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Welcome to the Aging and Mental Health laboratory website. On this site you’ll find information about research that’s being conducted in the lab, information about lab members, and a link for students who are interested in getting involved in the lab or finding out what courses Dr. Mackenzie is teaching. |
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Members of the Aging and Mental Health lab are interested in understanding issues that affect older adults’ mental health. Three lines of research, that are briefly described below, are investigating ways of improving the mental health of older individuals by enhancing their access to mental health services, helping them cope with stress when caring for older adults with dementia, and understanding resilience among older adults via constructs such as mindfulness. Dr. Mackenzie’s research is currently supported by the University of Manitoba Research Grants Program, by a Manitoba Health Research Council Establishment grant, and by a grant from the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE). |
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As many as 80% of individuals with diagnosable mental health problems do not receive professional help. Furthermore, certain demographic groups, such as older adults and men, are especially unlikely to seek help. Research in the lab is exploring various barriers to older adults’ use of mental health services.
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Nurse and family caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are at risk for a number of negative health outcomes. Members of the lab are interested in examining the impact of caregiver stress on health and cognition, and in developing and evaluating interventions aimed at reducing this stress.
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Mindfulness is defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Research in the lab is examining how mindfulness changes across the lifespan, and how it is related to mental health and resilience among older individuals.
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