Funded Research Grants

In this project, we seek to address the gaps in data regarding the unique mental health needs of diverse Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) students at the University of Toronto. Working with and alongside students, we seek to understand to what extent the university has been able to meet the mental health care needs of 2SLGBTQ+ students and to understand how other aspects of students’ identities, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status impact care. In addition to generating new data, this project will work with students directly to co-create accessible mental health resources for 2SLGBTQ+ students and will raise recommendations for how to increase and improve mental health services at the university.

Dr. Daniel Grace, Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Wren Gould, PhD Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health 

Dr. Dana Seitler, Professor, Department of English, & Director, Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies 

Dr. Suzanne Sicchia, Associate Professor, Department of Health & Society, UTSC 

Dr. Sarah Smith, PhD Research Associate, Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research

Exposure to anti-Black racism (ABR) in institutional and community contexts is associated with negative mental health and educational outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, poor academic self-concept, premature dropout) for youth and emerging adults seeking higher education. In a collaboration between UofT and a youth-serving community organization, the purpose of this project is to explore current and prospective Black postsecondary students’ perceptions and experiences of racial discrimination within university contexts, identify ways in which these experiences impact their mental health, and explore their experiences of on-campus mental health supports for coping with ABR. This will aid with the identification of culturally responsive opportunities for improvement of campus mental health supports and advance knowledge on effective ways to prepare and support Black students aiming to attend university.

Linda Iwenofu, Assistant Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

Esther Geva, Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE

Shawna Grossman, PhD Student, School and Clinical Child Psychology, OISE

Harmoni Watson, Masters Student, School and Clinical Child Psychology, OISE

Esther Enyolu, Executive Director, Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counseling Center of Durham

Measurement-based care (MBC) is an empirically promising practice in mental health treatment that continually assesses the clients’ symptoms, behaviours, and functioning via questionnaires to help clinicians make treatment decisions. However, traditional student mental health questions are framed without consideration of the cultural and environmental contexts in which students are immersed. Thus, this project will develop and validate context-specific mental health questionnaires by asking students to report if they capture their experiences and identities more accurately than traditional assessments, while analysing which is superior in predicting key student-related outcomes. Ultimately, we hope to provide insight into students’ intersectionality with mental health experiences.

Dr. Anthony C. Ruocco, Professor, Graduate Chair and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychological Clinical Science 

Michael Carnovale, PhD Student, Psychology

Dr. Amanda Uliaszek, Associate Professor, Psychology and Psychological Clinical Science

Sheila John, Assistant Dean, Wellness, Recreation and Sport, University of Toronto Scarborough

Orly Lipsitz, Master’s Student, Clinical Psychology

Denise Silva, Student & President, Mental Unity Group

Zainab Issa, Student & President, Psychological Health Society 

Exercise is an alternative therapy for acute care of mental health symptoms among students. Individualized and supervised exercise programs are supported and deemed acceptable by on-campus professionals and help-seeking students, and we have developed a referral pathway. We have found significant improvements in mental health symptoms following six-week exercise programs. However, the long-term effects are unknown and less resource-intensive exercise programs may be beneficial. This study aims to address these important gaps for on-campus lifestyle management of student mental health by testing equivalence of group to individual exercise programs, examining exercise effects on mental health over time, and completing a process evaluation. 

Dr. Catherine Sabiston, Professor & Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education  

Dr. Sandra Yuen, Professional Practice & Quality Assurance at Health & Wellness, Student Life Programs and Services, University of Toronto

Dr. Madison Vani, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Toronto

The Strategic Research Grants program builds on the existing infrastructure of the Inlight Research Grant Program to provide directed funding support to priority research topics. In March 2023 and in response to priorities identified during the Inlight strategic planning process and reiterated by the Student Advisory Committee, Inlight launched a Strategic Research Grant call to advance understanding and impact of the intersectionality of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Indigeneity (EDIAI) on student mental health and wellbeing at the University of Toronto.

In postsecondary settings, the demand for mental health, wellness and learning support far exceeds the ability of students in need to gain access to these services. Like many service providers on postsecondary campuses, disability services have been confronted with increasing levels of severity, complexity, and frequency of mental health distress, without associated increases in resources, or adapted service models to address this growing issue. The current project will examine key academic and health outcomes for students registered with UofT’s tri-campus AccessAbility Services. This service model was developed to primarily address learning and physical disabilities, and as such, less is known regarding the impact of AccessAbility on student mental health, or the unique needs of students with a primary mental health disability. This study will allow for a better understanding of the unique needs of students, identify specific gaps in service delivery models and highlight possible areas for intervention.

