MESHA’s Associate Director Karen May and Research Officer Dr Henry Bowen were privileged to present their work at an international conference in Canada last year.
The pair were accepted to present at the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research forum in Ottawa where they hosted a workshop in collaboration with McMaster University.
Ms May said the opportunity to share the leading-edge research being done by MESHA at the forum was a highlight.
Titled “Same Stuff, Different Uniform”, the workshop focused on military and emergency service identity and culture within the ‘Five Eyes’ nations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA.
Hosted by Ms May and Dr Bowen alongside Dr Ashley Williams from McMaster University, the workshop discussed the need for better understanding of service culture and how it differs from service to service, and in different country contexts, when it comes to designing policy and research for military and first responders.
Dr Bowen also presented on MESHA’s bereavement project, which aims to develop a national framework for military and emergency service families.
Both presentations generated plenty of interest and were well received by those in attendance.
The trip to Canada followed an appearance by Ms May and Associate Professor Miranda Van Hooff at the UK Military Families Symposium at London’s King’s College and the 17th biennial conference of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in Belfast in July.
Both trips allowed the pair to share their research to an international audience.
In London they presented on the identity and diversity of Australian service families.
Later in Belfast, Ms May presented her research into the effects of parental PTSD on military and emergency first responder families, while A/Prof Van Hooff shared her research on assistance dogs and how they can reduce mental health symptoms for veterans.
