Call to participate: Study on older adults’ mental health in Manitoba primary care

We invite you to participate in a research study exploring Manitoban healthcare providers’ experiences working with older patients in primary care who require help navigating the mental health system.

We are looking for Manitoban primary care providers who frequently work with older adults experiencing mental health concerns to participate in a 60-minute online interview. Your insights will help us develop a system navigation tool for clinicians in Manitoba.

As a token of appreciation, participants will receive a gift card.

If you are interested or would like more details, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Li-elle Rapaport at rapaporl@myumanitoba.ca or click and complete this link to participate: 

https://umanitobapsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WEEhCbsNHCz9Gu

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Ms. Li-elle Rapaport, M.A., and Dr. Corey Mackenzie 

Principal Investigators

Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba

Lay summary: Older adults face significant challenges in accessing and navigating the mental health (MH) system, often encountering barriers related to the complexity of the healthcare system. While primary care providers are key sources of guidance, research suggests they frequently lack the necessary knowledge (i.e., system navigation literacy) to support older patients’ mental health needs effectively. Addressing this gap, my dissertation research will develop an education tool for primary care providers. This initial exploratory study will involve qualitative interviews with 10–15 primary care providers (i.e., clinicians providing front-line health care in primary care setting, such as doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists), informed by the Mental Health Navigation model (Knesek & Hemphill, 2020) and the Geriatric Mental Health Treatment Engagement Pathway Navigation model (Rapaport et al., 2023). Interviews will identify knowledge gaps and barriers to MH system navigation using qualitative framework analysis. These insights will inform the development of an education tool for primary care providers.