Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Canada, with about 10 Canadians dying by suicide each day. Men represent nearly two-thirds of those who die by suicide after an initial episode of self-harm. However, interventions for these men have had modest effects and, generally, suffer from a lack of engagement by patients. Partnerships with patients and other people with lived experience of suicide are essential to developing interventions that work for the people they are designed to treat.

Previous studies have shown that rates of PTSD in people who are homeless and vulnerably housed are between 21% and 53% (much higher than the general population). One promising treatment for PTSD is Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), a type of psychotherapy that helps patients place their experience of trauma within a larger narrative of their life. There is also evidence that implies that tracing your family history helps people to deepen their roots so they are not blown over by life’s storms.

A trauma-informed care approach to care acknowledges that we need a complete picture of a person’s life (both past and present) to be able to provide healthcare that is focused on healing. The Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center explain that this approach understands that the impacts of trauma are widespread looks to identify signs and symptoms of this in patients, family, and staff; use knowledge about trauma to inform an organization’s policies and procedures; and, actively avoid re-traumatizing individuals.

Research suggests that during previous pandemics, there has been an increase in suicide risk as well as suicide-related behaviours. Given this, it is expected that we will see the same increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. It is expected that this will have a major impact on people’s mental health. Because of the pandemic, many providers have had to switch to virtual tools to deliver care. As such, we have to consider what equitable access to these virtual tools looks like for patients that are most at risk of having mental health problems.

Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are valuable tools for evaluating interventions in hospital settings, but their successful implementation can be challenging. This study aimed to identify strategies for facilitating the delivery of CRTs in hospitals, utilizing the CFIR-ERIC matching tool.

Attending the emergency department for an episode of self-harm is strongly associated with death by suicide in the next year. There is evidence to suggest that men may be especially at risk, accounting for almost 2/3 of suicide deaths in Ontario.

Public health crises and epidemics, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have the potential of increasing suicide risk in the communities affected. To appropriate respond to these crises, we need high quality research evidence.

Depression is a common mental disorder that has a significant impact on quality of life as well as a high social burden. Many of those with depression go on to self-harm or die by suicide. Due to long wait times for face-to-face therapy, treatment is often limited to drug therapies despite recommendations that counselling should be a first-line treatment for those with mild to moderate levels of depression.

Cluster randomized control trials (CRCTs) are essential for evaluating interventions in hospital settings, but their implementation can be complex. This study aimed to identify the barriers and enablers to conducting CRCTs in hospitals through a theory-informed scoping review.

Self-harm among adolescents is a significant public health concern associated with many adverse outcomes. To explore this further, we conducted a study using data collected by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to compare the health outcome of adolescent who presented to the emergency department (ED) after self-harm versus those who presented to the ED for other reasons.

Understanding the changing rates of self-harm and mental disorders among young people is crucial for developing effective support systems and interventions. Using data collected by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) between 2003 and 2017, this study explored trends in self-harm and mental disorders among youth presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in Ontario, with a specific focus on gender differences.

Because of their jobs, Canadian Public Safety Personnel (PSP) are often exposed to situations that are potentially traumatizing. Exposure to these situations put PSP at a higher risk of developing mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and substance use disorders. Prior to this study, data on the rates of mental health disorders among Canadian PSP were extremely limited.