Current Research
Research at the REACH Lab looks at mental healthcare both close to home and around the world, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand the challenges and guide practical solutions.
Promoting Mental Well-Being Among Secondary School Students in Vietnam Using the Y-Mind App
Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases Across the Life Course funding program, the Promotion of Resilience Involving Mental e-Health (Y-PRIME) study focuses on co-designing and testing a mental health promotion app for high school students in Vietnam.
This research explores:
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Factors influencing youth mental health and well-being in Vietnam,
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How digital mental health supports can be strengthened when co-designed by youth, along with local educators
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Whether a co-designed app that promotes life and self-management skills can improve well-being among high school students in Vietnam and,
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Whether this app has potential to be scaled up across high schools in Vietnam
Working in collaboration with a Vietnamese Youth Advisory Council and Vietnam’s Institute of Population, Health and Development (PHAD), this study helps us understand how culturally grounded, community-informed tools can promote mental health with young people in diverse contexts.
Collaborative Priority-Setting to Strengthen Community-Based Mental Health Care in Nova Scotia
Funded by Research Nova Scotia, this project explores the priorities, strengths, and needs of rural Nova Scotians when it comes to accessing mental health care in the communities where they live.
Through consultations, interviews, and partnerships with local organizations and service providers, we are looking at:
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Current mental health supports and resources in rural Nova Scotia,
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Where gaps exist,
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What matters most to community members, and
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How services can be improved so they are more appropriate and accessible for people living in rural communities
Findings from this project will help inform policy, guide service planning, and support more equitable access to care across the province.