Denver, Colo. (January 31, 2018) – A group of seasoned wellness industry executives have joined forces to create the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA). Registered in the State of Colorado as a not-for-profit, privately-held organization, the WTA has been established and designed to serve this booming travel sector.

“Our mission is clear and concise,” says Co-Founder and Chairman Andrew Gibson, VP Wellbeing, Accor Hotels, “We plan to support and further the growth and development of the wellness tourism industry through networking, education, communication and marketing.”

The new association will be a network of and for qualifying members of the wellness tourism industry. Its objectives will help to define the industry, as well as educate consumers to recognize legitimate and credible wellness suppliers and operators.

Co-Founding member Tom Klein, President & COO of Canyon Ranch stated, “The WTA will fill a gap in this global industry by providing a credible and unified voice.” Klein added, “As with all associations, the goals and objectives will be determined by the members.”

According to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2017 Global Wellness Economy Monitor, the Wellness Tourism segment is a $563 billion industry -- growing faster than the tourism industry itself.  “It makes perfect sense to have our own association,” says Co-Founder and President, Anne Dimon, Founder/CEO of TravelToWellness.com “Especially since there is some confusion with consumers and travel agents as to what constitutes legitimate ‘wellness travel.”

Nilendu Srivastava, Managing Director of The Art of Living Retreat Center, a year-round wellness retreat facility in Boone, North Carolina is another Founding Member.

The association’s first tourism office member - the Monaco Government Tourist Office - will be represented by Cindy Hoddeson, Monaco’s Director, North America. The wellness history of this city-state dates back to 1860 and the Etablissement des Bains, Monaco’s first baths where people traveled to benefit from the curative powers of the Mediterranean.

Madeleine Marentette, owner of Grail Springs -- recent recipient of Canada's Best Wellness Retreat 2017 -- will also sit on the first Board of Directors - - as will Jim Forberg, Founding Partner and COO of Unicomm LLC, producers of the long-running Travel & Adventure Show and introducing a wellness element to their shows in 2018.

Wellness Tourism is not a new industry, as people have traveled both nationally and internationally with health or wellness the primary focus since the time of the Roman Baths. Today, the commitment to ‘health as your wealth’ transcends borders, cultures and ages, with many new companies flocking to the sector.

Membership will be open to qualifying destination marketing organizations, hotels and resorts, destination spas, tour operators, travel advisors, wellness educators and others with an interest in supporting the industry and helping shape its future and sustainability. Dimon adds that, “while ‘wellness’ is often thought to be a luxury category of travel, we also want to ensure we represent a diverse range of members across consumer segment."

For more information, please visit http://www.wellnesstourismassociation.org and for interview opportunities and additional details, email the WTA at admin@wellnesstourismassociation.org

Perhaps the struggle on the path the fitness is intimidation. Namely, the intimidation we feel when we’re at the gym. It’s easy to feel inferior or even stupid when you’re surrounded by people who are already in great shape. “How do I use this machine?” “I’ll never be able to lift that much!” “I’ll never look like that.” These are just a couple of thoughts that plague those who are trying to get started on their fitness journey.

Below is a wonderful graphic from Aaptiv. Aaptiv is an audio fitness app. Having a personal trainer in your ear while working out could be a great way to stay motivated for sure! If you’re not ready for that however just check out some of the information below. It’s amazing that 80% of adult Americans are not exercising enough!

I love the 2nd point about making sure you have a plan before showing up. It’s easy to get confused and distracted if going to the gym is a new routine for you. Showing up knowing what you’re going to work on ahead of time is key. You might have a goal of simply running the treadmill or 5-6 exercises to perform. Whatever you choose, just have goals before going in and leave once they are accomplished. It will help alleviate any pressure to do more, and you’ll leave feeling great every time!

I also think #4 isn’t talked about enough. Ask someone for help! The gym and fitness scene is very different than it was years ago. The mindset of most people in the gym is one of inclusion. They are happy that you are there and happy to help if you need it. I understand this wasn’t always the case. Gym were full of people who didn’t want to deal with people just starting out. Those days are over. While I’m sure some jerks still exist is a rare thing. Most people are happy to help you out 🙂 If you’re still nervous about talking to another member, find a trainer!

