“This is what I am meant to do”: Cara Vaccarino works to reinvent mental health care in Ottawa
Cara Vaccarino stepped into her first CEO position in January 2024 at the Royal Mental Health Centre, and strives to destigmatize mental health.
From identity to initiative: Jennifer San works to make Ottawa safer for Indigenous people
Jennifer San, an Indigenous well-being worker, details how her journey inspires her work as coordinator for the Indigenous Women's Safety Table.
New Ottawa workshop addresses stigma around men’s mental health
A new Ottawa workshop offers men an opportunity to open up about their mental health.
Uncertainty about federal funding cuts raising concern for women and 2SLGBTQIA+ Ottawa programs
As the federal budget fast approaches, women and 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations demand funding levels for Women and Gender Equality Canada be maintained.
Crafting combat: How veterans turn memories into models and help ease mental concerns
After facing challenges on and off the battlefield, veterans are using model building as a way to find community support.
Perley Health turns to children to help improve dementia care
Ottawa’s Perley Health is building a dementia-friendly daycare to explore how children may improve quality of life for seniors with dementia.
Marisa Moher breaks down barriers for youth through community and compassion
Marisa Moher's position at Youturn is more than operations and finances. She is driven by the goal to give all youth in Ottawa the opportunity to succeed.
Support for dads: Ottawa Public Health set to provide new fatherhood service
Clad in a paper gown, Tom Gardener was led into the emergency operation room with the instructions to not touch anything in blue. In front of him lay his partner, unconscious on the table and her stomach cut open, while he cradled their newborn daughter for the first time. For 21 hours Gardener had been left alone in the hospital...
Children’s mental health appears poorer than parents think, study indicates
Children are more likely to perceive their mental health negatively than their parents, according to data from the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth.
Ottawa Public Library’s Memory Cafés create community for people touched by dementia
Loneliness is gaining recognition for its profound impact on health — particularly on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The growing need and awareness have sparked some community solutions, including Memory Cafés run by the Ottawa Public Library.
In Ottawa, staving off the winter blues is getting harder
The winter blues are common in Ottawa — and the rest of Canada. Here's how some of the locals are combatting the annual phenonemon.
Ottawa ex-smokers grapple with new regulations governing sale of nicotine pouches
Zonnic nicotine pouches, a new smoking cessation product in Canada, have been moved from convenience stores to private pharmacies.
Federal government’s $3.7 million for homeless veterans in Ottawa a start but more needed, experts say
The federal government has announced $3.7 million in funding over four years to help Canadian veterans dealing with homelessness in Ottawa. Veterans House Canada, an organization supporting homeless veterans, will receive over $2.6 million as part of the initiative.
City of Ottawa’s new focus on person-centred, long-term care a welcome shift
Francis Dixon says the City of Ottawa’s shift toward person-centred care has enhanced his sense of independence and dignity at Carleton Lodge, a long-term care home by the Rideau River — one of four run by the city. “I can wake up when my body allows, and the staff genuinely care about my needs,” the 87-year-old retired clergyman told Capital...
So far, so good: Person-centred care pilot program in Ottawa long-term care deemed success
Person-centred care is an integrated health-services approach that relies on a variety of factors to strengthen resident comfort and safety.
New Ottawa poetry project pairs ‘safe space’ with community outreach
The Ottawa-based spoken word poetry event Open Mic Night is now Poets for the People, planning events and partnerships.
ANCHOR away: Centretown alternative crisis hotline sees high community engagement in first six weeks
The Alternative Neighbourhood Crisis Response, or ANCHOR, has already responded to over 100 calls, anticipates demand increasing
The Mushroom Chronicles: The magic in the mushroom has spawned a spiritual debate
A debate is raging about the spiritual value of magic mushrooms. Some advocate for only a medical application while others believe it should be more widely available.
As many as one in four males in Canada experience a sexual assault: experts say
The number of males who are sexually assaulted is much more than is currently thought, experts believe.
The Mushroom Chronicles: Side effects of psilocybin use offer a cautionary tale
Despite the positive results from some clinical trials, there should be controls over how psilocybin is used in treatment and more widely in society, some experts say.
The Mushroom Chronicles: Psilocybin on the prescription pad
Demand for medical psyilocibin in treatment for mental health disorders is increasing.
The Mushroom Chronicles: Psilocybin sales outlets popping up everywhere
The push to purchase psylocibin is creating a new wave of desire for legalization.
The 25th Hour: How Housing First works
The CMHA in Ottawa promotes its Housing First strategy as an effective solution to homelessness. Nathan Fung learns more about their condo program.
Expanding services across the city may help ease ByWard Market’s overdose crisis, advocates say
Advocates for local addiction programs have raised concerns that clustered shelters and social services in ByWard Market may pose more harm than good for those living with substance use disorders. Alongside these concerns, they call for the city to spread these facilities more across the municipality to address the current overdose crisis better.
Beau’s bounty: Unique therapy dog comforts grieving families at Tubman Funeral Homes
A therapy dog named Beau at Ottawa's Tubman Funeral Homes on Richmond Road is helping those who are grieving cope with loss.
