Kaitlynn Dewhirst (Rehabilitation & Health Leadership) – Indications for Service Integration for Early Childhood Mental health in Cambridge Bay, NU.

Mental health services in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut for children aged 0-5 are fragmented. Supporting mental wellness during the first years of life positively impacts mental and physical health all along the life course. Inuit families experience mental health challenges at higher rates than non-Indigenous Canadians. Utilizing a determinants of health lens to examine the domains that influence early childhood mental health, this research will examine the lived experience of families, caregivers, Elders, service providers and community knowledge holders in Cambridge Bay in accessing services impacting early childhood mental health.  The research is meant to map existing supports, identify areas to be developed and describe the degree to which separate program areas ought to be integrated. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website – https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/research/share/grad-chat