Background University students globally experience rising mental health challenges, yet little research has explored how female students themselves conceptualize mental health, particularly within the Canadian post-secondary context. Understanding these conceptualizations is essential for designing gender-sensitive mental health interventions in higher education. Aim This study aimed to explore how female university students conceptualize mental health and to generate a theoretical model explaining their perceptions and experiences. Methods A constructivist grounded theory approach guided this qualitative study. Twenty-two self-identified female university students aged 18–30 years, attending a public university in Canada, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently using initial, focused, and theoretical coding, guided by constant comparative analysis. Memo writing and reflexive engagement supported theory development until theoretical saturation was achieved. Results Analysis yielded an integrated theoretical model describing female students' conceptualization of mental health as a dynamic process shaped by personal identity, social relationships, academic pressures, and cultural expectations. Three interrelated categories emerged: (1) mental health as emotional balance, (2) mental health as academic and social adjustment, and (3) mental health as self-worth and resilience. These categories were linked through a core process of continuous negotiation between internal emotional states and external demands. Conclusion Female university students conceptualize mental health as an ongoing balance between emotional well-being, academic performance, and social belonging. The generated theory highlights the need for gender-sensitive mental health strategies that acknowledge sociocultural and academic stressors. These findings provide a foundation for developing interventions and informing mental health policy in higher education.

Perceived rejection is moderated by a person’s coping orientations and sensitivity to discriminatory behaviors embedded in stigma and unfair treatment within the social space. The current study, therefore, examined the extent to which internalized stigma, anticipated discrimination, and structural violence influence the rejection sensitivity of persons with mental illness. A non-experimental cross-sectional study examined how anticipated discrimination, internalized stigma, and injustice experiences influence rejection sensitivity among 330 outpatients in Sub-Sahara Africa. Hierarchical multiple linear regression results demonstrate the non-significant relationship between anticipated discrimination and rejection sensitivity (β = .015, p = .775, 95% CI [−0.789, 1.057]). However, the relationship between internalized stigma and rejection sensitivity (β = .148, p = .029 [0.119, 2.146]) and structural violence (β = .165, p = .015 [0.014, 0.134]) were significant. While social interactions may threaten the existence of highly rejection-sensitive persons, supportive social interactions act as agents of inclusion and social empowerment for persons with a mental illness. Our study findings have further implications for health care and social welfare policy.

Background Family members play an indispensable yet often invisible role in supporting relatives with substance use disorder (SUD). They manage crises, navigate fragmented systems, and sustain care over long periods of time, frequently at great personal cost. Yet, families remain structurally alienated and positioned at the margins of the very systems that depend on their unpaid labour. Methods This qualitative study, co-designed with Families for Addiction Recovery (FAR), drew on Participatory Action Research (PAR) principles to examine family members perspectives of laws, policies and practices in Canada’s addiction care system. Findings Interviews with 87 family members yielded six intersecting ways in which systemic familial alienation is produced i) professional norms that reflect and foster distrust; ii) familial responsibility without institutional support; iii) high barrier treatment; iv) privacy barriers; v) detachment rhetoric; and vi) neoliberal individualization of sickness. The consequences include alienation of the family and endangerment. Conclusions These forms of alienation generate harm on two fronts, being family members persons with SUD. The findings underscore the urgent need for law, policy and practice reform that reframe families not as peripheral or problematic, but as integral partners in care, recovery, and system transformation.

