Research Location: University of British Columbia

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the most common obstetrical complication in Canada, with serious implications for both the mother and infant. Untreated PMADs are associated with increased risks for poor health and social outcomes, including maternal suicide and medical complications as well as impaired infant and child development. There is increasing scientific evidence that collaboration across clinical services is essential to addressing the complex biopsychosocial needs associated with PMADs. Nevertheless, perinatal mental health (PMH) services in Canada remain fragmented, often resulting in missed opportunities to support necessary care and treatment. 

There is an immediate need to improve the access and integration of services for PMADs in BC. In an effort to narrow the evidence to practice gap, we plan to create a collaboration between clinicians, researchers and individuals with lived experience through a scientific consensus process (Delphi approach) and one-day virtual workshop. Our main objective is to develop an evidence-based, user-informed model of care to advance integrated PMH care delivery in BC and beyond.

In Canada, 81% of COVID-19 deaths were in long-term care (LTC) settings. To slow the virus spread, the BC government mandated LTC sites to introduce a series of new practices and policies. For example, families and visitors were no longer allowed into LTC sites; and staff were banned from working in more than one location. In June 2020, our research team received an MSFHR grant to examine the intended and unintended consequences of these practices and policies on residents, families and staff in a ‘gold standard’ publicly funded facility with no COVID cases. We have had many interesting findings related to effective pandemic management to date, but it is unclear if these findings are applicable to other BC LTC sites.

The proposed project will bring together nearly 170 researchers and research users across 5 regional health authorities to identify best pandemic management practices and policies and to discuss strategies for their uptake. The network represents 7 key stakeholder groups including policy/advocacy, leadership and resident and family representatives. The project outcomes include recommendations for effective pandemic management in publicly funded BC LTC sites and a research advisory group to support future research.

The Nutrition and Exercise During Treatment (NEXT) Program is a long-standing collaboration (since 1999) between BCC and the UBC. In-person programming has been developed, research tested, and then offered to BCC patients. To meet evolving health needs, especially for British Columbians who live in rural and remote locations, coupled with the evolving needs for the current pandemic, we need to further develop tools to effectively shift into virtual models of care. This collaborative project will bring together a working group to plan and prioritize a research agenda to develop accessible and effective virtual (online) supportive care (exercise and nutrition programs) for people living with, and beyond, cancer in British Columbia. This collaboration will include a core working group of researchers (UBC, Simon Fraser and BCC), patient partners and people working in delivery and administration of clinical cancer care in British Columbia (Patient Partners, Allied Health Professionals, Oncologists, Nurse Practitioners, and Administrators).