Kwame Mckenzie
Biographic Data
| ID | 212389 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kwame Mckenzie |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kwame |
| FAMILY NAME | Mckenzie |
| SIGNATURE | MCKENZIE K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6419-8130 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 74 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 149 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 67 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 7 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Factors Influencing Racial Discrimination and Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder Among Black Canadian Youths
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex and multifaceted mental health condition with far-reaching implications for youth well-being and society. This paper examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms consistent with probable MDD and their association with self-reported experiences of racial discrimination within the Black youth population in Canada. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. Questionnaires were administered vi…
Machine learning used to study risk factors for chronic diseases
OBJECTIVES: Machine learning (ML) has received significant attention for its potential to process and learn from vast amounts of data. Our aim was to perform a scoping review to identify studies that used ML to study risk factors for chronic diseases at a population level, notably those that incorporated methods to mitigate algorithmic bias. We focused on ML applications for the most common risk factors for chronic disease: tobacco use, alcohol u…
Public Health Guidelines for Social Connection
Heat-Related Health Risks for People Experiencing Homelessness
A mixed methods analysis of existing assessment and evaluation tools (AETs) for mental health applications
Introduction: Mental health Applications (MH Apps) can potentially improve access to high-quality mental health care. However, the recent rapid expansion of MH Apps has created growing concern regarding their safety and effectiveness, leading to the development of AETs (Assessment and Evaluation Tools) to help guide users. This article provides a critical, mixed methods analysis of existing AETs for MH Apps by reviewing the criteria used to evalu…
Correlates of low resilience and physical and mental well-being among Black youths in Canada
In this study, the Black youth participants reported relatively low resilience scores. Employment, physical health, and mental health status were factors that contributed to low resilience. Further studies are needed to examine the causal link between resilience and its dynamic effect on health outcomes among Black youth. More interventions are needed to make mental health services accessible to Black youth in a more culturally sensitive way with…
Mental health at the intersections
Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the unique mental health concerns and access barriers experienced by South Asian Muslim youth populations living in the Peel Region of Toronto, Canada. Design/methodology/approach For this qualitative exploratory study, interviews (n = 15) were conducted with mental health professionals, educators and spiritual leaders (n = 11) who work with South Asian Muslim youth living in Peel Region, as wel…
Stakeholders' views and opinions on existing guidelines on “How to Choose Mental Health Apps”
Background: Mental health Applications (Mhealth Apps) can change how healthcare is delivered. However, very little is known about the efficacy of Mhealth Apps. Currently, only minimum guidance is available in Assessment and Evaluation Tools (AETs). Therefore, this project aims to understand AET developers' perspectives and end users' experiences and opinions on "how to choose a Mhealth App". Objective: The primary objectives were: (1) obtaining s…
“But…I survived”
Studies that assess the association between race and health have focused intently on the cumulative impact of continuous exposure to racism over an extended period. While these studies have contributed significantly to the general understanding of the life experiences and health status of racialized people, few studies have explicitly bridged the experiences of aging with gender and the wide structural barriers and social factors that have shaped…
South Asian youth mental health in Peel Region, Canada
The Peel Region of Toronto, Canada is home to over a third of the province's South Asian population. Youth are at a vulnerable time period in terms of their mental health. South Asian youth populations may face additional challenges to their mental health such as acculturative stress, intergenerational conflict, and racism and discrimination. This qualitative study set out to understand the mental health concerns and service access barriers exper…
Assessing Virtual Mental Health Access for Refugees during the Covid-19 Pandemic Using the Levesque Client-Centered Framework
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health services rapidly transitioned to virtual care. Although such services can improve access for underserved populations, they may also present unique challenges, especially for refugee newcomers. This study examined the multidimensional nature of access to virtual mental health (VMH) care for refugee newcomers during the COVID-19 pandemic, using Levesque et al.'s Client-Centered Framework for Assessing Acc…
Patient perspectives on quality of care for depression and anxiety in primary health care teams
