The CMHA of Northern B.C.'s Executive Director Elaine Laberge (left) in a conversation with fellow CMHA workers.

By Tommy Osborne

Mental Health Research

CMHA receives large grant for mental health research

Mar 24, 2025 | 5:50 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) of Northern BC has received $75,000 in funding to conduct community-based research on mental illness. $50,000 of the funding will go towards the connections between mental health and homelessness, while the remaining $25,000 will focus on the unique challenges seniors face with mental health.

“(There is) profound housing discrimination for people with mental illness. And we know it, because there’s very few private landlords who will rent to our clients, for instance. There’s this stigma, stereotypes, around what mental illness looks like, the assumption is people who are mentally ill are going to go in and destroy a place, and we know that isn’t true,” said the CMHA of Northern BC’s executive director Elaine Laberge.

With that focus in mind, Laberge says the research and funding will be used to help paint a more clear picture about what it can actually look like to live with mental health, saying she hopes the funding can destigmatize mental health challenges.

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“One of the big things we hope to achieve is to make visible what mental illness looks like, contrary to all the misconceptions we have. And that is creating counter narratives, pushing up against the misbeliefs of what mental illness looks like,” she said.

Laberge explained homelessness can specifically be incredibly trauma inducing for somebody, hence the need for this research. While issues surrounding homelessness, such as addiction or poverty, are certainly traumatic and can bring its own mental difficulties, Laberge explains homelessness itself is another huge obstacle to overcome.

“The one thing that none of us could get over was homelessness. That’s a specific kind of trauma that is absolutely terrifying in the fear that you will be homeless again. When you don’t have safe and affordable housing, how can you possibly be mentally healthy?” she said.

As for the seniors side of the funding, Executive Director of the Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) Malhar Kendurkar is happy to see the funding go towards supporting seniors’ mental health, and he says social isolation is one of the biggest problems he’s noticed.

“It really is a deep and complicated issue. And there are some ideas that you could potentially have to address the social isolation piece. For example, doing programs, right? At our senior resource centre at the Prince George’s Council of Seniors, we have a gathering place so seniors can come out here and they can talk to each other, they can play games, they can research about different services,” Kendurkar said.

While gathering spaces like the one at the PGCOS, and other areas around town, are certainly helpful, Kendurkar adds another big challenge with isolation is that leaving home may not be that easy for some seniors. Whether it’s physical limitations, or seasonal challenges like icy roads and cold weather, sometimes isolation can’t be addressed through public gatherings. While technology could help, that also raises it’s own challenges.

“You have to realize that there is always that challenge of not being able to access, or not knowing how to use the technology, because it is not always easy. So there is a possibility of using the social technology to reduce that social isolation, including watching TV, but sometimes, if something goes wrong, they don’t know a lot of times how to overcome some of those challenges. And that’s why we do have some planned workshops for our volunteers and for seniors to actually address those challenges, so that will kind of reduce that social isolation piece, especially in winter time,” Kendurkar said.

Laberge adds it’s not just social isolation, but also challenges around just speaking about mental health.

“We have populations that have never been able to even discuss mental health. I think about my great auntie. I think about my mother. They never got to have these conversations, you just hid it, and that’s trauma itself. So it’s high time that we start acknowledging: what does it look like to be a senior and struggle with mental health while trying to live a mentally healthy lifestyle?” Laberge said.

As the research is being done, a press release from the CMHA of Northern BC says the findings will be released to the public.

“The findings of both research projects will be shared publicly through engaging videos, photographs, and comprehensive reports that showcase the lived experiences of participants. By visually and narratively capturing these realities, CMHA aims to foster greater public awareness, reduce stigma, and influence policies that support mental health and housing equity,” the release said.

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