TLC PULSE: 10 Mental Health Stories Worth Your Attention

In this latest Pulse Episode I share ten interesting stories from around the world that sit at the intersection of mental health, suicide prevention, humour & laughter research and everyday self-care. From big system changes like free Medicare Mental Health support and defence reform in Australia, to personal strategies like safety plans, nature connection and even what chocolate does to your brain, this ep covers a lot.

The 10 stories:
• Free Medicare Mental Health Check-In and what it looks like
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/mental-health/australians-can-now-access-free-mental-health-support-through-new-medicare-service/news-story/686d9a18aca92c2c5f667530412bb287

https://www.medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au/

• WHO recommendations for responsible AI in mental health
 https://www.who.int/news/item/20-03-2026-towards-responsible-ai-for-mental-health-and-well-being--experts-chart-a-way-forward

• Israeli performers bringing laughter therapy and hope during wartime
 https://www.jfeed.com/culture/israeli-artists-wartime-performances

• Doctors using kind humour to strengthen connection and reduce stress
https://www.guardian.co.tt/opinion/medicine-and-laughter-6.2.2551797.51cab46497

• New research on humour improving wellbeing in later life
 https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260401/New-research-links-humor-to-improved-wellbeing-in-later-life.aspx

• Defence and veterans suicide reforms and the need for real action
 https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2026-03-31/defence-veterans-service-commissioner-bill-passes-parliament

• Men’s wellbeing groups and why safe spaces help men open up
https://theconversation.com/mens-wellbeing-groups-are-growing-and-helping-fill-gaps-in-mental-health-support-276933

• Evidence-based guidance for suicidal thoughts and how to build a safety plan CONTENT WARNING THIS STORY DISCUSSES SUICIDE
 https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/threshold/202603/caring-for-the-part-of-you-that-wants-to-die

• Nature connectedness linked with wellbeing across 75 countries
https://theconversation.com/a-connection-to-nature-fuels-well-being-worldwide-according-to-a-study-of-38-000-people-276572

• What does chocolate do to your brain?
 https://hmri.org.au/news-and-stories/what-does-chocolate-do-to-your-brain/

If you enjoyed

Website: www.thelaughterclinic.com.au

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thelaughterclinicAus

"If you or someone you know needs support, please contact one of these Australian mental health services. In an emergency, always call 000."

Lifeline Australia
Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7)
Web: lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service
Phone: 1300 659 467 (24/7)
Web: suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Beyond Blue
Phone: 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Web: beyondblue.org.au

Kids Helpline (for people aged 5-25)
Phone: 1800 55 1800 (24/7)
Web: kidshelpline.com.au

MensLine Australia
Phone: 1300 78 99 78 (24/7)
Web: mensline.org.au

SANE Australia (complex mental health issues)
Phone: 1800 18 7263
Web: sane.org

QLife (LGBTIQ+ support)
Phone: 1800 184 527 
Web: qlife.org.au

Open Arms (Veterans & Families Counselling)
Phone: 1800 011 046 (24/7)
Web: openarms.gov.au

1800RESPECT (sexual assault, domestic violence)
Phone: 1800 737 732 (24/7)
Web: 1800respect.org.au

Headspace (youth mental health, ages 12-25)
Phone: 1800 650 890 
Web: headspace.org.au

13YARN (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support)
Phone: 13 92 76 (13YARN) (24/7)
Web: 13yarn.org.au

Music by Hayden Smith
https://www.haydensmith.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to the Laughter Clinic Podcast with comedian and suicideologist Mark McConville. Bringing you practical, evidence-based self-care strategies, the latest research in mental health, along with conversations that inspire, educate, and entertain. This is the Laughter Clinic Podcast with your host, Mark McConville.