BACKGROUND: Widespread policy reforms in Canada, the United States and elsewhere over the last two decades strengthened team models of primary care by bringing together family physicians and nurse practitioners with a range of mental health and other interdisciplinary providers. Understanding how patients with depression and anxiety experience newer team-based models of care delivery is essential to explore whether the intended impact of these re…
Inequities in the delivery of mental health care
As the first point of contact for individuals experiencing mental health difficulties, primary care plays an important role in addressing population mental health care needs. In Ontario, the successful integration of mental health in primary care has been hindered by the lack of strategic direction, and inconsistent resourcing for mental health care. Achieving health equity may be stunted by the structural variations for mental health care across…
Global Climate Implications for Homelessness
Homelessness is a persistent global challenge with significant health impacts on those affected. Homeless people are by definition the most exposed to weather conditions and the social and economic problems caused by extreme weather and climate change and variability. This systematic review was designed to synthesize the academic literature that addresses the health and social implications of global climate change for homelessness. The question e…
Trialing the feasibility of a critical time intervention for youth transitioning out of homelessness
Little is known regarding the specific types of service models and collaborations that are necessary to support diverse populations of youth in transition out of homelessness. Transitional supports addressing the complex needs of this population are needed to stabilize the array of housing arrangements that youth access. This study was a pilot randomized controlled trial of one such critical time intervention, called the Housing Outreach Program-…
Unmet Health Care Needs for Syrian Refugees in Canada
What Role Does Type of Sponsorship Play in Early Integration Outcomes? Syrian Refugees Resettled in Six Canadian Cities
There is little longitudinal research that directly compares the effectiveness of Canada’s Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) and Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) Programs that takes into account possible socio-demographic differences between them. This article reports findings from 1,921 newly arrived adult Syrian refugees in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. GARs and PSRs differed widely on several demographic characteristics, including le…
Psychological capital and life satisfaction of refugees in Canada
Drawing on a 2‐year community‐based participatory research project, and grounded in the theories of positive psychology, this article examines the effects of targeted educational support on refugee participants’ psychological capital (PsyCap)–hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, and optimism–as well as life satisfaction. Two groups of participants attended a 14‐week trauma‐informed, educational support program in 2 consecutive sessions. The program w…
More than four walls and a roof needed
This article examines the feasibility of a complex intervention designed to facilitate the transition of youth out of homelessness. It is intended to contribute to efforts to build out the youth homelessness intervention literature, which is underdeveloped relative to descriptive characterizations of risk. The 6-month intervention examined here, referred to as the Housing Outreach Program-Collaboration (HOP-C), is comprised of transitional outrea…
Towards Understanding the Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Ego Resilience Among Primary School Children in a Kenyan Setting
Differences in Self-Reported Health and Unmet Health Needs Between Government Assisted and Privately Sponsored Syrian Refugees
Examining the Intersection of Race, Gender, Class, and Age on Post-Secondary Education and Career Trajectories of Refugees
This study examines the role of demographics on education and career trajectories of refugees’ in Canada from an intersectional perspective. It implemented a 14-week unique educational program that was completed by a total of 41 refugees’, over two cohorts with the goal to overcome barriers, bridge gaps and facilitate their transition into higher education. The data collected using semi-structured interview guide was analyzed using a constant com…
Development of a complex tertiary prevention intervention for the transition out of youth homelessness
Patients’ Mental Health Journeys
Common Factors in Community Mental Health Intervention
Social capital and young adolescents' perceived health in different sociocultural settings
What Role Does Type of Sponsorship Play in Early Integration Outcomes? Syrian Refugees Resettled in Six Canadian Cities
There is little longitudinal research that directly compares the effectiveness of Canada’s Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) and Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) Programs that takes into account possible socio-demographic differences between them. This article reports findings from 1,921 newly arrived adult Syrian refugees in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. GARs and PSRs differed widely on several demographic characteristics, including le…
Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Common Mental Disorders Among Workers
Objectives. We measured perceived discrimination and its association with common mental disorders among workers in the United Kingdom. Methods. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national sample of 6 ethnic groups (n=2054). Discrimination was measured as reports of insults; unfair treatment at work; or job denial stemming from race, religion, or language. The outcome assessed was presence of common mental disorders. Results. The risk of menta…
