Indigenous Community Research Partnerships is an open-access online training resource. It supports researchers and others in academic and institutional research settings to engage in learning about ethical and equitable research partnerships that respect and honor Indigenous priorities and benefits in research. Our interdisciplinary team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, with the support and encouragement of community partners, have developed the training resource to promote community-centered and -driven research approaches through all aspects of the research lifecycle. A survey of learners who have used the training resource perceive it as a positive and helpful resource. We are working to obtain support to engage in a fulsome evaluation of the training resource by and with Indigenous partners. We propose the training resource has potential to complement initiatives that advance Indigenous self-determination and research sovereignty.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to local health systems, widening gaps in support and disrupting available care. Within Canada, First Nations communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, which exacerbated an already strained system of appropriate services and supports. As part of a broader community-based participatory research project (The First Nations Wellness Initiative), the aim of this research was to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affected people seeking and providing mental wellness supports within a First Nations community, with an eye to informing ways to enhance community strengths to better address pandemic-related challenges and develop community-identified opportunities for mental wellness promotion. From September 2020 to March 2022, one-to-one interviews with people with lived experiences with mental health and/or substance use challenges (n = 2) and individuals supporting loved ones with lived experiences (n = 7) as well as two focus group discussions (i.e., with community youth (n = 5) and frontline service providers (n = 5)) were conducted in Saugeen First Nation, Ontario, Canada by a local research coordinator/Knowledge Holder. Individuals shared experiences with mental wellness and/or substance use challenges and experiences accessing/providing mental wellness supports during the pandemic. Recommendations for improving supports during and beyond the pandemic were also provided. These qualitative data were analyzed thematically, using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach. Challenges faced during the pandemic included difficulties finding and navigating available supports; problems connecting via virtual services; and lack of access to cultural and/or spiritual supports. Participants described relational supports (kinship, friends, the broader community) as well as formal supports (culturally-embedded programs, group supports, youth support group) as key community strengths drawn upon during the pandemic to promote mental wellness. In terms of service provision, challenges balancing differing community needs and concerns were highlighted. Participants shared ideas for expanding and adapting mental wellness promotion and supports to develop a stronger system of care for mental wellness and substance use challenges. The findings point to opportunities for building on existing community strengths and promoting locally-led, culturally-grounded supports for mental wellness and substance use challenges to enhance capacity of First Nations communities to support their members in the face of public health crises.

Anti-Indigenous racism education is often framed as a way to improve non-discriminatory care for Indigenous peoples. This study asked: What happens when anti-Indigenous racism is taken up by educators? What makes it challenging to manage in an adult classroom? What strategies are (un)successful? Ten adult educators participated—Indigenous (n = 4), White (n = 3) and non-Indigenous People of Colour (n = 3)—in either an interview or focus group. A phenomenological approach guided interpretation of participant narratives. Findings revealed persistent anti-Indigenous racist violence in adult educational settings. Successfully challenging anti-Indigenous racism required deep educator knowledge, self-awareness, cultural humility and strong facilitation skills. The traumatic toll on Indigenous educators and differing responses to resistance highlighted how racism is experienced and addressed differently by Indigenous, non-Indigenous People of Colour and White educators. This study provides empirical evidence for the need for pedagogical strategies that improve cultural safety, support educators and meaningfully confront anti-Indigenous racism in adult education classrooms.

