Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Intersectional Factors Associated With Mental Health Service Utilization In A Sample Of Lgbt2q+ Canadians, Samson Tse

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present thesis explores LGBT2Q+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), Two-Spirit, queer/questioning, plus) and racialized mental health service utilization within Canada using intersectionality-informed quantitative methodology, separated into additive and multiplicative stages. Data from the 2020 LGBT2Q+ Health Survey (N = 1542) were analyzed using modified Poisson regression. Additive analyses explored mental healthcare utilization as framed by the Andersen Behavioural Model of Healthcare Utilization categories: predisposing, enabling, and need. Results show that predisposing and need factors are more statistically associated with mental healthcare utilization, and that there are distinct intracategorical (within-group) differences in subgroups, particularly between racialized and Indigenous respondents. …

Covid-19 And The Correctional Environment: An Analysis Of Canadian Correctional Officers’ Experiences Of Stress And Mental Health During The Pandemic, Kristina Kocsis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This national survey research project examined the experiences of Canadian correctional officers (COs) in providing essential correctional services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sampled COs from several provinces across Canada (N=596) to better understand how the pandemic impacted stress and wellbeing of this population by exploring seven constructs including resiliency, workplace safety, changes in role or responsibilities, work stress, COVID- 19 related stress, perceived support, and positive mental health. The transactional model of stress and coping and the biopsychosocial model of stress were used as theoretical frameworks to investigate stress responses among COs. Respondents reported significant changes to their …

"Learning" To Feel Valued: Exploring The Impact Of Community Service Learning On Student Mattering And Mental Health, Emily Weatherhead

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Post-secondary students are facing an unprecedented level of mental health concerns. While treating mental illness has traditionally been prioritized, mental health promotion strategies are also essential. Existing research has shown that mattering, one’s ability to feel valued by and add value to their community, can promote positive mental health in post-secondary students. Using mixed methods, the goal of this research was to explore the potential of community service learning (CSL), which allows students to participate in community placements in exchange for course credit, to increase student mattering and positive mental health. Pre- and post-online surveys were administered to a sample …

Disclosing Mental Health: The Experience Of Post Secondary Students Transitioning Into A Career/Experiential Learning Environment, Jennifer Mei

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The stigma associated with mental health and underrepresentation of students with disabilities in higher education is well documented (Barnard-Brak, Lechtenberger, and Tan 2010, p. 411). This presents a disclosure problem for post-secondary students with mental health challenges who are transitioning into a career or experiential learning environment. If students require workplace accommodations, they may find themselves faced with a decision to disclose mental health challenges to a faculty supervisor, career services practitioner or potential employer. Difficulties with mental health can be experienced because of a diagnosed mental health disability or be a symptom of another diagnosable disability.

The research begins …

A Program Implementation Fidelity Assessment Of A Housing First Program In Ontario, Steven Bigioni

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research sought to assess the degree of fidelity to the Housing First model achieved by a new Housing First program in a mid-sized Canadian municipal region, and the factors that promoted or hindered fidelity therein. The program was delivering an adaptation to the Housing First model that prioritized home-based support, which was assessed simultaneously. Fidelity ratings were gathered by a team of researchers during a site visit that included observation of a staff meeting, seven interviews with program leaders and staff, two focus groups with program participants, and 10 chart reviews. Overall, the findings show a high degree of …

Fall Reading Week: Exploring The Effects On Student Well-Being, Roobina Medhizadah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mental health is a concerning issue in post-secondary institutions across Ontario. Post-secondary students are challenged with many stressors such as time management and living independently for the first time (Wagner & Rhee, 2013). In an attempt to help students, maintain or improve their mental health, universities across Ontario have implemented fall reading week, a mid-semester break (Poole et al., 2017). Previous studies (Cramer & Pschibul, 2017; Poole et al., 2017) provided mixed results in whether fall reading week positively influences student mental health and well-being. To date, few studies have explored the influence of fall reading week on student health …

Tough But Not Enough: Female University Athletes Self-Reported Mental Toughness, Kerrie Trottier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Mental health and sport related mental toughness have become prominent in the media in recent years. Successful athletes cope with stressful situations by building their mental toughness in response to challenging conditions. In university, athletes are required to maintain performance standards, school standards of excellence, and continue to develop their mental toughness. This study was motivated by the limited knowledge associated with female athletes, at a unique point in their life where they are challenged both academically, socially, and in their chosen sport.

Methods: This study proposed the following two questions; “What are the factors associated with mental toughness …

Unseen And Unheard: Exploring The Mental Health Of Mostly Heterosexual College Students, Shannon Pendleton

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Theses and Dissertations

College years have long been understood to be a difficult yet important developmental period in an individual’s life, which may be particularly challenging for sexual minority students who tend to face discrimination on campus, which can undermine their mental health. Research in both college student and non-college student samples has shown that mostly heterosexual is a distinct sexual orientation. However, little is known about the wellbeing of individuals, including college students, who identify as mostly heterosexual. Moreover, among college students, little is known about the intersections between a mostly heterosexual identity and mental health. This study examined the association between …

The Experience Of Mindful Self-Compassion, Erika Ristok

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Given the benefits seen in the literature with regards to mindful self-compassion, embodiment of positive emotion, and the efficacy of brief interventions, this study sought to advance an understanding of the experience of mindful self compassion. Eight participants were taught a brief self-compassion exercise along with a step that embodies a feeling of comfort. The participants were drawn from a wait-list for counselling services at a Family Health Team site. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format following training and practice with the self-compassion exercise. Qualitative phenomenological analysis was used in order to gain an understanding of the essence …

Exploring The Discourses Of Compulsive Hair-Pulling: A Body-Mapping Study, Julia Mason

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Compulsive hair-pulling (which is sometimes diagnosed as the OCD-Related Disorder, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour, "Trichotillomania)" is an understudied experience that has significant social and emotional impacts on the women that it affects. This study focused on the meanings that are derived from the interactions that women with compulsive hair-pulling experience with social discourses surrounding mental illness, physical appearance, and behaviour. Guided by relativist ontology and the co-creation of understanding between researcher and participants, this qualitative exploration was guided by anti-oppressive practice and used an arts-based research method called Body-Map Storytelling. In group format, four women were invited to describe their knowledge, …

Participant Perspectives On Housing And Landlords In A Canadian Housing First Program, Timothy Macleod

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Housing First (HF) is an evidence-based approach to housing and services for adults who are chronically homeless and have a psychiatric disability. Research has demonstrated that HF rapidly ends homelessness but less in known about how participants experience their housing environments and landlords. This study is a part of a larger Canadian randomized field trial of HF that included qualitative interviews with participants in five cities. The narratives of 127 participants randomized to HF (n=82) or Treatment as Usual (TAU, n=45) were collected with regard to their perceptions of housing and landlords. Participant narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis and …

Emerging From The Wreckage: The Exploration Of Mental Health, Stigma, And My Experiences Of Living With Obsessive-Compulsive "Disorder", Katelyn P. Harrington

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study is an autoethnography exploring my experiences of living with Obsessive Compulsive “disorder” (OCD). The stigma surrounding mental health is one of the most devastating and problematic issues in Western society today. Many individuals with a mental “disorder” suffer in silence due to the shame and fear of being ridiculed and discriminated against within their intimate and wider social networks. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is currently one of the most prevalent anxiety “disorders” and is characterized by intruding obsessive thoughts and ritualized or compulsive behaviours. Individuals experience a great deal of distress and embarrassment in dealing with the stigma and …