Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program - SPOR (British Columbia)

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 1 in 8 people worldwide live with a mental illness, which has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who suffer from poor mental health experience conditions such as anxiety disorder or clinical depression. At any one time, there are social, biological, and environmental conditions that undermine mental health. There is also increasing evidence of inequitable access to appropriate mental health services for patients living with mental health conditions. To mitigate systemic inequities related to accessing these services, interdisciplinary collaborations with people with lived mental health experiences are needed. The Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH) at the University of Victoria (UVic) is committed to promoting and conducting research to improve the health and quality of life of individuals across the life course, which includes having good mental health while aging. Our strategic leadership at the IALH is proposing to conduct a Cafe Scientifique to share research evidence about Strategies for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) related to promoting equitable mental health services and systems. Through a Cafe Scientifique we aim to share SPOR with the general public and scholars alike to encourage dialogue, provide insights, and identify new areas for improving mental health systems and services.