Free Medicare Mental Health Check-In

WHO Warns On AI And Wellbeing

Israeli Artists Bring Hope Underground

How Doctors Use Kind Humour

Why Humour Matters In Ageing

Veterans Suicide Reform And Oversight

Men’s Groups Filling Care Gaps

Caring For Suicidal Thoughts And Safety Plans

Nature Connectedness And Global Wellbeing

Chocolate And The Brain At Easter

Thanks, Reviews, Reach, And What’s Next

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Hi my friends, thank you very much for joining me on this episode of the Laughter Clinic Podcast. Mark McConville here, and uh today we are doing a pulse episode where I'm going to be sharing with you some uh insights that I've found from around the world in relation to pretty cool and interesting stuff that's been going on. Now, uh usually a pulse episode, I share five insights from around the world that I've found interesting. But it's been a while since I've done one of these episodes. It's been a couple of months, in actual fact, because I've had so many great guests and I've done the Life Skills Masterclass with Jodie Allen, and we've had all sorts of things going on over Christmas. So this episode, I'm going to share with you ten things that I've found interesting in the last you know week or so that I've gone back and done a bit of research and seen what I can find as to what's been happening in the world of mental health, mental health research, suicide prevention, and research into humor and laughter therapy. So our ten things that we're going to be covering today, we're going to talk about some free mental health care that the Australian government is going to be implementing. We're going to talk about the World Health Organization investigating AI and mental health, how Israeli performers are helping displaced residents and first responders during wartime. That's a feel-good story, that one. How doctors use mental how doctors use humor as a as a tool when they're, you know, increasing the relationships with their clients and for their own well-being as well. So that's interesting. Humor in later life, why it's good to make sure that our, you know, our elders are still being able to laugh and share a laugh with each other and what that does for them and their their own mental health. It's really cool. We're going to have a quick chat about the defence bill that the government has put in place in relation to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide in Australia. So we've got a quick quick one on that. Men's groups, how they are filling some gaps in relation to mental health care for men. We're also going to see an interesting article that came out on Psychology Today where it talks about suicidal thoughts and and how you can help manage manage yourself when those thoughts may come in. So that's an interesting one. And the impact of nature on mental health, then it's Easter type, right? So it would be remiss not to talk about chocolate, right? So of course we're going to talk about chocolate and what it's it's you know, what it does to your brain and brain health and that sort of stuff. So it's not all bad news, it's all pretty good, actually. So my friends, let's let's get into first things first, let's let's dive into now. For those of you that may not have done a Pulse episode before, so basically I have I'll be sharing the screen for the video for people that are watching this on YouTube. And also all of the web links for the articles that I'm going to be reading and talking about will be in the show notes. So if you wanted to access those, you can and uh and do a bit of a bit more of a deep dive yourself. So let's get into what we're looking at. First things first. The Australian, this is on news.com.au. The Australian Australians can now access free mental health support through a new Medicare service. Australians will soon be able to access a free service through Medicare after polling reveals 64% of people can't afford professional help. That's pretty crazy, isn't it, really? So an early mental health support system is now free for Australians to access through a federal government initiative. The first phase, the mental health, what they they're calling the Medicare mental health check-in program, gives Australians access to free mental health therapy. According to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists commissioned polling, 64% of respondents find mental health support unaffordable. And that actually supports one of the um one of the Pulse episode articles that I did before Christmas, actually. So yeah, 64%. And it's just become just too unaffordable. So uh so it's great that the government's investing, I think it's over a billion dollars that they're investing in this. The Medicare mental health check-in, similar to that of a GP checkup, assists Aussies in preventing symptoms from escalating. So this is really an early intervention thing, right? Okay, it's an early touch point. It provides guided support through sessions via a video or phone call to help manage anxiety, low moods, and everyday challenges. By helping people with mild or temporary challenges, it will head off more serious challenges and free up capacity in the mental health system for those with deep-seated challenges. This is from the health minister Mark Butler. The second phase is free, low-intensive cognitive behavioral therapy accessed via telehealth and available without a GP referral. So Aussies are going to be able to access this from the 1st of April this week, and it allows anyone in Australia age 16 or older living in Australia to use this service if suitable after an initial phone assessment. So, numbers, it's pretty interesting here. Between 2023 and 2024, about 2.7 million Australians received 12.6 million Medicare mental health services. About 43% of Australians aged 16 to 85 also report having experienced mental illness at some point in their lives. This new free service is funded by the Albanese federal government and is delivered in partnership with St. Vincent's Health Australia and is expected to support more than 150,000 people each year from 2029. So I find that last paragraph a bit strange, you know, like if they're talking about there's 12 million sorry yeah, 12.6 million Medicare mental health services, 2.7 million Australians receive 12.6 million. So why are they saying here that they're only expecting they're expecting support 150,000 people each year from 2029? Yeah, I don't know about that. But anyway, so what does it actually look like this? Well, like I said, the links will be in the show notes. So this here, my friends, is the this is the page for those of you that are watching on YouTube. This is the page that is actually run by St. Vincent's, and this is what it looks like when you actually get online, take a step towards better well-being. What do you need support with? It gives you a few little tabs here: managing worries, uh, reframing unhelpful thoughts, improving your mood, facing your fears, solving problems more effectively, sleeping better. Well, let's see, let's see what happens when we click on this one, solving problems more effectively. What does that give us? Understanding what's going on with your emotions, very important, when life is overwhelming, anxiety and worry, want more personalized guidance. Try our free online program that uses a proven low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy approach to help manage problems. Through this program, you will learn techniques that give you a break. Okay, right. So it's giving you some tools here. Ready to start this program, supporting someone else. Oh, that's good that they've put that in there as well. Right, so yeah, that's good. That's good. So, you know, everything's gonna help, right? So that's the first thing. So, number one on our list, that's that's our mental health check-in by the federal government, free early touch point mental health care for all Australians. Pretty cool. So, moving right along. Our next thing is the World Health Organization is looking into AI and mental health and well-being, which is really I'm so glad that this is actually a thing. So, this article, oh sorry, I I should have mentioned before the um the article in relation to Australians accessing free mental health care support. That was on news.com, and this was published on the 1st of April, and the one that I'm talking about now in relation to the World Health Organization, and their headline reads Towards responsible AI for mental health and well-being. Export experts chart a way forward. So this is published on the 20th of March. And so, yeah, on the 29th of January 2026, over 30 international experts in artificial intelligence, mental health ethics, and public policy gathered for an online workshop organized by the Delft Digital Ethics Center. Digital, Delft Digital Ethics Center at the Delft University of Technology, the first WHO collaborating center for AI and health governments, including ethics. So uh this is actually prior to there's a big massive AI conference that's going to be happening in India this year. So uh so they're kind of meeting prior to, oh, here we go, we talk about it here. Held as an official pre-summit event of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 with support from the World Health Organization. The workshop convened researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and advocates. Dr. Alain Labrick, director of WHO's Department of Data, Digital Health and Analytics and AI, noted as AI increasingly interacts with people in moments of emotional vulnerability, we as WHO and its stakeholders must ensure that these systems are designed and governed with safety, accountability, and human well-being at their core. Yeah, well, that's coarse, right? It's we're in a weird, challenging time. It's really rocketing through the, you know, the global population, the amount of people that are using AI. So central amongst these challenges, the growing use of AI generative tools, neither designed nor tested for mental health or for emotional