Dr. Michelle Lafrance has spent much of her career listening for hidden meanings in the stories New Brunswick women tell about their experiences with depression. As a researcher in psychology, her expertise lies in examining the ways individual life-narratives are shaped by cultural influences and power dynamics.
When research interviews consistently revealed an association between depression and the responsibility of caring for an older adult, she was determined to learn more about this connection.
In 2018, with a federal grant from SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), Dr. Lafrance set out on a learning journey that would lead to what she calls her “first foray into Action Research, whereby we turn scholarship into action in the community.”
She and her team interviewed 44 caregivers from across New Brunswick, as well as 33 older adults, to learn about the day-to-day challenges of caregiving. They then used their findings to create a guidebook, Aging in New Brunswick: A User’s Guide, a publication so popular that it’s now in its fourth edition.
The Personal Costs of Navigating Complex Systems
Ask a nurse or social worker a question about accessing help for an older adult, and chances are they’ll reach for their copy of “the Bible.” That’s what insiders within government systems call Aging in New Brunswick.
When even insiders need a map, you know the territory is challenging to navigate. For outsiders, such as your average caregiver, it can seem distressingly difficult.
Through her SSHRC-funded research, Dr. Lafrance and her research team discovered that problems with accessing information, equipment, and funding, encumber caregivers.
“Caregivers do this really important and very rewarding work, but often to great detriment to themselves—very high rates of depression, very high rates of poor health, mental health, physical health,” explains Dr. Lafrance.
Government programs do exist to provide support, but they’re not always well-publicized. Attempting to find the path to them becomes another weight for caregivers to carry.
Targeting a Structural Solution
As an expert in psychology, Dr. Lafrance could have addressed the mental health issues of caregivers by designing an intervention focused on individuals, such as a program to promote better self-care or a mental health helpline. Instead, she drew on her scholarly background in linking “personal” health issues with issues at the system level.
“What I wanted to do was find out what were the sorts of structural things that could be done to help ease [caregivers’] burden,” she says.
As a researcher, Dr. Lafrance knew she couldn’t change the multiple government systems caregivers interact with, but she could make them more transparent and easier to navigate. As “outsiders” she and her team were able to see the big picture, beyond department boundaries, and provide a comprehensive guide to all the different resources available.
According to Dr. Lafrance, this Action Research, focused on structural changes, has proved one of the highlights of her career: “It was really exciting to see how the work that my team and I were doing could make a change in our community and could be useful to the everyday New Brunswicker.”
