By: EMILY DONTSOS

A first-of-its-kind study at Lakehead University is shedding light on mental-health challenges in the workplace—in real time. 

Through the Northwestern Ontario Workplace and Worker Health Study (NOWWHS), researchers are surveying thousands of workers across the region at workinghealth.ca. 

Every time a survey is completed, the data is automatically added to the study’s live dashboards—creating unprecedented public access to workplace mental health insights.       

Filling a critical gap in research about mental health and the workplace, NOWWHS seeks to identify exactly how workplace factors impact workers’ well-being—sector by sector—to influence meaningful change. 

“We’re seeing rising rates of mental-health challenges in northwestern Ontario workplaces. People are struggling at work, and we want to find a way to stop that,” says Dr. Vicki Kristman. She is the study’s lead and the director of Lakehead’s EPID@Work (Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work) Research Institute. 

Workers in Northwestern Ontario Face Unique Risk Factors 

“The nature of work here is different from southern Ontario,” says Dr. Kristman. “We have more people working in mining and forestry, for example, which can be isolating fields. And health-care workers—who represent half of our workforce—often struggle with significant understaffing and limited resources.”

Recognizing mental health as a growing challenge in northwestern Ontario workplaces, Dr. Kristman and her team launched NOWWHS in 2023 with funding from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development. The study directly aligns with two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. 

Over the next five to ten years, the researchers aim to recruit 6,000 participants across all sectors in the region—from mining to forestry, health care, education, and beyond. 

With funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the team is also working in close collaboration with the Nokiiwin Tribal Council to recruit at least 500 Indigenous workers to gain insights into their unique experiences and risk factors. 

Dr. Kristman says students and post-doctoral fellows have played a vital role in supporting participant recruitment efforts, data analysis, and offshoot studies exploring specific sectors and professions. 

“We have many students working as research assistants and helping with data collection. They’re also using the data we’re collecting within their dissertations,” she says. 

“I also have four PhD students on the team right now, including one who is looking into the specific issue of burnout among nurses, one who is looking at the mental-health impacts of working from home, and one interested in immigrant mental health. It’s a great opportunity to help the next generation build research skills while surfacing critical insights.” 

Findings Reveal Major Mental Health Challenges  

With 2,000 surveys completed so far, the results are already painting a powerful picture of workplace mental health in the region. 

“Almost 40% of respondents say they have been diagnosed with or received treatment for anxiety, and almost 35% for depression,” Dr. Kristman says. 

When it comes to burnout, over half of workers say they are experiencing high levels of burnout—and almost 20% say their burnout levels are extremely high. 

“One really interesting data point we’re seeing is that just 21% of workers say they feel safe sharing their thoughts and ideas about how to improve well-being in the workplace,” Dr. Kristman says. “This suggests workers may be worried about losing their jobs if they speak up, which is concerning.”  

Anyone can view the study’s real-time dashboards for mental health and workplace factors, and learn more about who is participating. 

Building a More Caring and Compassionate World 

Although the researchers are still actively recruiting participants, the real-time data emerging from NOWWHS means they’ve already started sharing insights and recommendations with employers and policymakers. 

Dr. Kristman says that based on the information emerging from the study so far, she believes many of the issues workers are facing could be improved through one simple act. 

“I think a lot of the challenges we’re seeing would resolve themselves if people just started caring more about each other,” she reflects. 

“Like so many problems in our world today, we would all be better off if we treated each other with greater care and compassion. That’s one of the central messages I hope to share through this study.” 

Are you a worker or employer in northwestern Ontario? Visit workinghealth.ca to participate in the Northwestern Ontario Workplace and Worker Health Study. Your personal information and responses will be kept confidential. 

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

Outdoor recreation voluntary associations (ORVAs) play a crucial role in creating, maintaining and managing trail systems across North America. New research conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Lakehead University highlights how climate disruption and volunteer burnout threaten the long-term sustainability of winter trail-based recreation, particularly fat biking.

Fat bikes are off-road bicycles with extra-wide tires built for soft terrain like snow and sand. Fat biking lets riders enjoy trails year-round and is quickly becoming a popular winter recreation and tourism activity both in North America and the Nordic countries. 

