Social Determinants

523 articles:
Inequity
Indigenous
LGBTQ
Gender
Disability
Racism
by Maddi Dellplain

AI and the mental health crisis: Can chatbots fill the gap?

Canadians are increasingly turning to AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, for mental health support. But is this type of technology truly up to the task?
by Divya Santhanam Nawazish Naqvi

Climate change fuelling the spread of tuberculosis

With floods in Pakistan, cyclones in Madagascar and droughts in Somalia, it is crucial that we learn to recognize the critical links between climate change and disease.
by Kennes Lin Hung-Tat (Ted) Lo

Using ‘integration’ to silence culturally specific care

When culturally specific care is allowed to vanish under another name, we all lose a piece of the commons we rely on.
by Jackie Tsang Susan Dong

Tylenol misinformation puts pregnant patients at risk

Casting doubt on Tylenol without solid evidence does not empower pregnant people, it corners them. It adds guilt, stigma and undermines their confidence in making safe decisions for themselves and their babies.
by Geoffrey M. Pradella

Expanding access to disability supports: the case for impact investing

Thanks to limited access to interventions and income thresholds that fail to account for the cost of caregiving, families with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities are often left to pay out-of-pocket for services.
by Abigail Jaimes Zelaya

Black mistrust is logical and rational: What public health policymakers must learn from Black communities

Black communities are not hesitant just for the sake of it. They are hesitant because of memory. They need structural change built from trust, not just crisis.
by Muhammad Saim

Food security is health security: Tackling Type 2 diabetes in Indigenous communities

First Nations on reserve have Type 2 diabetes rates three to five times higher than the rest of Canada. Yet, they remain underserved and underrepresented in health policy and decision-making.
by Tazim Virani Dana McAuley Lindsay Cox Janine Pierre

Housing the frontline: Solving the health workforce crisis starts with a place to live

To build the strong and sustainable health-care system we need, affordable housing must be treated as essential workforce infrastructure.
by Michelle Cohen

How Hollywood’s obsession with the ‘Dry Look’ harms men and boys

Increasingly distorted male beauty standards have come to celebrate visible dehydration as a physical ideal, posing a significant physiological and psychological danger for men and boys.

by Shay Freger

Endometriosis is a national health crisis: Why aren’t we treating it like one?

If we want to build a more equitable and responsive health-care system, one that doesn’t leave millions behind, we must start by acknowledging endometriosis as the national health issue that it is.

by Maia Stelfox Zara Stelfox Stephana Julia Moss Jeanna Parsons Leigh

Young and at risk: How Canada is failing our future

Across Canada, nearly one in five people aged 15-24 met the criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder. Outdated, underfunded government responses have allowed these mental health problems to deepen and intersect.
by Maddi Dellplain

‘Good hands for a woman’: Study exposes gender bias in surgery 

Deeply ingrained gender biases within surgery are discouraging women from entering the field, according to findings in a new McGill University study. 
by Hugh MacLeod

Health care’s domino effect: Turning challenges into building blocks

The very system meant to save our lives is quietly collapsing. This isn’t just a slow-motion crisis. It’s a domino chain already falling.
by Imeth Illamperuma

More than access: Why mental health care in Canada must reflect cultural realities 

Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism is a defining value. Yet despite this ideal, the country’s mental health care systems have yet to fully adapt to reflect the diverse cultural realities of the populations they serve.
by Nishtha Patel Heather O’Grady Christine Caron Kathy Smith Alison Fox-Robichaud

Beyond the signature: Is consent truly informed?

Moving forward, making informed consent truly informed – rooted in both equity and accessibility –  needs to be a priority, not just an ideal.
by Homira Osman Stacey Lintern Danielle Campo McLeod

Approved but denied: Canadians with neuromuscular diseases face unequal access to treatment

We are told health care in Canada is equal for everyone. But it is not. Particularly for patients with neuromuscular diseases, what you get depends on where you live.
by Stephanie Quon

Accessibility: The overlooked competency in medical school

The topic of disability is taught, albeit in a limited way, in our medical schools. Yet, one essential element remains glaringly underrepresented: accessibility.
by Christopher Leighton

‘Disability’ glaringly absent from federal cabinet portfolios

On May 13, Prime Minister Carney announced his new cabinet of 28 cabinet ministers and 10 secretaries of states, yet incredibly left Canadians with disabilities without any overt representation.
by Maddi Dellplain

Safe supply an effective treatment tool despite political backlash, study confirms

New study shows that safe supply may be a more effective treatment option than methadone for those most at risk,.
by Nilah Ahimsadasan

When care doesn’t translate

For South Asian communities, improved care means earlier screening, culturally relevant guidance and meaningful language access. Without these changes, we risk continuing a pattern of preventable harm.

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