News
Climate change and the unborn : Douglas Conference examined the consequences
2009-02-03
A conference held last week at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute examined the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and ice storms on mental health. According to panelists, the stress caused by living through one of these cataclysmic events may have far-reaching implications. In particular, the hardship experienced by pregnant women during these times, and their effects on their children’s long-term well-being and development, was discussed.
In addition, strategies to help expectant mothers during times of crisis and help their children adapt smoothly were also addressed. The over-reaching goal of the conference was to develop a plan for how best to conduct research on pregnant women during natural disasters, so that appropriate interventions can be implemented.
Speakers at the press conference held on January 30 :
• Suzanne King, PhD, director of the Psychosocial Research Division at the Douglas Institute and associate professor of the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, presented results on the long-term effects of prenatal maternal stress on their children’s brain function.
Her take on the long-term effects of prenatal stress on child development
In her most recent study, Suzanne King demonstrated that children whose mother experienced high stress (during the Quebec 1998 ice storm) scored lower on IQ and language performance tests than those whose mother had less stress. She suggests that distinct brain structures may be vulnerable to maternal stress at an early stage and these effects are not reversible. Suzanne King is also investigating the ways in which risk factors for schizophrenia, such as prenatal stress, obstetric complications, childhood trauma and cannabis use before apparent symptoms, influence the illness presentations of people with schizophrenia.
• Stacy Overstreet, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Tulane University and director of the doctoral program in the School of Psychology, reviewed the current knowledge regarding the impact of disasters on children. While referring to her post-hurricane Katrina research, she suggested that natural disasters present a major risk factor for mental health issues in children.
Her take on the aftermath of hurricane Katrina
One year after hurricane Katrina, Stacy Overstreet observed that 55.3 percent of children living in subsidized housing in Mississippi experienced emotional or behavioural difficulties not present before the storm. In addition, 21 months post-Katrina, 25.4 percent of children in Mississippi and 37.1 percent of those in Louisiana had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or a behavioural disorder. She proposed that a continuum of services, from prevention to intervention, need to be developed to help individuals in need. Stacy Overstreet mobilized the school psychology programs to respond to the need for mental health services. They provided psychological assessments, individual and group therapy, and a school-wide curriculum aimed at building skills for coping with stressful and traumatic experiences.
• Gordon McBean, PhD, CM, FRSC, Nobel Laureate, Dr. McBean is professor and director of Policy Studies for The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at the University of Western Ontario and also chair of board of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences. As a lead author and review editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he shared the awarding of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC.
His take on what Canada needs to do to be better prepared for climate change
Gordon McBean discussed how extreme weather and weather-related events (storms, floods, etc.) affect people and their health and how a changing climate will increase the risks of these events. He pointed out that Canadians need to be better prepared and systems need to be put in place to reduce our vulnerability to climate change and its subsequent impacts. Gordon McBean suggested that children may be especially vulnerable to natural hazards because their perception of danger is not fully developed; they require more assistance to move out of harm’s way and to adopt protective behaviours; they are vulnerable to water- and food-borne illnesses because of the immaturity of their immune systems and their capacity to regulate their body temperature is underdeveloped (until 1 year).
• Tomas Paus, MD, PhD, chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and the director of the Brain and Body Centre at the University of Nottingham, and adjunct professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, discussed brain-mapping tools.
His take on the brain-mapping tools to investigate brain-behaviour
Dr. Paus is an expert in mapping the human brain in health and disease using a variety of tools, including positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In his current research, he applies brain-mapping tools in population-based studies investigating brain-behaviour relationships during adolescence.
In addition, strategies to help expectant mothers during times of crisis and help their children adapt smoothly were also addressed. The over-reaching goal of the conference was to develop a plan for how best to conduct research on pregnant women during natural disasters, so that appropriate interventions can be implemented.
Speakers at the press conference held on January 30 :
• Suzanne King, PhD, director of the Psychosocial Research Division at the Douglas Institute and associate professor of the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, presented results on the long-term effects of prenatal maternal stress on their children’s brain function.
Her take on the long-term effects of prenatal stress on child development
In her most recent study, Suzanne King demonstrated that children whose mother experienced high stress (during the Quebec 1998 ice storm) scored lower on IQ and language performance tests than those whose mother had less stress. She suggests that distinct brain structures may be vulnerable to maternal stress at an early stage and these effects are not reversible. Suzanne King is also investigating the ways in which risk factors for schizophrenia, such as prenatal stress, obstetric complications, childhood trauma and cannabis use before apparent symptoms, influence the illness presentations of people with schizophrenia.
• Stacy Overstreet, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Tulane University and director of the doctoral program in the School of Psychology, reviewed the current knowledge regarding the impact of disasters on children. While referring to her post-hurricane Katrina research, she suggested that natural disasters present a major risk factor for mental health issues in children.
Her take on the aftermath of hurricane Katrina
One year after hurricane Katrina, Stacy Overstreet observed that 55.3 percent of children living in subsidized housing in Mississippi experienced emotional or behavioural difficulties not present before the storm. In addition, 21 months post-Katrina, 25.4 percent of children in Mississippi and 37.1 percent of those in Louisiana had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or a behavioural disorder. She proposed that a continuum of services, from prevention to intervention, need to be developed to help individuals in need. Stacy Overstreet mobilized the school psychology programs to respond to the need for mental health services. They provided psychological assessments, individual and group therapy, and a school-wide curriculum aimed at building skills for coping with stressful and traumatic experiences.
• Gordon McBean, PhD, CM, FRSC, Nobel Laureate, Dr. McBean is professor and director of Policy Studies for The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at the University of Western Ontario and also chair of board of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences. As a lead author and review editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he shared the awarding of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC.
His take on what Canada needs to do to be better prepared for climate change
Gordon McBean discussed how extreme weather and weather-related events (storms, floods, etc.) affect people and their health and how a changing climate will increase the risks of these events. He pointed out that Canadians need to be better prepared and systems need to be put in place to reduce our vulnerability to climate change and its subsequent impacts. Gordon McBean suggested that children may be especially vulnerable to natural hazards because their perception of danger is not fully developed; they require more assistance to move out of harm’s way and to adopt protective behaviours; they are vulnerable to water- and food-borne illnesses because of the immaturity of their immune systems and their capacity to regulate their body temperature is underdeveloped (until 1 year).
• Tomas Paus, MD, PhD, chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and the director of the Brain and Body Centre at the University of Nottingham, and adjunct professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, discussed brain-mapping tools.
His take on the brain-mapping tools to investigate brain-behaviour
Dr. Paus is an expert in mapping the human brain in health and disease using a variety of tools, including positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In his current research, he applies brain-mapping tools in population-based studies investigating brain-behaviour relationships during adolescence.
