Canadian Workers Research Articles

Emergency responses for a health workforce under pressure: Lessons learned from system responses to the first wave of the pandemic in Canada.

The global health workforce crisis, simmering for decades, was brought to a rolling boil by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With scarce literature, evidence, or best practices to draw from, countries around the world moved to flex their workforces to meet acute challenges of the pandemic, facing demands related to patient volume, patient acuity, and worker vulnerability and absenteeism. One early hypothesis suggested that the acute, short-term pandemic phase would be followed by several waves of resource demands extending over the longer term. However, as the acute phase of the pandemic abated, temporary workforce policies expired and others were repealed with a view of returning to 'normal'. The workforce needs of subsequent phases of pandemic effects were largely ignored despite our new equilibrium resting nowhere near our pre-COVID baseline. In this paper, we describe Canada's early pandemic workforce response. We report the results of an environmental scan of the early workforce strategies adopted in Canada during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within an expanded three-part conceptual framework for supporting a sustainable health workforce, we describe 470 strategies and policies that aimed to increase the numbers and flexibility of health workers in Canada, and to maximise their continued availability to work. These strategies targeted all types of health workers and roles, enabling changes to the places health work is done, the way in which care is delivered, and the mechanisms by which it is regulated. Telehealth strategies and virtual care were the most prevalent, followed by role expansion, licensure flexibility, mental health supports for workers, and return to practice of retirees. We explore the degree to which these short-term, acute response strategies might be adapted or extended to support the evolving workforce's long-term needs.

Factors Associated With Worsened Mental Health of Health Care Workers in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Health care workers (HCWs) in Canada have endured difficult conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many worked long hours while attending to patients in a contagious environment. This introduced an additional burden that may have contributed to worsened mental health conditions. In this study, we examine the factors associated with worsened mental health conditions of HCWs as compared to before the start of the pandemic. We use data from a survey of HCWs by Statistics Canada. A regression model is used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of worsened mental health after the start of the pandemic. The estimated odds ratio (OR) is associated with different independent variables that include demographics (age, sex, immigration status, and geographic area), occupational factors (work status, occupational group, and exposure category), and different access levels to personal protective equipment (PPE). Of 18,139 eligible participants surveyed, 13,990 (77.1%) provided valid responses. We found that HCWs younger than 35 years old were more likely (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.27; P=.01) to exhibit worsened mental health as compared to the reference group (35-44 years old). As for sex, male HCWs were less likely (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86; P<.001) to exhibit worsened mental health as compared to female HCWs. Immigrant HCWs were also less likely (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.51-0.64; P<.001) to exhibit worsened mental health as compared to nonimmigrant HCWs. Further, HCWs working in Alberta had the highest likelihood of exhibiting worsened mental health as compared to HCWs working elsewhere (Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, British Columbia, and Northern Territories). Frontline workers were more likely (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.16-1.38; P<.001) to exhibit worsened mental health than nonfrontline HCWs. Part-time HCWs were less likely (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76-0.93; P<.001) to exhibit worsened mental health than full-time HCWs. HCWs who reported encountering COVID-19 cases were more likely (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.41-1.70; P<.001) to exhibit worsened mental health as compared to HCWs who reported no contact with the disease. As for PPE, HCWs who never had access to respirators, eye protection, and face shields are more likely to exhibit worsened mental health by 1.31 (95% CI 1.07-1.62; P<.001), 1.51 (95% CI 1.17-1.96; P<.001), and 1.41 (95% CI 1.05-1.92; P=.02) than those who always had access to the same PPE, respectively. Different HCW groups experienced the pandemic differently based on their demographic and occupational backgrounds as well as access to PPE. Such findings are important to stakeholders involved in the planning of personalized support programs and aid mental health mitigation in future crises. Certain groups require more attention.

Evaluating Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation Services Among Injured Workers Treated in a Canadian Workers' Compensation System: A Population-Based Study.

To evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation for promoting return-to-work (RTW) among injured workers. We conducted a pragmatic, quasi-experimental study comparing telerehabilitation, in-person, or hybrid services. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographics, occupational factors, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Kruskal-Wallis tests investigated differences between mode of delivery and changes in PROM scores. Logistic and Cox-proportional hazard regression examined associations between mode of delivery and RTW status or days receiving wage replacement benefits in the first-year post-discharge, respectively, while controlling for potential confounders. A slightly higher percentage of the 3,708 worker sample were male (52.8%). Mean (standard deviation (SD)) age across all delivery formats was 45.5 (12.5) years. Edmonton zone had the highest amount of telerehabilitation delivery (53.5%). The majority of workers had their program delivered in a hybrid format (54.1%) and returned to work (74.4%) at discharge. All PROMs showed improvement although differences across delivery formats were not clinically meaningful. Delivery via telerehabilitation had significantly lower odds of RTW at discharge (Odds Ratio: 0.82, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.70-0.97) and a significantly lower risk of experiencing suspension of wage replacement benefits in the first year following discharge (Hazard Ratio: 0.92, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.84-0.99). Associations were no longer significant when confounders were controlled for. RTW outcomes were not statistically different across delivery formats, suggesting that telerehabilitation is a novel strategy that may improve equitable access and earlier engagement in occupational rehabilitation. Factors such as gender and geographic location should be considered when deciding on service delivery format.

The High Costs of Caring: Measuring the Prevalence and Consequences of Birth-Related Career Interruptions for Immigrant Care Workers in Canada

Le présent article examine la question de la prévalence et des conséquences du retrait du marché du travail du personnel immigrant des soins à autrui au Canada après la naissance d’un enfant. Les analyses ont été menées principalement à partir des données issues de la Base de données longitudinales sur les immigrants (BDIM) de 2009-2018, en comparant un échantillon de personnes immigrantes entrées au Canada par le biais du Programme des aides familiaux résidants/Programme des aides familiaux (PAFR) avec celui des personnes qui sont arrivées dans le cadre des programmes économiques ou au titre de la catégorie du regroupement familial. Les résultats démontrent que les immigrantes PAFR étaient les plus susceptibles d’avoir subi une interruption de carrière liée à la naissance d’un enfant au cours de cette période et qu’elles avaient en moyenne des réductions de revenu beaucoup plus grandes après l’interruption, malgré la pénurie actuelle dans le secteur des soins à autrui. L’article se termine par une discussion sur les changements potentiels de la politique fédérale visant remédier aux disparités existantes.

Connecting children and youth with their families during COVID-19: perspectives of child welfare workers and foster parents

ABSTRACT We explore approaches, challenges, solutions, and recommendations offered by child welfare workers in Canada on remote communication with children/youth regarding safety and on managing parent–child access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-seven child welfare workers and foster care providers participated in this survey. About 94% of the workers used virtual video communication alongside other modalities. Privacy concerns were common in children and youth contacts. Visitation scheduling challenges, digital inequality, and fear of contagion were commonly encountered by foster care providers. Regular virtual check-ins by child welfare workers, training on use of online meeting tools, and subsidizing technological costs were notable recommendations.

Canadian workers at risk: Removing barriers to treatment for public safety professionals (PSP)

Canadian workers at risk: Removing barriers to treatment for public safety professionals (PSP) Gregory S Anderson, from Thompson Rivers University and Helen Dragatsi, from Government of Canada speak to us about removing barriers to treatment for Canadian workers at risk. It has long been recognized that public safety personnel (PSP) experience a high risk of psychological impacts caused by traumatic events within their occupations. Such exposures have been linked to increased incidence of posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI), including anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive disorders, suicide ideation, and substance abuse. In response, most Canadian jurisdictions (provinces and territories) have adopted new workers’ compensation legislative amendments that create a presumption in favor of PSP who suffer from trauma-induced mental disorders. In these situations, the mental disorder is presumed to have been caused by the responder’s employment. These presumptive clauses facilitate access to workers’ compensation for public safety professionals (PSP) who previously had the onus of proving that their psychological impairments resulted from their work.