Housing information about patients admitted to hospitals is routinely documented in health administrative records, which are increasingly used to inform planning and research. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of these records in identifying people experiencing homelessness (PEH) at discharge from psychiatric hospitalizations. We linked a reference standard of individuals admitted to a designated psychiatric unit or provincial psychiatric hospital who consented to participate in the research arm of a program for PEH to healthcare administrative data from Ontario, Canada. We evaluated the performance of five variables within the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS) that directly capture homelessness status: an ICD-10-CA diagnosis of Z59.0 (homelessness); a postal code recorded as unknown or not applicable (indicating absence of a fixed address at the time of admission); living situation at admission recorded as homeless; usual residential status recorded as homeless; and planned or actual discharge destination recorded as homeless. The evaluation included 94 participants. Participants were a median age of 35 years (IQR, 28–46), 62.8

Homelessness is often described as a 'wicked problem'. It is a complex, ill-defined and seemingly intractable public health crisis, crossing multiple sectors, with no immediate or easy fix. The issue of homelessness in Canada's rural and remote communities remains largely a hidden phenomenon receiving little attention from researchers, policymakers, and government officials. This oversight is alarming in light of the fact that the prevalence of homeless populations in rural and remote areas is significant, with rates equal to or higher than those of urban centres. The aim of this research is to address this knowledge gap by highlighting specific characteristics and contemporary trends of rural and remote homelessness. Understanding the nuances of this context is essential for developing targeted policies and interventions to prevent and reduce homelessness. Focus groups were held with service providers from ten distinct communities across Canada in 2021-2022, spanning five provinces and all three territories, and all falling within the Statistics Canada geographic classification of small population centres on the urban-rural continuum. From the focus groups, data on rural and remote homelessness were classified into the primary categories of who, help, where, and culture/context. Recent challenges, like COVID-19 and changes in the housing market, have significantly altered the conventional factors affecting homelessness in these settings. To decrease homelessness in these communities, a diverse approach is needed accounting for the social, structural, cultural, and contextual elements that influence rural and remote homelessness, instead of applying a blanket solution.

Mothers who experience homelessness represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, often facing separation from their children as a consequence of housing instability and intersecting challenges. While there is a substantial body of research on parenting in the context of homelessness, little is known about the experience of child separation while mothering. This scoping review sought to address this gap by asking: What is the breadth of knowledge on child separation while mothering through the experience of homelessness? Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework, the study found that mothers who are under state surveillance, racialized, living with health conditions, parenting alone, or experiencing intergenerational poverty are disproportionately at risk of being separated from their children.

INTRODUCTION:People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by dementia, yet little is known about their dementia care and mortality rates after a diagnosis. METHODS:Homeless (n = 559) and housed (n = 2002) individuals newly diagnosed with dementia were matched on age, sex, diagnosis date, and health region within the province of Ontario, Canada. Dementia care, long-term care admissions, health service use, and mortality rates within 1 year of diagnosis were compared between groups. RESULTS:Homeless individuals were more often admitted to long-term care and less often received cholinesterase inhibitors. They also had higher rates of unscheduled emergency department visits, hospital bed days without acute care needs, and mortality compared to housed individuals. DISCUSSION:Individuals experiencing homelessness have higher use of hospital-based services and elevated mortality. They are also more frequently admitted to long-term care, reinforcing the importance of developing integrated care models that combine health care, social services, and housing support. HIGHLIGHTS:Homeless individuals diagnosed with dementia face higher mortality and care gaps. Most are not placed in long-term care within a year of diagnosis. Tailored care models linking health care, housing, and social services are needed.

Background: The complexity of health concerns associated with unregulated substance use has led to increased hospital utilization by people who use unregulated substances. Health care providers have described inadequate knowledge to adequately support this patient population during hospitalization.Aims: The aim of this research was to explore health care providers' perspectives on harm reduction and substance use education in hospital settings.Methods: A qualitative secondary analysis was conducted using an interpretive lens. The research was conducted across three hospitals in one city in Southwestern Ontario. To guide the research, 31 health care providers, the majority being nurses, participated in either focus groups or individual interviews based on preference. All focus group or interview data were analyzed using an ethnographic method of analysis focusing on the hospital environment and education.Results: Health care providers described two interconnected states regarding harm reduction and substance use education: the current state and the desired state. Key themes which emerged in the current state and desired state include: (a) insufficient education, (b) lack of resources, (c) inconsistent policy, (d) culture of stigma and suboptimal care, (e) enhanced education, (f) resources, (g) policy change, and (h) culture shift and optimal care.Conclusion: Findings of this study demonstrate the need for supportive policies, adequate resources, and enhanced harm reduction and substance use in hospital settings. Addressing these gaps is essential to transforming hospital culture and improving care for people who use unregulated substances. These insights can inform future policy, practice, education, and guide new research initiatives.

