knowing how to do something does not mean that you have mastered it. New skills must be practiced, and when you are training new habits, consistency is key. There’s no magic number for how many workouts to complete, how many cheat meals you’re allowed, or how many weeks you need to practice mediation for it to work. Practice, practice, practice!

To conclude, consider mindfulness as a new skill you can develop during this time of distancing and isolation. One minute of paying attention to your own needs might just turn a bad day into a good one. I wish everyone well during these challenging times. Stay healthy and stay you.

References

Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., … & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.ĚýPsychosomatic medicine,Ěý65(4), 564-570.

Goleman, D. (2006).ĚýEmotional intelligence. Bantam.

Jain, S., Shapiro, S. L., Swanick, S., Roesch, S. C., Mills, P. J., Bell, I., & Schwartz, G. E. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction.ĚýAnnals of behavioral medicine,Ěý33(1), 11-21.

Kabat‐Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness‐based interventions in context: past, present, and future.ĚýClinical psychology: Science and practice,Ěý10(2), 144-156.

Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice.ĚýProceedings of the national Academy of Sciences,Ěý101(46), 16369-16373.

Redwine, L., Henry, B. L., Pung, M. A., Wilson, K., Chinh, K., Knight, B., … & Mills, P. J. (2016). A pilot randomized study of a gratitude journaling intervention on HRV and inflammatory biomarkers in Stage B heart failure patients.ĚýPsychosomatic medicine,Ěý78(6), 667.

Richards, K., Campenni, C., & Muse-Burke, J. (2010). Self-care and well-being in mental health professionals: The mediating effects of self-awareness and mindfulness.ĚýJournal of Mental Health Counseling,Ěý32(3), 247-264.

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence.ĚýImagination, cognition and personality,Ěý9(3), 185-211.

Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A., Bishop, S. R., & Cordova, M. (2005). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: results from a randomized trial.ĚýInternational journal of stress management,Ěý12(2), 164.

Shapiro, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students.ĚýJournal of behavioral medicine,Ěý21(6), 581-599.

Spera, S. P., Buhrfeind, E. D., & Pennebaker, J. W. (1994). Expressive writing and coping with job loss.ĚýAcademy of management journal,Ěý37(3), 722-733.

Tan, C. M. (2018).ĚýSearch inside yourself. Bentang Pustaka.

Valentine, E. R., & Sweet, P. L. (1999). Meditation and attention: A comparison of the effects of concentrative and mindfulness meditation on sustained attention.ĚýMental Health, Religion & Culture,Ěý2(1), 59-70.

Before the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled COVID-19 a pandemic, they had declared an infodemic. They defined this as “”. In the media, as of March 31, 2020, COVID-19 had some , a large jump compared to mentions of the Ebola virus at 16.2 million. While the COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly around the globe, the information and misinformation surrounding it seems to be spreading even faster. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, suggested that “misinformation on the coronavirus might be the most contagious thing about it” (Depoux et al., 2020). Though pandemics and the rapid spread of information, rumors, and panic are nothing new, social media has provided them a megaphone.

There are many arguments to be made in favour of social media. Helpful information can be spread just as quickly as misinformation. The WHO set up a to provide people with accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19, which they shared on their own social media accounts. Public health agencies around the world are relying on social media to disseminate up-to-date information to citizens. While personal information gathered by social media platforms may be controversial, these data may allow for the delivery of targeted health information based on an individual’s geographical location and the local COVID-19 situation (Dunn et al., 2018). This is particularly important in light of social distancing, as social media may be the only form of connection people have with the outside world, and accurate, relevant information is key.

Empty shelves at a store in Halifax

Potentially the biggest variable with social media is how the people using the platform respond. For example, although COVID-19 does not cause significant bowel distress, stores were selling out of toilet paper and as this was shared extensively on social media, Ěýensued. This prevented adequate distribution of resources, resulting in the most vulnerable individuals being left without supplies. On the other hand, social influence is one of the biggest factors influencing individuals to adopt a new health behaviours (Centola, 2013).Ěý Social media has been used to promote safe measures and social distancing, increasing social pressures to act in a way that benefits the group. Social media can also be used to call attention to those who need help, and facilitate an organized response. Finally, social media can provide a much-needed sense of social connection when the world feels isolated and uncertain in times of crisis.

In many ways, the current social media landscape is as new as COVID-19. Social media is being adopted by an increasingly diverse demographic. It can serve to spread panic, helpful information, or promote positive social norms and collective health behaviours. As the pandemic continues, examining how social media is affecting people’s response to COVID-19 may be an important area of study for researchers. Is the abundance of information improving individuals’ responses to the pandemic, or is it making them less likely to take it seriously? I suspect that access to information and social pressure is helping individuals to make choices that benefit the community, such as social distancing, but it may also be . Data to answer these questions could be obtained through surveys asking individuals about their responses to COVID-19 and their social media usage, content analysis of posts on social media, and assessing people’s actual behaviour. Some researchers, like Emma Spiro and Kate Starbird at the University of Washington, . This information could be vital in helping to shape guidelines for social media use in future global health situations.

References:

World Health Organization. (2020, Feb 2). Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report-13. Retrieved fromĚý

Information is beautiful (2020, Mar 16) COVID-19 #Coronovirus data pack. Retrieved from

Depoux, A., Martin, S., Karafillakis, E., Preet, R., Wilder-Smith, A., & Larson, H. (2020). The pandemic of social media panic travels faster than the COVID-19 outbreak.ĚýJournal of Travel Medicine.

Dunn, A. G., Mandl, K. D., & Coiera, E. (2018). Social media interventions for precision public health: Promises and risks.ĚýNpj Digital Medicine,Ěý1(1).

Centola, D. (2013). Social media and the science of health behavior.ĚýCirculation,Ěý127(21), 2135–2144.

Any time you want to achieve something great, collaboration and teamwork are a necessity, not an option. You learn this one way or another if you have ever pursued greatness, whether in the form of athletics, entrepreneurship, artistry, or academics. As there will inevitably be obstacles along the way, it would be impossible for one person to know how to solve each and every problem encountered.

In the 1969 book “Interdisciplinary Relationships in the Social Sciences”, Donald T. Campbell argues that science is conducted most effectively when researchers from different areas and disciplines collaborate on projects of overlapping interest (Campbell, 1969). As another student blog writer, Joel Sprunger, puts it, At the heart of Campbell’s idea is that with academic collaboration, we are greater than the sum of our parts. This is the concept that we will be exploring in this blog, based on our experiences in a collaborative research effort to study air pollution in Grenada.

According to the 2017 edition of the , ambient air pollution presents one of the greatest environmental-related health risks. All-cause mortality relating to air pollution rose 5.8% from 4.6 million deaths in 2007 to 4.9 million deaths in 2017, most of which stems from increases in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory disease (Stanaway et al., 2018). While much of the world seems to be dealing with urban air pollution problems, a closer look reveals subtle differences based on geographical location.

