Research
Research Methodology / PAR
This is a community-engaged research project that values the voices of people with lived experiences in mental health. We intend to include service-users as co-researchers to be involved in all stages of the research. With the help of our co-researchers, we will work to create a RMHD curriculum that incorporates the core elements of the doula model-support, education, comfort, and advocacy. The curriculum will be used to train RMHDs to support people with mental health challenges. Feedback from our co- researchers, trained RMHDs, and RMHD service users will aid in identifying areas for improvement and recommendations for the development of the model.
What is PAR?
Through a participatory action research approach, we have placed service users at the forefront of our research and curriculum development. Participatory action research is a qualitative research method that works to actively engage all those impacted by the subject of research into the research process (MacDonald, 2012), in our case this would be the co-researchers. PAR aims to invoke positive social change and empower participants whose voices often go unheard in research settings (Hutchinson & Lovell, 2013)
PAR in RMHD
Aspects of PAR were demonstrated in our curriculum development through three stages:
Conferences and Events
The RMHD team has been invited to present their research at international conferences in both 2022 & 2023.
Be on the lookout to see where we present next!
Dr. Tiffany Boulton, Dr. Yangyang Fang, Dr. Joanna Rankin, and Research Assistants Amanda Denis and Eleni Moumos at the SSSP Conference
SSSP Conference - Los Angeles 2022
Dr. Tiffany Boulton and Dr. Joanna C. Rankin. Dr. Yangyang Fang and Amanda Denis presented “Conceptualizing the Role of a Radical Mental Health Doula: A New Approach to Care” at The Society for the Study of Social Problems conference in Los Angeles, United States.
The team discussed the urgency of a gender informed mental health support person to assist women who are undergoing mental health challenges. Proposing that RMHDs could take up that position, and work to promote the principles of access, equity, participation, and social justice, through a woman-centered social justice framework.
Dr. Yangyang Fang with Jeff Ryzner and Jane Desrochers at the E2i Innovation Celebrations hosted by Innovate Calgary on April 25th, 2023
e2i Innovation Celebration
Dr. Yangyang Fang attended and presented as one of the finalists at the e2i Innovation Celebration hosted by Innovate Calgary on behalf of the Radical Mental Health Doula team.
e2i is for postdocs or research associates and their PIs to get started on the pathway to translating their research into practical solutions. The e2i program prepares participants to develop the skills required to make an impact by evolving their research to pursue research translation and confidently explore the commercial potential of existing research.
Dr. Yangyang Fan was honored to be an award recipient.
Dr. Tiffany Boulton and Dr. Yangyang Fang at the Pacific Rim Conference held in Oahu Hawaii March 6th - 7th 2023
Pacific Rim Conference - Honolulu 2023
On March 6, 2023, Dr. Tiffany Boulton and Dr. Xiao Yang Fang presented "Patient to Expert: Centralizing the Voices of Women with Mental Illness in the Development of Radical Mental Health Doulas" at the 38th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity – Coming Together and Moving Forward. The “Pac Rim” conference is the premier international gathering on disability, bringing together hundreds of scholars, researchers, community members, professionals, students and policymakers every year. The conference has been running for 38 years and is hosted by the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, one of the leading centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education, research, and service.
