2:3 Revised Research Proposal

To: Dr. Erika Paterson

From: Dave Borrel, Student ENGL301 Technical Writing UBC

Date: October 15th 2021

Subject: Assignment 2:1 Research Proposal for a Centralized Mental Health Support Service in Surrey BC.

Introduction

As Canadians re-adjust to life post-pandemic, there has been an epidemic of loneliness that is prevalent in young adults today. During this time many life changes can occur such as social isolation, job loss, and changing relationships. For some, online communication cannot substitute face to face human contact. Consequently, these factors can exacerbate mental health issues for young adults, ranging from 20 to 29 years old. This can be detrimental to Canadian society as a whole by reducing productive work, increasing health care costs, and could potentially damage families and communities. From my experience working at the Fraser Health Crisis Line, there are still many young adults who do not know where to seek support in times of crisis. In the Fraser Health Region (Surrey to Hope), language barriers, and socioeconomic status, all have significant impact on the discrepancy of knowledge regarding mental health. If there are no services in a specific language, certain ethnic communities may not be able receive support. Additionally, differences in income can prevent individuals from physically seeking support by needing to work often. Differences in education and upbringing may empower some while also hindering others. These factors combined contribute to a large population of young adults who do not know where to seek support.

Statement of the Problem

Although individuals with severe mental illness are almost guaranteed to get support, many young adults in the Fraser Health Region with less severe mental health illness are still ambivalent about seeking help. This hesitancy is the problem that I want to focus on for this research proposal. Over the last decade, there has been a gradual reduction of stigma tied to seeking mental health support. From the conversations I heard at the Fraser Health Crisis Line, the main factors that lead to this hesitancy is a lack of culture specific resources, and becoming overwhelmed with information. For those that do end up seeking professional help, waitlists can also be a deterrent and can make individuals feel more discouraged leading to cancelled appointments. In summary, young adults who are ambivalent towards seeking mental health support they face obstacles before reaching out and even face a new set of obstacles during the help seeking process as well.

Proposed Solution

One potential solution would be to create a centralized point of contact for users to point them in the right direction. This point of contact can either be in the form of a website, an app, or a service delivered by mental health professionals. From my own experience working at the Fraser Health Crisis Line, simply redirecting the young adults who phone to the correct support services helps to empower those younger adults. It is important to note that even getting to the point of calling a crisis line can take an enormous amount of courage. Creating a single service can help to reduce the perceived barriers for those younger adults in terms of reaching out for support. For an initial prototype, this service should compile all the mental health resources in Surrey BC, contain estimates for waitlists, and mental health services in different languages. Depending on how an individual answers a questionnaire, that result should cater to their answers. Although this service could be used by anyone, it would suit younger adults as they are more familiar using technology.

Scope

To assess the perceived need for developing a market for a centralized mental health service, I plan to pursue the following areas of inquiry.

1. Which resources would you use if you wanted to get more information about mental health support for yourself or family?
2. How much do you know about the free mental health resources available to you?
3. How familiar are you with the process of seeking a counsellor?
4. What do you imagine the wait time would be for finding a counsellor?
5. Would you be interested in using a centralized service to help you find the resources relevant to your own mental health?
6. Would you prefer this service to be in the form of a website? An app? Or something else?

Methods

My primary data sources will involve surveys with young adults that range from ages 20 to 30. I will attempt to interview an employee from the Surrey Mental Health Office and get insight into the process of getting mental health support. Additionally, I will reach out to past colleagues who are now clinical counsellors and get their input on what else is available.

My Qualifications

I have been closely involved with the Fraser Health Crisis Line both as a volunteer and a former employee for a total of 5 years combined. I have had many conversations with callers in this target age group with requests ranging from finding a counsellor, what to do while on a waiting list, and many other issues. Since I do foresee this becoming a website or an app, my current degree will help me with the technical insight for deploying this into a real solution.

Conclusion

Clearly, action needs to be taken in order to prevent the rising number of mental illnesses that are causing so much distress for hundreds of thousands in the Fraser Health Authority. Difficulty in finding mental health resources is a complex issue and being able to help even a small subset of young adults can make a difference.