Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Trends And Factors Associated With Suicide Deaths In Older Adults, Eada Novilla-Surette

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Suicide in older adults is a significant overlooked problem worldwide; particularly in Canada where a national suicide prevention strategy has not yet been established. This population-level study utilized and analyzed linked administrative health care databases (from 2011-2015) that were available at ICES (provincial health care administrative data steward), to build a better understanding of suicide (rate; trends; risks/preventive factors) in older adults living in Ontario, Canada. The findings suggest that suicide remains a persistent cause of death in older adults (with an average annual suicide rate of 0.1 per 1000 people over 5 years; the risks include being male, living …

Mood And Anxiety Disorders, Measurement, And Migrant Groups In Ontario, Jordan Edwards

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Our objectives were to: (1) evaluate the current literature on the epidemiology of mood or anxiety disorders among migrant groups; (2) assess how current tools for measuring mood or anxiety disorders at the population level influence our understanding of the epidemiology by a) analyzing the concordance between two commonly used population measures, and b) using a Bayesian analysis to create a combined estimate using both measures; (3) estimate the prevalence and effects of potential risk factors on the prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders among first-generation migrant groups compared to the general population in Ontario. We conducted a systematic review …

Extrafamilial Stressors And Family Functioning In Families Of Transgender And Non-Binary Youth Receiving Gender-Affirming Care: A Latent Class Analysis, Laura Douglas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Families often experience extrafamilial, transgender-specific social stressors as they accompany their transgender or non-binary (TGNB) youth through the gender-affirming care process. Guided by family systems theory, family life cycle perspective, and queering family perspective, we explored whether these stressor experiences were quantifiable as a latent variable, and whether such a latent stressor variable might have a relationship with family functioning. We conducted a latent class analysis using parent-report of stressor experiences in a Canadian sample of TGNB youth under 16 years of age who received gender-affirming care for the first time. Families fell into one of 4 stressor groups: “Low …

Exploring The Effects Of The Cycling Without Age Program On Older Adults Living In Long-Term Care, Victoria Cotnam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Cycling Without Age program, offered in long-term care homes around the world, allows residents to experience the feeling of a bike ride in the trishaw as a volunteer pedals the electrical bike. The purpose of this pragmatic observational study was to measure the effects of an existing program in a Canadian long-term care home on residents’ happiness, quality of life, pain and functional status (using Resident-Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set 2.0). A convenience sample of 39 residents participated in two groups, a biking group (n=23) and a strolls group (n=16) over the period of 12 weeks. Findings show that …

Evaluating The Process Of Involving Affected Community Members In Service Delivery And Design: A Deliberative Dialogue Case Study, Tiffany N. Scurr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigates the use of a deliberative dialogue (DD) as a method of patient and public involvement (PPI) in decision-making and priority setting in service delivery and design. A single mixed methods case study was used to evaluate a DD that involved tenants of a rent-geared-to-income building as stakeholders alongside public health, primary care, and social services. Using quantitative survey data and inductive thematic analysis of project documents, focus groups, and field notes, we found that: (1) tenants highly valued actionable outcomes; (2) it is important to recognize diverse types of evidence and knowledge sharing; (3) engaged facilitation is …

Adhd Symptoms And Substance Use Among Adolescents In Ontario: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Sex Differences And Covariates, Shannon W. Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objective: 1) Estimate the prevalence of self-reported ADHD symptoms in sample of youth (grades 9-12) in Ontario schools, by sex; and 2) Assess the relationship between ADHD symptoms and substance use (alcohol, tobacco cigarettes, cannabis, stimulants) by sex, controlling for socio-economic status, internalizing and externalizing problems.

Methods: Data from 2015 and 2017 (n = 6,923) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, included self-reports of ADHD symptomatology and substance use. Statistical analyses included bivariate tables and multinomial regressions.

Results: Prevalence for ADHD symptoms was 20.22%, 95% CI [18.52, 22.03] (males = 16.42%, 95% CI …

Navigating The “Blind World”: The Psychosocial And Occupational Experiences Of Parents Of Adolescents With Visual Impairments, Peiwen Cao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using a constructivist narrative inquiry approach, this research study sought to explore how parents of adolescents with visual impairments story their psychosocial and occupational experiences. Participants of the study consisted of four parents who were currently raising adolescents with visual impairments between the ages of 14 to 17. Participants took part in two in-depth narrative interviews, in which they answered several open-ended questions about their experiences of raising their adolescent children who were visually impaired. Participants also participated in a brief concluding interview session, in which they provided feedback on the narrative that I constructed based on their interview responses. …

Ongoing Information And Support Needs Of Parents Of Children With Epilepsy, Mary C. Secco

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this research is to gain insight into the ongoing information and support needs of parents of children with epilepsy. Using descriptive content analysis of text found in twenty client case files, communication logs, and email correspondence, parents requested information and support provided by a community epilepsy agency to mitigate changes in treatment protocols, challenging child behavior, rushed healthcare provider communication, lack of access to mental health services and barriers encountered in the school system. Parents requested system navigation and school advocacy from community epilepsy agency staff intermediaries to develop rescue medication protocols and to mediate parent-school disputes. …

Implementing Innovative Mental Health Supports And Services At A Post-Secondary Institution, Adam K. Lawrence

