In recognition of Action Anxiety Day on June 10, the Faculty of Health is proud to share the impact of the Beneva Anxiety Research Fund.
The Anxiety Research Fund, powered by Beneva, was created with the goal of enhancing assessment and treatment supports for individuals coping with anxiety – a debilitating and frequently hidden affliction experienced by one in five Canadians. Thanks to Beneva, the largest mutual insurance company in Canada, this $725,000 investment in Faculty of Health research has supported critical, community-focused projects which aimed to better identify, manage and help reduce anxiety.
Research Projects
Four Faculty of Health research projects were funded by Beneva, combining a unique blend of community-engaged applied research, mobilization of research insights and community impact through psychological services.
Exposure Therapy Using Virtual Reality
With her team in York’s PrescribingVRx lab, School of Health Policy & Management Professor Lora Appel used virtual reality technology to pilot an Exposure Therapy program focused on anxiety experienced by people with epilepsy.
Retooling Black Youth Anxiety
Headed by School of Global Health Professor Godfred Boateng, this project addressed anxiety and mental health issues of Black youth and their families, resulting from encounters with the criminal justice system and the child welfare system.
Reducing Anxiety About HPV Tests
This School of Nursing project led by Professor Catriona Buick focused on anxiety that is anticipated in response to upcoming revisions to Ontario’s Cervical Screening Guidelines. In other countries, anxiety has been minimized by introducing evidence-based communications with patients around Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer.
Decision-making in a Global Health Crisis
This project investigated how mental health issues can interfere with people’s compliance with important public health measures – such as mask wearing and vaccination – during a global pandemic. The team, led by Department of Psychology Professor Shayna Rosenbaum, studied “delay discounting” (undervaluing or discounting future benefits when making health decisions).
We are proud to have teamed up with York University to create the Anxiety Research Fund, dedicated entirely to accelerating research which will have an immediate and positive impact on the community, bringing new insight and change around this important issue.”
— Jean-Francois Chalifoux, Beneva President and Chief Executive Officer
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About Faculty of Health Research
Research in York’s Faculty of Health reflects our aspiration to build a healthy world for all. Our focus on health first, then care when needed, leads us to ask different questions and push beyond traditional boundaries to make a difference in people’s lives through our research.