Esme Fuller-Thomson’s study on recovering from anxiety receives international coverage

A recent study led by Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson was profiled by Re:Set, U.S. News, and a variety of other online publications.

The study, co-authored by Kandace Ryckman, a recent graduate of U of T’s Masters of Public Health program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, found that recovery rates from generalized anxiety disorder are surprisingly high, with 72% of Canadians with a history of GAD free of the mental health condition for at least one year.

Overall, of those in the large, representative sample of more than 2,000 Canadians with a history of GAD, 40% were in a state of excellent mental health and almost 60% had no other mental illness or addiction issues, such as suicidal thoughts, substance dependence, a major depressive disorder or a bipolar disorder, in the past year.

Individuals who had at least one person in their lives who provided them with a sense of emotional security and wellbeing were three times more likely to be in excellent mental health than those without a confidant.

From Re:Set:

Fuller-Thomson reckons that policymakers in Canada need to take social isolation more seriously including for those living with disabilities and special needs. She said that for them, the likelihood of being isolated is higher especially in a country like Canada where the extreme climate during the winter months there makes it hard to even get a simple task like grocery shopping done. If you’re a person living with a disability, your functional challenges are going to be worse, Fuller-Thomson explained.

> Click here to read the full article by Boshika Gupta.

> Click here to read the full article by HealthDay Reporter Rich Holmes in U.S. News.

The study was also covered by Science Daily, Good News Network, Yahoo News, Times Now, ANI: South Asia’s Leading Multimedia News Agency, Daily Health Talks, Medical Press, mindbodygreen, SciTechDaily, Slash Gear, News Medical, Business Standard, Invest Records, Punjab Tribune, Calgary News, and Toronto News, among others.

Esme Fuller-Thomson has been Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging since 2016. She is a full professor with cross-appointments to the Department of Family & Community Medicine and the Faculty of Nursing. She joined FIFSW in 1995.