Satellite image showing desert dust from the Sahara blowing west across the Atlantic Ocean

Take Grenada for example: they are a non-industrialized island nation that disposes of waste via burial and burning. A relatively large portion of their motor vehicle fleet is quite old, resulting in more fuel consumption, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and greater emissions of carbon monoxide and respirable particles. In addition, on a daily basis, large cruise ships visit the port in St. George’s, Grenada’s largest town. This poses an environmental health issue as these cruise ships idle their generators to maintain electrical supply. Perhaps the most intriguing component of air pollution in Grenada (and possibly the Caribbean) is the presence of Saharan dust. At certain times of the year, the Caribbean is exposed to masses of desert dust that are transported from the Saharan region of northern Africa. Due to a sustained drought period in the Sahara since the early 1970’s, there has been a sharp increase in the amounts of this desert dust being transported around the world. This component of air pollution is of particular interest because it coincides with a rise in Caribbean respiratory disease since the early 1970’s. Altogether, Grenada and other Caribbean states present an opportunity for better understanding sources of air pollution and their impacts on human health.

Our interest in this project stems from our experiences studying air pollution in the Canadian context. Julia’s undergraduate thesis involved looking into the impact of street design on local air pollution levels in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She conducted a study collecting baseline data on the levels of air pollutants in the downtown area. From traffic count data, the majority of vehicles present in the study were SUVs and regular cars. The air pollutants she measured for this study were PM _2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of < 2.5 um) and UFP (ultra-fine particles, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of < 0.1 um), both of which are parameters of traffic pollution from automotive exhaust.

Nick based his undergraduate thesis on studying air pollution in urban areas of Mississauga, Ontario. He took measurements of NO_X (nitrogen oxides), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), and NO (nitrous oxide), all of which are indicators of traffic pollution. As is common in most urban areas of Canada, traffic is usually the largest source of air pollution. Using these data, he produced a land use regression model to predict NO_X, NO₂, and NO concentrations in previously unmonitored areas of Mississauga. These predictions were used to estimate health risks for residents of Mississauga based on their exposure to these pollutants.

In addition to the two of us, we were accompanied to Grenada by our respective supervisors (Dr. Paul Villeneuve from ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University and from Dalhousie University), as well as collaborating project members from St. George’s University (SGU) in Grenada (, , and their respective master’s students, Tania Khan and Solanie Bogollagama). Just as Campbell’s model for science suggested, we all had overlapping interests that involved the study of environmental health. In collaboration, we brought separate areas of expertise to the table to make our trip to Grenada a successful one.

Air quality research team composed of faculty and students from ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University, Dalhousie University, and St. George’s University

Going to Grenada, we had four objectives:

1. To set up PurpleAir monitors (air quality monitors that measure PM) around the island that will take continuous air quality measurements. Setting up these monitors will help us quantify how the Saharan dust affects air quality in Grenada on a daily basis as dust passes through the Caribbean region.
2. To perform mobile monitoring of black carbon (BC) and UFP.
3. To meet with Grenada’s Medical Officer of Health to explain our plans for this project, secure his support, and start the processes to obtain necessary hospitalization data.
4. To meet with staff of the meteorological office at Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport to discuss getting access to the climate variable data which they measure (such as visibility, rainfall, wind speed, humidity, and mean sea level pressure).

Our work in Grenada began with meeting Dr. Forde and his master’s student Solanie at SGU. There we scouted for potential locations for installing a PurpleAir monitor on SGU campus. After realizing that it was difficult to satisfy our requirements for a good monitor location, Dr. Forde suggested an alternate location on the southern tip of the island. This location presented a good environment as it was at high elevation and isolated from human activity, had consistent air flow without the influence of urban pollution, and had access to WIFI which allows us to view current and past measurements on. This marked the installation of the first PurpleAir monitor in Grenada.

View of St. George’s, Grenada

After installing Grenada’s first PurpleAir monitor, our Canadian research team drove around the island to conduct mobile monitoring for BC and UFP. During this excursion we witnessed high levels of both particle types. This could be due to the several trash disposal trucks, construction sites, and high proportion of diesel cars that we passed during our mobile monitoring. Also, as noted earlier, the automotive fleet in Grenada is aging and produces more emissions than newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

During our second day of mobile monitoring we obtained consistently low levels of UFP. It was only from Julia’s past experience using this technology that she was able to determine the monitor wasn’t working properly. For example, large diesel trucks driving past us no longer caused spikes in measured UFP. For the monitor to function normally, it relies on a filter cartridge that must be soaked in alcohol before measurements can be taken. Julia made the connection that the high humidity was likely affecting alcohol absorption which could have caused the incorrect UFP measurements we saw that day.

Next on our agenda was to meet with Grenada’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis Martin to explain the premise of our project. It helped that Dr. Martin had previously done research on the . A key piece of information that we learned from this meeting was that the hospital records at Grenada General Hospital are paper based. We will need to convert these data to digital records if we want to analyze how daily Saharan dust exposure relates to daily hospital visits for respiratory disease. Fortunately, the two master’s students at SGU volunteered to do this conversion.

Maurice Bishop International Airport

Later that day we had a meeting with the manager of the meteorological office at Maurice Bishop International Airport. We inquired about getting access to meteorological data for Grenada, and chatted with the meteorologists working there about how they identify periods of Saharan dust exposure. An exciting outcome of the meeting was getting permission to eventually install a PurpleAir monitor at this airport! Permission to install an air pollution monitor at any international airport is incredibly rare. All that was accomplished this day couldn’t have been done without the meeting arrangements made by Dr. Forde and Dr. Mitchell.

Our trip to Grenada was a productive one. While only one monitor was installed, four more locations (the airport, the Ministry of Health building, the SGU faculty members house, and a spot on Grenada’s neighbouring island, Carriacou) were identified and with the help of the SGU team, four more monitors will be installed. The mobile monitoring of BC and UFP that we completed can be used as a baseline for further research related to these particles. Moreover, as there is minimal research on the relation of BC and UFP, and this study will help fill in that knowledge gap. In addition, the prospect of installing a PurpleAir monitor at the Maurice Bishop airport is novel.

Collaboration is what bound this project together, with each individual bringing their own expertise to the table. There was also specific knowledge about the island learned by talking with locals; this aided immensely in finding suitable locations to install the PurpleAir monitors. The success of this project will rest on the partnerships that have been established between universities. Thank you to everyone who made this project possible and to ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University for the International Seed Grant that was awarded to Dr. Villeneuve to provide funding support to this research.

Nick is a 1^st year M.Sc. student in Health Sciences at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University in Ottawa.

Julia is a 4^th year B.Sc. student in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

References:

Campbell, D. T. (1969). Ethnocentrism of disciplines and the fish-scale model of omniscience. In M. Sherif & C. W. Sherif (Eds.), Interdisciplinary relationships in the social sciences. Routledge.

Sprunger, J. G. (2017, December). The benefits of engaging in collaborative research relationships. APS Observer. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-benefits-of-engaging-in-collaborative-research-relationships

Stanaway, J., Afshin, A., Gakidou, E., Lim, S., Abate, D., Abate, K., … Abrham, A. (2018). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1923–1994.

Wittig, R., König, K., Schmidt, M., & Szarzynski, J. (2007). A study of climate change and anthropogenic impacts in West Africa. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 14(3), 182–89.

