The Top Ten Myths of Behaviour Change

- A Communications Specialist with Metro Vancouver talks about what drives behaviour change, in the context of increasing recycling, at the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s 2011 annual conference. He lists ten myths and breaks them down into anecdotes and references to studies on things like financial incentives.

For example, a daycare instituted fines for parents who picked up their kids late, but lateness increased because people felt like they’d bought a service.

After discussing myths, he talks about how we can change behaviours and develop new habits, drawing on knowledge from psychology, behavioural economics, marketing, neuroscience, sociology, social media, and more.

As an avid recycler who wants to help the environment however I can, new ways to promote recycling using social proof and other smart tactics sound very promising.

Three stories of recovery from depression.

A short documentary by a student filmmaker about a peer support group in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

A call to shake off shame, come out of the closet and be open about mental health issues in order to fight social stigma.

A psychiatry research group at UBC in Vancouver measures quality of life in bipolar disorders, developing a new scale that’s now freely available.

A documentary about a group of artists who have schizophrenia working out of Cottage Studio, an art studio program for mental health consumers in Hamilton, ON. People discuss their past and present experiences with schizophrenia, and how creating art improves their lives.

An interview with a health reporter about mental health and the media. Stigma, sensationalism, writing about policy, and more.

Short documentary about Canadian author and artist Sandra Yuen MacKay, who has schizoaffective disorder and asserts, “Despite having a mental illness, I thrive on life.”

Interview with a Vancouver, BC man who is homeless after completing a drug rehab program, talking about housing conditions in the Downtown Eastside and systematic barriers to stable mental health and sobriety with housing.

Employers and labour leaders discuss practical solutions to improving mental health in the workplace.