In health care and child welfare, clinical records and case notes serve multiple functions. When records are aggregated and processed to create administrative data, they can be analyzed and used to inform policy development and decision-making. To be useful, such data should be complete, accurate, and recorded in a standardized way. However, sources of bias and error can impact the quality of administrative data. During the development of national child welfare data in Canada, child welfare sector partners expressed concerns about the accuracy and completeness of data about children and families. This protocol describes a study that seeks to answer two questions: 1) What individual and institutional factors influence how client data is recorded by child welfare workers in Canada? 2) What data quality issues are created through documentation and case recording practices that may impact the use of clinical case management system data for public health statistics? In this protocol, we describe an exploratory mixed methods study that involves an online survey, interviews with a purposive sample of child welfare workers, and a document review of case recording guidelines. To be eligible for the study, participants must have worked at a child welfare agency or department with clinical documentation responsibilities as a part of their job. We will use descriptive statistics to analyze the survey data and thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data. This study will help uncover strengths, limitations, and possible sources of bias created through case recording and documentation practices in child welfare. Study results will be shared through presentations to interest holders and will inform the further development of national child welfare data in Canada.

Participatory research encompasses diverse investigative approaches that engage community, industry, and other nonacademic collaborators. While investigators have examined single studies to explore research processes and impacts, less is known about the participatory research ecosystem. To address this, our team conducted an online survey to characterize academic researchers who conducted participatory research in Canada (2013-8). Of 1135 respondents (response rate = 27.5 per cent), 38.9 per cent identified their research project as participatory. Results of a multivariable logistic regression showed that academic researchers identifying as women or gender diverse, Indigenous or racialized, of older age, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and those with larger grants were more likely to conduct participatory research. This study contributes to a growing understanding of individual- and institution-level factors that may influence academic researcher engagement with research coproduction. These findings offer new insights to inform science policy, funding priorities, and sustainable participatory research environments in academia.

Introduction: Knowledge mobilization (K*)—a term encompassing activities such as synthesis, dissemination, exchange, and application of knowledge—is discussed and cited across disciplines, particularly in research addressing equity- and/or sovereignty-deserving communities. Despite increasing calls for applied research, significant gaps remain between knowledge generation and its outcomes. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) aims to narrow this gap, especially in contexts marked by historical and systemic exclusion. Objectives and Methods: The objectives of this bibliometric analysis are to examine how K* terminology is applied, cited, and connected across disciplines, geographies, authors, and journals, and to produce accessible visual data that highlights patterns related to equity- and/or sovereignty-deserving communities. Adhering to established bibliometric methods, we will use Covidence to pre-screen records, export relevant records for a search within the Web of Science Core Collection to generate data, and then analyze and visualize citation and authorship trends and keyword occurrences using Excel, VOSviewer, and Gephi. Results and Discussion: The findings will reveal the frequently used K* terms, their citation patterns, and how they cluster across disciplines, geographies, authors, and journals. Network visualizations will highlight influential citations, recurring keywords such as equity and community engagement, and thematic intersections with research involving equity- and/or sovereignty-deserving communities. The bibliometric analysis will contribute critical insights into how K* is framed and interacts with equity- and/or sovereignty-deserving communities within the literature. Conclusion: Our protocol serves as a replicable guide for future bibliometric analyses in this area. By leveraging systematic searching protocols and the rigour of bibliometrics, we can create data visualizations to map influence, reveal hidden connections, and present complex knowledge landscapes in ways that are both analytically robust and accessible to diverse audiences, including equity- and/or sovereignty-deserving communities.

The practice of putting research into action is known by various names, depending on disciplinary norms. Knowledge mobilization, translation, and transfer (collectively referred to as K*) are three common terminologies used in research literature. Knowledge-to-action opportunities and gaps in academic research often remain obscure to non-academic community partners and researchers in communities, policy and decision makers, and practitioners who could benefit from up-to-date information on health and wellbeing. Academic research training, funding, and performance metrics rarely prioritize or address non-academic community needs from research. We propose to conduct a scoping review on reported K* in community-driven research contexts, examining the governance, processes, methods, and benefits of K*, and mapping who, what, where, and when K* terminology is used. This protocol paper outlines our approach to gathering, screening, analyzing, and reporting on available published literature from four databases.