Tiny homes and sleeping cabins are often touted as a quick and efficient solution to providing shelter or housing for unhoused individuals. No known knowledge syntheses have amalgamated this body of literature, and this is needed to inform future research, practice and policy. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review using the framework advanced by Arksey and O’Malley. We searched seven databases supplemented by a search of grey literature. We included studies that were empirical, non-empirical, of any design, and both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature. This search yielded 116 unique articles following the removal of duplicates. Over half of the included articles were empirical (n=65; 56%) and less than half were peer-reviewed (n=43; 37.1%). The majority of articles represented literature pertaining to the United States (n=89; 76.7) and Canada (n=14; 12.1%). We generated four themes in our narrative synthesis: 1) Tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a viable component of a broader solution to homelessness; 2) How to make it happen; 3) Critical perspectives on the use of tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a response to homelessness; and 4) It’s better than nothing. We conclude that a range of articles on this topic have been published, yet this literature remains under-developed with few empirical studies providing evidence for the effectiveness of tiny homes and sleeping cabins over other interventions. More empirical research is needed to warrant the use of tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a response to homelessness in light of literature on alternative approaches.

Objectives:To estimate the prevalence of methamphetamine/amphetamine use in Ontario based on laboratory drug screening results, and to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of methamphetamine/amphetamine users.Methods:A cross-sectional study of persons tested with urine drug screens (UDS) for methamphetamine/amphetamine from an electronic database of laboratory test results from selected community and hospital-based laboratories across Ontario during 2017-2018. Persons who filled a prescription for stimulants within 120 days before testing were excluded. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the characteristics of those who tested positive for methamphetamine/amphetamine use, relative to those who tested negative.Results:A total of 215,529 persons were tested for methamphetamine/amphetamine, with 26,392 (12.2% of those tested) and 0.17% of the population within the catchment area, testing presumptive positive. Of those who tested positive; most were between the ages of 20 and 40 years, but 19.5% were over 50 years of age; 41.1% were women, 40.5% were in the lowest income quintile; and 27.0% and 29.2% also tested positive for opioids and cocaine, respectively. Within the 2 years before their first UDS, those testing positive had markedly higher mean frequencies of primary care visits 46.5 (SD=54.2), emergency department visits 5.0 (SD=11.0), and hospitalizations 0.8 (SD=2.1).Conclusions:Methamphetamine/amphetamine use is associated with poverty and a large burden on the health care system. Use among women and in those over 50 years of age may have been underestimated in previous studies, and concurrent opioid and cocaine use is common. Drug testing results can inform the assessment of the population demographics of drug use. Objectifs:Estimer la pr & eacute;valence de la consommation de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine en Ontario & agrave; partir des r & eacute;sultats des d & eacute;pistages de drogues en laboratoire, et d & eacute;crire les caract & eacute;ristiques sociod & eacute;mographiques des consommateurs de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine.M & eacute;thodes:Une & eacute;tude transversale portant sur des personnes ayant subi un d & eacute;pistage urinaire (DU) de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine & agrave; partir d'une base de donn & eacute;es & eacute;lectronique contenant les r & eacute;sultats d'analyses effectu & eacute;es par les laboratoires communautaires et hospitaliers de l'Ontario s & eacute;lectionn & eacute;s en 2017-2018. Les personnes ayant obtenu une ordonnance pour des stimulants dans les 120 jours pr & eacute;c & eacute;dant le test ont & eacute;t & eacute; exclues. Nous avons utilis & eacute; des statistiques descriptives pour r & eacute;sumer les caract & eacute;ristiques des personnes dont le test de d & eacute;pistage de la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine & eacute;tait positif, par rapport & agrave; celles dont le test & eacute;tait n & eacute;gatif.R & eacute;sultats:215 529 personnes ont & eacute;t & eacute; test & eacute;es pour la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine, dont 26 392 (12,2% des personnes test & eacute;es) et 0,17% de la population dans la zone desservie ont obtenu un r & eacute;sultat pr & eacute;sum & eacute; positif. Parmi les personnes dont le test & eacute;tait positif, la plupart & eacute;taient & acirc;g & eacute;es de 20 & agrave; 40 ans, mais 19,5% avaient plus de 50 ans ; 41,1% & eacute;taient des femmes, 40,5% appartenaient au quintile de revenu le plus bas ; et 27,0% et 29,2% ont & eacute;galement & eacute;t & eacute; test & eacute;es positives aux opio & iuml;des et & agrave; la coca & iuml;ne, respectivement. Au cours des deux ann & eacute;es pr & eacute;c & eacute;dant leur premier test DU, les personnes test & eacute;es positives avaient des fr & eacute;quences moyennes nettement plus & eacute;lev & eacute;es de consultations en soins primaires (46,5, & eacute;cart-type = 54,2), de visites aux urgences (5,0, & eacute;cart-type = 11,0) et d'hospitalisations (0,8, & eacute;cart-type = 2,1).Conclusions:La consommation de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine/amph & eacute;tamine est associ & eacute;e & agrave; la pauvret & eacute; et repr & eacute;sente une charge importante pour le syst & egrave;me de sant & eacute;. La consommation chez les femmes et les personnes & acirc;g & eacute;es de plus de 50 ans a peut-& ecirc;tre & eacute;t & eacute; sous-estim & eacute;e dans les & eacute;tudes pr & eacute;c & eacute;dentes, et la consommation concomitante d'opio & iuml;des et de coca & iuml;ne est courante. Les r & eacute;sultats des tests de d & eacute;pistage de drogues peuvent & eacute;tayer l'& eacute;valuation des donn & eacute;es d & eacute;mographiques de la population en mati & egrave;re de consommation de drogues.