Published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, a new study explores how fat biking has unexpectedly emerged as a climate-adaptive strategy for year-round recreation and tourism engagement, and event hosting, in Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Minnesota. The study surveyed and interviewed fat bikers and outdoor recreation volunteers in both regions. 

“Although a relatively new sport, fat biking, like most winter recreational sports, now faces similar challenges associated with climate change-induced shifts in seasonal weather patterns, like snow accumulation, and following increasingly frequent one-off severe weather events,” says Professor Harvey Lemelin of Lakehead University’s School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism.

According to Dr. Lemelin, these unpredictable events strain volunteer resources, and in the absence of effective management solutions to address increased demand, infrastructure growth, and trail maintenance and grooming pressure, they directly contribute to volunteer burnout.

Research shows that while fat biking participation is growing, volunteer support lags. In interviews, volunteers reported increasing strain during heavy snow years, citing higher demands on their time, pressure to maintain trails and lack of effective volunteer recruitment and retention strategies. This is juxtaposed against the fact that, although fat bikers appreciate the work of volunteer trail groomers and event organizers, over 40 per cent of those surveyed said they were unlikely to volunteer with local ORVAs. Volunteer burnout is therefore a growing risk, and without new management strategies, climate disruption and unpredictable weather events risk overwhelming the small pool of dedicated volunteers who sustain trail networks.

The study therefore calls for ORVAs to develop seasonal trail grooming and volunteer recruitment strategies, rotate co-hosting duties for fat bike events to distribute workload, create binational or biannual events to showcase trails while reducing local volunteer strain, and implement volunteer recognition programs and succession planning to strengthen long-term sustainability.

These strategies, the authors argue, are vital to ensuring safe, well-maintained trails and the continued growth of fat biking in regions facing climate disruption.

“While based on research conducted in North America, our study’s findings have implications for regions with similar climates and comparable snowsport development and engagement histories, such as the Finnish Lakeland Region, Jämtland and Västerbotten in Sweden, and the Nordland and Troms regions of Norway,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Kelsey Johansen of the University of Eastern Finland.

“Implementing our recommendations, irrespective of where an ORVA operates, will help ensure their ability to deliver high-quality winter recreational and tourism experiences, including safe, well-groomed trails and regularly occurring events.”

This research received financial support from the UEF Water research program, which is jointly funded by the Saastamoinen Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and the Olvi Foundation.

At the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS), Dr. Gautam Das, professor in the department of physics, is developing a low-cost, high-tech device that will help farmers apply fertilizer more effectively. 

Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for healthy crops, which is contained in fertilizers. However, much of the available nitrogen is not absorbed by crops. It is instead lost to the atmosphere and waterways through various pathways, contributing to air and water pollution, climate change, and economic burden to farmers.

Currently, farmers lack a precise, real-time method to measure this nitrogen loss, making it a constant balancing act to apply enough fertilizer while minimizing environmental impact. To address this, Dr. Das's interdisciplinary team has developed a prototype device based on patented technology to accurately detect and measure gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and oxides of nitrogen released from fertilized fields. With support from industry partner Nutrien, a PhD student in Dr. Das’s research group is developing a specialized laser to be integrated into the prototype, enhancing the device’s sensitivity and accuracy. 

This new technology will provide a clear, real-time picture of nitrogen loss, enabling farmers to make smarter decisions about fertilizer use. By incorporating readily available components from the telecommunications industry, the new device is more cost-effective than current systems, making this advanced technology widely accessible to farmers in Canada and around the world. 

Dr. Das's innovation offers multiple advantages: the technology will not only help farmers increase crop yields and profits while using less fertilizer and reducing pollution, but it could also set a new industry standard for nitrogen allocation in commercial crops, benefitting the entire agricultural supply chain from fertilizer producers to distributors and agribusinesses. Additionally, the technology will provide scientists, agronomists, and policymakers with data that will help them make informed decisions on the most effective fertilizers to use in specific climates to optimize plant growth and minimize nitrogen loss. 

