Projects
Completed Projects
Contemporary Constructions of Allyship in Health Care Settings: A Scoping Review
This project comprises a scoping review that drew on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) approaches and qualitative descriptive analysis of 46 sources. The review question was: how is allyship defined in the literature specific to 2S/LGBTQ+ people and health settings and/or health care in countries where English is the primary spoken language? We concluded the dearth of specificity in defintions of allyship poses challenges for health care provision and education. Further, we advocate for the need for community-engaged research to elicit the perspectives of 2S/LGBTQ+ people about the meaning of allyship. Ultimately, a clear, community-informed definition of allyship is necessary for integration into health discipline classroom and clinical curriculums.
The Meaning and Impact of Community
This project was a community partnership endeavour with the Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society (VPWAS). Drawing from the findings of our previous studies that highlight the importance of human connection to the psychological well-being (PWB) of older gay men, amidst the notable dearth of reference to the term community, we are working with VPWAS to co-develop understandings of the meaning and impact of community and community engagement for older gay men. Community has great relevance for older gay men who endure(d) a nexus of barriers to PWB including historical and ongoing discrimination, and the collective trauma of HIV AIDS for which collective support and mobilization have been key protective processes. We will advance understandings of community and the forces that support and impede community engagement in the context of aging post COVID-19 by eliciting “kitchen table wisdom” through group conversations with older, gay men across southwestern British Columbia.
A Qualitative Exploration of how Older, Gay Men Cultivate Psychological Well-Being (PWB)
Drawing on findings from our project that focused on quality of life (QOL) and older gay men, we developed a study specific to exploring how older gay men cultivate psychological well-being (PWB). This study drew on tenets of constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to explore how older gay men promote PWB in the context of historical and ongoing adversity. Twenty-six gay men aged 50+ living in Canada took part in semi-structured individual Zoom interviews. Findings identified key processes that detail how older gay men promote PWB amidst contexts of intersecting systems of oppression, interlocking social and structural elements, and maturation including fostering relationships of authenticity and depth, maintaining purpose, and engaging calm. These insights shed light on how men mitigate the harms of interpersonal, structural, and HIV/AIDS-driven discrimination, along with the benefits to PWB derived from supporting others and engaging in deliberate self-care strategies. Findings can support and inform service delivery and contextually relevant appropriate resource development to promote the PWB of older gay men.
