Still, We Thrive: Understanding How Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men (Gbtmsm) Experience Structural Barriers & Facilitators To Wellness, Lucas Gergyek

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Historically and concurrently, structural violence has been a significant force influencing the sexual health and broader health of gay, bisexual, transgender and other men who have sex with men (GBTMSM). Yet to date, the majority of projects exploring the health inequities facing GBTMSM have focused on intrapsychic and behavioural factors as most related to poor health outcomes. As well, these studies are sometimes deficits focused, and fail to evaluate how GBTMSM continue to thrive, and maintain positive health. As a result, the ways in which systems and policies underlie and perpetuate health inequities facing GBTMSM have been somewhat obscured. Connectedly, …

"If We're Not Loud, We're Not Cared For": Empowerment In Transgender Peoples' Healthcare Experiences, Chase Valiant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the health and quality of life of transgender (herein trans) people. The experiences people have when accessing healthcare, can have significant effects on future interactions with the healthcare system as well as individual health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather insights into trans peoples’ positive healthcare experiences and health outcomes through the lens of empowerment. Fifteen interviews with trans men and trans women were drawn from a larger study of trans peoples’ experiences of discrimination. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes in the data. Experiences of empowerment were facilitated …

“What If This Happiness Doesn’T Last Forever?”: Stressors Faced By Racialized Sogie Refugees, Moni Sadri-Gerrior

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Racialized refugees with diverse SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) experience the unique intersection of racism, homo- and/or transphobia, and anti-refugee sentiments. As a result, this group (herein: racialized SOGIE refugees) often face poor mental health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to identify stressors faced by racialized SOGIE refugees in Ontario through the lens of Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory. The interviews from ten racialized SOGIE refugees and two service providers living in Ontario were taken from a larger study looking at the life trajectories of SOGIE refugees. Participants identified both explicit and …

Invisible Wounds: Assessing The Awareness Of Moral Injury Among Toronto Police, Daniel Saugh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral injury is believed to exist within the Canadian Police Services though it is difficult to recognize and is usually ignored. The research data emerging from military and first responders (i.e., police, firefighters, and EMS personnel) reveal the effects of moral injury and its implications for mental and spiritual health as it persists throughout the life and career of those affected.

This study investigates how moral injury may emerge from a potentially traumatic event(s) and/or psychological trauma and/or independent from such trauma and how moral injury may come to exist in members of the Toronto Police Service, as well as …

How Did We Learn About Sex? —— Sex Education And Sexual Health In Chinese Youth, Yujuan Liu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Attitudes toward sexuality among Chinese youth have become more liberal in recent generations, but sex education remains controversial and limited. Due to the lack of awareness of sexual risks, many Chinese youth engage in unprotected sexual activities resulting in unintended pregnancy, abortions, and STIs. Therefore, understanding successful pathways and unique challenges are crucial to develop adequate sex education for youth’s sexual health in China. The current study used semi-structured in-depth interviews and investigated 28 Chinese youths’ experiences of sex education and sexual health. The results mapped out youth’s sex education experiences by age and sources and demonstrated the impacts of …

Second Generation Christian Korean Canadians: Exploring Their Lived Experiences Of Mental Health Issues And Services, Kyoung Jung Kim

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of second-generation Christian Korean Canadian young adults with mental health issues (MHI) and their use of health services (MHS). In addition, this study asked this cohort to discuss their beliefs about the views their parents held about MHI and MHS. All research participants were born and raised in Canada by Korean born immigrant parents. This study was descriptive, phenomenological, and qualitative in nature; it consisted of in-depth interviews with six male and six female participants. In their experience with MHI, seven participants experienced fear and sadness (depression and anxiety) and three of them …

Beneficial Mourning By Inmates Who Have Lost A Significant Person, James Bradley Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Incarceration is already replete with loss before someone of significance to an inmate dies. The prison environment challenges every aspect of grieving, and failing to effectively mourn pathologizes grief, reduces quality of living, and results in behaviours that cause recidivism. It is a poignant interaction between this researcher in his role as a chaplain and a particular inmate that provides the impetus for this study. This study begins with a qualitative meta-synthesis that examined 10 qualitative articles and dissertations published over the last 30 years to explore how some inmates manage to effectively grieve the loss of a significant person. …

Yardwork: A Biography Of An Urban Place By Daniel Coleman, Vivian M. Hansen

The Goose

Review of Daniel Coleman's Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place.