The graphic answers some great questions that everyone deals with. This, I think, might actually be the key. You are not alone. Many people go through the same internal struggles. Give the graphic a read, I’m sure it will address the challenges you’re facing and hopefully motivate you to get fit!

This first of its kind film shows the filmmaker’s personal struggle with thyroid disease and the medical confusion and negligence that surrounds it

The award-winning documentary Sick to Death! exposes the medical incompetence surrounding the treatment of one of America’s most common illnesses as experienced by New Orleans filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West, and debuted online January 18, 2018.

Hadleihg-West is available for interviews Thursday, February 1 through Friday, March 16, 2018.  Please call or email with a preferred date and time.

Johanna J. Ramos-Boyer | JRB Communications, LLC | Office:  703-646-5137

Sick to Death! has received a Guggenheim Award and three Impact Doc Awards prior to the world premiere sold out screenings at the 2017 New Orleans Film Festival.

“Thyroid disease is THE MOST misdiagnosed disease in American medicine, " said New Orleans physician Dr. Charles Mary, II in Sick to Death!.

"I cried when I realized I should have been diagnosed as a child, but when I realized that millions of people were sick, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed despite medical information being available, I was angry and change became my mission.” said Hadleigh-West. “The purpose of the film is to expose the problem through many people’s stories, experts, historians and statistical data."

In Sick to Death! Hadleigh-West unflinchingly exposes her 30-year struggle to regain her health. Sick to Death! is both a call-to-action and a quirky, raw film which examines the maze most patients face in seeking treatment in today’s disturbing medical reality.  This film uses thyroid disease as a metaphor for all illnesses and provides the viewer a roadmap for how to negotiate their individual health challenges.

Sick to Death! is available on both Amazon and VIMEO and the easiest way to find the film isthrough the film’s website: sick2death.com

About Maggie Hadleigh-West: As early as 1991, Maggie Hadleigh-West created the first film on the sexual harassment of women in public, War Zone (1991/1998).  Her film Player Hating (2011) was praised by SLANT magazine as “one of the more intimate and revealing looks at American (housing) projects ever made.”  Sick to Death! is the first feature length documentary on thyroid disease and complications that surround it.

Hadleigh-West is a 2017 Impact Doc Awards winner, a 2013 Guggenheim Fellow Award Winner, 2010 Indie Fest: Audience Impact Merit Award Winner, 2010 Accolade Merit Award Winner, 2009, 2006, and 2005 Alcyon Foundation Fellow, a 2004 New York State Council on the Arts Fellow, 2001 University of Louisville Distinguished Professor Nominee, 2000 Rockefeller Fellow Nominee and a 1998 Berlin Film Festival Caligari Nominee. Over the course of her career, Maggie Hadleigh-West has been internationally recognized as an activist, independent filmmaker, public speaker and the founder of YoMaggie Productions, LLC.  Sick to Death! Is her 5th film. Her fourth film, and second feature documentary Player Hating: A Love Story follows the life of hip-hop artist Half-a-Mill as he struggles to escape ghetto obscurity for fame. Her well known feature length documentary, War Zone, covers the public harassment of women, turning the lens of her camera on her harassers.

The world's leading researcher of ovulatory cycles offers insight into the intelligence of hormones. HORMONAL (on-sale 2/13)

“The perfect Valentine’s Day read for…any woman who’s ever been pissed off by a guy calling her ‘hormonal.’” -- Bookpage

“Essentially, HORMONAL covers everything anyone could ever want to know about the hormonal cycles of women, from birth through puberty and the childbearing years and into menopause. ‘Every girl and woman benefits from understanding the scope of hormonal cycles, the hows, whens, and whys,’ writes the author. ‘We should become familiar with the potential nudges that affect our behavior. And we should know that choosing to act on those behaviors is an individual choice, dependent upon our own preferences and goals. Being naïve to our hormonal natures will not help us. Being hormonally intelligent, on the other hand, will.’ Haselton provides a useful tool for women in that quest to become better informed about a significant aspect of their lives.” -- Kirkus

Martie Haselton, PhD, is the world's leading researcher on how ovulatory cycles influence women's sexuality. She is a professor of Psychology at UCLA and the Institute for Society and Genetics and directs UCLA’s Evolutionary Psychology Lab. In her forthcoming book, HORMONAL: The Hidden Intelligence of Hormones -- How They Drive Desire, Shape Relationships, Influence Our Choices, and Make Us Wiser (Little Brown and Company/February 13, 2018/$28.00 hardcover) Dr. Haselton explains the hidden intelligence of the hormonal cycle and its role in empowering women to succeed sexually, reproductively, and socially.

