Building peer and community capacity through action research

Understanding and highlighting the experiences of marginalised groups

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is a national non-profit created by the Canadian Government to focus on delivering research, programmes, training, tools and policy that bring real change to the people in their communities. They aim to improve the mental health and wellness of all people living in Canada.

We supported MHCC to carry out a community-based research project that examined the relationship between the use of Cannabis and its impact on mental health, seeking to fill the gaps from previous research and in current understanding.

Challenges

Since the legalisation of Cannabis in Canada in 2018, there have been research projects on the link between its use and its effect on mental health. However, these studies have focused on groups who typically make up the respondents. Instead, we were tasked with supporting the uncovering of evidence and reporting on the information gathered from marginalised and ‘difficult-to-reach’ groups, such as homeless, impoverished and Indigenous people.

What we did

A peer-led participatory action research project with people who are highly marginalised through substance use, homelessness and poverty.

We also ensured that we built capacity of the communities that the research was focused upon. This involved us supporting participants to understand the learnings that our research uncovered and take them beyond the scope of the project into their respective wider communities.

Peer-led research

Habitus trained peer outreach workers with the necessary research skills for this project to complement their lived experience, meaning we could gain greater insight into the demographics being surveyed.

A key part of our approach was focusing on a partnership model for genuine co-development and integration into the project. Additionally, we demonstrated to peer workers how we truly valued the peer research that was gained, since it would lead to much greater impact for their communities.

Principle-based research

Our attention was placed on making sure a Social Justice and Human Rights approach was taken, simultaneously with an anti-oppression and anti-racism lens applied. It was important that mental health was not the only issue being researched, rather the wider social determinants of health and health equity to gain the best possible data to inform the final conclusions being drawn

How we made a difference

Empowering Peer Researchers as Community Leaders

Working in partnership with a local peer-led harm reduction group, AAWEAR, we further skilled their excellent street-level peer outreach workers to be able to conduct peer research. With the extra understanding that having lived experience generates, the peer researchers ensured that the voice of their community was at the forefront of the evidence gathered and presented.

By fully integrating peers into all levels of the research process as a partner, our approach had significant impact; providing valuable insights into research design, delivery, reporting and knowledge mobilisation. The Peer Researchers became leaders for their respective communities by guiding the research based on their communities’ experiences. Because of this, our work remained trauma-informed and was led through a social justice and an anti-racism lens.

Valuing Peer Research through a Co-development and Partnership Model

Over the course of 18 months, Habitus along with the research group, worked through a peer researcher model to help strengthen the evidence base concerning mental health, aspects of physical health and cannabis use.

We cut through the habitual complaints of research with underrepresented people by taking the slower approach. Some of the outsized benefits of doing so included an enriched understanding of people often not explored in research projects and identifying ways to deliver the support required by the very people who would be using it. In so doing, we contributed to the evidence base and filled the evidence gaps..

Results

Habitus’ approach enabled the client to obtain better and deeper insights from the building of peer outreach workers’ capacities.

Uncovered deep insights into the effects of cannabis on mental health for marginalised groups. This included developing an easy read report and policy recommendations for service providers and government to action.

Created an accessible online space where the research lives for people to learn and share the results and findings of the research.

Developed a toolkit for future researchers on best practices and methods on how to work with marginalised groups as peer researchers, whilst integrating an intersectional lens, as well as ensuring cultural and emotional safety is maintained.

Habitus has a track record of supporting non-profits, charities and social enterprises to co-create peer-led approaches that can uncover evidence lacking from mainstream research and build capacity in the communities being researched..

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