A Phenomenological, Arts-Based Study Of Art Therapists’ Self-Reflective Practice, Laurie Ponsford-Hill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This phenomenological, arts-based study examined the experiences of 15 art therapists using five-minute, full-bodied self-portraiture with 55 minutes of self-reflective journaling once a week for four weeks at the end of each work week. The therapists determined the location for this practice. Subsequently, the four artworks, as a serial, were explored with each participant in a one-hour telephone or Skype interview to understand their lived experience through art, and its signs, and symbols. This process enabled the therapists to act as witness to their respective self/selves, deepening their insights and connections about self. The transcribed audio-taped interviews were manually coded …

Hiv Testing In The Context Of Hiv Stigma And Minority Stress, Mallory C. Harrigan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The HIV test is highly valued for its role in promoting personal health, aiding in HIV prevention, and enabling the epidemiological tracking of the virus. However, relatively few scholars have critically examined the social and cultural implications of testing practices (Scott, 2003). These implications are of particular concern because the groups targeted for testing (referred to as service priority groups) are marginalized communities, and have historically been further marginalized by many public health HIV prevention efforts (Waldby, 1996). This thesis examines the experience of receiving an HIV test from the perspective of individuals in service priority groups, which include gay, …

Experiences Of Victimization And Health Care Access Among Non-Metropolitan Lgbtq+ Individuals, Ashley-Ann Marcotte

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals report substantial rates of violence, discrimination, and negative life events due to homophobia and transphobia and these experiences impact access to health care services and programs (Bauer et al, 2009; Grant, Mottet, Tanis, Harrison, & Keisling, 2010) These experiences result in LGBTQ+ communities needing services, programs, and social supports to provide safer spaces. Although it is well recognized that health care services are not a major determinant of health outcomes and yet use more than 60% of health spending (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2014; Muzyka, Hodgson, & Prada, 2012). As such, …

Reproductive (In)Justice: Exploring Young Women’S Experiences Of Reproductive Saliency In An Oppressive Environment, Angele D. Desroches

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Young North American women are currently coming of age in a sociopolitical context governed by neoliberal ideology, post-feminist assumptions, agentic femininities, and demographic trends that have lengthened pathways to adulthood. Consequently, the avoidance of early reproductive experiences has become a key requisite governing the success of the young female subject. This project explores the diverse reproductive experiences of eleven young (≤ 24 years of age) women residing in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Prince Edward Island’s conservative community culture, anti-choice policies, and limited youth focused sexual-reproductive health services produces a unique experiential setting for young women who encounter reproductive events. Through …

Through An Intersectionality Lens: Service Provider Views On The Sexual Health Needs Of Racialized Lgbtq Youth In Toronto, Shanshan Yan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis explores the needs and gaps in knowledge and service delivery in sexual health for racialized LGBTQ youth living in Toronto, Canada from the perspective of service providers. Through a grounded theory approach, data were analysed using an intersectionality lens with the intention that the complex identities of the youth be considered. The findings of this study shed light on the barriers that operate at the micro (ie. personal), meso (ie. community) and macro (ie. societal) levels that affect the sexual health outcomes of racialized LGBTQ youth. Key findings from this study point to: 1) the need to closely …

A Policy Analysis Of Two Preschool Prevention Programs In Ontario, Seema Aggarwal

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to examine issues relevant to best practices for preschooler mental health prevention policy so as to inform future prevention policy. Data were gathered through the examination of two preschool prevention programs, Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs) and Healthy Babies, Healthy Children (HBHC). These prevention programs were examined with respect to four major issues: (a) the ideology and origins of the program, (b) theoretical underpinnings, (c) research base, and (d) implementation and adaptation issues. To explore these four issues, qualitative methods were used in the form of document reviews (two documents for the Early Years …

Lifestyle, Medical, And Socio-Structural Content In The Portrayal Of Heart Disease In The Print Media, Christina Jane Fuller

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis, l examined how cardiovascular disease (CVD) is portrayed in magazines. Analyses of health in the mass media provide insight into the messages that society receives on areas such as disease, wellness, medicine, illness prevention, and health-promoting and health-damaging lifestyles. In this thesis, l reviewed literature on health promotion, population health, and mass media. Through content analysis I examined quantitative and qualitative differences in the portrayal of CVD in terms of lifestyle, medical, and socio-structural content. I compared articles from magazines that are associated with different socio-economic statuses (SE8), ages, and genders (n = 104). The findings illustrate …