 

Hormones don't make women irrational; they do help women choose mates, compete with female rivals, produce healthy offspring, and conquer other biological challenges. With fresh insight, Martie Haselton explains that behind the "fickle" differences in what women find sexy about men, or what they like to wear, there's a hidden adaptive intelligence that has evolved over eons. The research is provocative but extremely compelling, and it comes with fascinating practical takeaways on how women can use their hormonal cycles to their advantage, helping them achieve success in their relationships, careers, and lives. Groundbreaking and counterintuitive, HORMONAL will empower women everywhere to embrace their biology.

 

Martie Haselton, PhD is the world’s leading researcher on sexuality and the ovulation cycle. In HORMONAL: The Hidden Intelligence of Hormones — How They Drive Desire, Shape Relationships, Influence Our Choices, and Make Us Wiser (Little Brown and Company/February 13, 2018/$28.00 hardcover) Haselton takes a deep, revealing look at the biological processes that so profoundly influence our behavior, and sets forth a radical new view of women’s bodies, minds, and sexual relationships that embraces hormonal cycles as adaptive solutions to the genuine biological challenges that women have faced throughout history.

 

At the core of Haselton’s new Darwinian Feminism is her remarkable discovery that humans, like our animal cousins, possess a special phase of sexuality, called estrus, which comes with a host of physiological and behavioral changes. Combining the scientific rigor of a leading researcher with the wit and candor of a best friend, Haselton explains how hormonal intelligence works — both its strengths and its weaknesses — and how women can track and understand their desires, fears, perceptions, and fantasies across the 28-day cycle and over the course of their lives.

 

Rigorously researched, entertaining, and empowering, HORMONAL offers women deep new insights into their bodies, brains, relationships, and affairs, allowing them to make better-informed choices about sex, marriage, friendship, contraception, and more. Above all, HORMONAL is a clarion call to appreciate and embrace the genius of female biology!

 

Did you know…

 

  • A woman’s attractiveness peaks just prior to ovulation because her “mate search effort” is turned on.
  • PMS may have evolved to get rid of boyfriends with unfit sperm.
  • Lap dancers on the Pill make about $20,000 less per year than lap dancers who are ovulating normally.
  • A woman may find an otherwise obnoxious male unusually appealing during certain points in her cycle.
  • Ovulating women tend to prefer more stylish and provocative clothing, and to spend more money on fashion and beauty — not so much to attract men, but to intimidate female rivals.
  • Women walk more, eat less, socialize more, meet more men, dance more, and flirt more when they’re ovulating.
  • Unlike nearly any other creature on earth, humans evolved to have sex—for fun, not babies--outside of the fertile window.
  • New mothers are formidable. They will behave more aggressively toward someone who is threatening, but their blood pressure stays low – they are cool as a cucumber and badass at the same time.
  • Menopause is not a sign that something has gone wrong in a woman’s body – it has a deep evolutionary history vital to our species’ success.

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons Why More and More People Are Saying ‘No Way’ to Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re in a couple or rolling solo, Valentine’s Day comes with expectation and pressure. With #CoupleGoals as a consistently trending hashtag, countless pictures of couples on social media, the obsession of celebrity break ups and make ups and TV shows like the Bachelor and Bachelorette serving up contrived romance sprinkled with drama, the way we think of love and romance has changed. Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a New York Board Certified Neuropsychologist explains why so many people say ‘no way’ to Valentine’s Day and offers some alternatives that shift this negative mindset.

 

  1. “Valentine’s Day is a ‘Hallmark Holiday’ and I’m still broke from Christmas.”