This rapid review investigated the mental health concerns of sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE) refugees in Canada. Database searches yielded 365 results across five databases, providing 12 papers for final thematic analysis once inclusion criteria were applied. Three themes emerged: (1) Stigma and discrimination negatively affected mental health and well-being; (2) SOGIE refugees faced challenges accessing services; and (3) the refugee claims process adversely affected well-being. Recommendations to improve SOGIE refugee well-being include implementing culturally safe policies in agencies, life-skills programs, and supportive spaces; promoting inclusivity, interprofessional collaboration between services, and innovative agency outreach to refugees; addressing biases in refugee claims boards and extending the refugee claim eligibility period.

ObjectivesMany individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) face challenges accessing suitable housing support, which increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes and daily living difficulties that can persist throughout adulthood. Our rapid review assesses the current scope of literature that reports on existing housing programs and supports for adults with FASD.MethodsPubMed, Social Work, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and Social Services Abstracts were searched to identify published peer-reviewed articles. Grey literature was identified through a Google search strategy and a manual search through FASD-specific organizational websites in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. A total of 866 citations were screened in Covidence, nine of which met the inclusion criteria for analysis: five peer-reviewed articles and four grey literature sources.ResultsAdults with FASD face significant barriers when accessing supportive housing services. The findings underscore the need for FASD-informed approaches to foster interdependence among adults, their families, and support networks.ConclusionsSupportive housing programs for adults with FASD are sparse, and existing programs often fall short of addressing the holistic needs of these individuals. Future research prioritizing the lived and living experiences of adults accessing support, focusing on the effectiveness of specific support strategies, is warranted.

BACKGROUND:In Euro-Western forms of research, Indigenous Knowledges (IK) and Knowledge systems have been misused, devalued, and stolen. Elders and Knowledge Guardians have expressed the need for IK to be protected for future generations and be included in research in a good way. OBJECTIVES:We aim to disrupt the ongoing dominance of Eurocentric research methodologies focused on Indigenous Peoples by promoting and nurturing rights-based and distinctions-based approaches that center Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing within the entirety of this research project. METHODS:This protocol paper describes how we developed an Indigenous-informed realist review process and what the process entails. When conducting our realist review, we will examine papers indicating that IK were centered in research. Our iterative process is shaped and guided by IK within our team. To be included in the analysis, papers must (1) identify how Indigenous Peoples were leading, guiding, and/or governing the research; (2) describe how IK were a critical component of research; and (3) report on how the research benefitted Indigenous Peoples. All papers that meet our inclusion criteria will be scored using a relevance assessment tool we developed to assess how much information was provided on the local context for the Indigenous research, the outcomes from the IK in research, and the processes that facilitated the research outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Our intention is to synthesize and amplify how IK have been centered in research, across multiple disciplines and geographies, to benefit Indigenous Peoples. We focus on nurturing and fostering ways of doing Indigenous research and including IK in a way that supports the well-being of Indigenous Peoples.

BACKGROUND:Caregivers supporting adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) report concerns regarding living arrangements and services for their adult children with FASD. Best practices for living support for adults with FASD are under-researched, and few studies have explored the experiences of caregivers whose children are adults. This study examined the perspectives of caregivers who support adults (18+) with FASD regarding: (1) current ways adults with FASD are supported with daily life activities; and (2) ideal future living arrangements and supports. METHODS:This article presents findings from the perspective of caregivers who support adults with FASD, as part of a broader project involving both adults with FASD and caregivers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Canadian caregivers who live at home with an adult with FASD (aged 18+). Responses were examined using framework analysis, a structured approach to analyzing qualitative data. RESULTS:Caregivers described their experiences and perspectives regarding: (1) current ways adults with FASD are supported in their daily activities; (2) strategies for successful support; (3) ideal future living arrangements and supports; and (4) concerns for the future. Notably, almost every participant raised pressing concerns regarding the future living arrangements for the person they support once they are no longer able to provide care. CONCLUSIONS:This study explores caregivers' perspectives regarding living support needed by adults with FASD, which can inform support programs and housing services. Findings demonstrate an urgent need for policy change directed toward developing available, affordable, and appropriate housing for adults with FASD.

Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are based on embodied sovereignty, relationality and countless generations of knowledge sharing. We call for epistemic justice in which Indigenous knowledge systems are recognised and valued in research-related contexts. We draw attention to how colonial knowledge systems silence, delegitimise and devalue specific knowers and ways of knowing, being and doing - through truth telling. This includes (1) the extent to which educational systems, research, practices, decisions, and reported outcomes are whitewashed - a process of structural and systemic discrimination, racism, and exclusion that actively alters or omits Indigenous and non-Euro-Western contributions and perspectives to fit Euro-Western norms and (2) whitewashed and racialised logic in scientific research that claims to be open, collaborative and transparent. Whitewashing not only obscures the history and contributions of Indigenous peoples and communities but also actively reinforces systemic biases and inequities. We assert the need for epistemic justice in public health research. Epistemic justice calls for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination to be made visible. It may involve on how colonial policies, protocols, and regulations are connected to everyday lived inequities of Indigenous communities, families and individuals. Ultimately, epistemic justice is inherent to Indigenous peoples' health and wellness, self-determination and sovereignty.

OBJECTIVES:To better understand what knowledge translation activities are effective and meaningful to Indigenous communities and what is required to advance knowledge translation in health research with, for, and by Indigenous communities. STUDY DESIGN:Workshop and collaborative yarning. SETTING:Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health Conference, Cairns, June 2023. PARTICIPANTS:About 70 conference delegates, predominantly Indigenous people involved in research and Indigenous health researchers who shared their knowledge, experiences, and recommendations for knowledge translation through yarning and knowledge sharing. RESULTS:Four key themes were developed using thematic analysis: knowledge translation is fundamental to research and upholding community rights; knowledge translation approaches must be relevant to local community needs and ways of mobilising knowledge; researchers and research institutions must be accountable for ensuring knowledge translation is embedded, respected and implemented in ways that address community priorities; and knowledge translation must be planned and evaluated in ways that reflect Indigenous community measures of success. CONCLUSION:Knowledge translation is fundamental to making research matter, and critical to ethical research. It must be embedded in all stages of research practice. Effective knowledge translation approaches are Indigenous-led and move beyond Euro-Western academic metrics. Institutions, funding bodies, and academics should embed structures required to uphold Indigenous knowledge translation. We join calls for reimaging health and medical research to embed Indigenous knowledge translation as a prerequisite for generative knowledge production that makes research matter.

