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Research Snapshot: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Evaluation Of A Universal Healthy Relationships Promotion Program For Youth, Centre For School Mental Health

Research Snapshots

This study evaluated the Health Relationships Plus program (HRP) with a group of Canadian youth. HRP aims to promote positive mental health and reduce bullying and substance misuse. Researchers found that HRP participation significantly reduced the odds of physical bullying victimization at one-year follow-up compared to the control group.

A Feasibility Trial Of Mental Health First Aid First Nations: Acceptability, Cultural Adaptation, And Preliminary Outcomes, Claire Crooks, Andrea Lapp, Monique Auger, Kim Van Der Woerd, Angela Snowshoe, Billie Jo Rogers, Samantha Tsuruda, Cassidy Caron

Journal Articles

The Mental Health First Aid First Nations course was adapted from Mental Health First Aid Basic to create a community‐based, culturally safe and relevant approach to promoting mental health literacy in First Nations contexts. Over 2.5 days, the course aims to build community capacity by teaching individuals to recognize and respond to mental health crises. This feasibility trial utilized mixed methods to evaluate the acceptability, cultural adaptation, and preliminary effectiveness of MHFAFN. Our approach was grounded in community‐based participatory research principles, emphasizing relationship‐driven procedures to collecting data and choice for how participants shared their voices. Data included participant interviews ( …

Feasibility And Fit Of A Mental Health Promotion Program For Lgbtq+ Youth, Alicia A. Lapointe, Caely I. Dunlop, Claire Crooks

Journal Articles

This study evaluated the feasibility and fit of a mental health promotion and violence prevention program adapted for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 14-18). The pilot program included 16 30-minute sessions and was implemented in 8 gender and sexuality alliances (GSAs) and one community youth group setting. Extensive feedback was collected from 11 facilitators via session tracking sheets, ongoing email communication, an implementation survey, and a focus group; and from 7 youth who participated in a variety of feedback activities during a 2-day post-program workshop. Results indicated a strong interest in formalized programming, challenges related to its delivery in GSAs, and significant …

Estimating Costs And Benefits Associated With Evidence-Based Prevention: Four Case Studies Based On The Fourth R Program, Claire Crooks, Jennifer Zwicker, Lana Wells, Ray Hughes, Amanda Langlois, J.C. Herb Emery

Journal Articles

Teen violence in dating and peer relationships has huge costs to society in numerous areas including health care, social services, the workforce and the justice system. Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse have long-lasting ramifications for the perpetrators as well as the victims, and for the families involved on both sides of that equation. An effective violence prevention program that is part of a school’s curriculum is beneficial not only for teaching teenagers what is appropriate behaviour in a relationship, but also for helping them break the cycle of violence which may have begun at home with their own maltreatment as …

Health Relationships Plus Program Facilitator Implementation Experience Feedback, Debbie G. Chiodo Ms.

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

The Fourth R Healthy Relationships Plus Program (HRPP) is an evidence-informed small groups program that aims to equip students with the skills they need to build healthy relationships and help themselves and their peers reduce risky behaviours. The HRPP consists of 14 one-hour sessions covering topics such as peer pressure, helpseeking, media literacy, healthy and unhealthy peer and dating relationships, healthy communication, mental health and wellbeing, suicide prevention, and the impacts of substance use and abuse.

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Facilitator Training Feedback, Amanda J. Kerry, Claire Crooks

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

The Fourth R Healthy Relationships Plus Program (HRPP) has the capacity to positively impact youth; however, program content alone does not lead to benefits. Delivering effective programs requires facilitators to feel comfortable and prepared to implement the program with their students. Additionally, it is important that facilitators maintain program fidelity and implement the program as it was designed. Facilitators’ confidence, competence, and understanding of fidelity can be developed through well designed trainings. Quality training provides facilitators with the opportunity to understand the program objectives, learn the content, and enhance their knowledge of program fidelity. As part of the evaluation project, …

Healthy Relationships And Wellbeing Among Youth Offenders, Amanda J. Kerry

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

Historically, the perception of youth offender treatment programs was “nothing works” (Andrew & Bonta, 2010). Fortunately, we have since shifted from that view and current research suggests that effective programs for youth offenders should aim to reduce re-offending by targeting multiple risk factors and promoting the development of healthy, prosocial skills. Consistent with the effective ingredients of programming, the Fourth R and HRPP programs target multiple risk factors (i.e., substance use, risky sexual behaviour) and promote social and cognitive skill building (i.e., communication skills, help seeking). The goal of this research project was to examine the feasibility and fit of …