When money is tight many people may want to cut back on spending especially for things they feel are frivolous. “Financial stress is a common thing and when people are made to feel pressured to spend, they get resentful and want to claim their power,” explains Dr. Hafeez. Instead of boycotting all romance, put a $20 maximum on gifts and you’ll see how sweet, thoughtful and creative you can get.

 

  1. “Every restaurant is crowded and the service is terrible.”

Nothing kills romance faster than crowds and a bad experience dining out. Since everyone goes out to eat on Valentine’s Day there will be a lapse in service. “One way for couples to celebrate is to call their favorite restaurant in advance and have a meal prepared they can pick up and heat up at home,” suggests Dr. Hafeez. “You can either break out the fancy dishes and dress up or you can put on sweats and eat while watching a movie, the important thing is that you enjoy yourselves and aren’t stressed,” she adds.

 

  1. “We’ve been together for ages. Every day is Valentine’s Day! Do we really need to celebrate?”

“Celebrations and traditions are important in a relationship and when they fall away it’s usually a sign of trouble and disconnection. While you may not feel the need to do anything extravagant use the day to appreciate the love you have and life you’ve created, even if it’s in a small way,” Hafeez advises.

 

  1. “I’m single so what’s the point?”

Rolling solo on Valentine’s Day again, all the more reason to turn it into a Self Love Day. Being single on Valentine’s Day can be tough for people, especially those still healing from a break up or divorce. “You want to really be kind and caring to yourself. Booking a massage, getting a haircut, or arranging a single ladies night with your single friends could be just what’s needed. Focus on creating your own happiness,” says Dr. Hafeez who often sees a link between break up depression and anxiety over holidays.

 

  1. “I’m just to busy for love and romance and all that stuff.”

Some people are just focused on other things that are top priority in their lives. There are plenty of women who are turned on more by generating income for their businesses than concerning themselves with outside approval or validation. There has been a rise in female entrepreneurship with more millenials and Gen X’ers preferring to build empires than romantic relationships. For them it’s just February 14th the mid way point to a short month. “There’s nothing wrong with women wanting to focus on their professional lives. They often feel to focus on business, romance, which may cause them to lose focus, has to be shelved for a while, this is more common these days,” Dr. Hafeez shares.

 

While many say ‘no way’ to Valentine’s Day there are millions saying I DO.

According to a 2017 survey of 1000 people done by James Allen, an online diamond and bridal jewelry retailer, 43 percent of millennials say Valentines Day is their top pick for proposal day. November – February is considered proposal season.

 

Some other mind-blowing stats that clearly show Cupid isn’t going away anytime soon are.

 

In 2017, the National Retail Federation put the estimated total spending at over $18.2 billion. That's an average of $136.57 per person.

 

Jewelry is the most popular gift with 20 percent of consumers expected to buy jewelry, with a total of $4.3 billion on bling, the NRF said.

 

$2 billion will be spent on flowers, with roses being most popular. 250 million roses are produced for the holiday, the Society of American Florists said.

 

The American Greeting Card Association puts that industries pay out at 1 BILLION… yes folks $1 … for paper.

 

About Dr. Sanam Hafeez:

 

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is a NYC based licensed clinical neuropsychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. 

 

Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address some of today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…). In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse. Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise to various news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

 

Connect with her via twitter @comprehendMind or www.comprehendthemind.

Groundbreaking report looks at Canadian cancer care exclusively from the patient perspective

Report highlights significant challenges for many from fearing something is wrong through to finding a "new normal" after cancer treatment is over, and beyond

TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has released Living with Cancer: A Report on the Patient Experience. This groundbreaking report reflects the voices of over 30,000 Canadians and is the country's largest accumulation of patient data on the experiences of people living with, and beyond, a cancer diagnosis.

The report shows that while their cancer may be well treated, many patients experience significant, and often debilitating, physical and emotional side effects of the disease that are often not being adequately addressed.