support, particularly by young people, and the potential, potentially serious risks that they may impose. Where the article goes on, we're at a critical juncture. Samir Pujari, WHO's AI lead, remarked, this is what's I find this interesting. It's he says here, the pace of AI adap adoption, right? The pace of AI adoption in people's daily lives has far outstripped investment in understanding its impact on mental health. Closing that gap requires coordinated action and dedicated resource from both public and private sectors, understanding the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Dr. Kenneth Carswell of WHO's Department of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health added, minimalized minimizing risks from generative AI for mental health while maximizing benefits requires bringing together the voices of those most affected. So clinical and research expertise, governments, regulatory frameworks, and data to inform the understanding, to inform understanding. WHO is committed to ensuring that users' well-being stays at the center of these tools as the center as these tools evolve. So they've got three main recommendations here. This is to come out of the workshop distilled these three discussions into three principal recommendations. First recommendation: generative AI should be recognized as a public mental health concern with commensurate responses across government health systems and industry that address all generative AI solutions, not only those intended for mental health. Secondly, mental health should be integrated into impact assessments and monitoring of AI solutions to better understand their effects of determinants on health. Short-term clinical measures and long-term outcomes such as emotional dependence. Well, yeah, we've heard about that in the news. You know, youth especially becoming emotionally dependent on AI. One workshop participant uh stressed we need independent investments to test these effects. Third recommendation AI tools used for mental health support should be co-designed with mental health experts and people with lived experience, including youth. Once again, lived experience, it forms everything. It's so good that they're including it here. Tools must be grounded in the best available evidence and tailored to cultural, linguistic, and contextual factors. Brilliant. Evidence-based, always important. Workshop participants emphasized the importance of consumer empowerment while Delft's Dr. Caroline Figue, I'm not sure she'll pronounce her surname. Sorry, Dr. Caroline, highlighted the urgent need for consensus on crisis referral frameworks and accountability systems. Wow. So pretty important that uh it's all happening here in relation to the World Health Organization looking into the mental health impacts of AI. Down the bottom here it says looking ahead, building a global consortium. WHO World Health Organization is establishing a consortium of collaborating centers on AI for health, a network of leading institutions across all six WH regions to support member states in the responsible adoption of AI. A pre-convening of candidate consortium members took place on the 17th and 19th of March, a couple of weeks ago, where institutions aligned on shared priorities and agreed on initial collaboration mechanisms to build the collaborative infrastructure needed to ensure that AI governance in health is granted in evidence, ethics, and the needs of diverse populations worldwide. So, yep, they're looking into it. So watch this space. Now, here's a feel-good story. Our next one from this is from the J feed is the website. So from the headline reads, my friends, from grand stages to bomb shelters, how Israeli culture refuses to be silenced during wartime. Yeah, what a feel-good story this is, you know, like because you just it you find it hard to imagine what people that are actually living through the war that we're seeing on our televisions and hearing on our news feeds, you know, we're viewing it from a distance, but these people are actually living it. So, yeah, this is this is a bit heartening, this story. So it goes on to say from bomb shelters to hospital wards, Israeli stars like Noah Kirill are taking the world tour to the front lines as major theaters remain closed during the war with Iran. A new underground culture cultural movement is bringing laughter therapy, concerts, Zoom concerts, and acoustic hope to displaced families and wounded soldiers. As the curtains remain drawn across Israel's major theaters and the lights stay dim in concert arenas due to the ongoing conflict with Iran, the nation's cultural heartbeat hasn't skipped a beat. It has simply moved underground from reinforced bomb shelters to sterile hospital wards. Israeli artists are redefining the world tour, bringing hope directly to the front lines of civilian life. With home front command restrictions limiting large gatherings, Israeli's biggest stars have traded stadium acoustics for intimate, high-impact performances. This is so cool. Acoustic frontline. According to reports from Israeli cultural sites, pop icons like Noah Kyril and dozens of others, A-listers have been spotted shelter hopping. These artists are performing unplugged sets in hotel lobbies for displaced families in community and in communal shelters, turning sites of anxiety into temporary concert halls. Wow. It's also it goes on to say here the corridors of Shuba Medical Center have been transformed into makeshift venues where laughter therapy and melody are being used as medicine. Comedians at the bedside, a new wave of rising stand-up comics, is touring hospital wards, providing much needed relief to wounded soldiers and their families. That is cool. These emotional encounters have touched hearts globally, racking up millions of views as a testament to the Israeli spirit. Canvas of resilience in evacuation centers, visual artists have established temporary studios. They are leading workshops for children, teaching them to paint their feelings as a critical form of emotional release and psychological first aid. In the shadow of Operation Epic Fury, the message from the Israeli arts community is loud and clear. The show must go on. Wherever the people are. Wow. Yeah, that's cool. Very heartwarming. Right. Our next one, my friends. Our next article. Oh, this is from the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. And the article headline is Medicine and Laughter. And there's a lovely photo here of Dr. Vanessa Harry. And when I read this, I I really liked it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna read the the article for you because it's so cool to hear this come from an actual doctor. Medicine is, by nature, a serious profession. We deal in diagnosis as difficult decisions and moments that can change lives. Much of my day is spent thinking carefully and carrying the weight of responsibility that comes with caring for patients. Once again, this is Dr. Vanessa Harry. And yet, every now and then I'm reminded that medicine also has room for something wonderfully human, laughter. As doctors, we can become so accustomized to seriousness that we forget how important lightheartedness can be. I admit that I sometimes fall into that trap myself. I can become so focused, too clinical, and perhaps a little too solemn. Days like April 1st, right? We just had April Fool's Day, gently remind me that while medicine must always remain professional, it does not need to be humorless. In fact, there is a long-standing tradition of quiet wit within medical publishing. Of course, okay, she goes on to talk about Of course, medical of course, scientific journals will avoid anything that could be mistaken as misinformation because trust in the foundation of a profession. Instead, the humor appears in a more ilignant form, rigorously written but delightfully quirky papers, playful editorials, uh satirical reflections on medical culture. Some of the world's most respected medical journals have embraced this playful side for years. The best known example is the British medical journal, the BMJ, for famous for its Christmas issues, filled with delightfully eccentric research questions and tongue-in-cheek studies that are nevertheless conducted with real scientific vigor. Over the years, these journals have published amusing papers exploring questions most of us never knew we needed it answered. One memorable example examined whether men are idiots. One memorable example examined whether men are idiots by analysing Darwin Award winners, a whimsical humor, a whimsical honor bestowed on individuals who improve the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized in uniquely idiotic and self-inflicted ways. The study concluded men were indeed disproportionately represented in spectacularly poor decision making. Well, you don't need a medical journal to know that men are uh we are spectacularly poor decision makers a lot of the time. Another famously playful paper looked at the science behind Rudolph's red nose explaining it through a vascular autonomy. Sorry, explaining it through vascular anatomy. Others have explored whether people can become intoxicated by sinking their feet in alcohol, the medical concerns faced by sword swallowers, and even whether orthopaedic surgeons are smarter than anesthesiists. These studies are funny, yes, but they also serve an important purpose. They remind us that curiosity curiosity And a bit of fun are not separate from science. April Fool's Day taps into this same spirit. Yeah, April Fool's Day is a bit of fun, isn't it? Of course, in medicine, humor must always be kind. Patients place their trust in us at vulnerable moments, and that trust should never be the subject of a joke. But shared laughter, when appropriate, can be one of the most powerful tools in the consultation room. I've said it time and time again, the therapeutic alliance, that relationship between patient and clinician. Patients are more likely to be, you know, treatment compliant when they like and respect and connect with their clinician and that