Mental Health Research Symposium Digital Program

Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/05/2024 - 02/05/2024
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Program Schedule

Day 1: Wednesday May 1, 2024

Location: Alumni Memorial Hall, McMaster University (The Great Hall)

9:00 – 9:45am
Welcome breakfast and networking 

10:00 – 11:20am
Keynote Address by Dr. Ingrid Waldron of McMaster University

11:30 – 1:00pm
Lunch and Project Portfolio Showcase
Scholars and community leaders will speak to the beginning stages of community-engaged research proposal development and research designs.  

Presentations by:  

• Dr. Nicole Dalmer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University  
• Sara Gauthier, Manager of Central Information Services from the Hamilton Public Library  
• Kianosh Keyvani, Registered Social Worker from the Hamilton Public Library  
• Aleda Wedekind, Master’s Student in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University  
• Allie Meyers, Mental Health Promotion and Resiliency Facilitator at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton  

1:10 – 2:15pm
Presentation and Panel
Discussion of community-engaged research lessons in building trust between researchers, mental health/peer support workers and clients with lived/living experience of mental health challenges.  

Presentations by:  

• Rachel VanEvery, PhD Candidate in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University  
• Mary Ellen Ruddell, Director of Mental Health Court Support and Peer Support Services at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton 
• Harrison Wheeler, Peer Support Worker at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton 

2:30 – 3:45pm
Workshop
An overview of how to build a mutually beneficial project between academic and non-academic partners from planning to dissemination.  

Presented by:  

• Dr. Jim Dunn, Associate Dean of the McMaster University Faculty of Social Sciences and McMaster Chair in Urban Health Equity   

Art & Inquiry Soiree  

Location: CMHA Hamilton, 131 John St. S, Hamilton, ON 

7:00 – 9:00pm
Keynote Address and Soiree
A presentation of Sue Phipps’ experience as a community leader in building a platform for sustainable community-engaged research with an academic institution. Sue will be drawing on the inception of the Community Research Platform (CRP) at McMaster University as a case example and model for establishing successful community-academic research partnerships. Sue will outline the value of building trust, shared principles, and reciprocity in community-engaged research. Sue will discuss how this successful model has expanded her work with other research centers at McMaster. 

Presentation by:  

• Sue Phipps, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton

 

Day 2: Thursday May 2, 2024  

Location: Alumni Memorial Hall, McMaster University (The Great Hall)

9:00 – 9:45am
Welcome breakfast and networking 

10:00 – 11:30am
Thought Exchange on Synergistic Approaches to Successful Community Engaged Research Partnerships
Important insights into successful collaborative community-engaged research models  

Presentations by:  

• Peter Bloemendal, Director of Clinical Services at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton 
• Sue Phipps, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton 
• Jean-Pierre Joubert, eLearning Project Manager at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton 
• Cole Gately, Educator formerly of the City of Hamilton  
• Dr. James Gillett, Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University and Director of the McMaster Community Research Platform  
• Leora Sas van de Linden, Program Manager of the McMaster Community Research Platform  

11:45 – 1:00pm
Lunch & Student Mentorship and Training Panel
Comprising student experiences with community-engaged research, valuable training they have received, and insights into the practical application of community-engaged research skills.  

Presentations by:  

• Loa Gordon, PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University  
• Maia Ferguson, Undergraduate Student in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University  
• Bridget Marsdin, PhD Student in the Department of Social Work at McMaster University  

1:15 – 2:30pm
Mental Health Case Studies in Community-Engaged Research
Presentation of exemplars for bridging expertise in evidence-based research and community engagement

Presentations by:  

• Dr. Diana Singh, Executive Director at the Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University  
• Kaitlyn Wynia Baluk, Senior Advisor of Grants and Awards at the DeGroote School of Business  
• Paul Takala, CEO of the Hamilton Public Library  
• Lita Barrie, CEO of the Burlington Public Library  

 

Student Poster Presentations (During Lunch Hours)

Day 1 Presenters

Mental Health Care in Urban Environments: A Case Study on Public Transit Accessibility in Hamilton, Ontario by David Vaz, Queen’s School of Medicine and Kaitlyn Mah, McMaster University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour 

Evaluating the uptake of the B701:17 (R2021) Carer-inclusive and accommodating organizations standard by Brooke Chmiel, McMaster University School of Earth, Masters in Environment & Society and Allison Williams PhD, Professor of Geography, Principal, CIHR/SSHRC Healthy Productive Work Partnership Grant, Mobilizing a Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Standard: A Partnership Approach School of Earth, Environment & Society 

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Carer-employees in Canada: Comparing the 2018 General Social Survey with the 2022 Canadian Social Survey Topic area: Social relations/ informal supports by Dr. Allison Wilson, Joy Yang and Dr. Li Wang 

Computational analysis for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) diagnosis by Sara Arnold, Jacob Nease and Liisa Hantsoo  

Uncovering the Factors that Affect Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Services in Ontario Public Schools by Abigail Fisher, University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

The Future of Safe Consumption Sites: Accessible Mobile Units by Charlotte Boorman B.A Honours Anthropology McMaster University, Parineeta Vaid, B.Sc. Honours Mathematics and Statistics McMaster University and Zainib Nazir, MSc. eHealth, BS.C Honours Life Sciences McMaster University  

The Effectiveness of Canadian Parenting Programs in Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis by Fatemeh Ilkhani, Mackenzie Martin and Andrea Gonzalez  

Examining the Relationship between Attachment Styles, Academic Performance, and Well-Being among McMaster Undergraduate Students by Sara Hossein, Ayma Iqbal, Alisa Karban and Duygu Turkmen  

Day 2 Presenters

Mental health and Quality of Life of Caregivers and Patients with Recurrent Gynecologic Malignancies Undergoing Chemotherapy, in Association with Patient’s Frailty by Rebecca Smythe, McMaster University Department of Biology, Julie My Van Nguyen, McMaster University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Xu-Dong Zhu, McMaster University Department of Biology  

Hypervigilance, Checking, and Avoidance Behaviours in Perinatal Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder by Alyssa Georgescu, B.Sc Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, Briar Inness, Research and Clinical Trials PhD Candidate and Dr. Sheryl Green, Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, PhD in Clinical Psychology  

The moderating effect of mindfulness on perceived discrimination and mental health?by Fatima Al-Moswa, Dr. Yasaman Jabbari, Dr. Jennifer Heisz and Anjali Bedi  

Mental Health and Drug Treatment Courts Across Canada by Madison Hannon and Dr. James Gillett, McMaster University   

Group Music Therapy for Proactive Management of Stress and Anxiety by Rachael Finnerty, McMaster University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, Laurel Trainor, McMaster University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour and McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind   

Navigating Government-Run Services for Individuals with Dimentia and their Support Workers by Zied Hazeen, Bassam Almoli and Molly Gomes  

Proactive wellness on campus- A Thematic Analysis by Navishka Brahmbhatt, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, Rachael Finnerty, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour and Laurel Trainor, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour and McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind 

 

A Special Thank You to…

The Mental Health Research Symposium is brought to you by Canadian Mental Health Association, Hamilton Branch (CMHA Hamilton), the McMaster Museum of Art (MMA), the McMaster Institute for Health Equity (MIHE), the McMaster Community Research Platform (CRP), the Burlington Public Library (BPL), the Hamilton Public Library (HPL), and the Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society (ARMS).