Our Research Studies.
Developing a Suicide Prevention Strategy for Public Safety Personnel (PSP)
Due to the nature of their jobs, Public Safety Personnel (PSP) are chronically exposed to incidents that may be traumatizing. This exposure has been linked to an increased risk of suicidal behaviour and dying by suicide. Concerns about the mental health of PSP have been growing among policy makers, researchers, clinicians, and PSP members alike. In response to this pressure, provincial and federal governments have developed legislation to help PSP members access mental health supports for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, unlike many other countries, Canada does not have a national suicide prevention strategy specifically for PSP. To address this, our PSP suicide prevention program of research will develop, evaluate, and disseminate a suicide prevention plan for Canadian PSP.
Vicarious Trauma among PSP Peer Supporters
Public safety personnel (PSP), which include police, fire, paramedics, dispatchers and correctional staff, are chronically exposed to traumatic stress incidents, placing them at increased risk of developing mental health disorders and dying by suicide. This group also faces significant barriers accessing mental healthcare. One possible solution to this is the use of peer support programs to provide judgement-free support from someone who has been there.
OnCall is a smartphone app that was developed by a team at McMaster University in partnership with members of the public safety community. It connects Public Safety Personnel with trained peer supporters who can provide them with mental health assistance.
There is some evidence to suggest that peer supporters can also experience mental health difficulties from being exposed to other people’s trauma.
Enhancing COVID Rehabilitation with Technology (ECORT) Study
In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. To date, Ontario was confirmed more than 547,000 cases of COVID-19. For the majority of people, symptoms resolve within 4 weeks; however, a significant amount of people experience “long COVID” or post-COVID syndrome. For these people, symptoms of COVID-19 persist long after they have been infected (usually defined as 12 weeks or more). A key research question to be addressed in this study is how to best provide care to patients suffering with Long COVID. Specifically, we will be evaluating whether an electronic case management system improves outcomes in those with Long COVID.
The ECCOM Study: The Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19
In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. In response, much of the world drastically altered daily activities, limiting travel, shuttering businesses and encouraging people to shelter in place. There has been growing concern about the potential mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are three reasons for this. First, there is the social impact of the pandemic with widespread unemployment, economic slowdown, lockdowns, contraction of health services and the imposition of physical distancing. This has been accompanied by public health messages that reinforce fears about coming into contact with others. Second, individuals infected with the coronavirus may have an increased sense of guilt, shame, concerns about infected others as well as the infection triggering memories of previous severe illnesses. Third, the virus may have a direct effect on the brain, indirectly via the immune response or as a result of treatment for the infection.
To address the impact of COVID-19 on mental illness, we are conducting the Eastern Ontario COVID-19 Community Mental Health Cohort (ECCOM) Study.
NET MOST: Developing a Trauma-Informed Intervention for PTSD for Vulnerably Housed Populations
Individuals who are precariously housed or currently experiencing homelessness have complex needs that traditional mental health care is poorly equipped to serve. There is a clear gap in the delivery of services that address the experience of trauma in vulnerably housed individuals. There are rarely any services for the effects of psychological trauma in publicly funded hospitals and those that do exist are often inaccessible to vulnerably housed populations. Barriers include costs of transport to attend treatment, previous bad experiences in hospitals, substance abuse, brain injury which can make planning difficult and the persistent chaos of living on or near the streets. To address this, we are using the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) to develop a trauma-informed care intervention specific to vulnerably housed patients
Suicide Among Public Safety Personnel: A Case-Control Study
Public safety personnel (PSP), which include police, fire, paramedics, dispatchers and correctional staff, are chronically exposed to traumatic stress incidents, placing them at increased risk of developing mental health disorders and dying by suicide. However, in spite of this increased risk, data on PSP suicides is minimal.
To address this, we are conducting a chart review of suicides in Ontario from 2014-2018.
First Responder Study: The Development of a First Responder Clinic
Due to the nature of their employment, first responders (including firefighters, paramedics and police officers) regularly encounter emergency situations, and are frequently exposed to critical stress incidents either as witnesses or victims1. Routine exposure to these dangerous, often life-threatening and potentially traumatizing incidents, places first responders at increased risk of developing mental disorders such as: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder and the development of suicidal thoughts.
To address this, we are conducting a two-part study which will inform the development of a First Responder Operational Stress Injury Clinic.
Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD in Vulnerably Housed Individuals
In 2015, 6,825 people in Ottawa were living in emergency shelters and an estimated 500 people were living on the streets. There is a high rate of mental health disorders among this population, including high rates of trauma and PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, and psychosis. This is further complicated by a lack of access to care among the precariously housed. To address this, we conducted a feasibility study which compared narrative exposure therapy (NET) to NET plus a session with a genealogist.
The BEACON Study: Smartphone-Assisted Problem-Solving Therapy for Men who Self-Harm
In Ontario there at least 8,000 visits each year to the emergency department for an episode of self-harm. These patients are at a higher risk of dying by suicide in the following year. Research also shows that men are particularly vulnerably to this, making up about 75% of all suicide deaths in Ontario.
While suicide prevention strategies often stress the importance of using evidence-based treatment, the research has demonstrated that these treatments are few and far between. As researchers and clinicians, we need to ask ourselves, what is the best way to deliver treatment to meet the needs of men who self-harm?
To address this, we have developed a two-part intervention to provide treatment to men who present to emergency departments across Ontario for an episode of self-harm. This pairs an evidence-based treatment for self-harm (problem-solving therapy) with the convenience and mobility of a smartphone app.
Coroner Records Study: A Description of Suicide in Ottawa, 2011-2014
uicide is a leading cause of death in Canada, with about 4,000 people dying by suicide each year [1]. While great care and effort goes into the investigation of suicide deaths by the coroner, the results of these investigations are rarely used to inform local suicide prevention efforts.
To address this, we conducted a chart review of suicide death records at the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario. We reviewed all suicide death records for the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) from January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2014.
The e-Therapy Study: Coach-Facilitated Online Therapy for Patients on a Waitlist for Treatment for Depression
Depression is a common mental health disorder that has significant impacts on quality of life. Treatment for depression often relies on drug therapy because of long wait times and the expense of seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist face-to-face. To address this, we conducted a study that explored the effectiveness of using a coach to guide patients through a free online therapy program for depression (The Journal).