therapeutic alliance. And like she's saying here, you know, laughter, when appropriate, can be one of the most powerful tools in a consultation room. Dr. Harry goes on to say, there is real science behind this too. Laughter can reduce stress hormones. We know that. Easy anxiety, ease anxiety, lower the perception of pain, and even strengthen human connections. A patient who laughs and often breathes a little easier, relaxes their shoulders, and suddenly the room feels uh less frightening. A small moment of humor can transform an interaction. A frightened patient awaiting a scan or results from a biopsy or a family facing unexpected news may all benefit from a carefully timed moment of warmth. Not because it minimalizes what they are going through, because it reminds them that they are being cared for by another human being, not simply a white coat. Yep, connection. Love it. I've seen these moments many times in practice. Gentle humor can open the door to conversations that might otherwise feel too tense or embarrassing. In women's health, especially where patients are often discussing deeply personal concerns, a lightheartedness can make the impossible suddenly easier to say. And perhaps doctors need that laughter too. This is once again, this is uh Dr. Vanessa Harry saying this. And perhaps doctors need that laughter too. The emotional demands of medicine are immense. Can't begin to imagine. We absorb grief, uncertainty, pressure, and the relentless need to stay composed. I know this well. Laughter, when respectfully, when respectful and shared, can be restorative for healthcare teams as well. It creates camaraderie, relieves stress, and reminds us why the people we work with matter just as much as the work itself. So on April Fool's Day, like I said, this was published this week. April Fool's Day offers medicine a useful lesson. Seriousness and compassion are not lessened by humor. It can strengthen it. A smile, a laugh, a touch of absurdity in the pages of a medical journal or a gentle joke shared in a clinic can all be part of healing too, because sometimes the best medicine really is laughter. And that, my friends, is from Dr. Vanessa Harry. Great photo of you two, Dr. Vanessa, and yeah, love hearing stuff like that. While we are on the Laughter is the best medicine kick, new research. This is from News Medical Life Science, and this was published also on April 1. New research links, humor to improve well-being in later life. So this is our next uh insight that we're going to look at today. This is from Ab Swinth Abaswinth University. Right. Okay, the article goes on to say humor plays a vital role in helping older adults to cope with the challenge of aging and staying socially connected according to new research. This is really, I'm really heartened by the fact that they're looking at this for our older population. The research research team drew in-depth interviews with older adults across Wales, Scotland, and England to reveal ways humor impacts well-being in later life. The study showed that older people use humor as a coping mechanism and way of maintaining dignity in the face of bereavement and the declining well-being of loved ones. The academics also found that the over 60s also used comedy to allay their health concerns and as a social lifeline. Women were more likely to describe using it to navigate emotionally sensitive situations or to deflect difficult feelings, while men tended to emphasize its role in social bonding. Women were also more aware of the negative side of joke telling than men. Lead author Heather Heap, Department of Psychology, said listening to participants talk about humor in their everyday lives made it clear just how deeply woven it is into the experience of aging. Many experienced a sediment, if I didn't laugh, I would cry. And that really captures the emotional weight humor carries with older adults. What we saw in the interviews was that humor isn't just light relief, it's a coping mechanism, a social glue for some, even a protective mask of what they have described as their dark days. There's a quote here. At the same time, participants were very clear that humor can be intimate and uplifting, but also harmful when it targets people rather than targets people rather than situations. Understanding that balance is essential if we want to appreciate the real role humor plays in well-being in later life. Well, that's you know, that is not only in later life. That's a big, you know, throughout the life. It's a big difference between humor that targets people as opposed to situations. Uh the study found that shared laughter strengthens relationships, we know that, and motivates old adults to seek out social interaction. Those with better well-being tended to use humor outwardly to uplift others, build connections, and maintain a positive outlook. In contrast, participants with lower well-being more often used humor defensively as a mask of coping shield. Isn't that interesting that you know the the elderly people that were using it well were using humor that felt well were using humor to to uplift others. That's that's very cool. And and the ones that didn't have as good a health or well-being were using it as for their own benefit. Several participants said they feel out of step with humour of younger generations. Some worried that the humour they enjoy is no longer considered acceptable, leaving them cautious about expressing themselves for fear of causing offense. Well, yes, we've all been there at the moment. While some older adults, while some older people told us they enjoyed dry or dark humor, many disliked jokes that targeted individuals, used profanity, or relied on aggressive comedic styles. And while some felt that jokes or stereotypes reinforced negative self-image, found jokes relatable, particularly uh okay, no. So the last bit here, the findings underline the need to take humor seriously within aging research. We need a larger and more diverse studies to explore differences across groups of adults in greater depth. Yeah, well, every research article calls for more research articles. That's how that works. But uh, yeah, nice one. It's good. So let's change tact now. So we've done a little bit of humorous stuff. Let's talk about what the so we started with the federal government in Australia bringing in the free mental health care. They've also made another interesting announcement this week. Defense and uh so this is from the Australian government, Defence Minister's Office. Once again, links in the show notes for these pages. This was published on the 31st of March, so only last week. Today marks an important milestone in the Albanese government's implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide. The Parliament has passed the Defense and Veterans Suicide. Sorry, the the Depart the Parliament has passed the Defense and Veterans Service Commission, Commissioner Bill 2025, and the Defense and Veterans Service Commissioner Consequential and Transitional Provisions Bill 2025. So I know that's a mouthful. What is it? This realizes the this this is basically what it is. This realizes the full intent of recommendation 122. This is from the Royal Commission into Defense and Veterans Suicide. This realizes the full intent of recommendation 122, the recommendation that the Royal Commission deemed its most important to establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence and Veteran Ecosystem. The Defense and Veterans Service Commission. So they're creating another entity to oversee system reform across defence. So reform is one thing, but these guys are going to oversee it. So this will be interesting to see how this pans out. The Commission is focused on improving suicide prevention and well-being outcomes for current and former serving Australian Defence Force members by providing independent oversight and evidence-based advice to the Australian government and parliament. Yeah, well, see, this is all good and well, right, to have these, you know, standalone entities and all this sort of stuff. But it all comes down to, you know, they talk about providing independent oversight and evidence-based advice to the Australian government and parliament. Yeah, well, advice is one thing, but it needs to be put into action. You know, we we don't we don't want this to spend three years in Parliament doing all of this stuff, but nothing actually changes on the ground. So the uh the article goes on to and once again, like I said, this is from the uh the Defense Minister's office. Right, here we go. The passage focused on improving veteran suicide. Well, okay, I'll come for me. Right. The uh the passage of this legislation is consistent with the government's commitment to enacting standalone legislation for the Defense and Veteran Service Commissioner and Commissions following the SWIFT passage of the enabling the legislation. The bill also reflects the government's response to the recommendations of the Senate, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Legislations Committee report, current enabling legislation. Okay, so that doesn't really have anything. The Commissioner is appointed a Governor General, and that Commissioner's function includes veterans, families. The government's response to the recommendation of the Royal Commission involves the most comprehensive reform ever undertaken to the systems, culture, and processes across defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs. So, yeah, well, we'll see what happens. You know, like I said, links will be in the show notes for this page. Down the bottom here, it's got other related releases, defense veterans bill passes, fence laws, and new space rolls in 80. Yeah, so action. It's all about action. We want action, you know. So, anyway, let's move right along to our next article that I found interesting. This was published, this is from the Conversation website, and this is published April 2nd this week. So the headline reads, My friends, men's well-being groups are growing and helping fill in the gaps for mental