Since a few catchy news articles in the popular media back in 2012 pointing to a mental health crisis at universities in Canada, the seriousness of mental health issues on our campuses has been increasingly recognized (Lunau, 2012). A in Ontario triggered attention to the issue, finding that a staggering 88.8% of students felt overwhelmed, 50.2% reported being overwhelmed with anxiety, and 34.2% felt depressed (Craggs, 2012).

How is this possible you may ask? I present to you the hypothetical case of an 18-year-old first-year undergraduate student and her transition to university. Meet Sally; she has recently left home for the first time to start her freshman year at a university that is six hours from her hometown. She’s living in a single room in an on-campus residence, and is feeling lucky to have been one of the few students to score a room by herself. Nervous but excited, the semester starts full-force and Sally is determined to maintain her admission scholarship and receive medical school calibre grades, just as she has throughout high school. Sally struggles to adjust to the large class sizes, increased workload and the lack of structure to her days. But she makes it through her first midterm, only to find out that she got a D. This is the lowest grade that she has ever received in her life! And this isn’t even her only midterm; she has four others to write this week. Feeling sick with a sense of failure and anxiety, Sally is finding it hard to cope in the absence of the supports that she was accustomed to when she was living at home. As a result, she becomes discouraged and overwhelmed.

Due to a combination of the poor quality of food offered in the cafeteria and a loss of appetite, Sally’s diet also changed considerably. Sally begins to have difficulty sleeping, and has an even harder time getting out of bed in the morning. She starts skipping classes to catch up on sleep, which is putting her even further behind in her coursework. Sally has found herself stuck in a cyclical pattern of underperformance in relation to the physical and psychological impact of the stress that she is experiencing. Sally is made aware of the counselling services on campus by her residence advisor, and she decides to set up an appointment. When she calls, she is told that there is a 4-6-week wait for an initial appointment. When she finally has her initial appointment, Sally feels a bit better and hopeful that she can turn things around. She attempts to book a follow-up appointment but is told the wait time would be another 6-8 weeks. Sally never follows up with her appointment due to the long wait, and also because she believes that she should be able to manage her stress on her own. She finishes her first year on academic probation, wondering if she should reduce her course load, change programs, or possibly even take some time off from school.

Roughly 50% of college and university students experience high levels of stress that result in symptoms of anxiety and depression, with anxiety symptoms being the most common (Bayram & Bilgel, 2008; Storrie et al., 2010). Approximately one in five students has a diagnosed mental health disorder (Auerbach, 2016). Sally’s story paints a picture of how stress-induced behavioural changes and Ěýmental health symptoms can impact academic achievement. Students suffering from stress-related mental health issues report having poorer relationships, lower grade point averages and lower graduation rates compared to those not presenting with mental illness (Storrie et al., 2010). In addition, Sally’s story does not take into consideration other complex issues on college and university campuses such as sexual harassment, discrimination and substance use, all of which impact mental and physical health outcomes. In addition, studies on campuses in North America have found that 10% of female students and 13% of male students have experienced thoughts of suicide (Mackenzie et al., 2011).

All of this being said, what practices have universities put in place to combat student mental health challenges? One widespread response has been to expand individual counselling services. This approach does not come without flaws: it is reported that less than a quarter of students who need such services are actually using them (Rosenthal, 2008). This is likely due to a number of barriers including the Ěýthe perception that one can manage their own stress and the wait times associated with such services (Pin et al., 2012; Rosenthal, 2008; Talebi et al., 2016). Given this, it is hard to imagine that universities would be able to support a higher volume of students choosing to seek counselling.

Similar to other areas of medicine, preventative mental health interventions are often more economical than treatment after the fact. As assessment of the effectiveness of various interventions from 24 different studies demonstrated that cognitive, behavioural, and/or mindfulness-based techniques were the most effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety in university students. Cognitive-behavioural therapy focuses on identifying and modifying dysfunctional thoughts related to stress. incorporate a combination of focusing on and being aware of one’s body, breathing, and thoughts. Some aspects of these interventions can be carried out at home (i.e. through audio-recorded guided mindfulness coaching) (Regehr et al., 2013). To the extent that such strategies are effective, campus workshops that encourage their uptake may help reduce wait times for other services so that those who need them the most get help in a timely manner. Some other evidence-based recommendations that universities can consider to help reduce student stress and improve mental health outcomes include initiatives to , and implementing peer-support programs and (Binfet et al., 2018; Felton et al., 2019; Pin et al., 2012).

Would things have turned out differently for Sally had these initiatives been in place at her institution? It’s possible. But, in fact, there isn’t a single, one-size-fits-all answer to the prevalence of mental health challenges being experienced on college and university campuses. However, one thing is clear: colleges and universities should be making the mental health of their students a priority. They need to dedicate more funds to trying new interventions and providing better support for methods that have been shown to work. After all, high drop-out rates, fewer students pursuing additional degrees, lost productivity, etc., reflect on universities’ success. Along with the students, the schools themselves will eventually suffer the consequences if this problem persists.

If you are concerned about the mental health and safety of yourself or someone you know, below is a list of available resources that can help:

ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University Health and Counseling Services: (613) 520-6674

Distress Centre Ottawa and Region: (613) 238-3311, Web Site: /

Mental Health Crisis Line: within Ottawa (613) 722-6914, Web Site:

Mental Health Helpline: within Ontario (866) 531-2600, Web Site:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service: within Canada: (833) 456-456, Web Site:

References:

Auerbach, R. P., Alonso, J., Axinn, W. G., Cuijpers, P., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., … & Nock, M. K. (2016). Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization world mental health surveys.ĚýPsychological medicine.

Bayram, N., & Bilgel, N. (2008). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Binfet, J., Passmore, H., Cebry, A., Struik, K., & McKay, C. (2018). Reducing university students’ stress through a drop-in canine-therapy program. Journal of Mental Health.

Craggs, S. (2012). One-third of McMaster students battle depression: survey.

Felton, A., Lambert, M.Ěý(2019), “Student mental health in the healthcare professions: exploring the benefits of peer support through the Bridge Network”,Ěýhe Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice.

Lunau, K. (2012). Mental health crisis on campus: Canadian students feel hopeless, depressed, even suicidal. Macleans.

Mackenzie, S., Wiegel, J. R., Mundt, M., Brown, D., Saewyc, E., Heiligenstein, E., … Fleming, M. (2011). Depression and Suicide Ideation Among Students Accessing Campus Health Care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Pin, L., Martin, C. (2012). Student Health: Bringing Healthy Change to Ontario’s Universities. Toronto: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

Regehr, C., Glancy, D., & Pitts, A. (2013). Interventions to reduce stress in university students: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Rosenthal, B., Wilson, C. (2008). Mental health services: Use and disparity among diverse college students. Journal of American College Health.

Storrie, K., Ahern, K., & Tuckett, A. (2010). A systematic review: Students with mental health problems-A growing problem. International Journal of Nursing Practice.