Lakehead University provides a powerful tool for farming communities to protect the planet while securing a stable and secure food supply. This project is funded in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Originally published in The Chronicle Journal on August 28, 2025

By EMILY DONTSOS

Dr. Amanda Diochon is digging into the relationship between soils and sustainability — and her findings hold the potential to change the way we manage forests and agriculture for a healthier future. 

An associate professor in Lakehead University’s Department of Geology, coordinator of the Water Resource Science program, and assistant dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, Dr. Diochon says soil science is critical in a changing climate. 

“Soils are the largest reservoir of organic carbon, and they emit ten times the amount of carbon dioxide that humans do,” she says. “So knowing how they respond to changes in the climate and understanding how to better manage them is important not just in Canada, but globally.”  

With a focus on the carbon cycle, or how carbon moves between the Earth, living things, and the atmosphere, Dr. Diochon’s research examines changes to soil’s ability to store carbon and how agricultural and forest-management practices influence sustainability. 

Her work is directly aligned with a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including #13: Climate Action, #15: Life on Land, and #12: Responsible Consumption and Production.  

From Forest Fires to Agriculture 

In 2022, Dr. Diochon received a five-year grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to explore how events like forest fires impact the role of soil in the carbon cycle. 

“When a forest burns, the ash that’s produced makes the soil less acidic — but that change can affect how carbon is stabilized in the soil,” Dr. Diochon says. “At the same time, less acidic soils can be better for regrowth because many of the nutrients plants require to grow are more available at a near-neutral pH and the ash is also supplying nutrients.” 

Faced with these dual impacts, Dr. Diochon wanted to know whether changes to soil’s acidity because of ash persist over time — information that could help ensure forest-management practices are designed to both protect soil’s ability to store carbon and support vegetation regrowth as forest fires become more frequent. 

This work also has implications for food security — an issue of growing concern to Canadians as climate change and geopolitical tensions affect the supply of produce from other countries. 

“Reducing the acidity of soil is a good thing for crop growth, but it may not be as good for carbon storage in acidic soils, where carbon is retained through interactions with iron and aluminum — two ions that become less available as pH increases,” says Dr. Diochon. “So we’re also considering how agricultural practices can be designed to support carbon storage while strengthening food production.”

Dr. Diochon says this work taps into Indigenous worldviews that emphasize a cycle of reciprocity. 

“This includes returning organic inputs like manure to the soil instead of just taking from the soil all the time, which significantly reduces the ability of soil to store carbon,” she says.

Analyzing Soils from Coast to Coast 

In addition to her own projects, Dr. Diochon is participating in a first-of-its-kind study, funded by NSERC, to analyze soils from every type of forest in every part of Canada. 

Led by Dr. Sylvie Quideau, a professor of soil biogeochemistry at the University of Alberta, the study aims to understand how carbon is stored in different forest environments. 

Over the coming year, scientists from Vancouver Island to the Maritimes will collect soil samples from the country’s diverse forest regions — the first time such an effort has been undertaken. 

“Our goal is to learn about how soils react in a changing environment and how they’re impacted by different forest-management systems,” says Dr. Diochon, who will be collecting samples from the northwestern Ontario region. 

Students will be engaged in every aspect of the project, including fieldwork, and postdoctoral fellows from across the country will conduct in-depth analysis once all samples have been collected. 

“Our hope is to recommend forest-management practices rooted in evidence and focused on the vital role of forest soils in the fight against climate change.” 

Raising Awareness of the Vital Importance of Soils

Beyond her research, Dr. Diochon actively contributes to soil education nationally.

As a member of the Canadian Society of Soil Scientists, she has been heavily involved in raising awareness about how soils can maintain a healthy ecosystem, particularly in a changing climate.  

“People think soils are just dirt, but they’re so much more than that,” she says. “I want to encourage students to really appreciate and embrace how important they are to our daily lives.”

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

Lakehead Researchers Work on the Frontlines to Reduce Barriers to Personal Identification

Originally published in the Chronicle Journal on July 5, 2025

By EMILY DONTSOS

Having a birth certificate is something most of us take for granted. But what happens if you don’t have one? 

As two Lakehead University researchers have discovered, this is a scenario faced by countless people across northwestern Ontario—and the consequences can be devastating.

