Projects

Funding: Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI; 2021-2025)

The goal of this infrastructure project, which supports the Canada Research Chair TRADIS – Trajectories, Diversity, Substances, is to develop, implement and evaluate a digital psychosocial intervention platform for sexually and gender-diverse (SGD) people who use psychoactive substances. This virtual platform will consist of two modules. The first module will target interventions based on data from the TRADIS Chair projects. For SGD individuals, this platform will offer sophisticated functionalities for detecting the problematic use of psychoactive substances and the issues that may arise from it. Users of the platform will be able to receive brief ad hoc online interventions or choose interventions spread over several sessions. The second module will involve interactive activities with health and community professionals. It will assess best practices to be used with SGD people for different types of interventions. It will provide professionals and researchers with specialized tools based on research data collected in the first module. The analysis and interpretation of these data will optimize the scope and effectiveness of interventions using an anti-oppressive and harm reduction methodology.

Primary Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)

Project Coordinator: Bourgault Bouthillier, I. (UQAM)

The complete project title: Towards tailored services for sexually and gender-diverse people with problematic use of methamphetamine and other related substances: an approach to support their development with respect to their sexual orientation and gender identity

Funding: Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUDP; 2020-2023)

Using a qualitative approach, this project aims to: 1) characterize sexually and gender-diverse people (SGD) who use methamphetamine and/or other associated psychoactive substances; 2) identify their needs in terms of care and support; 3) document the current addiction services for methamphetamine use in the greater Montreal, Quebec City, and Gatineau regions; 4) evaluate the adequacy of the current available services in meeting the needs and realities of SGD people; and 5) propose guidelines to the existing services to better meet the needs of SGD people, as well as offer guidance in developing new services sensitive to the realities of this population.

Primary Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)

Co-Researchers: Blanchette, M. (UQAT), Couvrette, A. (UQO), Goyette, M. (UQAM), Ferlatte, O. (Université de Montréal), Lafortune, D. (UQAM), Medico D. (UQAM), Trottier, D. (UQO)

Research Coordinator: Giugnatico, I. (UQAM)

Complete Project Title: Adapting, promoting, and sustaining a mobile app for youth experiencing problems associated with cannabis, with or without a concurrent disorder

Funding: Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP; 2018-2023)

Abstract: The Canna-Coach project aims to promote the development, deployment, and dissemination of a mobile app for young Quebecers, with or without a concurrent disorder, aged 14 to 25, experiencing problems associated with cannabis use. To this end, the research project wishes to adapt the Swiss made app Stop-Cannabis.ch to a younger audience from the French and English-speaking cultures of Quebec. The changes and improvements will ensure the consistency of this mobile app with harm reduction approaches as well as its sustainability, by being associated with a recognized Quebec organization in the field of addictions. This project will make it possible to serve young people in Quebec who have needs in terms of their cannabis use according to their profile (gender, the presence or absence of a mental health disorder, etc.) and their change objective, linking them with services, offering a new tool for the counsellors who work with them, all the while developing their skills around the use of mobile technologies in the field of addictions. The development of a social network and peer support are important complementary components of addiction rehabilitation. Young people experiencing problems associated with cannabis use, with or without a concurrent disorder, have little access to peer support services or spaces. We aim to address this by understanding, from the perspective of both youth who use cannabis and counsellors, how mobile apps can be used to support the role of peers and the development of social networks, in order to develop at least two additional components to the existing app that will support the development of social networks and promote the importance of social support by peers.

Primary Researchers: Goyette, M. (UQAM) and Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)

Research Coordinator: Bourgault Bouthillier, I. (UQAM)

Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; 2022-2023)

LGBTQ+ youth consume more alcohol than youth in the general population. Discrimination and stigmatization of these youth may explain this situation. Despite advances in civil rights recognition for LGBTQ+ people, alcohol use has not decreased in these communities. The life course of LGBTQ+ people is shaped by a series of events including the acceptance of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, the coming out process, socialization, etc. Yet, studies on alcohol use among LGBTQ+ people do not, to our knowledge, address the links between these events and drinking trajectories. Thus, the goals of our study are to: 1) understand the meanings of alcohol use among sexually and gender-diverse people; 2) examine whether there are links between trajectories of alcohol use and life events as a sexually or gender-diverse person; and 3) identify service needs associated with alcohol use. To address these objectives, semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 90 minutes will be conducted. The project will follow the principles of community-based research, i.e., including LGBTQ+ youth in all stages of the research process. The results of this study will lead to developing targeted preventive interventions regarding alcohol use, in addition to tailored services for LGBTQ+ youth with problematic alcohol use.

Principal Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM), Dumont Blais, A. (RÉZO), Goyette, M. (UQAM)

Co-Researchers: Bertrand, K. (UdeS, IUD), Cotton, J. C. (UdeS), Felatte, O. (UdeM), Ortiz Nunez, R. (UOttawa)

Funding: Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP; 2020-2023)

This project aims to better understand the trajectories within health and social services for seniors presenting problems related to their substance use and being linked to long-term housing resources for seniors, including SGD people. Based on a descriptive qualitative design, this study also aims to identify the specific needs of seniors in order to provide tools to those working with them.

Principal Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)

Co-Researchers: Wagner, V. (University Institute on Addictions), Huynh, C. (University Institute on Addictions), Ferland, F. (UQTR), L’Espérance N. (UQTR), Blanchette-Martin, N. (CIUSSS Chaudière-Appalaches), Aubut, V. (UQTR)

Funding: Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP; 2020-2023)

The main objective of this project is to evaluate the implementation of the first service of this kind in Montreal. At the same time, it will provide the opportunity to accompany the implementation of this service by following established best practices, to consider the elements that facilitated or hindered its implementation. Given the participatory nature of the study, it will also seek to develop, with the users of the services, indicators of success (considering the different factors of intersectionality, state of health, residential stability, contacts with the health and social services network, contacts with the police or peace officers) and evaluating the impact of this service. This project includes qualitative and quantitative components.

Primary Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)

Co-Researchers: Wagner, V. (IUD), Chesnay, C. (UQAM), Côté, P.B. (UQAM), MacDonald, S.A. (Université de Montréal), Fallu, J.S. (Université de Montréal)

Funding: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC; 2021-2024)

The objectives of the project are to 1) characterize, from an intersectional perspective, sexually and gender-diverse people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Montreal; 2) identify the social service needs of sexually and gender-diverse people experiencing or at risk of homelessness; and 3) document the homelessness services in Montreal and assess their adequacy in addressing the needs of sexually and gender-diverse people. This is a descriptive qualitative study using an intersectional approach. For this project, we will form a working group made up of the researcher, a counsellor who works with SGD people and another counsellor who works with people experiencing homelessness, as well as one or two people who have or have had the characteristics of the target population. This working group will identify key ways to reach the population and the best methods to collect information to meet objectives 1 and 2. To address objective 3, focus groups will be conducted with counsellors and managers of organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness. This project will provide the knowledge necessary for future projects aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating services adapted to, or sensitive to, people in the SGD who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Primary Researcher: Flores-Aranda, J. (UQAM)