One of the most renowned living artists to come out of Japan, Yayoi Kusama needs no introduction. Her work, often coming in the form of sculptures and installations, is instantly recognizable, mostly thanks to the brightly-coloured polka dots that are often featured. Art has had a therapeutic, healing effect on Kusama. She has been open […]
A resurgence of thin-biased, toxic norms is fueling a new wave of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and a rising global prevalence of eating disorders. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa are among the deadliest of all mental health conditions. Western treatments for eating disorders have traditionally prioritized nutritional rehabilitation and cognitive therapies. Since 2005, a growing […]
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/kijqi2c584c9ntpe/Amanda_Podcast_2_-_2025-06-03_602_PMabo0y.mp3 In this episode of the Trauma and Mental Health Report’s podcast, contributing writer Amanda Fernandes interviews Dr. Stephen Lewis, Associate Professor in psychology and Research Leadership Chair at the University of Guelph. His research has focused extensively on lived experiences in mental health, as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among youth and young adults. […]
The Crowded Room (2023), a television show on Apple TV, is inspired by real events, following Danny. A man navigating life with dissociative identity disorder. Played by Tom Holland, Danny’s story unfolds not in shocking reveals, but in quiet, disorienting moments that show how fragile and resilient the human mind is. The show highlights mental […]
“Clean” by Taylor Swift is a song from her fifth studio album. While the album is often framed as a collection of party anthems, “Clean” complicates this narrative by suggesting that behind every ‘party girl’ is an honest story about what it means to be truly ‘clean.’ The song begins with Swift describing what a […]
Aging is accompanied by a great many challenges. New research highlights a crucial connection between mental and physical well-being. It demonstrates how addressing trauma can not only alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in older adults but also significantly reduce a major health concern in this population: frailty. Frailty refers to a state of diminished […]
WARNING: This content includes spoilers for Part II of the video game and any subsequent seasons of the HBO television show. In Part I of the game, we were reminded that even in a world filled with monsters, humans can be just as dangerous, if not more so. While Part II includes similar messaging through […]
In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report writer Adrian Parham interviews Dr. Jeffrey Wardell, associate professor at York University and director of the Behavioural Alcohol and Cannabis Lab. His lab uses clinical, social, cognitive and personality psychology to better understand the behavioural processes of substance use and misuse. The goal of the lab is […]
Odes to Lithium is a 2019 book written by Shira Erlichman. The book contains poetry focusing on Erlichman’s experiences with having bipolar disorder; more specifically, it is a love letter to lithium, the medication that she uses to navigate her symptoms. Throughout its pages, readers can experience a bold, humanized look into a mental illness […]
“Things went poorly for this newborn with a complex congenital anomaly, and I felt entirely responsible due to my decision,” says Steven Stylianos, Professor and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital. Despite the tragic outcome, he remained personally involved in the infant’s care, speaking with the […]