Research studies Non-recruiting studies

Non-recruiting studies

The Atlas Institute’s research studies are designed to ensure that Veterans, their Families, service providers and our research partners have access to the latest evidence. Some of the studies we’re involved in are not open to participants, but we offer summaries and information about each project.

Health and well-being Mental health Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Women Veterans

Examining the association between unmet health and well being needs and mental health for women Veterans of the CAF and RCMP

Lay summary

This study looks at how unmet health and well-being needs are linked to mental health outcomes for women Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Women Veterans shared their experiences of accessing health care during and after service, including access to sex-specific care. The research is exploring how unmet needs may relate to mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as how service-related stressors, coping strategies and support systems may play a role. Researchers are now analyzing survey data to better understand how common unmet health needs are, how they affect women’s mental health and what factors may increase risk or offer protection. Findings will help inform future programs, services and policies to better support the health and well-being of women Veterans in Canada.

Scientific summary

The study examined access to health care during time in service, access to female-specific care and mental health outcomes (e.g. symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD) as well as the situational (e.g. organizational stressors, institutional betrayal) and behavioural (coping) factors that may influence that association. This was a cross-sectional, self-report, survey-based study with questions asking participants to reflect on experiences from service and experiences from their time as a Veteran.

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Led by: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

Families and friends Health and well-being

Veteran and Family research training program and evaluation

Lay Summary

The project involves creating and testing a research training program for Canadian Veterans and their Family members. This includes those who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The 10-week program will take place every two weeks. It aims to help people understand and feel more comfortable with research, so that their knowledge, perspectives and identities (also known as lived expertise) can be better included in future projects.
The research team seeks to answer three questions:
1. How user-friendly, relevant and useful is the program, and what can be improved?
2. How do those taking part in the program plan to use what they learn?
3. Did the program meet the needs of those taking part?
Interviews and online surveys will be used to gather information. A person with lived expertise is included on the research team.
The results will show the impacts of the training program. The results will also identify ways to improve Veteran and Family member participation in research.

Scientific Summary

The purpose of the Veteran and Family research training program and evaluation project is to develop, deliver and evaluate a research training program designed for Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and Family members. The goal of the 10-week, biweekly online training program is to increase comfort and capacity with research so that lived experience can be better represented in future research projects. The research questions are: (1) In what ways is the program accessible, relevant and useful, and what changes are needed to enhance its accessibility, relevance and usefulness? (2) In what ways do research participants envision using the training towards their current and future involvement in research? (3) In what ways did the training meet research participants’ educational and advocacy needs?

Research participants include the training participants and the hired Peer Researcher. Qualitative methods, including a combination of one-on-one and group interviews, journalling and online surveys will be used. Findings from this study will provide important information about the individual impact of participating in a research training and will shed light on the most effective ways to foster the equitable participation in research in the Veteran and Family community.

Lay Summary

The project involves creating and testing a research training program for Canadian Veterans and their Family members. This includes those who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The 10-week program will take place every two weeks. It aims to help people understand and feel more comfortable with research, so that their knowledge, perspectives and identities (also known as lived expertise) can be better included in future projects.
The research team seeks to answer three questions:
1. How user-friendly, relevant and useful is the program, and what can be improved?
2. How do those taking part in the program plan to use what they learn?
3. Did the program meet the needs of those taking part?
Interviews and online surveys will be used to gather information. A person with lived expertise is included on the research team.
The results will show the impacts of the training program. The results will also identify ways to improve Veteran and Family member participation in research.

Scientific Summary

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Led by: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

Anxiety Depression Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A randomized controlled trial of prolonged exposure- vs. non-exposure-based treatment for PTSD in Veterans

Lay summary

Trauma-focused treatments for PTSD, such as prolonged exposure (PE) don’t always improve symptoms. The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is a non-trauma-focused treatment targeting specific bodily processes that contribute to anxiety and depression. Research shows that UP is particularly successful in treating various anxiety and depressive disorders. This study will test whether UP (non-trauma-focused) is as successful for the treatment of PTSD as PE (trauma-focused).

Scientific summary

Treatment resistance is relatively high with our best-practice, trauma-focused treatments for PTSD. The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is a non-trauma-focused treatment that targets mechanisms that underpin anxiety and depressive disorders. It has shown to be particularly effective in the treatment of a range of anxiety and depressive disorders. This current project tests UP against a trauma-focused PTSD treatment (prolonged exposure) in a non-inferiority trial to see whether a non-trauma-focused treatment is as effective in the treatment of PTSD as a trauma-focused treatment.