The Struggle For Community-Based Health Care: A Case Study Of The Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (Ontario), Suzanne Galloway

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rural communities are particularly disadvantaged in terms of access and control of their health care. Community based health care settings have the potential to provide the collaborative and integrated wellness care espoused in government declarations and reports. In this ethnographic case study, I relate the real life struggle of a citizens’ group trying to establish the Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (RVCHC), in the small rural town of Killaloe in Northeastem Ontario. My objectives in this research were threefold: to contribute to the setting and document its development process; to reflect on my role in this process; and to inform …

The Lived Experience Of People Receiving Assertive Community Treatment: A Phenomenological Study, Salinda A. Horgon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of service delivery, which has held considerable influence in policy and decision making in the mental health field over the past 30 years, has recently been promoted at the provincial policy level in Ontario. Previous studies on ACT have been primarily quantitative in nature and have contributed greatly to the body of knowledge that we now possess regarding the clinical outcomes produced by the ACT model. However, with the Ontario government’s financial plan to significantly increase the number of ACT programs in this province, the mental health field would benefit from …

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me: The Relationship Between Gay Men Living With Hiv And Their Physicians (Immune Deficiency), Adele Parkinson-Heyes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis I examine the doctor-client relationship from the perspective of gay men living with HIV. I asked six gay men living with HIV the following open-ended question “Could you tell me about the relationship you have with your physician?” during in-depth interviews. I used narrative analysis to interpret the verbatim transcriptions of each interview. In the findings section I present each man’s story in his own words supplemented with my interpretative comments. The findings revealed that gay men living with HIV had both positive and negative experiences in their relationships with physicians. I identified two contrasting themes: connection …

An Examination Of The Creation And Impact Of A Supported Housing Program For Psychiatric Consumer/Survivors, Shannon Parkinson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Supported housing has existed for approximately a decade, but knowledge on the implementation of the approach and the impacts on consumer/survivors is scarce. The current qualitative study described a supported housing program in Winnipeg, Manitoba and determined a fit with the definition of supported housing developed by Parkinson, Nelson, and Horgan (1999). Information was presented regarding the implementation process of this program, including review of the program operations, implementation of the shift, remedying difficulties, and maintaining practice within the values of the community integration/empowerment paradigm As well, three individuals shared personal stories of their involvement in the program and the …

Applied Ethics In Mental Health In Cuba: Concepts, Values, Dilemmas And Resources, Laura Sanchez Valdes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis I studied the concepts of applied ethics of mental health professionals in Cuba. In the thesis, I discuss the values that guide Cuban professionals in their work, the dilemmas they encounter, the resources that facilitate solving ethical dilemmas and the barriers they encounter in addressing them. In addition, I present recommendations for the prevention of harm in professional practice. In the first part of the literature review, I critique traditional concepts of applied ethics prevalent in North America. These concepts are criticized for their lack of applicability to the working life of the professional. An alternative model …

Single Mothers, Income, And Health: An Analysis Of Risk And Protective Factors, Melanie Quickfall

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the relationships between single mothers, income and health, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects that certain risk factors (low income, stress, public housing, financial stress, education, home satisfaction, single parenting) and protective factors (neighbourhood satisfaction, social support, program participation, community integration) had on both the physical and mental health of single mothers. In the quantitative component, statistical analyses (a series of two-way mixed ANOVA’s and linear regressions) were conducted on interview data from 276 mothers who were involved in the Better Beginnings, Better Futures project in Highfield-Etobicoke, …

Making Connections: Greek And Sri Lankan Tamil Perceptions Of Mental Health, Ways Of Coping, And Help-Seeking, Margaret Douglin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis explores the perceptions of mental health, mental health problems, depression, and the coping and help-seeking behaviour of Greeks and Sri Lankan Tamils in Toronto. The study was undertaken in collaboration with a community mental health agency located in the Toronto community council area of East York. The information from this study will be used to help the agency, "Alternatives," develop a strategy for reaching more members of diverse ethnic communities. In this study data were collected through interviews with Greek and Tamil service-providers and focus groups with lay community members using a qualitative, culturally sensitive, and participatory action …

A Formative Evaluation Of The Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project, Michelle Marie Monforton-Everest

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In 1993 The Government of Canada allocated 2.7 million dollars to fund five Breast Cancer Information Exchange Pilot Projects for five years. The Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project (OBCIEP) is one site of this innovative approach to linking breast cancer stakeholders and women with breast cancer and coordinating available information sources to improve access to information about breast cancer for women, their families and health care professionals. Formative evaluations are conducted to learn from a novel program such as the OBCIEP. This paper outlines a collaborative approach to evaluation using qualitative methods and analyses. The results of the evaluation …

