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Most mental health problems emerge in adolescence. Understanding the early roots of mental health problems may help to identify them early and provide more effective interventions.  

In our lab, we study mental health from the prenatal period to early adulthood. For example, see our Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study, which is looking at how mental health is affected in pregnancy during the pandemic and the resulting impacts on children. We also study links between internalizing and externalizing behavior in adolescence.  

Currently we are extending this work to understand brain alterations in children and youth with prenatal exposures, most of whom experience mental health challenges. 

Stay tuned for more exciting work on brain and mental health coming out of the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab!! 

Here, we show white matter changes in young children exposed to maternal prenatal depressive symptoms. Children of mothers with worse depressive symptoms had weaker white matter connectivity between areas related to emotional processing.

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In an article by The Conversation Dr.s Lebel, McMorris & Chaput discuss cannabis use during pregnancy.

Check out the full article

 National Geographic article about research lead by Dr. Catherine Lebel, Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht, and Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen. For full article click link below and for information on the Pregnancy during the Pandemic Study including updates go to https://www.pregnancyduringthepandemic.com/

Today, the 9th day of the 9th month, is FASD awareness day. FASD is a complex, multifaceted disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.

To join our new study or to get details and updates visit- https://www.pregnancyduringthepandemic.com/

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and every year the goal is to fight the stigma around mental health, provide support and to educate the public. Mental illness refers to a wide range of disorders that affect mood, thinking and behaviour. In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness or addiction. Many mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence, and can lead to compromised quality of life or premature death in some cases. In our lab, we aim to understand the structure of the developing brain, as well as its function and plasticity with the hope of improving treatments for children who experience learning and behavioural challenges. Many of our ongoing studies focus on the links between mental health and the brain by studying neurological changes during this crucial time of development (preschool-aged children to adolescence) and brain maturation. With understanding of how the brain matures and changes in response to developmental disorders such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and autism spectrum disorder, we can begin to comprehend how to help these children cope and offer explanations as well as treatments and solutions.

Need help or know someone that does?

Kids Help Phone – https://kidshelpphone.ca/, live chat online, call a counsellor 24/7 at 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868

Visit the Disaster Distress Helpline – https://www.samhsa.gov/disaster-preparedness, call 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – https://cmha.ca/

Mental Health First Aid/Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHFA) – https://www.mhfa.ca/

National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

As this week marks Volunteer Appreciation Week the Lebel Lab would like to take the time to thank all of our amazing volunteers for everything you do!!