The opioid epidemic continues to be a prevalent crisis in North America. How best to address this challenge has long been debated. Abstinence is currently the preferred policy within the inpatient hospital setting, however, this is fraught with difficulties such as withdrawal and using substances in secrecy. It can also result in stigma and a lack of knowledge on substance use among health care providers. The concept of harm reduction could provide an ethical approach to supporting people with substance use disorder. Through Principlism and the principles of Autonomy, Beneficence, Justice and Non-Maleficence, this paper suggests that harm reduction practices represent a viable and more ethically sound approach to health care compared to abstinence-based approaches. Harm reduction practices could result in a more equitable health care system that reduces stigma and increases help-seeking behaviour. More empirical research in other jurisdictions or other settings such as long-term care is needed. Future research should address additional theoretical frameworks such as dialogical bioethics, care ethics and the capabilities approach.

There is a lack of research on stigma as a socio-cultural, religious, and moral phenomenon. This study aimed to test a Dynamic Stigma Model of Mental Illness (DYSMO) among a cohort of outpatients. We used structural equation modeling techniques to examine hypothesized relationships within the DYSMO in a cohort of 330 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis produced a model with five latent variables and 17 indicators. All factor loadings were significant at p = .05). Mediation analysis on the full structural model produced standardized fit indices that include the following: (χ 2 / df = 335.403 (105)), p = .000; RMSEA = 0.08 (90% CI: [0.072, 0.092]; CFI = 0.921; SRMSR = 0.059; TLI = 0.90). Overall, the study revealed that religiocultural, and structural violence perspectives can promote and damage perceptions about mental illness.

