Improving Retention and Well-being of Workers in Linguistic Minority Contexts in Designated Facilities at the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale

The project takes place within the healthcare setting of Jeffery Hale - Saint-Brigid’s (JH-SB), which possesses a rich and unique organizational culture due to its Anglophone heritage. The majority of patients are Anglophone, and workers are required to meet significant language requirements upon hiring. The shortage of healthcare workers in the Capitale-Nationale region is indeed a serious concern, particularly with the addition of this linguistic requirement. Its impact on access to quality services for the Anglophone community is even more concerning because the recruitment pool is narrower than in other healthcare facilities. JHSB institutions must be competitive in recruiting and retaining an adequate and competent workforce to provide safe and quality services to this minority English-speaking population. This increases the risk factors for the sustainable health and well-being of both workers and patients. Human resource management poses a real challenge in terms of strategically and sustainably valuing bilingual staff and demonstrating intercultural competencies. Thus, the study will identify the challenges and strengths of staff retention. Subsequently, the development of solutions, in collaboration with the community, will enable changes in work organization and the resources offered by the environment to allow healthcare workers to better carry out their work activities. These solutions aim to reduce psychosocial risks by increasing recognition and social support, as well as increasing retention and hiring of healthcare workers. The objectives for the English-speaking population are to reduce several negative effects that may arise, such as long waiting times for patients, service disruptions, workload overload, etc.

Learning to implement new electronic health programs: Expanding cancer care access for English-speaking Quebec patients

In Quebec, English-speaking cancer patients face language barriers in accessing healthcare services. This can cause delays and inadequate treatment leading to poorer quality of care. Electronic health platforms have the potential to improve English-speaking cancer patients’ ability to navigate the health system. E-IMPAQc is an electronic platform for cancer patients, available online or through an app that streamlines access to bilingual information, self-management tools, and coordinates patients’ appointments. My doctoral research aims to understand how e-IMPAQc can improve access to cancer care resources and delivery of services for English-speaking patients by studying the platform’s implementation process. I am conducting in-depth interviews with cancer care patients, clinicians, and e-IMPAQc implementation staff to gain insight into their experiences and how the real-world use of the platform works. The findings will directly inform e-IMPAQc’s ongoing implementation and will be published in several academic journals. The results of my study will demonstrate how electronic health platforms can be used to improve the access and delivery of care for English-speaking patients, not only in cancer, but across the Quebec healthcare system. 

Exploring Language Barriers as a Social Determinant of Mental Health among English-Speaking Post-Secondary Students in Quebec: A Scoping Review and Policy Analysis.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of mental health related problems among post-secondary students in Canadian higher education institutions. One important factor that can negatively impact the delivery of mental health services at these institutions is the language barrier. This issue is of prominent significance in a linguistically diverse society such as Quebec, where previous research indicates that linguistic minorities encounter significant obstacles in accessing equitable healthcare services. 

While previous research has investigated the impact of language barriers on health care access and the quality of care among Quebec's linguistic minorities, there is a paucity of research regarding mental health services available to English-speaking students in Quebec’s higher education institutions and their experiences accessing such services. This scoping review seeks to fill this gap by mapping the existing academic and grey literature on language barriers and access to mental health services among English-speaking post-secondary students in Quebec’s colleges and universities. This study is guided by the following research questions: 

1. How do language barriers create inequities in access to mental health services for English- speaking post-secondary students in Quebec’s higher education institutions? 

2. What policies and resources are in place at higher education institutions in Quebec to facilitate English-speaking students' access to mental health services? 

3. What policy interventions can be implemented to enhance access to mental health services for English-speaking students attending higher education institutions in Quebec? 

This study will provide insights and policy recommendations to foster a more equitable and inclusive mental health service delivery in Quebec's higher education institutions. 

Understanding the Impact of Linguistic Barriers and Stigma on English-Speaking Sinosphere Quebec Patients with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and Their Family Members

We want to understand how negative attitudes and beliefs towards mental illness (known as stigma) affect English-speaking individuals from Sinosphere countries living in Quebec diagnosed with first episode psychosis (FEP), as well as their families. Stigma can make it harder to seek help, follow treatment, and recover. It also adds burden to their families. Therefore, it is important to recognize the challenges faced by this group. 

