“When my friend told me that he was suffering from depression, it was very hard for him, but it was also hard for me because I didn’t have the resources and the know-how to help him get the help he needed”

You wouldn’t think that hockey and mental health go together, but with lots of time spent on the road and away from family, those in the sport don’t have it easy. Myles Mattila, 16-year-old Okanagan Rockets right wing and mental health advocate, challenges those preconceptions.  Read the rest of this article at the Vancouver Island University Navigator…

.@breakout_mh launches with plenty of community support @myles_mattila12 #mentalhealth https://t.co/sUS9A1UipI pic.twitter.com/IPLByS1CMn

— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) January 17, 2016

Colleges and universities now see nurturing learners’ mental health as a critical part of their job

Seneca College offers noise-blocking headphones — like the ones construction workers wear — to students with test anxiety while they write. It bought 15 pairs and needs more. “Anxiety Drop-ins” are a hit at the Ontario College of Art and Design University to help ease mid-term stress.  Read the rest of this article at the Toronto Star…

On Feb. 1, thanks to Alex Abramovich’s research and leadership, Canada’s first transitional housing for LGBTQ youth is opening its doors at the YMCA’s Sprott House in Toronto

The postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), who first came out as a lesbian in 2001 and is now a transgender man, has been studying the needs of LGBTQ homeless youth for a decade and leading the charge for safe, exclusive space for this vulnerable population.  Read the rest of this article at the Toronto Star…