A deep dive into mental health survey data by researchers at the University of Waterloo shows that almost a quarter of Canadians are still reporting anxiety and suggests that the mental health impact of the pandemic might still be observed for a few years to come.
Often, when a person is diagnosed with dementia, available supports are not enough. Most people feel overwhelmed, and they don't get the support, resources and help they need. A new five-country collaboration has developed Forward with Dementia to fill in those gaps and provide the individuals and their families the tools they need to move forward with their lives.
This fall, 274 Faculty of Health graduands will celebrate their achievements as students and begin their journeys as alumni of the University of Waterloo. Some will pursue graduate studies, others will be embarking on new careers – but all will be doing what Health graduates do: Improving the health and well-being of individuals, communities or populations.
We asked a couple of graduating students to tell us what motivated them during their studies and what they will miss most as they move on to a new phase of their lives:
Every day in 2020, it is estimated that 75 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer, says Marina Mourtzakis, a Kinesiology and Health Sciences researcher at the University of Waterloo. “That’s approximately 27,400 women with a diagnosis, representing 25 per cent of all new cancer cases in women.”
Many things change when a person is diagnosed with dementia, but one thing that doesn’t have to is the ability to exercise.
Dementia-Inclusive Choices for Exercise (DICE) is a cross-Canada research team, led by the University of Waterloo, that has developed a new series of tools and resources to help exercise providers create inclusive programs and spaces for people living with dementia and support their knowledge and confidence to continue or begin exercising.
As 457 undergraduate and 86 graduate students from the Faculty of Health prepare to virtually cross the stage this spring to convocate, we celebrate the hard work, perseverance, friendships and community it took to arrive at that moment – especially during a year that threw out the rule book on how courses should be delivered, how research is performed and how we interact socially with our peers.
We asked some of our award-winning graduates what it took for them to find success in a tough environment and what advice they would give to others who are currently studying.
Mental health declined for the general population during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but younger Canadians were most affected, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.
When Devon Asemota was a second-year Kinesiology student, he took the Introduction to Exercise Physiology lab and experienced through hands-on learning how to assess an individual’s cardiovascular fitness.
Now in his fourth year, Asemota is preparing that same lab for incoming second-year students who will experience it virtually.
Lindsay Eberlin may be graduating during a worldwide pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped her from reflecting on the good things that came from her experience as a Therapeutic Recreation student and what she wants to do with her life.
“My time at Waterloo was more than I had imagined,” she says. “It was filled with many opportunities and memorable experiences that allowed for personal growth and accomplishment.”
Eberlin says the hands-on experiences her program provided developed her confidence and skills in her field.
Recent public health data shows that people over the age of 60 make up 93 per cent of deaths in Canada related to COVID-19. Half of the COVID-19 deaths have happened in retirement and nursing homes, which continue to be hit the hardest by COVID-19 cases. Many in our community may feel like there’s nothing that can be done to help our parents and grandparents deal with the pandemic.