Talibi, M., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H. (2016). The stigma of seeking help for mental health Issues: Mediating roles of support and coping and the moderating role of symptom profile. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

“I’m tired!” This phrase is well used, if not excessively among students on any university campus. Students are notorious for proclaiming theirĚýexhaustion, their desire for sleep, and their inability to withstand an entire lecture without dozing off. It appears that a student’s view on the required amount of sleep they need to function reflects their belief that it simply is not, and never will be, enough. A 2015 survey of 20,000 undergraduate students revealed that 91% indicated feeling tired during the past seven days, while 43.4% reported problems performing activities due to daytime sleepiness. Even if a student does get a good night’s sleep, the intensity of their fatigue rarely diminishes, and if it does, only for a short period. The question then becomes: why can’t students get a handle on their sleep habits?

It is likely that students are suffering from a phenomenon dubbed , a term used to describe the mounting impacts of sleep deprivation. To incur sleep debt, a person doesn’t need to go nights on end with very little sleep. Sleep debt can even affect people who are sleeping eight hours per night (Coren, 1996). Even if a person is lacking only a few hours less sleep than is recommended, this can contribute to sleep debt. Students may be under the impression that it is the exceptional activities that contribute to sleep debt, such as binge drinking and partying until dawn, or the dreaded ritual of cramming all night before an exam. Although there is no doubt that these experiences play a role, it is often the more benign habits that are leading students to fall behind in their sleep.

One of the primary culprits is the cell phone. Regardless of students insisting that they suffer from drowsiness, this apparently does not prevent them from replying to text messages in the dead of night. ĚýĚýĚýis the need to respond immediately to text messages or phones calls, for fear that people will become upset if you fail to do so (Roger & Barber, 2019). To the outside world it may appear obvious that when one is sleeping this pressure should be alleviated; however, this is not always the case. In fact, students were quite willing to give in to telepressure at night, waking up to groggily and half-heartedly respond to texts or calls.

Conversely, some may argue that they are not the type to be a slave to their cell phone and engage in a ritual of responding at three o’clock in the morning. Even if this is the case, the presence of a cell phone or other electronic device within the sleep vicinity can prevent a student from falling asleep. In fact, the blue light emitting from a cell phone or computer screen can cause a delay of sleep onset by up to one-and-a-half hours (Wise, 2018). Over time, this delay in sleep, and the periodic awakening that may also be occurring, can contribute to sleep debt.

An additional contributor to sleep debt is the infamous energy drink, one of students’ favourite catch-22’s. Consuming energy drinks is often done in order to function and accomplish optimal work, but this occurs at the cost of almost immediate burnout when the caffeine begins to wear off. What students may not know is that the price of energy drinks extends beyond just the initial caffeine plummet. A recent study indicated that consuming energy drinks predicted lower quantity and quality of sleep as well as increased tiredness the following day for college students. This is yet another contributor to the potential sleep debt students experience. While students believe they’re drinking to achieve momentary efficiency, their caffeine binge may actually be robbing them of valuable time in the future.

Despite the evidence, is it truly reasonable to expect students to give up their cell phones, or stop drinking sugary caffeinated beverages? In reality, probably not. Students often use their cell phones as a method to wind down at the end of the night, or as a way to mindlessly relieve stress. The energy drinks could be something a student has been drinking for years. Expecting them to change their ways on the basis of a few studies is unlikely to alter ingrained habits. One would hope that students would seize the opportunity for extra sleep at any chance they get. The shocking revelation is that the majority of students may not even be willing to go that far. In fact, one study suggested that even among those students who are experiencing a significant sleep deficit, when given the option of altering their habits, the majority did not jump at the chance to obtain more sleep (Anderson & Horne, 2008). Out of the 50% who stated they had the desire for more sleep, only 20% reported experiencing a level of unreasonable sleepiness during the day and opted to take extra sleep. Perhaps these students would rather deal with exhaustion than limit their time engaging in activities they enjoy. Indeed, the statistic likely includes overachievers who would be aghast at the idea of taking time away from their studies to sleep an extra hour or two.

All of this is not to suggest that students are dramatizing the state of their exhaustion as they wait in solidarity, zombie-like in line for Starbucks. The fact of the matter is, they probably are exhausted, and it is unlikely that students as a whole will ever reach the point where they are not unanimously tired. Perhaps then, a more accurate question is: how tired does a student need to be in order to do anything about it?!

References:

Anderson, C., & Horne, J. A. (2008). Do we really want more sleep? A population-based study evaluating the strength of desire for more sleep. Sleep Medicine, 9, 184-187.

Campbell, R., Soenens, B., Beyers, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2018). University students’ sleep during an exam period: the role of basic psychological needs and stress. Motivation and Emotion, 42, 627-681. DOI: 10.1007/s11031-018-9699-x.

Coren, S. (1996). Sleep thieves: An eye-opening exploration into the science and mysteries of sleep. New York, NY: Free Press.

Mednick. S., & Ehrman, M. (2006). Take a nap!: Change your life. New York, NY: Workman

Patrick, M. E., Griffin, J., Huntley, E. D., & Maggs, J. L. (2018;2016;). Energy drinks and binge drinking predict college students’ sleep quantity, quality, and tiredness. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 16(1), 92-105.

Rice, A. (2011). Blear-eyed students can’t stop texting even to sleep, a researcher finds. Chronicle of Higher Education, 58(14), A13.

Rogers, A. P., & Barber, L. K. (2019). Addressing FoMO and telepressure among university students: Could a technology intervention help with social media use and sleep disruption? Computers in Human Behaviour, 93, 192-199.

Wise, M. J. (2018). Naps and sleep deprivation: Why academic libraries should consider adding nap stations to their services for students. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 24(2), 192-210. DOI: 10.1080/13614533.2018.1431948

Can having a pet improve your health? Ask any pet owner with a close relationship to their dog or cat and you’ll probably get a resounding “Yes!” Many researchers will also tell you that the scientific findings regarding the association between having pets and health look pretty positive. Links have been found between owning pets and multiple aspects of physical and mental well-being, including (Kramer, Mehmood, & Suen, 2019), better heart health (Mubanga et al., 2017), better sleep and exercise habits (Headey, Na, & Zheng, 2008), and less loneliness (Stanley, Conwell, Bowen, & Van Orden, 2013).

While the scientific literature on pets and health is promising, a closer look reveals that the story isn’t always consistent. Some studies have been unable to detect links between owning an pet and key health outcomes (Wright, Kritz-Silverstein, Morton, Wingard, & Barrett-Connor, 2007), and some researchers have even found that owning a pet can predict negative health outcomes (Koivusilta & Ojanlatva, 2006). Some of the inconsistencies can probably be traced back to variations in the way studies were conducted, but it might also be that different individuals and social groups experience pet ownership differently. In other words, there could be key social, psychological, and even biological factors that influence how much (or little) benefit people get out of sharing their lives with animals. The goal of our research was to move beyond just asking whether or not pets are good for our health, to focus instead on characteristics that might alter this relationship. For example, is a pet’s presence enough, or does the strength of the bond matter? Does having a supportive social network affect the way you feel about your pet? Do stressful life circumstances (like illness, homelessness, or poverty) change our relationships with animals and how important they are for our health?

