Six research projects turning mental health and well-being ideas into action

Advancing mental health and well-being across post-secondary settings was the focus of a recent University of Calgary event that brought together researchers, students, staff, faculty, university leaders and community partners to share the latest emerging research ideas.

The Post-Secondary Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Knowledge Hub hosted a Research Pitch and Showcase on June 16 at Hunter Student Commons, offering a space for these ideas to move from early conversations into clearer, collaborative next steps. 

Six teams presented proposal-stage research initiatives developed through the Hub’s Working Group Series. The Dragon’s Den-style format was designed to be supportive and constructive, giving teams an opportunity to share their research questions, receive feedback from a panel, and invite new partnerships before applying for seed funding.

Seed funding of up to $5,000 per project is provided by a number of sources, including the Faculty of Arts and the Office of Institutional Commitments (OIC), and is intended to support early stage research activities such as pilot preparation, feasibility work, evaluation design, research co-ordination and hiring student research assistants. The goal is to help teams strengthen promising ideas and position them for future research activity and larger funding opportunities. The Working Group Series that led to these proposals was supported by a University of Calgary Transdisciplinary Connector Grant.

Building compassionate leadership across campus

The Teaching and Learning team presented Compassionate leadership training as an upstream measure to improve campus belonging and relational civility in higher education.

The project focuses on the role faculty, staff, graduate student teaching assistants and institutional leaders play in shaping the learning and working environments that affect student mental health, academic success and belonging.

The team is led by Dr. Astrid Kendrick, EdD’18; Dr. Kimberly Johnston, BSc (Eng)’05, PhD’17; and Dr. Jennifer Thannhauser, PhD’12, a Registered Psychologist.

Mapping student loneliness in the age of the commuter campus

The Data and Evaluation team presented Mapping Student Loneliness — U of C students in the age of rising digital spaces and the “Commuter Campus.” 

The project responds to the growing concern of loneliness among post-secondary students, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic and amid changing patterns of commuting, digital learning and campus engagement.

The team includes Dr. Julia Hews-Girard, PhD, assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing; Thomas Ambrozaitis, student engagement and outreach co-ordinator in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape; and Mae Lakmun, a Faculty of Science student.

Improving transitions between campus and community mental health care

The Transitions team presented Bridging the Gap: Improving Mental Health Transitions Between Campus and Community Care. The project focuses on how students navigate mental health care across multiple systems. The long-term goal is to support more connected systems, improved continuity of care and better student experiences.

The team is led by Dr. Adrijana D’Silva, BSc’11, PhD’22, senior scientist in psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM); Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos, PhD, professor in the Faculty of Social Work, and Dr. Paul Arnold, MD, PhD, a professor in psychiatry at CSM.

Understanding low participation in employee mental health training

The Work and Well-being team presented From Access to Action: Investigating Low Participation in Free Mental Health Training for Employees.

The project will explore factors that may shape participation at UCalgary. The goal is to identify ways to make mental health training more accessible, supportive and responsive to employees’ needs. The project focuses on a practical challenge: UCalgary offers workshops, services and training opportunities that support employee mental health, yet participation in mental health training can remain low. The research will investigate why employees may or may not attend free workplace mental health training, including programs such as The Working Mind.  

The team includes Skylar Earle, BSc’26; Dr. Brittany Lindsay, BSc’16, BA’16, MSc’20, PhD’25; and Jackie Killick, with additional collaborators from the faculties of Nursing and Social Work, Haskayne School of Business, and the OIC.

Designing recovery-supportive spaces on campus

The Recovery team presented Recovering in Place: Designing a “Recovery and Wellness Center” Through a Transdisciplinary Design Charrette.

Through a transdisciplinary design charrette, the team will bring together approximately 60 participants to imagine a purpose-built Recovery and Wellness Centre. The proposed centre could integrate substance-free housing, peer-led support, community programming, wellness and reflection areas, outdoor gathering spaces, teaching and training spaces and a living research environment.

The project team includes Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD; Nooshin Esmaeili, BFA’08, MArch’11; Amrit Kaur Matharoo, BSW’19; Dr. Brian Sinclair, BSc’79, MSc’82, PhD’87; Dr. Nynke van den Hoogen, PhD; Dr. Renaud Gom, BSc’18, PhD’24; Victoria Jarvie, BA’26; Chelsie Graham, BSW’22; Adam Yeo; and Danny Ray John.

Strengthening participation in suicide-prevention and awareness initiatives

The Suicide Prevention and Awareness team presented Uptake Issues: Investigating barriers and facilitators to participating in suicide prevention and awareness initiatives at University of Calgary.

The study aims to identify key barriers and facilitators that influence participation in suicide-prevention awareness and intervention initiatives. By better understanding participation, the project aims to help more members of the campus community access suicide prevention knowledge and skills.

The team includes Jennifer Smith, Dr. Brittany Lindsay and Liam Grunau, with collaborators from the faculties of Nursing and Social Work, the Department of Psychology, and OIC.

Moving ideas from discussion to implementation

In addition to the live pitches, the event featured a research showcase with nine posters highlighting mental health and well-being research taking place across the university. 

“The format reflected the Hub’s broader purpose: to foster sustainable transdisciplinary partnerships that advance research and drive tangible change in post-secondary mental health and well-being,” says Dr. Jennifer Thannhauser. 

Learn more about post-secondary mental health and well-being research at UCalgary.