Links to topics related to emotional literacy, current neuroscientific research, and improving well-being.
Scroll through to see topics (in blue). Click on each article title to connect to the on-line link or file.
TOPIC: MATERNAL/PATERNAL INFLUENCE ON BABIES
Cannabis use during pregnancy liked to ADHD and Autism
How parents handle feelings can affect children’s emotional development
Mothers who sing to their babies promote infant development
Maternal bonding linked to babies’ development
Parental risk of having children who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Poverty and crime linked to differences in newborns’ brains
The impact of paternal marijuana exposure on the brains of offspring
Fetal alcohol exposure linked to developmental disorders
Alcohol use during pregnancy linked to offspring depression
Coffee, nicotine and amphetamines activate ‘hot spots’ in the fetal brain
How stress and mother’s abuse affects infant brain
Maternal anxiety affects the fetal brain
Mothers’ behavior influences bonding hormone oxytocin in babies
Prenatal opioid exposure may alter brain function in babies
ADHD and autism associated with in-utero heavy metals and essential minerals
Prenatal stress associated with infant gut microbes
Stress during pregnancy may affect baby’s sex and risk of preterm birth
Stress in pregnancy may influence baby brain development
Alcoholism in the family affects how your brain switches between active and resting states
TOPIC: TEENAGERS
Teen rumination can lead to mental health issues
Walnuts promote cognitive and psychological development in teens
Early-life stress can disrupt brain maturation
Teen brain development: Helping teens make good decisions
TOPIC: TRAUMA, STRESS, PTSD
Stress contributes to metastasis of cancer
What music helps alleviate stress
Stress affects biological health
How problematic anger relates to PTSD
Stress biologically ages us, but reducing stress reverses the aging
PTSD biomarkers found in blood
Chronic stress linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Childhood trauma increases risk of adult mental disorder
Acute stress leads to changes in the brain
Some types of stress are beneficial
New touch therapy helps with stress related to trauma
Stress can be a precursor to mental health issues and cause premature aging.
Traumatic stress in childhood can lead to brain changes in adulthood
Spending time in nature reduces stress
How chronic stress changes the brain, and what you can do to reverse the damage
How chronic stress causes brain damage
How early life trauma can contribute to functional neurological disorder
The role of sleep in healing traumatic brain injuries
TOPIC: SLEEP
Lack of sleep increases risk of infection
Sleep deprivation affects cognition
A good sleep boosts learning and memory
Sleep problems can lead to depression in teens
How sleep helps to process emotions
Listening to calming music improves sleep
Less sleep reduces positive feelings
Sleep loss hijacks brain’s activity during learning
Better sleep in 10 simple steps: Curing insomnia
Deep sleep gives your brain a deep clean
Optimistic people sleep better
TOPIC: CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING
Babies and pre-schoolers need naps for brain development
Music during pregnancy improves babies’ ability to encode speech and sounds
Lack of free-play linked to children’s declining mental health
Too much screen time for infants contributes to cognitive deficits
Addressing anxiety in kindergarten reduces harmful impact for life
The power of kindness and brain health
Recess and play help children learn
Children’s development of ability to self-control
Autism can be diagnosed at 1-year
Childhood exercise promotes later cognitive function
Too much sugar linked to obesity, cognitive problems, and attention deficit
Parents abused as children may pass on emotional issues
Positive home and school environment promotes brain connectivity
Yoga and deep breathing help ADHD children focus
Electronic baby toys associated with decrease in quality and quantity of language in infants
Screen-based media associated with structural differences in brains of young children
Study defines ideal children’s bedtime routine
Age does not determine the need for napping in children
Connectedness to nature makes children happier
How early life trauma can contribute to functional neurological disorder
Effects of television exposure on developmental skills among young children
Children’s mental health affected by sleep duration
TOPIC: IMPROVING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
How the brain regulates emotion
Breathing techniques to improve health
Sharing positive emotions helps combat loneliness and negativity
How happy songs make us feel good
Emotional stability strong link to life satisfaction
Being thankful helps reduce stress
Random acts of kindness make the world a better place
Self-control predicts economic, physical, and psychological well-being
Disconnecting devices and letting your mind wander/wonder improves creativity and well-being
Savouring the small things improves well-being
Toxic workplaces provoke depression
Journaling can help mental health
Gratitude changes you and your brain
What happens when people make music together
Waking earlier cuts depression risk
Your favorite music can send your brain into a pleasure overload
Smiling can trick your mind into being more positive
Living near water can be beneficial to your mental health
Six ways to ‘Reboot Your Brain’ after a hard year of COVID-19
Baby and adult brains ‘sync up’ during play
Mindfulness can help reduce pain
TOPIC: EPIGENETICS
Genetic link to problematic alcohol use
Genes related to suicidal tendencies identified
Transmission of epigenetic memory across generations
Genetic biomarkers found in blood linked to mental health disorders
Love of nature is in part inherited
Alcoholism in the family affects how your brain switches between active and resting states
Intergenerational trauma: First Nations peoples in Canada
Childhood neglect leaves generational imprint
TOPIC: CANNABIS, VAPING, SMOKING
Marijuana use linked to heightened cardiovascular risk
Tobacco and cannabis combo increases risk of anxiety and depression
Cannabis use linked to schizophrenia in males
Mint flavouring makes vaping more dangerous
Multiple substance abuse disorder may be inherited
Adolescents more susceptible to cannabis addiction
How cannabis use affects cognition and psychology
CBD and THC use during early pregnancy can disrupt fetal development
Alcohol consumption linked to poor emotional processing
Cannabis increases susceptibility to false memory
What to tell children about cannabis: Research on THC effects on developing brain
Vaping could cloud your thoughts
Vaping alters inflammatory state of brain, heart, lungs and colon
Girls more negatively affected by cannabis than boys
Marijuana is more dangerous than you think
Marijuana use may increase violent behavior
TOPIC: GENERAL HEALTH
Emotional well-being related to gut health
Happy Songs: musical elements release feel-good neurotransmitters
Music improves overall health and well-being
Use of head phones and earbuds may result in hearing loss
Too much salt compromises immune response
Meditative practice may preserve cognitive function in aging
TOPIC: DEPRESSION
Habits more important than genetics for depression
Exercise better for depression than counselling or medication
Depression affects the brains of men and women differently
Lithium distribution and depression
Genetics and pollution affect depression
TOPIC: ANXIETY
Abnormal heart-brain connection to generalized anxiety disorder
TOPIC: EMOTION PROCESSING
Heart rate and respiration affect emotion, perception, and cognition
Chemicals in women’s tears reduce aggression in men
Anger can be a useful motivator in difficult situations
High-frequency activity in hippocampus and amygdalae related to emotional memory