“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword”: Motivation and personal impact of bereaved mothers’ advocacy for drug policy reform

As the overdose crisis began to take hold across Canada in 2016, bereaved parents, mainly mothers, emerged as vocal advocates for drug policy reform and harm reduction, using their stories to challenge the stigma of drug-related death. In 2017, we launched a qualitative research partnership with leading family organizations in Canada, conducting interviews with 43 mothers whose children had died from substance use, to understand their experiences of drug policy [...]

By |2025-12-15T17:51:18+00:00July 30, 2025|, |0 Comments

Reddit users’ experiences of suicidal thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis of r/Covid19_support posts

The COVID-19 pandemic is having considerable impacts on population-level mental health, with research illustrating an increased prevalence in suicidal thoughts due to pandemic stressors. The objective of this study was to examine how Reddit users within the r/COVID19_support community describe their experiences of suicidal thoughts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By |2025-12-15T17:05:23+00:00July 30, 2025||0 Comments

Cannabis Education Resources for Parents: An Environmental Scan and Critical Content Analysis in the Context of Legalization

Cannabis was recently legalized for adult use in Canada and many American states. In this context, there is a pressing need for educational resources - aimed at youth and their parents/caregivers - to reduce potential harm. However, little is known about the current state of such resources. This paper presents findings of an environmental scan, mapping and critically analyzing the present landscape of cannabis resources for parents/caregivers.

By |2025-12-15T16:51:41+00:00July 30, 2025|, , |0 Comments

Using photovoice to understand experiences of opioid use among sexual and gender minority youth

In Canada, sexual and gender minority youth use opioids at disproportionately high rates. Yet, little is known about the distinct contexts of opioid use within this group, challenging capacity to develop well founded policy and practice supports. This case study aims to examine – in depth – the experiences and contexts of opioid use among a sample of four sexual and gender minority youth in Vancouver, Canada.

By |2025-12-15T16:43:20+00:00July 30, 2025||0 Comments

2S/LGBTQ+ youth substance use and pathways to homelessness: A photovoice study.

Supports for 2S/LGBTQ+ youth, who use drugs in the lead-up to and after becoming homeless, should be informed by youths' pursuits of becoming and belonging in the context of marginalization. This community-based photovoice study describes the narratives used by 2S/LGBTQ+ youth about how substance use featured in their pathways to homelessness

By |2025-12-15T17:20:01+00:00July 21, 2025|, |0 Comments

Identifying mechanisms of youth mental health promotion: A realist evaluation of the Agenda Gap programme.

This study presents a realist evaluation of Agenda Gap, drawing on realist qualitative interviews with youth participants (n = 18) and adult collaborators (n = 4). The analysis used the middle-range theories of ‘Third Space’ and ‘Third Place’ to conceptualize how causal mechanisms were produced from the non-familial youth-adult relationships that are foundational to the programme.

By |2025-12-15T17:21:40+00:00July 21, 2025|, , |0 Comments
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