Ongoing research as primary researcher

Better understanding and mitigating the psychosocial impacts of floods on the life course of adolescents and parents in rural areas and fostering their power to act through Digital Storytelling 

(Co-researchers: Danielle Maltais, Christine Gervais, Kristel Tardif-Grenier). RIISQ-FRQ Grant 2022-2024 ($99,906).

In 2017 and 2019, the rural municipality of Pontiac (Outaouais, Quebec) and its inhabitants had to deal with severe spring flooding. In collaboration with Sieur-de-Coulonge High School, this research project aims to document the journey of teenagers and their parents following these floods, using Digital Storytelling. This participatory method, which is conducted through individual and group interviews, will foster a better understanding in participants of the events they experienced during the floods, allowing them to analyze the turning points associated with this disaster in their life. The results and potential solutions generated by this research will be transferable to other regions or communities frequently exposed to flooding.

Understanding and mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, families and school environments in remote areas

(Primary researcher with Danielle Maltais; Co-researcher: Patrick Giroux).  2021-2023 grants from CIHR, FUQAC and CRUJeF ($101,269).

This qualitative study aims, through 70 individual and group interviews, to highlight the discourse of young people, parents and school staff in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Quebec) on the consequences of the pandemic on their overall health and their adaptation to it, with regard to social, academic and digital inequalities. It is conducted in collaboration with elementary and secondary schools from two school service centres (CSS) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. These schools were chosen, in consultation with the communities, taking into account the indices of deprivation and the type of environment (urban or rural). The results provide insight into how the consequences of the pandemic are exacerbated by pre-existing inequalities in urban and rural settings. This data can be integrated into the support services offered by schools in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of the assistance offered to young people and their families in a post-pandemic context.

The experience of adolescents exposed to an accumulation of disasters in the context of COVID-19 

(Co-researchers: Danielle Maltais, Christine Gervais and Kristel Tardif-Grenier). SSHRC Grant – Knowledge Development 2021-2023 ($59,819).

This study aims to document the experiences of adolescents in the rural municipality of Pontiac and the urban district of Mont-Bleu who have been previously exposed to natural disasters (floods, tornadoes), in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, a sequential mixed methodology was used. On the one hand, a questionnaire was completed by 1,307 students. The data thus collected was then deepened in 14 group interviews with young people and five group interviews with school staff. The preliminary findings of this study reveal that young people who have been exposed to a disaster before and who live in rural areas present a darker portrait than others in times of pandemic. In a context where the risks of disasters are more and more frequent, specifically due to climatic upheavals, the results of this study will be useful for decision-makers and stakeholders from different backgrounds. This project was also selected for SSHRC’s 2022-2023 digital marketing campaign.

Evaluation of the implementation and potential effects of the Versant program in the context of youth protection in three CISSSs and CIUSSSs in Quebec 

(Co-researcher: Marie-Claude Simard). Study funded by Boscoville ($52,955).

This project aims to identify the process of setting up and implementing the Versant program and its potential effects on the families and educators involved. The purpose of this program is to reduce the risk of placement, while helping to put an end to the compromised situation of young people aged six to 17 whose report is retained under the Youth Protection Act for negligence or serious behaviour problems. To achieve this goal, the Versant program is currently implemented in three regions of Quebec: Outaouais, Estrie and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. The first component of this study is to carry out an evaluation of the implementation of the Versant program in the three targeted regions. The second component is to document the potential effects of the program on the young people and families receiving services (family functioning, behaviour of the young person, risk of placement, etc.), as well as on the educators involved (feeling of competence, satisfaction with work, etc.).

MAVIPAN, component: Health and well-being of young people aged 14 to 24 in the context of a pandemic crisis

(Primary researcher with Danielle Maltais; Co-researchers: Marie-Claude Simard, Danielle Nadeau and Delphine Collin-Vézina). Study funded by the CRUJeF ($53,666).

 This project is part of the vast Quebec survey MAVIPAN (Ma vie pendant la pandémie / My life during the pandemic) and focuses, more specifically, on the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic on young people aged 14 to 17 and the factors associated with it. It aims, on the one hand, to identify the factors associated with the health and well-being of young people by considering, among other things, their socio-demographic, educational, family, social and occupational characteristics. It also aims to document, longitudinally, the evolution of these factors since the spring of 2020.

Best practices for facilitating family-work balance in a context of staff shortages in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

(Primary researcher with Danielle Maltais). Subsidy granted by the Ministère de la Famille, 2021-2023 ($30,000).

 The goal of this project is to identify the best practices for facilitating family-work balance in a context of staff shortages in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. To this intent, seven group interviews were conducted with employees, union representatives and employers from four sectors of activity: 1) retail business, 2) accommodation and food services, 3) health care and social services, and 3) manufacturing. This project will identify promising practices to implement or consolidate in order to promote family-work balance in a post-pandemic context.

 

Ongoing research as a co-researcher

Family resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

(Research led by Carol Castro). SSHRC Grant – Knowledge Development 2022-2025 ($52,800).

Laboratoire Vivant d’Innovation en Éducation (LaVIE) (living laboratory for innovation in education) 

(Research led by Séverine Parent). Grant from the Ministry of Higher Education – 2021-2024 ($513,650).

Process of medicalization during childhood: Longitudinal qualitative study of parental resistance and children’s experiences

(Research led by Marie-Christine Brault). SSHRC Knowledge Grant – 2022-2026 ($98,892).

Mental health and accessibility to services in a university setting: Is diversity a barrier?

(Research led by Christiane Bergeron-Leclerc, Danielle Maltais and Jacques Cherblanc). CIHR Grant, 2022-2025 ($334,040).

Being Indigenous and Studying at University in Times of Pandemic: Better Understanding the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Academic Paths of Indigenous Students at UQAC 

(Research led by Dominic Bizot). SSHRC Engage Grant, 2021-2023 ($25,000).

Parents’ resistance, receiving services under the YPA, to the medicalization process involving their child

(Research led by Marie-Christine Brault). Grant fro the Institut Universitaire Jeunes en Difficulté ($35,000).

Mental health and the university population: a living laboratory at the service of the community

(Research led by Christiane Bergeron-Leclerc).  Grants from the FUQAC and Bell Let’s Talk ($135,000).

The consequences of the pandemic on the overall health of university communities

(Research led by Christiane Bergeron-Leclerc and Danielle Maltais). Grants from CISD, FODAR and FQPPU – 2020-2023 ($25,000).

How to effectively integrate yoga into the educational practices of primary schools: An evaluative-collaborative research?

(Research led by Jacques Cherblanc). Grant from the Consortium Régional de Recherche en Éducation – 2020-2023 ($16,000).