Resilience & workplace wellbeing
Building stronger systems of care.
Similar psychological exposures from high-stress occupations show up under different uniforms. That's why our centre extends our work beyond exclusively the Veteran experience. exploring workplace mental health and resilience in high-stress occupations. Military, public safety personnel, and healthcare workers are among the communities we work with to support better workplace resilience.
A cornerstone of this work is REVEL, developed in collaboration with Phoenix Australia through support from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Drawing on the lived experience of health care workers and the latest international evidence, this tool can guide organizations toward measurable improvements in workforce mental health.
Additionally, we have built Canada's largest Veteran health datasets. In doing so, we enable clinicians to coordinate more accurate, comprehensive, and consistent tracking of treatment over time. All these measures help support a more resilient care system for those who served and those who work within it.
Active projects.
Supporting Physician through burnout, Resilience, Moral Injury, and Trust
The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant demands on physicians, affecting both their mental health and wellbeing. This two-year study will examine factors affecting physician wellbeing at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, including individual, team, and organizational factors. Findings may help identify opportunities to strengthen physician wellness and inform policies, programs, and supports that promote resilience and wellbeing.
Exploring what affects physician wellbeing may help organizations improve supports, policies, and programs to promote resilience and mental health.
Literature Review: Challenges Faced by Military and Public Safety and Security Personnel Supporting Disaster Relief Operations
As natural disasters increase worldwide, disaster relief workers may face challenges that affect their mental and physical health. This study will examine the impacts of disaster relief work and factors that may help protect wellbeing. Findings may help improve preparation, support, and mental health care for military, public safety, and other personnel involved in disaster response.
Understanding the challenges and protective factors linked to disaster relief work may help improve preparation, support, and mental health care for those who respond to disasters.
Literature Review and Scale Development on Psychological Safety in the Military
This study will examine psychological safety in military and paramilitary settings by reviewing existing research and developing a measure to assess it. Veteran feedback will help ensure the measure is practical and relevant, with findings used to develop recommendations to improve psychological safety.
Better understanding and measuring psychological safety in military settings may help identify ways to create healthier, more supportive environments for military members and Veterans.
Moral Distress and Well-Being of Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study
Understanding moral distress among healthcare workers may help improve wellbeing supports, policies, and preparedness for future health emergencies.
Understanding moral distress and wellbeing among healthcare workers during the pandemic may help improve supports, policies, and preparedness for future health emergencies.
What we've published on this work.
- Khoury, JMB., Teckchandani, TA., MacRae, KAF., Asmundson, GJG., Maguire, KQ., Roth, ML., Nazarov, A., Richardson, JD., & Carleton, RN. · 2026Associations Between Problematic Anger and Mental Health Disorders Among a Sample of Canadian Public Safety Personnel from Diverse SectorsCognitive Therapy and Research
- Rueda, A., Martin, J., Parkington, K., Perivolaris, A., Teferra, BG., Lee, GH., Tassone, VK., Lin, Q., Ivanov, M., Darnell, BC., Beavers, L., Campbell, DM., Torres, A., Lou, W., Nazarov, A., Ashbaugh, AR., Kapralos, B., Litz, B., Jetly, R., Dubrowski, A., Strudwick, G., Krishnan, S., & Bhat, V. · 2026Digital Health Monitoring and Intervention Suite for Stress in Frontline Nurses: Prospective Cohort TrialJMIR Formative Research
- Richardson, JD., Liu, JJW., Smith, P., & Nazarov, A. · 2025Implementing REVEL framework: key lessons for healthcare workplace wellbeingOccupational Medicine
- Nazarov, A., Brandwood, A., Forchuk, CA., Fraser, B., Merchant, W., Pavlovic, N., Badell, S., Guest, K., Bailey, S., Granek, J., & Richardson, JD. · 2025Improving Mental Health and Resilience Training: Feedback from Military PersonnelJournal of Military Social Work and Behavioral Health Services
- Forchuk, CA., Kocha, I., Granek, JA., Dempster, KS., Younger, WA., Gargala, D., Plouffe, RA., Bailey, S., Guest, K., Richardson, JD., & Nazarov, A · 2024Optimizing military mental health and stress resilience training through the lens of trainee preferences: A conjoint analysis approachMilitary Psychology