# Research Notes

Plain explanations of mental health research. What each study measured, what it found and how much confidence the finding deserves.

These notes take one published study at a time. Each explains what the study measured and how much weight the finding can carry.

They describe evidence. They do not give advice about your own health.

![A quiet study corner with an armchair, an open book and a set of brass scales on the desk](https://viacara.com/img/content/research-read-study-feature-light.webp)

## [Guernsey's suicide rate is below its 2019-21 peak, and Jersey's has held steady](https://viacara.com/research/channel-islands-mental-health/)

Guernsey's suicide rate is below its 2019-21 peak and Jersey's has held steady for a decade. What the island mortality reports measure, and their limits.

![A garden bench at dusk with a dog lead and a folded blanket beside the chair](https://viacara.com/img/content/research-pets-feature-light.webp)

## [Pets do not improve mental health on average](https://viacara.com/research/pets-and-mental-health/)

Across 159,322 people, pet owners were no less likely to be depressed. Dogs do get people walking, and a pet softens a bereavement. The costs are real too.