health support. I really like this one. Pressure on mental health services across the UK is leaving many men without timely support when they need it most. Men in the UK die by suicide at more than three times the rate of women. There's a link between poor mental health and suicide, which means men's well-being needs urgent attention. Yet long NHS, which is the National Health Service waiting list for psychological support, means that many men are unable to access help when they need it. So this isn't something that's you know specific to the UK. This article, you know, is pretty much can talk about a lot of countries will have similar, similar outcomes and similar results, you know, if you talk about data. In Wales, the mental health charity Mind Simru reports that more than 2,000 people with moderate to severe mental health problems are waiting over six months for therapy in any given month. When men are unable or unwilling to seek support, they have historically been inclined to engage in alternative coping strategies such as substance abuse. We know that's a big thing here in Australia. People go, oh, you just need to go to the pub and have a few drinks and get over it. And, you know, I still amazed that that seems to be a thing, you know, and what a lot of people don't remember is that alcohol is a depressant, my friends. It's not going to help. Substance abuse. As formal services come under increasing strain, informal men's groups, including community-based peer support groups, continue to grow. These groups remain poorly understood. New research by my colleagues and I on these groups in Wales shows that these groups could help fill the gap, an important gap in mental health support. And they do have links, right, to these journals where all of this sort of stuff. So I just clicked on that link here, so you'll be able to go to and have a look at this research, which is self-organised men's health and well-being groups and emerging social development, right? So that's interesting. But going back to the main article, so yeah, once once again, like I said, links will be in the show notes so you can explore this more if yours if you so desire. Uh we s we surveyed 30 men's well-being groups across Wales and found that these initiatives are thriving despite limited resources. More than 80% reported rising attendance during in men of all ages, which suggests that they may be responding to an unmet demand. We talk about most groups here were volunteer-run and operated without public funding, which many highlighted as the biggest barrier to providing the group. Only 21% reported having any professionally qualified staff. Yeah, see, that's interesting as well, you know, because that's the thing is I've been to, you know, men's sheds, I've spoken at men's sheds and I've spoken at men's groups here on the Gold Coast and and around Australia and stuff, and and it is good that a lot of them are starting to now get in guest speakers and and look, you know, when I do it, you know, you're not getting paid because you know they don't have any money, right? But you just go there because you you want help. And so yeah, I urge any, you know, health professionals or mental health professionals or anyone that wants to try and, you know, think what they can do for their community outside of the work, you know, going and just being a speaker at and spending some time at one of these men's groups is it's incredible what it means to them, you know. And and like it says here, you know, only 25% of these groups reported having any professionally qualified staff, and we need qualified people to be talking to these guys, you know, because we know some things are beneficial to say and some things aren't. So anyway, we're moving on. Yet these groups offer men a space where they can turn up and talk without fear or judgment. They're informal environments, offer appeal to men who feel uncomfortable with clinical structures, assessments, diagnose, and formal appointments, community groups held. Community groups help remove barriers that can deter men from seeking support and they can create a trusting environment perceived as more male-friendly. True, very true. I like this. Uh, the article goes on to say here from health by stealth to emotional openness. This is interesting. Traditionally, men's well-being community initiatives such as men's sheds have used health by stealth approaches. This means that by engaging in activities together, men are encouraged to communicate with each other, right? So they're building staff, they're working in a workshop, they're working on a car, they're making something, whatever. While 40% of groups still use these methods, the research showed a clear shift. Emotional expression is now central in many groups rather than incidental. Talking about personal issues featured strongly in our survey responses, with nearly 80% of the group saying they actively encourage men to speak openly about personal difficulties. Activities used to allow for conversations included support groups, structured uh discussions, and one-on-one conversations. So I've got to say, from a personal point of view, when like when I've experienced this, at the end of my presentation, I always offer a Q ⁇ A. You know, I say, look, you know, you got any questions, let's do it. And and some people will do a Q some people will ask the question, whatever question they've got there, and then in front of the group. And it's amazing how many times also I might have someone, man, men more specifically, usually, coming up to me and asking me a question after the Q ⁇ A is finished. They've they've had the question they've wanted to ask, but they just want to ask it privately as opposed to asking it in the group. And I totally get that. I totally understand it. You know, my only comment on that is the fact that, you know, remember that you obvio obviously if your question is very personal, that's understandable that you want to talk one-on-one with the person that you've got there. But sometimes if it's not a deeply personal question, it might be something that there's other people in the room that want to ask that, you know, don't have the courage or don't haven't thought of, and then you know, you might be the one to put your hand up, ask that question, and then all of a sudden there's half another other guy going, Oh, yeah, that's actually not a bad question, wouldn't mind? Knowing the answer to that. So yeah, QA is very important. The article goes on. Emotional expression matters because traditional masculine norm masculine masculine norms, especially the expectation that men should be tough, reject weakness, and high vulnerability have made it difficult for many men to talk openly about mental health. These challenges are intensified by long NHS waiting lists that can stretch into months and leave men without timely support. Happens here in Australia as well. There's a link here, interesting. Why toxic masculinity isn't a useful term for understanding all of the ways to be a man. So uh yeah, you can go and have a look at that research as well. So, but we won't go into that today. Right. Against this backdrop, our research shows that community groups are especially important and could help fill in important gaps in mental health support. These groups are creating spaces where men can be more emotionally open and talk about difficulties before they escalate. In doing so, they challenge traditional masculine norms and the idea that men simply will not talk about their problems. Our evidence contributes to emerging research showing that men uh showing that when the environment feels safe, men do talk. And and I totally 100% back that up. I've seen it firsthand here in Australia. This shift reflects a broader cultural moment in which more inclusive expressions of manhood are being promoted and widely accepted, and often expressions of masculinity are becoming more common among men. So uh yeah, quiet cultural shift. The article goes on here to say the growth of these community sport groups signals a subtle but meaningful shift in how men are experiencing different types of masculinity. These groups are not only helping men cope with health difficulties, but also helping them reshape the landscape of manhood. Uh, within these spaces, men are learning to express vulnerability without feeling that it undermines their identity or masculinity. This matters because these groups may be offering support at a time when demand for NHS mental health services is exceeding what is available. Our research had a modest sample size, so we still do not know exactly how these groups operate in everyday practice. Sorry, our research had a modest sample size, so we still do not know exactly how these groups operate in everyday practice or what they offer to different men. More detailed and in-depth research would help this understanding and provide clear insights into these how these groups might complement overstretched NHS services. Same thing here in Australia, exactly the same. Right. So, yep, men's groups, get out there and amongst it, fellas. Very important. Righto, so now let's uh let's change tact again. And you know, you know that I do talk about suicide prevention as well. So I found this very interesting article that was published on the Psychology Today website by Jamie uh Lusk. Uh she is uh it's got the A P P so I'm saying she's a psychologist. So the headline reads, and this is this is a bit of a content warning that we're going to be talking about suicide and self-harm over the next five minutes or so. So just letting you know that this is where we are going. So listener discretion is advised over the next little bit. The headline reads caring for the part of you that wants to die. What to do if you're thinking about suicide? Evidence-based guidance. This was published this week. And I've got to tell you, it's a really interesting article. She brings up some great points, useful stuff as well. And I just find it encouraging that, you know, a website like Psychology Today has the