“Many people can go a long time without needing a birth certificate or other ID, but when an emergency happens—like needing access to healthcare, housing, or essential services—they need it urgently. And it can be much more difficult to obtain than many people realize,” says Dr. Chris Sanders, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. 

Ten years ago, Dr. Sanders and Dr. Kristin Burnett, a professor in the Department of Indigenous Learning, became aware of the full scope of this issue when they were asked to evaluate the Awenen Niin Identification Program being run by Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic in Thunder Bay. The program had been launched in response to the high number of low-income individuals in need of services but without the required ID.  

“From that evaluation, we found that lack of ID is much more widespread and complex than previously thought,” Dr. Burnett says. “It affects people who are unhoused, but also those who are disconnected from their families, people raised in the child welfare system, those experiencing financial barriers, and many others.” 

Wanting to explore the issue further, the two researchers successfully applied for funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and connected with the Thunder Bay ID Action Group—a coalition of grassroots and frontline service organizations working together to address lack of ID among people experiencing vulnerability. 

“It was an issue we realized we could not only investigate to better understand, but that we could actually contribute to solving,” says Dr. Sanders. 

Making a Difference through “Action Research”  

In 2019, Drs. Burnett and Sanders began actively participating in and evaluating ID clinics run by the Thunder Bay ID Action Group across northwestern Ontario. 

Their aim is to identify the key barriers to obtaining identification and put forward recommendations to Service Ontario and other government bodies to help reduce those barriers. But they’re also working day in and day out to help people access ID. 

“I like to call it ‘action research’ because we’re not just conducting conventional research; we’re working directly with people in the community to navigate the systemic barriers they face,”  Dr. Burnett says. 

Over the years, they have helped thousands of people obtain birth certificates and other forms of ID so they can access healthcare, housing, essential services, and education—work that is directly aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10, which focuses on reducing inequalities. But the obstacles they’ve encountered along the way have been numerous and complex. 

“Service Ontario can only help with typical applications where all of the necessary information is available,” Dr. Burnett says. “But individuals with complex or incomplete applications are often sent away and have to try to get help from other agencies; many people end up waiting years to get their ID sorted out.” 

Calling for Change 

With years of first-hand observations and data analysis behind them, Drs. Burnett and Sanders are now focused on pushing for systemic change.  

Their top recommendations have been compiled into a series of six calls to action—including a demand to eliminate application fees for birth certificates, which can be a critical barrier for people living in poverty. 

The two researchers are also writing a book on the issue, which will be published later this year, and they’re in the process of creating a website to share their knowledge, insights, and resources as widely as possible. 

Ultimately, they hope to share the message that reducing barriers to identification is an issue we should all care about—especially the government. 

“It means that people who have low incomes or have been marginalized will get access to the same services that everyone else is entitled to,” Dr. Sanders says. “This is something the government can do to create a more equitable society.” 

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

By EMILY DONTSOS

With an unemployment rate that’s significantly lower than the provincial average, Northwestern Ontario has a lot of jobs to offer.

The problem? With a population that isn’t growing fast enough, “we actually don’t have enough people to meet our job needs,” says Dr. Kathy Sanderson, an associate professor of human resources and organizational behaviour at Lakehead University. 

Dr. Sanderson says the key to closing that gap lies in attracting newcomers to northwestern Ontario. But many employers find it difficult to retain newcomer employees, leading to a cycle of instability and uncertainty. 

Several years ago, Dr. Sanderson—who also serves as the associate director of EPID@Work, a research institute at Lakehead focused on workplace wellness—decided to tackle this challenge. 

“We started with the question, ‘How can we make sure newcomers want to stay in northwestern Ontario?’ And from there, we asked: ‘How can we make newcomers feel more welcome?’” 

Opening Doors to Welcoming and Belonging

With funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development, Dr. Sanderson and an interdisciplinary team of researchers and graduate students launched a research project seeking to understand how newcomer men and women experience welcoming and belonging in the workplace. 

As a community-based study, the team worked closely with the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association and the Community Economic Development Corporation to recruit newcomer participants and receive ongoing guidance and support. 

The main finding from this study is striking. 

