Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Suicide and drug overdoses are the leading causes of death among adolescents in British Columbia, with even pre-teens dying of Fentanyl overdoses in the context of the current toxic drug supply crisis in Canada. Young Canadians urgently need easy and reliable access to MHSU care. Research demonstrates that factors such as flexible clinic hours improve access to MHSU care, while factors such as stigma hinder access to care for adolescents. One strategy to disrupt stigma in health care is the provision of "equity-oriented care" (EOC). EOC differs significantly from usual approaches to care by incorporating different ways for health care providers to attend to individual patients' unique experiences and needs. EOC has been well-researched and shown to have positive effects on patients and staff in adult-oriented primary care, Emergency Department, and cancer care settings. This current study will include: 1) looking at existing literature, 2) interviews and focus groups with health care leaders and staff, 3) focus groups with youth to explore how an existing adult-focused EOC intervention can be adapted for use in adolescent MHSU care. I will share the findings from this research with researchers, health care providers, and youth, through a combination of academic and popular media publications as well as presentations at conferences and at local youth-serving health care and social services organizations. This research is well-positioned to play a key role in improving access to much needed MHSU services for adolescents. Given the negative impact of stigma on health care access for adolescents, adapting an existing intervention to foster the delivery of EOC in this clinical area may help to ensure easy and reliable access to health care for adolescents facing MHSU concerns.