bravery to or the understands the importance of putting something, an article like this, out there in the public domain. Because it's really important. So um yeah. Kudos to these guys for publishing this article is where I'm going with that. So the key points, the article goes on to say, uh suicide crisis is often brief, but the pain can feel endless and overwhelming. Restricting access to lethal means and building a safety plan saves lives. Asking directly about suicide listening and validating experiences are crucial steps. You can build a life worth living even with your pain. So we start with some stats basically, and and the if you do end up going to the link, you will notice that at the bottom of this article, she does include all of her references in here, all the journal articles and re peer-reviewed articles that uh she has pulled all this information from. So very important to have that, especially when we're talking about this subject. So here we go, starting with have you ever thought about taking your own life? Worldwide, about 9.2% of people experienced experience thoughts about suicide at some point. And in the United States, 15.6% of adults report lifetime suicidal ideation. Reference included in there as well. In a given year, about 4.3% of the U.S. population experiences these thoughts. Of those who contemplate suicide, roughly one-third make a plan and nearly 29% attempt. Suicide remains a top cause of death in Europe and North America and is the leading cause of death amongst young people. She's got her research there to back that up. Now we go on to here to talk about risks, risk factors for suicide. What risk factors contribute to suicide? A recent review of 46 meta-analyses found major risk factors for suicide mortality included justice system involvement, especially after release, exposure to suicide of a close family member or friend, firearm accessibility, divorce, foster care experience, and unemployment in midlife. The strongest risk factors for suicide attempt deniation are childhood maltreatment, sexual assault, LGBT, IQ plus identification, homelessness, and incarceration. In European and North American psychological autopsy studies, about 90% of people who died by suicide had a mental disorder, and about 60% had a mood disorder, had mood disorders. Those figures do fluctuate around the world. And so, you know, the important takeaway for that is that not everybody who dies by suicide has a mental health condition, is is the big takeaway from that. So yeah, while these risk factors might tell us who might be prone to consider suicide, they don't tell us when suicide might be imminent. So let's talk about that. Suicide crisis syndrome. Galnica, Galinika, sorry, I should know how to pronounce this person's name. I'm terribly sorry that I don't proposed an emotional state called the Suicide Crisis Syndrome to help us understand what people are thinking, feeling, and wanting to do when considering suicide. He explained that trait vulnerabilities contribute to unhelpful narratives, which then contribute to a suicidal crisis. Now, what are trait vulnerabilities? Traits that increase vulnerability include a history of prior attempts or loved ones dying by suicide, impulsivity, hopelessness, perfectionism, fearlessness, and cultural acceptability. Jauna's interpersonal theory of suicides is Thomas Thomas Jauner's research that she's referring to here, explains that exposure to violence or death, combat abuse, combat abuse, self-injury, painful medical procedures or certain jobs increase the capability for suicide. In my research with veterans, cultural values like selflessness, pride, and a personal relationship with suffering can increase vulnerability to suicide. So once again, there's research there to back that up. Unhelpful narratives. For someone with the above trait vulnerabilities, certain thought patterns can lead to suicide ideation. So when you hear the term suicide ideation, that is basically thinking about suicide. Right, if you hear that term ideation. The SES identifies ruminating on unrealistic life goals, feeling entitled to happiness, humiliation, perceiving no future, thwarted belonging, and perceived burdensomeness. Now you've heard me talk about all of those a lot in the past, you know. Especially belonging, you know, feeling disconnected from community and burdensomeness, the big one, the big red flag. You know, if you hear someone, my friends might might say, someone say my friends and family would be better off without me around, that's that's the a big red flag. In my qualitative research with veterans, these narratives are often sounded like, so, you know, veterans, first responders, you know, this any of this could come from these people. Civilians don't understand you and you don't understand them and you feel alone. So this this has come from their research for this has come from veterans. In my qualitative research with veterans, so this is basically them telling the research is in their own words, these narratives often sounded like uh civilians don't understand you and you don't understand them, you feel alone. Now that I'm out of the army, I feel like an outsider. I try not to get too close to people unless I have to. Just so is that if they do die randomly, it just doesn't bother me as much. Nothing mattered to me. My grandchildren didn't matter, my daughter didn't matter, I just wanted the pain to end. That psychological ache is really overwhelming. So yeah. Suicidal crisis identi so this research has identified five warning signs for imminent suicide risk, especially amongst those with the above trait vulnerabilities and unhelpful narratives. So this is some useful information for you, my friends. Entrapment, perceiving that you are trapped in an unbearable situation with no escape is the first one. Two is effective disturbance, emotional pain that seems unimaginable, panic, disassociation, overwhelming shame, guilt, humiliation, loneliness, fear, angst, hopelessness, helplessness, extreme dissatisfaction with everything, dread of growing old, dying badly. Uh the third one, loss of cognitive control, remuneration, ruminate rumination. That is pronounced rumination. Sorry, folks, rumination, cognitive rigidity, racing thoughts. Number four is hyper-arousal, agitation, insomnia, irritability, constant vigilance, which is what we have, you know, a lot of our first responders are on constant vigilance. Uh, number five, social withdrawal, isolation, avoidance, and evasive communication. So once again, for those that follow the show notes, there are links here that they've got suicide risk, takeout depression, tests, find a therapist, all that sort of stuff. Suicide crisis syndrome has been shown to predict suicide attempts and behaviors even after accounting for other risk factors. Have you experienced this? So, down the bottom, the importance of a safety plan. So, this is some practical support. So, here we go. The importance of a safety plan. During a suicide crisis, creative thinking is impaired. In one qualitative study, people who attempted suicide describe tunnel vision in a dazed state, unexpected stimuli, a call, a sound, sometimes was enough to interrupt their attempt. So do your creative thinking ahead of time to build your safety plan. This is for yourself. So, like I said, this is this is what to do to try and care for the part of you that wants to die. So building your safety plan prior is where we're going here. So do your creative thinking ahead of time, build your safety plan. Step one, identify triggers and warning signs. Notice stories like I don't matter, struggles with isolation, trauma, loss, or moral injury. That's good that they put that in there. Moral injury, strong emotions, fear, anger, guilt, shame, and body sensations, tightness, heaviness, agitation. So identify triggers and warning signs. So um self-awareness is where that is. So basically, you go back to what is it, what was it, uh Life Skills Masterclass episode number one. We talked about self-awareness, very important. So um check that out. Step number two, internal coping strategies. Prepare a self-soothing kit. Favorite sense, music, photos, books, or videos that remind you of connection or check out the virtual hope box app to help you with both of these and your safety plan. Very important. Step three, social distraction. Go to a park, coffee shop, or attend a social group, visit with kids, pets, or nature to shift your focus, which is cool because I'm actually going to talk about nature in the next insight that I've found. And uh step four, supportive people, identify who you can tell that you're in a crisis, who is calm and non-judgmental and can help with practical steps like holding, like holding on to firearms or taking you to the emergency department. If you can't think of anyone, it's time to reach out to a therapist, a clergy who could help help you start to build a community, right? So supportive people is very important. You know, having that having that little support group around you is to uh what you know what's who's on your bus. And uh step five, crisis research, uh crisis resources. We all, you know, no matter where you are in the world, there's going to be crisis helplines. You know, I know, you know, in Australia, if you're in immediate, immediate fear for your safety, triple O, go to an emergency department. So lifeline, there's so many, no matter where you are in the world, there'll be crisis resources that you can reach out to. And so make sure you've got that information readily available for yourself. And step six, make the environment safe. Make the environment safe, restrict access to lethal means, give someone your firearms or medication or have someone take your car keys. This isn't forever, it's just while the crisis, while you're in that state of mind and until the crisis passes. And the last part of the article here goes on to building a life worth living. Why not try to build a life worth living where you don't want to die? Find a therapist to help you explore