In this issue
Welcome to HeretoHelp Within Reach! HeretoHelp Within Reach is a quarterly newsletter that highlights resources from HeretoHelp and the BC Partners for Mental Health and Substance Use Information.
In this issue, we cover some new resources to help you take care of your mental health, and provide some resources for tacking misinformation and conspiracy theories around health.
Resources giveaway!
We're clearing out extra stock and giving away HeretoHelp materials like infosheets, brochures, and Visions Journal issues for free. Order your resources by July 31, 2021 at www.heretohelp.bc.ca.
New from HeretoHelp and the BC Partners
Responding to Feelings issue of Visions Journal
Emotions are part of being human, but at times emotions can be strong, overwhelming, or feel out of control. This issue of Visions explores many different approaches to work through and manage feelings and easy strategies to try at home the next time you start to feel overwhelmed. Read or download the issue at www.heretohelp.bc.ca.
Homelessness, Mental Health and Substance Use: Understanding the connections
This new infosheet from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research discusses health and homelessness, explores homelessness from a socio-ecological perspective, and shares health promotion measures to reduce inequalities. Read or download the infosheet at www.heretohelp.bc.ca.
Family Caregivers episode of Open Hearts Honest Conversations
Listen to the Family Services of the North Shore's lasted podcast episode, Family Caregivers, with guest Janet Quenneville of the Caregivers Connect and Caring Connections for Seniors program. Find the episode and show notes at www.familyservices.bc.ca.
Bridge The Gap — Mental Illness & Substance Use Services episode of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined
Listen to the BC Schizophrenia Society's latest podcast episode Bridge The Gap — Mental Illness & Substance Use Services with Dr. Bill MacEwan. Find the episode and related resources at www.bcss.org.
Charlie Demers shares #OurAnxietyStories
Comedian, activist, voice actor, and writer Charlie Demers discusses his experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in Anxiety Canada's latest #OurAnxietyStories podcast. Listen to the episode at www.anxietycanada.com.
Reaching out: How to talk to loved ones about health misinformation
Along with the coronavirus pandemic rose an "infodemic"—the mass of health misinformation, pseudoscience, false rumours, and conspiracy theories that comes up around health emergencies like outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. This creates complicated or strained relationships when a loved one shares misinformation or refuses necessary public health measures like vaccines as a result of the misinformation they’ve read. (If you'd like to learn more about infodemics, the World Health Organization has an extensive resource hub at www.who.int/health-topics/infodemic.)
The resources below discuss how and why people might believe misinformation or conspiracy theories, how you can talk to loved ones about them, and how you can work on a relationship even when you disagree with someone else.
Evaluating Mental Health and Substance Use Information
This infosheet on the HeretoHelp website empowers people to think critically about mental health and substance use information from mainstream media sources to social media to personal stories. You can apply these principles to any other topic to help you decide what information is useful and what information doesn’t stand up to the test. Find this infosheet at www.heretohelp.bc.ca.
Speaking of Psychology: Why people believe in conspiracy theories
The American Psychological Association's podcast Speaking of Psychology discusses conspiracy theories, why some people believe conspiracy theories, and what to do when a loved one believes conspiracies. Listen to the episode or read the transcript at www.apa.org.
Zen and the Art of Talking to Conspiracy Theorists
McGill University's Office for Science and Society discusses how family and friends can think about and respond to loved ones who share conspiracy theories. Read the article at www.mcgill.ca.
The Critical Public Health Value of Vaccines - Tackling Issues of Access and Hesitancy - A Workshop Series
The US-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a public virtual workshop to explore vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, online misinformation, and strategies to reduce hesitancy. Find the series at www.nationalacademies.org.
