Mental Health Research Symposium 2024 Overview

On May 1st and 2nd of 2024, ARMS held the Mental Health Research Symposium: Building a Community of Practice, which featured The Art & Inquiry Soirée: Artistic Explorations of Mental Health hosted by the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton (CMHA).

The Mental Health Research Symposium

The two-day symposium took place at McMaster University’s Alumni Memorial Hall. The goal of the event was to bring together academics and community organizations to celebrate and disseminate knowledge of ongoing community engaged mental health research through ARMS and associated partners.  The two-day event featured a variety of presentations, panels, and student poster presentations, each sharing their unique insights and experiences on community-engaged research in the mental health field.

The event began with a keynote address by Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program at McMaster University.  Waldron shared her extensive experience conducting community-engaged research on racial trauma in Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities across Nova Scotia and Ontario.  She highlights the importance of collaboration and building trusting relationships with community members and organizations, ultimately aiming to use research findings to drive change and improve community well-being.

The symposium continued with a series of presentations, panels, and open mic discussions from scholars, community leaders, and interdisciplinary students sharing their experiences and answering insightful questions related to community-engaged research.  Topics included how to build trust and equitable partnerships in community-engaged research and overcome related challenges, addressing power imbalances to ensure fair research collaboration, bridging the gap between academic and community partnerships, developing community-engaged research projects, and practical applications of community-engaged research skills.  Additionally, attendees learned about the ongoing community-engaged research projects across different faculties and universities through student poster presentations showcased on both days.

We are grateful for the active participation and support of our community partners: the Hamilton Public Library, the Burlington Public Library, and the Canadian Mental Health Association of Hamilton. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the senior leadership team at the Hamilton and Burlington Public Libraries, including Paul Takala, Chief Librarian of the Hamilton Public Library, and Lita Barrie, Chief Librarian of the Burlington Public Library, for their invaluable contributions to the symposium. Special thanks also to Sue Phipps, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton, for her inspiring keynote and ongoing support.

We would also like to thank our McMaster partners, including the McMaster Institute for Health Equity (MIHE) who helped sponsor the event, and the Community Research Platform (CRP). We are grateful to Leora Sas van der Linden for her contribution to the organization of the events, but also her notable participation in several sessions.

The Art & Inquiry Soirée

During the evening of May 1st, CMHA Hamilton hosted the Art & Inquiry Soirée, which showcased the artistic contributions from McMaster students and Hamilton community members expressing their personal journeys with mental health.  The event featured a variety of mediums including painting, photography, poetry, video game design, and immersive experiences, acting as a physical representation of the artist’s self-discovery process.  CMHA Hamilton’s CEO, Sue Phipps, also delivered a keynote discussing the organization’s successful community-engaged research partnerships with ARMS and the CRP, as well as the role of art in mental health.  Over 100 attendees consisting of artists, researchers, students, mental health workers, and community members enjoyed a memorable evening full of art, research, and discussions centred around mental health and the community.

“I really feel the symposium helped engage academics and community members in conversations about the importance of community engaged mental health research–including lessons learned from these collaborations that are beneficial moving forward with these valuable collaborations.” – Dr. Marisa Young, Director of ARMS

ARMS would like to thank all the attendees, speakers, student presenters, artists, and organizations involved, as this inaugural event centred around bridging the gap between mental health research and practice in the community would not have been possible without your time, effort, and contributions!  We look forward to seeing you at our future events!