Objectives:Methamphetamine-related harms (eg, psychosis, infection, and overdose) continue to increase across Canada. Despite the literature supporting the effectiveness of harm reduction approaches for supporting those who use methamphetamine, such policies have yet to be systematically implemented across Canadian hospitals. Thus, to inform the systematic integration of harm reduction principles throughout hospitals in Canada, the current qualitative study sought to understand the hospital-based experiences reported by Canadians who use methamphetamine, as well as their recommendations for improvement.Methods:Between December 2020 and April 2023, 25 individuals (aged 16-85 y) from Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island completed an interview comprised of open-ended questions. These participants' responses were analyzed via an ethnographic thematic approach.Results:The sample was largely male (64%), Caucasian (60%), and nearly half reported daily methamphetamine use (44%). Themes reported by participants included rarely encountering harm reduction-based services within hospitals, concealed usage, experiences of ineffectual care, a general lack of health care provider knowledge, and the stigmatization of methamphetamine use within these hospital settings. Participants believed that increasing training resources and staff support would be essential for improving the knowledge base and care quality for those who use methamphetamine throughout Canadian hospitals.Conclusions:The current study replicated prior Ontario-based findings across multiple Canadian provinces, thereby demonstrating the necessity of nationally integrating harm reduction approaches throughout hospitals to improve care outcomes for Canadians who use methamphetamine. Objectifs:Les effets nocifs li & eacute;s & agrave; la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine (p. ex. psychose, infection, surdose) continuent d'augmenter partout au Canada. Malgr & eacute; les publications qui soutiennent l'efficacit & eacute; des approches de r & eacute;duction des risques pour aider les consommateurs de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine, ces politiques n'ont pas encore & eacute;t & eacute; mises en oe uvre de mani & egrave;re syst & eacute;matique dans les h & ocirc;pitaux canadiens. Ainsi, afin d'informer sur l'int & eacute;gration syst & eacute;matique des principes de r & eacute;duction des risques dans les h & ocirc;pitaux du Canada, la pr & eacute;sente & eacute;tude qualitative a cherch & eacute; & agrave; comprendre les exp & eacute;riences hospitali & egrave;res rapport & eacute;es par les Canadiens qui consomment de la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine, ainsi que leurs recommandations d'am & eacute;lioration.M & eacute;thodes:Entre d & eacute;cembre 2020 et avril 2023, 25 personnes (& acirc;g & eacute;es de 16 & agrave; 85 ans) provenant de l'Alberta, de la Colombie-Britannique, du Nouveau-Brunswick, de l'Ontario et de l'& Icirc;le-du-Prince-& Eacute;douard ont r & eacute;pondu & agrave; un entretien compos & eacute; de questions ouvertes. Les r & eacute;ponses de ces participants ont & eacute;t & eacute; analys & eacute;es & agrave; l'aide d'une approche th & eacute;matique ethnographique.R & eacute;sultats:L'& eacute;chantillon & eacute;tait majoritairement masculin (64%), caucasien (60%) et pr & egrave;s de la moiti & eacute; des participants ont d & eacute;clar & eacute; consommer quotidiennement de la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine (44%). Les th & egrave;mes abord & eacute;s par les participants concernaient le fait de rarement b & eacute;n & eacute;ficier de services de r & eacute;duction des risques dans les h & ocirc;pitaux, la dissimulation de la consommation, les exp & eacute;riences de soins inefficaces, le manque g & eacute;n & eacute;ral de connaissances des prestataires de soins de sant & eacute; et la stigmatisation de la consommation de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine dans ces & eacute;tablissements hospitaliers. Les participants estimaient qu'il & eacute;tait essentiel d'augmenter les ressources de formation et le soutien du personnel afin d'am & eacute;liorer les connaissances et la qualit & eacute; des soins prodigu & eacute;s aux consommateurs de m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine dans les h & ocirc;pitaux canadiens.Conclusions:L'& eacute;tude actuelle reproduit les conclusions ant & eacute;rieures provenant de l'Ontario & agrave; travers plusieurs provinces canadiennes, d & eacute;montrant ainsi la n & eacute;cessit & eacute; d'int & eacute;grer & agrave; l'& eacute;chelle nationale des approches de r & eacute;duction des risques dans les h & ocirc;pitaux afin d'am & eacute;liorer les r & eacute;sultats des soins prodigu & eacute;s aux Canadiens qui consomment de la m & eacute;thamph & eacute;tamine.