Canadian Workers’ Well-Being During the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis

To explore workers’ well-being during COVID-19, researchers have primarily utilized variable-centered approaches (e.g., regression) focusing on describing workers’ general level of well-being. Given the diversity of factors that may have impacted workers’ well-being during the pandemic, focusing on such well-being trends do not provide sufficient insight into the different lived well-being experiences during the pandemic. Moreover, positive well-being in workers’ general lives and work has been understudied in such complex public health crises. To address these issues, we use latent profile analysis, a person-centered analysis, to explore the diverse well-being realities Canadian workers (employed before COVID-19 or working at the time of the survey) experienced at the beginning of COVID-19. Canadian workers (N = 510) were surveyed between May 20-27th, 2020, on positive (meaning in life, flourishing, thriving at work) and negative (distress, stress, impaired productivity, troublesome symptoms at work) well-being indicators, as well as on factors that may be associated with experiencing different well-being profiles. Five well-being profiles emerged: moderately prospering, prospering, moderately suffering, suffering, and mixed. Factors at the self- (gender, age, disability status, trait resilience), social- (marital status, family functioning, having children at home), workplace- (some employment statuses and work industries, financial strain, job security), and pandemic-related (perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, social distancing) ecological levels predicted profile membership. Recommendations for employers, policymakers, and mental health organizations are discussed.

Commuting while Black: compensating differentials and Black–White wage gap in Canada

PurposeUsing the Canadian Census of 2016, the present study examines the Black and White gap in compensating differentials for their commute to work.Design/methodology/approachThe data are from the Canadian Census of 2016. The standard Mincerian wage regression, augmented by commute-related variables and their confounders, is estimated by OLS. The estimations use sample weights and heteroscedasticity robust standard errors.FindingsIn the standard Mincerian wage regressions, Black men are found to earn non-negligibly less than White men. No such gap is found among women. When the Mincerian wage equation is augmented by commute duration and its confounders, commute duration is revealed to positively predict wages of White men and negatively associate with wages of Black men. At the same time, in the specifications including commute duration and its confounders, the coefficient for the dummy variable identifying Black men is positive with a non-negligible size. The latter pattern indicates wage discrepancies among Black men by their commute duration. Again, no difference is found between Black and White women in these estimations.Research limitations/implicationsThe main caveat is that due to data limitations, causal estimates could not be produced.Practical implicationsFor the Canadian working men, the uncovered patterns indicate both between and within race gaps in the impact of commuting on wages. Particularly, Black men seem to commute longer towards relatively lower paying jobs, while the opposite holds for their White counterparts. However, Black men who reside close to their work earn substantially more than both otherwise identical White men and Black men who live far away from their jobs. The implications for research and policy are discussed.Originality/valueThis is the first paper focused on commute compensating differentials by race using Canadian data.

Burnout among public health workers in Canada: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThis study presents the prevalence of burnout among the Canadian public health workforce after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with work-related factors.MethodsData were collected using an online survey distributed through Canadian public health associations and professional networks between November 2022 and January 2023. Burnout was measured using a modified version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). Logistic regressions were used to model the relationship between burnout and work-related factors including years of work experience, redeployment to pandemic response, workplace safety and supports, and harassment. Burnout and the intention to leave or retire as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was explored using multinomial logistic regressions.ResultsIn 2,079 participants who completed the OLBI, the prevalence of burnout was 78.7%. Additionally, 49.1% of participants reported being harassed because of their work during the pandemic. Burnout was positively associated with years of work experience, redeployment to the pandemic response, being harassed during the pandemic, feeling unsafe in the workplace and not being offered workplace supports. Furthermore, burnout was associated with greater odds of intending to leave public health or retire earlier than anticipated.ConclusionThe high levels of burnout among our large sample of Canadian public health workers and its association with work-related factors suggest that public health organizations should consider interventions that mitigate burnout and promote recovery.

The compounding impact of the social determinants of health and COVID-19 on the mental health of young workers in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative, arts-based study.

