Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Goals Of Family Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia Across The Caregiving Career, Shalane R. Basque

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Understanding goals of family caregivers of persons with dementia is critical to provide effective education and support. However, there is little understanding about family caregivers’ goals. This study investigated goals set by family caregivers prior to an education and training program and whether their goals varied across the caregiving career. Phases of the caregiving career were measured by relationship identity; the extent to which participants viewed their relationship in terms of familial and caregiver roles. Conventional content analysis on goals of 30 family caregivers yielded five categories which varied by relationship identity. Enhancing relationships reflected goals for the familial role …

Neuronal Correlates For Neuroendocrine Habituation To Repeated Stress, Sara Matovic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One way that the body actively responds to an impending stressor is by increasing systemic glucocorticoids through the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. While it is essential for short-term adaptation to stress, the sustained activation of the HPA axis during chronic stress can be detrimental and is linked to stress-related psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important that the HPA axis adapts, or habituates, during chronic stress to minimize the negative consequences. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) function to assimilate incoming information from the stress circuitry and …

Rural Ontario Youth And Mental Wellness, Brad Ross

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding rural Ontario youth and their mental wellness. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) How do rural youth maintain mental wellness? and 2) What factors facilitate or hinder the mental wellness of rural youth from their perspective? Eight rural participants, four male and four female, aged 16-23 provided data via one on one interviews. It was found that many rural youth have adapted to utilize their rural environment, social support, and intrapersonal techniques to maintain their mental wellness. Furthermore, four main themes act as both facilitators and hindrances to their …

Social Support, Social Participation, And Depression Among Caregivers And Non-Caregivers In Canada: A Population Health Perspective, Jovana Sibalija

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Caregivers report higher depression levels than non-caregivers. Depression is a major concern because it predicts poor health. Poor caregiver health negatively impacts care provision and increases institutionalization risk for the ill relative. Social support and social participation can influence depressive symptoms in caregivers, with low levels linked to higher depression scores. Previous studies used small, non-Canadian samples. The present study used population-level data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to investigate the relationships among social support, social participation, and depression in caregivers and non-caregivers. Analysis of variance assessed differences in the means of the social variables and depression. Path …

Transitioning From Children's Mental Health To Adult Care: Stakeholder Perspectives And Tracking Service Use Into Adulthood, Kyleigh E. Schraeder

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transitioning youth from Children’s Mental Health (CMH) services to adult care poses a major challenge for our mental health and health care systems. This dissertation used a mixed-methods approach to explore the challenges of caring for youth with ongoing mental health problems into young adulthood. A Grounded Theory qualitative study consisted of interviews with youth (i.e., ages 12 to 15) treated in CMH, their parents, CMH providers, and family physicians. Using administrative health record and CMH data in the province of Ontario, a complementary quantitative study examined the likelihood of receiving mental health services within the medical sector after the …

Indigenous Food Insecurity In Canada: An Analysis Using The 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, Melissa Subnath

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Food insecurity in Canada’s Indigenous population continues to be an urgent public health issue, as prevalence is much higher for Indigenous Canadians than non-Indigenous Canadians.

Objective: To examine the associations between social determinants of health, Indigenous-specific factors and food insecurity among off-reserve Indigenous adults aged 20 and older in Canada.

Methods: Data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey were used in this analysis. A hierarchical logistic regression model was run to examine relationships between social determinants of health, Indigenous-specific factors and food insecurity.

Results: Younger age, Inuit identity, low income, educational attainment less than high school, lack of employment, …

Understanding The Processes That Shape Cross Sector Service Provision In The Towards Flourishing Mental Health Promotion Strategy: A Secondary Analysis Utilizing Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology, Shannon E. Winters

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Canada, many national, provincial, and regional policies indicate that working together within and across sectors in health and social care is necessary and expected but evidence to support this call is lacking. This dissertation study explored the concept of cross sector service provision (CSSP), defined as: independent, yet interconnected sectors working together to better meet the needs of service users and improve the quality and effectiveness of service provision. The intent was to advance our understanding of processes involved in shaping service provision offered by two or more sectors. The thesis contains three studies. A Scoping Review that explored …