The second annual Spring Social and Fever Pitch Competition will help raise funds for HRI’s Women’s Mental Health and Depression Research Programs.
Homewood Research Institute’s (HRI) second annual Spring Social and Fever Pitch Competition on Thursday was a night of connection, community and innovation.
The event, held at Riversleigh Mansion, helped raise funds for HRI's women's mental health and depression research programs.
The “Dragon's Den” style competition brought together three young researchers to compete for the chance to win $10,000 for a groundbreaking research project that has the potential to make a difference in women's mental health and improve treatment.
Research in this area is being led by Dr. Benicio Frey, the new lead researcher in women's mental health and depression at Homewood University and a professor at McMaster University.
“It's great to see support tailored specifically to women's mental health – an area that has lagged behind in terms of research, clinical support and public awareness,” Frey said.
Research consistently reveals that Canadian women and girls are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men and boys.When it comes to women's mental health, little research has been done on the changes associated with the female reproductive stage.
According to the HRI, in 2019, 23% of new mothers reported feelings consistent with postpartum depression or anxiety.
One of the three participants in Fever Pitch, Andre Tonon, a clinical research fellow at McMaster University, began working with Frey several years ago.
“I'm Brazilian and I just moved here to work with Dr. Frey. I work on chronobiology and sleep. Chronobiology is the study of biological rhythms. Dr. Frey also works in the field of sleep assessment and biological rhythm assessment,” Tonon said.
“Part of my project is tackling postnatal depression by trying light therapy on women up to six months after giving birth to see if it works,” Thonon said.
Tonon said the treatment is effective for seasonal depression, but has also been shown to be effective for non-seasonal depression.
“We are currently trialing this intervention to treat postpartum depression. Some women don't want to use medication immediately after giving birth, so if this proves effective it would be a fantastic opportunity for them. The device is easy to use, has few side effects and is affordable,” Thonon said.
HRI conducts applied research in a variety of care settings across the country through its lead clinical partner, Homewood Health in Guelph. HRI works with an ever-growing network of partners and collaborators.
“Homewood Research Institute is very fortunate to be in such a wonderful environment, with the Homewood Health Center, where we can leverage our scientific expertise in collaboration with the clinicians who are here with us tonight,” said Dr. Sydney Kennedy, HRI executive director.
“We were able to focus on a particular issue that we think is important no matter where you live in the world. We know that there are lots of complex stories out there of people who are struggling in all different directions, not just with depression and anxiety.”
Kennedy says HRI is fortunate to be surrounded by great universities and have some of the best and brightest students.
“We have some great scientists here tonight from McMaster University, University of Waterloo and University of Toronto. This is about collaboration and we're committed to collaboration. We're committed to finding people who are collaborative and who bring great ideas to the table,” Kennedy said.
“We have three pillars: the substance use pillar, the trauma pillar, and the newest pillar is the women's mental health and depression pillar. Today is Dr. Frey's day. This is his event. Each of our students presenting are referencing research related to women's mental health.”
Andrea D'Alessandro-Lowe won the top prize of $10,000 for her research project, “Moral injury and turnover intentions among healthcare workers: Examining the effects of professional identity and perceived organizational support.”
Tonon Punia and Kiran Punia each received $5,000 for their research projects.
Frey says research at the HRI will help lead to better treatments and better outcomes for women living with depression and other mental health issues.
“This event is fantastic not only because it raises awareness and the need for more mental health research, but also because it supports future generations who will continue this research for years to come,” he said.