In this secondary analysis, our objective was to identify risk factors for in-hospital substance use among people with a history of methamphetamine use and hospitalization in London, Ontario. Survey data from a total of 109 participants were collected between October 2020 and May 2021. Among our sample, 55.0% reported using substances during a hospitalization. Factors significantly associated with using substances while hospitalized included self-reported attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [OR=3.15 (1.13, 8.77)], and accessing a social or medical service in the past six months [OR=2.26 (1.02, 4.99)]. In the multivariable model, factors significantly associated with using substances while hospitalized included white race [OR=3.24 (1.24, 8.45)], and self-reported ADHD [OR=3.98 (1.07, 14.8)]. We report a novel association between in-hospital substance use and ADHD, a common comorbidity associated with methamphetamine use. Identifying risk factors associated with in-hospital substance use is important in designing appropriate policies to prevent potential harm related to substance use during hospitalization. Dans cette analyse secondaire, notre objectif é tait d'identifier les facteurs de risque de consommation de substances à l'hô pital chez les personnes ayant des anté cé dents de consommation de mé thamphé tamine et ayant é té hospitalisé es à London, en Ontario.Les donné es d'enquê te ont é té collecté es auprè s d'un total de 109 participants entre octobre 2020 et mai 2021. Parmi notre é chantillon, 55,0% ont dé claré avoir consommé des substances lors d'une hospitalisation. Les facteurs significativement associé s à la consommation de substances lors d'une hospitalisation comprenaient le trouble dé ficitaire de l'attention avec hyperactivité (TDAH) dé claré (OR=3,15 [1,13 ; 8,77]), ainsi que l'accè s à un service social ou mé dical au cours des six derniers mois (OR=2,26 [1,02 ; 4,99]). Dans le modè le multivariable, les facteurs significativement associé s à la consommation de substances pendant l'hospitalisation comprenaient la race blanche (OR=3,24 [1,24-8,45]) et le TDAH dé claré (OR=3,98 [1,07-14,8]). Nous rapportons une nouvelle association entre la consommation de substances à l'hô pital et le TDAH, une comorbidité courante associé e à la consommation de mé thamphé tamine.L'identification des facteurs de risque associé s à la consommation de substances psychoactives en milieu hospitalier est importante pour concevoir des politiques approprié es visant à pré venir les dommages potentiels lié s à la consommation de substances psychoactives au cours d'une hospitalisation.

Community mental health services have been developing in the last few decades. In the process a number of ethical issues have arisen. Some of these deserve attention as they are relatively distinct from ethical issues related to hospital mental health services. Application of established ethical approaches in the context of community mental health services has required revision of these approaches or alternatives to them. The aim of this chapter is to revisit key ethics concepts, to discuss ethical issues in community mental health services, and to provide an updated basis for an ethical framework for community mental health. The chapter presents definitions and central theories in ethics, an overview of bioethics, and ethical issues related to community mental health services, addressing generic as well as distinctive problems. It considers conservative and radical approaches (the latter partly based on community psychology research and practice). It also discusses challenges arising from an ethics of community mental health services (such as the view that social justice as in ‘social inclusion’ goes beyond fair resource allocation), as well as emerging opportunities and threats (such as digital technology).