unhelpful, unhelpful narratives and unpack those. Change what you can in your life, even if that is a radical acceptance of some hard things that cannot be changed. Marsha Leinman, PhD founder of dialectual behavioral therapy, who has helped thousands of individuals work through their own suicidality, own suicidality, wrote that the desire to die by suicide has at its base a belief that life cannot or will not improve. Death, however, rules out hope in all instances. We do not have any data indicating that people who are dead lead better lives. Right. Well, life can get better. It's a temporary it can be a temporary thing what you're going through. So we don't know what happens when we die. We do not know that life can so we do know that life can be unexpectedly different on earth just around the bend. Dr. Lineman emphasized the importance of accepting where you are right now, even with all of your pain. If you don't accept that your tire is flat, you're not going to be able to change it. There may be constraints on what your life can look like, but there are no constraints on whether your life is worth living. Of course it is worth living. Absolutely it is a hundred thousand percent. Lineman Chronicles her journey to work through suicidality and build a life worth living in a book by the same title. Check it out. So yeah, like I said, very, very cool that psychology today is putting out content like that. So all right, let's shift gears and move along. We've got two more things I want to cover, my friends. I know we're just clicking over around an hour, so uh I'm gonna not hold you up much longer. Our next one, which I find interesting, is this is from The Conversation Again, and the headline reads, A Connection to Nature Fuels Wellbeing Worldwide, according to a study of 38,000 people. And this was published on March 25, so yeah, only a couple of weeks ago. The article reads, When life feels overwhelming, many people instinctively turn to nature, a walk in a park, sitting by the ocean, watching a sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling or is there something deeper at work? A multitude of studies have linked spending time in nature with different aspects of mental health and wellness. For example, immersing oneself in outdoor natural spaces seems to lift depression and influence brain activity patterns. Now, once again, follow the link and you will go to the research article to support this. So, effective forest therapy on depression and anxiety of systematic review and meta-analysis. So all of the research is there, my friends, on these articles, so you can click through and have a look at it. So, yeah, for example, immersing oneself in outdoor natural spaces seems to lift depression, influence brain activity patterns. The effect may be especially relevant in children. Most research on this question has looked at people living in so-called weird societies, which, you know, acronyms, right? So weird, weird society is a Western educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic. Right? So are you living in a weird society? Western educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic. As environmental psychologists based in the US and in Germany, we were part of a team of more than a hundred researchers who set out to examine this phenomenon on a global scale and determine how consistent it is around the world, across countries as diverse as Brazil, Japan, Nigeria, Germany, and Indonesia, we saw a clear pattern. People who felt more connected to nature also reported higher well-being. So if that's you, tell us, tell us all about it. Worldwide oneness with nature. Researchers who studied people's relationship with the natural world often use the term nature connectedness. This phase doesn't simply mean going hiking or visiting a park. Nature connectedness refers to the extent to which people see nature as part of who they are, whether they feel an emotional bond with it, the natural world, and experience a sense of open oneness with it. You know, someone who has a high degree of nature connectedness might agree with the statement like, my relationship to nature is an important part of who I am. It reflects identity and meaning, not just exposure. We draw on data collected between 2020 and 2022 from more than 38,000 participants through a large international collaboration that was established to gauge how people responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants came from 75 countries and were and were on average in their teens, 20s, or 30s. They completed questionnaires that explored the link between people's bond with nature and the several aspects of well-being. So it'd be interesting to see what biases they've put in there because of the pandemic and and and people's view on nature because they couldn't go out. The questionnaire probed people's sense of purpose in life, their feelings of hope, life satisfaction, and optimism, their sense of resilience and their ability to cope with stress that they felt, as well as whether they practice mindfulness as they go through their everyday life. Across this large international sample, we found that people who felt more connected to nature consistently reported higher levels of well-being and mindfulness. This was true not only for feeling satisfied with life, but also deeper aspects of flourishing, which is a new term, which what's not a new term, but I really like the term are you flourishing in your life? And these associations held, sorry, going back. This was true not just for feeling satisfied with life, but also for deeper aspects of flourishing, such as having a sense of direction and meaning, and these associations held even when accounting for age and gender, gender. Does the context matter? We also explored whether specific characteristics of a country strengthen the benefits of feeling connected with nature. For example, we looked at things such as how well countries take care of their air, the water systems, ecosystems, as well as whether citizens have equal access to education, democratic participation, and other key social and financial resources and whether cultures tend to prioritize collective well-being over individual priorities. There were some differences, but the main takeaway was pretty clear a connection with nature and well-being shows up across a wide range of economic, cultural, and environmental context. In other words, the psychological benefits of feeling connected to nature do not appear to be limited to wealthy Western nations or specific cultural worldviews. So, why might connection matter? One reason why feeling a connection with nature might be linked to well-being is that nature connectedness fosters mindfulness, the ability to be present and attentive and attentive. Once again, Life Skills Masterclass, episode four, we talked about mindfulness. In our data, people who had a stronger sense of nature connected, nature connectedness tended to have higher degrees of mindfulness, which in itself strongly linked to mental health. So that's cool. So if you click on that one there, right, there we go. The relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being, examining indirect effects of self-connection and meaning in life, published 16th of February 2012, 2022. So, and that's uh applied research quality of life. So, yes, as I said, all the research stuff is there to back it up. Another possibility is that bonding with nature may also make people more resilient, people who feel connected to something larger than. themselves may find it easy to cope with stress and anxiety, stress and uncertainty. Once again, interesting research. How does nature connectedness improve mental health? Right? Boom, it's there. Uh, sense of belonging, very important, implications for policy and everyday life. Yeah, so across cultures, yeah, we're down the bottom here. Across cultures, across cultures, languages, and economic systems, feeling connected to the natural world is consistently linked to living a more hopeful, purposeful, and resilient life. At a time when mental health challenges are rising globally, reconnecting with nature is not a luxury, but a fundamental and widely shared human need. And it is free. It is free. So, yeah, there you go, my friends. That's uh a connection to nature fuels well-being worldwide. So that's it. And our last one, our last we made it. Here we go. This is the last one. I know ticked over an hour. I wanted to try and give it another an hour, but I think that was a bit of wishful thinking. Our last one's Easter, right? It's Easter. And so this article is from the Hunter Medical Research Institute. It was published on the 2nd of April a couple of days ago. And the headline reads, What does chocolate do to your brain? Right. It's Easter, right? Everyone loves the Easter eggs. We're going to get amongst them tomorrow. And but aside from that, who does chocolate's great, right? So um I'm just going to finish on this because it's you know, it's a bit of fun, this story. So uh why does chocolate, what does chocolate do to your brain? Chocolate contains compounds including theobromine, flavonoles, and phenyl ethalamino. Phenyl ethylene ethyl oh man, I pronounced this perfectly yesterday. You'll have to read it for yourself. Lethamine. Okay. I'm just gonna admit, you know, I made a mess of that, but some of these big weeds, they're just too big for my little brain. Dark chocolate has been leaked with increased blood flow to the brain and release of feel-good chemicals, including dopamine and serotonin. The benefits are most associated with high cacao varieties consumed in moderation. Whether it's a full-wrapped egg discovered at the back of the garden, a family-sized block of Cadbury disappearing suspiciously fast, or a Tim Tam dunked in a kappa. Australians take chocolate component of Easter seriously, and it turns out our brains are on board. We spoke with Professor Karen Chelton from University of Newcastle and HMI's Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program about the compounds in