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In 2020, the Government of Ontario published a report entitled In It Together: Foundations for Promoting Mental Wellness in Campus Communities. This document outlines that the priority of post-secondary institutions should be the health and well-being of students by ensuring that students receive the supports they need to be successful. Most importantly, the document outlines a community approach needed for students to access mental health supports and services on their campuses. Many post-secondary students are becoming increasingly aware of their own mental health needs prior to enrolling at university or college. This has resulted in a culture on post-secondary …

The Experiences Of Female Adolescents Who Have Sustained A Concussion Through Sport Participation: A Consideration Of An Occupational Perspective During Recovery, Annalise Michelle Tichenoff

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Adolescence is a time of rapid and tumultuous development in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains. Sustaining a concussion during this time period may complicate this development, particularly when symptoms are prolonged. Of particular importance is the study of adolescent females, as this population has been under-evaluated within the literature. This is especially troubling due to the number of concussions that occur among adolescent females, as concussions within this population reportedly occur at twice the frequency of adolescent males. This dissertation presents a qualitative case study investigation that explores the recovery experiences of adolescent female athletes who have sustained a …

Reducing Behavioural And Psychological Symptoms Of Dementia In Older Adult Long Term Care Home Residents With Virtual Reality Therapy, Munira Sultana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individuals with dementia often exhibit Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). BPSD worsens as dementia progresses and intensifies caregiver distress. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario recommends non-pharmacologic methods such as group activities, music therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) to manage BPSD. I wanted to explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a possible CST for Ontario long-term care home (LTC) residents with moderate to severe dementia. I analyzed data of a single site case series (n=24), piloted to explore the feasibility of VR therapy, residents’ tolerance for the therapy, facilitators and barriers to …

Effects Of A Pregnancy Lifestyle Intervention On Emotion Regulation In Infants Responding To A Toy Removal Task At One-Year Of Age, Mollie Manley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Poor infant emotion regulation (ER) has been linked with increased psychopathological risk in infancy and childhood. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis suggests the prenatal period as the earliest point of intervention, where fetal exposure to healthy lifestyle changes can promote optimal ER in infancy. Infant electroencephalography (EEG; n=13) and heart rate variability (HRV; n=18) were measured at rest and in response to a toy removal task, to determine the ER of infants whose mothers participated in a nutrition and exercise intervention during pregnancy. Results demonstrated positive left frontal alpha asymmetry at rest (0.08± 0.66) and in response …

Developing And Evaluating The Integrated Addiction Recovery Model For The Persons' Engagement And Retention In The Recovery Process Among Clinical Populations From Rwanda, Boniface Harerimana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background

To date, research that has investigated psychosocial processes and mechanisms, which underpin addiction recovery outcomes are scarce. This study sought to develop and test an integrated addiction recovery model for the recovery process while accounting for an individual’s psychosocial context.

Methods

This predictive study used consecutive sampling strategies to recruit 315 participants from tertiary addiction care settings in Rwanda. Data on the hypothesized model variables and individual’s characteristics were collected with self-reported measures. Structural equation modelling techniques were used to test the model psychometric measures and associations between latent variables.

Results

Baseline data analyses showed a mean age at …

Kindness As An Intervention For Student Social Interaction Anxiety, Resilience, Affect, And Mood: The Kiss Of Kindness Study Ii, Katie J. Shillington

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research sought to assess the impact of deliberate acts of kindness (DAKs) plus access to a stress management booklet (intervention), compared to the booklet alone (control) on the stress-related outcomes of resilience, social interaction anxiety, affect, and mood of undergraduate and graduate students. Participants’ study-related experiences were explored, as were the types of DAKs. This repeated-measures, randomized controlled trial included 112 students (80 undergraduate and 32 graduate) with 56 in each condition. Four scales were implemented at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 3-months post-intervention. A linear mixed effects model was utilized with group and time entered as fixed effects. Content …

Construction And Preliminary Validation Of The Interrai 0-3 Developmental Domains, Jo Ann M. Iantosca

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background. With no standardized approach for early assessment of childhood development in Canada, and with a lack of a comprehensive assessment-to-intervention system that amalgamates social, psychiatric, medical, functional, psychological, and environmental constructs, the interRAI 0-3 was developed to support intervention efforts based on the needs of young children and their families. The interRAI 0-3 includes over 650 items that seek clinical information, developmental milestones, and context items regarding the family and social relationships surrounding the child. The newly developed interRAI 0-3 was most recently evaluated to examine the reliability and validity of the Expressive and Receptive Language and the Gross …

Social Connectedness And Self-Perceived Mental Health In Canadian Transitional Aged Youth, Romaisa Pervez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction:Transitional aged youth (TAY; ages 15-24) is a vulnerable age group that face several life changes which contribute to many forms of distress in their lives.

Objective:To assess the impact social connectedness has on self-perceived mental health in Canadian TAY.

Methods:The dataset provided by the Canadian Community Health Survey 2016 cycle was used. Listwise deletion was used to handle missing data. The final sample size for the study was 5,378 youth between the ages of 15-24. Linear and ordinal logistic regressions were conducted for the statistical analysis of the dataset.

Results:With every point decrease in social …