Teen Relationship Violence And Wellbeing Among Lgbtq+ Youth, Alicia A. Lapointe

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

Many LGBTQ+ youth experience mental health challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-harm, attempting or dying by suicide, etc.) due to homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, transphobia, cissexism, and cisnormativity, and other interlocking oppressions (e.g., racism, colonialism, ableism, sexism, etc.). Due to prejudicial attitudes and beliefs, LGBTQ+ youth may experience interpersonal issues with family members, peers, classmates, co-workers, etc. The HRP for LGBTQ+ Youth was designed to support queer, trans, and gender diverse youth as they navigate and cope with LGBTQ+-based oppression. Since youth groups and GSAs are ‘safer’ venues for LGBTQ+ youth to find support and develop relationships with like-minded folks, they are …

The Healthy Relationships Plus Program: National Implementation Summary, Claire Crooks

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

There is a clear need for evidence-based approaches to promote mental health and prevent violence among youth. These programs need to be flexible enough to be implemented in diverse settings. Ideally, they would also address multiple outcomes at once. We know that there is a significant overlap among violence, substance misuse, and unhealthy sexual behaviour (i.e., the adolescent risk triad). These problem behaviours are linked in several ways: they co-occur, they share risk factors, and they frequently emerge within the context of dating and peer relationships. More recently, researchers have identified mental health as an issue that overlays all of …

Two Years Of Relationship-Focused Mentoring For First Nations, Metis, And Inuit Adolescents: Promoting Positive Mental Health, Claire Crooks, Deinera Exner-Cortens, Sarah B. Burm, Alicia Lapointe, Debbie G. Chiodo Ms.

Journal Articles

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) youth are disproportionately affected by a range of negative health outcomes including poor emotional and psychosocial well-being. At the same time, there is increasing awareness of culturally-specific protective factors for these youth, such as cultural connectedness and identity. This article reports the findings of a mixed-methods, exploratory longitudinal study on the effects of a culturally-relevant school-based mentoring program for FNMI youth that focuses on promoting mental well-being and the development of cultural identity. Participants included a cohort of FNMI adolescents whom we tracked across the transition from elementary to secondary school. We utilized data …

Promoting First Nations, Metis, And Inuit Youth Wellbeing Through Culturally-Relevant Programming: The Role Of Cultural Connectedness And Identity, Claire Crooks, Dawn V. Burleigh, Ashley Sisco

Journal Articles

Objectives: Although culturally relevant programming has been identified as a promising practice for promoting resiliency among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) youth, the specific ways in which these programs contribute to wellbeing are unclear. The Fourth R: Uniting Our Nations programs include an array of strengths-based culturally relevant programs for FNMI youth that have been found to increase wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to explore how culturally relevant programming provides a forum for intrapersonal and interpersonal growth.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 adult FNMI community and education stakeholders who have had extensive involvement with the …

Shaping A Mental Health Curriculum For Canada's Teacher Education Programs: Rationale And Brief Overview, Susan Rodger, Kathryn Hibbert, Alan W. Leschied Dr., Laurel E. Pickel, Magdelena Stepien, Melanie-Anne Atkins, Adam Koenig, Jessica A. Woods, Matthew R. J. Vandermeer

Journal Articles

It is a well-known and accepted statistic that one in five Canadian children will experience a significant mental health challenge prior to their 18th birthday; this is a conservative estimate given the many who suffer ‘under the radar’ with transient sadness, depression, and anxiety (Flett & Hewitt, 2013). And if we have yet to be sensitized to this critical period of childhood and adolescence, longitudinal studies indicate that 70% of adults who experience an emotional disorder report having their first onset episode prior to the age of 18 (Kessler et al., 2009).

Children First: It’S Time To Change! Mental Health Promotion, Prevention, And Treatment Informed By Public Health, And Resiliency Approaches, Vicki Schwean, Susan Rodger

Journal Articles

Although the importance of healthy mental development in children and youth is not disputed, the mental health needs of far too many Canadian children are being ignored. Within the context of recent federal and provincial calls for systemic reform of the mental health care systems for children and youth, we underscore the necessity for ongoing innovation, development, education, and evaluation. This article describes our aims to establish demonstration and research sites focused on promising frameworks that draw from systems of care, public health, and resiliency approaches.