Thunder Bay, Ont. - A new study will bring together members of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council and researchers from Lakehead University to address a pressing need for tailored mental health interventions for Indigenous workers in Northwestern Ontario. The study is receiving $1.97 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
“Indigenous individuals are less likely to seek help for mental health and accordingly have rates of suicide at least twice as high as non-Indigenous counterparts,” explained Dr. Vicki Kristman, principal investigator and the Director of Enhancing the Prevention of Injury & Disability at Work (EPID@Work) and the Ontario Research Chair in Injury and Disability Prevention at Lakehead.
In a recent study supported by CIHR, Kristman and her team evaluated the Wiiji app, an e-mental health tool designed to support Indigenous workers dealing with challenging work environments. Although the research team found that the app provided valuable assistance to some workers, they determined a more effective approach would be to create long-term changes within workplaces themselves to offer more impactful and sustainable improvements to mental health.
“By changing workplace environments to better support Indigenous mental health, we can increase participation in employment, reduce work-related disabilities, and improve overall well-being in Indigenous communities,” Kristman added.
Over the next five years, Kristman’s research team will work alongside Tribal Council members to identify workplace factors that contribute to mental health challenges for Indigenous workers and propose actionable interventions. The findings will help Nokiiwin serve their employer clients better, and support the Tribal Council as they work to establish an Indigenous-specific Health and Safety Association within Ontario.
"As we strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace, through our work together [EPID@Work and Nokiiwin], we are reaching a greater understanding on the role that workplaces play in providing support and appropriate resources to employees who may be experiencing mental health issues,” stated Audrey Gilbeau, Executive Director and Governance Advisor at Nokiiwin Tribal Council. “Acknowledging these challenges not only fosters understanding and compassion among colleagues, but also empowers individuals to seek the support they need to thrive. Together, we can build a culture of care that prioritizes mental well-being and strengthens our community as a whole.”
Improving workplace mental health for Indigenous workers has far-reaching benefits. By supporting Indigenous workers, employers can boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, and foster a healthier workforce. The anticipated improvements in mental health and employment participation will also ripple out to benefit Indigenous families, communities, and the broader economy.
In 2023/24, Lakehead University received more than $2 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.