At the same time as we try to better understand the psychosocial factors that contribute to the benefits of pet ownership, a growing body of research has converged on oxytocin (a hormone known for its role in stress reduction, bonding, and many other social behaviours) as a possible major biological player in our interactions with animals. Prior studies have shown that oxytocin levels in our body change in the presence of a friendly animal, particularly when it’s an animal we’ve bonded with (Handlin et al., 2011). Oxytocin appears to impact our brain and body’s stress response, potentially connecting positive social behaviours (like turning to a friend for help) to the reduction of distress (Heinrichs, Baumgartner, Kirschbaum, & Ehlert, 2003). Differences in genes that are responsible for oxytocin functioning appear to impact the way we relate to others on a social level, including how we pursue and respond to social support (Chen et al., 2011; Kim et al., 2010). If bonds with cats and dogs are similar to bonds with people, could genetic variation in our oxytocin system similarly affect human-animal relationships?

To explore these questions, we conducted a series of studies that combined survey measures (assessing emotional attachment to pets and facets of human health & well-being) with genetic analysis. By isolating DNA from saliva samples, we were able to look at small variations known as (or SNPs) in oxytocin-related genes and test for links between people’s genetics and their survey responses.

The research began in the fall of 2017 when we rented booth space at the Ottawa Pet Expo, a weekend event for pet enthusiasts. While there, we gathered survey responses and saliva samples from 100+ pet owners—mostly people with dogs and cats but a few with other types of animals. In a second study, we set up our booth at public locations around Ottawa and repeated this procedure; this time we also encouraged participation from non-pet owners as a comparison group. Finally, our third study took place at events organized by , an organization that provides free veterinary care for low-income, marginally housed community members in Ottawa. Gathering data from these different populations allowed us to look at how the role of pets might differ based on personal circumstances.

As soon as we began analyzing the data, the results challenged our assumptions. We had predicted that strong feelings of attachment towards a pet would be linked to improved mental well-being, but in fact an opposite pattern emerged – in all three groups, participants who were more strongly bonded to their animals were also more likely to report experiencing poorer well-being, including more symptoms of depression, loneliness, and lower feelings of social connection. Strong attachment to pets was also associated with being more likely to have a physical illness.

What could these results mean? While it’s possible that strong emotional ties with an animal directly negatively impact human well-being (perhaps because caring for a pet might strain time and financial resources), we believe that it’s more likely that when people are highly emotionally stressed (depressed, lonely, or socially isolated), they may be more likely to turn to their pets for comfort. Some evidence for this possibility exists in the form of research showing that many pet owners view their animals as unique and important sources of support, especially when they are strongly attached to their pet (Meehan, Massavelli, & Pachana, 2017). If people are turning to their pets as a way of coping with things like stress and loneliness, this could explain why animal relationships are often so important to people who are isolated or socially marginalized, like older adults and individuals who are homeless. In fact, in our own research, we found that participants who were living with poverty and housing insecurity were especially likely to say that they were highly attached to their pets.

We also found that a SNP of the oxytocin receptor gene was linked to owning a pet. Results from a large twin study released earlier this year suggested that a tendency towards having animals (in this case, dogs) might be (Fall, Kuja-Halkola, Dobney, Westgarth, & Magnusson, 2019), which makes this a particularly interesting finding. However, the relatively small number of participants in our own study means that this finding should be taken with a grain of salt; repeating this research with a larger group would be one way to check if the association is meaningful or not.

As with any study, it’s important to remember that lots of different factors might have affected the results, including when and where we gathered data, who was motivated to take part in the research, and how we chose to measure things like attachment and well-being. While our findings were unexpected, the takeaway from this research is not that we should ignore pets and their role in human health—these are important phenomena that need to be studied and explored, especially when pets seem to be so important to so many people. But as with research into any interesting human behaviour, the relationships between pet ownership, emotional bonds with animals, and health & well-being are bound to be complex. Learning more about these links will be challenging, but worthwhile.

References:

Chen, F. S., Kumsta, R., Dawans, B. v., Monakhov, M., Ebstein, R. P., & Heinrichs, M. (2011). Common oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism and social support interact to reduce stress in humans. PNAS USA, 108(50), 19937-19942.

Fall, T., Kuja-Halkola, R., Dobney, K., Westgarth, C., & Magnusson, P. (2019). Evidence of largegenetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish twin registry has implications forunderstanding domestication and health associations. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 7554-7.

Handlin, L., Hydbring-Sandberg, E., Nilsson, A., Ejdebäck, M., Jansson, A., & Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (2011). Short-term interaction between dogs and their owners: Effects on oxytocin, cortisol, insulin and heart rate—An exploratory study. Anthrozoös, 24(3), 301-315.

Headey, B., Na, F., & Zheng, R. (2008). Pet dogs benefit owners’ health: A ‘natural experiment’ inĚý China. Social Indicators Research, 87(3), 481-493.

Heinrichs, M., Baumgartner, T., Kirschbaum, C., and Ehlert, U. (2003). Social support andĚýoxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. BiologicalĚý Psychiatry, 54, 1389–1398.

Kim, H. S., Sherman, D. K., Sasaki, J. Y., Xu, J., Chu, T. Q., Ryu, C., . . . Taylor, S. E. (2010). Culture,Ěýdistress, and oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) interact to influence emotional supportĚý seeking. PNAS USA, 107(36), 15717-15721.

Koivusilta, L. K., & Ojanlatva, A. (2006). To have or not to have a pet for better health? PloS One,Ěý1(1), e109.

Kramer, C. K., Mehmood, S., & Suen, R. S. (2019). Dog ownership and survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Mubanga, M., Byberg, L., Nowak, C., Egenvall, A., Magnusson, P. K., Ingelsson, E., . . .Ěý Institutionen fĂśr kirurgiska vetenskaper. (2017). Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascularĚý disease and death – a nationwide cohort study. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-9.

Stanley, I. H., Conwell, Y., Bowen, C., & Van Orden, K. A. (2014). Pet ownership may attenuateĚýloneliness among older adult primary care patients who live alone. Aging & Mental Health, 18(3), 394-399.

Wright, J. D., Kritz-Silverstein, D., Morton, D. J., Wingard, D. L., & Barrett-Connor, E. (2007). Pet ownership and blood pressure in old age. Epidemiology, 18(5), 613-618.

It is quite likely that you know someone – a close friend, a relative, or even yourself – who suffers from anxiety. With increasing stress and demands from social media, work, and day-to-day life, the incidence of anxiety has increased, and generalized anxiety disorder can affect up to a third of individuals over their lifespan. Many individuals rely on medication which may not fully eradicate symptoms, may have negative side effects, or may not help at all. However, recent research suggests that one answer to improving anxiety management may lie in an unlikely place: maintaining a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

Most of us have grown up with the understanding that “germs are bad” or “bacteria make you sick”. Attitudes such as these are commonplace, and yet they may not be the most appropriate. Despite our best efforts to remainĚýclean, bacteria are present everywhere we go – our homes, public transit, and even on every surface of our bodies. In fact, studies have demonstrated that 99% of the genes in our body actually come from various species of bacteria that reside on our skin and within our digestive tract. Even more surprising, the cells of our body are outnumbered approximately 9 to 1 by bacterial cells! Although many types of bacteria can be responsible for causing illnesses, the sheer number of bacterial cells in our bodies indicates that most bacteria are not disease-causing and some may even be beneficial to our health.