The COVID-19 pandemic, a global health crisis, was acutely felt in the labour market for many young workers. Importantly, precarious employment, identified as an emergent social determinant of health, may negatively affect the mental health and well-being of young workers. To this end, we engaged with young workers to understand their workplace needs and challenges in the COVID-19 era and hear their recommendations for action. Semi-structured interviews and a graphic recording focus group were conducted with 33 young workers aged 18-26 years old in Manitoba, Canada, who had worked a minimum of 30 hours per week prior to COVID-19 onset and were living independent of their parents. Analysis involved delineating units of meaning from the data, clustering these to form thematic statements and extracting themes. Second-level analysis involved applying themes and sub-themes to a social determinants of health framework. The multifaceted, compounding realities of young workers' pre-COVID-19 employment situations were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, adversely impacting young worker's mental health. Unique findings from this study highlight the generational differences in this cohort, who are opposed to participating in fragmented systemic structures (neoliberalism) and inequitable employment conditions, and who yearn for social inclusion and work-life balance. Their recommendations for government and employers call for permanent and stable employment opportunities, economic and mental health supports, and space to be heard and valued, as they navigate the many life course challenges as emerging adults. Societies are dependent on young workers to develop and support the Canadian economy for future generations. Thus, it is a critical that recommendations proposed by young workers in this study be acted upon and implemented to provide an equitable, stable, and supportive future for young workers in Canada and beyond.

Predictive Models for Canadian Healthcare Workers Mental Health During COVID-19.

COVID-19 impact on the population's mental health has been reported worldwide. Predicting healthcare workers' mental health and life stress is needed to proactively plan for future emergencies. Statistics Canada has surveyed Canadian healthcare workers and those working in healthcare settings to gauge their perceived mental health and perceived life stress. A cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers in Canada. A sample of 18,139 healthcare workers respondents. Eight algorithms, including Logistic Regression, Random Forest (RF), Naive Bayes (NB), K Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Adaptive boost (AdaBoost), Multi-layer perceptron (MLP), XGBoost, and LightBoost. AUC scores, accuracy and precision were measured for all models. XGBoost provided the highest performing model AUC score (AUC = 82.07%) for predicting perceived mental health, and Random Forest performed the best for predicting perceived life stress (AUC = 77.74%). Perceived health, age group of participants, and perceived mental health compared to before the pandemic were found to be the most important 3 features to predict perceived mental health and perceived stress. Perceived mental health compared to before the pandemic was the most important predictor for perceived life stress. Our models are highly predictive of healthcare workers' perceived mental health and life stress. Implementing scalable, non-expensive virtual mental health solutions to address mental health challenges in the workplace could mitigate the impact of workplace conditions on healthcare workers' mental health.

Gender, work, and the family’s morning rush hour: the strain associated with preparing children for the day

ABSTRACT Dual-earner parents face the challenge of getting children ready for school or daycare while often simultaneously preparing for work. Although this morning routine is at the heart of the work–family intersection, it is understudied in relation to the gendered division of labor and as a potential stressor in parents’ lives. In this study, we examine who is responsible for and experiences strain from preparing children for the day. Drawing on a sample of 462 dual-earner parents from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (2019), we find that mothers are much more likely than fathers to perform this labor – even once controlling for work hours, schedule control, and other housework divisions. Moreover, if not for the fewer work hours, less job pressure, and more flexible shifts of parents who regularly prepare children for the day, there would be a marginally significant relationship between this parental responsibility and work-to-family conflict. Although getting children ready appears linked to work-to-family conflict for both mothers and fathers, results suggest that mothers have already sacrificed investment in paid work to take on this inflexible childcare routine. We discuss the social and health implications of temporal work structures intruding on the family’s morning rush hour.

Débordement du bien-être psychologique de la vie personnelle vers le travail : le rôle médiateur de la performance au travail

L’objectif de la présente étude est d’évaluer le rôle médiateur de la performance au travail dans le débordement de la satisfaction dans la vie, un indicateur de bien-être psychologique dans la vie personnelle, vers le bien-être psychologique au travail. Une étude à deux temps de mesure a été menée auprès de 436 travailleurs canadiens. Ceux-ci ont répondu à des questionnaires auto rapportés à deux reprises avec un intervalle de sept mois et demi. Les analyses soutiennent le rôle médiateur de la performance contextuelle dans la relation entre la satisfaction dans la vie et le bien-être psychologique au travail. Les résultats permettent d’enrichir les théories de l’interface travail-vie personnelle en démontrant que le bien-être psychologique peut déborder à travers la performance contextuelle au travail.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nephrology social work: Perspectives of social workers