“We discovered that newcomers were looking for friendships within the community, to understand workplace culture and norms, and feel safe, while employers were more focused on cultural competence training and short-term integration,” Dr. Sanderson says. “This points to serious gaps that can cause newcomers to feel disconnected from their communities and workplaces.”  

Based on these initial findings, the team turned its attention to the experiences of newcomer women, who face unique barriers to labour participation and belonging. 

“Rates of labour participation and income for newcomer women lag behind both Canadian-born men and women as well as newcomer men,” Dr. Sanderson says. “We wanted to find out exactly what their experiences are and what supports they need to feel a higher degree of belonging and job security.” 

The team found that many newcomer women struggle with a lack of information—and they’re often unsure how to make lasting friendships in a Canadian context. 

“Many of their challenges relate to limited information on Canadian workplace norms and cultures, occupational health and safety standards, and human rights—many of the things that Canadian-born employees are familiar with and take for granted,” Dr. Sanderson says. 

When it comes to building relationships, newcomer women shared that while their Canadian colleagues are friendly towards them, those friendships often don’t extend beyond the workplace. 

“This can cause newcomer women to feel quite isolated,” Dr. Sanderson says. “They aren’t feeling that full sense of belonging in the community, which can make it really hard to adjust to their new life.”   

Now that this three-year study has wrapped up, the team is focused on harnessing its findings to change northwestern Ontario’s labour landscape—including the development of an online training program designed to introduce newcomer women to workplace norms and culture.

“This was one of the key recommendations that emerged from our research,” Dr. Sanderson says. “We are now seeking additional funding to create this program, which would be available to employees throughout northwestern Ontario. We’ll then evaluate its impact on workers’ sense of welcoming and belonging.” 

A New Area of Focus: The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Digitization 

In addition to ongoing studies related to welcoming and belonging, Dr. Sanderson has recently received funding to explore another area of critical concern for newcomer women and for the region: the emerging impacts of AI and digitization. 

“We’re already seeing that AI and digitization will first target the most precarious jobs, and most of those jobs are held by women—both newcomers and Canadian-born women alike,” she says. 

Dr. Sanderson’s new study will look at how technology is affecting employment in northwestern Ontario, and what these impacts mean for the future of the labour market and community well-being in the region. 

“Ultimately, this work relates to my original research interest—how are we going to retain people in northwestern Ontario? If technological advancement renders certain positions obsolete, our labour market will face substantial challenges.” 

Dr. Sanderson says her new project aims to identify the most vulnerable occupations and develop strategies that enable workers to enhance their adaptability. “This will help ensure they maintain viable employment alternatives in an evolving job market.” 

Building a Strong and Thriving Future 

Dr. Sanderson says that her research as a whole—which directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities—aims to help northwestern Ontario communities truly thrive, today and long into the future. 

“I hope that as we enhance our capacity to ensure all employees feel valued and develop a sense of belonging, we’ll see a more stable and flourishing labour market and stronger communities,” she says. “There are many areas of recruitment and retention where I think improved approaches to welcoming could be beneficial for our region.”

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

A version of this article was originally posted in The Chronicle Journal on June 20, 2025

By EMILY DONTSOS

A unique research partnership between Lakehead University and the City of Thunder Bay is keeping city workers safe from injury while on the job. 

Led by Dr. Kathryn Sinden, an associate professor in Lakehead’s School of Kinesiology, and fourth-year undergraduate student Morgan Howell, the project was facilitated by CityStudio Thunder Bay—an innovative pilot initiative bringing together multiple stakeholders to address key issues through hands-on research opportunities for students. CityStudio Thunder Bay is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Karen Kerk, coordinator of CityStudio Thunder Bay, says the project took shape when the city’s Human Resources Division approached her about the need to address the risk of injury for workers with physically demanding jobs. 

“They were looking for an understanding of the injury-risk metrics associated with jobs in areas like transit, operations, and emergency services, and they wanted an injury-risk management strategy in the form of a stretching program,” she says. 

Kerk approached Dr. Sinden about designing a student-led research project to address this need. Dr. Sinden immediately recruited Howell, a kinesiology student with a special interest in ergonomics and workplace safety, and the project took off. 