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Led by: Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Health In partnership with: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

Intimate partner violence

Evaluating an educational intervention for improving provider recognition and response to intimate partner violence experienced by Veterans and their Families – A mixed method pilot randomized trial

Lay summary

Healthcare and social service providers (HSSPs) who work with Veterans play an important role in identifying intimate partner violence (IPV). They can help prevent negative health impacts related to IPV. However, it can be difficult for service providers to recognize and respond to IPV confidently and effectively.
Service providers can lack specific training and knowledge on IPV, as well as time to recognize and respond to it. They may also experience discomfort in bringing up the topic of IPV. Stigma and unique health and social service structures further complicate the experiences of those who work with Veterans.
Few training and education programs for service providers recognize the complex overlap between IPV, children’s exposure to IPV and other forms of Family violence, including child physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect.
This project will evaluate the success of the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) resource. The VEGA resource is an educational program that helps service providers recognize and respond to IPV and related forms of Family violence among Canadian Veterans and their Families.

Scientific summary

Healthcare and social service providers (HSSPs) who work with Veteran populations play an important role in the early identification of intimate partner violence (IPV) and prevention of negative health outcomes related to these experiences. However, research has shown that, generally, HSSPs receive insufficient training to recognize and respond to IPV confidently and effectively. Providers report discomfort initiating conversations about IPV, a lack of time to adequately recognize and respond to disclosures, and challenges with determining appropriate referrals and reporting requirements. These challenges can be more complicated among Veteran populations, given their unique health care and social service structures as well as stigma related to disclosing IPV perpetration and victimization. Furthermore, few training courses or education interventions for HSSPs recognize the complex overlap between IPV, children’s exposure to IPV and other forms of Family violence, including child physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. This joint research project will evaluate the effectiveness of the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) resource to prepare HSSPs to effectively recognize and respond to IPV and related forms of Family violence among Canadian Veterans and their Families. For this project, HSSPs who work with Veterans and their Families will complete one of two types of online VEGA training – a self-study training or a facilitator-guided training. They will also complete quantitative (e.g., survey) and qualitative (e.g., interview) research activities.

Lay summary

Healthcare and social service providers (HSSPs) who work with Veterans play an important role in identifying intimate partner violence (IPV). They can help prevent negative health impacts related to IPV. However, it can be difficult for service providers to recognize and respond to IPV confidently and effectively.
Service providers can lack specific training and knowledge on IPV, as well as time to recognize and respond to it. They may also experience discomfort in bringing up the topic of IPV. Stigma and unique health and social service structures further complicate the experiences of those who work with Veterans.
Few training and education programs for service providers recognize the complex overlap between IPV, children’s exposure to IPV and other forms of Family violence, including child physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect.
This project will evaluate the success of the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) resource. The VEGA resource is an educational program that helps service providers recognize and respond to IPV and related forms of Family violence among Canadian Veterans and their Families.

Scientific summary

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Led by: McMaster University In partnership with: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Prescribing patterns

Treatment-resistant PTSD

Lay summary

This study aims to build consensus within clinical practice on how military-related PTSD is assessed and treated, using a three-pronged approach.
First, existing studies on available treatment approaches for military-related PTSD will be reviewed. Their results will be combined to understand relevance and efficacy—whether different treatment approaches work across different groups.
Second, Operational Stress Injury clinics across Canada will be engaged to identify key patterns in how medications are prescribed among clinicians who treat PTSD.
Third, findings will be combined to inform the development of a consensus model to guide more consistent treatment of military-related PTSD, specifically treatment-resistant PTSD.

Scientific summary

Given the prevalence of PTSD in military populations and the heterogeneities in treatment approaches, the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre is conducting a three-part project toward building consensus in the assessment and treatment of PTSD. The Treatment Resistant PTSD project seeks to: (1) conduct a comprehensive scan of available treatment approaches for military-related PTSD via meta-analysis and systematic review to determine the efficacy and appropriateness of treatments options based on clinical and population characteristics, (2) engage Operational Stress Injury clinics across Canada to identify prescribing patterns and practices of clinicians treating PTSD, and (3) incorporate evidence from both meta-analysis and prescription patterns in developing a consensus model to guide treatment of military-related PTSD, with particular emphasis on treatment-resistant PTSD.

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Led by: The MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre at the Lawson Health Research Institute In partnership with: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

Pages: 1234

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