Watch some of the IMPART people in action! These experts in addiction and mental health research, treatment, policy and education discuss how the key aspects of IMPART training (integrating sex and gender, issues of trauma, mental health and violence and transdisciplinarity) have transformed their approaches to research and treatment. These approaches impact service provision and policy in a range of areas such as tobacco use, FASD and youth mental health.
The Intersections of Mental Health Perspectives in Addictions Research Training program was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from 2003-2015.
- Sex and Gender
- Integrating Related Issues
- How Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Is About Gender, Trauma And Harm Reduction
- Sexism Or Science?
- Early Intervention As Prevention
- When Is A Cigarette Not A Cigarette?
- The Red Pill Or The Blue Pill? A Choice For The Future Of Addiction Science
Sex and Gender
Why and how do sex and gender matter for addictions research and treatment? IMPART mentors explain the importance of these variables and how their analysis can create better research and treatment.
Addiction is a complex problem. IMPART mentors explain the concept of transdisciplinarity and how this approach and its inherent collaboration can produce more nuanced approaches and responses to addiction.
Integrating related issues
Addiction does not always stand alone. IMPART mentors explain the significance of examining issues that intersect with addictions such as violence, mental health, and trauma and how an integrated and gendered approach to these issues can lead to better understandings and care.
How preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is about gender, trauma and harm reduction
Dr. Nancy Poole discusses the importance of considering gender, trauma and harm reduction for reducing stigma and better understanding pregnant women’s experiences of substance misuse. She argues that evidence based frameworks and transdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, clinicians, policy makers and service providers will help to shift stigma and better connect concern about children’s health with women’s health.
Sexism or science?
Dr. Lorraine Greaves uses the example of Canadian low risk drinking guidelines to discuss the benefits of integrating sex-and gender in health research and policy. Dr. Greaves provides an overview of the history of advocating for the inclusion of sex and gender in health research, highlighting the challenges, lobbying strategies and the future of scientific advocacy for engaging with sexism in science and for integrating sex and gender.
Early intervention as prevention
Dr. Chris Richardson discusses the idea of early intervention in youth mental health as prevention for addiction. He draws on data from his web-based survey research on incidence of substance use and emerging mental health issues among mainstream youth across British Columbia to argue for web-based interventions as a powerful method of prevention.
When is a cigarette not a cigarette?
Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie discusses the use of participatory action research for exploring the meanings young women who are transitioning to mothering put on their tobacco use. She argues that putting women’s lived experience at the center of research on mental health and substance use can create truly transformative research.
The red pill or the blue pill? A choice for the future of addiction science
Dr. Ellexis Boyle discusses the concept of transdisciplinarity. Using examples from the IMPART program, Dr. Boyle discusses the benefits and challenges for today’s scientists in doing this type of collaborative science and advocates for its wider implementation in the field of addiction.