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Developing Teacher Capacity And Resilience To Support Vulnerable High School Learners, Carla K. Walsh

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores ways students designated with mental health and/or moderate to severe behaviour disorders can be supported to successfully transition between grades and through to graduation at Creekside Secondary School, a large secondary school in British Columbia. Current data shows these students are not experiencing the same success as their non-designated peers, feel less connected to their school, and have much lower rates of graduation. Referrals to tier-three alternate programs is the current practice if the school is unable to meet the needs of the students to fully include them in their mainstream classes. This OIP …

Building A Framework To Address Barriers Impacting Implementation Of Student Well-Being Initiatives, L. Bailey Wallace

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In 2012, The Government of Canada released a report titled Changing Directions, Changing Minds, with the goal of outlining a national strategy aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health. The document was also meant to serve as a tool in increasing awareness of and access to public services available to Canadians experiencing mental health issues. For their part, Canadian school districts are moving forward with their own strategic goals to promote understanding of mental health and to offer appropriate resources to all members of the school community.

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will explore a problem of practice …

A Study Of Risk Factors Of School Disengagement: Evidence From The Interrai Child And Youth Mental Health Instrument (Chymh), Li Sun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

School disengagement (SD) places students at risk of dropout, academic failure and other negative psychological outcomes. Based on the data derived from a sample of southern Ontario children, this exploratory study aims to identify a wide context of risk factors associated with SD among 1298 school-aged students. Logistic regression model revealed that substance use, family functioning, Attention Distractibility Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and victim of bullying significantly predicted SD. Externalizing problem was slightly stronger than internalizing problem in predicting SD. Females, compared to males, were at lower risk for SD. Implications to decrease the likelihood of premature school termination were also …

Accessibility And Self-Disclosure Of The Journey Through Mental Health: Youth Sharing Their Lived Experience, Caryl-Anne Stordy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using the lived experiences of youth in Southwestern Ontario, the current project explores the decision of youth to self-disclose their status of mental illness and disability. To explore the process of disclosure, three research questions were asked: (1) what are the youth’s expectations of disclosing their story to others?; (2) what is the experience of youth with mental illness and disabilities in choosing to disclose their story to others?; and (3) what is important to youth about the decision to disclose or choosing to make their experiences public? Participants' experience of disclosing was documented over four group sessions, one team …

Bullying Experiences Among First Nations Youth: Identifying Effects On Mental Health And Potential Protective Factors, Caely I. Dunlop

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bullying represents a substantial issue facing Canadian youth, and is associated with negative outcomes across domains of function throughout the lifespan. Despite significant literature examining bullying involvement among adolescents in Canada, a paucity of research explores the bullying experiences of First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) youth. This is particularly concerning, as these youth may be at higher risk for bullying and its related consequences due to the cultural marginalization and systemic inequalities experienced by Indigenous peoples nationwide. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature, examining the bullying experiences of FNMI youth, the effects of these …