Quick facts

  • Up to one in five cancer patients report no one discussed different treatment options for their cancer with them.
  • Up to one in four report that their care providers did not consider their travel concerns when planning for treatment.
  • One in four report that they were not satisfied with the emotional support they received during outpatient cancer care.
  • Eight in 10 report having physical challenges after their treatment ends. Increased fatigue and changes in sexual function and fertility were the biggest concerns.
  • Seven in 10 report having emotional challenges after treatment ends. Worry about cancer returning, depression and changes in sexual intimacy were their biggest concerns.
  • Four in 10 report having practical challenges after their treatment ends. Returning to work and school, as well as financial problems such as paying health care bills and getting life insurance were the biggest concerns.

View the full report

To address these gaps in the cancer patient experience, the Partnership is pushing for change collaborating with provincial governments, cancer agencies and programs, and other health sector organizations to implement tools that allow patients to report details of their symptoms in real time to their doctors. Doctors can then use this information to promptly refer patients to therapists or other services where their symptoms can be managed. This information can also be used for planning at the system level to ensure services are available where they are needed.

Efforts to improve the cancer patient experience

This report, and efforts to directly address patient needs, would not be possible without ongoing, multi-year investments by the Partnership and provincial cancer programs across the country. The Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) initiative started in 2013 pushing for all jurisdictions in Canada to have a measurement and reporting cycle for the cancer patient experience. Gaps are now being recognized and through a coordinated pan-Canadian approach, most provincial cancer programs have implemented tools to screen for patient distress, which allows for patients to report, at the time of their medical appointment, on symptoms they are experiencing including: pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression.

In total, eight provinces over five years have implemented systems that collect real-time feedback from patients, at the point of care. This feedback supports immediate discussions with health care professionals that can lead to more meaningful solutions to common problems faced by cancer patients. This means that the additional burden to be proactively tracking and reporting on issues, while competing for the time of medical staff, has been lifted off of the patient. The responsibility is now placed on the health care provider to use standard tools and practices to routinely respond to patient concerns.  Next, the Partnership and provincial cancer programs will work to close the gaps highlighted by patients and will continue to measure if improvements in patient needs are being achieved. The initiative will be expanding to other provinces and territories in the next five years.

Quotes

"All too often, as soon as the word 'cancer' is spoken, the focus is on the disease and not the person. But the survivor's experience with cancer does not end when the disease is gone. This report from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer shines a light on how to better support patients before, during and after treatment."
Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Health

"Following my cancer treatment, I felt like I was left floating in the breeze in a scary world of uncertainty. I was no longer actively fighting against my tumour but I had this underlying fear that it might recur at some point," said Charlotte Kessler, patient advisor for the Partnership. "My doctors never told me I was in the transition phase of my cancer experience, they did not discuss next steps and things I could expect, and they did not direct me to any resources. I felt like I was on my own," said Charlotte who is also featured in the report.

"Findings from this report suggest a greater need for people with cancer to speak with their family doctor or oncologist about their concerns before, during, and after treatment," said Cindy Morton, CEO of the Partnership and cancer survivor. "Patients should not assume their concerns are normal, even if told so, and should discuss symptoms with their doctor. The health system must also do more to support doctors with the right tools and resources to get patients the care they need."

"This important report highlights the experience of having cancer in Canada, the many kinds of support people need and where the gaps are, right from diagnosis through treatment and beyond," said Lynne Hudson, President and CEO, Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). "We all need to do a better job of meeting the needs of Canadians with cancer so patients feel supported and informed throughout their cancer journey. At CCS, we have programs and services in place for cancer patients and their families – including providing reliable information, peer support programs and transportation services – but more needs to be done. We look forward to working with the Partnership and other partners in the health sector to use the information in this report to better service Canadians affected by cancer."

"As the survey data show, many patients continued to suffer symptoms like pain, fatigue and depression without being referred to services that could have helped them like physiotherapy or psychotherapy," said Esther Green, Director, Person-Centred Perspective at the Partnership. "The findings suggest health care providers need to have meaningful discussions with their patients to assess their emotional, physical and practical concerns following cancer treatment and refer them to the appropriate supports. This is not always happening. Not for a lack of concern by doctors for their patients but because of inadequate tools, resources and other supports needed at the system level."

A full copy of the report is available at systemperformance.ca.