The Benefits of Stretching 

Howell and Dr. Sinden began by thinking about what information they’d need to develop an evidence-based stretching routine that could be used by a wide range of city workers. 

Together, they determined the best place to start would be to identify sectors with the highest frequency of injuries—a topic that became one of Howell’s primary research questions. 

They acquired that data with direct support from the City of Thunder Bay.

“The city provided us with anonymous injury claims data for all injuries that came about due to overexertion,” says Howell. “By analyzing this data, and through a collaborative process with city stakeholders, we identified five key high injury claims groups to highlight.” 

Next, the researchers went into the field to observe workers on the job in those five claims groups, document their roles and responsibilities, quantify the physical demands of their jobs, and identify potential hazards. 

Using the information they gathered, Howell conducted a quantitative analysis and developed a detailed report breaking down risks by factors like body area, posture, duration and frequency of a specific movement, and even whether specific seasons impact the risk of injury. 

“We found that gluteal injuries were present to varying degrees across all of the groups, and the back was disproportionately affected in all injuries,” Howell says. “Posture and forceful exertion were two of the biggest risk factors for all types of workplace injuries.” 

From there, Howell developed a poster showcasing the project’s initial findings, which he has presented at various conferences as well as to the City of Thunder Bay. 

The next step will be the development of a stretching program rooted in the specific needs and risk factors identified through Howell’s research. 

“Once that’s developed, we will create posters and handouts about the stretching program that will be shared with workers,” Dr. Sinden says. “And then we’ll look at strategies for ensuring workers know how to use the tool, whether it’s effective, and how it can be improved.” 

An Invaluable Opportunity 

Howell, who is undertaking this project as part of a full-year course in his final year at Lakehead, says the opportunity to engage in hands-on research has been invaluable. 

“I’ve gotten to really step out and basically operate as a registered kinesiologist,” he says. “The amount of applied experience I’ve gained is massive. I can’t speak about how amazing this project has been for me as a fourth-year undergraduate student.” 

With so much work yet to be done on the stretching program and future research, Howell is looking forward to continuing with the team: he will be staying on at Lakehead as he pursues a graduate diploma in kinesiology.  

Dr. Sinden says the research project aligns directly with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—solidifying Lakehead’s role as the research partner of choice for the City of Thunder Bay. In particular, the project addresses SDG #3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG #4: Quality Education.

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

Originally posted in The Chronicle Journal on June 6, 2025.

By EMILY DONTSOS

Several years ago, Dr. Jodie Murphy Oikonen was conducting a series of studies on unfounded sexual assault—cases of sexual assault that are not believed by the police—when she noticed a concerning trend. 

“We found that while most victims of sexual assault are women, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are assaulted at higher rates relative to their population size and they’re less likely to disclose their assault. Yet there’s very little research being done to understand why this is happening and the barriers they face to justice in the wake of sexual assault,” says Dr. Murphy Oikonen, Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Lakehead University.  

The limited research that exists tends to group sexual and gender identities together. 

“When research is collected on sexual assault among this community, it’s collected as if 2SLGBTQ+ is one singular identity rather than looking at sexual assault among two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals separately,” says Dr. Murphy Oikonen. 

“This means the risk factors and nuances specific to each identity group are being lost, preventing truly meaningful action from taking place.” 

With sexual assault among the 2SLGBTQ+ community approximately three times higher than the general population, Dr. Murphy Oikonen knew there was no time to waste. 

Together with her research team—Dr. Karen McQueen from the School of Nursing, Health Sciences PhD student Ainsley Miller, and Dr. Lori Chambers from the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies—she successfully applied for funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to explore the issue of sexual assault among sexual and gender minorities. 

Now in its third year, the study’s findings have the potential to transform strategies around prevention, care, and support for 2SLGBTQ+ community members who have experienced or are at risk of sexual assault. 

Findings highlight issues of identity, consent, and stigma 

With a goal to collect information rooted in the lived experiences of people across Canada, the researchers focused on three separate groups: individuals who identify as lesbian or gay, those who identify as bisexual or pansexual, and people who are gender diverse, identifying as trans, non-binary, gender fluid, or gender questioning. 