Dr. Amanda Uliaszek, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (UTSC) & Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science  

Maya Ahia, Graduate Student, Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science 

Tina Doyle Director, AccessAbility Services UTSC  

Elizabeth Martin, Director, AccessAbility Services UTM  

Michael Nicholson, Director, AccessAbility Services UTSG  

While preliminary research exists that examines the mental health experiences of racialized undergraduate students in the Canadian context, there is little information about the mental health experiences of racialized graduate students. The University of Toronto has flourishing diversity; however, many racialized graduate students continue to face significant challenges and barriers to their mental health which impacts their academic success. The current study employs a critical race theory (CRT) analysis to expose the institutional factors that shape the intersectional barriers faced by racialized graduate students in health–related research, course-based, and professional streams. By centring racialized graduate students’ experiences, this project will identify institutional barriers to EDIAI and develop evidence–based interventions and policies to improve their mental health outcomes and academic success. 

Dr. Janelle Joseph, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education

Dr. Monica Aggarwal, Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Mrs. Zeana Hamdonah, PhD student, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education

Dr. Kaleigh Pennock, Postdoctoral Scholar & Lab Coordinator, IDEAS Research Lab

The 2023 Inlight Research Grant program provided funding to support the connection of the University of Toronto’s diverse communities of students, researchers, staff and partners seeking to co-create and advance postsecondary student mental health and wellness through high-quality, impactful research and scalable research innovations.

“In the context of the burgeoning influx of information generated by artificial intelligence (AI), this project aims to conduct a scoping review focusing on information anxiety among students—a form of distress caused by the overwhelming quantity and complexity of information available. The rise of generative AI has exponentially increased access to vast amounts of information, heightening the potential for such anxiety, especially among postsecondary students. The project aims to map the current landscape of information anxiety, identifying its prevalence, causes, and effects on student populations. This comprehensive review will analyze existing literature, highlight gaps in research, and propose areas for further investigation, laying the groundwork for subsequent research exploring coping strategies employed by postsecondary students to manage information anxiety. This future study will aim to develop practical, evidence-based interventions to assist students in navigating the ncreasingly complex information environment, thereby contributing to the enhancement of academic performance and overall well-being.”

“This project aims to bring together key stakeholders (eg., counsellors, social workers, nurses, doctors, psychiatrists, and administrators) to inform our ongoing research about the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ students with mental health care services at the University of Toronto. The purpose of this project is to support novel partnership development and knowledge mobilization strategies to supplement and extend existing knowledge regarding how diverse 2SLGBTQ+ students experience university mental health care at the University. By bringing together key stakeholders through an advisory committee and a series of in-person and virtual networking events, we seek to better understand the role of these key stakeholdersin the organization of mental health care at the university for 2SLGBTQ+ students, and to build relationships to facilitate the mobilization of knowledge gathered from students to better inform university policies and practices regarding 2SLGBTQ+ student mental health care.”

This student-led mixed methods study investigates the need for and access to mental health services for Black University of Toronto students. The administered survey (N=200) uses PHQ-9 and GAD-7 measures of general anxiety, the Everyday Discrimination Scale, and sociodemographic information to paint a picture of Black students’ experiences while attending U of T. The survey will be followed by qualitative interviews examining barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health services on and off campus. Combining quantitative data with qualitative insights provides a holistic understanding of Black students regarding mental health services. The study will allow for statistical analysis to identify patterns and prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and experiences of discrimination while delving into the nuances of personal experiences, attitudes toward seeking help, and specific barriers. We hope to offer valuable insights that inform policies or interventions to support the mental health needs of Black students at U of T.

“International students are a growing population at the University of Toronto, with further growth recognized as an institutional priority. Research highlights that international students encounter additional barriers to accessing mental health care and lower mental health literacy compared to their domestic peers. Despite this disparity, few mental health promotion strategies exist to address the unique needs of this diverse and heterogeneous population, especially in the residence context where many international students live. The objective of this project is to co-design targeted mental promotion strategies for international students living in residence. Utilizing a co-design approach, prototypes of mental health promotion strategies suitable for international students will be developed. To complement engagement with students, engagement with residence student leaders, staff, and student affairs professionals will promote the appropriateness of the designed mental health promotion initiatives, their integration with existing campus supports, and feasibility of delivery within a residence setting.”