Brad, wildfire fighter
“Every siren and radio call tightens the knot in my chest, but I can’t stop working…. Admitting that I’m struggling feels almost impossible” →
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Gloria, displaced resident
“When I do drift off, I wake up panicked, thinking about how difficult it will be to find a new home, worrying about the cost of rent, and fearing that I won’t find a space I can access” →
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Patricia, public health official
“I am expected to respond quickly, make high-stakes decisions, and communicate clearly as fear and anger rise around me” →
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Pierre, CAF reservist
“This spring has been relentlessly wet. Floods are swallowing entire communities” →
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Paul, power line technician
“Nights away from my family begin to blur together, and what once felt like good overtime pay now feels like a heavy burden” →
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Fatima, trauma nurse
“Every time an ambulance opens its doors, I am terrified it will be someone I love — my family, my friends, my community” →
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CAMH Youth-Vast Dependence Program
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Youth-VAST Dependence Program provides in-person or virtual care to young people in Ontario →
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Appendix: References
Explore key research on minority stress, resilience, and mental health with this reference list of studies →
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12. Providing support
Learn how culturally competent support, meaningful allyship, and inclusive policies help reduce minority stress and improve well-being →
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11. Resilience against minority stress
Learn how resilience shapes responses to minority stress, the difference between group and individual resources, and key factors that support resilience →
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10. People with disabilities
Explore how stigma and discrimination contribute to minority stress, impact mental health in people with disabilities, and lead to self-stigmatization →
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9. Historical trauma and Indigenous communities
Understand historical trauma in Indigenous communities, key policies that caused it, and their lasting effects on mental, physical, and social well-being →
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8. Racial trauma
Learn what racial trauma is, how it impacts individuals and communities during emergencies, and how to recognize its common signs →