Data for Living with Cancer includes data from multiple sources, including Patient Reported Outcomes partners, the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey and initial results from the first Canada-wide study of cancer survivors.

About the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

As the steward of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control, the Partnership works with partners to reduce the burden of cancer on Canadians. Our partner network – cancer agencies, health system leaders and experts, and people affected by cancer – brings a wide variety of expertise to every aspect of our work. After 10 years of collaboration, we are accelerating work that improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the cancer control system, aligning shared priorities and mobilizing positive change across the cancer continuum. From 2017-2022, our work is organized under five themes in our Strategic Plan: quality, equity, seamless patient experience, maximize data impact, sustainable system. The Partnership continues to support the work of the collective cancer community in achieving our shared 30-year goals: a future in which fewer people get cancer, fewer die from cancer and those living with the disease have a better quality of life. The Partnership was created by the federal government in 2007 to move the Strategy into action and receives ongoing funding from Health Canada to continue leading the Strategy with partners from across Canada.  Visit www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Partnership Against Cancer

Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation commit $1 million to develop a national standard for post-secondary student mental health

 

  • New standard to establish mental health best practices at Canadian universities, colleges and institutes to support student mental health and academic success
  • Standard will be developed in collaboration with students, staff and faculty
  • The Rossy Family Foundation and Bell Let's Talk each donating $500,000

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 29, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation (The RFF) today announced a joint $1,000,000 donation for the creation of a national standard for post-secondary student mental health to support student success on campuses across Canada. The RFF and Bell Let's Talk have engaged the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to lead the project to establish the standard in collaboration with Canada's standards setting organizations.

"The success of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace set the stage for this new initiative. We believe there is tremendous potential to improve the lives and academic success of Canada's post-secondary students by taking a similar systematic approach," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Colleges and universities throughout the country are working hard to ensure a psychologically healthy and safe environment for their students. As with the workplace standard, they will benefit from a nationally established, systematic framework to guide and facilitate their mental health efforts."

"Post-secondary education is an exciting time as youth stretch their wings and become more independent," said Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. "It is also a time of increased susceptibility to mental health problems and illnesses as students juggle financial, academic, family and personal demands. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is pleased to work with our partners to develop a standard that will provide a roadmap for educational institutions as they strive to safeguard and promote student mental health."

"The health and well-being of students is a priority for Canada's universities and we applaud Bell's leadership and commitment on this important initiative," said Paul Davidson, President of Universities Canada. "We look forward to working with Bell Let's Talk, The Rossy Family Foundation, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and others to ensure that students, staff and faculty are well-supported."

"Providing a positive and healthy learning environment for all has always been a priority for Colleges and institutes across Canada," said Denise Amyot, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada. "As the national conversation on mental health has evolved over the years, they have always been at the forefront and have worked diligently to continually improve their services and support their students. Colleges and Institutes Canada is thrilled to be a partner as our members and their students will benefit immensely from this national standard for post-secondary student mental health, which will help all Canadian post-secondary institutions share and access best practices from across the country."

A national standard for post-secondary student mental health will create a practical and flexible framework that enables institutions to protect and promote students' psychological health and safety. Like the workplace standard, it will provide guidance for Canadian universities, colleges and institutes to promote student success through a collaborative approach to mental health between staff, faculty and students.

Of the more than 2 million people enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions, almost 70% are 24 or under, a demographic particularly susceptible to developing mental health issues. Research by the US National Institute of Mental Health has shown that 75% of people with a mental health disorder receive their first diagnosis between 16 and 24. Canada's National College Health Assessment Survey found 32% of students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety or depression in the previous year.

At the same time, young people are more engaged when it comes to mental health than ever before, with 87% saying they are more aware of mental health issues than 5 years ago, according to research conducted by Nielsen last October.

Bell Let's Talk helped fund the development of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in 2013, and was one of the first organizations to adopt the standard. The new post-secondary standard aims to establish a similar evidence-informed, systematic approach to addressing mental health, a practical and flexible framework that individual institutions can adapt to their unique environments.