Findings from the gender-diverse group, the first to be analyzed, reveal that an individual’s gender identity is in itself a risk factor for sexual assault.    

“Many gender diverse individuals are disenfranchised from their families and their loved ones due to their identity, which isolates them from the home environment and can put them in situations where they could be targeted for assault,” Dr. Murphy Oikonen explains. 

Lack of sexual education aligned with their identity, blurred lines around consent, and intense stigma also emerged as crucial factors that put gender-diverse people at risk of sexual assault—and prevent them from seeking help. 

“On the issue of consent and compliance, all of the individuals we spoke with (except for one) knew the perpetrator of the assault,” she says. “This made it harder for them to identify that what happened to them was assault, even though it met the Criminal Code definition of sexual assault.” 

Even when they realized that an assault had occurred, asking for help presented its own barriers. 

“These individuals face a lot of stigma and discrimination,” Dr. Murphy Oikonen says. “They are always grappling with the question of whether it’s safe to disclose to certain individuals and whether they’ll be believed.” 

Dr. Murphy Oikonen points to one participant who shared that they reported their assault to the police, only to be told it couldn’t have been assault because the perpetrator was the individual’s girlfriend. 

“The bottom line is that they feel police are very biased toward the queer community, they don’t feel safe, and they don’t feel they would be taken seriously.” 

Working toward a future of equity and justice for all 

While the team works on analyzing data and prepares to publish their findings, they are also developing strategies to raise awareness of the risk factors and barriers facing members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community when it comes to sexual assault. 

“It’s so important to understand the unique risk factors these individuals face, so that prevention and intervention initiatives can be designed with their unique needs in mind,” Dr. Murphy Oikonen says. 

Closely aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality (#5), reduced inequalities (#10), and peace, justice, and strong institutions (#16), this body of work is set to create an impact around the world. 

In the months ahead, the team plans to share their study outcomes with the academic community and service providers across Canada, host in-person and virtual information sessions, and present their research internationally. 

Dr. Murphy Oikonen says her ultimate goal is to change harmful mindsets about who can be a victim of sexual assault.

“We need people, and especially service providers, to understand that sexual assault can happen to anyone, and that everyone is deserving of support and assistance when assault happens to them. No matter how you identify, it doesn’t make you less human or any less a victim.”  

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

Originally posted in The Chronicle Journal on February 27, 2025.

By EMILY DONTSOS

It’s a painful reality: young people in Northwestern Ontario are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. 

Over the past decade, emergency departments in the region have recorded a significant increase in visits from young people due to self-harm, and the youth suicide rate is four times higher than the provincial average.  

But even as the crisis deepens, serious gaps in youth mental health services are putting the well-being — and the lives — of far too many young people at risk. 

Dr. Aislin Mushquash, a clinical psychologist and Lakehead University’s Research Chair in Youth Mental Health, says the problem can be boiled down to one key issue: “Up here, there are just less options.” 

Dr. Mushquash says that in Northwestern Ontario, wait lists are long for the few organizations offering youth mental health support. And the services that do exist often struggle with high staff turnover, making it hard for youth to find consistent, trusted support. 

As a leading youth mental health researcher, Dr. Mushquash is focused on finding innovative technology-based solutions to help fill these critical gaps. 

One of those solutions is JoyPop, a groundbreaking new mobile app designed to improve access to mental health support for young people. 

Originally designed with youth, clinicians, and researchers at McMaster University, the app offers science-backed suggestions and activities — including a journal, drawing pad, breathing exercises, sleep tips, and more — to help improve emotional regulation and well-being based on how a young person rates their mood.  

Together with her team, Dr. Mushquash has been spearheading a series of studies to assess the app’s impact on young people in Northwestern Ontario — and the findings so far are promising. 

An evidence-based solution 

Starting in 2018, initial studies focused on the app’s effectiveness as a mental health tool for young people transitioning to university. 

“For those who used it, we saw that the amount of use was directly linked to improvements in their emotional regulation abilities, especially for those with difficult early childhood experiences,” says Mushquash. 

Those early findings led to the launch of partnerships with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Children’s Centre Thunder Bay, and other mental health providers to study the app among a broader population of youth, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. 

