Grant: Operating Grant: Health Effects of the Alberta Wildfires - Other

The wildfires on May 1, 2016 in Fort McMurray (Alberta) destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and led to massive displacement of approximately 80 000-90 000 people. Many individuals faced direct or potential threat to their life or health, or significant losses, and families are still living through ongoing adversity and uncertainty as they adapt to new or temporary homes, schools and workplaces. Although many instances of resilience and support within the Fort McMurray population have been seen in the media in the aftermath of the disaster, Alberta Health Services estimated in August 2016 that mental health staff in the city had received 20,000 referrals since May, compared to 1,200 referrals each year. The overarching aim of the present project is to understand the needs of the Fort McMurray population in terms of mental health and to disseminate widely accessible evidence-based tools to alleviate psychological distress and promote resilience. The findings from this study will have a direct impact on the mental health of the Fort McMurray community members. It will generate data directly usable by health agencies to learn about the mental health state and the needs for services of the population. Data will be able to guide the development of policies in terms of mental health services attribution, and to support the development of mindful, equitable services tailored to the different members of the community. This will be done via close relationships between the different team members, some of whom have been working together on innovations and knowledge transfer in psychosocial interventions for more than ten years. This project will also be the perfect opportunity to share expertise with Fort McMurray leaders in mental health and decision makers from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and other health agencies.