Halloween is fast approaching, and most kids and families are excitedly getting their costumes ready and homes decorated. For some kids, however, Halloween can be stressful or frightening. I experienced this last year, when I took my 3 year old trick-or-treating. Things started off well, but a few houses in he exclaimed he was done trick-or-treating because of some scary masks he had seen.

With the start of a new school year underway, parents, families and educators may be wondering how they can help children navigate the online world with success and have a positive impact on their health. They may want to talk to children about balancing “screen-time” with healthy behaviours and its affect on their mental health. In this guest blog, Dr.

The official launch of the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness was successful and highlighted our goal of establishing mindful community.

The first research articles that focused on mindfulness practices were published in the late seventies and early eighties. Since then, there has been an exceptionally rapid progress, in terms of both the amount of publications released, and the advancement of the research methods and designs. The following figure illustrates the number of academic journal articles published including the term “mindfulness” in the title by year.

Through real stories, expertise, and practical tips, ‘Where You Are’ helps families promote their mental health and wellness, navigating important topics. In Episode 2: Present Matters: Mindfulness and Mental Well-being, Paul Irving (mindfulness champion) and Dr. Dzung Vo, founding Director of BC Children's Hospital Centre for Mindfulness) explore questions from parents and caregivers about mindfulness – How do we fit this into our busy lives? Does mindfulness actually help my child or youth's mental wellness?

A seed was planted for an idea after a brief conversation in passing with a colleague last spring.

It was almost a decade ago that Dr. Locke began to develop the Mindfulness and Resiliency Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) in collaboration with Dr. Dzung Vo, supported by a pilot research grant from the BC Children’s Hospital Mental Health Program.

The BC Children’s Centre For Mindfulness officially celebrated its launch on June 24^th 2019.  The event, held in the Chan Centre Atrium was attended by over 60 staff from across the campus, as well as community members. Short presentations by the Centre directors, representatives from the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, representatives from Psychology and Leadership were followed by mingling and connecting.

When people experience a mental illness, medications are not the only treatment option. Pharmacists and physicians are trained to discuss and offer non-drug treatments as appropriate (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, mindfulness, sleep hygiene, light exposure, exercise, diet and lifestyle changes) which can be used before, after, or in combination with medication.  Unfortunately, people’s response to treatment varies for many different reasons and not everyone is able to access and benefit from these treatments.