Impacts of COVID-19 on Intimate Partner Violence Service Provision.

COVID-19 policies like stay-at-home orders impacted intimate partner violence (IPV) service provision in Alberta. Using intersectionality and qualitative semi-structured interviews, this article situates IPV and access to services and supports within multiple overlapping factors such as race, gender, class, and ethnic minority status. Two main themes were identified. First, the challenges within IPV service provision reflect the sectors' traditional and binary understanding and response to violence. Second, the move to virtual services brought challenges related to access to telecommunication facilities and zoom fatigue. Thematic analysis also shows the impact of the pandemic in a sector with existing structural/institutional challenges. We conclude by recommending a multi-level intersectional approach to IPV service provision in Alberta.

Barriers and facilitators to transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for immigrant youth with chronic health conditions.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the experience of first- and second- generation immigrant youth living with chronic health conditions in Canada, their parents or caregivers, and healthcare and service providers who care for immigrant youth, regarding the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Youth were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, aged 16-25, with pediatric-onset chronic health conditions. Parents or caregivers had raised youth children as described. Providers delivered healthcare or other services to immigrant populations. Thematic analysis was conducted of all transcripts. RESULTS: Twenty youth, 14 parents/caregivers and five service providers participated. Most participants described healthcare transition as very difficult to navigate. Two major themes emerged across participant narratives: 1. Barriers to transition: lack of family experience in Canada, language, discrimination, financial strain, stigma, and long wait times. Some of these barriers are specific to newcomer families, but others are generalizable to the Canadian population. 2. Facilitators of transition: youth independence, youth acting as cultural bridges within their families, and cross-sector support between healthcare, education, social work and settlement services. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant youth and their families face a broad range of barriers to healthcare transition. The collaborative nature of cross-sector support effectively addressed some of the barriers faced by newcomer families. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should provide immigrant youth and their families with accessible information about the health condition and how to navigate the adult healthcare system prior to transition, particularly when language barriers exist.

COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Vaccine Hesitancy among Black People in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 vaccine mandates increased vaccination rates globally. Implemented as a one-size-fits-all policy, these mandates have unintended harmful consequences for many, including Black Canadians. This article reports findings on the interconnectedness of vaccine mandates and vaccine hesitancy by describing a range of responses to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies among Black people in Canada. METHODS: Using qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews with 36 Black people living in Canada aged 18 years and over across 6 provinces in Canada were conducted. Participants were selected across intersectional categories including migration status, income, religion, education, sex, and Black ethnicity. Thematic analysis informed the identification of key themes using Foucauldian notions of biopower and governmentality. RESULTS: Our results show how the power relations present in the ways many Black people actualize vaccine intentions. Two main themes were identified: acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the context of governmentality and resistance to vaccine mandates driven by oppression, mistrust, and religion. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccine mandates may have reinforced mistrust of the government and decreased confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. Policy makers need to consider non-discriminatory public health policies and monitor how these policies are implemented over time and across multiple sectors to better understand vaccine hesitancy.

Caring in the Context of Systems: Service Provider Perspectives on the Mental Health Needs of Newcomer Young Men.

In this study, we applied an intersectional framework to explore service providers' perspectives on the mental health needs of newcomer young men. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 26 service providers in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. Findings show that service providers made sense of young men's mental health needs and service access in the context of systems. We identified three interconnected themes: newcomer young men's senses of self in relation to macro-systems, including racism and economic marginalization; settling well as a determinant of mental health; and systems capacities and interdependent resilience. While service providers are engaged in cross-sectoral work in support of newcomer young men's mental health, this work is not being sufficiently supported. Further work is needed around cross-sector capacity bridging and advocacy, as well as the tailoring of services to young men without the assumption and reinforcement of gender stereotypes.