Mental health study launching

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/05/2020 (1999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University is starting a research project looking into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of older people in rural communities and the health-care workers caring for them, the institution announced on Monday.

Through the university’s Centre for Critical Studies of Rural Mental Health, researchers are looking to speak with people aged 65 and older in Manitoba communities of less than 10,000 people for a one-hour phone interview.

They’re also circulating an online survey for health-care workers working in communities outside of Winnipeg to learn about their experiences of working during the pandemic and find out what needs to be addressed.

Speaking to the Sun over the phone on Monday, the project lead and chair of the rural mental health centre at BU, Rachel Herron, said professors like herself normally transition to research projects over the summer, but the ongoing pandemic has forced them to make a few adaptations.

“I’m used to going to people’s homes and doing interviews wherever people are most comfortable,” Herron said. 

Joining Herron on the team are Breanna Lawrence, Nancy Newall, Doug Ramsey and Candice Waddell, along with several student research assistants.

She said the centre was formed approximately a year ago with a mandate to be responsive to rural mental health needs. When the pandemic started, members at the centre had conversations amongst themselves and with community partners to figure out what their role should be during the ongoing crisis.

Herron said that as a Canada Research Chair, she was in a position to have several students working with her already, who helped develop the idea for this study quickly. The project also has the benefit of keeping some students employed over the summer.

“Research doesn’t usually happen this quickly. … Usually, it’s months and months.”

More than just gaining knowledge, Herron is hopeful that the project will be beneficial to those participating by giving researchers a purpose during the pandemic and providing points of contact to older rural people currently feeling isolated.

“Certainly we hear a lot in the media right now about mental health concerns in general as people shelter in place and they have less contact with social support,” she said. “Our interest in rural (studies) at BU is that we’re one of the few centres that lead in the area of rural communities. Oftentimes, rural communities get forgotten.”

According to Herron, the reason the study is looking to speak with health-care providers in centres such as Brandon because they want the perspective of regional service providers for rural communities.

When the Sun spoke to Herron, no interviews had been conducted yet, but she was hopeful that media exposure would help get the word out and encourage people to come forward. She’s hoping they’ll get a minimum of 60 participants for the survey and a minimum of 30 participants for the phone interviews.

Unlike a lot of academic research that can take a while to be published due to processes such as peer-reviewing, Herron said the centre will be publishing regular updates on their findings to their website. This is because they’re hoping their findings can be applied while the pandemic is still going on rather than afterwards.

“Hopefully in a month we’ll have a little more information we can show people,” she said. 

The study is being planned to go on for a year, but Herron said things could change as the situation develops or if extra funding becomes available.

Those interested in participating in the study are encouraged to call 431-301-3032, email Herron at herronr@brandonu.ca or visit centreforruralmentalhealth.com.

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