Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

We know that people who have metabolic syndrome (a large waist circumference, high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar) have a much higher risk of dying of heart disease than other Canadians. The best way to improve the health of people with metabolic syndrome and prevent heart disease is to help them help themselves by changing their lifestyle. To do so, people need to feel capable and have the energy to improve their health. If they are depressed, they have a harder time caring for themselves. We know that depression places people at higher risk for getting heart disease, and from dying of heart disease. We need to better understand which people who have been told that they are at high risk for heart disease are also at risk for depression, and when they might experience higher and lower levels of depression. In this project, we will work with a metabolic syndrome clinic that offers an intensive 18 months program that supports people to change their risk factors for heart disease through lifestyle changes. We will study 300 people, and track their levels of depression over the course of participating in the program. This will allow us to understand what helps predict which people will experience depression, and at what points in the course of participating in a self-care program they are the most vulnerable. This is an important study to improve the health of Canadians. Because we know that people who can care for themselves can have the biggest effect on improving their health, and because many chronic disease programs are built on this model, it is crucial to identify people at risk for depression and plan timely interventions. The findings of this study will help guide the delivery of prevention programs, support the choice of screening and interventions by healthcare providers, and improve people's capacity to change the course of their heart disease.