The research team is now overseeing a formal, full-scale clinical trial with funding from Brain Canada, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). 

Together with additional partner sites throughout the region, they’re exploring the app’s effectiveness for different groups of youth based on age, ethnicity, and other factors. They’re also looking at the economic benefits of the app, including whether the availability of JoyPop reduces young people’s reliance on emergency departments, crisis response services, or even their family physicians. 

Although they’re still enrolling young people in the trial, they have already noted an unprecedented milestone: 100 percent of all youth enrolled so far have continued to participate. 

“That’s basically unheard of in any randomized control trial, especially for ones like this that work with more vulnerable populations,” says Dr. Mushquash. “I attribute so much of this success to our partnerships with local youth mental health organizations and a master’s student on my team who has been working hard to maintain relationships with our partners and support the youth they serve.” 

With a growing evidence base showing that JoyPop is helping youth manage their mental health, the team plans to continue building partnerships with mental health providers across Canada and around the world to ensure young people everywhere can access its benefits. 

They’ve already celebrated a major achievement: the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) recently chose JoyPop as one of the few promising, evidence-based apps in Canada to go through the new app evaluation system. With its passing score, it will be included in a national library of vetted apps set to be released by the MHCC in the months ahead. 

As JoyPop continues to reach more young people nationwide and across the globe, it will play a vital role in uplifting their lives and futures — directly contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 10, good health and well-being and reduced inequalities. 

Looking ahead to a more hopeful future 

Ultimately, Dr. Mushquash believes that JoyPop, and other innovative technologies like it, may hold the key to improving youth mental health in Northwestern Ontario and right across Canada. 

“What bothers me most is that when youth are finally ready to seek support, which takes a lot of courage, they often can’t get it very quickly,” she says. “Technology can help fill that gap when service providers can’t be there in the moment.”  

Research in Action highlights the work of Lakehead University in various fields of research.

Lakehead University is pleased to become a member of Academics Without Borders and join its network of Canadian post-secondary institutions. 

AWB’s Network, Canada’s universities and colleges in support of global development, is a consortium of Canadian post-secondary institutions that support AWB’s mission to work with volunteer academics to help low and middle-income countries build the capacity of their post-secondary institutions to drive development and improve the quality of life in communities around the world.

Through its membership in the Network, Lakehead faculty and staff will have special access to partnership opportunities provided by AWB through the organization's existing relationships with institutions and countries around the globe. Faculty will also be able to propose projects to AWB in conjunction with their post-secondary partners in the developing world. 

“Lakehead University is dedicated to using our skills, knowledge and resources to support our colleagues working in post-secondary institutions in the developing world who face serious barriers and disadvantages to doing the work that many of us here in Canada may take for granted,” says Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University. “Joining the Academics Without Borders Network is one more way that we are putting our commitments to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into action. I encourage the Lakehead community to get involved in this enriching and important work.” 

Membership in the Network will provide Lakehead with new resources to support and coordinate ongoing work with international partners. By building capacity at post-secondary institutions across the developing world, Lakehead and AWB look forward to changing lives both at home and abroad.

“It is a real pleasure to welcome Lakehead University to the AWB Network of Canadian universities and colleges. The knowledge and experience that Lakehead’s faculty and staff can offer as volunteers is invaluable to the colleges and universities we collaborate with in the developing world - it will make a real difference. In addition, the AWB Network links the campus to like-minded institutions across Canada and builds connections in other parts of the world that will enrich its programs and the student experience,” says Nancy Gallini, AWB’s Executive Director.

Members of the Lakehead community are encouraged to attend a webinar with Corrie Young, Associate Executive Director of AWB, who will be joined by previous volunteers to share their experience. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 21, from 2 to 3 p.m. (register HERE). Faculty and staff may also sign up for e-mailings from AWB by sending an email to inquiry@awb-usf.org or filling out the form at the bottom of any page on our website.

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About Academics Without Borders

Academics Without Borders is a Canadian nonprofit that works with universities in the most disadvantaged countries building their capability to educate the professionals and leaders essential to the strong societies they justly desire. AWB does this by coordinating professional staff and academics who donate their time to work on projects that originate with its partner universities, reflecting the most pressing needs of their communities.