1:40 PM - 1:45 PM
S10.3 - Facilitator
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM
47536 - From Barriers to Belonging: Anonymous Peer Support and Digital Inclusion in Indigenous Mental Health
This presentation will explore the importance of anonymous, community-led digital mental health tools as a strategy for equitable access and digital inclusion in Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples, particularly in rural or remote areas, often face layered challenges when seeking support: stigma, fear of judgment, lack of confidentiality, and historical mistrust of healthcare systems. These barriers are intensified when dealing with sensitive issues like addiction, grief, depression, loneliness, relationship struggles, trauma, or suicidal thoughts—especially in tight-knit communities where privacy is hard to protect.
We will examine the need for culturally safe, anonymous digital support that respects Indigenous identity, language, and lived experience. These tools serve as entry points into care for individuals who may not be ready—or able—to access traditional mental health services.
A key focus will be on how digital inclusion is not just about access to technology, but about ensuring the tools are designed with and for Indigenous communities, reflecting their worldviews, traditions, and priorities. These platforms must align with community needs, uphold data sovereignty, and build digital skills and trust.
As a compelling example, we will introduce the Talking Stick program—a peer support platform developed in partnership with Indigenous leaders and communities in Canada. Launched in 2022, Talking Stick provides anonymous, text-based emotional support through Indigenous peer workers trained to listen and respond with empathy and cultural understanding.
The program is:
•Available in over 10 Indigenous languages
•Accessible via mobile devices and low-bandwidth settings
•Culturally rooted in its name, interface, and approach
•Designed to complement—not replace—community and cultural supports
To date, the program has reached more than 45,000 people, created 200+ Indigenous jobs, and earned recognition as one of Canada’s first verified mental health apps through the Mental Health Commission of Canada and ORCHA, meeting the highest standards in Cultural Safety, Clinical Safety, Data Privacy, Accessibility, and Data Sovereignty.
This presentation will:
•Highlight the barriers and needs around digital mental health in Indigenous populations
•Explore the role of anonymous, peer-led support in reducing stigma and increasing reach
•Emphasize the importance of community ownership, co-design, and cultural safety
•Share outcomes and insights from the Talking Stick initiative as a case study in impact and scalability
We will conclude by identifying core principles that global digital mental health programs can adopt to better serve Indigenous and marginalized communities: trust-building, inclusion, local leadership, and cultural respect.
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM
46789 - A Matter of FACT: A Remote Patient Monitoring Pilot for FACT Clients in Labrador West
Ms. Niki Legge, Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Health and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
This presentation will describe a collaborative e-mental health solution for improving mental health care for rural and remote populations. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is an innovative, client-centered clinical program used to support self-management for patients with various chronic conditions in the comfort of their home using simple technology. The NL Health Services RPM Team and the Mental Health and Addictions Division, Department of Health and Community Services (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) are partnering with the Labrador West Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team to pilot RPM for FACT clients.
FACT teams provide treatment of illness and symptoms, hands-on assistance with daily living activities, and recovery support for individuals, usually over 18 years of age, with serious mental illness and concurrent disorders. FACT teams ensure continuity of care by providing intensive services for individuals within their communities through assertive community outreach. In support of this pilot project, FACT clients will receive tablets that will provide them with access to daily survey questions developed by the FACT team, receive and respond to requests for biometrics (blood pressure and weight), avail of educational materials supplied by the Mental Health and Addictions Division, and access two-way communication with their clinical team through video call, voice call, and text message. The tablets will also provide access to two additional e-mental health applications available at no cost to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador: Therapy Assistance Online (a suite of tools and psychoeducational sessions) and Breaking Free (an online self-help program proven to be effective at helping people reduce their substance use).
This presentation will describe this RPM pilot project for FACT clients in Labrador West, highlight clinician and client feedback, and share lessons learned, including opportunities to scale the intervention for use in similar populations.
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM
48270 - Co-development of Health Literacy Recommendations for the Design of Delivery of DMH Treatments
Background: Digital mental health (dMH) treatments have garnered much attention for increasing access to treatment, yet real-world engagement with these treatments remains a challenge. In upscaling these treatments, we need to ensure that they are equitable and do not exclude groups who already experience inequities in healthcare, such as people with lower health literacy. To this end, we aimed to co-develop recommendations for the design and delivery of dMH treatments for people with a variety of health literacy levels.