Over the last 15 years, a growing body of research has focused on the diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses residing in our gastrointestinal tract. All together this system is known as the microbiome, and it differs greatly from person to person. The 100 trillion microbes that populate our gut contribute to numerous functions that support our overall health including regulating immunity, absorbing nutrients, and vitamin production, as well as playing a role in our mental health. Interestingly, much like a fingerprint, every individual has their own unique gut microbiome which can be altered by a variety of factors.

So where does this gut microbiome come from? When we are born, our gastrointestinal tract is germ-free because the womb is sterile. Our first microbes come from the birth canal during normal birth, and following this, the general environment. Nutrients in breast milk such as fatty acids and complex sugars feed the bacteria that have colonized our gastrointestinal tract. During early childhood, the food we eat, germs we catch, and activities we engage in slowly solidify the bacterial population and diversity in our gut.

Interestingly, researchers have come to understand that this bacterial population can affect our brain and contribute to anxiety. The brain and the gut communicate through something researchers call . Neurotransmitters are chemicals within the brain that send information from one cell to the next. Many gut microbes can directly change the levels of these neurotransmitters, which might allow them to communicate with neurons. In fact, our gut microbes produce 90% of the serotonin (our feel-good neurotransmitter) in our body. Levels of this transmitter are associated with mood disorders, including anxiety. In germ-free mice with sterile intestines, there is significantly less serotonin found in the blood. This could indicate that gut bacteria signal the brain through release of neurotransmitters. Germ-free mice also have higher levels of the stress hormone corticosterone compared to the mice with a normal gut microbiota and, more importantly, when these germ-free mice were given a single bacterium, their dysfunctional stress response returned to normal. To further strengthen this idea, even short disruption of the balance of the gut, known as dysbiosis, has been linked to lower serotonin levels and anxiety like-symptoms in mice.

Other mouse studies show how the gut microbiota may influence our brain to produce anxious personality types. When germ-free animals were given bacteria from either normal or anxious mice, they took on behaviours from the donor mice, becoming either timid and fearful (markers of anxiety) or more exploratory. Looking to the human condition, we see that anxiety is a common symptom of individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). When gut bacteria from IBS or anxiety patients were given to mice, . While the majority of research is quick to link exercise to better physical and mental health, it turns out exercise may also increase the diversity of the gut microbiota and alter the levels of some bacteria which have been linked to anxiety.

Although most of these studies have been performed in mice, there is evidence from a growing number of human studies as well.Ěý One particularly interesting study found that . As sociability is normally associated with lower rates of anxiety and depression, the diversity of gut microbes may help predict whether these toddlers will develop anxiety disorders later in life and may in the future be an avenue that could be targeted for treatment.

One cautionary note remains to be discussed: the overuse of antibiotics, consumption of unhealthy foods, lack of sleep, and poor exercise habits can all play a role in reducing the health of our gut. It is possible, although still unknown, that the shift in our lifestyles from manual labour and home-cooked food to relatively static lives and fast food may be playing a role in the increased anxiety we currently face. Thus, simple lifestyle changes and healthy food choices (such as eating fruits, vegetables and fermented foods) to take care of our gut bacteria might be one route to happiness and good mental health.

References:

Sudo, N., Chida, Y., Aiba, Y., Sonoda, J., Oyama, N., Xiao-Nian, Y., Kubo, C., & Koga, Y. (2004). Postnatal Microbial Colonization Programs the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal System for Stress Response in Mice. The Journal of Physiology.

Bercik, P., Denou, E., Collins, J., Jackson, W., Lu, J., Jury, J., Deng, Y., Blennerhassett, P., Macri, J., McCoy, K.D., Verdu, E. F., & Collins, S.M. (2011). The Intestinal Microbiota Affect Central Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor and Behavior in Mice. Gastroenterology.

De Palma, G., Lynch, M.D., Lu, J., Dang, V.T., Deng, Y., Jury, J., … Bercik, P. (2017). Transplantation of Fecal Microbiota from Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Alters Gut Funtion and Behavior in Recipient Mice. Science Translational Medicine.

Christian, L.M., Galley, J.D., Hade, E.M., Schoppe-Sullivan, S., Kamp Dush, C., & Bailey, M.T. (2015). Gut Microbiome Composition is Associated with Temperament During Early Childhood. Brain, behavior, and immunity.

Monda, V., Vilaano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., Viggiano, A., Cibelli, G., Chieffi, S., Monda, M., & Messina, G. (2017). Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.

The issue: Loneliness and social isolation among older adults.

Social isolation and loneliness are two issues that have been identified as common among older adults, including those living in long-term care (LTC) or retirement homes (Theurer et al., 2015). Indeed, estimates may be as high as half of all residents feeling lonely (Drageset, Kirkevold, & Espehaug, 2011). While loneliness is a subjective feeling often entailing a sense of despair, social isolation can be more objectively measured, for example by taking into account the frequency with which someone has contact with another person. However, both loneliness and social isolation can have negative impacts on health and well-being. Social isolation has been associated with lower life satisfaction (Hawthorne, 2006). Likewise, loneliness has been linked to higher levels of depression and even increased rates of mortality (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010).

One way to reduce social isolation and loneliness is through intervention programs that aim to help older adults build peer supports and social relationships, which in turn, can foster social engagement and social group identification. Some examples of such interventions are support groups, music-based interventions, reminiscence therapy, and video-conferencing (Landeiro, Barrows, Nuttall Musson, Gray, & Leal, 2017; Theurer et al., 2015). In contrast, passive care (i.e., activities that do not require residents to actively engage but instead solely be recipients of care) may be associated with increased feelings of loneliness and depression in older adults (Theurer et al., 2015). Indeed, a study conducted with socially isolated, older adults demonstrated that peer support—provided by the other residents and facilitated by a trained activities director—helped to improve physical health, lowered rates of depression, and increased social functioning (Kim, 2012). Another recent study also suggested that peer support may be associated with reducing the number of hospital readmissions among older adults with chronic medical illnesses and depression (Conner et al., 2018). Taken together, this research suggests that there are numerous benefits of setting up peer support programs for older adults who may be lonely and/or socially isolated.

My experience: The perspective of a 20-year-old.

This past summer I had the opportunity to work as a Research Assistant with Dr. Renate Ysseldyk in the Department of Health Sciences at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University. One of the projects I worked on was a community-based research collaboration with the Ontario Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at Bruyère, Riverstone Retirement Communities, and the Java Group Programs¹. The Java Music Club is a weekly peer support group that encourages residents to socialize and to build meaningful connections with each other; it was created by Kristine Theurer, to help combat social isolation in long-term care and retirement homes. The program provides peer support in the form of conversation with other residents based on themes (e.g., gratitude) and coordinated music selections (e.g., “What a Wonderful World”). By talking about a different theme each week, the residents are able to form new connections and relate to each other about shared struggles or accomplishments. Every Tuesday morning this summer, I attended one of the Java Music Club group sessions with a lively group of seniors at Riverstone Retirement Communities.

