Do regular breaks really reduce fatigue and increase productivity? A systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers at the West University of Timișoara, Timișoara, Romania suggests they can.
Research on the use and impacts of generative AI is still in its early stages. While there are many well-placed concerns about the use of generative AI chatbots to support well-being, preliminary qualitative research from King’s College London, UK and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, USA, reported several positive impacts, including better relationships and emotional healing from trauma and loss.
Dr. David Hammond, a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, is currently leading two international studies on cannabis policy and tobacco control, respectively. In one of his recent articles, he outlines the increase in e-cigarette usage in England, which is also a similar trend in Canada.
Care farming, which uses farming activities as therapy, provides therapeutic benefits by promoting responsibility towards animals and the land and often integrates mental health treatment within social, stigma-free settings. A 2017 review by Gorman and Cacciatore found that care farming can benefit those experiencing psychological distress, suggesting it as a potential non-medicated support for individuals dealing with traumatic grief.
Information on research on resilience in a post-secondary context.
In 2022, Woodford et al. released a series of reports on the experiences and perceptions of 2SLGBTQ+ students on university campuses in Ontario. Findings indicate that while 17% percent of overall students reported being verbally threatened, bullied, or intimidated and 14% overall reported being sexually harassed or assaulted, these rates were considerably higher for students belonging to 2SLGBTQ+ community, with trans and nonbinary students being at the highest risk.
A joint research project between Aalto University School of Business, in Finland and
Center for the Studies of Information Resources, in China explored the impact of smartphone use on a number of indicators: academic performance, sleep, nomophobia (fear of being unavailable to mobile phones), and behaviour.
Substance use and mental health concerns among graduate students has been growing for some time. Allen, et al. (2017) explored how mental health symptoms and substance use varies between professional doctoral (engineering and business), academic doctoral (arts and behavioral science), and master’s students.
This month, our spotlight shines on a pivotal piece of research that delves into the sexual and reproductive health experiences of international students in Western universities. Authored by a dedicated team from the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, the study presents a critical literature review spanning over two decades of research. It uncovers the challenges international students face, from language barriers to navigating healthcare systems and cultural differences, highlighting the gap in comprehensive sexual health knowledge and the reliance on informal sources for information.
Research dating back to 1989 (possibly further) identified concerns about increasing employee stress levels occurring in higher education. As a result of the pandemic, numerous new studies on faculty burn-out have been initiated. A recent qualitive study by Koster and McHenry (2023) analyzed narrative comments on a survey assessing burnout and well-being to identify factors that contributed to faculty feelings of disengagement and exhaustion.