Budget 2024: Ottawa Fire Services requests more funding to address mental-health needs
The Ottawa Fire Services department is seeking a budget increase to allow the hiring of a mental-health specialist to help firefighters cope with increased workload and the impacts of traumatic incidents they confront.
Sweet Movember: Buying a pint of ‘manly’ ice cream from The Merry Dairy can help cause of men’s health
The month of November is dedicated to men's health initiatives. In Ottawa, people are raising money and awareness — including a popular ice cream shop.
Non-police emergency response in Centretown should make those in crisis feel heard, not criminalized, organizations say
In summer 2024, Centretown will be the site of a non-police emergency service pilot program to respond to mental health and addiction crises in the community. Social services in the area said the service is essential for saving lives and instilling trust in the public.
Canadian Museum of Nature embraces prescription program for mental health
The PaRx program is allowing doctors to prescribe patients passes to the Canadian Museum of Nature for the first time, in order to boost mental health.
American and Canadian sororities and fraternities struggle with lack of inclusivity for disabled students
Fraternities and sororities have come under mounting pressure in recent years to diversify their ranks. So far,: people with disabilities have been largely ignored.
City builder: Dr. Gail Beck is a champion of mental health and new police board chair
Dr. Gail Beck is a child psychiatrist at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and now chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board.
The ‘shoppertainment’ trap: As social media apps blur line between socializing and buying, the risks to users soar
Shopping online through social media platforms is expanding exponentially but it also carries serious risks, experts say.
Feeling the heat: Are Canadian doctors ready for the rising tide of eco-anxiety?
Amid soaring rates of eco-anxiety driven by climate change, Canadian health-care professionals have been pushing for more support in addressing this new mental-health challenge. A growing number are also calling for a significant rethink of how medical education is delivered, arguing that the new field of “planetary health” should be an integral part of medical training and residencies – a...
Decriminalization, more funding key to saving lives, say drug reform advocates
Decriminalization is a good first step, but advocates and experts say bigger leaps must be taken to address the overdose crisis.
Make pleasure part of healing, sexologist advises assault victims in campus talk
Assault survivors needs to find a way through their trauma and one tool they can use is pleasure, says a sexologist.
Home for the holidays, amid enduring childhood triggers for my OCD
Capital Current's Emma O'Toole has obsessive-compulsive disorder. She explains how it affects her life especially this Christmas.
‘The battlefield is everywhere’: Panelists discuss online hate faced by reporters
Journalists recount the threats they face and how newsrooms are adapting to confront the abuse and protect reporters.
Psilocybin advocates press government for more ‘medical assistance in living’
Therapsil, an organization trying to mobilize psilocybin therapies in Canada, has travelled to Ottawa for an immediate revamping of current regulations for medical psilocybin.
Scar cover-ups: Tackling trauma with tattoos
Ottawa tattoo artist Becky D is helping their clients heal and bring beauty to their scars through tattooing.
The burnout graduating post-secondary students are feeling has a name: Senioritis
The pressures put on graduating post-secondary students is so prevalent that it now has a syndrome called senioritis.
Novel brain imaging study could help revolutionize diagnosis of brain disorders and mental illnesses
Researchers at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research have identified a brain-based biomarker for neurogenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Experts see pandemic, social media as factors in rising rate of eating disorders in Canada
Eating disorders in Canada have been increasing since the pandemic began. On-going lockdowns contributed to their steady rise as did social media, experts believe.
This pandemic is f***ing stressful: How swearing can help us cope
Research shows swearing may help us deal with stress and pain. In a pandemic, more people may have benefited from the occasional expletive.
Rising costs, slow pace of affordable housing development paint a dire picture in Ottawa
Ottawa's housing crisis continues to escalate as housing prices rise and the impacts of COVID-19 cause dangerous lasting effects on residents.
Critics frustrated with OPS reluctance to back non-police handling of mental health crises
Advocates say that the city’s street-involved youth, homeless people and others who may become distressed and in need of help should often be attended to by mental health professionals rather than police. [Photo © Reanna Julien.]
Pandemic pet craze taking toll on mental health of already over-stretched veterinarians
Gruelling hours. Heart-wrenching scenes of patients in pain or taking their last breath. Trying to console a grieving client over the phone. Those are just some of the trials veterinarians face daily as they struggle to cope with the fallout from soaring rates of pet adoption during the pandemic. “Work culture in veterinary medicine is not great,” said Karine Eusanio,...
Embracing human resilience: COVID-19 taught me about depression — and how to find my flow
Two years of pandemic loneliness has helped Capital Current's Brynn Brieda handle her pre-COVID mental health issues.
Listening to feedback critical for new Student Mental Health Framework 3.0, Carleton students say
Carleton University's new mental health framework makes many promises, but are they enough? Carleton students weigh in on what needs to be improved.
CAMH launches online tool to improve care for youth with depression
Canadian youth living with symptoms of depression can receive proper and effective care with CAMH's online tool.
On the rebound: Basketball players embrace mental health in first in-person pandemic season
Basketball players and staff are speaking up to fight against mental health stigma in sports.