Funding Awarded to Researchers Focused on Addictions, Mental Health

NOTE: The list of funding recipients follows this release.

The Province is supporting four early-career researchers focused on understanding the addictions and mental health experiences of equity-deserving Nova Scotians.

The research projects focus on:

• understanding the mental health experiences of Black women in Nova Scotia
• mental, emotional and social challenges affecting equity-deserving college students
• the mental health impacts of witnessing identity-based bullying
• strengthening community-based mental health care in rural Nova Scotia.

“This is one more way we’re building universal access to mental healthcare in our province – listening closely to communities to understand diverse addiction and mental health experiences is essential to creating supports and services that meet the needs of Nova Scotians,” said Brian Comer, Minister of Addictions and Mental Health. “We’re proud to support emerging researchers who will bring more voices to the table, supporting more inclusive and responsive care across the province.”

The researchers were awarded funding through the Province’s New Investigator in Addictions and Mental Health grants, delivered by Research Nova Scotia.

Grants of up to $100,000 support dedicated research projects over two years. The findings will help inform the government’s work to create universal access to mental health and addictions care.

The government continues to work with healthcare providers and community partners to identify and address barriers, such as racism and discrimination, that impact health outcomes.

Investing in research that supports more equitable healthcare is part of Action for Health’s Solution 6 – Address the factors affecting health and well-being.

Quotes:

“Mental health research that is directly focused on equity-deserving groups can help us understand their unique experiences, as well as the challenges of providing targeted and appropriate care. It can help us identify evidence-based strategies to improve accessible and inclusive care for all Nova Scotians. The NIAMHG allows us to conduct research that is directly informed by the perspectives of diverse people with lived and living experience of mental health conditions.”
— grant recipient Jill Murphy, Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions and assistant professor, interdisciplinary health program, St. Francis Xavier University

“When the Nova Scotia Office of Addictions and Mental Health approached us last year, we were happy to help them find talented early-career researchers working in a specific area of importance to the province. Equity-deserving groups are underrepresented in mental health research. This grant expands the potential for early-career researchers to make significant contributions in this field.”
— Stefan Leslie, CEO, Research Nova Scotia

Quick Facts:

• equity-deserving groups are defined as, but not limited to: Mi’kmaq/Indigenous people or communities; African Nova Scotians/people of African descent; racialized people; newcomers; people with disabilities; the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; Acadian/francophone people; and residents of rural areas
• the New Investigator in Addictions and Mental Health grants are one of three funding streams under the government’s Community Wellness Framework, which also includes support for one-time projects and multi-year initiatives across Nova Scotia
• the government committed to create universal access to mental health and addictions care in Nova Scotia and has made significant progress; collaboration continues across the public health system, community organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to connect more people to timely support

Additional Resources:

News release – New Mental Health, Addictions Grant for Early-Career Researchers: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/10/10/new-mental-health-addictions-grant-early-career-researchers

Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve healthcare: https://actionforhealth.novascotia.ca/

Nova Scotia Health Equity Framework: https://novascotia.ca/just/publications/docs/health-equity-framework.pdf

Research Nova Scotia: https://researchns.ca/

New Investigator in Addictions and Mental Health grant recipients:

• Keisha Jeffries, Dalhousie University – Understanding the mental health experiences of Black women in Nova Scotia: A qualitative study guided by Black feminist theory; $90,562
• Laura Lambe, St. Francis Xavier University – Understanding the mental health impacts of witnessing identity-based bullying; $99,937
• Jill Murphy, St. Francis Xavier University – Collaborative priority-setting to strengthen community-based mental health care in rural Nova Scotia; $99,962
• Ahlam Rahal, Acadia University – Activating social capital: Psychosocial challenges and strength of equity-deserving college students in Nova Scotia; $99,703