A Community-Based Needs And Resource Assessment On Youth Mental Health: Bay Of Islands/Pasadena, Newfoundland, Joanne A. Mills

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this research project, I undertook a community-based needs and resource assessment on youth mental health within a western Newfoundland community to assist a mental health planning team, the Community Mental Health Initiative (CMHI). CMHI is a stakeholder-based committee dedicated to addressing mental health concerns for all citizens in a geographical area in western Newfoundland, encompassing the city of Corner Brook, the communities along the north and south shore of the Bay of Islands, and the community of Pasadena. The mandate of CMHI includes identifying mental health needs and promoting the general well being of all persons of all ages …

The Use Of Dance In The Promotion Of Mental Health In Girls: An Exploratory Study, Irene E. Rossberg-Gempton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study had two purposes: (1) to understand how girls experience dance and (2) to examine the idea of using dance as a venue to promote psychological well—being and artistic growth in young children. Fifteen girls between the ages of 3 1/2 and 10 years old participated in a dance program offering dance warm ups, dance techniques, sequential dance steps, pantomime explorations, and creative dance. Methods of data collection included journal notes, video—taped observations, parental interviews, and children's self—reports, drawings, and interviews. The formative evaluation of this dance program indicated that the participants of this small rural community had happy …

Framework For Support: Desired Relationships Between Self-Help-Groups And Professionals, Vicente Constantino

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this study I sought to find out how self-help groups and professionals perceive and relate to one another. The stakeholders involved in this study were self-help group members (psychiatric consumers/survivors and families and friends of consumers/survivors) and community-based and hospital-based professionals. The research questions were as follows: 1. What are the experiences and views of consumers/survivors and family self- help group members with regard to community-based and hospital-based professionals? 2. What are the experiences and views of community-based and hospital-based professionals with regard to consumers/survivors and family self-help groups? 3. What kind of relationship with professionals do self-helpers want? …

Citizen Participation In The Development Of Religious Communities As Extended Health Care Centres, Theresa Connie Dunn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Citizen participation was encouraged through the use of a needs and resource assessment. The assessment accomplished: 1) a process of involving rural citizens in community decision-making and 2) gathering data useful to the planning of a community chaplaincy program. Seventy participants completed a questionnaire through one of three methods: 1) self-administered by mental health service users, 2) a phone survey of residents in remote rural areas, and 3) a nominal group process involving congregational members. I focused the analysis of the data on: 1) the actual and suggested resources the participants reported for the four needs: personal, spiritual, social and …

Ontario's Mental Health System: The Experience Of Families And Their Perspective On Reform, Eric Laite Macnaughton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Over 100 family members were interviewed—individually and in focus groups—to gain a picture of their lived experience and their perspective on reform of Ontario's mental health system. The thesis looks at needs of families in two ways. first, by examining the common themes of their experience with the mental health system and with supporting "consumers" in the community; and second, by asking families directly about their satisfaction with existing supports, and about needed additional supports. Focus group participants were asked to make suggestions about innovative models to meet unmet need, and about how families could participate more fully in the …

Youth Stress, Support, Coping Skills And Depression: Developing A Model For Primary Prevention In The High Schools, M. Jill Somerville

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the needs and resources of Galt Collegiate Institute and the City of Cambridge in order to develop a primary prevention program for adolescent stress, support, and coping skills. Two hundred and ten high school students (grade 9 to OAC) completed an adolescent experiences questionnaire including measures on daily hassles, social support, coping skills, depression, and affect. As well, ten individuals from the community completed an interview focusing on program ideas and available resources. Multiple regression analyses of the student data revealed that hassles were directly related to negative affect and depression, and coping skills were directly related …

The First Two Years Of Woolwich Community Health Centre: Program And Project Evaluations, Corrine W. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community health centres were set up to aid in combatting the accelerating rate of spending in health services, to encourage a shift from the present emphasis on acute hospital in-patient care to other forms of health care, and to more fully reflect the objectives and priorities of illness-prevention and health promotion, and community-based care. Broadly, the purpose of this thesis was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a new health centre—Woolwich Community Health Centre. Specifically, the evaluation assessed health promotion and illness prevention programs implemented by the staff of the health centre, client empowerment and client satisfaction with the health …