Webinar 42 | Heavy metal exposure and mental health among adolescents in Nunavik

Speaker: Dave Saint-Amour, researcher at the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine and professor in the Department of Psychology at UQAM. 

Abstract: Due to their traditional diet, the Inuit of Nunavik are among the most exposed populations to environmental contaminants in North America. A prospective mother-child cohort (Nunavik Child Development Study, NCDS) has been established to examine the effects of in utero exposure on child development. In this webinar, a follow-up study on the mental health of 212 adolescents in relation to pre- and postnatal exposure to methylmercury and lead is presented. Multiple regression analyses show that these contaminants are associated with disturbances in sensation seeking, emotional regulation and anxiety. These results suggest that exposure to environmental contaminants is a significant risk factor for well-being and mental health in this population.