Relationship between mental health and substance abuse on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in youth: A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Mental health and substance use challenges are highly correlated in youth and have been speculated to be associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Literature has also suggested that mental health challenges in youth have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the longitudinal relationship between mental health challenges in youth and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is not well established.

Lived Experience and Family Engagement in Mental Health and Substance use Health Research: Case Profiles of Five Studies.

Introduction: People with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and family members (F) can engage in mental health and substance use health research beyond participant roles, as advisors, co-researchers, equal partners and research leads. However, implementing meaningful and effective engagement is complex.

Methods: This article profiles five research initiatives involving different lived experience engagement structures, situated in a single tertiary care teaching and research hospital.

Supporting young people through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a multi-site qualitative longitudinal study.

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have experienced substantial stress due to abrupt changes in education, finances, and social life, compounding pre-existing stressors. With youth (ages 15-26) often at critical points in development, they are vulnerable to long-term mental health challenges brought on by pandemic trauma.

Methods: To identify youth experiences throughout the pandemic and examine changes over time, we conducted semi-structured interviews among n = 141 youth in two Canadian provinces (Ontario and British Columbia) and across the country of Ireland at three time points over the course of more than one year (August 2020-October 2021).

'Is It Safe? Is it not?' A Youth-Led Photovoice Study of Youth Perspectives of COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence.

Background: Youth have been uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite high rates of COVID-19 infection, youth had one of the lowest vaccine uptake rates. Certain characteristics can affect vaccine uptake, such as mental health and substance use, but it is important to understand uptake for an effective response to pandemics.

"Pictures helped me understand it in a way words couldn't": Youth reflections participating in a youth-led photovoice study.

Introduction: People with lived experience of a health issue can be engaged in research to address issues related to social justice, informing change through partnerships and an understanding of community perspectives and needs. Although photovoice has been applied to various disciplines and topics across the health sciences, the concrete design of the photovoice process and participants' experience of engaging in photovoice is not always well documented or understood.

Objective: This paper describes youth participants' experiences and perspectives with a youth-led photovoice design process on a study regarding COVID-19 vaccine confidence.

Lived experience and family engagement in psychiatry research: A scoping review of reviews.

Background: A growing body of research is addressing the process and science of engaging people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health challenges and other psychiatric conditions, and family members, in research activities.

Objective: This scoping review of reviews synthesizes literature reviews on the engagement of PWLE and family members in research across the field of psychiatry.

Method: Systematic searches were conducted in seven bibliographic databases.

An Integrated Care Pathway for depression in adolescents: protocol for a Type 1 Hybrid Effectiveness-implementation, Non-randomized, Cluster Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Our group developed an Integrated Care Pathway to facilitate the delivery of evidence-based care for adolescents experiencing depression called CARIBOU-2 (Care for Adolescents who Receive Information 'Bout OUtcomes, 2 iteration). The core pathway components are assessment, psychoeducation, psychotherapy options, medication options, caregiver support, measurement-based care team reviews and graduation. We aim to test the clinical and implementation effectiveness of the CARIBOU-2 pathway relative to treatment-as-usual (TAU) in community mental health settings.

What do justice-involved youth want from integrated youth services? A conjoint analysis.

Background: Many youth in the criminal justice system are affected by mental health and/or substance use (MHS) challenges, yet only a minority receive treatment. One way to increase access to MHS care is integrated youth services (IYS), a community-based model of service delivery where youth can access evidence-based treatment for their MHS problems and other wellbeing needs, in one location. However, it is unknown what IYS services justice-involved youth prioritize.

Medical assistance in dying for mental illness: a complex intervention requiring a correspondingly complex evaluation approach.

Medical assistance in dying for mental illness as a sole underlying medical condition (MAiD MI-SUMC) is a controversial and complex policy in terms of psychosocial and ethical medical practice implications. We discuss the status of MAiD MI-SUMC in Canada and argue for the use of the UK Medical Research Council's framework on complex interventions in programme evaluations of MAiD MI-SUMC. It is imperative to carefully and rigorously evaluate the implementation of MAiD MI-SUMC to ensure an understanding of the multiple facets of implementation in contexts permeated by unique social, economic, cultural and historical influences, with a correspondingly diverse array of outcomes.

