There’s a Mental Health Crisis in Alberta’s Oil Patch: Here’s What We’re Reading

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Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. Oil, heartbreak, and manhood: Behind the mental health crisis of Alberta’s oil workers

“The blue-collar province consistently records one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and mental health experts believe it’s only worsened since the economic downturn in late 2014. The following year, suicides spiked 20% — to a rate of 15.8 per 100,000. Alberta hasn’t seen a rate like that in two decades, and mental health visits to the emergency department and call volumes at crisis centres also rose sharply. It’s impossible to draw a direct line, but many counsellors say they’re treating more people, namely men, in the patch.”

BuzzFeed News

2. Canada’s economy blows away forecasts with 4.5% growth — its strongest start to year since 2002

“Household spending and exports, particularly in the form of energy products, drove the increase in real gross domestic product, the agency said.

“The sturdy GDP data provides the latest evidence the 2017 momentum has continued to build and arrives with the Bank of Canada widely expected to once again hike its benchmark rate in the coming weeks.”

Financial Post

3. Trump: Special counsel teams up with New York attorney general in Paul Manafort probe

“The cooperation is the latest indication that the federal probe into President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is intensifying. It also could potentially provide Mueller with additional leverage to get Manafort to cooperate in the larger investigation into Trump’s campaign, as Trump does not have pardon power over state crimes.”

Politico

+1: Manafort notes from Russian meeting contain cryptic reference to ‘donations’ – NBC News

4. The unbearable irony of meditation apps

“‘Do nothing for 15 seconds.’

“The ad on my iPad screen taunted me with its invitation, set against a soft-focus image of rain-kissed greenery. Do nothing for 15 seconds! I cracked up. I’d already been doing nothing for 15 minutes. ‘Doing nothing’ is pretty much my raison d’être when I pick up my iPad.”

Wired

5. I now have equity in an alt-right Twitter clone

“What now?”

The Outline

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Alberta,Canada