Child and family epidemiology
One way to understand families is by applying perspectives from developmental psychology, epidemiology, and public health to the entire family unit. Our laboratory’s work in this area involves the use of large surveys alongside traditional observational assessment paradigms in order to better understand the inner-workings of the family. State-of-the-art statistical modelling techniques are utilized so that we can derive conclusions around family life across a large number of families who participate in our studies.
Related projects
- Kids, Family, and Places (KFP Study)
- All Our Families (AoF)
- Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN)
- Conditions Affecting Neuro-Cogitive Development and Learning in Early childhood (CANDLE)
Community-based family services
Community-based services are an integral part of family life. Sometimes families require formal services in order to help get them back on track with their relationships. In this area, our research is concerned with the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of psychosocial services that help children and families. Parenting supports, psychotherapy, family therapy, early childhood education, child welfare and community-based services are areas of focus. Our lab seeks to help agencies provide these services to families while ensuring they are evidence-based and effective.
Related projects
- Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF)
- Therapeutic Family Care Program (TFCP)
- Lutherwood Children Mental Health Services
- Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre
Children and Screens
In recent years, following an explosion of new technology there has been a surge in the literature examining child-technology interactions. Present research has shown that the relationship between child development and screen-time is complex, with some studies showing there are positives, some showing negatives, and some showing mixed results. The lab aims to uncover the intricacies interactions between youth and devices, from a family perspective.
The FamilyPsycle Lab has begun a line of research examining the measure of screen-time in youth and how to properly measure interaction with devices. The lab asks what exactly screen time denotes and how precisely to measure it. The FamilyPsycle Lab has conducted a scoping review of the present literature on technology interactions in an attempt to distill information regarding present measures on screen-time to take the first step in understanding a better way to understand and measure it.