21.1% of Canada's visible minority population comes from East and Southeast Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, collectively known as the Sinosphere. Among these individuals residing in Quebec, there is a preference for English over French. Unfortunately, Sinosphere Canadians often experience poorer mental well-being and display lower rates of seeking professional help compared to others. Additionally, there is a lack of research on this specific group, which motivates us to address this knowledge gap and prioritize improving access to mental health and social services for the English-speaking Sinosphere FEP community, thereby enhancing their well-being. 

To tackle this issue, we will gather information on the experience of stigma, explore the linguistic and cultural factors that influence their experience, and find ways to reduce stigma among English-speaking Sinosphere individuals in Quebec who have FEP and their family members. We will conduct interviews with ten FEP patients and ten family members from three hospitals in Quebec. The participants must meet the following criteria: (1) they or their parents immigrated from a Sinosphere country, and (2) they prefer English as their official language. 

Traduction et validation en langue anglaise de l'EXAmen Cognitif abrégé en Traumatologie (EXACT)

Chaque année, environ 64 à 74 millions de personnes subissent un traumatisme craniocérébral (TCC) dans le monde. Lors de l’accident, des lésions cérébrales peuvent survenir et engendrer des difficultés cognitives affectant le langage, les fonctions exécutives, la mémoire, etc. L'EXAmen Cognitif abrégé en Traumatologie (EXACT) est un nouvel outil francophone, valide et fiable, spécialement conçu pour évaluer brièvement le fonctionnement cognitif global lors des 3 mois suivant l’accident (phase aiguë). Il a été initialement créé pour surmonter les limites des quelques outils d’évaluation brefs disponibles. En raison de ses qualités (validité, sensibilité, spécificité et fidélité), l’EXACT est désormais utilisé par de nombreux professionnels à travers le monde (p. ex., Canada, Suisse, États-Unis, France), incluant les centres tertiaires en traumatologie au Québec. Cependant, le fait que l’EXACT soit uniquement disponible en français et qu’il ait été validé auprès d’un échantillon presque exclusivement composé de francophones empêche son utilisation auprès d’une clientèle anglophone. L'objectif de la présente étude est donc de valider la version anglaise de l'EXACT auprès d'un échantillon de participants anglophones sans TCC. Pour ce faire, les participants complèteront la version anglaise de l’EXACT lors d’une séance d’environ 30 à 40 minutes. Ensuite, les résultats des participants anglophones seront comparés à ceux de l'échantillon original de participants francophones afin de vérifier si les performances à l'EXACT sont comparables dans les deux groupes. Une fois validé, la version anglaise de l’EXACT permettra d’optimiser la récupération cognitive des personnes anglophones au Québec et à l’international qui subissent un TCC en leur offrant un accès plus rapide aux services de réadaptation. Également, ce projet de recherche permettra d’optimiser le travail des professionnels en poste dans les milieux de soins anglophones en leur permettant d’utiliser un outil d’évaluation plus rapide et efficace qui est facile à administrer. Éventuellement, l’EXACT permettra aussi de faire avancer les connaissances sur les TCC, car il pourra facilement être utilisé comme mesure dans d’autres projets de recherche qui souhaitent évaluer les fonctions cognitives de façon brève, mais exhaustive chez les patients avec TCC. 

The intersecting impacts of racism and language barriers on the wellbeing and sense of belonging of English-speaking Black young adults in Quebec

Full title: Whether I belong, depends on whether my group belongs: The intersecting impacts of racism and language barriers on the wellbeing and sense of belonging of English-speaking Black young adults in Quebec 

The proposed three-wave longitudinal research will examine the perception of multiple forms of discrimination (i.e., racism, language barriers) experienced by English-speaking Black individuals in Quebec, a racialized and official language minority population. Following a Self-Determination Theory framework, the primary objective is to examine perception of barriers to healthcare and the basic psychological needs of collective autonomy for English-speaking Black individuals in response to racism and language barriers in every-day life. Furthermore, we will also examine whether greater barriers to healthcare and deprivation of collective autonomy will decrease psychological well-being and increase intentions to leave Quebec for English-speaking Black Quebecers, respectively. With a focus on intersecting and context-dependent forms of discrimination within the healthcare system, the current study will further our understanding on how well-being and intention to migrate are affected among racialized and official language minority populations, in the hope of informing health and social policies and developing interventions collaboratively with community partners.