A mixed method study utilized surveys and focus groups to explore the perceptions of nephrology social workers in Canada regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their practice with patients and their families. As part of this larger study, participants were invited to focus groups which elicited pandemic experiences, personally and professionally, and to offer post-pandemic recommendations for nephrology social work. The sample comprised 15 nephrology social workers from several Canadian provinces, who provided in-depth reflections regarding the impact of the pandemic on professional practice. Study results reflect COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences of Canadian nephrology social workers, including psychosocial impacts as well as practice and infrastructure shifts. In providing service to patients and families, nephrology social workers were forced to confront personal, professional and organizational landscapes altered by hospital and broader societal public health guidelines aimed at decreasing the spread of COVID-19. Although an inherently challenging experience, participating social workers concurrently noted areas of growth that resulted from pandemic circumstances..

Divine Compensation? Gender, Religiosity, and the Link Between Feeling Underpaid and Psychological Distress

Theoretical and empirical work within social psychology has highlighted the impact of the sense of distributive injustice—the evaluation of unfairness in the distribution of outcomes or rewards—and adverse mental health outcomes. Drawing on a sample of Canadian workers from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (CAN-WSH; N = 2,376), we consider whether three facets of religiosity—perceived divine control, religious attendance, and prayer—have stress buffering potency when it comes to perceived underpayment. We also test whether these associations vary by gender. Our results suggest that for men who reported being underpaid, higher levels of divine control were protective for psychological distress. By contrast, weekly religious attendance was a stress buffer for women who were underpaid. We draw from research at the intersection of sociology of religion and gender to interpret our findings. Taken as a whole, our findings underscore the importance of assessing religiously-based resources for individuals who perceive they are underpaid and speak to how understanding the effectiveness of coping resources, including those found within religious life, are contingent upon social status—a hallmark of the sociological tradition.

Understanding the Unmet Accommodation Needs of People Working with Mental or Cognitive Conditions: The Importance of Gender, Gendered Work, and Employment Factors

PurposeWorkplace support needs for women and men living with mental health conditions are not well understood. This study examined workplace accommodation and support needs among women and men with and without mental health or cognitive conditions and individual and workplace factors associated with having unmet needs.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 3068 Canadian workers collected information on disability, gender, gendered occupations, job conditions, work contexts, and workplace accommodations. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined gender- and disability-based differences in unmet needs for workplace flexibility, work modifications, and health benefits, and the association of work context (i.e., work schedule, job sector) and job conditions (i.e., precarious work) on the likelihood of unmet accommodation needs. The additive (i.e., super- or sub-additive) and multiplicative effects of disability, gender, and occupational gender distribution on the probability of unmet accommodation needs were also assessed.ResultsThe most common unmet workplace accommodation was work modifications reported by 35.9% of respondents with mental/cognitive disability and workplace flexibility reported by 19.6% of individuals without a mental/cognitive disability. Women, employees in female dominant occupations, and participants with mental/cognitive disabilities were more likely to report unmet needs compared with men, employees in non-female dominant occupations, and participants without disabilities but these findings were largely explained by differences in job conditions and work contexts. No interacting effects on the likelihood of reporting unmet needs for workplace accommodations were observed.ConclusionsTo support employee mental health, attention is needed to address work contexts and job conditions, especially for people working with mental/cognitive disabilities, women, and workers in female-dominated occupations where unmet accommodation needs are greatest.

Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study

BackgroundEmployment outcomes among sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual) workers are poorly understood, and previous research on this topic has focused almost exclusively on inequities in earnings, neglecting other important dimensions of job quality. We address this gap by describing and comparing the job quality of straight and sexual minority workers in Canada. MethodsData are from the 2016 General Social Survey: Canadians at Work and Home, the only national survey providing both a measure of sexual orientation and a multidimensional view of job quality in Canada. We identified 25 unique job quality indicators (e.g., temporary employment; job insecurity; health benefits; low income; job satisfaction; job control; discrimination). Latent class cluster analysis was used to establish a typology of job quality describing standard, flexible, and precarious employment types. We used multivariable regression methods to examine the association between sexual orientation and job quality. ResultsSexual minorities reported lower job quality than their straight counterparts along many dimensions, with bisexual people reporting the lowest job quality. While inequities were generally observed among both sexual minority men and women, they sometimes differed in magnitude by gender. The prevalence of precarious employment was nearly three times higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers (PR: 2.94, CI: 1.89–4.58 among all sexual minorities; PR: 3.04, CI: 1.71–5.43 among gay/lesbian workers; and PR: 2.81, CI: 1.45–5.47 among bisexual workers) compared to their straight counterparts. ConclusionInequities in job quality among sexual minorities persist despite comprehensive human rights protections in Canada. These inequities are pervasive, extending well beyond conventional indicators such as dollars earned and hours worked. Multi-pronged interventions are needed that move beyond simply ensuring that sexual minority workers are employed. Sexual minority workers deserve access to secure, well-paid work with benefits where they can foster connection and be free from discrimination.

Housing Conditions and Health Implications for Migrant Agricultural Workers in Canada: A Scoping Review.

Migrant agricultural workers face various health inequities that have led to preventable illness and death. This paper investigates how material housing conditions have shaped physical and mental health outcomes for temporary foreign workers in Canadian agriculture. We conducted a scoping review of literature on migrant agricultural worker housing in Canada published between 2000-2022, analysing insights on the physical quality of workers' housing in relation to international frameworks on housing quality. Our review revealed a range of housing-related health risks, including: (1) Sanitation, food security, and water; (2) Thermal safety, electricity, and utilities; (3) Habitability of structure, air quality, and exposure to hazards; (4) Spacing, privacy, and co-worker relations and; (5) Geographic proximity to necessary services and social opportunities. Although housing has been increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health, little research examines how migrant farmworkers' accommodations shape their health outcomes, particularly in Canada. This scoping review provides timely insights and recommendations to inform research, policy, and public health interventions.

The Canadian ‘War of the Two Sugars’: Homegrown Sugar Beets and the Racial Stratification of Labour

Abstract This paper provides a history of more than a century of efforts to establish and maintain a homegrown Canadian sugar supply – a twentieth-century version of what Eric Williams called the ‘war of the two sugars’, or the global competition between sugar beet and cane. To resolve beet sugar’s so-called ‘labour problem’, the industry has collaborated with the Canadian state to produce new classes of temporary workers, mobilising incarcerated Japanese Canadians, migrant Indigenous families, and Mexican and Caribbean workers employed through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. At the same time, the sugar industry has sought to refine itself of the racialised workers upon whom it relies by promoting the figure of the white Canadian worker. The Canadian ‘war of the two sugars’ has been fought through the stratification of the labour force along the lines of citizenship, resulting in the production of unique racial forms.

Is Nativity Threatened by Drugs, Alcohol and Prostitution? A Retrospection of ‘Native-Girl Syndrome’ in Select Canadian Works

Canada, the land of wilderness, has a history that is rich in culture, heritage, tradition, and spiritual practices. The indigenous people who have lived there for several centuries have been uprooted and alienated from their lands post colonisation. Outsmarted by technology and the ‘civilization’ of the colonisers, the once-majority of the indigenous people become minorities in their own country. Among the natives, indigenous women are subjected to all forms of violence and are left highly vulnerable at the hands of vicious colonisers. The native women have been forced to endure physical, mental, and sexual abuse, all of which goes against the values associated with them in a native community. The majority of the native women go through what is called the ‘native girl syndrome’ that draws attention to the aftermath of the above-mentioned malicious acts of subjecting them to drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and finally suicide. This concept is further illustrated by analysing three Canadian works of different genres – a novel named In Search of April Raintree, an autobiography named Halfbreed, and a play named In Care. The paper addresses how these literary works are representations of Native women who have endured all of these and more at the merciless hands of the colonisers, and questions whether the colonisers have succeeded in disrupting the nativity with their new interventions such as drugs and alcohol.