Day 3 of the symposium was focused on knowledge for helping mental health promotion flourish. The first session of the day was a written summary of emerging knowledge from Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF) projects during Phase 1. The projects were just getting started when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Canada. How did the MHP-IF projects adapt to evolving pandemic conditions during their first two years? What insights do their experiences offer about advancing mental health promotion in Canada as conditions continue to evolve? The findings come from two rounds of conversations all 20 projects had with the Hub.
Key messages
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- New knowledge development across projects is one part of the KDE Hub’s mandate. A Hub-led study using storytelling methods was the main model used for developing new knowledge across projects in the MHP-IF Phase 1.
- Ten themes summarized main findings from Phase 1 project stories. Findings provide insights on project adaptation processes; implementation challenges and opportunities from the pandemic, especially related to issues of equity, access and cultural safety; evolving participant, project team and partner needs; and systemic conditions influencing mental health promotion action.
- Notable shifts in project experiences from Year 1 to Year 2 included a greater focus on action (e.g., redressing inequities), learning from others, partnership development, and scale up.
Resources related to this session
February 18, 2022