Project 466964

This project aims to understand the impact of Canadian policies on the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups. This topic is of great importance because members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community face significant health disparities - particularly in the realms of mental health and substance use - despite the dozens of laws and policies implemented in the past 40 years meant to support 2SLGBTQ+ rights in Canada. Research will contribute to the construction knowledge translation tools that will inform healthcare workers and policymakers alike of the experiences of SGM. Collectively available on a professionally designed website, these materials will summarize the effects of existing policies on members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community through statistical analysis of health data as well as through the storytelling of the experiences of SGM groups with respect to the changes these policies have enacted. The materials will also include recommendations for healthcare professionals and policymakers to make their work more effective at supporting the health of members of the 2SLGBTQ+ communityThe study presented in the attached proposal is the evaluation of these knowledge translation tools. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups will collect the input of three key stakeholder groups to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the tools in the implementation of impactful policies that benefit the lived experiences of SGM groups. These tools will change the way that policies are enacted to ensure their benefit to members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, effectively serving as a tool for upstream prevention to benefit health equity.