Refugees, Higher Education, and Informational Barriers
The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the experiences, needs, barriers, and expectations of survivors of torture and/or war, interested in entering post-secondary education in Canada. We conducted 38 interviews with participants from the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT), 10 interviews with CCVT staff, and 1 focus group with 3 participants, which followed a semi-structured interview guide, and were analyzed using a const…
Urbanization, Social Capital and Mental Health
One of the consequences of globalization has been rapid urbanization. The urban environment has long been considered of aetiological significance for a wide range of mental illnesses from depression to psychosis but the dynamic process of rapid urbanization adds at least two other problems that are important for psychological well-being; migration, and the need to develop supportive community structures for disparate groups that may have little s…
Ethnicity and Postmigration Health Trajectory in New Immigrants to Canada
Objectives. In this prospective cohort study, we examined the trajectory of general health during the first 4 years after new immigrants’ arrival in Canada. We focused on the change in self-rated health trajectories and their gender and ethnic disparities. Methods. Data were derived from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada and were collected between April 2001 and November 2005 by Statistics Canada. We used weighted samples of 3309 me…
Racism, mental illness and social support in the UK
South Asian youth mental health in Peel Region, Canada
The Peel Region of Toronto, Canada is home to over a third of the province's South Asian population. Youth are at a vulnerable time period in terms of their mental health. South Asian youth populations may face additional challenges to their mental health such as acculturative stress, intergenerational conflict, and racism and discrimination. This qualitative study set out to understand the mental health concerns and service access barriers exper…
Examining the Intersection of Race, Gender, Class, and Age on Post-Secondary Education and Career Trajectories of Refugees
This study examines the role of demographics on education and career trajectories of refugees’ in Canada from an intersectional perspective. It implemented a 14-week unique educational program that was completed by a total of 41 refugees’, over two cohorts with the goal to overcome barriers, bridge gaps and facilitate their transition into higher education. The data collected using semi-structured interview guide was analyzed using a constant com…
Development of a complex tertiary prevention intervention for the transition out of youth homelessness
The 2004 tsunami and mental health in Thailand
Some 280,000 people died in the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004. This cohort study examined its impact on mental health one and two years later. It did so by investigating the association between six consequent variables (personal injury, loss of home, loss of business, death of a family member, injury to a family member, or loss of a family member's business) and mental health, as measured by the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)…
On the Creative Edge
The last decade has witnessed an exponential growth in user-generated online content featuring Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), including photography, digital video, poems, blogging, and drawings. Although the increasing visibility of NSSI content has evoked public concern over potential health risks, little research has investigated why people are drawn to create and publish such content. This article reports the findings from a qualitative anal…
Globalising mental health
Purpose The paper's aim is to review how relevant the World Health Organisation's Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) initiative is to mental health care in non‐Western societies. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review of the programme and its relevance to mental health care by drawing on available literature and evidence. Findings mhGAP promotes the idea that mental health problems exist as problems within individuals, th…
Psychological capital and life satisfaction of refugees in Canada
Drawing on a 2‐year community‐based participatory research project, and grounded in the theories of positive psychology, this article examines the effects of targeted educational support on refugee participants’ psychological capital (PsyCap)–hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, and optimism–as well as life satisfaction. Two groups of participants attended a 14‐week trauma‐informed, educational support program in 2 consecutive sessions. The program w…
Community participation within the context of recovery
Community participation is a key component of recovery for people with schizophrenia however, little is known about this process for persons of South Asian origin. This study explores the community participation and recovery amongst South Asians with schizophrenia living in Toronto, Canada. Seven people of South Asian origin with a diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia participated in a longitudinal qualitative study, with interviews taking pla…
Understanding perceptions of community participation in persons with severe mental illness
Impact of the 2004 Tsunami on Self-Reported Physical Health in Thailand for the Subsequent 2 Years
