Summer Studentships
At CSMH, we offer summer studentships to nurture interest in youth mental health research.
Through this program, undergraduate and graduate students gain practical research experience and collaborate with Western University faculty members across a range of project areas. All participating students receive a stipend of $1500.
Email Morena Hernandez for more studentship information or if you have questions about the program.
Summer 2022 Projects
Trauma-informed training: Evaluating the impact on child and youth mental health outcomes
Supervisors
Dr. Shannon Stewart and Sarah Cloutier
Overview
Children exposed to domestic violence and abuse (DVA) experience a variety of different mental health, academic and physical problems including a higher probability of social skills deficits, impulsivity, aggression, anxiety, depression, reactive attachment disorder, health-related problems, and other life stressors (James et al. 2004; Raviv et al. 2010; Rubin et al. 2004; Rubin et al. 2007; Taussig and Culhane 2010). Consequently, these children have a greater need for mental health intervention relative to the general population. While there have been several interventions proposed to address these issues, few have utilized an integrated, multi-sectoral, needs-based approach that supports trauma-informed practice. This research attempts to fill this gap to improve access and outcomes for these traumatized children and youth. We will be evaluating the trauma-informed training as well as determine whether the training had an impact on child and family outcomes.
The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health needs and services of children and youth
Supervisors
Dr. Shannon Stewart and Sarah Cloutier
Overview
This opportunity includes a research project designed to collect data related to the impact of COVID-19 on children's services provided by mental health agencies as well as their mental health needs. This study examines the impact of the pandemic on the health and well-being of children and youth referred for mental health services across the Province of Ontario. interRAI is in a unique position of having a large administrative database of over 36,000 assessments for school-age children utilizing comprehensive need-based assessments. These assessments integrate an extensive number of clinical elements (over 400 items) as well as prompt care planning across a variety of needs (e.g., suicide and self-harm, harm to others, play and leisure, interpersonal conflict, substance use) to examine the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of children and youth.
Emotion regulation in clinically referred high-risk babies, toddlers and preschoolers
Supervisors
Dr. Shannon Stewart and Jo Ann Iantosca
Overview
Early intervention for high-risk babies, toddlers and preschoolers is of paramount importance to improve school readiness. This project examines the mental health needs and strengths of approximately 1500 treatment-seeking young children under the age of four years. Investigation of key signs and symptoms associated with specific scales (e.g., externalizing, emotion dysregulation) will be conducted. Results will have clinical implications related to prevention, and early intervention in vulnerable children.
Screen time use in toddlers and school-aged children during the pandemic: A scoping review
Supervisor
Overview
Children and adolescents’ media screen time use has increased significantly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which is concerning given the known negative associations amongst time spent on screens and children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. During the pandemic, school closures and high levels of parent distress resulted in children reporting high levels of emotional difficulties (i.e., internalizing behaviours), which has been associated with increased hours spent watching screens. A critical need exists to study children’s screen time use long term during the ongoing pandemic in order to identify risk factors for adverse childhood outcomes as well as resilience factors that are associated with optimal behavioural and cognitive outcomes in children. Our recent online research study (LEAP: Learning, Education and the Pandemic) examined acute pandemic-related stress on parents and children (June-August 2020). A total of 104 parent-child dyads from English and French households in Ontario participated. Of concern, media screen time use increased from 2.6 hours to 5.9 hours per day during the early phases of pandemic. We further examined screen time use in a longitudinal study of 6-12 year-old children during the 2020-21 school year. During that time, children’s screen time has remained high at over four hours per day, which is twice the recommended amount for children over the age of five. Other groups around the world have reported similarly high incidences of screen time use in young children. The overall goal of the current project is to conduct a scoping review of the literature to determine the amount of screen time that children 0-12 of age have been exposed to during the pandemic.
A qualitative analysis of teacher candidates' use of psychoeducational reports
Supervisor
Overview
In an Inclusive Education model, all students are educated and participate in the mainstream classroom. To support students with identified needs, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed based on assessment data. The Psychoeducational report is one source of information that educators can consult. However, to be valuable, the Psychoeducational report must be accessible and make feasible recommendations. In this study, Year 2 Teacher Candidates were provided with sample Psychoeducational reports. They highlighted key information and made annotations on the documents. In this opportunity, we will be analyzing the type of information that teacher candidates found important (e.g., academic, social-emotional) and how they engaged with the report (e.g., questioning, proposing implementation suggestions, etc.). Ultimately, understanding how teacher candidates understand reports can inform closing the knowledge gap between educators and school psychologists.
Perceptions of inclusion in informal education settings
Supervisor
Overview
Children's museums provide an ideal venue for children and caregivers to learn in interactive environments that foster a sense of community. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), however, often experience fewer opportunities than peers to participate in such programs. We will examine the experiences of children with IDD and their families at the London Children’s Museum using group concept mapping methodology, a participant-based methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative methods and involves participants in data analysis. The student will join a team of undergraduate and graduate researchers that will implement the project over the summer. Results will be used to recommend approaches to the Children’s Museum to meet the needs of individuals with IDD. The student will be actively involved in recruitment, data collection, data analysis and dissemination conducted in partnership with the Children’s Museum.
Developing a Daily Physical Activity (DPA) toolkit for elementary school teachers
Supervisor
Overview
Our recent work shows that only 23% of Ontario elementary school teachers are meeting Ontario's DPA policy, which mandates that students in grades 1-8 receive at least 20 minutes of physical activity during regular instructional time each day. One of the most common barriers to DPA that we identified was a lack of resources or easy-to-access tools to support implementation. Part 1: The goal of the current project is to develop a virtual DPA toolkit. This toolkit will consist of videos, activities, and related resources that can be easily accessed and implemented in classrooms. There are a plethora of resources available to teachers, but no centralized location where they can be easily accessed and implemented. The research trainee involved in this project will work with a PhD student in my lab to compile a repository of resources from varying sources including OPHEA, YouTube, Ministry of Education, It Takes 10!, etc. Part 2: If time allows in the studentship, the next phase of toolkit development will involve sharing the toolkit with Ontario elementary school teachers and soliciting feedback. This phase will involve creating a survey that teachers will complete evaluating the DPA toolkit.
Young people, mental health, and digital technologies during COVID
Supervisor
Overview
During periods of social isolation, school closures and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies and social media became important tools for members of the public, particularly youth, to stay connected, complete school work, and find forms of entertainment. Research continues to emerge around the mental health issues related to the pandemic, and this opportunity allows students to analyze survey data, focus group and interview transcripts with high school students in the UK aged 13-18 that address issues such as addiction to platforms, social anxiety and body image.