Being 20, I don’t often think about what my life will be like when I’m older and retired. Right now, it’s hard to picture myself as 80 or 90 something and living in a retirement home. However, since all of us will eventually grow older, it is important to consider the social environments in which we will live as we age. As I have observed through this project, there are many activities available to residents who are living in residential care settings, but all activities are optional—thus, social interaction is also optional. Differences in personality dispositions (e.g., introversion vs. extraversion) notwithstanding, social isolation and loneliness can result among those who choose not to participate. Indeed, despite the busy activity calendars in many care homes, it is often the same few people who engage in those activities. Giving all residents the opportunity to participate in activities in which they feel comfortable is important, given previous research demonstrating that the quantity and quality of one’s social support networks are key social determinants of health. “Social determinants of health are factors that are influenced by where people live, such as income and social status, social support networks, education, gender, housing, and working conditions” (Raphael & Mikkonen, 2010).Maximizing residents’ opportunities to have supportive social networks within retirement homes is critical to maintaining health and well-being. This is important because many residents of LTC and retirement homes experience loneliness, which might be mitigated for some by increasing social support and building meaningful social networks. Social support, in turn, has also been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality rates(Uchino, 2006).

I do not have any mobility issues (and I am grateful for that), but many older (and some younger) people do. If my social network revolved around daily walks in the park with a group of my friends and then one day I fell and could no longer go on walks, I imagine I would feel quite lonely and isolated. The Java Music Club does not require a large amount of physical exertion, which is a plus. Members of the club meet once a week for an hour. They choose a theme for each week, coffee is served with a snack, and they talk and sing along to songs. Choosing a theme helps the residents to reminisce and share their emotions. Some of the themes have included creativity, grief, gratitude, and resentment. Sometimes they laugh; sometimes they cry. From what I have observed during meetings of the Java Music Club, the group has become quite close—they trust each other and know that if someone needs help they can count on their fellow group members.

The importance of social group identities.

Group memberships are important. Following in the tradition of social identity theory—which emphasizes the social, emotional, and cognitive value of being part of a group (Haslam et al., 2014;Tajfel & Turner, 1979)—much research has shown that sharing strong bonds with other group members can have a positive effect on well-being, including reduced loneliness and depression (Cruwys, Haslam, Dingle, Haslam, & Jetten, 2014; Jung, Gruenewald, Seeman, & Sarkisian, 2010; Ysseldyk, Haslam, & Haslam, 2013). One of the things that I looked forward to each week was listening to some of the members informally discuss the theme for the week as I helped to set up the materials for the group. Their shared experiences and common bond is what makes the program so great, giving them multiple opportunities to connect and relate even outside of the weekly Java Music Club sessions.

As a young person I’ve never really given much thought to the reasons many people in retirement and LTC homes may experience loneliness; however, working on this project has shown me some of them. In general, older adults tend to experience a decline in total energy levels (Manini, 2011).The Java Music Club is a great way to re-energize. Listening to music and engaging in social time is a wonderful way to start a morning. Others have lost a spouse, as is often the case as people get older. Suddenly, the person you have had by your side for decades is gone. Indeed, many older adults may experience an array of losses, especially as they move into retirement or LTC; they may also lose friends, experience a general decline in health, lose siblings, their independence, and their neighbors and community, all of which are important aspect of one’s life. The Java Music Club gives residents an opportunity to talk to others who may have experienced the same things. Indeed, some of the themes discussed during the Java Music Club were quite sensitive (e.g., loss) and brought up strong emotions, but this gave the group members a chance to be vulnerable with their emotions and to build trust with one another. By creating a supportive environment, the Java Music Club aims to increase emotional support from peers, which in turn strengthens social identity and can increase life satisfaction (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010; Theurer et al., 2015).

Looking ahead

There are many ways that loneliness and social isolation can be alleviated in retirement and LTC homes. As mentioned above, the Java Music Club is one of the ways that peer support can be increased. However, there are also other intervention programs, of course, that also address these issues. The key to incorporating these programs appears to be involving the residents and encouraging active participation versus having residents simply participate passively (Theurer et al., 2015). Some of the health benefits of peer support are improved physical health, lower rates of depression, increased social identity, and increased quality of life (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010; Kim, 2012). Indeed, there are many benefits of peer support, of which retirement and LTC homes can take advantage.

The main thing that I have learned from working on this project is that there is a lot more to think about as you grow older than seems obvious. Honestly, when I think about aging, I get scared that my body won’t work the way I want it to or that I won’t remember things as well. I don’t think about how I might be lonely or how easy it could be for me to become socially isolated. Social support and social interactions are important at every stage in life but can be even more important as we age. I only hope that when I get older I will be fortunate enough to have a strong social network of friends and family that I can count on. And no better time to start building those support networks than the present.

Written by Sarah Bickley-Gardner, Department of Health Sciences

¹This project formed the basis of a group capstone project in the Health: Science, Technology, and Policy program, led by MSc students Victoria Bond, Edna Tehranzadeh, Margot Wallace, and Connie Wu. This project was also funded by a Knowledge Mobilization Partnership Grant from the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and was supported by additional funding from ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario CLRI.

References

Conner, K. O., Gum, A. M., Schonfeld, L., Beckstead, J., Beckstead, J., Brown, C., & Reynolds, C. F. (2018). Peer support as a strategy for reducing hospital readmissions among older adults with chronic medical illness and depression ., 2(2), 15–17.

Cruwys, T., Haslam, S. A., Dingle, G. A., Haslam, C., & Jetten, J. (2014). Depression and Social Identity: An Integrative Review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(3), 215–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868314523839

Drageset, J., Kirkevold, M., & Espehaug, B. (2011). Loneliness and social support among nursing home residents without cognitive impairment: A questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 48(5), 611–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2010.09.008

Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., Ysseldyk, R., Mccloskey, L. G., Pfisterer, K., & Brown, S. G. (2014). Social identification moderates cognitive health and well-being following story- and song-based reminiscence. Aging and Mental Health, 18(4), 425–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2013.845871

Hawthorne, G. (2006). Measuring social isolation in older adults: Development and initial validation of the friendship scale. Social Indicators Research, 77(3), 521–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-7746-y

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316

Jung, Y., Gruenewald, T. L., Seeman, T. E., & Sarkisian, C. A. (2010). Productive Activities and Development of Frailty in Older Adults. Geriatrics, 256–261. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbp105.

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The mentors come from a variety of backgrounds including cognitive science, psychology, biology, health sciences, and philanthropy and non-profit leadership. Each of these backgrounds bring a compelling perspective to the challenge.

“I think coming from a psychology background has allowed me to have strengths regarding the mental health portion of this challenge – understanding factors that can contribute to stress, mental illness, and even how long it can take the brain to recover from trauma,” Michaela Keogh says.

Roxana Barbu stresses her personal experience and how it integrates with the challenge. She worked as a literary counselor for six weeks with the Peawanuck First Nation, who were evacuated due to the Winisk Flood. “That’s what attracted me to the challenge, the community I worked in was evacuated in ’86.” The challenge “has a focus on First Nations, which is important to me.” Roxana is also inspired by the One Health approach because it is “interdisciplinary, that’s my whole passion, my whole research,” she says.

Sam Petrie enjoys the interdisciplinary aspect of the challenge as well. His graduate research looks at complex adaptive health systems, and he has learned that “whenever you implicate a system, there will always be unintended consequences.” He is using this knowledge to nudge students to think of not only what can go right in their framework, but also what could happen despite well-intentioned plans.