chocolate that influence how we feel, how we think, how we feel, and why not all blocks are created equal. The chemistry behind the craving. Chocolate is made from cacao, and cacao is packed with bioactive compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier and influence how you think and feel. One of the most notable is theobromine, a mild stimulant related to coffee that can promote alertness and elevate mood without the sharp spike and crash associated with coffee. Chocolate also contains small amounts of caffeine itself, which reduces feelings of fatigue and improves focus. Handy if you are facing a long drive back from the coast on Easter Monday, or you know, you're at work next week, you've got to have that afternoon, three o'clock afternoon chocolate fix. We've all done that before. Then there is phenyllethamine. Oh, I did it. Phenoleth I mean, that's it. Then there is phenyllethamine. That's it. I did it. I knew I know how to pronounce that bloody word. Then there is phenolethom phenollethamine. I've said it too many times. I'm blown. Phenolethamine, right, okay. A naturally occurring chemical in the brain, also produced when we experience excitement or attraction. Well, I'm excited now. It encourages the release of endorphins, and is this this is thought to contribute to that warm, pleasurable feeling that makes it so hard to stop at just one square. Yeah, nobody can eat just one square of chocolate. What makes cacao interesting from a brain health perspective is that it contains a unique mix of bioactive compounds that interact with the brain on multiple pathways at once, Professor Charlton explains. Some, like theobromine and caffeine, act as mold stimulants when, while off others, while others influence blood flow and signaling to the brain, it's quite unusual for a food to have both vascular and neurochemical effects, even at relatively small doses. The feel-good connection is what the next article, the next paragraph says the feel-good connection. Eating chocolate is understood to prompt the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, motivation, and reward. Right, excellent. Pleasure, you know that you can enjoy that chocolate. Motivation, get up off the couch, go to the fridge, and grab some chocolate, reward, sit on the couch and eat it. There is good evidence that chocolate activates the brain's reward system, particularly dopamine pathways, which helps explain why it feels pleasurable. Well, that bloody tastes good. Some of the mood lift is biochemical and some is psychological. The taste, texture, and cultural associations all matter too, as do childhood memories. The important point is that the effect is real, but it is short-lived and not a substitute, not a substitute for broader dietary patterns that support mental health, such as eating plenty of brightly colored fruit and vegetables. To further the feel-good connection, choose chocolate that has been sustainably sourced, which means that the cacao farmers are fairly remunerated and supply chains that have been audited against environmental and social standards. Look out for labels such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance each year. The global chocolate scorecard produced by Bee Slavery Free in collaboration with Australian universities is released each year around East End evaluates companies that collectively purchase over 90% of the world's cacao. Wow, okay. So uh there you go. Not all chocolate is created equal. The brain effects most associated with chocolate are thought to come from flavornos-based compounds found in the cacao. And it is that is how it's pronounced. C-A-C-O-A. I wanted to check cacao, and that's how it's pronounced. Dark chocolate tends to be richest in these, and they are generally understood to support healthy blood flow to the brain, which may benefit cognitive function, memory, and attention. We love the dark chocolate. Yeah, I was a bit disappointed to read this next bit because I don't mind milk chocolate, right? But it says here milk chocolate contains significantly fewer flavonoles, and white chocolate contains no cacao solids at all. That novelty white chocolate bilby is delightful, but it doesn't do your prefrontal cortex any particular favours. If you are reaching for chocolate with the brain health in mind, varieties with 70% or higher cacao content are a good starting point. So much for the white chocolate. Anyway, a little bit goes a long way. You do not need to eat an entire Easter egg, right? Depending on how big your Easter egg is, of course. You do not need to eat an entire Easter egg to give your mood a gentle nudge in the right direction. Even a small amount of good quality dark chocolate may be enough to do the trick. Of course, the four-day long weekend that we're experiencing right now has a way of making proportion sizes feel a little bit more flexible than usual. Yes, I felt that last night when I was going to town on some fresh prawns. Like most good things, the benefits appear most pronounced when chocolate is enjoyed as part of a balanced diet rather than as a competitive sport. Right. Most of the, this is a quote here once again, most of the brain health research points to flavonoles, which are also found in foods like berries, teas, and some fruits, Professor Chelton says. Dark chocolate can contribute, but it works best as a small part, it's a small part of a flavonol-rich diet that a standalone, not rather than a standalone solution, in practical terms, that might mean a small square or two of dark chocolate a few times a week, not daily large portions. Well, we've just established before that you can't just eat one square, can you? I mean anyway, but it says not daily not daily large portions, right? So they are known to influence blood vessel function, uh they are known to influence blood vessel function, inflammation, and cell signaling, which is why they are often linked with cognition and healthy aging. These studies showing benefits reflect regular, modest intakes over time, not Easter style consumption, right? So Easter style consumption is in going hard. And so there you go, that's it. That is the uh that is the last item on my list that I wanted to share with you in this pulse episode. So here's the thing, right? Is like I said, right at the start, usually I do these pulse episodes, you know, I try and do them as a five, you know, five insights that I found interesting. But this time I wanted to do ten because I haven't done one of these pulse episodes in a while. So and uh there you go. So look, my friends, here's the thing is as always, I just want to really thank you for your time because uh I know that time is your most valued asset. And if you're tuning in and you're listening and you've made it all the way to the end here, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. And I also appreciate any of you that share this content with someone who you feel as they might benefit from where they might find this episode interesting, or you know, they might find the Life Skills Masterclass stuff interesting, or any of any of the episodes that we've put out since we started this The L After Clinic podcast. So may I ask, please, you know, it it does take a bare bit of work to put these together, right? So all I ask is just please simply leave a if you want to leave a review, fantastic. You want to just you know leave a comment on any of the episodes, any way that you can engage in some way with the whether you're watching it on YouTube, Facebook, uh sorry, um Apple, uh Spotify, where it is that you're getting this content from, some some type of review or or comment really makes a difference in relation to how the algorithm makes this content available or or puts it in front of other people who may be looking for this type of stuff. So yeah, there you go. So I if you can do that, that would be greatly appreciated, my friends. It really would. And you know, it's been going great. I've noticed that we are around, I will actually I will tell you actually before we go, just quickly, because I find this interesting. I'm gonna share with you, right? Okay, so the latest stats on the podcast are that we're reaching 58 countries, 278 cities around the world, 58 countries and territories around the world, and 278 cities spread across those 58 countries. So wherever you are listening, wherever you are listening, thank you. Thank you very much for tuning in. I I really appreciate it, like I said, and uh anything that you can do to help get this content out there to a wider audience is greatly appreciated. So uh that's it, my friends, for today, for our pulse episode for today. I hope you've enjoyed the Life School's masterclass over the last month. It's been a hectic week, just gone, you know, conferences I've been working at and that sort of stuff, but uh back now, and I've got a couple of really cool interviews coming up. I've got uh Dr. Clarence Tan, who's quite a he's a bit of a futurist, Clarence. So uh Clarence is gonna be chatting soon, and and I'm gonna be chatting to one of my mates, Matthew DeGauldy, Matt DeGauldi, who's uh been a professional clown, a circus clown for over three decades, and Matt's a great guy. So uh that's gonna be coming up in the next couple of weeks as well. So yeah, there you go. Hope you have a fantastic Easter wherever it wherever it is that you are and whatever it is that you're doing. I hope you uh find a way to please look after yourself, be kind, be kind to yourself, and be kind to those around you. So uh, yeah, I'll talk to you next time, my friends. Thanks for tuning in. Cheers.

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Thank you for listening. The information contained in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. It is not intended, nor should it ever replace advice received from a physician or mental health professional. Want more info? Visit Lumpterclinic.com.au. If you enjoyed the episode, please share and subscribe. Thanks again for listening to the Lumpter Clinic Podcast with your host, Lucky McConville.