A Narrative Review of Maternal Depression Research Focusing on Women of Caribbean Descent in the Diaspora and Caribbean Women in the Region

Maternal depression is a global public health issue (Almond, 2009); however, much of the existing research on conditions like the ‘baby blues’ and postpartum depression have been conducted with White women in North America and Europe. This narrative review seeks to expand the scope of maternal depression research by including and analyzing maternal depression studies conducted with Caribbean descent women living in the Diaspora and women in the English-speaking Caribbean alongside some of the work from North America and Europe. Through this engagement with the existing research three thematic areas emerged. These are: widely used prevalence and incidence rates of the ‘baby blues’ and postpartum depression which do not reflect rates in the Caribbean and other developing countries; distinct explanatory models which help Caribbean descent women understand postpartum depression and are informed by their social, cultural, and historical contexts; and the question of how Caribbean women’s diverse social realities and identities have been grappled with by researchers doing work in this area. The major feature that crosscuts these thematic areas is the fact of difference. This is exemplified by the Intersectional identities of Caribbean descent women in the Diaspora and region which helps to vary the data on maternal depression and present a fuller representation of women’s experiences with conditions like the ‘baby blues’ and postpartum depression. Collectively, the findings of this review reinforce the notion that “Caribbeanness” must take into account the multiple identities and experiences Caribbean women negotiate historically and contemporarily. The paper concludes with further engagement with this fact of difference, and a discussion about what kinds of interventions and conceptual/theoretical tools may be useful to advancing the study of maternal depression amongst Caribbean women in the Diaspora and region

A Social Network Analysis of Interagency Collaboration in the Mental Health Sector in Toronto, Canada: Service Providers’ Perspectives on Supporting Black Youth in Recovery

Objective: There is minimal research on mental health service providers’ perspectives on existing interagency relationships, collaboration, and caring for Black youth. We sought to characterize interagency relationships between Mainstream and Black-focused mental health agencies in Ontario, and their impact on service providers’ ability to provide culturally safe care for Black youth. Research Design and Methods: A mixed methodological approach was used to explore service providers’ perspectives on the collaborative nature and presence of relationships, communication, and influence in the mental health sector. An online survey was disseminated to service providers in Toronto, Ontario between March 2020 and April 2020. 7 focus groups were conducted in Toronto between May 2020 and December 2020. Focus groups were conducted with Black youth, families/caregivers, community, and service providers. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and visualized in the form of social network analysis using Gephi, while Nvivo 12 was utilized to identify and analyze themes from the qualitative data. Results: Findings included a lack of interagency collaboration, infrequent Mainstream-Black agency collaborations, Mainstream agencies’ disinterest in future partnerships with Black agencies, and feelings of unpreparedness amongst service providers to provide culturally safe care to Black youth or referrals. Conclusions: Collaboration between mainstream agencies is common in the sector. There is a paucity of Black-focused agencies and Black service providers in the existing social networks. A limited understanding of the systemic impacts anti-Black racism at the agency and service provider level might be impairing service providers’ ability to support the mental health recovery of Black youth. &nbsp

Socio-ecological framework adapted for SCORE! program development activities Study activities.

Socio-ecological framework adapted for SCORE! program development activities Study activities.</p

Map of Riverdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, ON, Canada.

OpenStreetMap Foundation. OpenStreetMap; 2023 [cited 2023 Jul 24]. Database: OpenStreetMap [Internet]. Available from: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright.</p

Governance model of SCORE!.

BackgroundThe burden of childhood obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors affecting newcomer Canadians living in lower socioeconomic circumstances is a concerning public health issue. This paper describes Strengthening Community Roots: Anchoring Newcomers in Wellness and Sustainability (SCORE!), an academic-community research partnership to co-design interventions that nurture and optimize healthy activity living (HAL) among a community of children and families new to Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.Methods/DesignOur overarching program is informed by a socio-ecological model, and will co-create HAL interventions for children and families new to Canada rooted in outdoor, nature-based physical activity. We will proceed in three phases: Phase 1) synthesis of existing evidence regarding nature based HAL interventions among children and families; Phase 2) program development through four data collection activities including: i) community engagement activities to build trustful relationships and understand barriers and facilitators, including establishing a community advisory and action board, qualitative studies including a photovoice study, and co-design workshops to develop programs; ii) characterizing the demographics of the community through a household survey; iii) characterizing the built environment and HAL programs/services available in the community by developing an accessible real-time systems map; and iv) reviewing municipal policies relevant to HAL and sustainability; leading to Phase 3) implementation and evaluation of the feasibility of co-designed HAL programs.ConclusionThe etiology of childhood obesity and related chronic diseases is complex and multifactorial, as are intervention strategies. The SCORE! program of research brings together partners including community members, service providers, academic researchers, and organizational leaders to build a multi-component intervention that promotes the health and wellness of newcomer children and families.</div

Key partners by sector.

BackgroundThe burden of childhood obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors affecting newcomer Canadians living in lower socioeconomic circumstances is a concerning public health issue. This paper describes Strengthening Community Roots: Anchoring Newcomers in Wellness and Sustainability (SCORE!), an academic-community research partnership to co-design interventions that nurture and optimize healthy activity living (HAL) among a community of children and families new to Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.Methods/DesignOur overarching program is informed by a socio-ecological model, and will co-create HAL interventions for children and families new to Canada rooted in outdoor, nature-based physical activity. We will proceed in three phases: Phase 1) synthesis of existing evidence regarding nature based HAL interventions among children and families; Phase 2) program development through four data collection activities including: i) community engagement activities to build trustful relationships and understand barriers and facilitators, including establishing a community advisory and action board, qualitative studies including a photovoice study, and co-design workshops to develop programs; ii) characterizing the demographics of the community through a household survey; iii) characterizing the built environment and HAL programs/services available in the community by developing an accessible real-time systems map; and iv) reviewing municipal policies relevant to HAL and sustainability; leading to Phase 3) implementation and evaluation of the feasibility of co-designed HAL programs.ConclusionThe etiology of childhood obesity and related chronic diseases is complex and multifactorial, as are intervention strategies. The SCORE! program of research brings together partners including community members, service providers, academic researchers, and organizational leaders to build a multi-component intervention that promotes the health and wellness of newcomer children and families.</div

a. Data instruments for the household survey.

b. Data instruments for the pilot intervention implementation and evaluation.</p

A/C study protocol: a cross-sectional study of HIV epidemiology among African, Caribbean and Black people in Ontario

INTRODUCTION: African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities are disproportionately infected by HIV in Ontario, Canada. They constitute only 5% of the population of Ontario yet account for 25% of new diagnoses of HIV. The aim of this study is to understand underlying factors that augment the HIV risk in ACB communities and to inform policy and practice in Ontario. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a cross-sectional study of first-generation and second-generation ACB adults aged 15-64 in Toronto (n=1000) and Ottawa (n=500) and collect data on sociodemographic information, sexual behaviours, substance use, blood donation, access and use of health services and HIV-related care. We will use dried blood spot testing to determine the incidence and prevalence of HIV infection among ACB people, and link participant data to administrative databases to investigate health service access and use. Factors associated with key outcomes (HIV infection, testing behaviours, knowledge about HIV transmission and acquisition, HIV vulnerability, access and use of health services) will be evaluated using generalised linear mixed models, adjusted for relevant covariates. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been reviewed and approved by the following Research Ethics Boards: Toronto Public Health, Ottawa Public Health, Laurentian University; the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto. Our findings will be disseminated as community reports, fact sheets, digital stories, oral and poster presentations, peer-reviewed manuscripts and social medi