Objectives. We examined self-reported physical health during the first 2 years following the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Methods. We assessed physical health with the revised Short Form Health Survey. We evaluated 6 types of tsunami exposure: personal injury, personal loss of home, personal loss of business, loss of family member, family member’s injury, and family’s loss of business. We examined the relationship between tsunami exposure and physic…
Towards Understanding the Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Ego Resilience Among Primary School Children in a Kenyan Setting
Ethnicity and its influence on suicide rates and risk
Suicide rates and classical indicators of suicide risk among inpatients committing suicide vary by ethnic group. Black African men have the highest rates of suicide compared to the White British group
A historical perspective of cultural competence
Knowing the origins of a concept can help to explain its form. Knowing the history of the struggle to get concepts such as cultural competence acknowledged can help us to understand some of the future difficulties that there may be in more widespread acceptance. This article discusses the development of cultural competence in the US and explains how both the civil rights movement and changes in immigration to the US were key. More recently, secul…
My Voice is sold, & I must be a Slave
This article explores the way in which abolition rhetoric was used in the Yorkshire elections of 1806 and 1807 to discredit candidates who supported the mechanization of the local wool industry. The 1807 election was held some two months after the bill abolishing the slave-trade became law. Amongst the candidates were William Wilberforce, already widely associated with the cause of abolition, and Henry Lascelles, whose fortune derived from West I…
Incidence of schizophrenia in ethnic minorities in London
Objective: To determine whether the incidence of schizophrenia among people from non-white ethnic minorities is greater in neighbourhoods where they constitute a smaller proportion of the total population. Design: Ecological design including retrospective study of case records to calculate the incidence of schizophrenia in the ethnic minority population across electoral wards and multi-level analysis to examine interaction between individuals and…
Social capital and mental health
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the 'Save PDF' action button.
Racism, psychosis and common mental disorder among ethnic minority groups in England
Background. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between risk of psychosis, common mental disorder (CMD) and indicators of racism among ethnic minority groups in England and how this relationship may vary by particular ethnic groups. Method. A multivariate analysis was carried out of quantitative, cross-sectional data from a nationally representative community sample of people aged between 16 and 74 years from the largest ethnic …
Social capital and mental illness
Study objective: The concept of social capital has influenced mental health policies of nations and international organisations despite its limited evidence base. This papers aims to systematically review quantitative studies examining the association between social capital and mental illness. Design and setting: Twenty electronic databases and the reference sections of papers were searched to identify published studies. Authors of papers were co…
Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Common Mental Disorders Among Workers
Objectives. We measured perceived discrimination and its association with common mental disorders among workers in the United Kingdom. Methods. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national sample of 6 ethnic groups (n=2054). Discrimination was measured as reports of insults; unfair treatment at work; or job denial stemming from race, religion, or language. The outcome assessed was presence of common mental disorders. Results. The risk of menta…
Social capital and young adolescents' perceived health in different sociocultural settings
Exploring the Ethnic Density Effect
Background: The ethnic density effect describes a phenomenon whereby adverse mental health outcomes among individuals from ethnic minorities are greater in neighbourhoods where they comprise a smaller proportion of the population. Most previous studies of the ethnic density effect have been quantitative in design, and thus have only been able to speculate on some of the underlying mechanisms explaining this phenomenon. Aims: This paper attempts t…
Cultural competence in mental health care
My Voice is sold, & I must be a Slave
This article explores the way in which abolition rhetoric was used in the Yorkshire elections of 1806 and 1807 to discredit candidates who supported the mechanization of the local wool industry. The 1807 election was held some two months after the bill abolishing the slave-trade became law. Amongst the candidates were William Wilberforce, already widely associated with the cause of abolition, and Henry Lascelles, whose fortune derived from West I…
The Count Me In census
On or around the 31 March each year all psychiatric units in the UK undertake the Count Me In census. Now in its fourth year and with 100% of units in England taking part, the Count Me In census offers comprehensive but limited information on all people receiving inpatient psychiatric care. It also offers information on their ethnicity so that comparisons can be made between groups. It is an extraordinary achievement but this achievement has brou…
A historical perspective of cultural competence
Knowing the origins of a concept can help to explain its form. Knowing the history of the struggle to get concepts such as cultural competence acknowledged can help us to understand some of the future difficulties that there may be in more widespread acceptance. This article discusses the development of cultural competence in the US and explains how both the civil rights movement and changes in immigration to the US were key. More recently, secul…
