The butterfly, soft and free, soars through the sky unaware of any chains or boundaries below. Emily Dickinson’s poem The Butterfly upon the Sky captures the reverence of freedom and the act of “soaring away.” This imagery resonates deeply with the legacy of Randy Michael Bacchus III, a young man whose struggles with teen substance abuse and...
The Silent Epidemic of Cannabis-Induced Psychosis Cannabis-Induced Psychosis (CIP) is becoming an unspoken public health threat that deserves our immediate attention. For years, marijuana has been celebrated as a recreational substance and increasingly viewed as a benign product thanks to growing legalisation efforts. Yet, beneath the positive narratives lies a darker reality with alarming statistics,...
Psychosis is a complex mental health condition, marked by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking. Researchers have struggled to pinpoint its origins, but new advances are shedding light on the role of brain circuitry in these symptoms. By examining brain circuits in psychosis, scientists are uncovering clearer insights into the neural pathways involved, paving the way...
A revealing study has uncovered a troubling connection between early marijuana use and suicidal ideation amongst African American college students. The findings come as part of an alarming context, with suicide rates for African Americans aged 15 to 24 having soared by 47% for males and an even starker 59% for females between 2013 and...
The death of Aeran Taylor, a 38-year-old Iraq War veteran, has raised critical concerns about veterans’ mental health and the welfare of former soldiers who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aeran, a former member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died from an accidental drug overdose in October 2023. His struggles began after the...
The challenges posed by mental health and substance use disorders stretch far and wide, impacting individuals, families, and societies globally. Despite increased awareness, only 6.9% of individuals with these conditions receive effective treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. This alarming figure underscores the urgent need to address gaps in mental health treatment solutions,...
A Crisis Requiring Immediate Attention Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among veterans. Tragically, firearms and opioids account for the majority of these deaths. A recent study involving over 38,000 veterans identified as at elevated suicide risk sheds light on the urgency of addressing access to these lethal means. By understanding the...
Recent research has fundamentally challenged our understanding of cannabis’s long-term cognitive effects, with emerging evidence suggesting far more complex and persistent impacts than previously understood. A groundbreaking 2025 study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, coupled with decades-long longitudinal research from New Zealand, has revealed patterns of memory impairment that persist long after...
The prevalence of suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represents one of Australia’s most pressing public health challenges. In 2022, suicide accounted for 4.6% of all deaths among First Nations people, with rates approximately two and a half times higher than non-Indigenous Australians. This disparity reflects complex historical, social, and health factors, with...
Prescriptions for ADHD medication in Australia have exploded by 300% in a decade. Nearly half a million Australians now take these drugs daily. Medical clinics charge thousands for rapid diagnosis. TikTok influencers list symptoms like horoscopes. Something isn’t adding up. The most studied childhood mental health condition in history has become big business. With 470,000...