BackgroundCognitive decline in people experiencing homelessness (PEH) is an increasingly recognized issue. We compared the prevalence of dementia among PEH to housed individuals in the general population and those living in low-income neighborhoods. ApproachA population-based cross-sectional comparative analysis using linked healthcare administrative data from Ontario, Canada. We included individuals ≥45 years on January 1, 2019 who visited hospital-based ambulatory care (eg, emergency department), were hospitalized, or visited a Community Health Centre in 2019; and identified PEH if they had one or more healthcare records with an indication of homelessness or unstable housing. Prevalence of dementia was ascertained using a validated case definition for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Poisson models were used to generate estimates of prevalence. Findings12,863 PEH, 475,544 low-income comparators, and 2,273,068 general population comparators were assembled. Among these groups, dementia prevalence was 68.7, 62.6, and 51.0 per 1,000, respectively. Descriptively, prevalence ratios between PEH and the comparator groups were highest within the ages of 55-64 and 65-74 in both sexes, ranging from 2.98 to 5.00. After adjusting for age, sex, geographical location of residence, and health conditions associated with dementia, prevalence of dementia among PEH was found to be 1.71 (95% CI: 1.60–1.82) and 1.90 (1.79–2.03) times greater than the low-income and general population comparators, respectively. InterpretationPEH experience high burden of dementia compared to housed populations in Ontario. Findings suggest that PEH may experience dementia at younger ages and may benefit from the development of proactive screening and housing interventions.

The primary goal of this scoping review was to assess and summarize existing research on homelessness among female Veterans to understand their unique experiences. A total of 52 relevant studies were found and included. All identified studies had been conducted in the United States, with one in the United States and Puerto Rico. The findings provided important insight on services access/utilization, indicating that homeless female Veterans with substance abuse, physical health conditions, and mental health issues have high rates of accessing services; however, there is a lack of housing services available for female Veterans with children. Although the findings revealed many studies conducted in the United States, research investigating the issue needs to be conducted across the international community. In doing so, alternative methods and policies for supporting female Veterans experiencing homelessness can be identified and transferred. In particular, exploratory qualitative studies are needed to further understand the experience of homelessness for female Veterans.

Research explored substance use in Black communities in Canada, but a gap exists about the experiences of Black family members, caring for relatives with substance misuse within the Canadian context. Black family members are defined as African Canadians, Caribbean Canadian or Caribbean Blacks. This paper explores Black family members' beliefs and experiences regarding their relatives' psychoactive substance use and misuse. A focused ethnography was conducted with 26 Black family members with 17 participants originated from various parts of Africa, and nine participants originated from parts of the Caribbean. Participants comprised of mothers (n = 5), fathers (n = 2), step-fathers (n = 1), husbands (n = 1), wives (n = 2), uncles (n = 5), aunties (n = 2), siblings (n = 5), in-laws (n = 2), and guardians (n = 1). Three themes were generated: cultural beliefs and perceptions regarding substance use and misuse of family relatives; "When he starts drinking, hell breaks loose": Perceived impact of substance misuse on family safety and stability; and, the experiences of stigma and the keeping of secrets. Prioritizing public health approaches, such as public policies and campaigns that dismantle stigma and systemic barriers, and increase awareness about substance use and harm reduction interventions among Black communities.

Introduction Many people, often older adults, living in long-term care homes (OA-LTCH) became socially isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to variable restrictions on in-person visits and challenges associated with using technology for social connectivity. Health providers were key to supporting these OA by providing additional care and facilitating their connections with family using technology such as smartphones and iPads. It is important to learn from these experiences to move forwards from the COVID-19 pandemic with evidence-informed strategies that will better position health providers to foster social engagement for OA-LTCH across a range of contextual situations. Objective This exploratory qualitative description study sought to explore health provider experiences in supporting social connectedness between family members and OA-LTCH within the COVID-19 context. Methods Qualitative, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 health providers. Results Using inductive qualitative content analysis study findings were represented by the following themes: (a) changes in provider roles and responsibilities while challenging for health providers did not impact their commitment to supporting OA-LTCH social and emotional health, (b) a predominant focus on OA-LTCH physical well-being with resultant neglect for emotional well-being resulted in collective trauma, and (c) health providers faced multiple challenges in using technology to support social connectivity. Conclusion Study findings suggest the need for increased funding for LTC to support activities and initiatives that promote the well-being of health providers and OA living in LTC, the need to prioritize social well-being during outbreak contexts, and more formalized approaches to guide the appropriate use of technology within LTC.