The pandemic posed challenges to youth-serving nonprofits (YSNs) creating a need for innovative and creative adaptations in program delivery. This article outlines a three-fold approach used to navigate these challenges, highlighting their resilience, and innovative practices in supporting youth.

Evidence suggests that people who use cannabis therapeutically for mental health reasons can experience a double-stigma. This implies the need for educational interventions to shift public attitudes. Thus, we set out to assess the feasibility and impact of a remote participatory video project aiming to reduce associated stigma. We trained a small workgroup with lived experience, who successfully produced three educational documentaries about different aspects of medical cannabis and mental health. Data collected through a survey and focus groups indicated that the videos educated viewers and reduced associated stigma. This suggests that remote participatory video is a promising anti-stigma intervention.

Offert aux adultes recevant des services en psychiatrie, le programme Vincent et moi de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec accompagne les personnes s’investissant dans une démarche sérieuse de création artistique en arts visuels. Une évaluation des impacts du programme a été effectuée par une méthode de recherche qualitative et participative inspirée de la méthode Photovoice (Wang et Burris, 1994), nommée La voix de l’art.

The journey of obtaining a diagnosis and treatment for children and youth with ADHD can be challenging for all those involved. Focus groups were conducted with parents (n = 21), educators (n = 76), and healthcare providers (n = 39) to gather information regarding perceptions of this journey, especially as it relates to treatment utilization and adherence. Three cross-cutting categories emerged: the impact of socio-economic variables, the lack of integrated and continuity of care for ADHD, and the stigma surrounding ADHD and treatments. The results help to determine what is needed to support families to facilitate successful treatment for their child with ADHD.

Plusieurs pays ont mis en place des technologies numériques pour mieux prévenir les suicides. Le Québec accusait un certain retard sur ce plan. En mai 2017, l’Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (AQPS) a été mandatée par le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) du Québec pour élaborer une Stratégie numérique en prévention du suicide. Cet article vise à décrire les perceptions des personnes utilisatrices de Suicide.ca et de l’application Mes outils. Un devis mixte et convergent a été privilégié incluant des entrevues individuelles auprès de personnes usagères de services (N = 33) et un sondage auprès de personnes intervenantes (N = 477). Les résultats mettent en lumière leurs perceptions positives et des pistes de rehaussement.

The path to long-term care (LTC) may be challenging, especially when transferring from inpatient mental health care. Here, eligibility and placement determinations may not fit within typical decision trees. This article outlines a process to visualize individual barriers to LTC placement. These visualizations facilitate discussion and planning to reduce client-specific barriers.

Frequent emergency department users with mental illness or addiction often struggle to find the services they need. A pre-test/post-test design assessed outcomes for these individuals after participating in a novel community-based stepped-care program delivering individualized intensive case management services. Results indicated improvement in overall functioning and severity of anxious and depressive symptoms.

This study explored the mental health experiences of sexual and gender diverse (SGD) communities in Canada within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three online focus groups with 14 SGD community members were conducted to discuss experiences with social determinants of mental health. Themes included social connection and support, healthcare access and utilization, discrimination and socioeconomic status (employment, income, housing, education). Social connection and support were prominent themes throughout all groups. Policy and practice should focus primarily on scaling community-led services and programs that build social connection and support informed by local context and perspectives.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented numerous challenges and changes for all frontline providers, but the impacts on care staff in community service agencies is less understood. The current study involving secondary data analysis explored how frontline care staff with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) program describe their work during the public health restrictions. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with frontline care staff (N = 20). Inductive thematic analysis resulted in three themes: shifting procedures, adapting interactions, and declining motivation. Changes in work because of Covid-19 and feelings in response to those changes shed light on the as yet unknown cost of the pandemic on these services and the FASD community.

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are typically excluded from assertive community treatment (ACT) teams, the intensive model that typically serves people with serious psychotic and mood disorders. Nevertheless, many people with BPD are on ACT teams for clinical comorbidity or other reasons. Suitability and ability of ACT to provide their care is understudied. Our scoping literature review shows a limited body of research, with strong but mixed opinions on this dilemma, but notable incorporation of training and skills (e.g., dialectical behavioral therapy) into ACT may improve care for this population whose presence on ACT teams is a clinical reality.