Methods: Drafted recommendations were based on a thematic analysis of 357 free-text comments (likes, dislikes/other suggestions) from 213 people (n=80 lower, and n=133 higher health literacy) who had completed unguided internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) for depression and anxiety, as part of a trial. The initial set of drafted recommendations were iteratively modified and refined based on a review by a multidisciplinary project team with professional and lived-experience expertise (n=9) and focus group consultations with people with relevant lived experience (n=8).
Results: The co-development process resulted in seven final recommendations: 1) Focus on informative and practical content; 2) Prioritise accessibility and ease of use; 3) Structure content in a progressive, layered way; 4) Enhance interactivity and engagement; 5) Employ strategies to enhance motivation and accountability; 6) Consider participants’ emotional wellbeing; 7) Incorporate diverse modes of delivering content. Most recommendations were based on comments from people with lower and higher health literacy, as opposed to being mainly one group or the other.
Conclusions: These recommendations advance both research and practice by outlining a flexible and practical framework for dMH treatment developers and service providers to meet the preferences and needs of people with diverse health literacy strengths and needs. Further research is needed to determine the feasibility and impact of implementing these recommendations across different dMH treatment delivery formats, settings, and populations.
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM
40453 - Equitable access to internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy: A collaborative approach
Context: PSPNET is a digital mental health service that provides free and confidential internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) designed with and for Canadian public safety personnel (PSP). Recognizing the high prevalence of mental health challenges and barriers to care among PSP, PSPNET aims to offers an alternative accessible, evidence-based mental health care option for PSP to complement other forms of care. Treatment outcomes are promising with large reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress at post-treatment. These benefits are consistent across diverse PSP sectors and genders. Yet, there remains a critical need to explore whether and how to improve PSPNET for Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) PSP. This is particularly important as Indigenous Peoples in Canada experience disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges due to the ongoing impacts of colonization, systematic inequities, and related risk factors such as socioeconomic disparities and limited access to culturally responsive care. To help reconcile this inequity, PSPNET is working towards understanding and improving the accessibility, inclusivity, and effectiveness of ICBT among Indigenous PSP through collaborative research.
Methods: The PSPNET Advisory Group was founded in 2024 to provide an ethical space, in line with the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement, for Indigenous Peoples (e.g., Elders, PSP, researchers, students, community members) to review current and inform future PSPNET services, research, and outreach. Research initiatives led by the group have included a mixed-methods study comparing ICBT qualitative and quantitative results between Indigenous and White PSP to inform possible directions for course adaptations and to improve awareness and accessibility among Indigenous communities.
Results: The mixed-methods study included a sub-sample of quantitative (n=351; 8% Indigenous clients) and qualitative data (n=10; 100% Indigenous clients) from the PSPNET therapist-guided ICBT program, called the PSP Wellbeing Course, collected between December 2019 to October 2022. Independent t-tests showed Indigenous clients reported statistically significantly higher anxiety and depression symptoms compared to White clients at pre-treatment but both groups reported clinically improved symptoms at 8-weeks post-enrollment. Indigenous clients showed comparable levels of and improvement in their posttraumatic stress symptoms as White clients. Independent t-tests also showed comparable treatment engagement and satisfaction between Indigenous and White clients. Reflexive thematic analysis (n=10) provided critical directions for adapting course content (e.g., case stories, additional resources) to improve inclusivity while emphasizing the role of outreach in equitable access.
Conclusions: Indigenous PSP are interested in and benefit from ICBT but, nevertheless, offer insights that cultural adaptations may further enhance treatment engagement, effectiveness, and satisfaction. Directions underway include continued collaboration with Indigenous Peoples (PSP and non-PSP) to increase equitable access to ICBT among Indigenous communities in Canada. Future directions include implementation of cultural adaptations (e.g., case stories, additional resources) and evaluation of such adaptations on treatment outcomes among Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients.
Implications: Collaboration with interested parties is vital for conducting culturally appropriate research and identifying ways to improve equitable access to digital mental health services for underrepresented communities.
