Four students from Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops are carrying out a research project that will evaluate the impact of climate change on the mental health of Ashcroft residents, and are looking to speak with older adults in the community on Feb. 24 and 25.
Samantha Lautrup, Emily Lucassen, Ksenia Tabilin, and Agnes Tischler are third year nursing students at TRU, and are carrying out their research in conjunction with the Ashcroft HUB and the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society. The project came about after the HUB’s Jessica Clement and the E. Fry Society’s Trish Schachtel identified a lack of mental health supports in the community in the wake of natural disasters that have impacted residents.
“The HUB and E. Fry identified a need for emotional preparedness in the community due to the disasters of the last few years,” explains Lucassen. “That was aligned with our program, and we each come from a rural community, so that experience brings us together.
“Our main goal as students is to gain insight into experiences to create something more sustainable for the future and to implement programs and resources in communities that have suffered. We’re looking to create a workshop to be held in the spring by the HUB and E. Fry that will help people get mentally prepared, as well as physically prepared with a go-bag.”
Lautrup says that right now they are at the stage of collecting data from Ashcroft residents about their experiences. While their initial target was people aged 65 and older, they are interested in hearing from any older adults.
“We’ll interview anyone who is willing to talk,” says Lucassen.
Tabilin notes that there is an increasing need for emotional preparedness in the face of recurring disasters, especially for older adult populations. The project’s findings will help support the HUB in their application for funding for an emotional preparedness workshop this spring, as well as related resources, such as future programs and services, that will benefit not only Ashcroft’s older residents, but the population of the village as a whole in their response to the impact of natural disasters on mental health.
Lautrup says that the students will be holding a series of one-on-one interviews on Feb. 24 and 25 at the HUB. The interviews will have a semi-formal structure and open-ended questions, with participants able to speak confidentially about their experiences: “We’ll see where people go with it.” The E. Fry Society will be providing mental health support for anyone who feels they need it during or after their session.
Interviews will last for approximately a half-hour, but could be more or less depending on how the conversation flows. Lautrup says that the questions will vary from person to person.
“How long a person has lived in Ashcroft could impact their answers. And questions about people’s experiences will be open-ended, as everyone’s experience will be different. We’ll be asking what emotional support resources are needed at the HUB, and people can leave the interview at any time.” Participants will also be provided with a list of available resources.
Once the information has been collected, the students will analyze the data to identify key themes and insights. The team will also prepare a comprehensive report summarizing the data and its implications, emphasizing the importance of mental health support and resources for adults in Ashcroft.
“It will be given to the HUB and E. Fry, says Tabilin. “They will implement workshops based on the data and what needs people have identified.”
“We’ll be looking at trends and use the anecdotes, and hopefully we can publish it,” adds Lucassen. “Right now we’re looking at collecting data, so step one is collection and analysis, and there are some options after that.”
Interviews will be taking place at the Ashcroft HUB on Feb. 24 and 25, with sessions starting at around 10 a.m. Anyone interested in participating, or learning more, can call the HUB at (250) 453-9177.