Bell Let's Talk Day is January 31
We invite everyone to take part in the mental health conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day. Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these interactions on January 31, at no extra cost to participants:

  • Text and talk: Every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell customers
  • Twitter: Every tweet using #BellLetsTalk including a Bell Let's Talk hashtag emoji and Bell Let's Talk Day video view
  • Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
  • Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
  • Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and video view

Bell Let's Talk Day 2017 set all new records with 131,705,010 messages, growing Bell's funding for Canadian mental health by $6,585,250.50. #BellLetsTalk was Canada's top hashtag in 2017, and is now the most used Twitter hashtag ever in Canada.

With approximately 729,065,654 interactions by Canadians over the last 7 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total commitment to mental health, including an original $50-million anchor donation in 2010, has risen to $86,504,429.05. Bell expects its donation commitment to reach at least $100 million in 2020. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About The Rossy Family Foundation
The Rossy Family Foundation is a Montréal-based philanthropic foundation that funds initiatives in mental health, health care, education, the arts and Canadian civil society.

About the Mental Health Commission of Canada
The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a catalyst for change. We are collaborating with hundreds of partners to change the attitudes of Canadians toward mental health problems and to improve services and support. Our goal is to help people who live with mental health problems and illnesses lead meaningful and productive lives. Together we create change. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is funded by Health Canada.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN's efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. FGM involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies.

 

Lucinda E. Clarke, author of the suspenseful literary fiction, Amie Cut for Life (Umhlanga Press), which deals with FGM and human sex trafficking, is available to discuss essential aspects of FGM with your audience – the what, who, where, why and how – as well as why the International Day of Zero Tolerance is so important.

 

OVERVIEW OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION:

WHY

The practice, rooted in gender inequality, attempts to control women’s sexuality and ideas about purity, modesty and beauty. It is usually initiated and carried out by women (!), who see it as a source of honor, and fear that failing to have their daughters and granddaughters cut will expose the girls to social exclusion.

 

The reasons why female genital mutilations are performed vary from one region to another as well as over time, and include a mix of socio-cultural factors within families and communities. Where FGM is a social convention (social norm), the social pressure to conform to what others do and have been doing, as well as the need to be accepted socially and the fear of being rejected by the community, are strong motivations to perpetuate the practice. In some communities, FGM is almost universally performed and unquestioned.

 

FGM is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl, and a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage.

 

FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered acceptable sexual behaviour. It aims to ensure premarital virginity and marital fidelity. FGM in many communities is believed to reduce a woman's libido and therefore it will help her resist extramarital sexual acts. When a vaginal opening is covered or narrowed, the fear of the pain of opening it, and the fear that this will be found out, is expected to further discourage extramarital sexual intercourse among women with this type of FGM.

 

FGM is more likely to be carried out where it is believed that being cut increases marriageability.

 

WHERE

Female genital mutilation is widely practiced in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However with many people now making their home is new countries, the practice is now seen in North America (USA and Canada) and most countries in Europe – despite it being illegal. Children are often sent overseas to their country of origin for the procedure during the school holiday (the cutting season). UNICEF estimated in 2016 that 200 million women living today in 30 countries have undergone the procedure. Since 1990, the estimated number of girls and women in the US who have undergone or are at risk of the practice has more than tripled.

 

SOME OF THE DANGERS

The procedure can cause bleeding (haemorrhage), chronic pain, scar tissue and keloid, recurrent infections (eg tetanus), swelling of the genital tissue, fever, wound healing problems, difficulty urinating and passing menstrual flow, the development of cysts, an inability to get pregnant, sexual problems, complications during childbirth, infant mortality, shock and even death.

 

This does not even touch the damage to the dignity and self-esteem of the victim.

More than 40,000 Ontarians were newly started on high-dose prescription opioids in 2016

 

TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - More than 40,000 Ontarians were newly started on high doses of prescription opioids (over 90 mg of morphine per day, or the equivalent dose of a different opioid) in 2016. This is despite evidence that those who receive prescription opioids at higher than recommended doses are several times more likely to overdose compared to those on lower doses.

In addition, according to Starting on Opioids, a new report by Health Quality Ontario, the provincial advisor on health care quality, 1.3 million people overall were started on opioids in 2016 – at any dosage. This is a slight decrease of about 25,000 new starts, or 2%, from 2013.