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM
46452 - Wellness4Teachers Program Effectiveness in Reducing Psychological Symptoms Among Educators
The outcome of the longitudinal and naturalistic controlled evaluation of the Wellness4Teachers program, a daily supportive text messaging program, implemented to help mitigate psychological issues among elementary and secondary school teachers in Canada (Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia teachers). The study aimed to assess whether Wellness4Teachers can reduce the severity and prevalence of psychological issues and improve resilience among educators. The Wellness4Teachers program is one of the suits of program powered by the ResilienceNHope application. ResilienceNHope is an evidence-informed e-mental health application which delivers one-way (non-interactive) psychological interventions which incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy based on daily supportive messages (mobile text or email), to close the psychological treatment gap and improve the mental health literacy for individuals and communities globally. For the longitudinal study, the mean scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 3rd and 9th question of the PHQ-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) were significantly lower by 5.5%, 18.58%, 17.54%, 37.5% and 13.52% at six months compared to baseline respectively for subscribers who completed the baseline survey and at least one follow-up survey. Additionally, the prevalence of likely Moderate Depressive Disorder (MDD) was significantly lower by 14.2% at six months compared to the baseline for subscribers who completed the baseline and at least one follow-up survey. In the naturalistic controlled trial, the mean scores on the PSS-10, the PHQ-9, and the GAD-7 were significantly lower in the IG by 6.04%, 21.16%, and 22.48% compared to the CG. In addition, the prevalence of likely MDD and GAD were significantly lower by 20.6% and 20.3%, respectively, for the IG compared to the CG. Finally, participants in the CG were 2.37, 2.13, and 2.74 times more likely to meet the cutoff threshold for high Stress, likely MDD, and likely GAD than participants in the IG. The Wellness4Teachers program shows promise as an effective intervention for reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among elementary and high school teachers. The combination of longitudinal and naturalistic controlled methodologies strengthens the study's reliability and supports the conclusion that daily supportive text messaging can be a valuable tool for promoting mental wellbeing among teachers. The Wellness4Teachers program is easily scalable, cost-effective, and can be accessed by teachers anytime, irrespective of their geographical location. The program can be adopted by governments, policymakers, school boards, and administrators to support teachers’ psychological wellbeing and promote professional fulfillment.
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM
46829 - Developing the French Expansion for MIRA, a Virtual Assistant to Help Navigate the Canadian Mental Healthcare System
The leading cause of disability in Canada is mental health and addiction illnesses. Statistics Canada reported that 5.3 million people in Canada stated that they had a need for mental health services in the previous year and about half of those seeking help had their needs either partially met or not met at all. In addition, only 35-50% of individuals afflicted by these illnesses receive care. Some studies have found that Francophones living in Canada may have poorer health outcomes compared to other Canadians however research is sparse and findings are not consistent due to different mental health indicators, different provinces, and the time period in which the study was conducted. Significant gaps are present when trying to access services or information on mental health and substance abuse including lack of support, stigma, culture, and cost of services. These gaps may also be greater for francophones in Canada. A virtual assistant named MIRA has been developed by the Mood Disorder Society of Canada and the University of Alberta to help navigate the Canadian mental healthcare system and reduce the barriers to receiving care. MIRA is unique because it does not offer therapeutic services however it directs individuals to the appropriate resources for their needs. MIRA is publicly available, accessible, and utilizes machine learning to improve services and protect user privacy. Interaction with MIRA is very user friendly as users are asked a few simple questions before being referred to resources. Resources within MIRA have been submitted by users, developers, and volunteers, and have been reviewed by our expert advisory committee to ensure accurate information and appropriate resources are being provided. To be accessible to more Canadians, MIRA is being expanded to also serve francophones. Development of the French version of MIRA began with translation of the conversational script of the virtual assistant, followed by the recruitment of French speaking volunteers with varying experiences within the mental healthcare system, or lived experience with mental health or substance abuse illnesses. Volunteers continue to help with the identification and adding appropriate resources into the MIRA library. Further progress will involve the collection of data from surveys and focus groups to obtain crucial stakeholder feedback and assess the current acceptability and efficacy of MIRA, and better understand the perspectives of francophones in relation to navigating the mental healthcare system. MIRA is among the first digital navigational tools in Canada to offer information and services in French and English. Results from this research can be used to develop a framework on how to implement digital navigational tools for different cultural groups, and could also be transferable in navigating the whole Canadian healthcare system.
2:35 PM - 3:05 PM
46816 - From Barriers to Action: Engaging Equity-Deserving Populations in E-Mental Health Technology
Mr. Samuel Breau, Manager, E-Mental Health, Mental Health Commission of Canada
E-mental health technology continues advancing rapidly, yet equity-deserving populations, including diverse lived experience voices, remain underrepresented in design processes. This interactive workshop helps participants identify barriers preventing meaningful engagement and implement practical facilitators to ensure technology truly serves those most impacted by mental health challenges, not just mainstream populations.
This workshop will be co-led by Anita David (Co-Chair of the MHCC's Lived Experience Council, the Hallway Group) and Samuel Breau (Manager of E-Mental Health, Innovation at the MHCC), modelling authentic partnership between lived experience leadership and organizational innovation.