Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

This café scientifique brings together a diverse range of community members for an evening of thought provoking discussion on resilience research recently conducted with stigmatized youth living in British Columbia. We will discuss stigma in relation to mental illness, sexual orientation, abuse, exploitation, and present strengths and protective factors that buffer youth against the impact of stigma, bolster resilience, and decrease health inequities. Questions that will be addressed include: What is stigma? What is resilience? What are the different forms of stigma? What do youth themselves say about stigma and resilience? And, which strengths and protective factors are important for supporting resilience among youth coping with stigma at school and in the community? This knowledge is relevant for community members such as parents, teachers, and service providers interested in understanding how young people can overcome significant adversities in their lives and continue on their pathway towards health and wellbeing. The café is planned and implemented through a partnership between the BC Ministry of Health's Population and Public Health Branch, the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Coalition (UBC School of Nursing), and the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at UBC.