Community Co-Design: Intervention to Promote Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Reduction in Black Families and Communities
Theme: Immigrant Health and Well-Being
Research Cluster: Community Engaged Approaches to Promote Immigrant Health and Wellbeing
Objective
Black Canadians experience disproportionate mental health disparities due to structural and systemic inequalities, racism, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma. Low mental health literacy and a culture of silence around mental illness, alongside distrust of the health care system, further contribute to these disparities. This project builds on prior research to develop culturally safe stigma reduction interventions.
This project aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness and promote mental health literacy in Black families and communities. The objectives are to identify existing evidence-based mental health stigma reduction interventions used with Black communities; engage Black communities in co-designing a culturally safe and inclusive intervention; and pilot and evaluate the co-designed intervention. The study is grounded in health equity and social justice and emphasizes meaningful community engagement, capacity building, and collective empowerment. It will generate knowledge to inform the development of culturally safe and inclusive interventions for Black communities in Ontario and beyond.
Research Questions
- What do we know about effective evidence-based mental health stigma reduction interventions used with Black communities?
- How does community co-design contribute to the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention?
- How acceptable, feasible, and effective is the co-designed intervention in reducing stigma and promoting mental health?
Methodology
This project consists of four phases. Phase 1 involves a comprehensive literature review to identify evidence-based stigma reduction interventions and culturally safe approaches. Phase 2 uses Group Concept Mapping to engage 24 participants from Black communities in four co-design sessions, including brainstorming, sorting, ranking, and interpreting ideas to develop the intervention. Phase 3 translates the co-design results into a digital intervention with defined evaluation tools. Phase 4 pilots the intervention with 24 participants and evaluates its acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness. The study applies intersectionality and socio-ecological frameworks.
Related Projects
This project builds on the findings from:
Status
The project is ongoing, Phase 1 is currently underway.
Expected completion date: May 2028
Keywords
Mental health; stigma reduction; Black communities; co-design; health equity