CIMVHR Forum 2023
This year’s Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) Forum was back in the national capital for the second time, where Forum reached its largest delegation to date with 850 participants and over 250 presentations.
CIMVHR Forum kicked-off the three-day event with the CIMVHR and Family Matters Research Group Roundtable entitled Families of military personnel, Veterans, and public safety personnel are the strength beside the uniform, doing their part to ensure the safety and security of Canada, at home and abroad. Led by Dr. Heidi Cramm, Head of Family Strategy at CIMVHR and Research Lead at the Families Matter Research Group, and Dr. Margaret Campbell, Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen’s University, the event focused on a cross-sector conversation that reviewed the progress in families research partnership activities and discussed priorities for research and programs to support families and enhance their well-being.
During the opening plenary, CIMVHR’s Scientific Directors, Drs. David Pedlar and Stéphanie Bélanger welcomed delegates to the event where they stressed the importance of research collaboration to ensure we avoid duplication and continue to move research forward for our military personnel, Veterans, public safety personnel and families.
“CIMVHR Forum is an opportunity to highlight remarkable leaders who demonstrate exceptional knowledge, experience, and world-class research in our field. It inspires new insight, a time for reflection and cross-collaboration, and establishes meaningful connections throughout our growing network.”
CIMVHR Fellows
In 2016, CIMVHR established a fellowship initiative to recognize leading experts who demonstrate exceptional research advancements in the military, Veteran, and family health and well-being field. This year, CIMVHR appointed two new fellows Dr. Dave Blackburn and Dr. Anthony Nazarov for their outstanding contributions to military, Veteran, and family health research in Canada and leadership within the field.
Dave Blackburn, PhD
2023 FellowDean, Université du Québec en Outaouais
Anthony Nazarov, PhD, PMP
2023 FellowAssociate Scientific Director, MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Associate Scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute; Research Scientist and Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Western University; and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University
Workshops
On the Tuesday and Wednesday of Forum 2023, a series of workshops were held to allow participants to focus on key topics in smaller groups. The purpose of these workshops is to encourage open conversation to advance the research on these topics. The outcomes of these workshop are highlighted in the workshop reports.
Tuesday, October 17th
Integrating sex, gender and diversity factors into military health research
Sex and gender are important determinants of health and well-being. Sex and gender differences have historically often been overlooked in military health research design, study implementation and scientific reporting, as well as in health promotion communication. This has limited the generalizability of research findings and applicability to prevention and clinical practice. Many now recognize the imperative to integrate gender and diversity into military health and wellness research. This workshop will review: terminology relating to sex, gender and diversity variables; rationale for and implications of including sex, gender and diversity in military and veteran research; existing policy and guidelines in this area; and, guidance on methodology to reduce gender and diversity bias in military health and social science research.
“Same Stuff, Different Uniform” -- Mapping out Military and Public Safety Personnel culture and identity development, international contexts and why it is essential in research, policy and service design
Understanding service culture is essential for designing research, treatment, services and policy for military and public safety personnel, to effectively support them and their families. There is often a ‘lumping’ of service personnel when considering research, practice and policy, with the assumption that interventions that work with one group will work for another. However, what makes up the domains of “service culture” and how that impacts identity, looks different within services (e.g. different military roles), between services (e.g. paramedics and police), within countries (e.g. between provinces in Canada or states in Australia or USA) and in different countries around the globe. This workshop aims to discuss first of all “why” cultural awareness is important for researchers, policy makers and health professionals to effectively work with these populations. Secondly, we will discuss the differences and similarities between service contexts, to inform the development of cultural awareness programs.
Building Resilience in the Military-to-Civilian Transition
The military-to-civilian transition (MCT) is a significant event in the lives of military members, and although most members adjust well following the MCT process, research suggests that some military members may experience significant challenges. The focus of this workshop is on using the research collected on MCT experiences to build resilience in members about to undergo the MCT process. The workshop will include a review of literature on resilience among military populations, and a discussion of how resilience may be conceptualized and measured among transitioning members specifically, and at what points in the process, with examples provided from the Canadian MCT process and existing data collection practices (e.g., the Transition Support and Well-being Survey). Group discussions in the workshop will explore the concept of resilience in the MCT process in other contexts and identify best practices and potential new initiatives to support resilience among transitioning members.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy as a Group Treatment
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a ground-breaking set of psychological techniques designed to retrain the brain to interpret and respond to signals from the body more accurately and effectively, thereby breaking the cycle of chronic pain (see Ashar, Gordon, Schubiner, et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2021). Participants in this workshop will learn about the current research on PRT and gain experience with its five main components: 1. education about the brain origins and reversibility of pain, 2. gathering and reinforcing personalized evidence for the brain origins and reversibility of pain, 3. attending to and appraising pain sensations through a lens of safety, 4. addressing other emotional threats, and 5. gravitating to positive feelings and sensations. Modifications to standard PRT for addressing non-pain chronic conditions and for offering the treatment in a group format will also be covered.
Wednesday, October 18th
Health and Climate Change: Civil-Military Challenges and Opportunities
Most international organizations state that climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. From a healthcare perspective, climate change affects multiple social and environmental determinants of population health such as changes in the distribution of infectious diseases, potable water and food availability and has placed additional strain on health and healthcare systems globally. From a military perspective, climate change has contributed to an increase in within-country stability, between-state military competition, and an increase in the number of humanitarian requests for natural disaster response. As climate change accelerates, Canadian health agencies at all levels, including DND, will need to identify and develop specific capabilities to ensure readiness to respond to future events, both domestically and internationally.
