The Proof Is in the Program: Mental Health Literacy Policy Disjunctures in Ontario’s Teacher Education Programs

In June 2013, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced the expansion of initial teacher education (ITE) programs, doubling the number of placement days while incorporating additional content within classrooms to address changing classroom dynamics. Among these additions was a reference to mental health and addictions, a pressing concern given that roughly 1 in 5 young people experience mental health problems during their formative educational years. In September 2015, these enhanced two-year programs came online and enrolled the first cohort of teacher candidates. In this thesis I argue that there has been a breakdown between the “context of policy” and “context of practice” as described by Bowe et al. (1992) within the development and implementation of the enhanced ITE programs offered by participating faculties of education in Ontario. Specifically, this study looked at the process through which the enhanced programs were initiated, the requirements inscribed in policy created by macro, intermediate, and micro level actors, and the challenges in ensuring that content is distributed and applied equally to all students. The study evaluated whether mental health and addictions content was incorporated within the enhanced program, and if it made a difference to the educational outcomes of graduates. Findings indicate that while the programs themselves were modified successfully to address the mental health requirements outlined in O. Reg 347/02, new teacher graduates continue to see the training they have received as inadequate, with significant room for improvement. To address these concerns this study provides solutions for both macro and intermediate level actors to incorporate either a proactive or reactive approach

A Decline in Renal Function is Associated With Loss of Bone Mass in Korean Postmenopausal Women With Mild Renal Dysfunction

This study was conducted to assess the relationship between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean postmenopausal women with mild renal dysfunction. A total of 328 postmenopausal women who underwent BMD measurement during health check-up was investigated. BMD was measured in lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, total proximal femur and femoral trochanteric areas by dual energy radiography absorptiometry and renal function was estimated by eGFR using Cockcroft-Gault equation. Of the 328 subjects, 317 (96.6%) had an eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2. By using simple linear regression analysis, age, height, weight and eGFR were significantly associated with BMD for the 4 aforementioned anatomic sites, while serum levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen did not influence BMD. When multiple regression analyses were applied, age and body weight still had significant associations with BMD at 4 different anatomic sites (P < 0.001). A significant association of eGFR with BMD remained in the lumbar spine, femoral neck and proximal total femur (P < 0.05) but not in the trochanteric area (P = 0.300). Our study suggests that a decline of renal function is associated with lower BMD in the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total proximal femur areas in Korean menopausal women with mild renal dysfunction