Urbanization, Social Capital and Mental Health
One of the consequences of globalization has been rapid urbanization. The urban environment has long been considered of aetiological significance for a wide range of mental illnesses from depression to psychosis but the dynamic process of rapid urbanization adds at least two other problems that are important for psychological well-being; migration, and the need to develop supportive community structures for disparate groups that may have little s…
Discrimination, ethnicity and psychosis — a qualitative study
Background: the increased incidence of psychosis in African‐Caribbeans in the UK compared to the white British population has been frequently reported. The cause for this is unclear; social factors are said to account for this increase and one factor that is often cited is discrimination.Aims and method: we have looked at two groups of psychotic patients, blacks of Caribbean origin and white British, and present a qualitative comparison of the in…
Racism, mental illness and social support in the UK
Mental health interventions in Canada for migrants affected by state‐sanctioned violence
Purpose This paper aims to describe the effectiveness of mental health interventions for migrants affected by extreme political violence. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a literature review and synthesis of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interventions for Canadian‐landed migrants who have been affected by state‐sanctioned violence. Findings Conceptualisations of trauma in current mental health systems may not be appropriate for th…
Mental health services in Jamaica
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to review strategies implemented to improve access to mental health care in Jamaica
Global voices
Building primary health care capacity to address addiction and mental health inequities
Purpose Since 2002, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario, Canada, has been working closely with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to implement mental health capacity‐building focused on primary health care. From an equity perspective, this article seeks to critically analyze the process and key results of this capacity‐building effort and to identify various implications for the future. Design/methodology/approach…
Medication assisted therapy (MAT) and substance use disorders in Tanzania
Purpose Substance use is among the risk factors associated with both HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases (NCDs). The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the medication assisted therapy (MAT) in the treatment of substance use disorders and opportunities for further interventions in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach A review of MAT pilot project documentation, existing published and grey literature on substance misuse in Tanz…
Improving access to mental health care in Kenya
Purpose The aim of this paper is to review the history of mental health service improvement in Kenya, to discuss current provision of services, challenges to the provision of services and future needs for services. Design/methodology/approach The paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings Mental health care in Kenya has been a progressing field, though the momentum of progress has been less than desired. The reasons for this are comple…
Something in our hearts”
Purpose This paper aims to examine the long‐term mental health consequences of war from the perspectives of urban Mayan women in post‐war Guatemala. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic methodologies, namely participant observation and in‐depth qualitative interviews were carried out during 12 months of fieldwork in Guatemala City. Findings The findings indicate that urban indigenous women confront a range of unresolved war‐related traumas an…
Moving traditional Caribbean medicine practices into healthcare in Canada
Purpose This paper aims to describe Caribbean traditional medicine and to consider whether and how it could be integrated into health systems in Canada. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs a literature review and synthesis. Findings Caribbean traditional healing takes a variety of forms reflecting the diversity of histories of the people of the Caribbean. A number of arguments including quality, equity, cost, and social climate will be…
Globalising mental health
Purpose The paper's aim is to review how relevant the World Health Organisation's Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) initiative is to mental health care in non‐Western societies. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review of the programme and its relevance to mental health care by drawing on available literature and evidence. Findings mhGAP promotes the idea that mental health problems exist as problems within individuals, th…
Ethnicity and its influence on suicide rates and risk
Suicide rates and classical indicators of suicide risk among inpatients committing suicide vary by ethnic group. Black African men have the highest rates of suicide compared to the White British group
Course and outcome of psychosis in black Caribbean populations and other ethnic groups living in the UK
Medicine (51 works) · Psychiatry (49 works) · Psychology (46 works) · Mental health (44 works) · Sociology (36 works) · Political science (35 works) · Mental Health Treatment and Access (21 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (21 works) · Nursing (20 works) · Environmental health (18 works)