"I Think Peer Support Helps to Demystify People Who Have Mental Health Issues and Helps to Remove That Stigma": Exploring the Defining Characteristics and Related Challenges of Youth Peer Support Through Participatory Research.

Despite the emerging body of literature on the benefits of youth peer support, there is also evidence that peer support can have unintended negative impacts on peers themselves. It is important to explore what aspects of the peer role contribute to these difficulties in order to mitigate risks. This paper uses a participatory approach to examine the unique attributes of youth peer practice and the related challenges.

Care considerations in medical assistance in dying for persons with mental illness as the sole underlying medical condition: a qualitative study of patient and family perspectives.

Background: Persons with mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition are eligible to access medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in a small number of countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and Switzerland. In Canada, it is anticipated that people experiencing mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition (MI-SUMC) will be eligible to request MAiD as of March 17th 2024. To date, few studies have addressed patient and family perspectives on MAiD MI-SUMC care processes.

Discussing the gaps in the science and practice of lived experience engagement in mental health and substance use research: results of knowledge mobilization activities.

Background: Engaging people with lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges and family members (PWLE) improves the quality and relevance of the associated research, but it can be challenging to include them meaningfully and authentically in the work.

Knowledge Mobilization Events: After reviewing the literature on the science of lived experience engagement, we held two knowledge mobilization events to translate the findings to relevant partners and collect their feedback to guide our future research. A total of 55 people attended, bringing the perspective of people with lived experience, family members, research staff, research trainees, and scientists, as well as attendees holding multiple roles.

Integrated Youth Service Preferences of Caregivers of Justice-Involved Youth: A Discrete Choice Conjoint Experiment.

Introduction: Mental health and/or substance use (MHS) challenges affect approximately 95% of youth in the criminal justice system, with only three in ten justice-involved youth receiving treatment. Caregivers of justice-involved youth have identified fragmented care as a barrier to youth accessing MHS services. One suggested solution to this problem is the implementation of integrated youth services (IYS).

Experiences of gender-diverse youth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: A longitudinal qualitative study.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased existing health challenges experienced by transgender (trans) and non-binary people. Additionally, COVID-19 has also negatively impacted youth mental health. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the intersection of youth and trans and non-binary populations is currently not well established.

"You can create a little bit more closure in your own story when someone really connects with it": exploring how involvement in youth peer support work can promote peer development.

Background: Peer support relates to the provision of social/emotional support that is delivered by individuals with lived experience of a key characteristic that is shared with clients. Although the main objective of peer support is to enhance client outcomes, through their involvement, peers derive a secondary benefit to their own personal development. This study applied a hybrid participatory-realist approach to identify what works, for whom, why and in what circumstances within the LOFT Transitional Age Youth (TAY) peer services.

The lived experience of long COVID: A qualitative study of mental health, quality of life, and coping.

The majority of people who contract COVID-19 experience a short period of symptomatic infection. However, symptoms persist for months or years following initial exposure to the virus in some cases. This has been described as long COVID.

Swept under the carpet: a qualitative study of patient perspectives on Long COVID, treatments, services, and mental health.

Background: A constellation of often disabling long-term physical symptoms enduring after an acute SARS-COV-2 infection is commonly referred to as Long COVID. Since Long COVID is a new clinical entity, research is required to clarify treatment needs and experiences of individuals affected. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to provide insight into Long COVID treatment and service experiences and preferences of individuals experiencing Long COVID and the intersections with mental health.

Walking Alongside: Views of Family Members on Medical Assistance in Dying for Mental Illness as the Sole Underlying Medical Condition.

Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was introduced into Canadian federal legislation in 2016. Mental illness as the sole underlying medical condition (MI-SUMC) is currently excluded from eligibility; such exclusion is scheduled to expire on March 17, 2024. Irremediability, capacity, quality of life, autonomy, family involvement, and healthcare system constraints have been debated intensively.