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While all of the mentors bring their own set of skills to the challenge, being a mentor can still be a tricky position as it requires a careful balance of being a peer and a leader. One way to manage this balance is to show vulnerability. “[I] show my ignorance too and willingness to learn,” Roxana says. And, as Caprise Perrineau says, “I have also been a person who has failed a lot. I have made many, many mistakes and have learned to recover from difficult scenarios. The ability to share your failures and learn from others is a skill that is important to mentorship.”

It is also important to let students come up with their own ideas. As Mackenzie Doiron says, “it’s not a mentor’s job to do work for the group, or to get their fingerprints all over the group’s work.” This is also important when it comes to how ideas are evaluated during meetings. As Sam says, “when an idea is brought to the table, you [as a mentor] should offer your thoughts last.”

One of the greatest challenges of being a mentor is time management, which mentors spoke of as requiring creativity to manage. “It’s challenging to want your group to be fully committed (and win) while also watching them become a little stressed over their other responsibilities. It’s also a challenge to make sure that the students know that their course work should come first. I think it’s a bit of a learning curve,” Michaela says. “Be willing to modify your schedule on a weekly basis,” Roxana adds. Even though course work can be a stressor, the challenge has had a positive impact in managing these very stressors. “Especially around this time of the year, students are stressed and feeling a little down so it’s wonderful to be able to be involved in something that ignites the passion in them,” Michaela says.

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This year’s challenge brings an important issue to the forefront. To recap, the mentors have been leading groups of students to create a framework to mitigate the physical and mental health risks, and facilitate community rebuilding following a natural disaster, with a particular focus on First Nations communities in Canada’s northern regions. During the ONE HEALtH launch, guest speakers Craig Linklater and Darrel Shorting provided an account of living through the evacuation of Little Saskatchewan First Nation in Manitoba due to a 2011 manmade flood. Their stories had a strong impact on students and mentors alike.

“I have learned a lot about the initial knowledge, exposure and engagement most students have about and with Indigenous communities. I have also learned sadly that it is very easy for Canadians to be sheltered from and/or ignore the difficulties of others,” Caprise says. Many students and mentors had no prior knowledge of these floods. As Sam realised his lack of knowledge, he felt “shame and disgust and anger” at his not knowing. And as Roxana says, “most student-targeted experiences don’t have this reality check.”

Yet this reality check makes the challenge so impactful. The challenge becomes “not just about improving your CV but about improving yourself as a person and contributing from now on,” Roxana says. And Sam agrees, noting it can be easy to “get caught in the rat race,” but this challenge encourages everyone to “take time out of your day to think of the actual meaning of what you’re doing.”

The challenge stresses the importance of looking at a problem from multiple perspectives. As Mack says, “a swiftly executed solution looks really good on paper, but trying to create a framework where all of the aspects of the problem can be considered is a much more sustainable approach to tackling public health issues.” Indeed, the focus is on the complexity of the issue, rather than a quick solution.

The ONE HEALtH Student Challenge brings together students, mentors, and consultants from a variety of backgrounds to examine an issue and think of potential solutions. “It has been a pleasure getting to know my group, and learning from them as much as they’re learning from me,” Mack says. We are happy to hear that the mentor experience has been a meaningful one. As Roxana says, “you not only grow as a mentor, but as a person.”

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Our senior and graduate mentors are:

Roxana Barbu, MA
PhD Student in Cognitive Science

Mackenzie Doiron, MA
PhD Student in Psychology

Michaela Keogh
Masters Student in Philanthropy and Non-profit Leadership

Caprise Perrineau
Undergraduate Student in Biology

Samuel Petrie
Masters Student in Health Sciences

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Our challenge ends this Friday November 16! We can’t wait to see what our teams have come up with! Stay tuned to hear more about the challenge, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates (@CHAIM_Centre)!

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This past Friday, the CHAIM Centre hosted the official launch event for the ONE HEALtH Student Challenge 2018. The event was marked with fabulous speakers, whose personal and professional stories gave the student participants great insight into a One Health perspective, and into the Challenge itself. The One Health approach focuses on the connections between human health, animal/wildlife health, and the health of the environment. Essentially, these are all inextricably connected, and one affects the other. While this may seem intuitive, this approach is often underutilized in problem solving. The challenge this year is for students to design a plan to mitigate the physical and mental health risks, and facilitate community rebuilding following a natural disaster, with a particular focus on First Nations communities in Canada’s northern regions. For students participating, thinking of animal and environmental factors may be the toughest part. As Kim Matheson, director of the CHAIM Centre, pointed out, “it’s going to be way easier to think of the human aspect.” Students must push themselves to think of different perspectives.

A focus of the ONE HEALtH Student Challenge 2018 is to think beyond one’s own discipline. Paul Pechan, from the Lugwig Maximilians Universität Müchen, spoke about his personal experience in a career switch from plant physiology to science communications. (Of course, this simplifies many subtleties and accomplishments in between). Pechan advised students to “bring people together in an environment that can help you move forward with your questions.” He stressed that “you don’t have to be an expert in everything,” as any problem “cannot be solved with just the one perspective.” This was a goal of the launch event: to bring students, project consultants*, and guest speakers together to start thinking of out of the box ways to approach a problem.

What will students gain from this challenge? While an internship in a research lab is at stake, the focus is on the learning experience to be gained. Cathy Edwards, research facilitator and guest speaker at the launch, says she is hoping that students learn “the value of falling in love with a problem.” Moreover, she hopes students are “taking the time to gain empathy and develop insights based on the lived experience.”

The lived experience can only be understood from those who have lived it (of course), and guest speakers Craig Linklater and Darrel Shorting provided a moving account of living through the evacuation of Little Saskatchewan due to a 2011 manmade flood. Shorting spoke of the devastating effects of a twenty-four hour notice of evacuation, and provided a vivid recount as he “literally saw … water rising.” The community is still (seven years later) struggling to get home again. For those who have been able to return, it has been difficult getting used to new living situations which are a stark contrast to their way of life prior to the evacuation. Shorting vividly described damage to the ecosystem, infrastructure, and community gathering spots that have yet to be repaired. This has affected the physical and mental health of evacuees, and the community at large, including elders, councillors, families, youth, and children who have never lived in the community yet as their family is still in evacuation. Shorting said, “this 2011 flood created hardship for our people.” As a councillor, he still continues to “receive phone calls at 1:30 in the morning” from displaced community members. Through listening to Linklater and Shorting speak, we hope students not only gain empathy and insight, but use this lived experience to create an effective framework that can mitigate the harmful and long-lasting effects of a future crisis.

Over the next six weeks, student teams will be working on their frameworks with the help of graduate mentors and project consultants. They will be seeking new perspectives while considering human, animal, and environmental factors of a natural disaster. But most importantly, in considering a problem, as Kim Matheson urged students, it is imperative to “be brave, go beyond the things that you know.”

We look forward to seeing these frameworks develop over the next few weeks, and will be posting updates here.**

*Our project consultants range from faculty in neuroscience, biology, communications and environmental engineering, just to name a few. You can find a list of our consultants here: /chaimcentre/the-2018-challenge/one-health-consultants/

**And on our Twitter account: @CHAIM_Centre