"At current rates of decrease, it would take Ontario more than a decade to reach the same prescribed opioid consumption rates as other economically similar countries such as Australia and the U.K.," says Dr. Joshua Tepper, President and CEO of Health Quality Ontario.  "We are hopeful the intervention of initiatives currently underway in Ontario to change opioid prescribing practices will bring the rate down much faster."

The report also shows that of the 1.3 million Ontarians started on opioids at any dosage, nearly 325,000 were started with a prescription for more than 7 days. Evidence tells us that initial prescriptions for more than 7 days of opioids have been associated with a higher risk of long-term use.

Starts of opioids, as defined in the report, are prescriptions for people who have not filled an opioid prescription in at least six months.

"We encourage prescribers and patients to consider if there are non-opioid therapies that might be useful, before prescribing opioids," says Dr. Tepper. "If opioids are the best option, the current standards and guidelines encourage the lowest possible dose and a short duration."

For acute pain, a duration of 3 days or less is often recommended, according to expert opinion. And for starting on opioids for chronic pain, standards and guidelines say it's preferable not to exceed a dose of 50 mg of morphine or equivalents per day, and to initiate opioids only after other therapies have been tried.

"It should be emphasized that chronic pain is very difficult to manage. For example, patients may not be able to afford non-opioid therapies, such as physiotherapy," says Dr. Tepper. "And given the overdose crisis, which is increasingly related to non-prescription heroin and fentanyl, it is also very important for prescribers to not suddenly discontinue prescription opioids so patients don't turn to street sources."

To reduce the risk of addiction and opioid poisoning, there are some encouraging initiatives underway across the province to improve the prescribing of opioids.

In recognition of troubling trends in opioid prescribing and increasing opioid-related deaths, in 2016, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care launched a comprehensive strategy to address opioid-related harms, with a focus on modernizing opioid prescribing and monitoring, improving access to pain treatment, and enhancing addictions supports and harm reduction.

At the request of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Health Quality Ontario, in collaboration with patients, health care providers, caregivers, and organizations across the province, is in the final stages of developing three quality standards, that outline for clinicians and patients what high-quality care looks like. Two are about opioid prescribing for acute pain (short-term) and chronic pain (long-term), with a third outlining how to identify and treat people with opioid use disorder.

These standards of care will be put into action through coordinated efforts with a number of health care organizations who are providing customized data, tools and supports to physicians for appropriate prescribing.

Other initiatives are underway to prevent opioid addiction and overdose.  To name a few, there are various hospitals designing programs to help with the post-discharge period for patients who have had major surgery to better manage their pain, and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario produced a guideline for the province's dentists and dental specialists. And, Ontario is expanding Rapid Access Clinics across the province to help people with hip, knee and lower back pain access the right treatment faster, including non-opioid treatments.

To provide a personal perspective of the issues raised by the data, the Health Quality Ontario report also features stories from patients and health care professionals.

Related findings:

  • Canadians are the second-largest per-capita users of prescription opioids after the U.S. at over 34,000 daily doses per million in 2013-2015, according to the Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2016.
  • About 44,000 health care professionals in Ontario prescribed opioids in 2016.
  • Together, family doctors, surgeons, and dentists represented 86% of all new-start opioid prescriptions in 2016.
  • In 2016, 865 people in Ontario died from opioid toxicity, up from 366 in 2003. Although many deaths involved opioids that were obtained from street sources, opioid-related deaths have also been shown to be concentrated among patients who are prescribed opioids more often, according to Public Health Ontario.
  • Opioid related emergency department visits more than doubled to 4,427 in 2016 from 1,858 in 2003: Public Health Ontario.

To read the full report visit: www.hqontario.ca/StartingonOpioids

About Health Quality Ontario

Health Quality Ontario is the provincial advisor on the quality of health care. With the goal of excellent care for all Ontarians, Health Quality Ontario reports to the public on how the system is performing, develops standards for what quality care looks like, evaluates the effectiveness of health care technologies and services, and promotes quality improvement aimed at sustainable positive change. Visit www.hqontario.ca for more information.

SOURCE Health Quality Ontario

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