Navigation for youth mental health and addictions: protocol for a realist review and synthesis of approaches and practices (The NavMAP standards project).

INTRODUCTION: Mental health and/or addiction (MHA) concerns affect approximately 1.2 million children and youth in Canada, yet less than 20% receive appropriate treatment for these concerns. Youth who do not receive appropriate support may disengage from care and may experience lasting MHA issues. Families of these youth also support them in finding and accessing care. Thus, system supports are needed to help youth and their families find and equitably access appropriate care. Navigation is an innovation in MHA care, providing patient-centred support and care planning that helps individuals and families overcome barriers to care. Despite the increasing availability of navigation services for youth with MHA concerns, practices and models vary, and no single source has synthesised evidence regarding approaches and outcomes for this population into comprehensive standards. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The proposed research will bring together evidence in youth MHA navigation, to establish this important system support as a factor that can enhance the integration and continuity of care for these youth. Our team, which includes researchers, administrators, clinical leads, an MHA navigator and youth and caregivers with lived experience, will be involved in all project stages. Realist Review and Synthesis methodology will be used, the stages of which include: defining scope, searching for evidence, appraising studies and extracting data, synthesising evidence and developing conclusions, and disseminating findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required, as the study involves review of existing data. Dissemination plans include scientific publications and conferences and online products for stakeholders and the general public.

The cancer journey through the lens of a sibling: a photovoice intervention for teen siblings of children with cancer.

Photovoice was employed as a clinical intervention to engage siblings of children with cancer, provide opportunity for sibling support, and elicit information about their lived experiences. Sibling support groups have been effective, however, none have utilized this intervention. Four teenagers who had a sibling diagnosed with cancer participated in a seven-week intervention group. Themes were identified to inform future clinical practice. Four main themes included: (i) support, (ii) changes, (iii) feelings, and (iv) Photovoice group experience. Photovoice, used as a clinical intervention, elicited valuable information and generated fruitful conversations, enabling siblings to relate to and learn from one another.

"This Research Is Cool": Engaging Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Research on Reproductive and Sexual Health.

Youth experiencing homelessness face myriad barriers and inequities regarding their reproductive and sexual health and rights. Moreover, homeless youth are often characterized as "disaffiliated" and depicted as difficult to engage in research. This study qualitatively explored homeless youths' attitudes, beliefs, and needs regarding reproductive and sexual health, and sought their perspectives on being involved in research on such topics, which are often thought of as "taboo" or sensitive. Youth were enthusiastic about openly discussing such issues, which they deemed as highly relevant to their daily lives. Youth identified that how they were engaged in such research, and having opportunities for longer-term contributions to such efforts, were both important and exciting to them. Future social work and public health research efforts should seek to further disrupt narratives of homeless youth as "disaffiliated" and difficult to engage, and in doing so, develop more creative, participatory, and youth-led opportunities for including this group in reproductive and sexual health research.

Close Relations Matter: The Association Between Depression and Refugee Status in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

This study examined the prevalence and social determinants of depression among refugee and non-refugee adults aged 45-85 in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Bivariate analyses and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. The prevalence of depression was higher in a sample of 272 refugees (22.1%) and 5059 non-refugee immigrants (16.6%), compared to 24,339 native-born Canadians (15.2%). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of depression for refugees were not attenuated when controlling factors such as, (1) socioeconomic status, (2) health conditions and behaviours, (3) social isolation and online social networking (aORs range from 1.61 to 1.70, p's < 0.05). However, when social support representing close personal relationships was included, the odds of depression for refugees were reduced to non-significance (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI 0.97-1.74, p = 0.08). Refugees' excess vulnerability to depression is mainly attributable to lower levels of affectionate social support. Targeted interventions in nurturing supportive interpersonal relationships for refugees are warranted.