Introduction: While perinatal mental health concerns are common, little attention is paid to noticing or addressing these concerns. Midwives and obstetricians are uniquely positioned to universally screen their patients for mental health conditions during the perinatal period, and provide referrals for additional mental health supports if relevant. Previous studies on perinatal mental health care have focused primar-ily on midwifery care, excluding perinatal healthcare providers such as obstetricians. This rapid review aims to examine the barriers to accessing mental health care during the perinatal period as experienced by obstetricians, midwives, and their patients.Methods: A rapid review of literature was conducted on barriers to perinatal mental health care as expe-rienced by patients, midwives, and obstetricians. The search strategy included published literature from PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science published between 20 0 0 and 2020. All documents were screened by two researchers and disagreements were resolved through consensus with a third reviewer. After data from all included articles were extracted, thematic analysis was conducted, and findings were compared with related reviews that focused on mental health access for individuals who accessed mid-wifery care.Results: Of the 539 references and documents that were screened, 31 articles met the inclusion criteria. In the extraction phase, country, study objective(s), study design, perspective(s), barriers, and the dimen-sion(s) impacted along the pathway to accessing care were retrieved from the 31 included articles. After all barriers were classified using the Supply-Side Dimensions of Access, we developed a classification framework to further examine stigma at the societal, institutional, and individual levels. Discussion: While midwives utilize a more holistic approach to care as compared with obstetricians, the barriers identified through this rapid review indicate that obstetricians and their patients face similar struggles to accessing and providing mental health care. Moreover, stigma plays a large role in the barri-ers experienced by patients, midwives, and obstetricians -at individual and institutional levels.Conclusion: Obstetricians encounter similar stigma-related barriers as midwives in detecting mental health concerns, as well as connecting clients to available mental health resources and supports. There-fore, to effectively eliminate barriers to accessing perinatal mental health care, a systemic change must be enacted throughout all three layers to address the deep-rooted stigma associated with accessing mental health care during the perinatal period. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: The Canadian healthcare system bares a long legacy of colonisation and assimilation of Indigenous values and approaches to health and wellness. This system often perpetuates social and health inequities through systemic racism, underfunding, lack of culturally appropriate care and barriers to access care. Current funding legislation policies enacted across federal, provincialand territorial governments do not necessarily uphold Indigenous Peoples' rights to self-determination, health and wellness. We summarise literature on promising Indigenous health systems and practices that prioritise and/or improve rural Indigenous Peoples' health and wellness. Objective: The impetus for this review was to provide information on promising health systems, while Dehcho First Nations developed a health and wellness vision. Methods: Documents were gathered from indexed and non-indexed databases to obtain literature from peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed sources. Two reviewers independently 1) screened titles, abstracts and full texts to ensure they met the inclusion criteria, 2) gathered relevant data from all included documents and 3) identified major themes and sub-themes. Reviewers then discussed and reached consensus on the themes. Results: Thematic analysis revealed six themes for effective health systems for rural and remote Indigenous communities: 1) access to primary care, 2) multi-directional knowledge exchange, 3) culturally appropriate care, 4) training and building community capacity, 5) integrated care and 6) health system funding. Conclusion: Effective health and wellness systems must support Indigenous ways of knowing and doing in healthcare models based on collaborative partnerships with community members, health providers and government agencies.Sustainable health and wellness funding plans must be provided through federal, provincial, territorial and state partnerships.Indigenous core values, culture and knowledge must be integrated within mainstream health systems.Indigenous Rightsholders must inform all plans for altering or implementing Indigenous health systems.Non-Indigenous cultural safety and competency training can improve care.

Objectives: As the presence of Indigenous Peoples, world views, perspectives, and teachings continues to grow within academia, the institutional narrative regarding Indigenous approaches to knowing, doing, and being evolves and expands. We would like to contribute to this shifting narrative. Introduction: We are a diverse group of trainees invited into an Indigenous-led research project, entitled IndWisdom, that is exploring the context-mechanism-outcome relationships of Indigenous research. By conducting two parallel study components—an Indigenous-informed realist review and case studies—the larger IndWisdom project aims to advance Indigenous Peoples’ sovereignty and rights related to how Indigenous Knowledges are centred in research. Through the process of this research, we have come to the understanding that Indigenous Knowledges and Indigenous Knowledge Systems are contextualized and dynamic in nature and are embodied and interconnected in all aspects of one’s lived experience, language, traditions, and culture. Methods: As a collective, the trainees were supported to participate in a sharing circle to introduce ourselves and reflect on how our positionality and understanding of who we are impacts our approach to engaging with research. Results: While we span different nationhoods and time zones, we share how we have fostered virtual spaces that respect each other's perspectives and approaches as well as honour our own Indigenous world views and allied identities. Discussion: In the same way that our realist review involves recording and analyzing context-mechanism-outcome details of other peoples’ studies, our paper provides the context of who we are as co-authors, our mechanisms (approaches) of engaging with each other and the IndWisdom study content, and outcomes from our ways of knowing and doing research.Keywords: Indigenous, research, typology/methodology, lived experience, Indigenous research methodologies, ways of knowing