Considerations for the assessment, treatment and research of military/Veteran PTSD – an updated primer
The proposed workshop will review guidelines with case examples on best practice and special considerations for assessment, treatment and research of military/Veteran PTSD. Psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and collaborative care will be highlighted with break out discussions. Assessment topics will include the importance of identifying an index trauma, connecting assessment of symptomatology to this trauma, considerations when using self-report questionnaires in treatment, and highlight the importance of outcome monitoring. Treatment discussion will focus on integrating adjuvants to standard psychopharmacology (i.e., ketamine and rTMS), pharmacogenetics, and exploring factors underlying the suggestion that military/Veteran PTSD is less responsive to treatment. To promote research, the importance of continuing to emphasize evidence-based treatments while exploring ways to adapt these treatments will be reviewed, and areas of much needed research will be highlighted. Strategies to engage and educate Veterans in treatment to better inform outcomes and collaborative treatment decision making will be discussed.
So What?! Operationalizing priorities from a Community Health Needs Assessment for Canadian Veterans
For the first time, VAC is completing a Veterans’ Well-being Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Collecting new and building on existing data, the CHNA will engage with Canadian Veterans to systematically identify their health and well-being strengths and needs and communicate results in an accessible way. Of particular interest, are the unique needs of equity-deserving Veteran groups including women, 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous, Black, and racialized Veterans and Veterans with disabilities. Results can be used to inform decision-makers in program, policy, and research, and to support equitable allocation of resources for all Veterans. Building on the CHNA engagement approach, participants in this workshop will transform knowledge into action by brainstorming meaningful ways to share CHNA results with Veterans/stakeholders; and identify tangible and impactful strategies to address highlighted priorities. Input from this workshop will contribute to planning an implementation strategy, highlighting the health strengths and needs of Canadian Veterans and recommendations for action.
Charting Your Path Forward: A Mentoring Event for Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
In response to the overwhelming feedback and demand after last year’s event, the Student and Postdoctoral Engagement Committee are thrilled to host this mentoring event. This event will provide students and postdoctoral fellows with formal mentoring and networking opportunities where they will hear from and engage with seasoned researchers in the fields of military, Veteran, public safety personnel, and family health. The event will include two components, first starting with a World Café in which participants and researchers will engage in multiple smaller collaborative discussions covering relevant questions and topics related to developing a high-impact research career. The second component will include a panel discussion of what these researchers wished they knew as students and postdoctoral fellows, what they know now regarding their careers and research trajectories, and what they are currently working on to make meaningful contributions and advancements in their fields.
Forum Awards
2023 award recipients
Each year at Forum, several researchers are recognized for their significant contributions. 2023 award recipients include:
Banting Award
Awarded annually for military health research and sponsored by the True Patriot Love Foundation. The Banting Award honours Major Sir Frederick Banting- a world renowned physician, Nobel Prize winner and researcher who discovered insulin. The award recognizes high quality Canadian research that addresses military health issues.
2023 recipient
Eric Robitaille, PhD
Canadian Forces Health ServicesFor the research The effectiveness of standardized physical training programs to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in Canadian Armed Forces combat arms developmental courses
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 90
2023 recipient
Hans Christian Tingelstad, PhD
Canadian Forces Health ServicesFor the research Absolute strength: A key predictor of injury risk in Infantry Developmental Period 1 infantry candidates
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 94
Release Point Education Student Award
Release Point Education works to foster the realization of academic excellence by supporting military-connected students through the provision of specialized, relevant, and credible programming. The Release Point Education Student Award was established to continue their support of military-connected students who have a passion for military, Veteran and family research. This award is presented to the best student researcher presentation or poster at CIMVHR Forum 2023.
2023 recipient
Lauren Roberts, MSc, PhD Student
Queen’s UniversityFor the research Considerations on the application of family theories, models, and frameworks within adult rehabilitation and recovery following acquired injury or illness
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 22
Mental Health Research Award, sponsored by Homewood Health
Awarded for the best presentation on improving or innovating clinical mental health practice.
2023 recipient
Kaitlin Chivers-Wilson, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Alberta Health ServicesFor the research Evaluating the effectiveness of delivering Cognitive Processing Therapy in an intensive format for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in an Operational Stress Injury context
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 126
Family Health Research Award, sponsored by Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services
An award recognizing high quality Canadian research that increases our understanding of military and Veteran family health.
2023 recipient
Michèle L. Hébert, PhD, OT
University of Alberta, Heroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium (HiMARC)For the research Building Community Capacity by Designing a Novel Pan-Canadian Military Family-centred Strengthening Programme with Military Families, Service Providers and Decision-makers
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 24
Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) Public Safety Personnel (PSP) Mental Health Research Award, sponsored by Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT)
New to CIMVHR’s Annual Forum, CIPSRT has developed an award dedicated to individuals or research teams that show outstanding progress in advancing PSP mental health research. This award was established to support student researchers presenting on PSP at CIMVHR Forum.
2023 recipient
Andrea D'Alessandro-Lowe, MSc, PhD Student
McMaster University, Homewood Research InstituteFor the research Associations Between Coping, Supports and Moral Injury Symptoms among Canadian Public Safety Personnel
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 56
Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health Editors’ Choice Award, sponsored by JMVFH
Awarded to a researcher whose poster presentation at CIMVHR Forum 2023 made an exceptional contribution to military, Veteran, and family health research
2023 recipient
Kate St. Cyr, MSc, PhD (c)
University of Toronto; Lawson Health Research InstituteFor the research A retrospective cohort analysis of mental health-related emergency department visits among Veterans and non-Veterans in Ontario, Canada
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 115
Student Research Award, sponsored by CIMVHR
Awarded to the best student researcher presentation at CIMVHR Forum 2023.
2023 recipient
Ashley Williams, PhD
McMaster UniversityFor the research What do civilian healthcare providers need to know to care for Veterans with chronic pain? A qualitative study
Forum 2023 Abstract p. 116
Families Round Table