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading known cause of developmental disabilities in Canada. Youth with FASD often experience challenges while transitioning to the expectations of adulthood. Research has demonstrated that appropriate supports in the transition to adulthood and throughout the lifespan may help mitigate these challenges. Literature that examined strategies, programs, and/or supports for youth with FASD entering adulthood was the focus of this inquiry. To better understand the scope and recommendations of strategies, programs, and supports for youth with FASD who are transitioning to adulthood, this scoping review examined peer-reviewed and grey literature from 2005 to 2020 to answer the following questions: (1) What is the scope of existing strategies, programs, and supports for youth with FASD who are transitioning to adulthood?; (2) What recommendations are provided from existing strategies, programs, and supports assisting youth with FASD as they transition to the expectations of adulthood? The scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Findings from the review are reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and the PRISMA extension for searching (PRISMA-S). Twenty-one peer-reviewed sources were included in the final review. Studies largely focused on one of three areas: (1) programs supporting youth with FASD and their families, (2) lived experiences of individuals with FASD during the transition to adulthood, or (3) preventing adverse outcomes. Recommendations from included studies highlighted the importance of programs and supports that demonstrate an understanding of FASD and emphasize relationship-building, the benefits of obtaining an FASD diagnosis, the notable gap in services for individuals who have transitioned to adulthood, and the importance of consistent advocates in the lives of youth with FASD. Implications for educators, employers, service providers, and caregivers who support youth with FASD are discussed.

Alcohol is legalized and used for a variety of reasons, including socially or as self-medication for trauma in the absence of accessible and safe supports. Trauma-informed approaches can help address the root causes of alcohol use, as well as the stigma around women’s alcohol use during pregnancy. However, it is unclear how these approaches are used in contexts where pregnant and/or parenting women access care. Our objective was to synthesize existing literature and identify promising trauma-informed approaches to working with pregnant and/or parenting women who use alcohol. A multidisciplinary team of scholars with complementary expertise worked collaboratively to conduct a rigorous scoping review. All screening, extraction, and analysis was independently conducted by at least two authors before any differences were discussed and resolved through team consensus. The Joanna Briggs Institute method was used to map existing evidence from peer-reviewed articles found in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Web of Science. Data were extracted to describe study demographics, articulate trauma-informed principles in practice, and gather practice recommendations. Thirty-six studies, mostly from the United States and Canada, were included for analysis. Studies reported on findings of trauma-informed practice in different models of care, including live-in treatment centers, case coordination/management, integrated and wraparound supports, and outreach—for pregnant women, mothers, or both. We report on how the following four principles of trauma-informed practices were applied and articulated in the included studies: (1) trauma awareness; (2) safety and trustworthiness; (3) choice, collaboration, and connection; and (4) strengths-based approach and skill building. This review advances and highlights the importance of understanding trauma and applying trauma-informed practice and principles to better support women who use alcohol to reduce the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Relationships and trust are central to trauma-informed care. Moreover, when applying trauma-informed practices with pregnant and parenting women who use alcohol, we must consider the unique stigma attached to alcohol use.

We examined the explanatory roles of social determinants of health (SDOH) for First Nations people using a four-domain model of health and wellness based on the Medicine Wheel (i.e., physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health), including colonial-linked stressors (i.e., historical trauma, childhood adversities, racial discrimination) and cultural resilience factors (i.e., cultural strengths, traditional healing practices, social support). Data were collected in partnership with a First Nation in Ontario, Canada in 2013 through a community survey (n = 194). For each outcome (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health), a modified Poisson regression model estimated prevalence ratios for the SDOH, adjusting for age, sex, education, and marital status. Negative associations were found for historical trauma with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health; for childhood adversities with mental health; and for racial discrimination with physical, mental, and emotional health. Positive associations were found for cultural strengths with physical, mental, and emotional health and for social support with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We observed negative associations between use of traditional healing practices and mental and emotional health. Our findings suggest that these SDOH may play important roles in relation to wellness through associations with the domains of health modelled by the Medicine Wheel.